Though this has been plugged elsewhere in the Thomas Crone Media Empire, I only learned today that I’ll be introducing the film noted above, “Urban Explorers: Into the Darkness,” on Thursday night at the Winifred Moore Auditorium; start time is 7 p.m. The film’s being co-sponsored by 52nd City and we’re happy to do so. In fact, we recently ran an interview with the doc’s director, Melody Gilbert, which you can find here.

If you happen to attend, the students you’ll see scattered through the venue looking like they’re working for some extra credit will probably be students of mine working for some extra credit. Just so you know.

If this is the first you’ve heard of it, the film’s description goes like so: “Plunging into the world of urban exploration, a growing international subculture of adventure-seekers who explore places where most people would never dream of going, documentary filmmaker Melody Gilbert follows Max Action, Shane, Katwoman, Mr. X, Slim Jim and Turbozutek on their ‘missions’ to infiltrate sewers, ‘lunatic asylums,’ storm drains, faded tourist attractions, secret U.S. government sites and even the forbidden Catacombs in Paris. Some do it for the thrill of being where they’re not supposed to be and not knowing what lies ahead. Others do it to document history before these long-forgotten places are demolished.”

It’s a sharp li’l motion picture. Hope you can drop in.

After becoming a fan of Truc Lam, I’ve found myself traveling to the corner of Spring and Gravois on a more regular basis. As is usually true of Vietnamese spots in So. City, Truc Lam’s got a one-day-off-per-week policy and it turns out that Wednesday is their day of rest. Across the street, though, is Phuc Loi and the lights of Phuc Loi were still on last night, just prior to 8:00 p.m. Oh, blessings be to Phuc Loi! (A fun name to type and just as fun to say.)

Though Phuc Loi is supposed to close at 8, the kitchen seemed to have no problem keeping the stove on for a couple vegetarian, off-the-menu orders last night, which were delivered in short order and quite tasty. The venue itself is nothing to look at; the biggest influence is a huge dose of paintings-from-a-yard-sale flair. And most of the folks coming through, even at closing time, were proving that the “Viet Food to Go” slogan was correct.

Maybe the best thing about Phuc Loi is that it’s non-smoking. For those of you who’ve gone to authentic Vietnamese places – those that fall just off of the So. Grand grid – you know that the interiors are often smokier than your lungs (and clothes) prefer. P-U. So the no-smoking signs at Phuc Loi were a positive, for sure, and the diners spent their time furiously making cell phone calls and texting, rather than smoking. At moments, it appeared that every person in the joint was working away at their Motorola.

Anyway, I do go on.

Try the Number Six. They’ll make it how you want it. Every night but Monday.

Phuc Loi
3729 Gravois #C, 63116
314-772-7742
Tues.-Thurs., 8-8
Fri.-Sat., 8-9
Closed Monday

Technology, Flip Mino: Can’t say I completely love the new Flip Mino, as it seems to be a truly herky-jerky visual affair when loaded onto public systems like YouTube. And the audio can come across as rough. Truth be told, the editing software is primitive. But for those of us with tech limitations, but also with the desire to easily and simply load motion pictures onto the web… well, the Flip Mino has its charms, at an affordable pricetag, to boot.

Books, Dave Gray’s Reading List: I think Dave Gray’s a pretty smart guy. What he knows, he really knows. For example, visual thinking. I am fairly sure I wouldn’t be able to attack even a small portion of this list before the year ends, but as a long-term project, a way to start learning about a pretty interesting slice of mass communications… on that level, I’d love to delve into this deep pool of books. Wish me luck. Gonna need it.

Torture, waterboarding: Have you ever heard a phrase enough to have a pretty good for what the topic’s about, without really knowing it? Conversely, have you ever been completely surprised by how little you know about a topic, one that you really should have a sense of, even when it usually takes place half a world away? Yup, me too. On both counts. I never really knew what waterboarding entailed, which has now been graphically shown to me via a video and article by Christopher Hitchens, in which the venerable writer is tortured for mere seconds, before he succumbs to the act. Think you’re tough? Really mentally tough? Think about that when peeking at this vid.

Teaching, the challenge of the millennials: For those of you who deal with the young peeps, consider reading this missive from Alex Berger, who touches on subjects that will have you shaking your head in both dismay and agreement. If possible, while reading (or listening to the podcast), multi-task on four-six other forms of media. (Thanks, Jo Guldi, for the intercepted link.)

Food, exotics: A few months back, I began eating fish and seafood, after 20 years of not doing so. Chewing through octopus and squid has been an odd experience, at times, but not as trying as the meal undertaken by Bill Plaschke, who’d been covering the Olympics for various mass media outlets. He seemed to get his proverbial money’s worth. And he definitely got a story.

Gimmick sites, Cassette From My Ex: Mind you, I love gimmick sites, those single-idea gems that seem to just make a ton of sense the second you come across them. And few have hit me with more “oh-you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me-it’s-so-right-there” power than Cassettefrommyex.com, which is dedicated to exactly what you’d expect. Some “name” writers discuss their favorite tapes – and we’re talking tapes here, people – and the stories behind them, with steaming content of the actual cassettes. What an idea! It’s always been there! D’oh!

Flickr user, BLANK: Original shout-out cut due to the fact that featured individual, in person, turns out to be a complete braying jackass.

Documentary I, “Goth Cruise“: Those of you who missed the film at the Wini Moore recently, should keep a look out for this subtle charmer on the IFC, where it’ll soon be given a cable second life. Funny stuff and the soundtrack’s more than a bit reminiscent of my own stereo in 1993, if not 2008. (Meeting the director, though, proved that you someone’s don’t actually want to meet the people you think you want to meet. They can be bummers. Or something. Socialization can be overrated.)

Documentary II, “Man on Wire“: Crazy Frechman decides to cross the World Trade Center Towers via metal wire, with no harnesses or nets. Crazy Frenchman decides to bring in his best friends (and some absolute strangers) for site support. Years later, a film on said Crazy Frechman appears, with inventive storytelling, outright gasp-worthy photography from the time and a strange sense of tension for an event that occurred over three decades ago. What a movie, based on the wild ideas of a man, Philippe Petit, who deserves respect for his lunacy, an ultimate act of audacious, prank-based UE.

Album I, Wire, “Chairs Missing“: Thanks to iPods, those albums that you’d kinda/sorta thought about for years, without ever listening to them, are so close to your ears. To think that I’ve robbed myself of “Chairs Missing” for all this time is quite alarming. I’d be sad, if I didn’t have instant access to this gem… right now. What a bit of brilliance. Thanks, iPod!

Album II, Bloc Party, “Intimacy”: It’s available. Now. Must buy. Must buy now. Why am I typing all these words and not buying this album, right now?

Agriculture, SPIN farming: So I learned something today, a bit of knowledge about SPIN farming, a concept that’s becoming more popular around the country, as people turn their otherwise (insert: disappointing, weedy, unkempt, unused, underused, decrepit) back yards into small-plot farms, which can combine into CSA-style micro producers of organic foods. Heard about it while running the board on tonight’s edition of “Topic A” on KDHX and the idea’s already been turning in my head for the past-90 minutes. Thinking that my weeds could soon be banana peppers, my weed trees could be cucumbers… Could live with that. Definitely could. Just need to turn these “coulds” into “wills.”

Bravo star who needs to be stopped, Tabatha: Oh, gosh. Where to start? Maybe by killing cable? I am getting nearer every day. Every day, a little bit nearer. Soon. Soon.

Spinning around town in the next month:

Tonight, 10 p.m. – 1:15 a.m., The Royale

Tuesday, September 2, 10 p.m. – 2:30 a.m., The Halo (after-set of Squeeze and Aimee Mann!)

Friday, September 12, 6 – 10 p.m., The Royale

Friday, September 26, 10 p.m. – 1:15 a.m., The Royale

And (most) every Friday on KDHX, from noon – 2 p.m. with Silver Tray.

Plus: a fill-in for Rob Levy on Juxtaposition, Wednesday, September 24, 8:00 – 10:00 p.m. An all-’80s/wave special.

Okay, admittedly still learning about how to use this whole “digital video thing” over at the YouTube website. Nonetheless, the past weekend’s mood is captured in full, vivid color below. At the very least, in slightly-pixellated, grainy color.

Great term. Love it and hope it makes it in common usage.

Been trying to inculcate myself into National Sandwich Month project for years.

Finally, success. Yes!

What delicious irony: to have a piece on the Beacon and a namecheck on the Platform. On the very same day.

For the Beacon, it’s a piece on hookah bars, including one located about 100-yards from the homestead. Lesson: those young people are always up to something.

For the Platform, I’m cited by Eddie Roth, now a prolific editorial page blogger for the P-D. The piece is really about Archbishop Burke, but I’ll go ahead and claim the article as, mostly, about me.

Feeling oh so digital.

It’s in the books. Or the web pages. Or something.

Looking at my flickr account, I realize that I haven’t posted anything since April 13, 2008. That’s owing to a few reasons.

1. My camera was broken for a time, after taking six, equidistant bounces across the Record Exchange parking lot. After repair (executed in Honduras? Pakistan? Kokomo, IN?), the camera’s still not fully, consistently operational, a problem that’ll be dealt with shortly.

2. I have a second camera, but don’t like it. My theory is that the $250 price-point on electronics is the one at which you begin to make mistakes.

3. All my photos of a recent vintage have been of desolate, abandoned, ravished places. To look at my photo set, you’d think that St. Louis has little more than: half-demolished industries and youth soccer players of color. As a civic-minded person, this imbalance has vexed me.

And 4. Because of the pressure of posting flickr photo #1,000 (pressure? by whom? how do I imagine these things?), I simply sat at photo #999 until the perfect image came along. Which it didn’t, because of item #1 above. Yow. Painful.

Anyway, after combing the archives, I’ve decided to post up a little piece that reminds me of item #3. After walking around the (edit:) St. Louis Southwestern Freight Depot a few months back, I came across a group of gentlemen, who seemed to be ambling from the nearest St. Louis City Correctional Department facility, just up Broadway. After clutching my gear a bit tighter, I offered a “hello” and they offered the opportunity for a photo. I didn’t sense that I had a choice, per se, so “click, click” went the camera. Two shots. Then outta there.

I have a feeling I’ve told this story on this blog before. I suppose I could check. But I won’t. I’ll simply post. Here. And at flickr.

Photo #1,000. Done. Whew.

It’s been up for a just a touch, but it’s still fresh.

The Food issue of 52nd City has arrived, but unlike past issues, it’s online exclusively. Long story short, this one’s serving as the transitional element between our quarterly offerings and the new form from here-on-out, a twice-annual release. The current, online issue, though, suffers no harm in shifting delivery systems, as we’ve got, arguably, one of our strongest and most-enjoyable collection of pieces yet. (The Thom Fletcher piece, for me, is a highlight, of our entire run.) Click some links: