An inabsolute hypothesis:
Pretty much worldwide, poorer and working classes tend to carry national or local culture, while higher classes do their damndest to deny their local and national cultures, and achieve some sort of (in theory) sophisticated, neutral worldliness.

Discuss.
- posted by Eric @ 5:28 PM
Comments (2)

 
Fun Fact:

I speak from experience: Tom Petty's entire band talks like that.
- posted by Eric @ 2:29 AM
Comments (0)

 
When Michael's right, he's right. The Buttery on South Grand has to be one of the most under-recognized restaurants in St. Louis, and possibly its best all-night diner. Toasted buns, burgers that are wider than Steak 'N Shake, but not too large to be a diner burger, crispy hash browns, and some good, peppery coleslaw. Nice jukebox, too. I gotta wonder though: what is it about late night diners and Patsy Cline that makes them go together so sublimely?
- posted by Eric @ 12:24 AM
Comments (0)

 

Want one?
- posted by Eric @ 1:14 AM
Comments (0)

 
To all in St. Louis:
Anybody want to see Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, and Queen Latifah (<-- I guess she's doing R&B these days, too?) at the United Missouri Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Pavillion on Sunday, July 31st for $21?
- posted by Eric @ 9:19 PM
Comments (0)

 
I really kinda dig L.A. I ate well, and this store is amazing. Also, on the shuttle back to the airport, the only other passenger, as it turns out, was from Olivette, and had moved to L.A., but was not taking the flight to St. Louis, but rather, going to Las Vegas on business for Borders. To be a downer, going somewhere like L.A. reminds me of how far St. Louis is from being a truly vibrant city.

But! I have another round of SkyMall wonders for all to see (brace yerselves, dial-up users):



The electric dog collar approach to parenting








"Persnickety kitties prefer water that's constantly filtered & aerated in this Water Fountain." Somebody, somewhere actually wrote that sentence.

So it was fun.


We never did find that cake, though.
- posted by Eric @ 11:20 PM
Comments (1)

 
Leaving for Malibu(<---?) tomorrow. Don't wait up, you jackals.
- posted by Eric @ 2:06 AM
Comments (0)

 
1. Having been around STL County lately, who exactly decided it was a good idea for so many high school-age young males to have boy-Farrah Fawcett haircuts?
2. I was wondering what happened to the Tivoli's summer midnight movies, and the new schedule belatedly answered my call. Apparently, they're coming back August 19th/20th, starting with the director's cut of Donnie Darko. The last I'd heard about it, the director's cut blows the fun ambiguity of the original, but hell, I'll be there.
- posted by Eric @ 12:09 AM
Comments (0)

 
I Blame The Patriarchy: The Pie Fight Chronicles, Part II

In this voyeuristic age of ours, there's something I've been thinking about lately. Is there really, truly a new wave of feminism all about flaunting one's sexuality for self-empowerment? Is it just an invention of outside minds (i.e. men)? The internet's been one of the main actors in creating a great big contemporary conundrum: where does sexual expression end and exploitation and porn begin? Jill Posey-Smith of RFT, Johnny Magnet, and Sexicolor fame seems to have been addressing related concerns in her blog in the last few days or so, and from my perspective, she tends to be right - give it a looksie.

My main question, I guess, for all of youse to mull over is, where is the point where it stops being sexuality for empowerment's sake, and starts becoming just giving pervy guys what they want, and perpetuating the objectification of women? Or is it both? (Is it out of place for a 20-year-old male to be asking this?)
- posted by Eric @ 11:55 PM
Comments (0)

 
I just wanted to let everyone reading this know that, you guys - you're the best around, and I mean that.
- posted by Eric @ 1:15 AM
Comments (0)

 
From STLToday:

Many months after we first heard the plans for a Cuban-themed tapas bar in Maplewood called BarHabana, an evolution of the theme is set to open within the next few weeks at 7344 Manchester Road in Maplewood. Boogaloo, featuring Creole, Cuban and other Caribbean specialties, is the latest venture from the peripatetic Mike Johnson, whose current endeavors also include BARcelona and Momos. The phone number will be 314-645-4803.

And if you want to learn how to cook in Mike's new Caribbean style, he'll be teaching it at Kitchen Conservatory on Saturday, Aug. 27. Cost is $40; call 314-862-2665 for class reservations.

Finally! St. Louis will have congris! Ropa vieja! And hopefully some fab Cuban sandwiches (psst, in the real world, there's more than one kind)! Now if only they could give me some ridiculously rich Coppelia ice cream. Guess the fact that it's made by a state-owned company in a hostile country that we have an embargo against might get in the way, eh?

Also, using a Mac so frequently has made me feel less like OS X is nice and simple than just really annoying, with a lot of idiosyncrasies. Ah well...
- posted by Eric @ 10:28 PM
Comments (2)

 
If at any point any of youse left a message at the number here on the Hill, just wanted to let you know that I have no access to it. If you said anything particularly embarrassing, Patrick will hear it, though. So there's that.
- posted by Eric @ 2:58 AM
Comments (1)

 
The Cool Beans coffehouse is moving out of Webster Groves and into Maplewood. In the meantime, its next-door neighbor (and side operation?) Hogoboom's, which carries reeeeally good upscale sno-cones sit deserted with the sign "due to shorter season, no ice cream - sorry!"

St. Louis, mark my words - I will not lose another one of my favorite junk food noshing spots to your indifference.
- posted by Eric @ 1:01 AM
Comments (0)

 
For everyone reading this with an iPod, I suggest you look into iPod Wizard if you have a PC, and AlterPod if you have a Mac. You know, unless you're not into the whole giving your iPod custom fonts, logos, and text thing.
- posted by Eric @ 2:44 PM
Comments (0)

 
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8079019/

ALERT ALERT MISSING ATTRACTIVE BARELY LEGAL WHITE BLONDE AMERICAN GIRL ALERT THE AUTHORITIES AND ALSO CABLE NEWS

Now, honestly, do you think this is the one and only person from the United States that something like this just happened to?
- posted by Eric @ 12:00 PM
Comments (0)

 
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/neighborhoods/stories.nsf/news/story/AC53AF5472AC22948625701200788BA5?OpenDocument

Whoa, I know her!

Current count of reality show members with whom I have some sort of connection: 3
(Though I suppose I had gym class with Nikko Smith from American Idol's cousin, if that counts)
- posted by Eric @ 4:26 PM
Comments (1)

 
Since I just mentioned the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Dave Navarro-led misstep One Hot Minute, I've found someone's older-looking-than-mine copy of the CD itself floating around the inner depths of the case for my bass. So if anyone has borrowed my Sting Ray bass in the past (STI members, I'm looking in your direction) and is missing the CD, come claim your terrible album.
- posted by Eric @ 7:18 PM
Comments (0)