Daily Archives: October 23, 2005

Uncategorized

Council Meeting looks interesting this week

I was reading the agenda for this Tuesday’s city council meeting, and it actually looks pretty interesting.  There will be a presentation from Ferrell Madden Associates on Form-Based Codes.  Sounds a bit arcane, but basically, our current zoning “primarily seeks to control land use and density,” whereas form-based coding “seeks to regulate the form of the built environment.”  So, instead of just saying “yeah, go ahead and build an office building in place of the old Bergner’s building” and ending up with an ugly monstrosity like One Technology Plaza, the city can specify that the building should fit in with surrounding architecture and preserve pedestrian-friendliness.  Hopefully this will be a step forward for New Urbanism in Peoria.
 
The council will also be looking at a preliminary site plan for “museum square” that’s replacing the Sears block.  I’ll be interested to see if the plan incorporates principles laid out in DPZ’s Heart of Peoria Plan.  If it doesn’t, it will be a step backward for New Urbanism in Peoria.
 
Should be an interesting night!

Uncategorized

Is nothing sacred?

I couldn’t help but notice on the Peoria Police Department’s website that a several guys the past few months were picked up for solicitation in the 500 block of NE Madison, within one block of St. Mary’s Cathedral.  That has to be the epitome of shamelessness — picking up a prostitute in front of a church.

Uncategorized

Have I mentioned how terrible FOX’s baseball coverage is?

4 Comments

During the NLCS (Houston Astros vs. St. Louis Cardinals), Fox broadcaster Thom Brennaman commented that Houston has never been to the World Series in the history of their franchise. Then, wanting to make the point that the Texas Rangers haven’t made it either, he said, “There has never been a World Series game played in the biggest state in the country.”

Of course, he’s right. There hasn’t ever been a World Series game played in Alaska. How old of a guy is Brennaman? I know we all laughed at Bob Dole when he referred to the Brooklyn Dodgers, but at least he was alive when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn. Is Breannaman old enough that he went through geography class before Alaska was admitted to the union?

While I’m on the topic of idiocy by Fox, what’s the deal with the “diamond cam”? You know, the little cameras on the ground right in front of the pitcher’s mound and home plate that look up at the pitcher and batter, respectively? This is perhaps the biggest waste of technology since the wristwatch television. Couldn’t they come up with something that would actually enhance their coverage?

I think the best camera enhancement I ever saw of a sporting event was EyeVision from CBS during SuperBowl XXXV. That’s where they could stop the instant replay and do a “Matrix”-like 180-degree spin around the play. Such a system in baseball would be really cool for plays at any base — especially home. See, a real network uses technology to focus on the plays, while Fox uses technology to give us an ant’s-eye view of the players.

So, I renew my plea to Major League Baseball: please, please, please give MLB coverage to some other network once Fox’s contract expires!