Tag: Street Sounds

  • How I Learned to Like Santa Monica Pier

    Santa Monica Pier (Photo: Liz Ohanesian)
    Santa Monica Pier, January 2026 (Pic: Liz O.)

    We’re walking back to the Metro station from the Santa Monica Pier and a news broadcast catches my ear. “A patent for AirPods that can read your brainwaves,” the voice says. I’m pretty sure that’s an old story, but it still prompts me to look to the side, where I see a cell phone strapped to a large speaker that’s propped up in a wheelchair. Standing next to the wheelchair is the person who I assume wants us all to know that Big Tech is out to read our minds. I think there’s a manifesto printed on the back of the person’s t-shirt, but I’m too far away to read it. 

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