Blog Title: THE JO-TEL … with George Orwell as Megatron

Archives Status Report

So the old Jo-Tel has been more or less archived. I’ve timestamped each month so that you can click the archives tab and and they should all be there, going back to 2004. There are some loose ends to tie up; some of the pages on the old Jo-Tel, such as all of read more..

Architectural Essay, in About 250 Words

Having lived in one of the most beautiful cities in the world for five years, I am still awed by the idiomatic grace of San Francisco’s Victorian Architecture. San Francisco Victorians provide proof that prefabricated housing can offer just as much character to a neighborhood than the most ostentatious custom homes. As a read more..

Deep Thought

There is nothing “outstanding” about my balance.  My balance sucks. -Hip E.

Hip E. Is The Controller

Psuedoreid guides us on a short tour of Hip E.’s forgotten foray into rock stardom. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79X2z9I47V0 -Shark

We Blow Hot, We Blow Cold, We Keep Blowing

For those keeping track, 2009 is the fifth– FIFTH– year of this blog’s existence. It started in 2004 exactly three months after I, in an email to several friends, asked genuinely what a “blog” was. An early entry by PETE about ice trays kind of encapsulates what has become the heart of the read more..

An Open Letter to Andrew VanWyngarden

Dear Andrew, Meg Ryan’s character from “When Harry Met Sally” called: she wants her head back. Sincerely, Thrill

KGW TEAM TRAFFIC NEWSSTORMCOPTER 8, Ready for the HD

I got in to Portland last night no problem, my flight was only delayed an hour or so.  Took a walk in the snow this morning, which is 12-16″ deep everywhere that hasn’t been shoveled or plowed, up Terwilliger to Hillsdale, across the campus of Wilson High and back down Vermont to my house.  Portland read more..

Mom Checks In

I spent the night at the Gough-tel on Saturday night.  Actually I passed out on their couch from scotch.  It was Black Label, though, so it was a fairly pleasant experience.  Watched Man On Wire this morning On Demand.  See it.  Delightful.  The fact that they made a 90-minute movie about a man tightrope walking read more..

Top Five Worst-est Scenes in The Family Stone

I somehow watched 70% of The Family Stone, a shiney piece of Hollywood schlock that dropped from the asshole of some director in 2007, or thereabouts. There were many bad scenes, here are the worstest, to wit: 5. Sarah Jessica Parker trying to act drunk. She sneaks off from a family disaster with read more..

Picture of the Week 12.18.08

One from The Vault, in celebration of… whatever. Ladies and gentlemen…

Quote of the Week 12.15.08

“Yeah, look at that: Big Nasty finally gets on the Strike Train!” - ESPN

Dreams Are Weird

So, basically me and a bunch of people were taken hostage by terrorists.  We were held in a camp that resembled Burlingame Fred Meyer.  I know it was a camp because we were always asked for our papers etc.  They said don’t try to escape because they would kill everyone. After awhile we figured out read more..

Shark’s Top 15 Albums of 2008

I figured out a few things for sure this year: 1. Who Jack the Ripper was; 2. How to determine the narrator of Pale Fire by Vladamir Nabokov; 3. Why the legal profession is an unproductive drain on societal resources. In summary: Jack the Ripper was a rabid, syphallic marauder in downtown London known as Leather Apron, a Polish read more..

Quote of the Week 12.08.08

“She’s like a cotton candy Cadillac driven by Abraham Lincoln with a beard made out of diamonds, so fuck you!” - Get Your War On: The Day Traitors

Banksy’s Lascaux

I’m a huge Banksy fan, and I ran across this recently on his website. It’s an obvious homage to Lascaux (for comparison, see below), and a great critique of the anti-grafitti culture. Not that I’m pro-all-grafitti - I fucking HATE sloppy tags and throw ups - but some stuff out there is just read more..