Okay... Back to some serious opinion stuff.

Greetings readers.

To my regular readers... I apologise. I've been filling up my blog with all sorts of personal flack, and I should really return to a "regularly scheduled programme" of political opinion and pithy commentary.

That's not to say that I won't still be throwing up the occasional "Tuckmac Story Hour" stuff, 'cause... It's my blog, and I can do what I want... But...

Here goes:

First... Iraq. Gah. I love how the news today (except about 12 more people dead by shootings) is all about the Sunni Muslims and their disdain of the draft-constitution for Iraq. Okay... Folks... Think about this. This has been a minority controlling group of people, due to the Baath party and Sadaam. Now suddenly... The Kurds and Shite Muslims are able to have a voice, and the Sunni folks don't like it.

Duh.

Next... A wee bit of technology news: Apple faces iPod Nano litigation. Okay... So I was talking to a guy, let's call him: "Bob." Anyhoo... Talking with Bob, and he goes on and on about shite Apple, and how their products are shite, and everything "Apple" is shite, and they deserve this. After reading the article, you'll notice that it seems to be two men that are pissy about their product. Okay... The iPod is the biggest selling music player in the world. A few people getting a bum deal when MILLIONS of the product have gone out and have happy owners... Is really not that surprising.

Bob works for a PC company, and hates Apple. So... you be the judge here. I for one LOVE Apple... Love my iPod (although the 3rd Gen iPod I have DOES have battery problems... I still get use out of the thing by attaching it (plugged in) to my stereo. So... I've had three years of happy iPod-ness.

Kiss my ass Bob.

Okay... And 'cause I'm home, and I still love the City Pages, although it's about to be "merged" again, and may soon suck...

First a funny photo by one of my heros: View Master.

A Jim Walsh article about a guy building a labyrinth in his back-garden. The whole "spiritual" thing is comforting for me. Especially as the US is getting SO BLOODY CHRISTIAN THAT I WANT TO PUKE.

Seriously.

Vomit on my feet as I type this! Ick.

Okay... Finally... Something that really spoke to me. The revamp of Lake Street. First a bit of background for my non-Twin Citian readers:

I basically grew up in Minneapolis/St. Paul. I've moved around a bit due to my father living elsewhere, and of course the whole "Tuckmac can't decide on a university" thing. However, as my Mother's family has grown up here in the Twin Cities, therefore I too have been here on and off for over 30 years. Lake Street was always this amazing place to me. My Mother used to work down by that area, and I used to take the city bus from school to go down and visit her at Abbot Northwestern Hospital (she worked there, she wasn't a patient.) I loved the multi-cultural aspects of this street. It's been a major part of Minneapolis for over a hundred years... There's still a "saddle shop" there from the old "Western" days. Now it's become very revitalised due to the new influx of immigrants from Mexico and Somalia. I used to be scared to go there (that titilating sort of fear, I'd still go... Never stop me.) but now... It's perfectly safe. Unless it's late at night, and you stumble across a drug-deal or something... Which, yes... Does occur. It IS an American City, for christssake. Anyhoo... Now... Now...

It's being yuppy-fied. And I find that sad. I was out with my friend Mick yesterday, and was disgusted by what has happened to Uptown (also on Lake Street.) It used to be a bit of a "counter-cultural" area... Goths, Punks, Teens and sweaty boys trying to pick up fish-net stocking'd black-lipstick wearing birds... Now it's a yuppie zone from hell...

It bugged me. I hate the loss of actual culture for the fake "yuppie" ideal of "culture." and it's happening everywhere back here in the Cities! Gah!

Anyhoo... They're trying to do that to the entire stretch of Lake Street... 6 miles of multi-cultural excitement to be repaved and turned into a strip of Starbucks and Fern-bars.

What a fucking loss.

Ger.

Well... Here's the article. It's very well written, and the author has a good head on his shoulders.

Seriously... Please read the article. To those in Canterbury... Think about how High Street has dried up due to the new Whitefriars build.

It's a sad thing. Look... It's too late for Lake Street. Just as it's too late for High Street in Canterbury. But that doesn't mean that there aren't "gems" still out there that are in danger. It's our job to try to block this yuppification as much as we possibly can. For our future, for our children's future!

[cue "Les Mis" theme]

Okay... I'm off. Hope you enjoyed a bit of the "Tuckmac Rant" today.

Be strong, readers!

-- T