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Tag: "St.-Louis"

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Naked Bike Ride (St. Louis) 2009: to protest dependency on oil and to celebrate our bodies
By Erich Vieth on August 16th, 2009

Naked Bike Ride (St. Louis) 2009: to protest dependency on oil and to celebrate our bodies

Last year, I reported on the 2008 Naked Bike Ride in St. Louis, the first ever in my home town. The official purposes are twofold: to protest dependency on oil and to celebrate our bodies. It’s also a blast riding through town without having to worry about motor vehicles and without having to wonder what one’s fellow travelers look like naked (or almost naked). cool-waving-shot

This year’s St. Louis Naked Bike Ride occurred tonight, with perfect temperatures for not wearing much of anything or not wearing anything at all. I’d make a wild guess and say that there were about 1,000 bike riders tonight, 70% of them male. I’d also guess that about 20 of them were riding completely naked. I saw people from 16 to 70 years of age. Lots of camaraderie–the riders were warning each other of potholes and other road hazards. I only saw a few spills–luckily, those falls involved people with some clothing to protect them. total-nakedness

The genius of this event’s marketing is that every local media outlet was out there reporting on the event. Imagine having a clothed bike ride to protest oil dependency. You would probably only have the attention of a few eccentric bloggers like me.

Speaking of which, I was there tonight (wearing boxers), riding a course that was modified (shortened to about 7 miles) at the last minute, apparently to avoid the outflow of a huge crowd from a Cardinal Baseball game downtown. We wouldn’t want those people to be embarrassed were we to ride by and see them dropping exorbitant amounts to amuse themselves–$50 for tickets and $7 for hot dogs. Not while we–the naked and almost naked riders–were out there protesting oil and admiring and celebrating each others’ nakedness, all for free.

I would like to point out that the aim of this bicycle ride to celebrate our bodies is not a trivial issue. Refusing to celebrate the human body is closely related to our refusal to consider that humans are animals. These two dyfunctions are the cause of constant needless and useless human suffering. See this earlier post on terror management theory and this post on the dysfunction that stems from our failure to accept that humans are animals.

For a gallery of about a dozen additional photos I took, click on the title to this post.

Community • Culture • Education • Entertainment • Environment • Media • Saint Louis • Whimsy • transportation • travel
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What is St. Louis like?
By Erich Vieth on July 08th, 2009

What is St. Louis like?

People from my town of St. Louis are going ape-shit thinking that the national spotlight will come to our city along with the All-Star Game. It’s really sounding like mega-insecurity to me. If you’re really proud of your city, then be proud. You shouldn’t need some sports announcer to say a few nice things about one’s tourist attractions between pitches in order to feel validated. And if that sports announcer’s opinion is so important, let’s make sure that he takes a tour of our decaying city schools before the baseball game so that he can give the national sports audience an informed opinion or two on that, between pitches. And, really, what’s more important if you had to choose between having first rate tourist attractions and a first rate school system?

But my ambivalence leads to an important question. What is St. Louis really like? I’ve lived here all my life, and there is much to like about our city (as well as many things that need much improvement). Rather than write my own lengthy description of St. Louis, I’m going to refer you to this well-written balanced account by Alan Soloman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. What should we be thinking about St. Louis as the All-Star Game approaches? Here’s Soloman’s ominous opening, although his article eventually veers to many of the positive aspects of my river city.

The Gateway Arch, symbol of the place, and the museum beneath it represent the nation at its swaggering best, symbols of a Western expansion that would define us in so many ways. That we’re talking about St. Louis - a city that’s seen its share of rough times and that, like the country, isn’t exactly in swagger mode right now - in a way adds particular power and poignancy to this year’s celebration.

For another angle on how St. Louis is doing, check out this article in The Riverfront Times, where the author asks whether the recent efforts to beautify St. Louis amount to “putting lipstick on a pig.”

American Culture • Community • Education • Entertainment • Meaning of Life • Media • Noteworthy • Saint Louis
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City Garden in downtown St. Louis: transformative art
By Erich Vieth on June 30th, 2009

City Garden in downtown St. Louis: transformative art

There is a brand new sculpture park in downtown Saint Louis. It will officially open tomorrow. My family and I walked through tonight and we were wowwed.

Image by Erich Vieth

What used to be a bunch of office buildings (many of them less than inspiring) were transformed into a deeply beautiful and light-hearted extension of “City Garden,” a modern sculpture park occupying two city blocks. I probably took about 150 photos tonight, but I’ll give you my favorite 16 [If you don't see the gallery, click here ].

I’m shaking my head, thinking that the creators really nailed it. In my mind, the function of art is to challenge but to also draw an audience. This new park has succeeded in transforming dozens of sterile buildings into the all-too-willing background for a place that beckons people of all ages to come play, to walk, to talk, to ponder, to touch the sculptures and to stand back and admire.

[Epilogue 7/9/09: City Garden has turned out to be a powerful people magnet. Works of art draw in people, who draw in more people. It is truly one of the most remarkable transformations to hit downtown St. Louis. What used to be two big starkly empty lots is now a comfortable and beautiful place, open every hour of every day, for people to view the sculptures, to find themselves and to find each other. A big congratulations to the Gateway Foundation!]

Art • Community
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By Erich Vieth on April 28th, 2009

A dude, a camcorder and Earth Day in St. Louis

I wandered around at this year’s St. Louis Earth Day celebration with a camcorder to capture some of the many images and sounds. I boiled my raw video down into two short videos, each of them lasting about five minutes.

The first one is the “fun” video–you’ll see what I mean. I’m assuming that some of the scenes at Forest Park will give you a smile or leave you shaking your head. Free hugs, anyone? Or how about some sound therapy? And do consider the computerized body analysis administered to me by a chiropractic group working really (really) hard to sell me their long-term services. BTW, I took their test assuming that any legit test would pick up on a rather serious condition I’m dealing with–half of my left hand has gone numb and my left arm is at 1/2 strength due to a pinched nerve; it’s so bad that I’m almost certain to have neck surgery in a few weeks. But the elaborate computerized scan didn’t pick up on that major issue. I did learn that my gall bladder is in great shape, however.

Editing down these videos, I was surprised at how much music one can hear at the festival. Musician Leslie Sanazaro, who has often promoted “green” issues, is featured at the end of this first video (a few months ago, I produced a three-part interview with Leslie). Enjoy!

Now for the “serious” interview. Among all the people attending the fair were a few contractors who sell products and services that can really make a dent in the amount of energy used by your home. The first half of this short video features a firm (Home Green Home) that does elaborate energy audits for about $400. According to Marc Bluestone, up-front cost would be a bargain based on the amount of energy you can save (more than 20% of your energy bills). The second firm, Missouri Solar Living, installs solar equipment for water heating and electricity. You’ll hear some compelling facts and figures, especially about solar hot water. Note: I don’t know any more about these two firms than you’ll see on this videotape, but I did enjoy meeting these guys at Earth Day and I appreciated hearing energy-saving information from two companies who are actually doing substantial work out in the field.

American Culture • Community • Energy • Environment • Health • Video by DI • Whimsy • global warming • music
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Isn’t it NEWS when the daily newspaper fires one of its prominent columnists?
By Erich Vieth on April 19th, 2009

Isn’t it NEWS when the daily newspaper fires one of its prominent columnists?

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently fired one of its prominent columnists, Sylvester Brown. Why? Here’s all you’ll find even if you carefully scour the Post-Dispatch: A one-paragraph “Note” that Sylvester Brown acted unethically and that he deserved to be gone.

But isn’t it a big news story whenever the only daily newspaper serving a major metropolitan area fires one of its columnists for a purported isolated ethics infraction? Doesn’t it deserve more coverage than a one-paragraph “Note to Readers”? Isn’t this story news?

What about when the columnist (who wrote three full columns per week) disputes the Post-Dispatch version of the facts? Isn’t that news? You won’t read about both sides of this dispute in the Post-Dispatch (though you can read about it here).

What about the fact that Brown often criticized the Mayor of St. Louis coupled with the fact that the Mayor is on the paper’s “Advisory Board?” Isn’t that news? Should a newspaper ever have politicians on its “Advisory Board”? Isn’t that issue big news?

I decided to put out my own “edition” of the St. Louis Daily newspaper. I called it the St. Louis Post-Disgrace. Click on it to see the “paper” full screen.” It contains the headlines that illustrate various aspects of the Sylvester Brown story that the Post-Dispatch failed to cover. I’ll be waiting and watching to see whether the Post-Dispatch ever advises its readers any of these issues.

sylvester-brown-mockup-b-and-w

Communication • Community • Media • Noteworthy • Politics • hypocrisy
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Assorted sordid thoughts about the big new casino in town.
By Erich Vieth on April 08th, 2009

Assorted sordid thoughts about the big new casino in town.

I decided to take a walk this afternoon, an exercise break from a work routine which too often requires that I be hovered over a keyboard and phone. On a lark, I headed toward the northeast corner of downtown St. Louis to check out a well-promoted “Burger Bar,” which happens to be located in the largest casino in St. Louis, the Lumiere.

Everyone in St. Louis knows about the Lumiere Casino thanks to its huge electronic sign right in front, only a few feet from busy Interstate 70. On that huge video screen, you can often see pictures of buxom women beckoning you to have fun at the casino. Some of them are showing you to your room, showing you the bed on which you may sleep once you have been relieved of your money downstairs. I’ve often wondered how many accidents have been caused on Highway 70 by people who were watching the gorgeous women instead of watching where they were driving.

Image by Erich Vieth

I’d never been inside the Lumiere Casino until today. I wasn’t prepared for what I saw: slot machines and other gambling stations as far as my eye could see. The muscle-bound greeter (or was he a bouncer?) told me that there are 2,000 gambling machines and 80 gambling tables on the 75,000 square foot floor. The Lumiere, which has only been open for a couple of years in St. Louis, is quite a step up from the smaller casinos previously serving St. Louis area gamblers. This is definitely a major league casino.

As I stood there, transfixed by the thousands of blinking lights decorating the thousands of slot machines, the Greeter told me that business has been good, even in these difficult economic times. With a stiff smile, he advised me to come by if I had any further questions, and to otherwise go have a good time.

American Culture • Art • Religion • Saint Louis • Whimsy • snake oil
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Saint Francis Xavier Church - a midtown St. Louis landmark
By Erich Vieth on February 28th, 2009

Saint Francis Xavier Church - a midtown St. Louis landmark

Two nights ago, I was riding a bicycle past a midtown St. Louis landmark, Saint Francis Xavier Church, better known as “College Church,” due to its location on the Jesuit campus of St. Louis University. I know this campus well, in that I am a graduate of the SLU School of Law.

I’ve often enjoyed this architecture–I decided to stop to take this photo.

Saint Louis • photography
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By Tim Hogan on October 31st, 2008

Obama more “presidential” says Clinton

My 10 year old daughter and I recently attended a rally for Barack Obama in St. Louis where former President Bill Clinton gave a speech supporting Barack Obama for President. We left for the rally at Kirkwood High School two hours early but wound up standing in a long line and finding a seat in [...]

Politics
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St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Sarah Palin walks on water
By Erich Vieth on September 04th, 2008

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Sarah Palin walks on water

It’s amazing to see the horrifically slanted local coverage of Sarah Palin by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch .  The only daily newspaper in St. Louis has now unveiled Palin as a party savior, refusing to engage with the ongoing torrent of information revealing Sarah Palin to be an inexperienced, dishonest and vindictive politician.
For those people [...]

American Culture • Media • Politics
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The Grand Basin at night
By Erich Vieth on July 19th, 2008

The Grand Basin at night

This is a favorite spot of mine. It’s called the Grand Basin and it’s located in the middle Forest Park in the City of St. Louis, Missouri. I enjoyed this image of the area because it contains views of some rather large objects (like the St. Louis Art Museum and a lake/fountains [...]

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Ten thousand things you didn’t know
By Erich Vieth on June 30th, 2008

Ten thousand things you didn’t know

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then here are about ten thousands words’ worth of photos for you. A few months ago, I bought a small camera that I try to take everywhere I go. The plan was to make myself look more careful at the world around me, which I [...]

Entertainment • Whimsy • photography
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The flood waters roll into St. Louis
By Erich Vieth on June 14th, 2008

The flood waters roll into St. Louis

The flood waters are doing horrific damage in many places in Iowa. Down-river in St. Louis, we are not expected to sustain much damage, but you can see that the flood waters have arrived. The following photo was taken today. It shows two girls and a dog (all of them had [...]

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Taking views and other things for granted
By Erich Vieth on February 29th, 2008

Taking views and other things for granted

I have the privilege of working in an 15th floor office with a view.   Most people with offices downtown wouldn’t consider my view to be a great view (because I can’t see the Arch or the baseball stadium from my window), but it’s interesting enough that most people who come to my office look out the window and comment about what they [...]

Meaning of Life • Psychology Cognition • Whimsy • photography
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