The Velvet Lounge

Hipster Marmalade

2011-04-27T03:15:00.004-04:00

I've always been fascinated by the hipster. The modern day hippie come yuppie that yearns for unique experiences whether real or contrived. Zany coffee shops and off-beat bars are the habitat of choice. Their mating habits are incomprehensible and consciously complicated. A challenge once perfect for a farm kid like me seeking to experience life.As hipsters embark on their 30s, they seek normalcy

Detroit Needs a Revolution

2010-07-18T01:17:00.005-04:00

The decay of Detroit is well documented. From burned out mansions to abandoned luxury hotels, the City is portrayed as the endpoint of our culture; a fallen empire based on the automobile and heavy industry. I don't even bother to take pictures anymore.Built for a population of 2.1mln people, the City barely supports 800,000 these days. While thriving communities exist, the flight has been

Uncle Tom's Oil Run

2010-07-13T23:00:00.008-04:00

A lazy summer afternoon is best served by staycation: Steam Engine Appreciation Warming Up... A Pull from Above Freedom Fact: Josiah Hensen was no Uncle Tom... Which was followed by a booogey dance-off in his honour!! Uncle Tom's CabinPeeping Uncle Tom??? RespectThe 3-D machine that makes those old two pictures amazing! Learnin' Jerker Line A

Full Circle

2010-01-18T23:36:00.005-05:00

12 years away and the world back home is just the same. Same landscape, same icons, same people... only older. Came back in time to watch it all change.Maybe I'm just sentimental.

My Toronto

2008-06-22T12:17:00.014-04:00

My Winnipeg is a beautiful movie. While the storytelling is occasionally awkward, the subject matter is profound and the story universal. This 'docu-fantasia' follows Guy Maddin's obsession with escape from small-town Winnipeg - and ultimately why he can't. As such, it had the possibility to descend into nostalgic pap, but it doesn't, and that's what makes it so wonderful. It's a journey into the

Again, again and again...

2008-03-02T00:56:00.007-05:00

Some days I wish there was the time to pontificate like there once was. Take this latest sack of excrement from my favourite moron:"Hillier, a Progressive Conservative MPP who once led the provincial landowners' movement, said the problem is related to provincial legislation such as the Clean Water Act, the provincial policy statement on land use and other "stupid" measures that restrict rural

Sign of the End Times

2008-01-03T21:24:00.000-05:00

As of November 9, 2007, Levitt and Sons, proud purveyors of Levittown and quintessential cookie-cutter suburbia, has abruptly gone bankrupt.As the bodies of the American housing bubble begin to pile up, one has to ask... what's so special about Manhattan?Happy New Year.

This one is for the Planning Nerds.

2007-07-27T23:26:00.000-04:00

Urban Morphology Online Journals. 1997-2001

Dyer's

2007-07-24T23:24:00.001-04:00

My next Tiger's game will certainly include a trip to this place.

'Keepin' it Real'

2007-06-28T20:53:00.001-04:00

Who would have thought the Star would debase itself with such insensitive drivel: In the days before the killings, Benoit and his wife argued over whether he should stay home more to take care of their mentally retarded 7-year-old son, according to an attorney for the WWE wrestling league.As we all know, the proper term has been 'intellectual disability' since the Conference of '86.Oh dear Star,

Yip.

2007-05-03T22:05:00.000-04:00

Well, I see it's been three months since I posted last. Amazing what a new job and a 100 acre farm will do to you.Although, it isn't like much has changed... the London Fog is still all about the cheese, Edey's still frothed about the Frenchmen, and the Eponist is posting as frequently as I.Frankly there's not much to say... just wondering really if my blogger account was still active.

Welcome to the Trough Mr. Hillier.

2007-02-13T18:37:00.000-05:00

As predicted right here on the Velvy back in January 2005, Mr. Randy Hillier - professed savior of all Rural Ontario - is indeed running for provincial office. While we predicted the riding of Ottawa West-Nepean back then, Mr. Hillier has instead set his glorious eyes on the newly formed Lanark, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington. A hodgepodge of locales consisting mainly of commie Lanark County

Oh the Humanity!!!

2007-02-06T19:09:00.002-05:00

Fresh from the Edey blogroll dungpile, I am putting up this choicey lump of bullshit for posterity's sake... simply because I can.It reminds me of the time the Dutchman's shit sprayer went haywire and coated the entire side of our 60' high barn.The first comment is kinda funny though.

Finally!

2007-01-23T23:44:00.000-05:00

The SCRCA has announced the 2007 installment of the great Sydenham River Canoe Race as Sunday, April 22nd.This year should be excellent. After discussions with the Masteraid crew, it has been decided that the race itself will be a mere leg of a much greater 3-4 day journey.50+km from Napier to Florence.A detailed trip log will be in order.

Bullshit.

2007-01-16T22:27:00.000-05:00

Hey 'Canada's New Government', you suck.Bring back the Collections.---In related news, resident rube retires and the King has a capital idea.

When Bricks and Mortar Matter

2007-01-14T14:55:00.000-05:00

The venerable Fraser-Hickson is closing January 31st. After 121 years of service to the working-class neighbourhoods of NDG, this privately endowed public library - the first public library in Montreal - is broke. Primarily volunteer-run and community based, a three-year municipal funding agreement dried up in October leaving the mainly Anglo facility in the position of depleting its endowment

Hip 'Hoods

2006-12-04T22:09:00.000-05:00

While researching a trip to New York this weekend, I came across this. Equally applicable to Toronto.

All Things Considered

2006-11-19T01:20:00.000-05:00

It has been a raucous year for the Auld League. From reprehensible imports to ‘suspended’ franchises, 2006 has understatedly been an undistinguished season. My Tabbies posted one of the worst campaigns in memory, an excruciatingly drawn-out exercise only tempered by the Boatmen’s self-ruination in the Eastern Final.Legends retired, expired and perspired. A Commissioner was overthrown and rule

Whoop-dee-doo.

2006-11-18T11:35:00.000-05:00

Toronto Municipal Election Redux, courtesy of Spacing.* Also note the much contested Brooke-Alvinston spectacle.

Booklog7

2006-10-18T23:59:00.000-04:00

Christopher Moore - 1867: How the Fathers Made A Deal, p.251The 1860s suggest powerfully that the problem of the 1990s (and moreso today - ed.) lies less with parliamentary government than with the fact that it has largely ceased to function in Canada. When the (1997) election was over, what seemed missing from Canadian politics was that dead, and dismissed, and derieded concept from Victorian

Happenings

2006-10-18T23:24:00.000-04:00

With better things to do these past two weeks, my re-entrance into civilized society was highlighted with the news that Garth Turner was inexplicably sacked. Amid the rampant censuring of the Reformed Reform Party command-control machine (interpreted as 'party discipline' by some), Garth Turner often served as the lone constituent voice in a party which has taken perversion of parliamentary

Booklog6

2006-09-27T20:41:00.000-04:00

Thomas Jefferson - Notes on the State of Virginia, p.164-165Those who labour in the earth are the chosen people of God, if ever he had a chosen people, whose breasts he has made his peculiar deposit for substantial and genuine virtue. It is the focus in which he keeps alive that sacred fire, which otherwise might escape from the face of the earth. Corruption of morals in the mass of cultivators

In Togetherness and Reconstruction We Trust

2006-09-23T01:37:00.000-04:00

I'd considered a 'First 100-esque' diatribe. Yet on the heel of 'Red Friday', I ask Bev... where's the abortion debate... the Wheat Board showdown... senate reform? In effect, the burning issues of 'thirteen unlucky years of appaling pillage' that brought us this minority government in the first place.Is the domestic agenda being forced off the radar?UPDATE: As per the comments, a self-portrait

Morning has Broken...

2006-08-31T08:35:00.000-04:00

With cup of coffee in hand, I found myself climbing a loaded hay wagon this cool morning to enjoy something I haven't seen in a while:

Intent and Purpose: Planning and the Fate of the Neighbourhoods of Toronto

2006-08-13T00:45:00.001-04:00

In the pseudo-intellectual world of land-use planning, the most undesirable job is working the neighbourhoods. Those low-density places that visionaries, professionals and the public proclaim as the backbone of a city, yet secretly malign as dull, conservative and uninteresting.In policy, the Neighbourhood designation in Toronto is distinctive as it ensures that new development will respect and

Communities in Bloom!

2006-08-08T21:07:00.001-04:00

In the spirit of summer... I nominate this place - the southwest corner of Sherwood Avenue and Mount Pleasant Road. How often does one walk along a dreary public sidewalk, only to be engulfed by an overflowing 'private' garden?

To Whom it May Concern

2006-07-06T17:29:00.000-04:00

[...]To sum up: As far as I'm concerned, if the CBC, our own Public Network, will not reconsider their refusal to air a Stompin' Tom Special, they can take their wonderful offer of letting me sing a song as a guest on some other program, AND SHOVE IT.STILL A "PROUD CANADIAN".Signed:Stompin' Tom ConnorsO.C., LL. D., Litt.D.

Appalachiapalooza!

2006-06-22T20:24:00.000-04:00

With my kinfolk back home reconfiguring Crank Radios, I'm left here in the urban jungle realizing the simpler inanities of life through this here internet.Thanks to Metafilter, I've discovered the joys of the Digital Library of Appalachia. It's music section is beyond reproach (including search by Kentucky county). With over 9000 mp3's of the finest in back porch pickin', this is a true treasure

On a Tear.

2006-06-14T00:26:00.000-04:00

Amid the spotty coverage, Alex Jones 'bullhorns' the Bilderberg and was apparently nearly deported for his troubles."You have more power and money than you could ever spend. You own the Central Banks that print the money. Why then do you continue to try and dehumanize us? Why do you put mercury in the vaccines? 'Stanisodium' fluoride in the water? Why? Why do you put cancer viruses in the

It's in the Genes.

2006-05-16T22:31:00.000-04:00

For those of us interested in local history, behold 'Our Roots'. Hundreds of full-text historical books on matters from across the country.

Fin de Semana

2006-05-14T23:00:00.000-04:00

With the fantastic weather resurrecting old patio habits, and the looming May 31st smoking ban forcing me to take one last rainy day advantage of the few remaining indoor parlours, it’s been all-around a hectic spring. While it’s noble to have one vice, two or more are proving difficult to juggle. Eventually the body says to the brain ‘enough’, and the tell-tale signs emerge. The chain of

Sweet Jane

2006-04-25T22:28:00.000-04:00

The Albany Street Empress has expired.It was a good run.Update: Fine NYT article.

Boston

2006-04-21T22:53:00.000-04:00

Since I've been small, I've had a fascination with big projects - the city building aspect I suppose. Turning industrial cities into thriving machines and then resurfacing when things turned sour. Consequently, the list has been light since the early 80s... with one exception:The Big Dig.In Boston last year, I walked it. In fact, I remember forcing K.E. Moffatt to drive its length through the

A True Son of the West

2006-04-16T00:51:00.000-04:00

The Story of Ian Tyson. With rodeo hopes dashed, he went east and became a star - only to give it all up and pack for home...to this.

Booklog6

2006-04-15T16:39:00.000-04:00

John Raulston Saul - Voltaire's Bastards: The Dictatorship of Reason in the West, c.10, p.263-264.It isn't suprising in this historical context that rational structures, moral beliefs and representative government have been confused as on one in people's minds. Nor that today, while structures reign supreme, man's sense of right and wrong is in frenzied confusion. And that democracy in the West,

Etc.

2006-04-01T01:30:00.000-05:00

When I came to Toronto, I chose to give up my car... and now that I want to go see to the McMichael Collection, it suddenly becomes a hassle. But that is a lot less hassle than the everyday grind for the thousands who take the 35 Jane from Weston. While the Regions have GO Transit, Rexdale has this. And now in its bid for suburban love, the Province is making a big pitch. Thankfully, the TTC is

"In fact there are two things: Developers and Dutchmen Farmers..."

2006-03-16T01:02:00.000-05:00

For all those who know me and my incessant rants, behold Erik's Update Page. Follow the trials and tribulations of a Dutchman as he immigrates, merrily topples silos, breeds heifers and ravages the hard clay of Greater Watfordland.Sigh.

Hootenanny!

2006-03-14T00:13:00.000-05:00

Arlo Guthrie on his dad, Leadbelly and the 1960s New York folk revival.

Modern Marvels

2006-03-05T23:43:00.000-05:00

The 1950s was an era of possibilities. Modernism and technology served as salvation - with the Canadian experience culminating in the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway. The technological marvel opened to international fanfare in 1959 and cost $470 mln. The numbers are impressive; 7 massive locks, 259 km2 flooded, and dimensions too small for modern ships.Explore the towns and battlefields

Good Work!

2006-02-27T01:50:00.000-05:00

As usual, ohlphotos.com and its burgeoning empire never fail to disappoint. Check out the ecclectic 'urbania' section - complete with witty captions and the like.Note the SJG watermark on the originals!

Having Regard to Continuity

2006-02-18T19:35:00.000-05:00

I don't believe I've ever put up two posts in one day, but today I couldn't resist.My last address was filled with roommates of the literary sort. It was not uncommon to see Neil Postman or aged copies of the Walrus and Harpers strewn about. A stack of newspapers over two feet high teetered in our unused dining room and we all took particular pride in our individual well-stocked personal

'Menacing Threats' and Other Assorted Bogeymen

2006-02-18T18:04:00.000-05:00

Not even a month in, and our hip, outdoorsy Minister of Public Safety has firmly put National Identity Cards back on the table."We also want to be able to stop people who are a menace or a threat from getting in or getting out, so that's the overall goal"... "Whether that's some kind of a biometric approach, an enhancement on a driver's licence — all of that needs to be explored, so we do want to

Tempests and Teapots

2006-02-02T19:48:00.000-05:00

While enough has been said on the subject, I thought I'd toss up my favourite:At the risk of having a jihad decreed on the Velvy, I must declare this latest fiasco to be the ultimate in double-speak. How a culture can tolerate state television broadcasting genocide, yet collectively stomp its feet over a series of cartoons in a paper with a circulation of 158,000 is beyond me. The Fresno,

The Salt of the Earth

2006-01-27T16:37:00.000-05:00

As a member of the 'black-clad politically correct inner-city-living cultural elite who control the metropolitan planning process', I found this mildly amusing.Leave it to an unbiased 'property advisor' consultant to set us all straight.(Thanks Cyburbia)On the other hand, now this is funny!!!Super G!...#1! Rules the World!With the flaming ass-end, this dandy is almost as good as the original!

A Friendly Reminder:

2006-01-25T00:20:00.000-05:00

You know you're a relic when....

2006-01-24T17:48:00.000-05:00

Your old bar has been immortalized. Found this the other day. The old house looks so beaten, you'd think it's been closed for 50 years.

The Last Generation: Notes From the 2006 Campaign Trail

2006-01-19T23:15:00.001-05:00

Deep in the bowels of the Southwest, on the periphery of the Eastern Townships, ferments the outpost of Florence, Ontario. Locked in the grips of the heathen County Kent, its mangled two storey skyline of 300 souls is only eclipsed by an unsightly temple of sorts – the local agricultural hall. The hall itself is a vestige of rural Canada. The Queen assumes her rightful place above us all,

La Predicción

2006-01-18T12:40:00.000-05:00

And so it appears the tide is turning, tilting precariously toward a Conservative majority. In this election about polls and their partisan interpretations, the folks over at Election Prediction are better than most.Personally, I have established a plan to deal with this election. The strategy is to begin drinking rancid bourbon about 8:00am, move on to wine for lunch and head to the polls about

Doctor Sax

2006-01-10T23:41:00.000-05:00

Kerouac Park, Lowell, MAAugust 2005

'Chomsky on Terror and Iraq'

2005-12-20T01:07:00.000-05:00

An hour with the 'darling of the left' on the subject of Foreign Affairs. While it may seem a bit trite, it does make a fine addendum to Nicholas' bathroom reading material.

Sol le Clown

2005-12-19T22:38:00.000-05:00

Marc Farveau is dead at the age of 76. As with all children who were subjected to his antics at a young age, the legendary hobo Sol has left a permanent scar.

The Board

2005-12-11T22:13:00.000-05:00

With OMB Reform upon us, the London Fog aims its patented comprehensive analysis directly at the recent decision (pdf) ordering the City of London to alter its electoral ward structure and boundaries. It's a good read for all those who have ever questioned the almighty Board and its subsequent impact on municipal independence within the Province of Ontario.While long associated with planning

The State of Politics.

2005-12-09T01:04:00.000-05:00

Politics makes me ill. Unfortunately, I still have to make a choice in this forgettable era of crowding the middle. Despite all the swill and shill of the past two decades, the current federal election remains in my opinion the shallowest in recent memory. Handguns and token tax cuts seem to be the order of the day in this bland and frankly inconsequential bore. It's Christmas and I have better

Balsam Ave Jewel Box

2005-11-22T00:10:00.000-05:00

With the pinnacle of sport contest fast upon us, another year has already come and gone for Ivor Wynne. For more than a decade, I've trekked through snowstorm and drought to the old Balsam Ave Park. Family summer vacations often consisted of the ten home games each year - the endless journeys between Hamilton and Sarnia more than adequate to satisfy our appetites for adventure I suppose. I can't

Last Post.

2005-11-03T23:47:00.000-05:00

Memories of Harold Ballard and McKenzie as told by Gramps of Halifax. This reminds me of our own perennial candidate Neil Spiegel. While a resident of Lansdowne and Queen, his friendly storefront served as the beacon signaling the north end of Roncesvalles. But after two hard years of non-stop campaigning and two tough fourth place finishes, it appears he's giving it all up... and the

Esprit de Corps

2005-10-27T01:15:00.000-04:00

A good 1/2 hour documentary on Clown Doctors from Radio Netherlands - featuring the antics of such notables as 'Dr. Fruit-Loops' and the 'Fools for Health' from Windsor, Ontario.With CBC Overnight back, I can finally sleep easy again... with the possible exception of Robert Greene's retirement during the lockout. His brand of on-air commentary made Paul Harvey look like the swill he is. However,

Booklog5

2005-10-26T17:30:00.000-04:00

W.G. Hardy - From Sea Unto Sea, c. XXII , p.392Mowat (Premier of Ontario), like an industrious beaver, continued to whittle away at the Dominion's powers. The villain of the piece was the Privy Council. At first it had upheld Sir John A.'s contention that by the British North America Act the provinces were restricted to local spheres of action, particularly since all "residuary powers" were

Kunstler Again.

2005-10-23T22:56:00.000-04:00

RTH: Do you think home-builders are just building what consumers demand? JHK: They're building what has been successful for them in the past. By the way, I abhor the word "consumer." Consumers, unlike citizens, have no implicit duties, obligations, or responsibilities to the common good. It's a degrading term. The use of it degrades the public discussion. The builders will continue to behave

Problems Without Solutions

2005-10-13T10:55:00.000-04:00

Three Gut Records, Toronto-based record label and the home of the Constantines, Sea Snakes, Oneida, Royal City, and Velvet Lounge favourite Jim Guthrie, closes its doors with its final official release, The Constantines' Tournament of Hearts. Could this mean a jump to a major label for Three Gut's established acts, or a slide into obscurity and real-world employment? Whatever happens, these two

News Fodder for the Week

2005-10-11T11:36:00.000-04:00

Repentant rapacious developer turned Minister of Finance steps aside.Oh Dear.

The Devil's Imp

2005-10-05T00:15:00.000-04:00

Surely the crutch of an era and prestigious founder of the war on drugs, the fabled opium den has been reduced to folklore. This once staple of Whirling Dervishes and 'Chinamen' everywhere, in modern times the 'celestial drug' and its burrow of filth have been wholly overtaken and replaced by its synthesized devil derivative - Diacetylmorphine. Simplified when trademarked to the catchier '

Booklog4

2005-09-26T20:15:00.000-04:00

David Cayley - The Rivers North of the Future: The Testament of Ivan Illich, p.223-224Cayley: The most common way of naming the current sense of being at a watershed is as the inception of postmodernity. May I again ask how are you disposed to that way of speaking?Illich: When I first heard it, and again and again when that word was thrown in my face, I of course thought of the struggle, the

The Long Road to Hell

2005-09-21T23:20:00.000-04:00

With crude prices on the upswing and a provincial government awash in plum under collected royalties, that other brand of Armillaria is re-emerging once again within the ill-sealed woodwork of Confederation. The ASP's Mr. Hutton is also the founder of the 'Law-Abiding Unregistered Firearms Association' or LUFA (pdf) as it is known in the community.Citing transgressions nearly a quarter of a

The Ideology of Disaster

2005-09-09T02:05:00.000-04:00

In light of New Orleans, I've assembled a smattering of quotations into broken Grade 6 hamburger style format:To those who wonder why so many stayed behind when push came to water's mighty shove here, those who were trapped have a simple explanation: Their nickels and dimes and dollar bills simply didn't add up to stage a quick evacuation mission.There were many

L'Estrie et Environs.

2005-09-06T20:15:00.000-04:00

Built on the foundations of waves of Loyalists, New Englanders and Irish and Scot settlers breaking virgin land, the Eastern Township population of Quebec reached a high of 58% English speaking by 1861. Centred around Sherbrooke, the local isolated population developed its own unique cultural institutions, customs and leant a father of confederation along the way.However, since the glory days of

Justice Is Truth But Who Can You Trust To Tell The Truth?

2005-09-04T21:06:00.000-04:00

Musings from the Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier and her faithful watchdog. Throw in a near disbarred MP and the timeless Mayor and you get a clear picture of the the state of the City of Sarnia.

The New South Africa

2005-09-04T15:45:00.000-04:00

Are the wheels falling off Mandela's 'Rainbow Nation'?Also,Let me introduce Top Johnny from Montreal (choose Media and enjoy). I've been promised back stage passes and introductions to the trashy French background dancers. Pants, you're invited.

Revolution Revisited

2005-09-03T23:36:00.000-04:00

After a summer of rest, the revolution is on again. Fellow Lanark ‘ruralite’ and former NFU staffer Helen Forsey considers the calculated partisan antics of the one: The LLA’s proposed cure for what ails our rural communities is breath-takingly simple: strengthen the rights of property owners and ensure "full, fair and timely compensation" for any limits on those rights. Just how that is

Snapshots of a Drive

2005-09-03T14:39:00.001-04:00

Temple of Rockwellian America - Cooperstown, NYThe epic Empire State Plaza - Albany, NY Atop the Taconic PassMass MOCA - North Adams, MAUncle Mickey's Italian 'Yard' (Complete with Tomatoes in Bathtub)Medford, MAThe Mobile gracing Concord, NH

It's Almost Life-Like

2005-08-24T17:00:00.000-04:00

It gives me sincere pleasure to note that I have not 'blogged' in a fair while... vacations, booze and patios coupled with a healthy dose of luddism being the prime culprits. Given the seven months of absolute frigidity that this city bestows, I just could never stomach the idea of sitting before a radiating box while the sun is shining, the nights are warm and one doesn't need to employ de-icer

The Double Bill.

2005-07-31T16:29:00.000-04:00

Rarely do the Hogtown planets align in such a fashion as to combine the talents of the legendary Peterboroughian Washboard Hank and the renowned tones of the D.Rangers into one gargantuan blowout übershow. I dropped by on a tip to the tucked away intimate main hall of the Tranzac Club, where Washboard - in rock star true fashion - proceeded to open the show by going ape shit on his symbol-laden

Them Bells

2005-07-25T18:38:00.000-04:00

In the twilight of this busiest of perennial seasons of marriage, I reflect. Rigidly premeditated through the coldest of winter months, countless couples fuss over the most negligible of details in hopes of the perfect display. Imagined as the singular day when one can look back with yearning as a time with somewhat magical properties – the truth is often more realistic. Any day with so much

Thought of the day.

2005-07-11T17:37:00.000-04:00

From Masteraid... the best in medical care.

I guess someone had to say it.

2005-07-04T11:14:00.001-04:00

Like the grandmother you remember so fondly until the excrement stories at family christmas, our ordained first lady of Albany Street had a few words of wisdom for the good folks over at 100 Queen last month."When am I ever going to have this kind of opportunity again to tell you how terrible the planning department is in Toronto," Jacobs said. "It is terrible, very terrible. It caters to

A Hee Haw Extravaganza

2005-06-23T11:15:00.000-04:00

Yay America... now everyone can have their very own hip 'Next-Generation' Technology Park. A sure boon to unredeemable dumps everywhere.Expect full-scale ideological hullabaloo to ensue.

Summer Piety or Hazy Brazen?: The Nature of the Summer Dress.

2005-06-16T18:05:00.000-04:00

With spring comes renewal. The landscape silently regains its green texture and we weary stacked urbanites sleepily migrate from our sealed cocoons to vigorously take over the streets. Whether club kids, dog walkers or patio gnomes, we all unite in our mission to stretch our legs and take in some outdoor air. It’s been the cycle of centuries – and one I am happy to see arrive. After endless

Book Speak

2005-06-04T23:49:00.000-04:00

With moving comes sporadic internet access and abbreviated time for response - hence my tardy reply to a most interesting challenge dangled on the front page of the London Fog.Number of Books I Own: Approximately 2,000 with another 200 or so on 'loan' throughout the world. While the majority are on shelves back in the Townships, many of my favourites endure my transient lifestyle.Last Book I

Unholiest of Violations: The Fate of the 'Mosi-leum'

2005-05-21T17:05:00.000-04:00

On the grounds of the Pritchard Estates, the most exotic locale next to the Velvet Lounge has always been the 'Mosi-leum'. Over the span of one year, this realm of soothing greens and mellow beiges was lovingly handcrafted by its once proprietor into an erotic den of high-brow impiety. Right from the time of its completion, the turnstiles never slowed. Visitors of all creed and religion traveled

A Constitutional Monarchist's Creed.

2005-05-18T00:54:00.000-04:00

Who will not sing "God save the King," Shall hang as high's the steeple; But while we sing "God save the King," We'll ne'er forget The People!Robert Burns, Does Haughty Gaul Invasion Threat? 1795

I Heart Volvo Wagons.

2005-05-15T01:40:00.000-04:00

Your one-stop shop for all things Housing Bubble.

The Science of Short Sightedness

2005-05-09T00:24:00.000-04:00

A rather harsh view of the 'Creative Cities' initiatives sweeping the continent:"These 'cool city' wannabes are unlikely to be anything other than 'me too' copies of hipper, more alluring places. It would make more sense for these cities to work on the basics--public safety, education, regulations, taxes, sanitation--so they could woo entrepreneurs and cost-conscious homeowners. The amenities

80soft ™ Does it Again!

2005-04-27T00:13:00.000-04:00

Today I honestly considered purchasing this exciting game of chance. Given the inordinate quantities of repetitive bullshit I've been reading from the armchair folks, one feels compelled to waste all of one's time by adding yet another useless diatribe to the bursting trough - if only for a minute. Unsurprisingly, this treasure - direct from HQ - is about the only interesting find of note today..

Alas, This Is a Senseless Waste of Type.

2005-04-22T02:09:00.000-04:00

While the nation is all wrapped up in this Gomery shenanigans, my thoughts are drawn to more significant matters. Today marks the 90th anniversary of the first poison gas attack. In the depths of the stalemate of the First World War, the German high command desperately ordered the release of 160 tons of chlorine gas into the French trenches at Yrpes. In what quickly became a common practice of

"Quit Bustin' My Balls Already!"

2005-04-16T02:06:00.000-04:00

Graffiti. Dundas West Subway Station. Toronto, Ontario. 05/04/16

Hail Scientor!

2005-04-12T00:49:00.000-04:00

Well, I did it today. I was felling rambunctious as I passed by the corner of St. Mary's and Yonge and dropped in to see what the hubbub was all about... without backup. Dick Giro went in and took the Oxford Capacity AnalysisTM (OCATM) personality test. Take it for yourself... no pressure."If you are not happy with your life, you can find out why."

'Techno: Detroit's Gift to the World'

2005-04-09T21:11:00.000-04:00

Documenting the rise and reach of the Detroit Sound (from Glasgow no less) through dissertation and mp3.

The Cult of Sanitized Urban.

2005-03-31T23:20:00.000-05:00

Ever since the tender age of 16, I've had a penchant for the dive bar. I'm not really sure why, it just fits my working class upbringing I suppose. I'm not talking about those endless pseudo trucker cap places that pass for 'edge' in the new culture that proliferates downtown; I'm talking about that local booze joint down the street any self-respecting 'careerizing urbanite' would never dare

'Municipalis Non Grata'

2005-03-28T00:15:00.000-05:00

Centralia Pennsylvania has been burning continuously since 1962 and is projected to burn nearly a thousand more years more. Some locals hold out undaunted.

For the Fans

2005-03-27T03:21:00.000-05:00

Raising your childhood daughter is tough business. While John may have had that refined edge concerning the whole matter, is this method perhaps the most effective?The sad point is that no one watched his redeeming comeback - including myself - because it was formula pap. On the contrary, everyone at one point or another has spent a rainy random Saturday afternoon watching that perennial

Booklog2

2005-03-22T23:23:00.000-05:00

Jane Jacobs - The Death and Life of Great American Cities, p.243A diversified mixture of uses at some place in the city becomes outstandingly popular and successful as a whole. Because of the location's success, which is invariably based on flourishing and magnetic diversity, ardent competition for space in this location develops... The winners in the competition for space will represent only a

My Sentiments Exactly.

2005-03-22T23:13:00.000-05:00

Second Floor Apartment, Richmond St. at York St., London, Ontario. 05/03/22

The 'Diary'.

2005-03-17T23:01:00.001-05:00

Living vicariously through the lens of Brian Battjer, jr. From male stripping (‘we did it for science’) to girls schools (‘the “coming out” debauchery’), he puts the whole New York hipster experience into perspective. It’s shit like this that makes the net bearable. (Spidered via Google Images and What I See).

'Someday Children Everywhere Will Thanka Me!'

2005-03-16T23:52:00.000-05:00

Thank Goodness for Chef Boyardee! (via Metafilter)A folk Hero to I-talians everyhwere!"Boiardi's spaghetti sauce soon became famous throughout Cleveland, and his restaurant patrons began asking him for extra portions of sauce to take home with them, which he doled out in milk bottles. Demand for his spaghetti sauce grew so large that he started producing it in an adjacent loft and selling it with

Progress... 'Toronto Style'

2005-03-13T15:27:00.000-05:00

Another victim of the rapidly materializing 'urban monoculture'?

The Rise of Hipster Bland.

2005-03-10T20:17:00.000-05:00

Fresh off his recent success evaluating Montreal (pdf), I'm finally prepared to entertain the works of our latest guru Mr. Florida. Nonetheless, before making any type of Jonestownian leap of faith, the following must be taken into consideration:"These days every time I walk down, say, Rivington Street, on Manhattan's Lower East Side, or Fifth Avenue, in Brooklyn's Park Slope, I notice how the

Gadzooks!

2005-03-07T22:10:00.000-05:00

Ever wanted to travel in subterranean comfort from Long Branch to Rouge Hill - all the while knowing you can stop over in such scenic places as Rexdale, Downsview, Agincourt or Malvern on a whim? Nah, me neither - and neither apparently does our visionary mayor. While I'm not too sure about the $8 zillion price tag, I do have full respect for the author's ambition. I've literally poured over

Ice Cream, Ice Cream... Everybody Loves Ice Cream!

2005-03-06T22:20:00.000-05:00

After the Market.Helsinki, August, 2004.

Motor City

2005-03-02T21:22:00.000-05:00

Proof that every great place has a myth?

'Greed is Good' and other Rationalizations for the Seven Deadly Sins.

2005-02-28T19:09:00.001-05:00

I've never fully trusted Economics for the simple reason that it leaves so much unanswered. Being nothing more than a mere collection of theories, I never could bring myself to endorse it with the Heyzoos-inspired belief of a little child.My largest gripe is the fact that envy is dismissed by a large segment of the field as a non-rational economic behaviour and thus is outlawed from evaluation. I

Va te Faire Enculer!

2005-02-26T08:25:00.000-05:00

Rather than use a slew of 'Kentisms' to make a point, here's an offer of yet another reason to love la belle Province. After shutting down the only unionized store on the continent and threatening a soon-to-be one, the government finally makes goliath pay. Unlike most jurisdictions where the regulatory bodies roll over and the unions whine, Quebec shows its distinctiveness yet again.I love it.