Morning Brew, May 29: Biking to Work?

First off, though Sean wrote about it yesterday, lemme add a 'hell ya' to Insite's big win. Doing the Morning Brew has forced me to focus a lot more attention on local politics than I'm used to, and it's great to see something positive in a city already wrapped up in some hardcore pre-olympic anxiety. I'm off to Athens for the next two weeks. I'll try my best to relay a few posts from Europe, but I'll be away from the Brew.

Following Tuesday's focus on Native rights... I feel impelled let you know that tomorrow is National Day of Action: "It's important for us to realize that we have to take a page out of Tibet and realize that we're not going to get it by issuing platitudes about relationships and reconciliation." More rallies are planned for the summer... now how long was that tank gonna take?

With bike to work week more than half over, how's it been treating everyone? Any broken bones or road rage incidents to report? After some digging, I found this article from 2004, which focused on Vancouver's need to improve space for bikers. This account of one cyclist's trip across the Burrard Street Bridge stopped me:

"My first memory is the sensation of a tube being pulled from my throat. I broke all the ribs on my left side, and had punctured and collapsed lungs. I fell into a mini van, and my head kind of got trapped between the car and the curb."

I was ready to break out the strong-arm after getting clipped by at least five bikers while walking across Burrard to hit the beach on Saturday... but after reading that short account, I'm more than willing to make room. I like this quote from a Vancouverite, found here:

"When I'm running, I hate cars and bikes; when I'm cycling, I hate pedestrians and cars, and when I'm driving I hate everyone."

I tend not to run, cycle, or drive; but I definitely sympathize with the hate. Damn... people.

Whatever, chances are are apparently one in ten that we'll all be obliterated by an asteroid anyway.

Some people demand to be eco-friendly and self righteous despite the impending apocalypse; look at this epic defense of bikers recently posted on a Vancouver bike blog. Woah... self obsessed 'roadies' aside, I still believe that bicycles are an important part of overcoming our reliance on automobiles, (Suzuki says bikes can 'save the world' and many agree here). And maybe we need to play off our 'Vansterdam' tag and take a few hints from Amsterdam's bike culture... though I'm not sure legal hash & a lack of helmets is the best combo.

The Independent likes Vancouver as much as a bag of frozen peas. While I hate the travel journalism trope of willfully ignoring a city's downside (oooo, "gritty"), I do think the Jolly Green Giant would make a way cooler 2010 mascot.

Only because I love the expression so much, I point you towards Dave Eby's look at the Francis Street Squat, who links to a new video on the event, as well as a greater history of Vancouver squatting. Keep repeating the word 'squat'. It loses meaning faster than any other... squat. Squat squat squat. Squat squat. Squat squat squat squat. Practice up... cause you're gonna be hearing a lot more of the term over the next year or so...

So who's been to the VAG's Krazy!? They're supposed to be offering an overview of the world of comics but there's no Schultz and not a single Superhero... forgone for Grand Theft Auto? Righhhht. This skeptic will be waiting for a by-donation-only Tuesday night. Alright, I always wait for Tuesday... and I'm still damn excited, but no Superman? Update: good article in the Straight about the snobby VAG. A superhero exhibit curated by Leonard Wong would've seemed like a no-brainer...

Straight Up shows us how cellphones evolved... evolved to destroy your brain! Further proof cellphones are evil: one thrown in a microwave.

They also have one writer's account of playing the Wii Fit at a friend's house (...), while the Sun reports on why technology-addicted kids need to get outside and play. I got the Wii Fit and the only thing I feel compelled to blog about it is this: take your kids (and yourself) outside. This is like Harry Potter "saving youth literacy"... I call it settling.

I had a joke about those firefighters involved in a street brawl with police last March that was all over YouTube... but I just discovered timejoy via this re:place intro -- seemingly endless Vancouver timelapse photography. Waste the time there instead.

And finally, the "Beach Boys" are playing in September... with the only original member being Mike Love, the man responsible for the early 'surf hits.' I saw this 'incarnation' of the band a few years ago at a Hawaiian resort... save $80 and listen to Brian Wilson's SMiLE instead.

See ya in a couple weeks.

photo courtesy of gnacht