Los Angeles is where you confront the objective fact that you mean nothing; the desert, the ocean, the tectonic plates, the clear skies, the sun itself, the Hollywood Walk of Fame – even the parking lots: everything there somehow precedes you, even new construction sites, and it's bigger than you and more abstract than you and indifferent to you. You don't matter. You're free.LA residents given to talking about life in the city talk about freedom a lot. Without a cohesive citywide identity or community structure, without a city center in any sense of the word, you don't situate your life in relation to some imagined ur-community or parental figures. You're just there. But I'd add one thing: it's true that the city as a whole cares about nothing. But there are a thousand communities, more, within the city.
Tech
Business, Medical, Collaboration, Web, a11y, Energy, Javascript, Audio, WRX, Hardware, s60, PIM, Data, Automobile, Wearables, AI, Storage, Android, Net, Crowdsourcing, Security, MacOS, Visual, OS, RSS, Mobile, Web analytics, barcamp, Development, Social, Open, Shopping, Product Management
Other
Surfing, L.A., Politik, Friday, Minnesota, Video, NYC, Boston, Geography, Podcasts, Feminism, Bicycling, Toys, Berlin, Games, CrowdFlower, California, Agriculture, Life hacks, Clothes, Housing, Activism, Transportation, San Francisco, Law, Travel, Quizzes, History, Food & Drink, Personal care, Sports, Statistics
Music
Good tracks, Musicians, Boston, Booking, Mp3s, Lyrics, Mixes, Business, Hip-hop, Videos, Making, Events, L.A., History, Streams, Shopping, Reviews, Mailing lists, House, Labels
People
ADD, Working with, Friends, Gossip, MOTAS, Enemies, Vocations, Family, Weblogs, Buddhism, Health, Life hacks, Me, Languages, Exercise, Subcultures, Stories, Meditation, Heroes
Commerce
Web, Shopping, Macroeconomics, IP Law, Insurance, Real Estate, International Development, Microfinance, Personal services, Non-profit, Management consulting, Taxes, Marketing and CRM, Investing, Personal finance
Arts
Outlets, Visual, Desktop wallpaper bait, Comix, Spoken Word, Literature, Rhetoric, Events, Poetry, Humor, Animation, iPad bait, Sculpture, Burning Man, Movies
Design
Furniture, User experience, IA, Cool, Web, Process, Tools, Type, Algorithmic, Data visualization, Presentations, Architecture
Science
Networks, Zoology, Cognition, Statistics and Data, Physics, Environment, Psychology
Travel
Uganda, Kenya, Vagabond '08, Kingdom of Siam