David Bickford

I wonder how many of the innumerable restaurants that now claim to have “scratch kitchens” even try to make their own ketchup. I’m not suggesting they should. Instead, maybe it’s time to drop that hackneyed phrase and acknowledge that some things are better when mass produced and sourced externally.

Much better. Thanks.

Looks interesting, but both Chrome and Safari are rejecting that link with warning messages about it being potentially unsafe.

Omakase Isn’t Just for Japanese Food. Ask These Taqueros. Interactive, chef-driven, multicourse meals have boomed in recent years. They work just as well with tacos and Mexican food as they do with sushi.

I wouldn’t call taco omakases elevated. That word connotes that the object in question is lowly and requires cleaning up for public consumption. The taco needs no such thing. If done right, an omakase experience expresses the taco’s limber nature. www.texasmonthly.com/food/taco-om...

Enjoyed last night's event at the Royale with @thewaroncars.bsky.social hosts @brooklynspoke.bsky.social and @sgoodyear.bsky.social, State Senator @senanaliseortiz.bsky.social, and future Phoenix City Council member Ed Hermes. Excellent venue, energetic audience, and a balanced critique of our city.

New downtown barbecue spot abruptly closes after just 3 months The brand new barbecue joint has suddenly closed after issues arose with neighbors. Here's what to know.

I liked this place and am sad to see it close after only a few months due to opposition from residents of the condominiums upstairs. Barbecue in an urban setting is often problematic because while most like the smell, all it takes is a few who don't. #phoenix www.phoenixnewtimes.com/food-drink/n...

I foresee an advertising campaign involving a famous rapper wearing a big avocado on a chain around his neck. His updated stage name will be Flavor Flavocado.

Would you like some guacamole?

Yeah, boyeeeeee!

Good post with thoughtful points about the virtue of being boring and maintaining control of content. I've been blogging since 2007, and I deleted my Meta accounts on January 20, 2025, around the same time as you. By the way, Feedly, which I use as my RSS reader, can't add your blog for some reason.

Although I didn't like his negative tone, especially after he moved to Seattle, I almost always agreed with him on policy. I hope his fans in #Phoenix will continue to fight for a diversified economy, sane politics, urban vitality, and restoration of passenger rail.
www.azcentral.com/story/news/a...

I went to a place with "middle school" in its name way back in the 1970s. The two phrases have coexisted as long as I can remember with each having a slightly different meaning. Middle school usually begins in 5th or 6th grade. Junior high typically begins in 7th grade. www.wgu.edu/blog/differe...

Nice keynote. I don’t play video games and know nothing about how they’re developed, but you conveyed a universal message that resonates with memories of certain phases I’ve been through and my efforts to coach and mentor younger colleagues in my profession, not to mention raising my own children.

Stephen Richer is a principled conservative, a nearly extinct species these days. I don't always agree with him, but he was right to defend the electoral process when it was under attack in recent years, and he's right that all sorts of infrastructure projects take way too long in the United States.

19th Avenue is a massive missed opportunity here. There has been some good development along Central Avenue in Phoenix and Apache Boulevard in Tempe, but 19th Avenue is being overrun by fast food restaurants with anti-pedestrian drive-thrus at key intersections where light rail stations are located.

I'm not entirely disappointed because I-10 was never a good route, but I agree about the politics. We've seen that capitulating to a bully just encourages them to demand more. I wouldn't be be surprised if Republican legislators now align with business owners to try to stop all light rail expansion.

The #Phoenix City Council met until midnight yesterday, ultimately deciding to cease pursuing light rail to the AZ state capitol while accelerating plans for a route on Indian School Road. This route will serve Maryvale better than one along I-10, but the capitol should still have a spur of its own.

While I strongly support light rail to the state capitol, continuing farther west via I-10 makes little sense. Stations along a freeway alignment would be noisy, smoggy, and within walking distance of few destinations. Maryvale would be far better served via light rail along Indian School or Thomas.

I already answered that in a previous reply.

The problem lies in the subjectivity of the word “good.” I see gun buybacks and plastic bag bans as good, but the GOP legislators and former governor in my state did not agree and have barred cities and towns from implementing them. When a tactic is normalized, it can be used by whoever is in power.

I don’t recall those issues ever being controlled at the municipal (as opposed to state) level. When it comes to basic constitutional rights, a nationwide approach is best.

The main UI design flaw I've seen is one-way streets with travel lanes on one side of the track and a slip lane in the same direction on the other side for local business access. Those confuse even the best drivers. Where this happened, though, the tracks are right in the middle of a two-way street.

It's not clear to me that the passenger was bailing out of the car. He may have arrived at his destination, and the befuddled car thought the track was the best place for a drop off. Either way, not a good look. I once saw a human driver do that on Washington Street and then jump the curb to escape.

I often disagree with Marohn. Nevertheless, he's right to support local control. I've seen state pre-emption used too many times to prevent communities from doing good things such as gun buybacks or plastic bag bans that I can't support the tactic when it's used for worthwhile purposes like housing.

Having worked nearly four decades in both the public and private sectors in roughly equal proportions, I can attest to this. Neither has a monopoly on waste, incompetence, innovation, or excellence.

My folding bike and I took a Waymo ride yesterday afternoon due to rain and a tight appointment schedule. The car stopped for pedestrians at an unmarked crosswalk, something few human drivers ever do. While not a panacea, autonomous vehicles are generally kinder to users of non-automotive transport.

I once enjoyed a week-long vacation in Thailand and even attended a cooking school for tourists while I was there. Although I learned to prepare some good food for friends and family, the most important lesson was how much I still didn't know about such a nuanced cuisine even when the week was done.

“Bean Retriever” sounds like a Weird Al Yankovic parody of “Daydream Believer” by the Monkees or “Dream Weaver” by Gary Wright.

New Years Eve rain is always appreciated in #Phoenix because it means we don't have the usual New Years Day hangover of dirty brown air from fireworks. Air quality at this moment is "moderate," a major improvement compared to the "unhealthy" or "hazardous" ratings often seen at sunrise on January 1.

I have never seen as much wrong way parking as at #Scottsdale Quarter. I don’t know whether it’s due to suburban shoppers with little urban parallel parking experience or an entitlement mentality associated with luxury vehicles. Either way, it seems contrary to the mall’s intended upscale image.

A drunk driver ran a red light and struck a light rail train in Midtown #Phoenix this morning, resulting in his own death and injuries to several passengers. @kjzz.org is reporting this accurately while @azcentral.com and other local media are running deceptive headlines about a "light rail crash."

Taking my daughter to her seasonal job at #Scottsdale Quarter makes me painfully aware of mismatches in planning. The Quarter has narrow streets, but 99% of people drive there. Downtown #Phoenix has better access via transit, but the city stubbornly insists on maintaining multi-lane arterials there.