Wow... Slow news day from HELL!

Greetings gentle readers...

Okay, as per my normal sort of day, I spent a while trolling around the internet looking for interesting stories with which to lead off my own blog. I do this almost every day, and I really like to "stay in touch" with the world, and with my far-away home in Minneapolis.

I've read the NY Times, BBC News, StarTriune, and the City Pages today. (all the links are available on the right-side column of this blog)

A strike at Heathrow airport made both the "front covers" of the BBC and NY Times.

Oh... An industrial action... How facsinating.

Gah.

Well... The only link I found that was even a "bit" interesting was in the City Pages, and here it is:
There goes the neigborhood" by Jim Walsh

Not that this is a terribly interesting story... However, I do think that it is a fairly descent illustration of "gentrification" and as an artist, I have a serious issue with the whole idea.

The fact that our marvellous cities ALL do this, whether it's in London or New York or Minneapolis! Have a fairly shitty little neighbourhood? No worries... Have some artists/musicians/bohemians move in, and fix up the place... Soon a coffee shop opens up to cater to the "artsy" crowd... Then, a gallery... Then a little corner shop selling really expensive vegan food... Then... Then...

It's too nice a place for an artist to live! Suddenly, the rents that used to be around $500.00 a month for a big huge loft-conversion... Are raised to $2000 a month, and the first yuppie fuck moves in... Followed by all the other yuppie fucks that the first fuck plays racquetball with (squash for the Brits) and voíla, it's a yuppie fuck neighbourhood that's too expensive for an artist to afford, and so... The artists move to a new SHIT neighbourhood, and the whole process starts all over again!

Bloody hell!

Ger.

Okay, sorry. Different topic entirely.

My lovely fiancée made me go to the doctor.

Why? You ask.

Well... 'Cause last week I was coughing and had a nose like a tap, and had a fever. Last week. LAST week. A whole stinking week ago. But... I had to see someone. I walked in for my 4:00pm appt. Waited till 5:15pm for the doctor to call me in (fricking NHS) and sat down. He said, "Well, what seems to be the problem?" I say, "Well, last week, blah... Blah... Blah..., but now I'm on the mend, I think." He says, "Let's see." And proceeds to pull out the stethoscope and gives my lungs a listen. He says, "You seem to be on the mend." I say, "Thank you." He says, "You're welcome." and, and... And...

That's it.

Thanks Doc.

Jeez.

Och weel... I'm on the mend. It's official.

I'm going to be working on my artwork all weekend, and that's what I'm going to get back to doing now (after a fag, of course).

I hope you all have a great weekend, and I'll see you here next week!

-- Slànte - Tuckmac