I still can't figure out Minneapolis. Last night's showing of JUNO at the Uptown Theater was packed. The ten o'clock show started thirty minutes late because people kept streaming in. Of course, there was only one cashier, which created a bit of a bottleneck. A busy movie theater on an otherwise quiet night is a peculiar feature of Minneapolis. It's dark out, cold, most businesses are closed up, the streets and sidewalks are empty. It seems like there is nothing going on anywhere. But then you walk into some random restaurant, movie house, or music club, to discover that it's hoppin'. The energy level is up. You could be in New York. Minneapolis is a generally barren city full of small, disparate, pockets of activity.

The New Green Buses

On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, on my way out of town, I noticed one of Minneapolis's new electric hybrid buses. It was hard to miss. The largest bright green vehicle on the road. The side of the bus was adorned with the possibly redundant slogan: Go Greener. I was really excited, I said, "Wow, look at that bus. I can't wait to ride in one." But when I was in Madison, Wis. for the holiday I noticed hybrid buses going up and down State Street. And then I remembered that NYC had hybrid buses everywhere. This isn't actually cutting-edge technology. So, are these really the first hybrid buses in Minneapolis, or is this just a new publicity campaign?

Some basic rules to consider when using a Minneapolis bus.
1. It's impossible to run after a bus with grace and confidence. There will always be another bus. Running after a bus that has already shut its doors and begun to pull away from the curb will only erode your self-esteem.
2. Just because you enter the bus by the front door doesn't mean you have to leave by the front door. When I watch some one walk all the way from the back of the bus to the front of the bus to get off, I think, there has got to be some insane primal instinct kicking in. There should be signs on the bus that say: Leave Out The Back Door, Already.

This a representative photo showing the hustle and bustle of downtown Minneapolis. I took this while riding the six bus down Hennepin Avenue. The building in the picture is actually a parking garage. It has fake windows to make it look like a restuarant that is under renovation, or simply out of business.

A Rat with Wings Finds a Nest

This is bizarre. I've never seen a nesting pigeon before. This pigeon tried to keep it cool. But you can tell from the expression in its eyes that it knows it's trying to get away with something. It probably just accidentally landed in another bird's nest. Anyway, I saw this nesting pigeon on Hennepin Avenue, and immediately ran home to get my camera. Some people in New York call Pigeons Rats with Wings (the same people who call the ground, "the floor"). I don't think that's fair. Sure they flap around in your hair every once in a while, or get in your way on the sidewalk, or maybe even poop on you (which has only happened to me once). But they don't come into your house and gnaw holes in your box of Grapenuts. They don't scurry. They don't have pink, hairless tails.

The Problem With Books

I have a book problem. Here's a sample of books that I own that I still haven't read. These aren't even close to the top of my Books I Own & Still Need To Read list. Some of my more urgent reads? 1. New York Trilogy, Paul Auster 2. Young Hearts Crying, Dick Yates 3. Victory, Conrad 4. Moons of Jupiter, Alice Munro 5. Herzog, Saul Bellow. Plus I've got a half dozen books that I'm about half way through (Gotham, The World Is Flat, A Crown of Feathers, Dutch Shea Jr, and others). And still I visit the public library at least once a week. Is it possible that I spend just as much time looking for books to read as actually reading books? I'm currently reading Black Swan Green by Dave Mitchell. There isn't enough time to read everything I'd like to. I get the NYer every week and the Paris Review once every three months, and how about the hour I spent this morning reading the NY Times? My problem with books is just that I love them too much.

My room-mate's car nearly got stolen last night. Apparently the thiefs couldn't quite jump start it. The steering column has been wreched out of place. Every coffee shop in town seems to have a robbery story, from armed robbery to over night break in. It's strange. I started at a new coffee shop last week. And the first thing I was shown was footage from a surveillance camera of three men breaking into the back room and pilfering the safe. This was during business hours and the store was full of people. There's a strange crime wave going on. Is Minneapolis simply unconditioned to criminal activities? It definitely gets quite after dark. I rarely see cops. And I never see cops on foot. There just aren't enough people walking around. I've known several people who've been mugged. I guess you're an easy target if you're the only person on the sidewalk.

This has nothing to do with Minneapolis, but I picked up the new New Pornographers album after deciding in advance that I wasn't going to get it. I bought their last record, Twin Cinema, and barely listened to it. I thought, do I really need more of the same? More (obnoxiously?) tight, super frenetic pop songs? But I had a chance to listen to Challengers in the store, and well, I liked it. The new record is sweeter, there's a little more breathing room, I guess. And I'm a sucker for Neko. On a related note that does have to do with Minneapolis, I'm getting impatient for a good Minneapolis band to come out with a new record. I find myself prowling the record stores pouring through the local stuff hoping to find something cool. I picked up a bunch of promising stuff this past winter (Mouthful of Bees, Winter Blanket, Signal to Trust, and even Ela. Though Ela's actual record, compared to a live show, is pretty flat). So my question is, where're all the good bands at?