Coffee and TV

I just finished my Fulbright application to study in Korea next year, so things are beginning to relax a bit. ZBT Fall Rush went quite well, and the new Beta Beta class is a bunch of very cool guys. The rest of the semester should be a lot of fun.

The focus of my Fulbright project is on how urban design must adapt to the needs of the elderly in cities. Developed nations across the world are about to face a major population shift towards persons aged 65 and over, which creates new demands for infrastructure and societal welfare programs to support them. Nursing homes and resort living are only options for those of considerable means. Luxury suites and personal caretakers are beyond the grasp of many soon-to-be-retired baby boomers.
We've mostly fixated on entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare, but we should also look at what the elderly need to live fulfilling lives. This means mobility and access: access to public transportation, public amenities, shopping, recreation, medical care, family, friends, places of worship, etc. Our cities are not built with the mobility-challenged in mind; we've made great strides with ADA-established building codes, but there has been little creativity in melding accessibility into attractive urban design. What good is a wheelchair ramp if it only leads to high-priced condos? Improvements to the public realm, to subway stations and public parks and the streetscape, benefit seniors regardless of economic status, and often directly benefit the rest of society as well.
Sounds Marxist? Keep in mind that Social Security, which most Americans would agree is one hallmark of what a responsible democratic society can achieve, was founded on the premise that improving the quality of life for the elderly (among the most vulnerable members of society of their time) would ultimately benefit everyone else and preserve civil society.

I'm really excited for the next couple weeks; the IM Bowling season begins Saturday, Adam1 gets married on the following Saturday, and somewhere in between we'll be throwing a 90's room party in Red Room and Brewery at ZBT.

The Wrens @ Middle East Downstairs

Killer show at the Middle East Downstairs last night, my third Wrens concert in as many years. They opened with a new song, presumably from their upcoming album, then launch into some Meadowlands goodness. "This Boy is Exhausted" kicks off the set, then followed up with "Happy", "Per Second Second", "Built-in Girls" and "Won't Get Too Far" (from Secaucus), "Everyone Chooses Sides", "Hopeless", and finishing with a frenetic "Faster Gun". Highlights: a hushed duet on "The House That Guilt Built" in between songs; a whooping, sweaty Kevin Whelan hopping around stage and licking the face of guitarist Charles Bissell (somewhat to Charles' dismay); the big audience-sing-along for the beginning of "Everyone Chooses Sides"; the band pulling up about 20 people from the front row to play various percussion parts and sing along to "Boys You Won't" and then allowing them to stay for the rest of the show; some random drunk guy (who may or may not have known the band) invited up between songs to give a shoutout to Dan Bayer, and his girlfriend who should "just fucking call me".
They tore the place up, it was amazing. They're the greatest thing to come out of New Jersey.