In light of the Charlie Hebdo killings, I thought I’d devote the next few posts to Paris just as a way to hold the people of Paris in mind.
Category: Spleen
The category, Spleen, is for posts that make us angry.
Why are all the mannikins white?
Canada has a long-standing official policy of multiculturalism and nowhere is that trotted out more often and with more self-congratulatory pats on the back than in Toronto. But a survey of our shop windows tells a different story…
Putting Up Wall Advertising
The other day, I was eating lunch and looked out the window into a dreary rain/snow mix. I stepped to the window (as I always do when I’m wondering if I should grab my camera and go outside) when I noticed someone on the roof across the road.
Disengaged
Cellphones are so ubiquitous, they’re everywhere. In a previous post, I had suggested that cellphone usage isn’t such a big deal; it merely externalizes a mental habit we’ve always practised. I’m not so sure anymore.
Auto Share Uses Street Artists
Autoshare — the car-sharing service — has made its 400 signs available to five street artists to liven things up.
Graffiti as Political Speech
One wonders if some of the usual hostility towards graffiti doesn’t stem from the fact that it’s a kind of political speech.
An Authentic Photograph
Sometimes taking words out of context makes them anything but …
Under the Glen St. Bridge, Toronto
In Toronto, the Rosedale neighbourhood is noted for its many well-appointed homes. I recently toured one such home which is easily accessed from the Park Drive Reservation Trail. There is a broad, well-lit entrance that makes a bold statement when guests arrive.
What is it about swans?
People love to take photos of swans. What is it about swans that gives people photographic orgasms?
Billboard
Ogden Nash wrote: I think that I shall never seea billboard lovely as a tree.Perhaps, unless the billboards fall,I’ll never see a tree at all. If Nash were alive today, he might update his poem: I think the billboard’s here to staywith its products on display.If you want to see a tree,try Home Depot, aisle…
The Ghost Ranch Narrative
I spent last week on a photo workshop with Richard Choe at the Ghost Ranch near Abiquiu, NM, a 75 minute drive northwest of Santa Fe.
Rob Ford in Street Art and Public Protest
I make no secret of the fact that I intensely dislike Rob Ford. If it were simply a matter of concern for his substance abuse issues, I could cut the man some slack.
The Cult of the Amateur
When cultural commentary turns its gaze to online technologies, it grows dated in the blink of an eye. It’s like watching Joan Rivers and the accelerating pace of her plastic surgeries. The minute one thing gets tacked in place, something else droops.
Narcissism as a Strategy of Resistance
This morning, while staring at myself in the bathroom mirror, I had a thought about narcissism. I wanted to take a selfie to capture the moment but was concerned about what people (in this instance, my wife) would think of me. The last thing I want is for people to think I’m narcissistic.
10 Reasons why I’m quitting Facebook
On Christmas day, I intend to commit an act of love by deleting my Facebook account. My reasons aren’t terribly mysterious. They relate to concerns that have been widely discussed by all sorts of people. You may not find all my reasons relevant to your own Facebook situation, but I’m sure you’ll identify with at least of few of them.