Wow. Lots of feedback on that last post. And a letter from the editor herself wanting to make it very clear that babyboomers are not their target audience, rather, people who like to “go out and about” in Albuquerque. Unless you like to go do things around the westside. Ok, that was a cheap shot I’m just kidding.

I’m still a chain coffee drinking non-La Montanita shopping westside suburban blogger but there’s an additional non-qualification in that I’m a semi-agoraphobe who doesn’t drive therefore I don’t get “out and about” very often. And when I do it’s usually to some evil corporate chain store or restaurant on the westside (or, God forbid, the Rio Rancho dog park because there aren’t any City of Albuquerque dog parks nearby) and somehow I get this intangible feeling of being judged for that from these folks.

However! One thing that I find very attractive in this new venture (aside from the fact that I was quoted in an article and didn’t notice that before. Thanks Kelly!) is the attempt to focus on positive aspects of Albuquerque. Which could be a great help towards a better general attitude here as long as its a guideline that’s followed. Unfortunately I think there are already some articles that don’t exactly provide a positive unifying attitude.

It’s the elitist (and I don’t mean to encourage anti-intellectualism here I mean the textbook definition of the term) attitudes that people who live in a certain place, eat at certain restaurants or drink fair trade coffee are somehow superior to people who live in another place, eat at chain restaurants or drink chain store coffee that kind of pisses me off - and actually gives me a better perspective on the crazy christian backlash that took place everywhere last christmas.

That whole “Goddammit I’m Christian and there’s nothing wrong with it you big fat pagan slut! Let me celebrate the birth of Christ with the tacky commercial glee for which The Man died on the cross (in a really long violent gross way now available on DVD!) without crazy guilt trips or having to use the more religiously tolerant ‘Happy Holidays’. What I believe in is the only true thing on this whole damn planet and anyone who thinks or believes otherwise is a terrist” kind of commentary that was on shows like crossfire and republican pundit weblogs last December. And while I certainly don’t agree with it I almost understand that level of defiance right now. It’s very similar to the kind of attitude I would take when I was a smoker in a non-smoking restaurant: “I’m a smoker, motherfucker, you got a PROBLEM with that?”

Is there somehow a way to focus on the small, interesting, and/or local without intimating that to support or be otherwise is a bad thing? A way to prove your point without cutting the other side down? Surely there is…

The whole “Alternative Albuquerque” thing is fun. But in some cases it reminds me of my art student days in Alabama where I enjoyed wearing Liberty overalls, but in an ironic way. Or going on road trips and stopping in strange little out of the way barbeque restaurants to eat then would make fun of the redneck patrons when I got back in the car. I had even thought about writing a book called “The Surrealist’s Guide to the South” showing all the crazy roadside attractions, truck stops, and restaurants available to people willing to take the chance and brave the southern highways.

But this was when I was twenty and hadn’t quite caught on to the concepts of nuance and relativism. There’s a very fine line between enjoying the culture-encapsulating weirdness of poppy kitsch and being a derisive satirical snot. Not a line I’m be able to balance very well either, I know.

I’m just as guilty about thinking I’m somehow morally superior to people who drive gigantic SUVs, who don’t spay or neuter their pets, or those crazy superskinny fashionistas. And there’s that whole reading for fun thing. I’ve said it before, we all have our prejudices. And I clearly expressed a few of mine in my last post.

That said, there’s good potential here. An opportunity to make changes in how things are communicated in Albuquerque, to change attitudes and assumptions about people who have pitched their tents in other camps, even if it is the next one over, and possibly to affect actual change to how the city works. I sincerely hope that happens.

And no I’m not saying that because I was quoted there, you damn cynics.