People are always moving. Cities, however, do not move. Sometimes they shrink, sometimes they sprawl, but for the most part they are sedentary. Everyone needs to move around a city. The selfish bastards who sold us the myth that we must have a car are now dead. They probably died in a car accident. It is a selfless idea to have public transportation, so everyone can get around. I hate buying a car; fueling it, maintaining it, and driving it. So why are we still doing this? Have our cities declined to the point that no one wants to move around anymore? Do we not want to see our denizens anywhere but the grocery store? I think not. If there were adequate transportation for the public it would be a no-brainer to use it.
For every one person that bikes to work there are 5 that walk and 154 that drive alone. With such great alternatives for energy and transit, it is mind-boggling that we are driving inefficient, over-designed automobiles. As an American, I am shamed that I drive so much. Cities like Berlin and Paris are teeming with life, yet have an air of efficiency that calms workers and lets them meditate on the day ahead while seamlessly slipping from home to work.
In our neighborhood we are lucky to have a guy like Ken Buehler, our favorite champion of the rails. He stands as a pillar to the ideals of hopeful commuters and leisure minded wayfarers everywhere. So, please write your representatives, senators, and governors and tell them that you care deeply and want Public Transportation for everyone. When they say it is too expensive, tell them you bleed for your car. When they say it is impossible, tell them they are shortsighted and don’t care for the future. In 1910 our fair city Duluth had street cars, a train north or south and a mean streak for pushing forward. Soon healthy Duluthians will be able to take the Northern Lights Express down to the twin cities and have dinner, catch a show, then tuck in for the haul home. Tangier 57 thanks the dreamers, the engineers, and the inventors that have made the future of public transportation a reality. We also compel them to hurry their butts over to our city and build us some infrastructure.
Salah A. Xanadu & Tangier 57
credits
released May 8, 2008
Tangier 57 is
Guitar, organ: Thurston Howell V
Keys, bass, vocals: Major Izzy Lessmore
Wart-Man-O: Pénèe Mûndë
Trumpet, fluegelhorn: Professor n’Marion
Bass, claves, djembe, harmonica: Rain Clave
Alto & tenor sax, bass clarinet: Salah A. Xanadu
Drums, guitar, organ: Geert “Sticks” vanDerWacker
Additional vocals on Bullet Train by the Cins & Hell Trio
Ken Beuhler is: our hero
Tangier 57 would like to thank Eric Swanson for recording the foundation of this ‘live’ EP.
All music, images, and text by Tangier 57.
zazuzazu.com
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