climate change policy, science, and activism; photography; cartography and mapmaking
Voting in a provincial election seems to be a tricky thing, if you have no fixed address.
In a federal election, someone can vouch for you as a being a resident in a particular riding. In a provincial election in Ontario, you need paperwork showing an address – something I do not have yet, as my apartment search continues.
The election authority suggested trying to get a letter from the human resources people at work, but I doubt that will be possible before Thursday’s election.
Yesterday, along with my father, brother Sasha, and friend Tristan I got to see Andrea Simms-Karp perform in a house concert along with Shawna Caspi and Jill Zmud.
Andrea has an exciting new album coming out, and a new website to go with it.
I am still very much in need of somewhere to live, though my priorities have shifted.
I am still looking for something near the subway – ideally, the western arm of the yellow line.
Something available October 1st would be ideal.
I am looking for a room in a shared house or apartment, or something that I can sublet on a month-to-month basis, since I do not know how long I will be in Toronto. $1,000 a month is about the most I can spend.
It doesn’t matter if it is very small, but it would be preferable for it to be relatively clean. Kitchen facilities can be minimal, but it would be nice if there is decent water pressure, non-gross flooring, and good internet access.
If you know anybody who is looking for a roommate in Toronto, please let me know.
My current commute takes about 90 minutes from door to door: a short walk, two long subway rides, and a bus ride.
Over the course of 52 working weeks, the commute adds up to 780 hours a year.
That means that every ten minutes I can eliminate from my bi-daily commute adds up to 43.3 hours per year.
That seems like reason enough to strongly favour housing options near subway stations, and ideally stations on the right line.
I took photos at today’s Moving Planet event in Toronto. The keynote speaker was former Toronto mayor David Miller, who can be seen here high-fiving a child.
The number of people on the Bloor subway line spikes dramatically after 7:30am. At that time, it is likely there will be some seats available out at the Runnymede stop. Twenty minutes later, completely packed trains leave people standing on the platform, waiting for the next one.
I suppose it is this morning crush that subsidizes all the hours when trains are near-empty. The distribution of people leaving work seems to be less concentrated, compared with the ubiquitous 9:00am start time.
I am currently in Toronto trying to find an apartment with these general characteristics:
These areas would be most appealing:
If you know of any such places, please pass word to me. I know most of the best places never even get advertised publicly when passing from one occupant to the next.
Now that I am focused on the move from Canada’s political capital to the economic and cultural capital, I suppose I should start following some key Toronto blogs.
Any suggestions?
A Toronto equivalent to Ottawa’s Apartment613 arts and culture blog would be especially useful.
Thanks to the generosity of a fellow photographer, I had access to a MacBook Pro for a few hours tonight and I was able to process and upload my photos from the Clay and Paper Theatre Company’s 2011 summer show: The Pedaler’s Wager.
The show was very colourfully and professionally put on, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. At the same time, I think it may have glossed over some of the hardships of pre-industrial life and some of the benefits of the current global economy. While there are certainly many critical problems with it, and much that needs to be done to make it sustainable, I do think it serves important human needs and that those who are most critical of it are often those who benefit from constant access to its nicest features. That includes things like modern medicine, communication technology, and transport. It seems a misrepresentation to say that the Industrial Revolution and its aftermath have transported the average person from a blissful pastoral state into a situation of agonizing bondage.
Of course, the purpose of art is not to carefully express both sides of every argument. By provoking us to think in new ways, art can give us a better overall sense of context and an appreciation for important facts that were previously concealed.