Posts Tagged ‘ queen street east ’
Sculpture garden
Posted on March 3rd, 2016 – Be the first to comment
Rock, blog, and a hard place (part 1)
Posted on June 22nd, 2010 – Be the first to commentMy ex-wife used to call me a critical [replace with colourful afjective]. I’m starting to think she may be right.
I mean, the G20 meeting is easy to criticize. The cost, the purpose (or lack thereof), the way the rights of the citizens of Toronto are seemingly being shoved aside without regard; yeah, that all needs to be questioned.
Now more than ever, it seems.
Folks who follow my tweets will no doubt have read about my concerns about the seeming lack of any legal basis for any of the security restrictions. And that’s not just me saying that. Plus, I’ve been asking police what laws I’d be breaking should I breach the security barriers or if I fail to comply with their demands. Not that I necessarily plan to do so, but I’m deeply troubled by the fact that the police themselves don’t know what, specifically, they’re enforcing. If there’s a law (or laws), so be it — if I don’t like it then there’s a system through which it can be changed. But if there is no law…
In other words, if I was put into handcuffs, what would I be charged with? Keeping the peace, protecting private property, these things I understand and respect, but I want to be assured that I can’t be detained for no other reason than “heightened security”. That’s not a law, that’s an excuse, and a very dangerous one at that.
And that’s no longer just my pontification on the subject.
In the middle of the afternoon yesterday I heard about an impromptu protest being staged by the Toronto Community Mobilization Network, a group playing host to many of the protesters coming to the city. They started their march in Allan Gardens, moved down adjacent Sherbourne Street, and were routed west along Dundas by police until they decided to “take over” an Esso gas station at Jarvis. This route wasn’t planned in any way and by the time I got to Sherbourne the group was gone. I though they might’ve moved farther south so I continued along Sherbourne to Queen Street East. There I spotted a number of unmarked vehicles carrying riot police – must be the spot the protesters are heading towards, I thought.
Goober and that guy with the hat, Joey Whuzzamiah
Posted on May 16th, 2010 – 2 CommentsI’ve been sitting in front of this computer for almost three days straight, working my blogging mojo to maximum capacity and barely moving an inch. Were I able to effectively aim the same soda I drank not long ago back into it’s original bottle, I would. The weather helped a bit – not May-like at all, cold and damp and overcast. But once the sore ass begins there’s little else to do but throw on a jacket and and take that ass out for some fresh air.
The moment my foot hit the ground outside the flat, the skies parted like some miraculous scripture moment and the sun beamed down on my swollen buttocks, urging them on. I can’t say I believe in the supernatural unless I personally experience it myself, but damn if that didn’t feel like a sign.
So with the sun shining happily on my perambulating backside, I chose somewhat arbitrarily to head down Queen Street East again. I did The Beach not too long ago, but the stretch between there and the Don Valley I kinda glossed over, and that’s a shame because it’s also a terrific area, very picturesque and Bohemian in its own way. The stretch encompasses the former villages of Riverdale and Leslieville, one of the first few towns to be gobbled up by a growing Toronto (you’re next, Peel, Markham, Vaughan, and Pickering!). So not unsurprisingly the main Queen Street strip has a really nice, old town feel to it, but it’s well maintained. Well, most of it anyway.
A long-standing controversy finally put to bed
Posted on April 2nd, 2010 – 4 CommentsHappy death and resurrection of our lord and saviour weekend, dear reader! If you’re into that sorta thing. Me, I’m pretty ambivalent about bunnies and coloured eggs don’t really do much for me, so Easter’s on the bottom of my holiday list. Also, I don’t get Good Friday; isn’t that when Jesus died? I didn’t know the guy but expiring on a cross doesn’t seem good at all. Should be called Ironic Friday, maybe.
But please don’t let me keep you from enjoying it. I am. I’ve managed to run some errands at the east part of town. The Beach.
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