Benjamin Reed

Recent Actions

• Posted The Accidental Gentrifist: Profiles in... well, Profiles to Austinist
  To quote the poetry oft-spewed by Tim's Molson Gold-swilling step-dad, we were "Young, dumb, and full of come."
• Posted The Accidental Gentrifist: Men Plan, God Laughs to Austinist
  When Norman Mailer and Hunter Thompson wrote about political showdowns, they were incapable of resisting the fight metaphor. They knew that there is no such thing as a contest of ideas, a balanced measure of experience and aptitude. That a political debate is most akin to boxing, that it’s both a brawl and a dance. But if a political debate is tantamount to a heavyweight title, then it is one cast in negative: Even if he wins, Americans don’t want to see their man take too many shots on the chin.
• Posted The Accidental Gentrifist: Winning the Lungs & Synapses to Austinist
  I wonder: why wouldn’t the APD drug cop and the data miner want the world to know what they’re up to? They’re heroes, after all! Cleansing our streets of the dreaded indoor weed farmer. They should be proud. They're like The Punisher and Microchip.
• Posted The Democratic Debate: The Fever Breaks, a Dead Heat Cools to Austinist
  ...Obama delineates his popularity, and receives the longest applause yet. Hillary shifts, the glow in her eyes flickers. Something has changed, and she can taste it. Maybe the phrase that crosses her mind is 'tipping point'.
• Posted The Accidental Gentrifist: Shiva Went That Way to Austinist
  As Austin grows, our unofficial motto should probably be modified from ‘Keep Austin Weird’ to simply, ‘Keep Austin.’ Maybe it's a small defeat. Or maybe it's simply falling back to more secure positions.