Go! Go! Raleigh

My friend Dana is again publishing an amazing blog at gogoraleigh.com. He was out of the scene for a while, but is back this year with what I think should be recognized as one of the best, most comprehensive civic blogs I've ever read. Would someone give this guy a Webby?

Everything from the highest level city development plans, to sports (he's an admitted Carolina and general ACC basketball addict) to where the next chain restaurant is opening down to local music events, if there is anything you want to know about what's happening in Raleigh, it's here. Speaking of Raleigh, and the fantastic time we spent there with Caro's friends and our families, if you want to see change happen fast, look at that place. If you think they're only building high-rise luxury towers with downtown loft living in places like Manhattan, Atlanta and Los Angeles, well then think again. With an air of objectivity, the site feeds you some insight into the impact that development is having on economy, civic pride and local activism. Growth (and the sprawl that goes with it) isn't all it's cracked up to be, and this site will give you some perspective to follow the impact of development on a mid-sized city. My aunt, who also lives in Raleigh, tells me developer greed is taking over there at the expense of sustainable and environmentally sound growth. It's in these mid-size cities where you can really see how fast change and growth can happen. Interesting stuff.

Been-Seen.com & BCAM

Been-Seen.com is one of those great blogs you find from a friend. This has one of the better small articles I've read on the reborn Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM), next to LACMA. Little did I know that it is one of the largest column-free art spaces in the United States, which will make for some stellar installations (as you can see from the Jeff Koons sculptures here).

This Blog Doesn't Suck.

No, not this blog, dummy. You may think the blog you're currently reading is sucky, okay fine, but this guy's blog really doesn't suck. Maybe because he's a comedy writer, or maybe just because his un-sucky content is about what does suck. Like head cheese, which definitely does suck. A lot. He lives in Hoboken, NJ, but it's unclear if that sucks or not. Mostly, I think it would suck.

He's friend's with the McDonald's raw chicken girl-victim and comedy writer, whose blog, Felber's Frolics, is also quite funny.

Little Debbie is Very Very Naughty. But Good.

Where's My Jetpack has a funny post about one of my favorite food brands, Little Debbie, along with the above hilarious photo of Debbie having a drag off a cancer stick. I was recently having a discussion with a work colleague, who's from Florida by way of North Carolina, about our mutual love for Little Debbie snacks, including, but not limited to: Star Crunch, Nutty Bars, Fancy Cakes and Oatmeal Creme Pies.

There was, however, a recent recall of Little Debbie Nutty Bars. But it goes to show you how something seemingly negative like a food industry news alert can generate nostalgic blog posts celebrating sugary snacks!

And just in case you were wondering, the Little Debbie site lists their top selling items:

1. Swiss Cake Rolls
2. Nutty Bars® Wafer Bars
3. Oatmeal Creme Pies
4. Fudge Brownies
5. Honey Buns
6. Zebra Cakes
7. Devil Squares®
8. Fudge Rounds
9. Star Crunch® Cosmic Snacks
10. Chocolate Cupcakes

Kim Chee is the New Thing in 2007.

Write that down.

Puno joined our creative team recently. Among other things, she is Korean and has promised to take us out for fried chicken and beer in Koreatown. If, as she says, kim chee is the new thing, then I fully expect a culinary trip that will make me a convert.

Visit Puno's beautiful site. She is also a big Yelp user, along with Mr. Hermanns.

Congrats to Alder Yarrow & Vinography.com

Congratulations to my friend and fellow blogger Alder Yarrow, who recently was awarded Best Wine Reviews in the 2007 American Wine Blog Awards for his wine blog, Vinography.com.

It seems to me that if you write a wine blog, the most coveted award would be for the best reviews; seems to be that's the heart and soul of wine writing.

Rainy Days and LA Traffic Always Get Me Down.

Rainy days in Los Angeles mean a couple of things. One, turn off the lawn sprinkler system for a few days and take advantage of the rare free water. Second, take a few deep breaths before heading out in a car to commute to work, because there is nothing quite like the mayhem of LA traffic in the rain. It's comically bad; your average rain storm is the East Coast equivalent of a blizzard.

The Los Angeles Times launched a new traffic blog, aptly named Bottleneck, earlier this year; LA traffic has its own culture.