Slog - Comments on Close Encounters http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters Rome just gave me an idea: The city is a chaos that works. Big cities in the Third World are chaotic, but they don’t work. For a city to be outstanding it must be at once chaotic and not fall apart. The water must run, the trash be collected, and the electricity radiate to the tidal tails of the city. But what makes this complex emergence work? The combination of wealth and love. A city must be rich (I’m not against wealth but the capitalist domination of wealth and its generation) and, most importantly, be loved. A city with... Copyright 2008 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:02:22 -0800 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 22:31:40 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by bigyaz "There is always something severe and mean in the manner and expressions of those who live in small towns or outside of the city. When you see them praying in a small church, or driving a pickup truck down a desolate road, what you are watching is a profound hate for humanity. There is no real love in country people."

What an asshole you are, Charles. Of course, I'm not sure even you really believe this.

]]> bigyaz http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901197 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901197 City Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:18:03 -0800 Comment by Johnny B Good were you high when you wrote that?

]]> Johnny B Good http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901198 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901198 City Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:18:24 -0800 Comment by SeMe agreed on rome, it works. but if u want a non working version of a beautiful italian city go to napoli. the camorra (the local mob) there controls the garbage pickup and last time i was there, the city was filled with uncollected garbage and it was filthy as any developing world city, with just as much crime, but with good food. rome works because its nothing more than a tourist destination and a money laundering center for the mafia, the camorra and the ndragheta.

]]> SeMe http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901199 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901199 City Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:18:27 -0800 Comment by w7ngman I stopped reading at "Third World". There is no "Third World" anymore (if there ever was), and developed/developing is a false dichotomy.

A really badass TED talk on this:

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/92

If you don't know TED talks you're missing out.

]]> w7ngman http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901224 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901224 City Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:27:05 -0800 Comment by Matthew "The nature of a galaxy is not to be alone in the middle of nowhere."

Uh...not sure I follow. Using the impossibly vast nothingness of space to make a point about interconnectedness seems like a stretch.

]]> Matthew http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901272 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901272 City Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:42:34 -0800 Comment by bma A city with just wealth is as dead as a city without it.

Dubai and Singapore being cases in point.

]]> bma http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901300 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901300 City Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:54:17 -0800 Comment by Donna Lovely post. And while I've certainly experienced generosity in country folk, it's never been the same kind of love as I see on a city bus.

Those suburbanites are the ones who hate.

]]> Donna http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901304 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901304 City Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:55:37 -0800 Comment by jd The force of this law is love.

Um, actually, it's gravity.

]]> jd http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901310 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901310 City Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:56:58 -0800 Comment by solar system So Alien planets think the planet Earth is a bunch of dumb unloving hicks.
I can understand that.

]]> solar system http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901312 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901312 City Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:58:18 -0800 Comment by kim really--there's no real love in country people? really?? huh, i learn something new every day on the slog.

]]> kim http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901360 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901360 City Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:15:26 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle And, unlike Seattle, they actually have inexpensive residential rental apartment buildings that are taller than four stories.

Coincidence?

Nope.

Manga Italiana, Charles!

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901407 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901407 City Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:36:58 -0800 Comment by max solomon why it gotta be on/off, love/hate, city/country?

if god is love, and the universe is god, love is everywhere.

]]> max solomon http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901692 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901692 City Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:34:59 -0800 Comment by Mr. Poe The city is about rampant sex, Charles. Love is hard pressed here. You have to be looking for it in order to find it, and that just makes you a total loser. PARTYY!!!

]]> Mr. Poe http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901725 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901725 City Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:47:33 -0800 Comment by Grant Cogswell Dude, once you go to Mexico City I really believe you will find yourself unable to leave. Come visit when I´m there this summer.

]]> Grant Cogswell http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901875 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c901875 City Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:56:37 -0800 Comment by Pat I just got back from Rome too!
Cool stuff... Depressing as FUCK.

Capitalist greed for the sake of greed. Ugly Prada hand bags, The Vatican (enough said? How can anyone not see the hypocrisy in the OVERWHELMING amount of money spent on marble and gold. "you can't take it into heaven" but apparently you can slap your pope stamp on it and turn a blind eye to the poverty in the world" (side note! John Paul the 2's tomb was just a slab of humble style marble. Love that guy!)). Furthermore, the disregard the people had for their own city (Dirtier than Prague and Dublin combined).


Not to mention that Rome has always been as black hearted, as capitalist, and as cold. (hence the pillars)


IMHO too, the initial coldness of the people, which is hard to overcome, was a huge turn off (and this is no doubt because I was a tourist in a big family that had no choice but to stand out. Despite sincere attempts at speaking the language, and "doing as the Romans do" (which was laughed off)).


Good Coffee, amazing historical artifacts, HARDLY loving.


Although, outside of Rome (In the countryside!) I was amazed at the warmth i felt from the people.

]]> Pat http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c902003 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c902003 City Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:41:05 -0800 Comment by Hermes Are you lonely, Charles?

]]> Hermes http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c902043 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c902043 City Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:19:30 -0800 Comment by Pat p.s. as a whole the universe is expanding infinitely (like a balloon), everything getting farther and farther (and farther). Not to mention deader.

dude-bummer

]]> Pat http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c902172 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/close_encounters#c902172 City Thu, 17 Jan 2008 22:31:40 -0800