Morning Brew: August 31st

Rental Fever: "Why the battle for bedrooms is burning up". Because the "City bores us, there is no longer any temple in the sun?" No that can't be the right answer. "The beauty of Man is in its destruction"? No, still too 68. Hmm... How about "A Holiday in someone else's misery"?

Activists seek UN boost for city's homeless Miloon Kothari, the UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, may receive an unusual request from activists when he comes to Vancouver in October. According to Jean Swanson, a veteran Downtown Eastside antipoverty advocate, they will not only ask Kothari to "put as much pressure on the provincial and federal governments as he could to start funding some housing". "We might even ask him if there's another country that could donate to housing for homeless people," Swanson told the Georgia Straight . "We're at our wits' end, right?"

No shit. There is an alley down here with graffiti on one wall that says, simply, "Fiji". Now I don't know if thats a political statement, it probably isn't, but with the beige-water filled, garbage strewn, rat infested alley it sure seemed prophetic.

The oldesst profession. Fuck it, just pick up the entire garish copy of this week's Georgia Straight. You know how sometimes you'll be on a bus or wherever and pick up the ubiquitous rag with feigned interest, trying not to look at that horrible art they always have on the cover (1996 is over guys)? But then sometimes you get really into it and you're not sure if its just because you're bored or if its one of those rare issues of the Straight that keep your interest for more than 5 seconds? This is one of those issues, with standouts like Commemorating a race riot, : "Yes, it's true: like contestants on a reality-TV show, protesters at the SPP were invited to vent into video cameras, their rants to be beamed to protest-trons inside the summit enclave", and B.C.'s at-risk forests in 11th Hour spotlight.Fuck, even the food pick is spot on: So.Cial's new fall menu.

The Westender on the other hand...

Who's winning the Vancouver civic Strike? Will someone tell this high-school PE teacher that a strike is not a fucking contest?

Police have no immediate plans to target APC for guerilla garbage dumps. Guerilla garbage dumps? Don't you think you're reaching a bit? Don't you think you're maybe perpetuating the ever-widening rift between east vs. west, haves vs. havenots, Robson vs. Hastings, those that listen to CKNW vs. those with well thought out arguments.

But its OK because CKNW's Jill Bennet is on the scene in Rwanda. Hey, aren't you guys like 10 years too late?

photo by tilo driessen in BR's Flickr pool.

'Drop Spots' in Vancouver. Find something. Go for a walk. Take some pictures. Make something beautiful. Drop it somewhere.

Reported Elsewhere: "Last year, Nigerians bought more Guinness than the Irish. If I'm not mistaken that represents one of seven signs of approaching apocalypse". I strive to be as funny as whoever does 'Reported Elsewhere'.

Killer Deadly: White Lung plays their second-to-last show (before the one with the big mouth goes to Holland) at the Cobalt on Friday. Maybe their new 7" will be ready. Fake Shark Real Zombie, Cheerleader Camp, Suspiria and Canaries are playing too.

On Saturday, there's a fund raiser dance party for the Helen Pitt Gallery at the old Sam the Record Man on Seymour and Dunsmuir of all places. What the hell has that place been doing just sitting there with a big "S" for a door handle all these years? It's about time something happened there.