Bike To Work Day & Music Snobbery

Apparently the City of Winnipeg has deemed June 20 to be Bike To Work Day.

Its funny, in Amsterdam there are parkades full of bicycles instead of cars. We still have a long long way to go, but I must commend City Hall for at least taking a rare step in the right direction. (Though the 80% cut to the public art budget may negate this one good deed.)

That said, while North Americans (particularly us in the hick-belt) have a lot to learn from European cities, they don't always get it right.

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I had a really good conversation with a MARIA staffer today about the state of the local music industry. Sometimes I get my panties in a knot because there is little local infrastructure in place for new music. No, not classical new music (oddly enough, it has a strong foothold here). I suppose art-rock could be the term. Or hell, even just indie-rock. I'm becoming snobby in my old age, and am tired of all the boring folk acts and derivative rock bands in this town. Everyone is rehashing the same old. There seems to be a wave of bold and challenging new acts coming out of Eastern Canada, and there are labels and agents and a fan base to support them. I keep on wanting someone to blow it all wide open locally.

Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio, our nation turns its lonely eyes to you.

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There are some disheartening stories starting to spread about the assholedom of Paul Simon. Its hard to listen to Graceland when there is such thievery at its roots.