Introductions

Good afternoon, faithful readers, and welcome to Tales From The Hick-Belt Hilton. The title is a nod to Guy Maddin's seminal Tales From The Gimli Hospital, combined with Winnipeg's precious place atop the hick-heap. Between Chicago and the west coast, is there another city that wants sooo badly to be approved of and loved, but does everything in its power to make you hate it?

I'm excited to dive into my new blog, and looking forward to tackling a wide variety of subject matter. From downtown development in Winnipeg to music and arts to day-to-day life in the West End.

I was asked by a good friend recently why I've never owned a car or cell phone. I'm a busy busy beaver, after all. A man on the move needs these things, doesn't he? Well, I used to own a cell, but I prefer to be unreachable every now and then. A car though? Now, why on earth would I own a car? Its like throwing money away, while buggering your city's livelihood, all at the same time. We need people walking the sidewalks, and all the skywalks, parkades and ill-fit downtown redevelopment schemes aren't going to help that.

People living in the neighbourhood and walking around. Easy. Thats all it is.

I rarely go to the suburbs. I walk everywhere, by choice. I take the bus if I'm in a hurry. (Oxymoron? Perhaps, in this town. But one can plan out one's day's transportation quite easily.) I bike. I'll take a cab if I've gotta move gear to a gig, or get a bandmate to pick me up.

But why the hell would I choose to contribute to the absolute mess this city has become, as devised by automobiles and the culture surrounding them?