things we share.

Around the time of our last federal election, I read a comment stating that if someone were trying today to begin a library, purchasing things with public funds to share with every member of society for free, they’d be laughed out of parliament.  Until then, I had taken libraries for granted, never really considering how this incredible resource came to be.  I started thinking about the wonderful sense of community that they instill and support, and the egalitarian access to information that we need just sign up for, and promise to return.

I don’t remember a time when I haven’t used the library.  As a child, there were weekly trips, time spent reading in the cool and quiet spaces, listening to ‘storytime’ and choosing my very own stack of books.  Growing older, the library was a place wherein I could assert my independence, reading about any & every subject one could imagine, travelling to faraway times and places with every turning page.  Eventually, the library became a part of my education, from the high school ‘Independent Study Units’ all the way to Grad school.  It is the place where we all have the opportunity to learn and understand.  Anyone can walk into the library and start reading.

Now, it seems, that ability is being threatened.  Councillor Doug Ford made the erroneous and well publicized statement that there are more libraries in his area than there are Tim Hortons (Torontoist), suggesting that they are unused and superfluous.  One might assert that more time spent in a library would afford him the ability to do the research in which he would discover the high usage rates of these library branches, or even the simple statistics comparing the number of libraries against the number of Tim Hortons, in order to arrive at a factual conclusion.  Perhaps if he had spent time in the library, he would be able to recognize the iconic Canadian writer, Margaret Atwood, who he seemingly prides himself in not knowing (theStar).  The idea that libraries are unnecessary has thankfully resulted in outrage and the mobilization of thousands of Torontonians.

In most instances, Social Democracy is at odds with Neo-Liberal Capitalism, and this library debate is no different.  The idea that the public good, at taxpayer expense, should make way for privatization and profit, is the real debate here, and libraries are truly at the core of it.  For me, the bottom line isn’t how the libraries ‘profit’ fiscally, but rather, what kind of community I live in.  Is it one where every single person has access to resources,and has the ability to acquire information, or one where only those with ample funds do?  Is it a community where information is a privilege, and not a right?   Libraries provide space for activities and meetings, they allow people to access the internet, and become engaged and involved.  And I, for one, would far rather live in a community where we can all share these resources, and their benefits, than to live in one where profit alone dictates access.

Get more information and sign the petition to save our libraries  here

Giller Prize winner Vincent Lam’s argument for the importance of libraries has some very interesting statistics regarding the actual cost per person of maintaining our libraries in this Globe & Mail article

Hope and so forth.

Just finished reading ‘The Glass Castle‘ by Jeanette Walls.  It’s a pretty compelling read.  One of those stories much like the way the Dursleys in ‘Harry Potter’ treat him, or the plight of the children in  ‘Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events’… when someone is so badly, so wrongly done by, you cannot stop reading, both out of sheer amazement, and out of a want for justice, reparations, restitution…. something that appeals to one’s sense of right and wrong.  This book, unlike the others is not fiction, it is the story of author Jeanette Walls’ life with parents whose hold on reality was tenuous at best, whether due to alcohol abuse and dubious mental health. Poverty, hunger, abandonment, neglect and emotional abuse are all pretty easy to pinpoint, as she proceeds chronologically through her life. This book is contrastive to Frank McCourt’s ‘Angela’s Ashes‘, which I found to be dark without the capacity for simple joys, or even much hopefulness.  Walls’ story is different.

She recounts incident after incident of utterly astounding treatment by her parents, and of unfathomable poverty and neglect, and yet, relishes the moments of love, pride, closeness, and hope that she feels, especially between her siblings.  It’s one of those stories that highlights the resilience of the human soul, and the power of hope.  Rather than hating her parents for the selfishness their conditions have imbued them with, she continually moves forward and refocusses, until her life is under her own control.

Forgiveness is not an easy thing.  The words are simple enough, but the anger and resentment that simmer beneath the surface are like an intricate web, permeating one’s sub-conscious.  This book is a really great story of both hope and forgiveness, and of how amazing people can truly be, when they just follow their hearts.

My lesson learned: anger and resentment are neither positive nor productive.  Get rid of that shite! And move forward, happily.  Forgive, and appreciate, and be nice.

but I don’t LIVE in the ‘burbs!

The wise people at Torontoist have compiled the stats from this heinous election, and figured out who, exactly, voted for Ford.  The good news is, most of these people are neither my friends nor neighbours.  That saves me some serious ranting.  The bad news is,this guy is still our mayor.

So, in the name of questionable amalgamation, please enjoy this simple graphic representation of Ford supporters vs. Smitherman supporters:

btw, click here for Torontoist’s coulourblind-friendly version.  Really.

how civil IS this society?

Toronto has elected a new mayor. As voters exercised their democratic rights in record numbers, the mudslinging down and dirty campaign that Rob Ford launched upon this fair city obviously resonated with many. ‘Gravy train’ ending, budget slashing, bicycle hating, racist and homophobic comments seemed to garner admiration from his supporters, who enjoy this sort of new political representation. Does he seem utterly ‘average’, like the person beside me on the subway, drinking a Timmy’s, and reading The Sun? He promises to save us all money. Lots of it.

Apparently this is what my neighbours value. Following a couple of lean, recessionary years, it might have been his message of fiscal austerity, more than his vision for the future of the city, that served to usher him into office. This is what has me confused. Toronto is a great city; it differs from American cities in its cosmopolitan nature. Not a melting pot, Toronto privileges the myriad cultures calling it home- and in turn, the people of the city tend to the welfare of its inhabitants. Social programs, healthcare, recycling, bike lanes, marathons, a vibrant arts community, and one of the world’s largest Gay Pride events are just a few examples of this. We pay taxes, oh yes, we pay taxes, but they make this city greater. Like many people with social democratic views, I would rather live in a community wherein everyone achieves a certain level of health, education, happiness and respect, while others would rather draw the line between themselves and others, financially speaking; better yet if there’s a gate in between. I guess they voted for Ford. The equation looks like this:

more $$ > community

The Dalai Lama was just here last week, how I wish he was our mayor. We need to privilege humans, and contact, and community, over things like cars and convenience. Mayor Ford’s vision privileges the individual in his own convenient and private automobile, (without that pesky car tax),regardless of environmental impact, and surely not inconvenienced by narrowed space due to bike lanes, or detours due to marathons.   Next equation:

convenience > environment

I’m not saying I love paying taxes, I’m not saying that I do everything i should, or could, to benefit the community in which I live, and I definitely agree that budgetary indiscretions such as Kyle Rae’s taxpayer-funded retirement fete should be nixed, but I feel strongly that this age of individualism removes aspects of community that are priceless.

style vs. fashion

Apparently, harem jeans are fashionable, moving into fall. Current/Elliot, makers of last year’s coveted ‘boyfriend jeans’ have collaborated with Marni, whose statement necklaces and unusual silhouettes have informed many trends over the past few years.  Their denim lovechild can be found here, in Nylon mag

Now, I realize that there’s a pretty big difference between style and fashion.  Fashion is a business, a multi-billion dollar industry, based upon trends and markets, shifting focus every season.  Style is something altogether different, and if you’re doubtful, just check out StreetPeeper or the Sartorialist to see stylish people around the world doing their own stylish thing, which will end up on runways next year.  Style is more unique and individual- writing the guidelines, if you will, as opposed to obeying them.  Fashion trends notwithstanding, he harem jeans seemed interesting, and I was intrigued.  I have a pretty big soft spot for unusual silhouettes.  I think it all started with a teenaged trip to Europe and my very first French Vogue mag, which had a series of jackets by Comme des Garçons and Yohji Yamamoto. The complexity of the shapes, and the deconstructed nature of the clothing was fascinating.  Quite a departure from the bland Polo-infested trends of high school!  These pieces said so much and seemed to request that you think about them.  Really lovely stuff.  You just don’t see this kind of thing every day.

How to recreate this look without the Parisian aristocrat’s budget?  I enlisted the help of my perennially crafty mother, who welcomed the challenge.  A few yards of grey and pink pinstripe fabric later, she had reproduced this fabulous Issey Miyake Vogue pattern.   Eeeeeee! High school joy, shoulder pads and all.

Today I wear far fewer shoulder pads, but still love these avant garde designers just as much.  Pending the arrival of those winning 6/49 numbers, I’ll be well clothed, but until then, other options must suffice.

H&M, mass market translators of the runway, have their own version of the aforementioned harem jeans.  Intrigued, I tried them on.  Horrific.  Horrifying.  Horrendous.  Hands shaking, staring at my misshapen reflection in the changingroom,  I texted my most fashionable girlfriend to ask her, ‘seriously, what is up with harem jeans?’  I was wide at all the wrong parts, saggy at the very worst places, and,  I realized, suddenly quiet bum-less.  Unless one is attempting to conceal one’s ‘Depends undergarments’, which I hope not to do before age 99, these jeans just seemed all kinds of wrong.  Fashion be damned, and sorry, Marni, i usually love you.

good & tasty

My grandmother was one of the most prolific bakers I have ever known.  Her walk-in pantry always contained stacks of  ingredients, and the size of her recipe file rivaled  any professional chef’s.  After being diagnosed with celiac disease, her baking changed, as she tested and perfected her own blends of the various flours and thickeners that could be used instead of wheat.  When I heard that there was a gluten free bakery in NYC that had won ‘best cupcake’ awards, and that they’d authored a cookbook… hello!   Babycakes is actually vegan, and uses no refined sugar, and is mostly gluten-fee, using spelt flour in some recipes.  My grandmama isn’t here anymore, but I think of her every time I bake from this book- it is amazing! Healthy ingredients like coconut oil, agave nectar and flax seed meal somehow work together to create some of the best sweets I’ve ever tasted, and the fact that they’re good for you is even better.

Gluten-free diets are increasing in popularity, even for those without celiac disease.  I still love bread waaaaaay to much to live without it, even for experimental purposes (black olive fougasse, i ❤ u), but regardless, these recipes are hands-down delish, gluten or not.

Visit Babycakes’ website, http://www.babycakesnyc.com/ for more info, and even a few recipes.  And if you’re in NY or LA, make the pilgrimage and tell me all about it!

G-force 20

when the leaders of twenty big, rich and powerful nations come together to talk shop, you can predict the unpredictable.  Hosting this pow-wow in the centre of downtown Toronto seemed an unwise choice from the get-go, considering the amount of security and privacy these top dogs would require.  Sure enough, lots of craziness went down during the official days of the summit.

On the day before the summit began, as world leaders were rolling into town, it was beyond eerie.  University Avenue is usually a busy street but…. not on this day.  A dude was skateboarding up the road, other than that, it could have been the set of a somewhat dull zombie flick.

Bymark, one of the financial district’s power lunch spots, was  inaccessible, denying the G20 delegates access to the $40 brie & truffle burger.  Seemed a little harsh, no?

It’s  important to protect our cultural icons in a time of conflict.  Thankfully, the good people @ Gretzky’s had the foresight to wrap their namesake’s ’99’ in what appeared to be a hefty thickness of Saran wrap.  Safety first.

At every turn, the city seemed like a foreign landscape, or a news story from another world.  It wasn’t all grim, however.  This scene made me wish for some construction workers, some cowboys, some biker-types, and a few first nations people in elaborate headdresses, so we could sing ‘YMCA’ and bring some life back into this ‘hood.

We want to come out!

They want to come outside, so very badly. Billy the Kid, on the left, was a street kid one year ago. A rough and skinny hooligan, who fears absolutely nothing. On the right is Aslan. His own shadow startles him, and he’s known for retreating under the bed upon hearing any sort of noise or disturbance. Whenever I chillax on the balcony, they meow continuously, protesting their captivity. I’d let them out if it weren’t for Aslan’s attempt at flight. About 5 years ago, he bravely leapt up onto the railing of the balcony, much to my dismay. When I screeched at him to get down post-haste, he leaped out into the wild blue yonder… and down 4 floors. While he was entirely unhurt, minus one of nine lives and still no braver, I have never fully recovered.

Fiddleheads.

Now, it’s good to be green, or rather, blue, as I’m told that IS the new green. It’s organic and local and so forth. Fiddleheads, however, look like the plot of a particularly heinous sci-fi/horror flick. They’re just not right. Wet and curled up, like each one is harbouring alien spawn… I wish I could enjoy these lil guys, but they rather horrify me.
Especially en masse.

I certainly dont want any monkey butt.

Sometimes a product appeals to one’s sense of fear. It plays upon our insecurities, leading us to purchase it, in order to avoid potentially adverse situations. Almost a sort of insurance, if you will.

I’m not certain that I know exactly what a monkey butt is, but am quite certain I should not like to have one. Thankfully, this anti- monkey butt powder can be found @ Shopper’s. Whew.