http://www.time.com/time/photoessays/2009/fsa_color_multimedia/
In some ways, I had a hard time believing these were depression era photos. We've become so conditioned to seeing the depression through black and white photos.
In other news, I am one 10 hour shift away from vacation. In the next 13 days, I will:
- go see The Sound of Music with my foster sister Jeanne. She may be blind but that has not stopped us from taking her to ball games and all sorts of things. A musical should be right up her alley.
- fly out to Winnipeg to spend the Thanksgiving weekend visiting my friend Sean. Winnipeg is one of my favourite cities.
- take a photography seminar run by Tanja-Tiziana, a great local photographer.
- go to Stratford with 2 sisters, 1 brother in law and 1 future brother in law to see West Side Story. I haven't been to a musical in years, not since I saw Mickey Rooney ham it up in Crazy For You. Now I'm going to two in a week and a half. Strange. Even stranger, I just found out Rooney has the same birthday as me. So does Bruce Springsteen, for that matter.
-spend at least a bit of time up at the parents' homestead. From what I hear, there garage is almost done and they still have lots of deer wandering around.
Right now, though, I'm going to take a nap. I've had a cold all weekend and I'm hoping to get rid of it soon.
Books, Music, More Books, Travel, Even More Books. . .
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Where are the leaders?
I'm watching Newsworld. Iggy is talking his non-confidence vote and I am thinking the Libs have finally found a leader who is almost as inexpressive as Harper. He did the whole press conference without really opening his mouth. More often then not, he almost seems to be smirking.
The scorecard now reads as this:
The cons have the sneer.
The libs have the smirk.
The ndp still has the used car salesman.
Makes me almost pine for the, uh, glory days of the 90s with Manning and Chretien and Bouchard. Not the best and brightest by any stretch but at least these men were willing to show a little passion.
What troubles me most is how weak everyone is. You have a conservative party that (thankfully) can't complete the job and get Harper his majority. That's fine. Except for the fact that you have a Liberal party that is doing two things at once - shifting to the right and not really moving at all. How's that for a conundrum. As for the NDP, even the Globe is admitting in editorials that Layton is actually right more often than not. Sadly, the conservative controlled media has done an effective job of marginalizing the left. Even worse, I'm not sure Layton is capable of doing anything to change that.
The way things are right now, I'm going to have to start investigating the fringe parties to find someone worthy of my vote the next time around.
The scorecard now reads as this:
The cons have the sneer.
The libs have the smirk.
The ndp still has the used car salesman.
Makes me almost pine for the, uh, glory days of the 90s with Manning and Chretien and Bouchard. Not the best and brightest by any stretch but at least these men were willing to show a little passion.
What troubles me most is how weak everyone is. You have a conservative party that (thankfully) can't complete the job and get Harper his majority. That's fine. Except for the fact that you have a Liberal party that is doing two things at once - shifting to the right and not really moving at all. How's that for a conundrum. As for the NDP, even the Globe is admitting in editorials that Layton is actually right more often than not. Sadly, the conservative controlled media has done an effective job of marginalizing the left. Even worse, I'm not sure Layton is capable of doing anything to change that.
The way things are right now, I'm going to have to start investigating the fringe parties to find someone worthy of my vote the next time around.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Ouch. . .
I'm just getting over the pain of a pulled wisdom tooth. It really wasn't as bad as I thought but still not something I would ever want to repeat. My dentist is pretty good but there is no way to hide the fact that tooth removal is more about brute force than anything else. I don't think I was able to hide the fact that I kind of get nervous when people want to exercise brute force anywhere near my mouth.
At least I had the Bidiniband's disc to listen to while I convalesced. Very good. Makes me kind of wistful for the Rheos but that's a good thing.
Anyways, my father came down last weekend bearing birthday gifts and cake. We went out to the islands on Saturday and spent three hours biking around in the glorious sunshine. I'm going to have to get out there again before the weather turns too cool.
As for the birthday day itself, I worked 15 hours. Even worse, I had to be back in to work again for 4 the next morning so there were no festivities to be had. Which is fine actually. I'm saving up for next year when my friend Ezio and I plan to take Manhatten again for the first time in a decade. Should be a nice way to mark my 35'th trip around the sun.
If anybody is looking for something good to read, check out Richard Russo's latest, That Old Cape Magic. A very good novel indeed.
Well, I think it I'm feeling well enough to start doing some cleaning. I'll leave you with some pics from last weekend:
Even the swans hang out at the Islands on a sunny day.
It's a dedicated grandfather that will sit down opposite a turtle statue to get a picture for his granddaughter.
Well into his sixth decade, my father still looks at all rope ladders and jungle gyms as challenges.
At least I had the Bidiniband's disc to listen to while I convalesced. Very good. Makes me kind of wistful for the Rheos but that's a good thing.
Anyways, my father came down last weekend bearing birthday gifts and cake. We went out to the islands on Saturday and spent three hours biking around in the glorious sunshine. I'm going to have to get out there again before the weather turns too cool.
As for the birthday day itself, I worked 15 hours. Even worse, I had to be back in to work again for 4 the next morning so there were no festivities to be had. Which is fine actually. I'm saving up for next year when my friend Ezio and I plan to take Manhatten again for the first time in a decade. Should be a nice way to mark my 35'th trip around the sun.
If anybody is looking for something good to read, check out Richard Russo's latest, That Old Cape Magic. A very good novel indeed.
Well, I think it I'm feeling well enough to start doing some cleaning. I'll leave you with some pics from last weekend:
Even the swans hang out at the Islands on a sunny day.
It's a dedicated grandfather that will sit down opposite a turtle statue to get a picture for his granddaughter.
Well into his sixth decade, my father still looks at all rope ladders and jungle gyms as challenges.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Wandering the Islands
My sisters Charity and Nikki came down to the city for the night last week. It was a great time. They used hotwire and got a great rate on a really nice hotel that just happened to be next to the ferry docks. On Friday, we took the ferry across to the islands, rented some bikes and explored. It was their first time over there. Truly one of the Toronto's (not so) hidden gems.
(My sisters have final approval on all shots I took of them so no pics of them until (and if) they approve)
It sure is a lot quieter in the first week after Labour Day. I kind of like it that way.
My trusty rented steed. It's been so long since I had a bike with coaster brakes. Has me seriously thinking of getting a new bike by spring.
My sister Charity took this one. You do get a great view of the city from the islands.
No idea who these people are but it made for a nice shot.
The view from my sisters' hotel room. If they faced the other way, it would be endless condos for as far as the eye can see. Well, maybe not that far but you get the picture.
(My sisters have final approval on all shots I took of them so no pics of them until (and if) they approve)
It sure is a lot quieter in the first week after Labour Day. I kind of like it that way.
My trusty rented steed. It's been so long since I had a bike with coaster brakes. Has me seriously thinking of getting a new bike by spring.
My sister Charity took this one. You do get a great view of the city from the islands.
No idea who these people are but it made for a nice shot.
The view from my sisters' hotel room. If they faced the other way, it would be endless condos for as far as the eye can see. Well, maybe not that far but you get the picture.
If they cut out Potter, Twilight, BrAngelina, Dan Brown and American Idol. . .
. . . it would be so much shorter:
http://www.cartridgesave.co.uk/news/if-you-printed-the-internet/
In other news, for those of you looking for a good thriller to read on your commute, don't buy the latest Dan Brown tome. Pick up Andrew Pyper's The Killing Circle instead. You will be pleasantly surprised to learn that a thrilling page turner can actually be well written. It's also unabashedly Canadian, which is a very good thing.
http://www.cartridgesave.co.uk/news/if-you-printed-the-internet/
In other news, for those of you looking for a good thriller to read on your commute, don't buy the latest Dan Brown tome. Pick up Andrew Pyper's The Killing Circle instead. You will be pleasantly surprised to learn that a thrilling page turner can actually be well written. It's also unabashedly Canadian, which is a very good thing.
So it wasn't a perfect book season, after all. . .
With all the great books coming out this fall - Russo, Munro, Atwood, Irving, etc. etc. etc. - it really sucks to see Indigo employees out in Union Station selling the latest Dan Brown book. I mean, isn't he going to sell enough books as it is?
I do like the idea of booksellers in the concourse. It's a neat idea. Get to the commuters before they head for the train. I just wish they'd pick a better book the sell.
Argh. . .
I do like the idea of booksellers in the concourse. It's a neat idea. Get to the commuters before they head for the train. I just wish they'd pick a better book the sell.
Argh. . .
Thursday, September 03, 2009
5 Bucks
I went to the CNE on Tuesday night. After 5 in the evening it is only 5 bucks to get in. Which worked perfectly for me because I really just wanted to photograph the midway in the evening.
I wasn't the only one with that idea. There was a photography club out with a bunch of really big expensive cameras and tripods. It was kind of interesting watching them set up for their perfect shots. Me, I just wandered and shot. No tripod (though I may bring one next year) but I was able to find enough fences and garbage cans to provide stability when I needed it.
Nothing says summer is ending like a midway on a clear evening:
I wasn't the only one with that idea. There was a photography club out with a bunch of really big expensive cameras and tripods. It was kind of interesting watching them set up for their perfect shots. Me, I just wandered and shot. No tripod (though I may bring one next year) but I was able to find enough fences and garbage cans to provide stability when I needed it.
Nothing says summer is ending like a midway on a clear evening:
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