So far 2009 is looking like a really solid year. I didn’t struggle a bit to come up with names. Can’t wait to hear what else will be coming out (Wilco!)

1. Japanadroids – Post-Nothing
2. Yeah Yeah Yeah’s – It’s Blitz
3. Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career
4. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
5. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Self-titled
6. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
7. Matt and Kim – Grand
8. Cymbals Eat Guitars – Why There are Mountains
9. Dinosaur Jr. – Farm
10. Toss up between whatever album I just haven’t gotten to so far, Animal Collective et al.

It’s well documented how anemic the offense is this year. But I was startled to see that the Giants are 22 and 5 when they score 5 or more runs.

Giants (38 – 32)
runs scored
5+   4-
w  22  16
l    5     27

Dodgers (47 – 24)
5+  4-
w  32  15
l     5    19

I stated tracking this 2 weeks ago, and since the Giants have had 2 losses in which they scored 5 or more runs. Perhaps the bats are heating up as the pitching has been feeling the stress?

As Inclusionary housing has been making in-roads on the affordability of housing in cities across the country, it seems to follow that the same could be done with commercial properties as well. What I’m thinking is a similar structure of 10 – 15% of lease-able space is designated at median rent rates for a city. It could be a great economic boom to entrepreneurs who are looking to enter new markets. Why settle for Panda Express, when you can have a more authentic experience at your local strip mall?

How would you select seems to be the next question. Perhaps it would only be available to first time business owners, or the would be tenant lives in the city. Just a thought.

I just popped open a nice bottle of Domaine Tempier Bandol. I’ve never had Bandol before but after reading about it in A Hedonist in the Cellar and have been tempted ever since.

I was able to find one the other day and have been itching to open it since. Chez Panisse has had one on their wines by the glass list since they’ve opened, so I figured it’s a natural for food. I had some braised pork belly done with some soy sauce, shaoxing wine, 5 spice, and lemongrass in the fridge. The two seemed like a fit, for some unknown reason. As it turns out, my hunch served me well.

Pairing asian food with wine has been an ongoing area of study. Seems like old world is the only way to go.

Brad Pitt graces the cover of Architectural Digest 

http://www.makeitrightnola.org/

1. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
2. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
3. TV on the Radio – Dear Science
4. Raphael Saadiq – The Way I See It
5. Deerhunter – Microcastle
6. Kanye West – 808s and Heartbreak
7. Portishead – Third
8. Cut Copy – In Ghost Colours
9. M83 – Saturdays = Youth
10. Los Campesinos! – Hold on Now, Youngster
11. Fucked Up – The Chemistry of Common Life
12. The Dodos – Visiter
13. Titus Andronicus – The Airing of Grievances
14. Lil Wayne – Tha Carter III
15. Shearwater – Rook
16. Hot Chip – Made in the Dark
17. The Mae Shi – HLLLYH
18. The Knux – Remind Me in 3 Days…
19. The Walkmen – You & Me
20. Bonnie Prince Billy – Lie Down in the Light

I had a hard time coming up with even 10. Here’s to hoping 2009 will be better (so far most of my anticipated albums have been so-so).

01. Okkervil River – Lost Coastlines
02. TV on the Radio – Family Tree
03. Vampire Weekend – Walcott / Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
04. Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal / Oliver James
05. Kanye West – Street Lights / Love Lockdown
06. The Dodos – Fools
07. MGMT – Kids
08. M83 – Kim & Jessie
09. Raphael Saadiq – Just One Kiss
10. The Walkmen – In The New Year

http://www.wired.com/culture/design/magazine/17-03/pl_design

How’s that for a job? A year’s worth of work, this will be my new hobby.

M. Ward – Chinese Translation, a little after it came out, but I’m not the most avid music video watcher.

I read a rather interesting article in Sustainable Industries on affordable green building. It seems that finally market forces have allowed this crucial segment of housing to I read a rather interesting article in Sustainable Industries on affordable green building. It seems that finally market forces have allowed this crucial segment of housing to move forward.

It states that green construction is a mere 5% – 10% more than standard. Dana Bourland of Enterprise Community Partners claims the housing boom of recent years as providing proof of the value for green building.

Case studies

Patton Park is a new project in Portland by Gerding Edlen and SERA Architects that will utilize their experience in building green for an affordable housing project. The 33^rd St and Powell Rowhouses will be built by REACH Community Development. Feature include energy-efficient windows and sunscreens, Energy Star-rated appliances, VOC paints, and solar panels. One really cool thing is the outreach component by educating residents about how to use less energy.

Funding

Sunscreens on the southwest corner of the building, were provided by a grant from Home Depot Foundation, which also provided $50,000 for a rainwater-harvesting tank at Station Place, another REACH-developed affordable housing project in Portland. 

Additional funding opportunities at the local level, such as Portland’s Green Investment Fund, incentivize local projects. Surprisingly given their tight budgets, some of the past recipients were affordable housing projects, such as The Watershed at Hillsdale and The Civic, which was developed by Gerding Edlen as a combination of market-rate condos and below-market affordable units.