A journalist from London called Edmonton Deadmonton. Every one of the local civic boosters were offended. Let me offer a metaphor. In a river there are spots of dead water near the shore called Eddies. These are , when canoeing, perfect respites. But seeing them after the chaos of white water they look a bit boring.
The pace in Edmonton is slow. People think this is boring. I think it is wondrous. People are more polite , gentler. A perfect example was the 6 people who stopped and helped an English Tourist try to find her way to her hotel. One of them walked her to the front door.
I get phone calls to return books i have left on buses . The cops have a public information campaign with the slogan being gay is not a crime gay bashing is. They have liaison committees with the Sikhs, the Chinese and the queer. They have their problems.
On the local party strip they are heavy handed but we had a riot on July 1st The first riot we have ever had.
The city is not perfect. People live in poverty, there are murderers and robbery. There is a lack of cheap , safe housing. LArge corporations rule. Our downtown is almost dead after 6pm on weekends where the office workers go home to safe suburbs. But we have a large number of organizations helping. We seem to have this Prairie practicality. Help them now ! To eat or to find rent money or to play. Then lets talk about long term solutions.

I want to provide a travelogue but i have a party to go to, a freind whose wife of 40 years died six months ago is remarrying

What I am reading
War Against Cliche - Martin Amis
Epigrams - Martial
States of Desire- Edmund White
What i am listening to
Madonna - Ray of Light
Dylan- Live and Unplugged
Rufus Wainwright -Traflagar Square ( single)
Moe Tucker - Blue all the way to canada (single)
Art i love right know
Early Pollock all intense and archetypal.
Movie i last watched
Pollock . which should have been called Lee Krasner
Quote
The difference between the Spice Girls and a porno film is
that the porno film has better music." -- Phil Specter