Last night a friend visiting from Seattle said, "We don't really listen to music anymore." He's right, the emphasis today is on portability, not audio quality, and that's one reason we don't listen like we once did. When you're proud of your record collection and your...
Let’s Go Back In Time, To Marin Headlands In 1984
Steward Brand is an icon, and a man I'm learning more about. His thinking is central to a talk I'm preparing to give at Geekend in Boston next month. It was in 1984 that Brand, founder of Whole Earth Catalog, helped put together the first ever Hacker's Conference,...
I’ll Have The Nerd Rock Sandwich, Please
We've been listening to Okkervil River since 2007, when The Stage Names came out. Last night at Edgefield in Troutdale, Oregon we go to see the band perform in a beautiful outdoor setting. AgesandAges opened the bill, followed by Okkervil River and The Decemberists....
Portland’s Values Speak To New Wave Bankers
Bank Simple, seeks to reinvent personal banking with modern online and mobile experiences, no surprise fees, and great customer service. In order to do that, the company is consolidating its San Francisco and New York City offices and moving staff to Portland, where...
Hey I Know, Class Warfare Isn’t To Blame For Civil Unrest, Social Media Is
In the wake of a week of violent protests in Great Britain--spurred, as they were, by the police killing of Mark Duggan--I'm not surprised to see authorities and mainstream media cast blame in any and all directions, including in the direction of social media sites...