The Raptors open up the season tonight. There is new found optimism due to a rookie starter from Lithuania. With the NHL on ice, or off the ice, there is a real chance the Raps could steal the spotlight. I know I'm going to watch. I hate to hedge my bets, but they are an MLSE team.
I'm going to have my fourth Poker night of 2012 in late November. I promise less drama with a slightly restricted guest list. No one that has been thrown out of a previous event is allowed back. It is a small list. No one that has attempted to steal alcoholic beverages, with the exception of KJ. I know the Colombian girls are on the lookout for troublemakers. From my experience they are not to be messed with.
If you read the National Post today you will note that a Justin Trudeau lead Liberal Party would win a majority today. That is less a reflection of Trudeau's perceived competence than frustration, particularly in Eastern half of the country, with the incompetence of the undemocratic Harper government.
We can do better than Stephen "The Dictator" Harper, Johnny "I'm a closeted Queen loving Queen" Baird, Tony "Moneybags" Clement, Peter "Small Little Boy" MacKay, Vic "Do as I say, Not as I do" Toews and the rest of one of the worst front benches in Canadian political history.
They made a big deal of the passing of Lincoln Alexander last week. A tribute should be paid to the people of Hamilton that elected a black man to Parliament in the 1960's. Here we are in 2012 and there are millions of Americans, including some very prominent ones like Donald Trump, that are upset that a black man is president.
I want to pay tribute to the much maligned, but thrice elect, Premier Dalton McGuinty. Rob Ford's band of redneck supporters complain that the Toronto Star picks on their Dear Leader, but the Toronto Sun was unrelenting in its negative Dalton articles. Dalton made a huge error in cancelling the gas plant in Oakville, but what was forgoten was that the other two opposition leaders made the same promise. At least he didn't sell the 407, or bury the Eglinton subway like Mike Harris. McGuinty did a fine job as premier. I was hoping that Dwight Duncan would run to replace him, but he has ruled out the leadership.
Wednesday 31 October 2012
Monday 22 October 2012
Search
I started my long difficult search for a used boat this weekend. I saw two boats, both of which were manufactured when I was a rookie in the insurance business. I'm looking for something a little newer. It will not be easy considering my budget. I am learning more each day I look and have received a lot of help. My boss and I had a good conversation about what to look for today.
I held my 3rd poker event of 2012 in my condo party room a week ago. We had a great turnout of 22 players. Popeye Jimmy invited a couple of real characters, for their first and last appearance. The one guy tried to help himself with the leftover alcohol. A quick thinking Donut Girl was able to save the booze. The young man brought a duffel bag with him. He wanted to stuff his bag with whatever he could get his hands onto. How would this guy get onto the guest list? They were last minute additions from Jimmy's local. The second character was this guy's adopted sister. As this is a family blog I wont event get into what she was up to. She tried to earn a little money on the side. There were no takers and for the first and I hope last time, I had to escort both of them off the premises. That made for an interesting story. Other than those minor distractions, the poker tourney's are becoming epic events. We do not need to invite street people to attract a great crowd.
I held my 3rd poker event of 2012 in my condo party room a week ago. We had a great turnout of 22 players. Popeye Jimmy invited a couple of real characters, for their first and last appearance. The one guy tried to help himself with the leftover alcohol. A quick thinking Donut Girl was able to save the booze. The young man brought a duffel bag with him. He wanted to stuff his bag with whatever he could get his hands onto. How would this guy get onto the guest list? They were last minute additions from Jimmy's local. The second character was this guy's adopted sister. As this is a family blog I wont event get into what she was up to. She tried to earn a little money on the side. There were no takers and for the first and I hope last time, I had to escort both of them off the premises. That made for an interesting story. Other than those minor distractions, the poker tourney's are becoming epic events. We do not need to invite street people to attract a great crowd.
Sunday 14 October 2012
Sunday 7 October 2012
Frank Gehry King Street West
Frank Gehry, probably the most famous living architect in the world, was retained by David Mirvish to design three 80+ storey condos along King Street West, at the corner of John St. These condos would be the tallest in the country, maybe in North America.
I have read countless negative comments about the towers. We can automatically dismiss the comments of people that do not live in Toronto. Most of these people have an irrational hate-on for the city. They hate to see the city succeed. My concern is with the locals. The people that scream bloody murder anytime someone wants to build a tall building. They prefer a shade blocking slab structure over a thin super tall building. The fact is super-tall buildings are inevitable. Earlier in this blog you will note that a building was erected across the street from my condo, which blocks my view of the CN tower and robs me of some sunlight. I didn't write City Hall, it is a fact of urban life.
If you look at the buildings that will be demolished to make way for the Gehry condos, I can't see any reason to save them. They are painted over brick slab buildings, with limited architectural merit. They house low budget restaurants, a Tim's and a sports memorabilia shop. There is an underused theatre that shows tired musicals like Cats. I'll take 3-Gehry super-tall condos over slab buildings that are hardly unique in the core, or along King St. West. Check out King west of Spadina for many similar examples. Buildings that have not been painted over.
I live on King Street West, about a kilometre west of this site. I walk by the location daily. I have also recently invested in property at John and Adelaide, currently under construction. This new property will be one block north of the Gehry buildings and half their height. The Gehry buildings will block the sunlight from my investment property, but I understand that owning property close to these buildings will raise the value of all condos in the area. It will be a huge boon to Toronto.
I recall the negativity when they tore down underused slab buildings along Yonge and Dundas to construct a public square. The negative comments were endless. Today that square is the undisputed centre of the city. It has replaced nearby, and twice the size, Nathan Phillips square as the most important place where the city gathers.
People in the city have a hard time embracing change. We can't afford to let the city stagnate. It is like when North York's Gord Perks blocked an iconic pedestrian bridge over railway tracks, into Fort York in order to save a few bucks. Instead they will build a drab simple bridge. Mayor Ford did the same thing with renovations to Nathan Phillips. Let's save a couple of $Million and go small, instead of reaching for the stars. For a very big man, Ford thinks small.
I have read countless negative comments about the towers. We can automatically dismiss the comments of people that do not live in Toronto. Most of these people have an irrational hate-on for the city. They hate to see the city succeed. My concern is with the locals. The people that scream bloody murder anytime someone wants to build a tall building. They prefer a shade blocking slab structure over a thin super tall building. The fact is super-tall buildings are inevitable. Earlier in this blog you will note that a building was erected across the street from my condo, which blocks my view of the CN tower and robs me of some sunlight. I didn't write City Hall, it is a fact of urban life.
If you look at the buildings that will be demolished to make way for the Gehry condos, I can't see any reason to save them. They are painted over brick slab buildings, with limited architectural merit. They house low budget restaurants, a Tim's and a sports memorabilia shop. There is an underused theatre that shows tired musicals like Cats. I'll take 3-Gehry super-tall condos over slab buildings that are hardly unique in the core, or along King St. West. Check out King west of Spadina for many similar examples. Buildings that have not been painted over.
I live on King Street West, about a kilometre west of this site. I walk by the location daily. I have also recently invested in property at John and Adelaide, currently under construction. This new property will be one block north of the Gehry buildings and half their height. The Gehry buildings will block the sunlight from my investment property, but I understand that owning property close to these buildings will raise the value of all condos in the area. It will be a huge boon to Toronto.
I recall the negativity when they tore down underused slab buildings along Yonge and Dundas to construct a public square. The negative comments were endless. Today that square is the undisputed centre of the city. It has replaced nearby, and twice the size, Nathan Phillips square as the most important place where the city gathers.
People in the city have a hard time embracing change. We can't afford to let the city stagnate. It is like when North York's Gord Perks blocked an iconic pedestrian bridge over railway tracks, into Fort York in order to save a few bucks. Instead they will build a drab simple bridge. Mayor Ford did the same thing with renovations to Nathan Phillips. Let's save a couple of $Million and go small, instead of reaching for the stars. For a very big man, Ford thinks small.
Downtown Toronto Marathons
I have lived in downtown Toronto for 15-years, primarily on King St West. I have worked in the downtown core for 25 years. I know of what I speak when it comes to centre of Canada's largest city.
Let me start with another pet peeve for residents of the core. The Bank of Nova Scotia Marathon takes place next weekend. It runs through the downtown streets, making it impossible to drive out of the downtown. I rent cars on weekends and I'm not able to do so next weekend. It is near impossible to get around.
Now I understand that every city has a marathon and they are most likely going to use the downtown streets. Who wants to run through the suburbs? Anyone? The problem is that this is not the only marathon in downtown Toronto. In the Spring they run the Good Life Marathon. Again they shut down the downtown streets. They told the two marathons to get their act together and have one marathon. Instead they just split the dates. Boston and New York do not have two marathons. To top it off neither of the Toronto marathons is considered a prestigious race. At least take one of the marathons and hold it Scarborough, or Mississauga. They also shut down the streets for numerous 5k and 10k runs. Don't get me started on the bike-a-thons that shut down the Gardiner & Don Valley Expressways.
Give the taxpayers in the core a break and take some of these events to the suburbs. Or at least the Martin Goodman Trail along the waterfront.
Let me start with another pet peeve for residents of the core. The Bank of Nova Scotia Marathon takes place next weekend. It runs through the downtown streets, making it impossible to drive out of the downtown. I rent cars on weekends and I'm not able to do so next weekend. It is near impossible to get around.
Now I understand that every city has a marathon and they are most likely going to use the downtown streets. Who wants to run through the suburbs? Anyone? The problem is that this is not the only marathon in downtown Toronto. In the Spring they run the Good Life Marathon. Again they shut down the downtown streets. They told the two marathons to get their act together and have one marathon. Instead they just split the dates. Boston and New York do not have two marathons. To top it off neither of the Toronto marathons is considered a prestigious race. At least take one of the marathons and hold it Scarborough, or Mississauga. They also shut down the streets for numerous 5k and 10k runs. Don't get me started on the bike-a-thons that shut down the Gardiner & Don Valley Expressways.
Give the taxpayers in the core a break and take some of these events to the suburbs. Or at least the Martin Goodman Trail along the waterfront.
Tuesday 2 October 2012
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