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Concrete Skatepark Tour

Street skating has blurred the line between skateparks and street spots. There is also a movement of making art and sculpture skate-able.

The first skatepark in the world, Surf City at 2169 E. Speedway, Tucson, Arizona opened for business on September 3, 1965. Patti McGee, Women’s National Champion, was here for the grand opening. It had concrete ramps and was operated by Arizona Surf City Enterprises, Inc.

A skatepark for skateboarders and skaters which had plywood ramps on a half-acre lot in Kelso, Washington, USA opened in April 1966. It was lighted for night use. The East Coast’s first skatepark, Ocean Bowl Skate Park, in Ocean Park, Maryland, USA, opened the first week of June, 1976. It is the oldest operating municipal skate park in the United States. Due to time, wear and the current needs of skaters, the old bowl and ramp were torn down in the Fall of 1997 and the new park opened in July 1998.

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A Guide To Great Coffee

Roasting coffee transforms the chemical and physical properties of green coffee beans into roasted coffee products.

Roasting coffee transforms the chemical and physical properties of green coffee beans into roasted coffee products. The roasting process is what produces the characteristic flavor of coffee by causing the green coffee beans to expand and to change in color, taste, smell, and density. Unroasted beans contain similar acids, protein, and caffeine as those that have been roasted, but lack the taste. Heat must be applied for the Maillard and other chemical reactions to occur.

Some coffee drinkers roast coffee at home in order to have more control over the freshness and flavor profile of the beans.

As green coffee is more stable than roasted, the roasting process tends to take place close to where it will be consumed. This reduces the time that roasted coffee spends in distribution, giving the consumer a longer shelf life. The vast majority of coffee is roasted commercially on a large scale, but some coffee drinkers roast coffee at home in order to have more control over the freshness and flavor profile of the beans.

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A Walk Through SF’s Graffiti Alley

Style Wars reinforced graffiti’s role within New York’s emerging hip-hop culture.

Graffiti is writing or drawings that have been scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface, often in a public place. Graffiti ranges from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings, and it has existed since ancient times, with examples dating back to Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire.

In modern times, paint (particularly spray paint) and marker pens have become the most commonly used graffiti materials. In most countries, marking or painting property without the property owner’s consent is considered defacement and vandalism, which is a punishable crime.

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Inside the Mind of Thom Yorke

Yorke has collaborated with several musical artists outside Radiohead and Atoms for Peace.

Thom Yorke is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He is the lead singer and principal songwriter of the bands Radiohead and Atoms for Peace, known for his use of falsetto. As a multi-instrumentalist, he mainly plays guitar and piano, but also plays synthesizer, bass guitar, and drums among other instruments, and makes use of electronic equipment such as samplers and drum machines.

In the 1990s, Yorke was known as a rock musician, but the 2000 Radiohead album Kid A saw his work expand into electronic music. In 2006, he released a solo album, The Eraser. Outside music, Yorke is a political activist on behalf of human rights, environmentalist and anti-war causes.

Atoms for Peace

Atoms For Peace is an experimental rock and electronic supergroup formed in late 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The group consists of Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, Joey Waronker of Beck and R.E.M. and Brazilian instrumentalist Mauro Refosco of Forro in the Dark. Their debut album, Amok, was released on February 25, 2013.

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Gallery Drip, Bangkok
Revolver, Vancouver
Matchstick, Vancouver
Trouble Coffee, San Francisco
Ponganes, Chang Mai
Backyard Coffee
Heart, Portland

An Ode To Great Coffee Shops

From a cultural standpoint, coffee shops largely serve as centers of social interaction.

Roasting coffee transforms the chemical and physical properties of green coffee beans into roasted coffee products. The roasting process is what produces the characteristic flavor of coffee by causing the green coffee beans to expand and to change in color, taste, smell, and density. Unroasted beans contain similar acids, protein, and caffeine as those that have been roasted, but lack the taste. Heat must be applied for the Maillard and other chemical reactions to occur.

The coffee roasting process follows coffee processing and precedes coffee brewing.

As green coffee is more stable than roasted, the roasting process tends to take place close to where it will be consumed. This reduces the time that roasted coffee spends in distribution, giving the consumer a longer shelf life. The vast majority of coffee is roasted commercially on a large scale, but some coffee drinkers roast coffee at home in order to have more control over the freshness and flavor profile of the beans.

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Afternoon Hiking at Point Reyes

The entire Point Reyes Peninsula is a piece of the Salinian Block transported northward by the San Andreas Fault.

Point Reyes is a prominent cape and popular Northern California tourist destination on the Pacific coast of northern California. It is located in Marin County approximately 30 miles west-northwest of San Francisco. The term is often applied to the Point Reyes Peninsula, the region bounded by Tomales Bay on the northeast and Bolinas Lagoon on the southeast. The headland is protected as part of Point Reyes National Seashore.

The cape protects Drakes Bay on its southern side. The headland is largely drained by Drakes Estero. Drakes Bay and Drake’s Estero are named after English seafarer Sir Francis Drake who possibly hauled his ship, the Golden Hinde, up onto the beach for repairs in June 1579.

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