Category: Toronto

Occupy Toronto

This afternoon, I had a look at the Occupy Toronto protest that is mirroring Occupy Wall Street in New York.

Most protests for causes vaguely considered ‘left wing’ attract a few people intent on advocating an unrelated cause among people who they hope will be sympathetic. At climate change protests, I have seen people concerned about nuclear weapons, oppression of the Falun Gong, Palestinian statehood, and so on.

Insofar as there were meaningful and coherent messages at Occupy Toronto, they were to reform the financial system and to redistribute income from rich to poor. Mixed in was a lot of generalized anger, and a desire to punish bankers and/or the rich.

Beside the main messages were dozens of other causes that ranged from loosely affiliated to fundamentally contradictory. All told, I question whether Occupy Toronto is coherent enough to deserve to be taken seriously. There doesn’t seem to be an awareness that many of the causes advocated by some protestors clash with the objectives of other protestors. Solidarity is all well and good, but policies ultimately need to get made that support one objective or another.

There are real questions to be asked about financial regulation and redistribution of wealth. I just question whether this movement contributes intelligently to those discussions, or whether it is more a matter of unfocused energy being released.

Wedding photos: Olenka Slywynska and Andrij Harasymowycz

I am in the process of uploading photos from my cousin Olenka’s wedding, which happened last Sunday.

Most were taken using Canon’s 50mm f/1.2 lens, using available light. They aren’t quite as sharp as flash-lit photos generally would have been, but I think they look more pleasant and interesting than most flash-lit shots (especially any that rely on a flash positioned on the same axis as the lens, as with on-camera flashes and hotshoe flashes pointed straight forward).

‘Living with very accommodating family members’ not a recognized option

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.

Looking to sublet or rent month-to-month in Toronto

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.

Commuting calculations

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.

Morning subway

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.