(Editor’s note: This article written by Derek Delepaz and Eliza Lovett originally appeared in the March/April 2018 issue of Roast magazine.)

Most of us come to the coffee industry with a love of coffee. We love the ritual of dose, grind and brew. We love the scents and flavors and lingering sweetness of the cup. We learn to love cupping and the process of developing roast profiles to highlight the best possible expression of origin. Then, we fall in love with the romance of origin and the way different places, processes, climates and peoples bring new experiences and relationships to our lives. Above all, there are the people we serve — the heartfelt embrace of enhancing the start of a day or a gathering around a table to share coffee, experiences and ideas.

Behind all that, there’s the actual work of roasting — frequently dusty, smoky, and occasionally repetitious, batch after batch, bag after bag. Like it or not, the title “roastmaster” involves all the additional work you have to do in order to do the things you love. A big part of that is cleaning your roastery and maintaining your equipment.

There’s always buildup at pipe transitions. Photo courtesy of Mill City Roasters.

Creating a Plan

Simple planning can make cleaning and maintenance easier, and the earlier you begin planning, the better. The first variable is real estate. Foot traffic is great for a coffee shop, but production roasting in densely populated areas can force you to use complex and expensive odor and emission mitigation systems that occupy space and require additional attention. Think about egress and ingress for delivery trucks and movement of pallets of coffee. Before you sign a lease, think about roaster exhaust, back pressure, makeup air, duct layout and cleaning, what your neighbors think about smoke and chaff, and what kind of a job you are creating for your chimney sweep.

Adequate square footage is essential. Wedging your roaster into a tiny space may initially make sense financially, but roasters and ducting can be hot, and operating industrial production machinery in compact spaces frequently makes operation, maintenance and cleaning more difficult and possibly even unsafe. Spilled green and roasted coffee underfoot creates the potential for slips and falls. Hot steel surfaces and rotating drums and cooling trays are not gentle places to catch yourself or land and, more specifically, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has established clear regulations regarding the safety of your workplace.

Your business involves much more than simply roasting delicious coffee. Give yourself room to work.

Vacuum your chaff collector frequently. Photo courtesy of Mill City Roasters.

Developing Standard Operating Procedures

Michael Ebert, owner of Chicago-based Firedancer Coffee Consultants, refers to the “holy trinity of risk management” — employee safety, food safety and quality. “They all feed into each other,” says Ebert, a certified Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) and lead trainer for food safety.

In order to maintain quality, cleanliness and physical safety, you must develop separate sets of standard operating procedures (SOPs) and audit systems
for each operational area. This becomes essential as your roastery grows and you hire new employees. As the coffee industry has proven time and again, you never know when you’ll hit the jackpot and go from 100 pounds per week to more than 1,000. Ebert suggests establishing and implementing systems before it’s too late.

While the health inspector will come to the cafe, your roastery will have to comply with different standards and regulations. Having separate standards and plans for each branch of the trinity will not only help you maintain high standards, in many cases it’s required by law.

“You should build each plan separately, for the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] doesn’t care if your product tastes good or if employees lose an arm, just if your product will hurt the consumer,” says Ebert. “If you have other elements in any of these plans, it could show you don’t know what you are doing.”

Pay attention to ducting everywhere the exhaust runs—even inside the roaster. Photo courtesy of Mill City Roasters.

Ebert is adamant about creating these processes when your roastery is still small, because by the time the business takes off, it’s required. He suggests beginning with your company mission, business goals, SOPs, training and documentation. Usable documentation of your policies, procedures and forms is necessary to ensure your company’s expert knowledge is retained, processes and procedures continue to be performed properly, and you can provide regulatory agencies with information regarding the conditions under which a specific product was created.

When implementing these plans, Ebert focuses on in-house audits, which will help you understand what tasks are being performed regularly and what is getting overlooked. Internal audits also can help you spot holes in production maintenance and standards throughout your operation, and will keep consumers and employees safer.

Food Safety

Coffee is a food product. People consume it. Back in the day, we brewed coffee at temperatures high enough to constitute a kill stage, meaning potentially harmful bacteria were destroyed in the brewing process. This made coffee a “low-risk” food product. The growing popularity of cold-brew and green coffee consumption has changed the way regulatory agencies view and regulate production. When planning your roastery, know that typical food processing facility standards apply. This includes complying with the standards included in the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) — and keeping up with changes to the regulations as they occur.

Meeting food safety standards can seem daunting. Start with making a list of all the surfaces your coffee touches, known as “coffee contact surfaces.” Even light-roasted coffee contains oils that will transfer to surfaces and quickly go rancid. Sanitize all roasted coffee contact surfaces — such as scoops, measuring receptacles, bins, counters and scales — daily. While sanitizing, don’t forget to wipe down the greens hopper and cooling tray of the roaster with a mixture of bleach and water. Simple household cleaning products are not sufficient.

Consider your procedures for handling coffee. Keeping hair out of coffee is important; that means mandatory hats or hair nets and, for those with facial hair, beard nets. Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) are outlined by FSMA and dictate that you must have a documented program outlining your GMPs for both employees and visitors. These practices must include policies about removal of jewelry, appropriate clothing, and removal of loose objects to ensure both employee and food safety. Policies about where and when food can be consumed and a documented training program are just some of the GMPs outlined by the act. Your plan should begin with reviewing FSMA regulations. Next, you must register your facility and figure out how you will self-audit as prescribed by the act.

For more information about FSMA and other food-safety regulations, visit fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA.

A roaster fan requiring attention. Photo courtesy of Mill City Roasters.

Employee Safety

Employee and human safety is inextricably linked to the other branches of Ebert’s trinity. Without physical safety standards, how can food safety and product quality be maintained? Rules must be established about who can enter the roastery, and visitors must adhere to the standards you set as well. Creating systems of accountability and traceability can save you from a lawsuit down the line. These safety standards range from simple protocols such as hand-washing standards to rules for what can be handled by employees and visitors, including touching equipment.

Making plans and adhering to established protocols for employee safety, while not necessarily directly impacting the quality of your coffee, can be the difference between a successful roastery and one that fails. Safety plans are also required by OSHA. These should be the first plans you establish and review with employees before setting foot in the roastery, and have your employees sign documents verifying that they have read and understand them.

For the health and safety of your staff, proper interior ventilation and air quality is mandatory. Common contaminants include green coffee dust, roasted coffee chaff, and even fumes from aggressive non-food-safe cleaning agents. That’s not to say your daily routine needs to include donning “Mission to Mars”-worthy personal protective equipment — not yet, anyway. For the majority of tasks, a face mask will do, but more thorough protection is necessary when employees come into contact with large amounts of contaminants, such as on major roaster cleaning days.

Be aware that coffee dust is a known allergen, and allergies can develop from exposure over time, so adequate protection is essential. Use respiratory face masks while moving green or grinding freshly roasted coffee. Ventilators to protect against diacetyl contamination for roasters and for flavoring areas are not yet required by OSHA, but many believe those standards will change in the not-too-distant future; ventilation standards already are enforced in Europe. If you don’t have protocols to remove dust, the detrimental health effects undoubtedly will impede productivity, worker satisfaction and overall efficiency. If your employees are unable to function, so are you.

To learn more about employee safety regulations, visit osha.gov.

Green coffee, coffee dust and chaff can cause respiratory irritation, so be sure to maintain proper ventilation and provide appropriate safety gear for your staff. Photo courtesy of Marigold Coffee.

Preventative Maintenance Procedures

Cleaning the physical space of your roastery includes daily sweeping and mopping, wiping down surfaces, and vacuuming out the cyclone and chaff tray. Remember, chaff collectors often contain hot embers. Prior to vacuuming, make it a habit to spray the chaff with water, or invest in a heat-resistant metal ash vacuum. Once a week, go further into your space and wipe down walls; clean any floor drains, the tri-sink, the hand-washing sink and the mop sink; generally tidy up green and roasted storage and processing areas; and disassemble and deep clean the cooling tray.

As roasters, flame as a heat source is our best friend, but like a horrible houseguest, unwanted flame quickly can become a serious problem. Chaff, dust and creosote are all potentially flammable. Despite your best cleaning and maintenance efforts, thermal events will happen — like when your electricity fails coming into first crack and the coffee burns, sitting motionless on the bottom of the hot drum. Plan and document your “immediate actions” in advance. In addition to routine cleaning, install and maintain fire extinguishers between the roaster and the exits, and make sure your facility is prepared for the worst.

Coffee dust, condensed coffee oil and chaff accumulate and build up in ductwork. This blockage reduces airflow such that minor accretion can quickly cascade into major problems. Reduced airflow decreases heat transfer to the coffee and increases chaff buildup, creating inconsistent airflow and risk of fire. Modular venting that is easily disassembled without tools can make maintenance easier and reduce the likelihood of fire. It also reassembles easily enough that, as your business grows, you can move your entire roasting operation without having to completely rethink venting.

How frequently you’ll need to clean your venting and all its components will depend on a host of variables, including roast level, how much and how often you roast and, of course, the type of roaster and venting. Anything more than about one-eighth-inch buildup on internal fan and ductwork surfaces should be removed immediately. Initially, a monthly venting inspection will help you determine an efficient schedule.

The best time to develop your roaster and facility maintenance plan is right after your first roaster cleaning. The first day after cleaning will be the beginning of your maintenance cycle. You can track the buildup in your machine daily and/or weekly to determine the exact amount of hours/roasts between cleanings. Not all duct work will build up creosote at the same rate. You’ll need to find the place or places where buildup occurs most quickly; that location will set the pace. When that location is in need of cleaning, clean your roaster completely.

In addition to cleaning and maintaining your roasting machine, it’s important to develop plans to keep your roastery clean and maintain both food and employee safety. Pictured: Sightglass Coffee in San Francisco. Photo by Mark Shimahara.

An infrared thermometer can help you fine-tune your cleaning schedule. Choose six spots on your machine, two of them motors, to measure weekly, and document your findings. (Be sure to take measurements at a consistent time, such as right after the first or last roast of the day.) Temperature increases indicate areas where buildup has occurred. This is especially helpful on large roasting machines with massive ductwork, as it allows you to monitor the system without taking it apart for a visual inspection. Staying on top of your cleaning cycle will improve overall cup quality, limit fire risk, and extend the life of your roaster’s parts.

Keep in mind that you’ll need a reliable source of consumable parts. Stocking a couple of extra bearings, couplers, O-rings and fuses can save you a lot of stress and, more importantly, minimize machine downtime. You’ll also need appropriate cleaning tools, including a broad array of scrapers, brushes, power tools and vacuums. Once the roaster is clean, it’s crucial to lubricate moving parts (like bearings) with a high-drop-point grease. The high drop point (at least 500 degrees F) is essential, as it prevents grease from dripping into your beautifully roasted coffee. It’s difficult to say exactly how often to grease bearings: If you wait until you hear the bearings rub, it’s too late, but over-lubricating can cause the bearings to fail. Consult the manufacturer’s suggestion and inspect your bearings every time you turn the roaster on. You’ll soon have a feel for how often they need attention.

The Bottom Line

An organized, clean roastery with conscientious, well-trained employees runs like a well-oiled machine. Create a maintenance plan and stick to it. Document daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly tasks. The consistency and quality of your coffee depends inextricably on upholding your standards and procedures. Rules and procedures to ensure employee safety should be in place before you open your doors. Whether it’s keeping them safe from green coffee dust or the dangers of industrial machinery, it is your responsibility as a business owner to make sure all potential hazards are accounted for and addressed.

Instituting plans, procedures and standards also makes it easier — and safer — to grow your company.

Derek Delepaz is lead instructor and greens buyer for Mill City Roasters in Minneapolis. Starting his career with formal culinary training, Delapaz is a certified lead instructor for the Specialty Coffee Association and has worked as a production roaster and coffee quality research and development manager.

Eliza Lovett has worked in the specialty coffee industry since 2007. A former educator at Mill City, Lovett works with Congruent Services as a coffee technician in the Denver area, supporting baristas and their equipment.

Daily Coffee News Staff

Tags: chaff, cleaning, commercial equipment, Derek DeLaPaz, diacetyl, Eliza Lovett, FDA, Firedancer Coffee Consultants, food safety, FSMA, maintenance, Mike Ebert, OSHA

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As freelance photographers (Mr. Mac) and artists (Mr. Kayiatos), the two, who are also old friends, were unable to raise the $2,000 to print this first edition. So they did what a lot of people in the surprisingly cozy queer scene here do—hosted fundraisers at places like the venerable gay bar The Stud.

A long time ago (two years ago, that is), when trans man Thomas Beatie shocked daytime television viewers by revealing his pregnancy on-air, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, the late gender theorist, pointed out that the true meaning of Mr. Beatie's revelation was what it said about the seemingly pluralistic nature of human sexuality.

“The truth is that many people experience gender very differently and can use it in very individual and imaginative ways,” Ms. Sedgwick told me at the time. “It’s not necessarily about genital identity.”

Like the prefix trans itself, Original Plumbing taps into the rich material between the lines of traditionally defined gender roles. “People assume so much” about trans men, Mr. Mac said. For example, they assume that all trans men “had a prior identity as lesbians,” when in fact some identify as heterosexual, some as homosexual, and some as bisexual, while many simply refuse to submit to the labels that define identity and desire put in drawers.

On Monday, Mr. Mac returned to San Francisco from a trip to New York, where he spent a week photographing a series of portraits of trans men for the next issue of Original Plumbing, the publication of which will be celebrated on August 27 with a party at the Bell House in Brooklyn with a transman rapper named Black Cracker.

“The most important thing I found from my experience is that there is no set way to be a trans man,” Mr Mac said. “Identity is pretty fluid.”

As a young girl growing up outside of Philadelphia, Mr. Mac played with both racing cars and My Pretty Pony. Just two decades ago, in the days before Wikipedia, Craigslist and Google and a little $8 magazine called Original Plumbing, there was “not much information” about a young girl destined to become a young man. “There is now,” said Mr. Mac.

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TIME magazine has been criticized for using what many saw as a ludicrous set of pronouns to describe a ‘Gender Queer’ author in an article published this week.

The article referred to author Maia Kobabe, 33, who wrote the book ‘Gender Queer: A Memoir’, by using the ‘e/em/eir’ pronouns.

The use of the ‘e/em/eir’ pronouns sparked a massive backlash on Twitter, with professors, journalists and comedians all slamming the magazine for promoting ‘unintelligible’ words.

The article focused on the controversy surrounding Kobabe’s book, which describes and illustrates sexual acts, and came a day after a judge in Virginia dismissed a lawsuit that had sought to declare ‘Gender Queer’ as obscene for children and to restrict its distribution to minors.

‘In the 2019 illustrated graphic memoir, Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, explores eir process of coming out as nonbinary and asexual,’ the TIME journalist wrote.

The TIME magazine Twitter account also promoted the article and tweeted: ‘TIME spoke to ‘Gender Queer’ author and illustrator Maia Kobabe on about eir work, the efforts to restrict access to eir writing, and what ey make of the current cultural moment.’

Social media users – from the co-founder of Wikipedia to journalists and authors – slammed TIME magazine and accused the publication of using ‘made-up’ pronouns to suit the ‘whims of a narcissist’.

Douglas Murray, the author of ‘The War on the West’, tweeted: ‘Nobody has time for this. Nobody.’

TIME magazine has been criticized for using what many saw as a ludicrous set of pronouns to describe a ‘Gender Queer’ author in an article published this week

The article referred to author Maia Kobabe (left), who wrote the book ‘Gender Queer: A Memoir’, by using the ‘e/em/eir’ pronouns

The use of the ‘e/em/eir’ pronouns sparked a massive backlash on Twitter, with professors, journalists and comedians all slamming the magazine for promoting ‘unintelligible’ words

The e/em/eir pronouns

Kobabe has used ‘e/em/eir’, known as Spivak pronouns, since 2016. The Spivak pronouns are a set of gender-neutral pronouns promoted by a virtual community LambdaMOO.

The Spivak pronouns are based on the pronouns used by American mathematician Michael Spivak.

These pronouns were formed by dropping the ‘th’ from they, them and their.

Kobabe, who was raised as a girl, began using the pronouns ‘e/em/eir’ pronouns when the author came out as nonbinary in 2016.

Larry Sanger, the Internet project developer who co-founded Wikipedia, tweeted: ‘Noteworthy that TIME is using the made-up abominable pronoun ‘eir’ because the person it describes says so.’

Journalist Stephen Miller, the contributing editor at The Spectator, tweeted: ‘Ok the pronoun thing has got to be a troll at this point right?’

He joked: ‘”Thank you for interviewing me Time Magazine and before we get started I’d like to tell you that my pronouns are timeeats***/ timeeatmores*** / timef***off”.’

‘Just reading this sentence makes Americans more stupid,’ conservative writer Kimberly Morin wrote.

Author Frank Fleming tweeted: ‘I mean, people are free to use whatever crazy pronouns they want for themselves, but the idea that everyone else is supposed to keep a pronouns spreadsheet based on the whims of every narcissistic weirdo seems unsustainable.’

Gad Saad, a Lebanese-born Canadian Professor of Marketing at the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University in Quebec, tweeted: ‘This eir utter bulls***.’

Meanwhile, writer and comedian Andrew Doyle tweeted: ‘Spare a thought for English teachers in a world of narcissists…’

El American editor-at-large Ben Kew wrote, ‘People may laugh, but I actually find it pretty sad to see a publication as iconic as TIME Magazine reduced to this.’

Washington Examiner columnist Becket Adams tweeted: ‘Did a cockney chimney sweep write this tweet?’

DailyMail.com has contacted TIME magazine for comment.

Social media users – from the co-founder of Wikipedia to journalists and authors – slammed TIME magazine and accused the publication of using ‘made-up’ pronouns to suit the ‘whims of a narcissist’

Kobabe, who lives in the San Francisco Bay area, has used ‘e/em/eir’, known as Spivak pronouns, since 2016. The Spivak pronouns are a set of gender-neutral pronouns promoted by a virtual community LambdaMOO.

The Spivak pronouns are based on the pronouns used by American mathematician Michael Spivak.

These pronouns were formed by dropping the ‘th’ from they, them and their.

Kobabe came out as bisexual in high school – and in 2016, the author came out as nonbinary. Kobabe said that this was the point the author decided on using the e/em/eir pronouns.

Kobabe’s book has been criticized by parents as it describes and illustrates sexual acts including oral sex and masturbation.

Tommy Altman, a Virginia Beach tattoo shop owner and former Republican congressional candidate, filed a petition to a Virginia court about ‘Gender Queer’ and ‘A Court of Mist and Fury’ by Sarah J. Maas, saying the depictions were inappropriate for children.

Altman asked the court to issue an order under state law against distributing, selling or loaning the books to minors. The suit was filed in April but was dismissed by a judge on Tuesday before it could proceed to trial.

Circuit Court Judge Pamela S. Baskervill struck it down on jurisdictional grounds, citing state law as well as the US Constitution.

For example, Baskervill wrote that Virginia law doesn’t give her the specific authority to determine whether the books are obscene for minors.

The judge also wrote that restricting the books’ distribution would authorize ‘prior restraint’ of speech and violate the First Amendment. The judge also described concerns about prosecuting someone who didn’t know they were selling or loaning books that were deemed to be obscene.

Kobabe’s book has been criticized by parents as it describes and illustrates sexual acts including oral sex and masturbation

The judge’s order comes at a time when book challenges and bans have surged across the US to levels not seen in decades. Virginia has been on the frontlines, with public school curricula and books serving as a major prong for Republican Glenn Youngkin’s successful run for governor last year.

Author and publisher groups hailed the judge’s decision.

Maria A. Pallante, president and CEO of the Association of American Publishers, said Tuesday that it was an ‘unequivocal victory for the free speech rights of readers, authors, publishers, booksellers and libraries.’

Many of the targeted books have focused on sexuality, gender identity or race. Kobabe’s ‘Gender Queer,’ a graphic novel that contains explicit illustrations of oral sex and masturbation, has served as a particular flashpoint.

The Virginia Beach school board removed the book from school libraries earlier this year, The Virginian-Pilot reported. Schools in Fairfax County, in northern Virginia, also briefly removed it last year before it was reinstated. Loudoun County Public Schools chose to pull the book.

In his petition against the fantasy book ‘Court of Mist and Fury,’ Altman said it ‘contains pages of extreme sexual conduct not suitable for children as young as 10 years old.’

In his petition against ‘Gender Queer,’ Altman cited content that illustrates ‘two minors engaged in sexual intercourse,’ among other actions.

Jeff Trexler, an attorney for the author of ‘Gender Queer,’ pointed out that Altman was running for Congress when he filed the suit. Altman lost in a crowded Republican primary.

‘This isn’t 200 pages of people from various gender identities, having sex and nothing else,’ Trexler said. ‘It’s an award-winning work as a literary memoir and as a graphic novel. It’s been relevant to lots of people in terms of understanding themselves and their children’

Tim Anderson, Altman’s attorney, said the lawsuit ‘was never never about trying to ban gay literature or trans literature.’

‘This was simply just saying these (books) have really sexual explicit content and it´s not appropriate for kids,’ Anderson said.

Anderson said the suit’s intent was changing a state law that determines what is obscene for both children and adults alike. Altman wanted a ‘carve out’ that deems what’s obscene for juveniles specifically.

Anderson, who is also a state lawmaker, said Altman is considering his options following the judge’s order. He said one way forward could be a ratings system for books like there are for video games and movies.

‘Fundamentally, what we’re trying to do is get to a point where parents are more in the driver’s seat of what their children are consuming,’ Anderson said.

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These 10 hotels embody environmental sensitivity plus energy and water efficiency.

Hotels consume more energy and water per square foot than just about any other building type, according to the ULI report Sustainability in Hotels: Opportunities and Trends Shaping the Future of Hospitality. At the same time, guests are paying closer attention to a hotel’s environmental impact when choosing where to stay. As an additional incentive, design strategies that cut energy and water consumption pay off in lower utility bills.

The following 10 projects—all completed during the past five years—include adaptations of a film warehouse, a tire factory, an airport terminal, and an oil company’s headquarters, as well as newly constructed buildings that reduce energy waste with ethernet cables, integrate photovoltaics into their facades, and deploy cooling methods borrowed from African termites.

RON NYREN is a freelance architecture and urban design writer based in the San Francisco Bay area.

(Courtesy of CitizenM)

1. CitizenM Seattle South Lake Union
Seattle, Washington

Amsterdam-based CitizenM opened its first West Coast hotel in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood in 2020. The seven-story building consists of 264 rooms in modular units that were prefabricated and finished off site, a strategy that minimizes construction waste as well as cost. The local office of engineering firm Arup adapted the modular cage design of other citizenM hotels to meet the stringent requirements of local seismic codes.

The heating and cooling system conserves energy by relying on an active chilled beam in each room, a dedicated outdoor air supply, and heat pumps that capture excess heat to pre-warm domestic hot water. CitizenM’s smartphone app allows guests to check in, open the room’s doors, and control the lighting, blinds, room temperature, and entertainment options. An art piece by local artist Jesse LeDoux wraps a corner of the facade. The hotel was designed by the Amsterdam-based design firm Concrete in collaboration with the local office of Gensler.

(OZ/Valentijn Kortekaas)

2. Four Elements Hotel
IJburg, Netherlands

Ben Bronsema of Voorschoten, Netherlands, studied the techniques that African termites use to moderate temperatures inside their mounds. The Four Elements Hotel draws on his findings, relying on the sun and wind to heat and cool its 198 guest rooms as a kind of natural air-conditioning system. The 11-story structure has two solar chimneys facing southwest. These glazed vertical voids use sunlight to heat air, which rises through a heat exchanger that captures it for the building’s water supply. An underground thermal energy storage area captures any excess heat for later use.

As the warm air rises, it draws outside air down through another vertical shaft, the “climate cascade,” where sprays of water cool or heat it for ventilation. This passive design strategy reduces the need for mechanical fans. Guests can control their room temperatures and the level of air flow. Photovoltaic cells cover the facade, rooftop, and canopies to provide energy. Completed in 2019, the hotel was designed by Amsterdam firms OZ and NwA architecten and Stockholm-based Doos Architects for developers Amstelius/Dutch Green Company of Amsterdam and Borghese Real Estate of Nijkerk, Netherlands.

(Hornberger + Worstell)

3. Grand Hyatt at SFO
San Francisco, California

The only on-airport hotel at San Francisco International Airport, the Grand Hyatt at SFO provides views of airplanes landing nearby through its curved glass facade. Designed to be 26 percent more energy efficient than a typical hotel of the same size, the building has rooftop photovoltaic panels that generate 133,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. Occupancy sensors power down lighting, heating, and cooling in rooms when guests are absent in order to lower electricity consumption.

Low-flow faucets and shower heads, cooling towers with high-performance water-flow controls, and efficient-flush toilets are estimated to save 6.7 million gallons (25.4 million liters) of water each year. The hotel’s dual plumbing system will enable it to use reclaimed water for toilet flushing and irrigation. Guests can reach the hotel via an automated people mover that also connects to rapid transit and local and regional bus service lines. Designed by local firm Hornberger + Worstell with its associate ED2I, the hotel opened in 2019.

(Bruce Redman Becker, FAIA)

4. Hotel Marcel New Haven, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
New Haven, Connecticut

When noted modernist architect Marcel Breuer designed a brutalist structure for the Armstrong Rubber Company in 1967, he inserted a two-story void between the research labs on the lower levels and the offices above, shielding offices from noise and giving the building its distinctive profile at the intersection of two interstate highways. Though listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the structure (later the Pirelli Tire Building) was largely abandoned in the late 1990s until local architect/developer Bruce Redman Becker’s firm Becker + Becker purchased it in 2020. Becker adapted the concrete building as the Hotel Marcel with the goal of creating a net zero energy hotel.

Opened in 2022, the all-electric, 165-room hotel relies on a rooftop solar array as well as solar canopies over the parking area to generate all its electricity. A power-over-ethernet (PoE) lighting system minimizes the amount of energy required for lighting. High levels of insulation and triple-glazed windows keep heating and cooling costs low. The design team, which also includes Brooklyn-based interior designer Dutch East Design, retained existing board-formed concrete and repurposed other building materials from the site, including light fixtures and wood-paneled walls.

(Anders Fredriksen)

5.House of Choice
Solna, Sweden

In the Arenastaden neighborhood of Solna, the House of Choice brings 336 hotel rooms, 88 long-stay apartments, and offices for the Swedish headquarters of Oslo-based Nordic Choice Hotels under one roof—a roof with a sawtooth shape that maximizes the amount of energy its photovoltaic panels can generate. The entry facade, which faces south, is also covered with solar panels made of different sheets of glass: dark gray and ribbed, dark gray and smooth, and pearl beige. Etching on the solar panel glazing adds further visual interest.

Solar panels are also integrated into the roof of the light-well courtyard. A ground-source heat pump system with 25 boreholes supplies cooling and heating. Opened in 2021, the building is targeted to generate more electricity than it consumes. White Architect of Gothenburg, Sweden, designed the building for Solna-based developer Fabege and Nordic Choice Hotels.

(Julie Soefer Photography)

6.Lodge at Gulf State Park
Gulf Shores, Alabama

Gulf State Park Lodge opened on state parklands on the Gulf of Mexico in 1974; 30 years later, Hurricane Ivan destroyed it. The site was abandoned until another disaster, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, ironically provided settlement funds to build a new lodge and heal the surrounding dune ecology. Sasaki of Watertown, Massachusetts, oversaw restoration of the 6,150-acre (2,490 ha) park. The existing manmade dune was removed and dune grass planted to encourage the natural growth of sand dunes, enhance wildlife habitat, and protect the site from future storm surges.

Lake/Flato of San Antonio and Rabun Architects of Atlanta designed the new five-story, 350-room lodge on a much more compact footprint than that of its predecessor, set well back from the Gulf. Shaded porches and natural ventilation moderate temperatures inside. Pervious parking lots allow stormwater to percolate into the ground, and air-conditioning condensation is collected, filtered, and used to supplement water in the swimming pool. Guests have access to new trails and a 900-acre freshwater fishing lake. Operated by Hilton, the lodge opened in 2018.

(Brandon Barre Photography)

7. The Sinclair, Autograph Collection
Fort Worth, Texas

Sinclair Oil Holdings built its 17-story Fort Worth headquarters in 1929 with a zigzag modern exterior and art deco interiors, embodying the Texas oil boom’s exuberance. More than 90 years later, the structure has found new life as a hotel with cutting-edge energy-saving technology. Farukh Aslam, chief executive officer of local company Sinclair Digital, purchased the building in 2013 and chose a PoE system to supply electricity for lighting, automatic window shades, smart mirrors, and minibars. Because PoE reduces the energy loss that comes from converting AC power to DC, the light fixtures also run much cooler, relieving strain on the air-conditioning system.

The system is estimated to reduce the hotel’s energy use by more than 30 percent. Occupancy sensors and smart thermostats conserve electricity as well. Opened in 2020, the hotel forgoes a diesel generator in favor of a lithium-ion battery as its backup system during power outages. Dallas-based Merriman Anderson Architects renovated the exterior, and the Dallas office of Forrest Perkins handled interior design.

(Tom Ross)

8. Paramount House Hotel
Sydney, Australia

In the Surry Hills neighborhood of Sydney, local developer Citadin repurposed the 1940s art deco headquarters of Paramount Pictures Australia as the Paramount House, containing a cinema, bar, café, and coworking space. In 2018, Citadin revamped the adjoining 80-year-old film warehouse as the 29-room Paramount House Hotel. Architecture firm Breathe of Brunswick, Victoria, topped the three-story brick warehouse with a copper screen to give guest-room balconies privacy from the street while filtering daylight. The screen’schevron patterning references the streamline modern style of the Paramount House next door.

The design team minimized building waste by using locally sourced and recycled materials, such as recycled timber floorboards. Historic brickwork is exposed, with remnants of former stairwells, parapets, gable ends, and joists visible in places. Every guest room is different in shape. A former film vault turned atrium contains the reception lounge. On the roof, a seven-kilowatt photovoltaic array contributes to the building’s electricity supply.

(David Mitchell)

9. TWA Hotel
New-York, New-York

When the TWA Flight Center opened in 1962 at JFK International Airport, its design, by noted modernist architect Eero Saarinen, embodied flight in the building’s sweeping curves. The air terminal closed in 2001, its future uncertain. The Port Authority of New York restored core interior spaces, and the local office of hotel owner/operator MCR/Morse Development added an underground event space and deferentially set new hotel wings back from the historic structure, which houses restaurants, shops, a ballroom, and a fitness center. A triple-glazed curtain wall provides both thermal and acoustic insulation.

Opened in 2019, the hotel produces all its own energy with a highly efficient cogeneration plant that runs on natural gas and recaptures engine heat for hot water and space heating. Ultra low flow water fixtures reduce water use. Roof and plaza drains pump stormwater into the airport’s watershed storm system for filtering. Local firm Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and Planners served as project and preservation architect in a team with Brooklyn-based Lubrano Ciavarra Architects and New York City-based firms INC Architecture & Design and Stonehill Taylor.

(Nick Caville/BDP)

10. Wren Urban Nest
Dublin, Ireland

Opened in 2021, the 137-room Wren Urban Nest hotel relies on 100 percent renewable energy by means of a variety of carbon-reduction strategies. Heating and cooling are supplied by air source and water-to-water heat pumps, with help from a high thermal mass, a tight building envelope, and a design that shares solar heat gain from one side of the building with the other during the winter . In warmer months, heat gain is diverted to the building’s hot water system.

The designer, the Dublin studio of BDP, equipped the west elevation with a folded, glazed facade that halves the time of exposure to direct afternoon sunlight at any given period. Smart building technologies turn off lights and heating/cooling as well as automatically close and open blinds when guest rooms are unoccupied. A vegetated roof and a stormwater runoff system help filter and absorb stormwater. The hotel’s kitchen uses induction stoves, and the local community can access the kitchen’s food waste through an app.

More in This Issue:

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TIME magazine has been criticized for using what many saw as a ludicrous set of pronouns to describe a ‘Gender Queer’ author in an article published this week.

The article referred to author Maia Kobabe, 33, who wrote the book ‘Gender Queer: A Memoir’, by using the ‘e/em/eir’ pronouns.

The use of the ‘e/em/eir’ pronouns sparked a massive backlash on Twitter, with professors, journalists and comedians all slamming the magazine for promoting ‘unintelligible’ words.

The article focused on the controversy surrounding Kobabe’s book, which describes and illustrates sexual acts, and came a day after a judge in Virginia dismissed a lawsuit that had sought to declare ‘Gender Queer’ as obscene for children and to restrict its distribution to minors.

‘In the 2019 illustrated graphic memoir, Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, explores eir process of coming out as nonbinary and asexual,’ the TIME journalist wrote.

The TIME magazine Twitter account also promoted the article and tweeted: ‘TIME spoke to ‘Gender Queer’ author and illustrator Maia Kobabe on about eir work, the efforts to restrict access to eir writing, and what ey make of the current cultural moment.’

Social media users – from the co-founder of Wikipedia to journalists and authors – slammed TIME magazine and accused the publication of using ‘made-up’ pronouns to suit the ‘whims of a narcissist’.

Douglas Murray, the author of ‘The War on the West’, tweeted: ‘Nobody has time for this. Nobody.’

TIME magazine has been criticized for using what many saw as a ludicrous set of pronouns to describe a ‘Gender Queer’ author in an article published this week

The article referred to author Maia Kobabe (left), who wrote the book ‘Gender Queer: A Memoir’, by using the ‘e/em/eir’ pronouns

The use of the ‘e/em/eir’ pronouns sparked a massive backlash on Twitter, with professors, journalists and comedians all slamming the magazine for promoting ‘unintelligible’ words

The e/em/eir pronouns

Kobabe has used ‘e/em/eir’, known as Spivak pronouns, since 2016. The Spivak pronouns are a set of gender-neutral pronouns promoted by a virtual community LambdaMOO.

The Spivak pronouns are based on the pronouns used by American mathematician Michael Spivak.

These pronouns were formed by dropping the ‘th’ from they, them and their.

Kobabe, who was raised as a girl, began using the pronouns ‘e/em/eir’ pronouns when the author came out as nonbinary in 2016.

Larry Sanger, the Internet project developer who co-founded Wikipedia, tweeted: ‘Noteworthy that TIME is using the made-up abominable pronoun ‘eir’ because the person it describes says so.’

Journalist Stephen Miller, the contributing editor at The Spectator, tweeted: ‘Ok the pronoun thing has got to be a troll at this point right?’

He joked: ‘”Thank you for interviewing me Time Magazine and before we get started I’d like to tell you that my pronouns are timeeats***/ timeeatmores*** / timef***off”.’

‘Just reading this sentence makes Americans more stupid,’ conservative writer Kimberly Morin wrote.

Author Frank Fleming tweeted: ‘I mean, people are free to use whatever crazy pronouns they want for themselves, but the idea that everyone else is supposed to keep a pronouns spreadsheet based on the whims of every narcissistic weirdo seems unsustainable.’

Gad Saad, a Lebanese-born Canadian Professor of Marketing at the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University in Quebec, tweeted: ‘This eir utter bulls***.’

Meanwhile, writer and comedian Andrew Doyle tweeted: ‘Spare a thought for English teachers in a world of narcissists…’

El American editor-at-large Ben Kew wrote, ‘People may laugh, but I actually find it pretty sad to see a publication as iconic as TIME Magazine reduced to this.’

Washington Examiner columnist Becket Adams tweeted: ‘Did a cockney chimney sweep write this tweet?’

DailyMail.com has contacted TIME magazine for comment.

Social media users – from the co-founder of Wikipedia to journalists and authors – slammed TIME magazine and accused the publication of using ‘made-up’ pronouns to suit the ‘whims of a narcissist’

Kobabe, who lives in the San Francisco Bay area, has used ‘e/em/eir’, known as Spivak pronouns, since 2016. The Spivak pronouns are a set of gender-neutral pronouns promoted by a virtual community LambdaMOO.

The Spivak pronouns are based on the pronouns used by American mathematician Michael Spivak.

These pronouns were formed by dropping the ‘th’ from they, them and their.

Kobabe came out as bisexual in high school – and in 2016, the author came out as nonbinary. Kobabe said that this was the point the author decided on using the e/em/eir pronouns.

Kobabe’s book has been criticized by parents as it describes and illustrates sexual acts including oral sex and masturbation.

Tommy Altman, a Virginia Beach tattoo shop owner and former Republican congressional candidate, filed a petition to a Virginia court about ‘Gender Queer’ and ‘A Court of Mist and Fury’ by Sarah J. Maas, saying the depictions were inappropriate for children.

Altman asked the court to issue an order under state law against distributing, selling or loaning the books to minors. The suit was filed in April but was dismissed by a judge on Tuesday before it could proceed to trial.

Circuit Court Judge Pamela S. Baskervill struck it down on jurisdictional grounds, citing state law as well as the US Constitution.

For example, Baskervill wrote that Virginia law doesn’t give her the specific authority to determine whether the books are obscene for minors.

The judge also wrote that restricting the books’ distribution would authorize ‘prior restraint’ of speech and violate the First Amendment. The judge also described concerns about prosecuting someone who didn’t know they were selling or loaning books that were deemed to be obscene.

Kobabe’s book has been criticized by parents as it describes and illustrates sexual acts including oral sex and masturbation

The judge’s order comes at a time when book challenges and bans have surged across the US to levels not seen in decades. Virginia has been on the frontlines, with public school curricula and books serving as a major prong for Republican Glenn Youngkin’s successful run for governor last year.

Author and publisher groups hailed the judge’s decision.

Maria A. Pallante, president and CEO of the Association of American Publishers, said Tuesday that it was an ‘unequivocal victory for the free speech rights of readers, authors, publishers, booksellers and libraries.’

Many of the targeted books have focused on sexuality, gender identity or race. Kobabe’s ‘Gender Queer,’ a graphic novel that contains explicit illustrations of oral sex and masturbation, has served as a particular flashpoint.

The Virginia Beach school board removed the book from school libraries earlier this year, The Virginian-Pilot reported. Schools in Fairfax County, in northern Virginia, also briefly removed it last year before it was reinstated. Loudoun County Public Schools chose to pull the book.

In his petition against the fantasy book ‘Court of Mist and Fury,’ Altman said it ‘contains pages of extreme sexual conduct not suitable for children as young as 10 years old.’

In his petition against ‘Gender Queer,’ Altman cited content that illustrates ‘two minors engaged in sexual intercourse,’ among other actions.

Jeff Trexler, an attorney for the author of ‘Gender Queer,’ pointed out that Altman was running for Congress when he filed the suit. Altman lost in a crowded Republican primary.

‘This isn’t 200 pages of people from various gender identities, having sex and nothing else,’ Trexler said. ‘It’s an award-winning work as a literary memoir and as a graphic novel. It’s been relevant to lots of people in terms of understanding themselves and their children’

Tim Anderson, Altman’s attorney, said the lawsuit ‘was never never about trying to ban gay literature or trans literature.’

‘This was simply just saying these (books) have really sexual explicit content and it´s not appropriate for kids,’ Anderson said.

Anderson said the suit’s intent was changing a state law that determines what is obscene for both children and adults alike. Altman wanted a ‘carve out’ that deems what’s obscene for juveniles specifically.

Anderson, who is also a state lawmaker, said Altman is considering his options following the judge’s order. He said one way forward could be a ratings system for books like there are for video games and movies.

‘Fundamentally, what we’re trying to do is get to a point where parents are more in the driver’s seat of what their children are consuming,’ Anderson said.

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SAN MARCOS, TX – Comfort Crew Cooling and Heating, one of the fastest growing HVAC companies in Texas, is pleased to announce that it was recently featured in leading industry publication Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News. The company was asked to speak about heat pumps, a fast-growing sector of the industry that often confuses customers because they don’t understand how these new systems work.

The biggest problem that can worry customers is when they feel their heat pump is overheating and think they could potentially catch fire. However, the reality is that the heat pumps work exactly as intended, which leads to some confusion. The heat coming from these systems is due to them going into defrost mode; Essentially, this mode is designed to remove any ice that may have accumulated during the heating cycle. Defrost mode ensures proper airflow over the coils and will actually improve performance rather than degrade it as many customers suspect. The system gradually heats up, transporting heat from the inside and then transferring that heat to the inside of the house. One of the main advantages of this new type of system is its efficiency. It gets to the same point as a gas or propane stove, but it just takes a little longer. However, it is significantly more economical, drawing only half the amps of the other systems.

“We’re delighted to be speaking in such a high-profile industry magazine on a topic that is becoming increasingly important as more people make the switch to the new, more modern heating systems,” said owner Eddie Glidewell. “Essentially, this is an educational issue that we have gladly embraced. Our corporate philosophy has always been based on exceptional and market-leading customer service, and we see education as a key component of this strategy. With this article, we hope to lead the way and spread the word to as many people as possible.” For the full article, visit https://www.achrnews.com/articles/145725-manufacturers-help-contractors-keep-up- with-heat-pump-technology-as-market-grows

Comfort Crew is the premier HVAC company in San Marcos, TX dedicated to meeting the indoor comfort needs of residential and commercial customers. They are the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and air quality (HVAC(AQ)) service provider of choice for the IH-35 Corridor and surrounding communities between Austin and San Antonio, Texas. They seek long-term commitments with their customers based on Trust in Service. The foundation of their business is providing responsive service and superior indoor air quality. Their technicians are factory trained and able to service complex cooling and heating systems. For more information about the company, its services and the Comfort Advantage Club, visit the website at https://comfortcrewtx.com.

Texas HVAC Company Featured In Industry Magazine Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News

https://posts.gle/szoyrd

media contact

Company Name
Comfort Crew Cooling & Heating
contact name
Eddie Glidewell
phone
512-883-2626
address
5040 SH 123, Building #2-200
city
Saint Mark
Status
Texas
Postal code
78666
country
United States
website
https://www.comfortcrewtx.com/service-areas/san-marcos/

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Not long after Bob Mainardi opened The Magazine as a storefront selling glossy magazines for collecting on Larkin Street, two construction workers stopped by to see his always inventive window display.

“How do places like this stay in business?” Mainardi heard one say to the other. “Beats me,” said his companion.

Mainardi told this story for the next 50 years while standing behind the counter raving about the illustrators, art directors, photographers and writers who poured their talent into the magazines that were mailed and sold at the kiosks.

When there were no customers, Mainardi was lucky enough to just leaf through his warehouse and admire the illustrations in the vintage glossies of the first half of the century.

Opened in April 1973, the store was still operating on December 11, 2021 when Mainardi left the store and went home to take an afternoon nap.

Four hours later, longtime partner Trent Dunphy went to check on him. Mainardi died in his sleep with his typical suspenders, glasses with owl rims on the side table. His cat Kicius was lying at the foot of the bed. Mainardi was 75 years old and the cause of death was heart failure, Dunphy said.

As always, the magazine opened the following Tuesday, as Mainardi would have liked. Throughout its history, The Magazine has only been closed for three business days due to power outages caused by the Loma Prieta earthquake.

Mainardi never missed a work day, even after testing positive for HIV in 1986. He took the experimental drug AZT as soon as it hit the market in 1989. He was a longtime survivor who never developed symptoms of AIDS.

Robert Thomas Mainardi was born and raised in Patterson, NJ on February 2, 1946. His father, Marcus Mainardi, taught math in college and his mother was a housewife.

Mainardi came west to attend Whittier College, which he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1968. A college buddy had been inducted into UC Hastings College of the Law, and “Bob came along because he thought it might be fun,” said Dunphy.

After renting an apartment on California and Polk Street, Mainardi got a job at the Bonanza Inn Bookshop across Market Street from the Palace Hotel. Mainardi was a book buyer who specialized in remaining stock – texts that no longer sold well – but his love was always magazines. He collected copies of the Saturday Evening Post for Norman Rockwell and JC Leyendecker’s illustrations dating back to the 1910s.

Mainardi’s own collection formed the magazine’s original inventory when he and Dunphy opened the store at 839 Larkin Street, conveniently located next to Gangay, one of Polk Gulch’s oldest gay bars.

At its peak around 1980, the magazine had over a hundred regulars, mostly collectors, looking for retrospective issues of Time and Life. People has been a constant seller starting with the premiere edition on February 4, 1974, with Mia Farrow on the cover of The Great Gatsby. The older issues of Holiday, Look and Colliers also sold well.

Those were the front books in the shop. At the back were skin magazines and erotica in trash cans, sorted according to fetish preferences.

“The funny thing about The Magazine is that it wasn’t like walking into a dirty bookstore because it was classy and looked so old-fashioned,” said Kevin Bentley, a former book editor at Harper Collins.

“Everything has been treated with appreciation for the preservation of all things on paper. You were never embarrassed, ”said Bentley.

Bentley can remember looking in the magazine for the latest issue of Playgirl or Blueboy while a straight collector next to him looked for a specific vintage issue of Playboy.

“Whether you asked for a magazine about surfers or a magazine about spanking, you always got a respectful reply from Bob,” said Bentley.

When the shop opened, either Mainardi or Dunphy were behind the counter. They met at a mutual friend’s Sunday brunch in 1969 and have been partners in life and business ever since.

“We both loved magazines,” said Dunphy. “We always believed that if it were legal we would sell it.”

They also believed in the power of window dressing. “That’s how Bob put himself,” said Dunphy. “His first memorable appearance was the day Nixon stepped down. He put every magazine we had with Nixon on the cover. There was no comment from us, just the cover. “

A stunned passer-by was photographed in front of the window. The picture made the morning chronicle.

In 1986 the magazine needed more space and a wider shop window front for Mainardi’s creative shop window displays. So it moved one block south to combine two storefronts at 731 Larkin. They had hardly moved in when a friend who worked in the real estate business gave Mainardi some important piece of advice.

“He said, ‘If you don’t buy a building, you’re going to be out of business in 10 years,'” said Dunphy. They bought 920-924 Larkin, an abandoned three-story building for $ 450,000. They mortgaged Dunphy’s home in the mission district, and Mainardi contributed an inheritance from his parents to pay cash.

The renovation of the shop window and the two apartments on the upper floor took four years. The last location was opened in 1993. Among those addressed was the illustrator R. Crumb, who designed an advertising poster for the shop. He took payment in copies of Time, which contained WWII propaganda drawings.

Mainardi never stopped collecting. There are roughly 5,000 postcards with New York pictures and boxes and boxes of magazine covers in the old Victorian style he and Dunphy owned on the mission. Mainardi spent his working day organizing and studying his magazines, then going home and organizing and studying.

“He spent hours looking through them,” said Dunphy. “He has always immersed himself in his collection, smoothed it out and organized himself.”

He was also a collector of body photography and illustrations, mostly of male bodybuilders. These were published in three books that he edited and introduced introductions.

Mainardi’s last window display, Christmas scenes with covers of the New Yorker and the Saturday Evening Post, was still there as New Year’s Eve approached.

“People still come by and poke their heads in and say, ‘I love these windows, let them come,” said Dunphy.

The fate of Mainardi’s personal collection has not yet been determined, but the store will live on, at least as long as Dunphy did. He is 84.

“The store was Bob’s life,” said Dunphy, noting that Mainardi never had a cell phone and that his store doesn’t have a computer. “He loved coming here every day and working on his windows or sealing magazine covers. It was something from another time. “

A memorial service is due. Survivors include his 50-year-old partner, Trent Dunphy of San Francisco; Brother Mark Mainardi of San Francisco; and cousins ​​Jesse Mainardi from San Francisco and Paul Mainardi from Philadelphia.

Donations on his behalf can be made to the Tyler Clementi Foundation (which focuses on combating harassment and bullying of gay children). PO Box 345, Harrison, NJ 07029; and Larkin St. Youth Services, 134 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco CA 94102

Sam Whiting is a contributor to the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @swittingsf

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Although Los Angeles is the largest city in the United States without its own pro football team, that doesn’t mean the season passes quietly here. All but four of the NFL’s 32 teams have some kind of watering hole in the greater L.A.-area. Hurrah! You no longer have to be the only person at your neighborhood bar with your face painted in team colors. Wherever you hail from, here’s where to join your fellow fans.

AFC EAST

New England Patriots: Sonny McLean’s Irish Pub
Boston has one the strongest expat fanbases in the country, and Sonny McLean’s in Santa Monica has been one of their L.A. homebases for 16 years. The owners fly in Ipswich full-belly clams from Massachusetts. Former Red Sox outfielder and 2004 World Series hero Dave Roberts once stopped by with the World Series trophy. And regulars claim they used to see notorious Irish gangster Whitey Bulger, who was living incognito in Santa Monica when he was arrested, watching games at the bar. This is a transplant bar that transcends sports: After the Boston Marathon bombing Sonny’s held a fundraiser that netted $15,000 in three hours. 2615 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, 310- 449-1811.

New York Jets: On The Thirty
At On The Thirty, a gastropub in Sherman Oaks, a flamenco guitarist plucks staccato notes while a television plays black and white movies. There’s artisan pizza, wine, and a charcuterie station for meats and wines. Except on Sunday mornings. Starting this season, all nine televisions will be showing the Jets while the Gang Green utilizes the 38-foot-long bar. After bouncing around for the past couple years, L.A.-based Jets fans have finally found a home. 14622 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, 818-788-0330.

Buffalo Bills: Busby’s West
Busby’s West in Santa Monica has been a Bills outpost for more than 5 years; the general manager grew up in the Buffalo area and brought his fandom west. Buffalo chicken wings and Labatt, a Canadian beer, are served on game days. 3110 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, 310-828-4567.

Miami Dolphins: Leo’s All Star Bar and Grill
The first game of the Dolphins’ season is probably the best one to watch at Leo’s All Star Bar & Grill. Leo, who grew up a contrarian Dolphin supporter in Buffalo, gets about 30 Phins fans in the bar for the first game. “But, after they’ve dropped a few, they slowly weed out,” he says. “I have probably 10 to 12 that show up even when they stink.” 2941 Honolulu Ave., La Crescenta-Montrose, 818-249-5858.

AFC NORTH

Cincinnati Bengals: 72 North
For four years 72 North in Pasadena has hosted 50 to 75 loyal Bengals fans for weekly games during the football season. The owner (a Dolphins fan) welcomes their annual Cincinnati chili cook-off and tolerates their rituals. He once walked out onto the patio to find a group surreptitiously burning an opposing team’s stuffed mascot. 72 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, 626-578-9990.

Cleveland Browns: Chimneysweep Lounge
A group of Browns fans have been gathering at the humble Chimneysweep Lounge in Sherman Oaks for many years. The regulars, who have assigned seats, bring in stuffed dogs to create their own Dawg Pound. They eat orange and brown striped cookies and pack their own Stadium Mustard. Milly, the bartender, compares it to a high school reunion. “Browns fans are very sweet,” she said. 4354 Woodman Ave., Sherman Oaks, 818-783-3348.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Steel Pit Sports Grill
There are several booming Steelers bars in the L.A.-area, but the Steel Pit in Tujunga boasts the highest “Steelers” mention to review ratio (11 to 34) on Yelp. Eric, the owner, was a Rams fan until they left town, but as a graffiti artist he had worn Steelers gear. He switched allegiances and did the natural thing: He opened a Steelers Bar. Now, more than 150 fans dance to “Black and Yellow,” following big Pittsburgh wins. 7279 Foothill Blvd., Tujunga, 818-352-6020.

Baltimore Ravens: The Parlor
Four years ago, the West Wing, the Raven’s L.A. fanbase, began uniting former Baltimore denizens at the Parlor in the Fairfax district. During the last postseason, the bar hit capacity (345) and was the site of Los Angeles’ happiest Super Bowl party. Fans can be heard mocking Bawlmerese accents or debating the best crab cake houses. They have a podcast, their own chants, and are known to bring Berger Cookies and UTZ Crab Chips to games. 7250 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, 323-930-2100.

AFC WEST

Denver Broncos: Brennan’s Pub
Cynthia, a bartender at Brennan’s Pub in Marina Del Rey, was looking for a fanbase. Jason, a diehard fan, was looking for a Broncos bar. The stars (which briefly included Tim Tebow) aligned and easy Sunday mornings at Brennan’s suddenly required two waitresses and four bartenders to serve the maximum capacity crowd of blue and orange-clad revelers known as Broncos Country. During the 2012 playoffs when Tebow led the Broncs to an upset over the Steelers in overtime, Cynthia swears she felt the bar move. 4089 Lincoln Blvd., Marina del Rey, 310-821-6622.

San Diego Chargers: Slater’s 50/50
The signature “50/50” burger (half ground beef, half ground bacon) at Slater’s 50/50 was actually born out of a dare at a Chargers tailgate. Scott Slater, who owns the Southern California restaurant chain, is a diehard Bolts fan. The restaurant has a Football Breakfast Menu featuring the Donut Burger and fried chicken and pancakes, and fans will reserve seats for games or order Slater’s tailgate packages for home games. 61 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. 626-765-9700; 8082 Adams Ave., Huntington Beach, 714-594-5730; 8009 Day Creek Blvd., Rancho Cucamonga, 909-803-1991; other locations throughout Southern California.

Oakland Raiders: The Bucket
The Raiders have numerous booster clubs but unlike the Rams they lack a unifying entity. Several dozens bars throughout the L.A.-area are considered Raiders bars. We like the Bucket, an Eagle Rock joint that makes a pub-quality burger without any of the gastropub pretension. And the beer taps flow with good suds. 4541 Eagle Rock Blvd., Eagle Rock, 323-257-5654.

Kansas City Chiefs: Kansas City BBQ Company
The Draft, a generalist sports bar in Valley Village, is the site of the largest Chiefs gathering, but who wants to share a bar with fans of other teams? The most Kansas City place to watch a game is in North Hollywood at the Kansas City BBQ Company. A group of Chiefs regulars eat brisket for breakfast while they watch the game and pretend they’re at Arrowhead. 10863 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood, 818-754-0030.

AFC SOUTH

Houston Texans: Barney’s Beanery
As of last season a small group of Texan fans were meeting at Barney’s Beanery in Santa Monica, a generalist sports bar. There’s nothing particularly Texas about the place, but the community is growing. 1351 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica, 310-656-5777.

Indianapolis Colts: Draft Bar and Grill
Just like Syria’s anti-Assad rebels, Los Angeles Colts fans desperately need a leader. They have a sporadically updated Facebook page with lots of interested subscribers and even bars offering them a home, but no one spot has emerged as the winner. Some displaced Indy fans are meeting in Studio City at all-purpose sports bar The Draft. 12430 Riverside Dr., Studio City, 818-508-8652.

NFC EAST

New York Giants: O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Restaurant
There’s more than one Irish pub in Santa Monica catering to East Coast fans. O’Brien’s became a fulltime Giants bar in 2009 when Willy, the owner, and Steve, the head of the G-Men fan group, joined forces. Now, they draw 125 fans a game and often have to turn latecomers away. After wins, they’ll blast “Empire State of Mind” and “New York, New York” on the stereo. If they make the Super Bowl, maybe Willy will ship in Sabrett hot dogs like he did for the 2011 game. This season, O’Brien’s will be quiet for only one game: On Dec. 8 when fans headed down to San Diego to watch the Giants play the Chargers. Don’t worry, Willy is serving them breakfast before they leave. 2226 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, 310-396-4725

Washington Redskins: Joxer Daly’s
Mehaul O’Leary, owner of Joxer Daly’s in Culver City, can remember standing on the roof on Sunday morning, turning the satellite dish until dozens of Redskins fans yelled, “Stop! Stop!” Although O’Leary has owned the bar since 1999, it’s been a Skins bar for more than 30 years. His guess is that Washington fans chose Joxer because it’s located on Washington Boulevard—and because there are two massive satellite dishes on the roof. O’Leary is a Giants fan, so he watches his own game in the corner. When the Giants play the Skins, O’Leary leaves his own bar and heads to O’Brien’s. 11168 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, 310-838-3745.

Philadelphia Eagles: The Sports Harbour
Long live The Shack! For years, Santa Monica was home to one of the best transplant bars in the country. Philadelphia fans, including some of the It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia actors, would fill the place for any big Philly game. This winter, Janet and Pat, the owners, retired and moved back to Philadelphia. Spoiled by such excellent leadership for so many years, Eagles fans are now scattered. Do they head to the Sports Harbour, a Marina Del Rey bar with a solid Philly fanbase? Or Philly West in Westwood, which boasts Philly loyalty but shows all the teams? Or one of the dozens of cheesesteak shops in the San Fernando Valley that show games for handfuls of Birds fans? It’s going to take time for the dust to settle. 13484 W. Washington Blvd., Marina del Rey, 310-823-0933.

Dallas Cowboys: Keep It Like A Secret
Much like the professional team they root for, Southern California Cowboys fans assemble with grandiose yet robotic efficiency. They have a 1,000-member Meetup.com group that requires all members be approved by the organizer before learning the location of the meeting place. (You’ll have to swear your allegiance to the team to gain approval.) We like to imagine they meet in a giant underground bunker adorned with Yankees-Bulls-Cowboys posters.

NFC NORTH

Chicago Bears: Tin Horn Flats Saloon & Grill
Tin Horn Flats in Burbank is such a popular place to watch a Bears game that their reservation system is not unlike Soldier Field. The bar is filled to capacity (165) for every game so fans reserve their seats and games before the start of each season. Mike Ditka pictures and Illinois license plates cover the walls. On Sundays they serve a Chicago-style Italian beef sandwich with slaw. A few years ago, when the Bears lost to Green Bay in the playoffs, a couple Packers fans showed up talking trash. A pitcher of beer was thrown; the manager who separated the groups said it was like getting between the Sharks and the Jets. 2623 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, 818-567-2470.

Green Bay Packers: Pickwick’s Pub
Pickwick’s Pub is just a family friendly, soccer-loving British pub in Woodland Hills that has supported the Packers for the past 25 years. Never mind that former Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman stopped by or that the owner, who was born in England, has taken his children to Green Bay on several occasions or that their website is thepackerpub.com or that they serve brats. Never mind that they get 70 to 80 Packer fans in on Sundays. For a little British pub in The Valley, Pickwick’s feels a lot like Wisconsin. 21010 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, 818-340-9673.

Detroit Lions
Coney Dog, a West Hollywood restaurant serving Detroit-style hot dogs and Faygo, the favorite soda pop of Insane Clown Posse fans, was once the place where Lions fans gathered. They eatery recently came under new ownership and will no longer open early enough to show games. The decision has left a void among L.A. Detroiters with disenfranchised fans taking to Facebook to inquire about other Lions bars. No responses yet.

Minnesota Vikings: T2 Bar & Grill
Over the past five years, a group of 50 or so Viking fans moved from McCabe’s in Santa Monica to the Varsity in Beverly Grove to Carson House in Beverly Hills before settling, this year, on T2 Bar & Grill (also known as Tompkins Square Bar & Grill) just north of LAX. The group of Minnesota transplants (and, occasionally, vacationers from the land of ten thousand lakes) is hoping a Super Bowl run will set gatherings on fire. 8522 Lincoln Blvd., Westchester, 310-670-1212.

NFC WEST

St. Louis Rams: Malecon A La Playa
After the 1995 Los Angeles football exodus, broken-hearted Rams fans gathered in scattered groups like outlawed freedom fighters to watch televised St. Louis Rams games. In 2004, Ralph Valdez united those groups into one rebel alliance. The So. Cal Rams Booster Club draws between 250 and 1,000 fans for games and events at privately rented spaces. This year’s meeting place is the seafood-centric Mexican restaurant Malecon A La Playa, which draws its inspiration from the cuisine of Mazatlan. 5201 Clark Ave., Lakewood, 562-666-6738.

San Francisco 49ers: San Francisco Saloon
If you want to get into the San Francisco Saloon in West L.A. for a 49ers playoff game it’s best to arrive by 8 o’clock—that’s 8 p.m. the night before. Fans show up to mark their place until the bar closes, then they tailgate or sleep in their cars until the bar reopens up the next morning. To pass the night, they set up a generator and T.V. out in front and the line has been known to stretch for blocks. When the Giants won the World Series, one bartender said he thought the place was going to come down. 11501 W. Pico Blvd., West L.A., 310-478-0152.

Seattle Seahawks: The Backstage
Eight years ago, Cedric walked into The Backstage in Culver City and decided he was going to turn it into a Seahawks bar. After speaking with the owner, he created a Seahawks MeetUp.com page and 50 people showed up for the first game. Now, a line forms outside the bar hours before kickoff. At halftime, complimentary blue and green shots are doled out to jersey-wearers. They serve Seattle beers like Rainier Beer. A Seattle DJ plays Seattle-themed music. Former Seahawk quarterback Dave Krieg stopped in for a visit and the Seahawks current head coach Pete Carroll (who USC fans still pine for) acknowledged the bar on Twitter. 10400 Culver Blvd., Culver City, 310-839-3892.

Arizona Cardinals
Throughout 2009 and 2010, a group of fans tried valiantly to establish a Cardinals viewing post in Southern California. Nothing surfaced then or since.

NFC SOUTH

New Orleans Saints: Five0Four
Named for the New Orleans area code, Five0Four in Hollywood has quickly become the West Coast hangout for Saints fans. Entering its third season, the bar’s patrons spill out into the courtyard and surrounding restaurants on Sundays. The owner, a New Orleans-native, says that they’ve successfully alienated all other fans. In one instance, a band hired by an adjacent establishment was booed off stage for trying to play during a tight game. 6541 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 323-960-0224.

Atlanta Falcons: The Hollywood Way
Atlanta transplants have a Meetup.com page with about 50 members, and for part of last season they met at the Hollywood Way, a generalist sports bar in Burbank. Despite the team’s exceptional record, the Meetup page updates ceased abruptly after game five. Maybe some more Julio Jones and Roddy White receptions will light a fire under the Falcons’ fanbase. 1333 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank, 818-845-4400.

Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Carolina Panthers
Sorry, you’re out of luck. These teams seem to have no organized Los Angeles fanbase.

The post The Fan’s Information To L.A.’s Greatest Bars For Watching Soccer Los Angeles Journal appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Alternative band Charming liars shared an emotional new live video for their track “loser. “Check it out here now: youtu.be/ZlON2zQUvvM. “Losers” is the latest in the band “Live sounds from 2020“Video series filmed in an LA warehouse late last year and showing”In the mirror of the blood,”“influence“,”ACCUSE,” and more.

Charming Liars recently announced their new EP Sequence 2: The After, should appear this summer. Lead single “Afterglow”Is out now and can be streamed here.

Fans can look forward to hearing new music live this December when Charming Liars tour with the English rock band The Hunna. The tour begins December 3 in San Francisco and includes stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, New York, and more. For a full schedule of dates, see below, and tickets are available now at www.charmingliars.com/tour

Charming Liar is:
Kiliyan Maguire – vocals
Karnig Manoukian – guitar, production
Mike Krüger – bass

For more information, please visit:
Website: http://www.charmingliars.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/charmingliars
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/charmingliars
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/charmingliars

Sequence 2: The after-track listing:

1. Afterglow
2. The haunted one
3. Beautiful roses

Upcoming tour dates with The Hunna:
12/3 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill
12/4 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy
12/6 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
December 8th – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
09.12. – Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s
10.12. – Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground
12.12. – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry
12/13 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
15.12. – Washington, DC @ Union Stage
16.12. – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

Download a high resolution press photo here.
Download high-resolution single images here.
Download a high resolution tour admat here.

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The post Charming Liars Shares Shifting New Stay Video “Losers” – Music-Sports activities & Leisure Journal appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

A San Francisco security guard who sustained brain damage in a confrontation with skateboarders is seeking damages from one of the suspected attackers, Thrasher magazine and building owners including the Trump Organization.

In a security video included in the civil lawsuit, Dan Jansen is lying on the sidewalk at 555 California St.

Dan Jansen, 57, was seriously injured on November 25, 2018 while trying to prevent skateboarders from performing stunts in front of 555 California St., a skyscraper in the financial district.

He was in a coma for more than a week and underwent multiple surgeries, according to the civil complaint filed Monday in the Superior Court in San Francisco. He will need “lifelong medical care and treatment,” including accompanying care, according to the lawsuit.

One of the skateboarders, Jesse Vieira, was charged with crimes including assault with a lethal weapon; His 2019 trial ended in misconduct when the jury got stuck.

Vieira, a professional skateboarder, is named as a defendant in the lawsuit by Jansen and his wife. Also mentioned are Thrasher magazine – which promoted the activities of GX1000, a skateboard crew founded and managed by Thrasher’s parent company – and the owners and operators of 555 California, which includes the Trump Organization.

The complaint calls for a jury trial and does not indicate a dollar amount.

The suit states that Vieira and other members of the GX1000 often used the space outside the building – known to skateboarders as Black Rock – “to practice and perform various skateboarding stunts and tricks, and to be sure to incite physical fights, to provoke, participate and monetize it ”. Staff.”

On November 24, 2018, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, security guards there called the police for help and said that a collision with 10 to 15 skateboarders had “gotten out of hand”. Jansen was not told about this episode when he came to work the next day, according to the suit. He confronted a group of seven skateboarders who were laying barricades that he had erected to prevent their activities.

In the ensuing fight, recorded by a surveillance camera, Jansen was pushed onto the sidewalk and hit his head, breaking his skull. When he was passed out, the skateboarders fled.

The incident attracted national attention and resulted in a long feature in the New York Times on the renegade image of skateboarding in preparation for its Olympic debut.

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