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Cars vs Bus vs Bikes

dustin — 2007-11-05T05:38:55-05:00

Amount of space required to transport the same number of people by car, bus or bicycle.

Conclusion: Congestion is caused by too many cars, not by lack of roadspace.

Toronto

dustin — 2007-09-25T22:44:12-04:00

Toronto often gets unfairly disparaged by the rest of Canada. Mostly by people who have never been there, or passed through once without any connection into the city. In reality, Toronto is an amazingly active, vibrant, and thriving metropolis. Diverse neighborhoods intertwined to form an economic and cultural powerhouse in North America.

Curbside bike parking posts and compost collection alongside recycling are 2 nice touches I wish Vancouver would copy. I also award Toronto the best public transit system of Canada's big 3 cities.

I posted my photos from Toronto including Daron and Jon's wedding.

You Down With TTC? No, Not Me.

vinny9 — 2007-07-19T17:44:01-04:00

TTC has to slash 100$ million from its budget Massive service cuts coming. That really blows.

In contrast, Montreal's STM lost 4$ million in 2005, 20$ million in 2006. But they're supposed to get some of that 1c/L gas tax that the gas companies were asked politely not to pass on to consumers (uh, right).

Transit Camp update from Moose Camp

dustin — 2007-02-23T16:38:07-05:00

It's lunchtime at Moose Camp after some good sessions. I'm quite intrigued by the idea of a Vancouver Transit Camp. That link is just a temporary home on the northernvoice wiki as the idea gathers steam.

Apparently Toronto recently held a Transit Camp that was an open discussion organized by local transit enthusiasts. They were focused on bringing forth solutions (as opposed to whining about problems). They got participation from the city and the TTC and came out of it on a positive road.

Some people here are talking about putting together a GVRD Transit Camp and I hope it happens. Check the Vancouver link above if you want to get involved.

I give in to Facebook

dustin — 2007-02-20T17:02:38-05:00

It turns out that a lot of people I know are on the Facebook network. It's a pretty interesting people tracking and messaging system. It lets you import a RSS feed into 'notes' so these words will show there. It's too bad they don't let you put in a photo feed also, which would also be useful.

1200 people playing Capture The Flag in Toronto

dustin — 2006-12-08T07:16:35-05:00

Here's a funky video of 1200 people playing Capture The Flag in downtown Toronto.

It was a product of Newmindspace. Check out their site, it's wondrous.

Second Time 'Round

vinny9 — 2006-11-28T09:46:07-05:00

Pretty sweet list of cover songs...

Bound to be a few that you'll like.

Oops! Bank robbery at the gimp pride parade

dustin — 2006-07-31T23:12:07-04:00

John Feld is an outrageously funny guy whom I know in Toronto. He has multiple sclerosis and represents disabled interests. He has a storied past: living on a commune, as a communist party operative, being a jackass, getting the poetry on the subway.

He's putting on the play of his dreams. A bank robbery goes down during the gimp pride parade. It's on August 3, 11, 13 in Toronto.

"Disgraceful! Tasteless! Hilarious! No taboo left unmolested. Costumed cripples in wheelchairs parading down the streets! Cripples in scooters making love out-doors."

Legalize Marijuana Already Canada

dustin — 2006-05-04T19:38:27-04:00

On May 6th I'll be taking part in the Vancouver section of the Global Marijuana March to show my support for reforming Canada's antiquated drug laws. Under the previous government Canada was poised to bring our drug laws closer in line with the reality of our society. Unfortunately the Liberals delayed and delayed until they were booted out.

I'm not very optimistic that the Conservatives will bring about any positive changes to Canada's drug laws. This gives even more reason to go march and show your support. Canada could be a bellwether in the global move to rationalize marijuana laws, but we need to take some real action. Sending our peaceful protesters to the US to face lifetime imprisonment is not the route that I want to see this country take.

Here are the details I found for the major Canadian cities. Check here for info on other cities worldwide. Vancouver: meet at the Art Gallery at 2 PM on May 6th. Montreal: meet at Berri Square at 1 PM on May 6th. Toronto: meet at Queen's Park North from 11 am - 8 pm on May 6th.

Also, I took this opportunity to test out Youtube and upload the video I made from Montreal's 2003 Marijuana March. (Anybody know if I can change the frame it displays in the preview?)

Read all over

vinny9 — 2006-01-20T12:16:40-05:00

Good used book website for Montreal, Ottawa, Victoria & Toronto

Road trip photos

dustin — 2005-08-28T03:21:07-04:00

The road trip down to Champaign-Urbana I went on last week was a ton of fun! We stopped in Ann Arbor, Champaign-Urbana, Chicago and Toronto along the way. I met up with a few hardcore Luxers in Chicago and they treated me to a wonderful night. In Toronto I got to see my family and a Dan Beirne comedy extravaganza!! Check out these fabulous road trip photos for a piece of the fun.

I've been back for about a week, and have been undergoing a move inside my apartment. My old bedroom is now the office, and the room previously known as Nikki's room is now the bedroom. Both of these rooms seem very promising in their new arrangements. Plus, now I'm sharing the Summerhill Palace with my awesometastic girlfriend. Huzzah!!

MANA - beyond belief

dustin — 2005-07-15T12:48:18-04:00

MANA - beyond belief is a film directed by a friend of my uncle's. The trailer looks really cool, and it appears to be generating some good buzz.

The opening is July 26th in Toronto, 7:00 PM at the Royal Cinema at College & Grace. Additional screenings on July 27, 28, and 30th (all at 7PM). It starts a regular run August 5 at Varsity VIP Cinema, Toronto. Hopefully it will come to Montreal sometime soon also.

2005 Toronto Improv Festival

dustin — 2005-07-14T15:03:51-04:00

After surfing around from the NYC improv fest that Mirzipan posted about I stumbled onto the 2005 Toronto Improv Festival that's happening August 15-21. Looks like it could be fun. They're also looking for interns to help out, so take a looksy if that seems intriguing.

The Toronto Improv Festival was actually previously mentioned on sillytech to boot!

Toronto Improv Festival

chrisdye — 2005-03-15T18:04:43-05:00

Got an improv group? You can submit to perform in this festival.

http://www.torontoimprovfest.com/2005/submissions.php

Merry Christmas and thereafter

dustin — 2004-12-20T01:49:37-05:00

On tuesday I am going to take the train back to Toronto to spend a week with my family. My brother just got back from spending a year in Australia, so it will be cool to see him. My plan is to do my christmas shopping on monday. I have a few ideas, but nothing concrete. Currently I am thinking of Christmas as a sexy holiday!

After Toronto I will be coming back to Montreal to spend new year's here. The party is at Vinny's house I believe. On January 2nd I will be flying across the pond. The plane arrives in London, England, but I am going to be spending January in Edinburgh, Scotland. As luck would have it Andrew's mum has a house and 2 cats that could use sitting over there. She gets back January 25th. My plans for February are vague at best. I am hoping to go visit my uncle phil in Germany, and I also have a desire to spend some time in France buffing up on the language.

I have to be in San Francisco for March 7th. So that puts a limit on my European travels. After that I guess I will come back to Montreal. Hopefully winter will have lost its edge by then.

seen on montreal lj

Mariana — 2004-05-10T21:38:35-04:00

National Masturbation Day is May 16th. In honour, Come as you Are, a Toronto/Montreal sex-toy co-operative, is having a Masturbate-a-Thon, where you can get pledges for every minute you spend masturbating. Other masturbatory events of interest are on the site.

No! This is not a request for pledges.

vacation

dustin — 2004-04-25T23:24:09-04:00

I am leaving this (monday) morning to visit family and friends in Toronto. I will probably be there for a week or so. If you are leaving Montreal before I get back then have a slam-bamming summer.

2 out of 2 so far

dustin — 2004-04-20T23:18:14-04:00

Both Montreal and Toronto have made it through into the next round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. This is tr�s good. The next round will be much harder though. Tampa Bay for Montreal and Philly for Toronto. I am hoping that one of them make it through. If they both did then they would get to play each other. That would be something alright.

And Ottawa really needs to get a good goalie for next year.

Toronto Better Business Bureau

dustin — 2004-04-04T18:53:34-04:00

I find it very surprising that the Toronto chapter of the Better Business Bureau does not exist.

Road Trip

Reverend_Jerry — 2003-12-31T02:12:44-05:00

Conan O'Brien will be in toronto, February 10-13th, taping in the Elgin theatre. I think everyone should go. More importantly I think I should go. I already emailed (conanintoronto@nbc.com) asking for six tickets for the 13th (a friday). People should come with me! (Otherwise it will be awkward at the door when i show up with 5 blowup dolls, dressed up fancy)... Conan!

VIA rail canada

dustin — 2003-12-27T05:25:16-05:00

VIA rail is an example of a company that has made excellent use of the internet. In order to come home for the holidays I bought a ticket online. I did it in advance, so they mailed it to my house. This way there is absolutely no waiting in line. Truly a victory for the common man!

Anyway, it was a pretty eventful trainride. I had brought half a loaf of Provigo's sweet sweet challah bread with me to snack on. I offered some to my seatmate as well. She declined (for now...), but we started talking aboot stuff. She had an issue of Adbusters which I read. It's good to get hit with a 'differing' view of the word every once in a while. They point out a variety of very important and interesting issues. Later she would partake of a slice of my bread, and I would partake in some cookies which she had baked for her host in Toronto. You can't get a better seatmate then that, baby.

Then our train slowed to a stop. There was another train waiting on the track beside us too. After sitting there for a little bit a VIA conductor type guy came and told everyone that we would be delayed. Some passenger dude asked what the problem was. The answer was "Three fifteen year old kids were playing chicken on the railroad tracks and one of them got hit"!!! Some more details were also revealed: the hit kid had died on impact, there is a vortex of air that can pull you back into the path of the train if you are too close when you jump away, and this happens about once a month. I was shocked. Both by what had happened and the fact that the VIA guy would actually tell all the passengers all of this.

It had happened to a train that was going the other way a few hours before, and the tracks were all closed until the police could come and investigate as much as they wanted. I fell asleep a little after we resumed our journey and was out until we hit union station.

My itinerary

dustin — 2003-10-11T13:55:55-04:00

Today I leave for Toronto the OK for thanksgiving and stuff. I come back on tuesday. On thursday I am flying to Halifax to visit my sister. I return from the east on sunday the 19th. The start day for Airborne is supposed to be the 20th...

PS: I appears as if the email on comment service is broken. oh poo. I fucking hate it when perfectly sound running code just stops working. It probably means that my hosting company went and changed something. Foolish people.

a silly song

dustin — 2003-07-09T04:31:49-04:00

I Don't Want To Go To Toronto.

visiting Toronto

dustin — 2003-06-01T04:05:11-04:00

So I think it's really silly that peoples are always ragging on the T-dot. Especially because it's mostly people who have never really spent any time here. Sure a big random city can be shitty, but there's always a good time to be had if you know some people and places. hip hip hoorah.

I'm pleased to have grown up in Toronto. While I don't plan on settling down here, I have made some pretty permanent connections. It's like setting up an outpost. And yet there's always work to be done in the frontier. I think I'll be back in Montreal on monday.

T dot

dustin — 2003-05-29T02:15:19-04:00

Had a nice relaxing train ride today (and only a little late!). The view coming into Toronto at dusk was pretty darn cool. Big lit up office buildings hanging over the sky. I'm sure it's a shadow of what New York would look like, but I'm not in NY, so yay for Toronto instead. Of course I forgot to bring my toothbrush or deodorizer with me. I fecking always do that.

bye bye for a bit

dustin — 2003-05-28T15:15:26-04:00

I'm leaving for Toronto today to visit friends and family. I'll come back when I get bored. After that maybe all our dreams will come true. Or maybe not.

hockey

dustin — 2003-04-23T03:15:19-04:00

Before I go to bed I feel the need to mourn the passage of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who were eliminated from the playoffs tonight. It was pretty sad too, they lost 6-1. I still think not re-signing Cujo was a big mistake. Although he let the Red Wings get swept (by Anaheim of all teams) he was a perfect match with the leafs.

The Avalanche were also eliminated by Minnesota (which was another huge upset). My allegiance now goes to the Vancouver Canucks.