Cities in Arizona squander a cheap, easy way to get greener: harvesting their many date trees. Only Arizona State University is putting its many date trees to work.
phoenix
How Did I Get on Anti-Park Fee Group’s Email List?
A website called nofee2hikeaz.com is now online fighting the Phoenix government’s proposal to charge for parking at 5 of its most-congested trailheads. Check my earlier post for some of the details.
Let me get this straight: The people who launched this site have the time and resources – in both time and cash – to design, code, launch and administer a website complete with YouTube videos. Yet they don’t have an extra $60 for a yearly pass for unlimited usage of those five trailheads. And they can’t park anywhere else, either.
That is just risible.
I also love the name: nofee2hikeaz.com.
How disingenuous and misleading can they get?
This is about five trailheads in one city. Let me repeat that: five trailheads, one city. Not even an entire city. It has nothing to do with the state of Arizona. Classic scare tactic from some local with delusions of Karl Rove grandeur.
But hey, what’s a little misdirection when there are $60 at stake!
I can’t help noticing that the video shows some awfully slick SUVs and sports cars in the parking lot. Maybe they could just skip a latte or two a week and apply it to the park fee? Nah, that’s crazy talk.
And here’s an interesting addition to the equation: Two days earlier, I received an email from Councilman Sal DiCiccio, the same one who railed against the proposed park fees, two days ago.
I have no idea how the councilman acquired my information. And I have absolutely no idea how the Webmasters of nofee2hikeaz.com acquired my information. [...]
Forget Where You’re From – Be Where You Are
Let’s pretend the Phoenix Coyotes were playing the Chicago Blackhawks in this year’s playoffs rather than the Detroit Red Wings.
Before I go further, let me explain something: There was once a time when the Phoenix Coyotes were called the Winnipeg Jets. During that time, I was a Chicago Blackhawks fan. I was born in Chicago, and raised as a Hawks fan: Goulet, Larmer, Magnusson, Esposito, Lysiak, Grimson, Smith, Chelios (hell, even Bannerman!) – those were my boys. My Hawks love continued after moving to Arizona. I was one of the few kids in school who liked hockey, and the only one who liked the Blackhawks (damn Gretzky and his trendy black-and-silver LA Kings). Losses would ruin my day, especially since I knew the inbred Canucks fan in my algebra class couldn’t wait to give me crap as if I gave up a soft goal or missed an open net.
So, you probably think I’d root against the Coyotes if they faced the Blackhawks. After all, I’ve never bonded with the Coyotes as I did with the Blackhawks (I always preferred the minor league Roadrunners).
But you’d be wrong.
I am a Phoenician, and have been since 1980. When the Coyotes arrived in the late 90s, I offered the team my loyalty.
That’s because there are certain things I understand: My home is where I am right now, and the past is the past.
If I put the Blackhawks before the Coyotes, I’d feel like a false Phoenician. It is up to me to help give [...]
Taste of Tops Ups the Ante for Craft Brew
Late in 2009, Taste of Tops opened in Tempe attached to the venerable Tops Liquor. Despite being close to Arizona State University, this really isn’t a place to pick up a 24-pack of frat boy swill. It’s a place for for hardcore brew fans to find stuff to hit the taste buds hard.
Taste of Tops took the Tops inclination for craft brew further – they offer about a dozen taps, all connected to kegs of high-quality offerings. You won’t find Bud here. Ever.
You will find a somewhat high price tag, as noted in the Brew Dork Times. I differ from that post about ToT in a few ways: I’ve always found the service friendly, and I get recognized by the staff every time I visit (being a long-haired dude kind of helps). I’ve had great conversations with the staff, too. As for the “sterile” feel of ToT … well, it’s brand new. I don’t think anyone has a right to expect a place to feel lived in from the day it opens. And really, customers are a huge part of the atmosphere. I have no problem getting a good chat going with strangers, and that means more to me than decor.
Now, there’s been an unexpected consequence of ToT’s opening: It’s really forced Papago Brewing in Scottsdale to pick up its game. Before ToT started drawing people, I could often go to Papago and find barely anything interesting on tap. I’ve noticed a marked change in this. Now, I have a [...]
