Wednesday 29 February 2012

Now That's More Like It

As highlighted recently - click "That's A Sale?" for refresher - rather than living in the "3 shirts for $300" world, I'd be more of a "5 T-shirts for $10" kind of guy.

While out for a walk this weekend, found something even better....

Well, Hello Chinatown. I'll be back!

Thursday 23 February 2012

Not Too Shabby

A while back I was a bit skeptical about a proposed makeover of a seedy, rundown, "budget" hotel.

Click "Demo By Neglect" for the cynical trashing.

Well, looks like I was a little hard on the old gal.

Not bad. I had to check twice to make sure I had the same corner.

But you can see the same old white paint in the lower left that hasn't been covered over.

So maybe not all developers are slime ball, greasy dirtbags.

Now I won't feel so bad sending guests here. [Not that I really did before....]

Tuesday 21 February 2012

That's A Sale?

Ouff! I live in a tough neighbourhood.

I haven't I've spent $300 over my entire life on shirts.

I think I'm more of a "5 T-shirts for $10" kind of guy.

Monday 20 February 2012

Forgot One....

And right across the street from me, too.

A Toronto landmark, The Redpath Furniture Store is closing after 104 years of business.

To be replaced by......

Of course - a condo.

A 35 story condo.

Ha! Chump change compared to everything else that is going up in this neighbourhood.

Although 104 isn't all that old, this industrial style building reflects a touch of whimsy, often evident in architecture from that era.

But you have to give the developer credit for blowing a bit of smoke up the old building's chimney to make it think it may have an after life - when the sign states "The existing Redpath Furniture Store will be partially retained."

Good one!

Sunday 19 February 2012

Bistro 990 > Condo!

Another installment of Arnotti's One Trick Pony.

More buildings - not necessarily heritage, but heritag-ish at least - doing the condo gondo routine.

Bistro 990 is an iconic eatery frequented not by the likes of me, but by people much more fancified than I am. A regular Toronto Film Festival hang out.

Gone!

Sutton Place Hotel > Condo!Across the street, an iconic hotel, this time. Just steps from the Mink Mile.

At least here they are leaving most of the building and just converting hotel rooms to condos.

Oh yeah, they are adding an additional nine floors.

I guess to help it fit in with its towering neighbours.

Sort of gone!

Bizzaro! > Condo!Hmmmm....guess they are running out of new designs for all these condos.

Whatever was there before is....gone!

Newspaper Box > Condo!A (small) one bedroom condo going up here.

All the news is....gone!

78 Stories > Condo!
I believe this is slated to be the (for now) tallest condo in Toronto, at 78 stories.

Now zooming in on the hoarding around this site, lower right, circle.....
I hope the engineers build buildings better than the marketers make signs....

And in a little spot that I thought was definitely safe from condomania, they are putting not one, not two, but three condos.

Right near Air Canada Centre, Skydome and Union Station, so they wedge them in anywhere/everywhere. And as Toronto just announced its first 300 square foot condo (301 actually) they can probably pack a lot of them in.

And packing them in everywhere is true. Toroto has more condos under construction than any city in North America. Who's buying all these things?

Saturday 18 February 2012

Man, They Just Don't Get It

Bishop Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, has just been elevated to the position of Cardinal.

Good for him. If the Catholic church does it for you.

They are having a nice ceremony for him - and the 21 other bishops that are being elevated - in Rome this week.

Many Catholic supporters are expected to attend the ceremony.

Now, this isn't a rant about getting on his case.

It's about how our government sees this.

Road trip!!

Why is our government sending over a delegation? A delegation that includes "three senior cabinet ministers"?

Why is my tax money being spent to 1) watch a religious ceremony that is 2) half way around the world?

If our government has to be represented - and I don't know why it has to be - at most get the local Canadian Ambassador off his duff to attend the shindig.

When asked why they are sending a delegation, they'd probably say, "You don't get it. That's what governments do."

No, you don't get it. Governments don't get it. They just can't help themselves from continuing to spend our money....

Stay tuned for next week's topics; full day kindergarten, the ORNGE fiasco, eHealth scandal, Internet lack-of-privacy bill, etc., etc,. etc.....

Friday 17 February 2012

Oh Oh.....

The City Of Toronto just completed a sidewalk beautification project last fall along this stretch of Yonge St.

It was artfully designed, with wide sidewalks and lots of landscaping.

Don't tell me they brought these dozers in to tear the whole thing up!

From these markings, though, it sure looks like it.

Why can't two city departments talk to each other; "Do you need to get in here before we lay down the sidewalk?"

I'll keep you posted.

Now, maybe this is something else.

And if I am wrong...you can be sure this is the last post on this topic!

[He who controls the "Publish" button controls the message.....]

Tuesday 14 February 2012

"It's Naw Oatmeal!"

And we all know "If it's not Scottish, it's.........". [With thanks, and/or apologies, to Mike Myers.]

Click "Crap!" for a refresher.


Another great line from those skits is that "It seems all Scottish cuisine is based on a dare."

E Moley!

No poop, Poirot!

I don't know about some of our government operations.

Instead of taking the time to order the fencing and get someone to paint the "Hole" sign, why didn't they just fix the damn thing?

This has been here for over two weeks now.

And here's another example of your tax dollars at work (to quote from Jimmy B);

Even though it was well known that the existing layout at Ontario Place was on the chopping block, Ontario Place management still went ahead with a $1.8-million upgrade last year.

$750,000 for a new water slide - that no one got to use because "unforeseen infrastructure and utility problems caused delay to the installation of the new Two Flume Water slide and it was not available for the summer season in 2011" (according to the Ontario Place spokesman).

And $1.1-million for a new pool and landscaping/infrastructure, which got used for 2011, but likely never again as the park is now closed, its future "under review".

If this had been done at my old company, or at almost any company in the private sector, those people would be fired. Instead, these guys probably just got their bonuses clipped a bit.

Or maybe not. "It's great you got that spending in under the wire."

I don't really care what stripe these pols are - Conservative, Liberal or Communist - I want fewer of them telling me what to do and spending my money.

Harumph!

Oh yeah, Happy Valentine's Day.

Sunday 12 February 2012

"Morning Has Broken....."

On a recent (business)trip to the Rockies, was able to sneak away from the business long enough to capture the sun coming up on those Rockies.

Guess it was a slow "business" day, as I wasn't missed several times that morning. Hmmmmm....

Okay, I mainly spent the day in the dining room. Leaving only to eat.

Okay, I spent the whole day in the dining room.

But on ne thing, I think we can all agree, the above four shots are an incredible example of time lapse photography.

The key to this is the patience of the camera/person/shooter.

Hello sisters.

These are The Three Sisters, just outside of Banff National Park. They are called sisters not because they have rock hard, pointy heads, I don't think.

But for another reason, I'm pretty sure.

But stunning views of the mountains everywhere.

Oops....no mountains.

No, no, you can see them through the window in the back. Whew.

Or you might have gotten the wrong idea about this business trip.

Even without the sun, very dramatic vistas.

But enough of this - there's work to be done.....

Thursday 9 February 2012

Hey, I Guess It Is......



If this makes sense to you, you have put yourself into an unenviable age group....

Monday 6 February 2012

Never Eat Anything Bigger Than Your Head

...unless it is another head.

And legs.

Thought I had ordered a crab salad sandwich.

Apparently I ordered a soft shell crab sandwich.

They are not the same thing.

Delicious - but you don't want to think about what you are actually eating.

Most difficult part - had to wear protective goggles to keep from being poked in the eye by his many (but tasty) legs.