TCB > January 2006

RFT staff writer Mike Seely—loved by some, loathed by others—is taking his act back to Seattle, where he'll join the staff of New Times' newest acquisition, the Seattle Weekly. We hear you've got a few weeks to bid him adieu.

UPDATE: an astute reader points out that there is officially no such animal as New Times anymore; rather, all the former Times properties are now amalgamated into Village Voice Media.

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Tue., Jan 31, 2006 at 9:59 AM
Link & Discuss (22 comments) | People

Photojournalist Tom Lampe, who'd take a few punches from The Man before losing the big story, is mentioned cryptically in the Feb. '06 issue of St. Louis Magazine. In a little dial-o-meter of "what's up, down and out in St. Louis this month," the final item reads (with a down arrow):

POOR EXPOSURE: Local photog chased and cuffed for snapping pics inside an empty St. Louis Centre. Don't mess with mall security.

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Fri., Jan 27, 2006 at 5:40 PM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | People

Over at the Riverfront Times website, the times are a-updatin', with a fancy, new modular look (likely the better to standardize and match the network with, but hey), but a disclaimer notes the site's still under construction (at least they don't employ that hardhat guy!), and it's true that the site crashed and burned the few times I tried to load the whole thing. But then again, I am running on a Mac Caveman™ edition with, I believe, the precursor to DOS.

Looks like it'll be pretty cool when complete.

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Fri., Jan 27, 2006 at 5:34 PM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | The Media

Now, since I can't find the graphic itself online, you'll have to find yourself a copy of yesterday's Post-Dispatch, but let me try to describe it.

Accompanying an otherwise acceptable article on B1 by Bill Lambrecht, the Post's Washington bureau chief, was a confusing infographic entitled "Some key woman leaders," with green squares representing the years various folks (Indira Gandhi, Corazon Aquino and so on) were in elected office around the world. Fine.

However, for various women, the years prior to those they served, or after the years they served, were shaded in a lighter green. But the "non-serving" years or decades weren't uniformly shaded in, across the board, just kind of...based on artistic feelings? I don't know. I thought the format of graphic chosen was poor, and the execution made it worse.

It's not too often I look at the paper version of the paper, and I'm surprised lately at how much I dislike it. I'm also not a fan of the entire column of comments from readers of the blog down the left-hand side of the "NewsWatch" section...I couldn't really care less what some gal in Ferguson thinks will happen in the future of TV, you know? I save those conversations for cocktail parties: use that space to hire some reporters and give me some news.

Bah.

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Mon., Jan 23, 2006 at 11:54 AM
Link & Discuss (3 comments) | The Media

Mr. Wiggles will be in town February 18-19 for the Monsters of Hip Hop tour at the Adam's Mark Hotel. It's billed as "the two-day dance convention with the most sought after choreographers in the world." Mr. Wiggles is a member of both the Electric Boogaloos and the Rock Steady Crew. He appeared in Wild Style and Beat Street, as well as videos for Usher, Limp Bizkit and Missy Elliot. Mr. Wiggles is also a graffiti artist; I have a tattoo that he custom designed (yeah, I'm a fan boy). Other instructors scheduled for the St. Louis stop of the tour are Dave Scott, Rhapsody, Brian Friedman and Gil Duldulao.

Posted by Brian Marston on Sat., Jan 21, 2006 at 1:00 PM
Link & Discuss (1 comment) | Other

DJ Trackstar (Gabe Moskoff) has been sending out an email newsletter about the local hip-hop scene for a while now. Hit him up at djtrackstar@gmail.com if you want to be added to the list.

Posted by Brian Marston on Thu., Jan 19, 2006 at 1:08 PM
Link & Discuss (2 comments) | The Media

Linda Springrose, the first secretary of Metropolis St. Louis, passed away in Baltimore yesterday from complications related to a blood clot. Among the Metropolis projects she proposed were Legislative Watch and a Voters' Guide. She was also involved with St. Louis City CASA.

Posted by Brian Marston on Thu., Jan 19, 2006 at 11:06 AM
Link & Discuss (2 comments) | People

It's too early to be an April Fool's joke, so we can only take it on face value: the often chilly relationship between Anheuser-Busch and our town's second-largest brewer, Schlafly, was warmed by a shared toast of Poor Richard's Ale yesterday afternoon.

Don't expect August III and Tom to start sending out joint Christmas cards or anything: it's really all about business (specifically, how beer in general is losing some of it to wine and spirits).

According to the story in today's Post, "The ale and toast also reflect Anheuser-Busch's efforts to reach out to smaller brewers as part of a bigger campaign to enhance the image of beer."

Still, it's nice to see the fine beverage can inspire the troops to truce and hoist a glass for a moment. We think Ben would be proud.

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Wed., Jan 18, 2006 at 11:00 AM
Link & Discuss (2 comments) | Business District

That's the spunky name of the travel section of Bust magazine ("for women with something to get off their chests"), and this month (the Dec/Jan issue), the Bust-light shines on St. Louis!

Among the recommended haunts:
*U-City Loop, including Vintage Vinyl, Star Clipper, the Tivoli, Rag-O-Rama, Sunshine Daydream (heh heh), Phoenix Rising, Blueberry Hill & Fitz's
*Left Bank Books, The Grind and all the attractions of Forest Park in the CWE
*Shout outs to West County restaurants Ichiban and Gokul's
*Curiously, RT Weiler's in St. Charles
*Cheap TRX and Ted Drewes (what would Ted say about that?)
*The Hi-Pointe (bar, not theater) and Magnolia's
*Missouri Botanical Garden
*and of course, City Museum, the high temple of Where Visitors Should Go

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Mon., Jan 16, 2006 at 6:16 PM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | STL in the News

Bill Keaggy has compiled a photographic tribute to the "Unspectacular doors of St. Louis" organized by color. Artistic vision or obsessive-compulsive behavior? Either way, I love it.

Check out his site for some of his other photo collections, including "50 Sad Chairs" and "Age: 30," a project where he took a picture of himself every day for a year.

Posted by Brian Marston on Sun., Jan 15, 2006 at 3:40 PM
Link & Discuss (1 comment) | Fun Links

The city issued an occupancy permit for 3022 Cherokee to the Community Arts and Media Project (CAMP) on December 14. The community center will open this spring, featuring a free computer center, a bike workshop, a library of rare books and 'zines, a homework club, concerts by local musicians and videos by local artists.

Posted by Brian Marston on Thu., Jan 12, 2006 at 9:57 PM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | Other

Assuredly is this reference to an article in the Post-Dispatch, affirming the commonplace status in the 1800s of binding books in human skin.

Happy Monday!

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Mon., Jan 9, 2006 at 10:49 AM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | Fun Links

The bboys and funkstylists were crowd pleasers (and a big crowd it was) at First Night. They performed during the countdown to 2006 in Grand Center on the main stage at Grand and Lindell. DJ Sarah Cox held it down on the ones and twos. (Literally, she had to hold it down because the dancing kept skipping her needles.) If you've got a fast Internet connection, check out the video, which was shot by me and digitized and edited by Tom Evans of Detour Production (158 MB, 24:27, WMV). I like that you can see the dancers' breath.

Posted by Brian Marston on Sat., Jan 7, 2006 at 3:05 PM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | The Commonspace

They just can't let us have anything, can they? We had staked our entire civic image (well, half of it: the other half being the whole "most crime-ridden" thing) on being the country's fattest city...and now they've taken *that*, too!

Yep, kids, that's right: Men's Fitness magazine has come out with its rankings of the Fittest and the Fattest, and guess who's tipping the scales at the top of the list? Maybe they'll rename it "Lincoln Pork." Ha! I kill me.

Anyway, we all know these things are made-up malarkey, blah blah blah. Except when we win a good one, of course. But funniest of all is the reaction in Baltimore, the new "fittest city" in the poll: "Wha? Shut up, lardass, and pass the fries."

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Fri., Jan 6, 2006 at 10:37 PM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | STL in the News

Congratulations to Amy and Luis Pizano on the birth of their new son. Carter arrived yesterday around 11 a.m. Amy is the owner of Pets in the City.

Posted by Brian Marston on Thu., Jan 5, 2006 at 3:17 PM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | People

PLAYBACK:stl has majorly overhauled its website. The new version went live on Saturday.

Posted by Brian Marston on Wed., Jan 4, 2006 at 2:08 PM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | The Media

DJ G-Wiz, the OG of hip-hop radio in St. Louis, hosted the "African Alert"/"Street Vibes" show on KDHX FM 88.1 from 1986 to 1997. He recently applied to host a new hip-hop show on the station with DJ Needles. He's also working on a documentary movie about the roller skating scene in St. Louis from the 70s through today.

Posted by Brian Marston on Wed., Jan 4, 2006 at 2:08 PM
Link & Discuss (1 comment) | People

It wouldn't be hip hop without the beef, which is too bad, really, because the arguments always look silly from the outside looking in. This time, MCs Big Will and Luqman of Da SLU Cru are squaring off against Bill Beene, the entertainment editor of The St. Louis American. The war of words was made strangely public by Bill in the pages of the American. To quote Chuck D., "All I want is peace and love on this planet / Ain't that how God planned it?"

In other feud news, the Chingy vs. Nelly thread on this site is up to 194 comments. Yeesh!

Posted by Brian Marston on Mon., Jan 2, 2006 at 4:20 PM
Link & Discuss (2 comments) | People

On January 5, the look of STLtoday.com will change. Check out the static mockup of the new design. Personally, I'm underwhelmed.

Posted by Brian Marston on Mon., Jan 2, 2006 at 3:11 PM
Link & Discuss (3 comments) | The Media

Included in the Sunday, Jan. 1, edition of the Post, David Bonetti's arts roundup ends with a condemnation (actually, a good ole Shakespearean "pox," truth be told) of "the politicians, team owners, developers, architects and their apologists" who led to the demise of the Century Building, Busch Stadium and the Morton May House in the last year. It's not exactly the Bob Duffy eloquence of old, but since Duffy and something like 8 billion accumulated other staff years have left the building...we'll take what we can get.

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Mon., Jan 2, 2006 at 1:45 PM
Link & Discuss (1 comment) | The Media