may/june undercurrent article

here's our latest undercurrent article. sorry it took a little time to post:

Adam: Spring brings young life, a rebirth, a new cycle. Yes, we're talking about Adam's birthday at the end of April. No, not really. Besides that, this is a time of anniversaries, both for The Undercurrent (turning three) and also for The View Looks Good From Here, Fresno (turning one). Yeah, we really are a bunch of babies. Waaah.

But more than that, these are examples of how a lot of energy, time, and money can go into something you care deeply about and you still don't get paid. For Ed and I, it's been a journey of amateur journalism. We've blogged, Ed has acquired the equipment for us to record audio shows that assail the ears, and recently The Undercurrent has generously offered this 800 word column space for us to pretty much do whatever we want. We're here mostly because we think Fresno has a lot of great stuff going on and more people need to be talking about it, hearing about it, and participating in it. You can bitch and moan...or you can do something about it and put your money where your mouth is.

Ed: And let’s not forget, when you’re doing something about it, putting your money where your mouth is, and all that stuff, you can still complain about the state of things in Fresno and the world. To me, doing something gives you the street cred, or the impunity to back up your complaining. But let’s focus less on the complaining aspect and more on the doing. Why do we do what we do? I’m still doing this amateur journalist thing because I really do want to contribute to and change the culture of Fresno. I love the city, and really want to see it continue to evolve into a shining example of city life. A part of me thinks, “People know what’s going on in Fresno, they don’t still think there’s nothing to do,” and then I run into people that still don’t know what’s going on. Just recently I ran into several people that didn’t know even 1/10th of the cool things that are going on. So, I pointed them towards some good information sources and hope that they can see how good, how exciting of a city they live in. What keeps you blogging and podcasting? And how are you going to keep it fresh over the next year?

Adam: You know, right now, there isn't a lot keeping me blogging. I've always kept a pretty personal blog that didn't deal with Fresno directly (as in reviews of shows and restaurants, or letting people know upcoming events, etc). I've blogged diversely, but right now it's kinda been reduced to bitching about work and commentary on some of the most asinine letters to the editor of the Fresno Bee. I've been thinking a lot about how I can better contribute to the blogosphere. Some time soon, perhaps, I'll come up with something new and exciting and fun. Podcasting is just good, clean (except the language) fun. It's a great way to interact with other people doing awesome things in Fresno and just shoot the breeze in a very casual manner. I've got some ideas about how to liven up the podcast or make it more fun, but I won't divulge here. You'll just have to listen and see.

Ed: Damn, I was going to ask what you were thinking, and then I read the rest of the sentence. Shoot. But I hear you, podcasting is pretty fun. I’m not sure why, but hearing a voice seems more alive, more important than reading a blog. They’re both pretty similar content for me, but podcasting rocks. And that’s why we keep doing it. That and I’m very self-important.

But seriously, let’s get down to some Fresno brass tacks – aka stuff you should be checking out. Of course, you should be listening to our podcast. And, it goes without saying that you should be at the Undercurrent birthday show. Get your rear out to older staples of the community like Arthop and hit its newer cousin Archop. What are you recommending right now Adam?

Adam: Well, I've checked the schedule and nothing is posted yet, but there's bound to be some roller derby happening again soon. Be sure to check the local blogs, find out when, and get thee to a bout. Also, if you haven't been there yet, take a nice drive out 180 into the hills and somewhere near Dunlap, take a left turn into the Cat Haven Wild Animal Park. There's a big sign. It's the best $9 you'll spend to see some fantastic animals. Lions and tigers and cheetahs and leopards and jaguars, oh my!

Ed: Well, if there’s nothing else, I think I’d like to say peace out.