One of the biggest problems with politics nowadays, is that it is largely created using debates made out of words. At the best of times, individual perceptions of events, which words best described those perceptions, and the exact meanings of those words,
Visited the Ryerson Image Centre once again – again a wonderful (totally free) show. You’re going soon, right? As previously mentioned, there are four different display areas (sometimes five) all of which have been used well, every time we’ve gone. (And they’re
I hope my friends have gathered by now that I can be relied upon to offer cheer, in (roughly) equal measure to the heavy stuff (and neither, trivially). This is an example of recent wonderful achievement so nearby that we could almost
I have yet to hear or read about any country which does not try to paint it’s own military as courageous self-sacrificing heroes, and any group or country which they oppose, as a bunch of horrible lousy evil bastards – it’s a
Here’s a detail from a local wooden phone-pole, which interested me for a few different reasons. For one thing, it’s still bearing it’s load, cracked as it is, despite the fact that the work crews were replacing the far newer concrete poles
Funny thing about books about writing – it’s very hard to tell the good ones from the lousy ones until you’ve already learned the basics the hard way – as with most things, no solution ever really sinks-in, unless you’re working hard
A good friend of mine has recently taken an interest in the “Sparking weirdo” who lives at our place, and I fear I may have confused him just a bit with regard to the diminutive fellow’s extraction, motivations and family life. A
A couple of curious structures with funny clue-full history today. First up – a truly magnificent avian mansion, which was erected down by the waterfront a few years ago, as part of the un-development along the lakeshore. I’ve got to admit, I
Rather like the rusted hulk of a great and venerable steamship, Honest Ed’s is now being dismantled, and there is much talk of some sort of museum to commemorate this very particular Toronto landmark. The sign may perhaps seem to those from
The festival is officially called the taste of the Danforth – but I know I’m not the only one who looks forward most to the musical performances, big and small. This fellow really struck me beautifully – because he was playing to
One of the ways you know for sure you’ve found a perfect ally for mischief, is when you don’t ever have to cue the other one to ‘be cool’ in a situation with a bit of bluff built in. Another, is when
The annual Greek festival happened to fall on my birthday this year – and I was out of my favourite coffee-beans anyhow (always a low to mid-grade emergency, at least) – an expedition seemed properly indicated. Sure enough, low as I tend
I adore Miro, Klee, Mondrian, Kandinsky and a few others – but on the whole I am a very tough-sell on abstracts. Not because I’m grumpy (that’s a separate subject!) but only because I see so many different fascinations in the world
Here’s the best oil-painting I ever did with my old (Otto) camera. I’ve always had a fondness for industrial spaces – the rusted tumbledown ruins of the once great Massey Ferguson plant were my favourite for all night walking as a teen.
Whenever I have a regular gig, I like to find a nice spot to go for a lunch break nearby – no matter how much one might like one’s workmates, getting away for a bit is a huge mental-health booster for any
This wedge-shaped park has long been both lovely, and right in the middle of things – next the spiffy ‘theatre’ Shopsy’s deli and my favourite long gone jazz piano lounge (cafe des copains) – right across from the still thriving St Lawrence
I’ve got three words for you, folks – Mapplethorpe Mapplethorpe Mapplethorpe – remember him? Back in the Reagan-weird eighties, there was a HUGE controversy about the absolutely horrible idea that “the government” was going to fun an exhibit of “pornography” at a
In years gone by, it was an annual tradition for some engineering students from the nearby University of Toronto to paint the balls of King Edward VII’s horse bright red every spring as part of a no-doubt dumb and dangerous ritual. I
Here’s a photograph from the lovely Rouge valley. I honestly didn’t notice the gift of that shaft of light, kissing the tree, until I got home – but I always appreciate every one of those signs that the universe is glad we
There are a few different reasons that about 50% of my reading list at any given time is out of print. One of them is that I figure anything insanely popular has already attracted it’s sustaining audience – which is to say
I’m nuts for brilliant comic art – going all the way back (surely Sidney Paget counts, just as Winsor McKay cannot be ignored). One of my very favourite narrative line-men of all time is Will Eisner, whose “Spirit” insert in American newspapers
There’s just no arguing it – photographers are themselves one of the very best street-photography subjects one can come across – and the juxtapositions which occur in an uncontrolled but pro ‘street shoot’ are especially deluxe. The princess here is actually a
Here’s a mostly-visual essay. When do we officially declare working-class habitat endangered, anyhow? (Not until it’s utterly extinct?) These were all caught on the fly on my lovely long city walks with Nada. Gentrification is one of those things that can sometimes
I mentioned recently how delighted I was to see boarding tech reaching the sweet levels of practicality and refinement that it’s attained of late (that spring of compliance on the long-boards – zowie!). This group really made me smile because not only
There’s something especially endearing about single-minded determination in cute toys. Reminds-us that our childhood selves didn’t often dream of being pleasant and relaxed, but rather fierce, focussed and action-packed – exciting stuff! Of course, single-minded does turn out to be a whole
Here’s a view we don’t often get to see – the Gardiner’s bridge-like britches – excavated courtesy of the massive project to turn Loblaws old downtown distribution warehouse into a new megastore for the badly underserved lakeshore condo community – with every