alas, demystifying the artist is what makes graffiti so controversial. qualifying it as art is controversial. it is a poignant depiction of personal freedom and expression against the government by way of public property.

first of all, a real water feature. you might have visited civic spaces with a walkable water feature. it draws people and beautifies public space. it just makes sense...with all the unused open space along busy foot traffic areas, especially in tumon, a water feature would be the perfect way to elevate the scene and let the kids release their aggression elsewhere. pictured here is a water feature we stealthily raided at the leo palace. i say this because i'm not sure if it was even meant for walking. i took the boys there one weekend and they were pleasantly surprised when i told them to jump in and walk through the fountains. guam just needs more public spaces in general but i can see there is potential. there was a skate park recently erected in dededo that has been more than a success despite a related tragedy close to the site that happened shortly after it opened. every night, it is filled to the rim with kids and it's great that they are here instead of somewhere questionable.

secondly, this island needs to install photo enforcement devices at all major intersections. when i first blogged about these alien-like structures that popped up in union city, i was dreading their presence. but they bring in insane amounts of revenue, keep people from blazing through red lights, and ease the manpower required to keep our streets safe. to add to that...it's always entertaining to watch people get caught.

no recycling bins - it would be so easy to have additional receptacles dedicated for cans, bottles, and paper but i haven't seen any so far. there are minor efforts in schools and local recycling centers available but the issue is not pressed enough...plastic bags, styrofoam containers, and over-use of paper is a morbid habit around here

red lights - people just pass them at their own liking. not just red lights - but plowing through stop signs and crosswalks with children and tourists in sight...and in the pouring rain or the dark of night - sometimes, both.

men who honk - i like to go walking, running and they honk, holler, hail. it's strange that they think this would render some kind of response. am i in your way? am i expected to leap in excitement?

lunch time - everyone loves to go out to lunch. it's the highlight of the day for everyone, but its such a huge undertaking. i prefer to eat alone but it seems its a rare sight. and to go in a large group - choraling the effort and being done means almost 2 hours of your work day just went down the drain

nowhere to dance - i don't understand why there's nowhere "cool" to dance when you're older than 21. you have to be gay, 18 years old, a ballroom dancer, or in the military to be in this scene. i just want to dance with a straight guy to some hip hop music. there's none of that either.

hip hop music - hip hop is dead. i'm talking jurassic 5, tribe called quest, method man, nas...even jay z, biggie, pac...they are nowhere popular. you only hear current radio club bangers and everyone's taste in music is dictated by what the 5 radio stations are playing every hour. i would love to have a reliable place to listen to music that i haven't been listening to all day long and where i don't feel like i have to shake my booty to show that i'm enjoying it.

phones without voicemail - most people with cell phones have no voicemail and the automated responses are usually "there's no answer. goodbye" or "the mobile customer you have dialed is unavailable". this sucks. i love leaving messages and i feel like a stalker if my number shows up so many times because "hello, i'm trying to get a hold of you and i'd really like to tell you why". and those with voicemail...rarely check their messages or don't even bother with customizing their greeting. most times, i can't tell or forget who i've dialed by the time i hear the "beep".

no dating scene - there's absolutely NONE. you have to scope out someone from afar first and somehow work your way out of anonymity to actually talk to a man. and even when you stumble upon a man...you realize there really is no such thing as anonymity. i thought dating is supposed to be about going out with someone you could get to know. and far worse...it might have to be arranged through other people. and please...don't bother "hooking me up"

meddlers - everything is everyone's business. people want to know what's going on even it is completely irrelevant and they want to tell you what to do. but the cashier, the woman at the gym, your coworker....they all want to get up in your business.

gas stations - i can never get it right. you pay inside? pay outside? there are stickers? passports? is it really self serve? i just want to pump my own gas but apparently this is not as simple as it sounds. why do they have credit card keypads that don't work? so far, only 76 lets use my credit card the way it should.

smokers - i'll still love you if you smoke but EVERYONE smokes!! i feel so uncool. i'm actually conditioning myself to handle the smokers just so i can keep the conversation going and not be left alone inside every time it's time for a smoke break, which happens to be every ten minutes.

groceries - specialty items like fresh produce, decent cheese, pita pockets...do not come stocked regularly. why on earth can't i find any decent mint to make my mojitos!?? why on earth do i have to go to 10 stores to cook what i want to cook? why do i have to go 3 counters to use a check? why don't they ever allow cashback? why don't they have self checkout? really, no bar code? "oh god, i have artichoke hearts and they don't know what they are".

fine wine - it's hard to find a good glass of wine. okay, it's there but it costs me an arm and a leg. fetzer and beringer are above $10 so even cheap wine is too much. every restaurant has the same selection. "oooh kendall jackson and robert mondavi are premium, all of a sudden".

shopping - i'm not much of a shopper but if i wanted to buy one thing, i'd have to spend all afternoon looking for one thing and this goes against my productivity levels. there's just not much selection to begin with. i find myself spending all afternoon at ross just so i don't feel defeated.

dog poop - there's just too much of it laying around. i'm hoping its from stray dogs and not from people not picking up after their dogs. but i dont' see any stray dogs.

toilet seat covers - why is it not standard to have toilet seat covers in toilet stalls? there are a few establishments with them (house of brutus, sheraton, sam choy's, to name a few)...but i'd really like to NOT have to pop a squat when i pee.

billpay - i've griped about this repatedly...but i hate not having the option of online billpay. there are numerous receipts, coupons, stamps and initials involved to pay one bill. take a number, have a seat, enjoy the company of the woman in front of you holding her 2 year old and forget about lunch or getting back to the office because it will take you all day.

roadkill - roadkill capital of the world...dead dogs, frogs, snakes, cats are an eyesore and even harsher on your olfactory nerve.

speeding - it's raining like a monsoon and people are driving at least 20 miles over the speed limit. this is a residential road with potholes and speedbumps galore and they are breezing by. i live at the bottom of a steep incline and i feel like i could die standing outside my building entrance.

customer service - common courtesy practices, return policies, helpful personnel - are these archaic requests that are too much to ask?

the bank and the post office - why are there always long lines here?...no matter what time of day? don't you people need to get back to work? don't you people have atm cards to do your transactions elsewhere? don't you people hate this as much as i do?