the city of lowell. self-conscious. self-flagellating. self-distorting.

ironically, the people who often seem to love lowell the least are the ones who have lived and/or worked here the longest.

first of all, i'm not saying that mrmillcity.com isn't funny, because it very much is. however, i can't help but observe that the most frequent basis for its humor betrays a not-so-subtly negative opinion of its home city, in addition to the pointed and on-target jabs at the people who are doing their best to run it while making complete caricatures of themselves in the process. (the series of take-offs of the "alive. unique. inspiring. cluster f*** are my current faves, but there's so much more to recommend it, so please go check it out yourself).

but besides the fact that mrmillcity is usually good for a good laugh, i find its other best excuse for itself is its vast superiority to the petty and rarely worth reading self-centeredness at the lowell shallot, who is at least coming to realize and recognize the substantial difference. (but it says a lot that the afore-linked post can't even help itself from a pointlessly irrelevant and highly questionable "i may have done it first", as if nothing of value here can be created apart from the infallible mind of the shallot dude). can't help but think there's not a small amount of freudian homoerotic desire betrayed in photoshops like this one, or am i wrong?

so who, what or why could possibly have caused people to hate things here so much? when i walk around, i'm supremely happy with my home town, despite its blemishes, warts and cancers. (actually, more likely, because of them, but that's just me). anyone else have the misfortune to get caught in cambridge or somerville these days? i have to hold my nose whenever i'm forced to endure them, like i'm stepping in dog crap with every stride up mass ave, and if it wasn't for the sublime joy that is melvern taylor and the lost onion, or jen kearney and her fabulous meltones, or vice versa, who always seem to be playing down that way, i don't think i'd ever bother. (a friend's description of getting caught in harvard square during "class days" this past weekend is a classic, to which i will never be able to do justice in re-telling, so i'll just leave you with the observation that there likely has never been as many blue blazers in close proximity since the brooks brothers assembly line, and there's nothing quite like white males celebrating the socio-economic predominance of white males to remind oneself of how lucky one has it here in the land of 1000 colors and languages.

los lobos are opening up the summer concert series over at boardinghouse park in a couple weeks. the spinners play six in a row at home to start their season over at the jewel that is lelacheur park starting on the 19th. the noodles at viet thai are still the best you'll find anywhere around. where else in the world do you get all this within walking distance of each other?

best place on earth. you can tell 'em i told you so.