FUTURÉALE VOLUME 2-I SSUE 2-FEBRUARY2009
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AlSa p i e n z a : ASt aront heRi se
Th e Fu t u r e St a t e o f t h e G r e e n E c o n o m y : Benef i t sf orSust ai nabl eUr banDevel opment
The R i s e of Inter acti ve TV
Te a c h i n gByDa n c i n g Chor eogr apherKas i aI gnat ows k a embr acesourvul ner abi l i t i es
C a n n a b i s C u l t u r e i nT o r o n t o Th eSp o r t s Ca d d y Sundi n' shomecomi ngt oconj ur emi xedr evi ews
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Hello FutuRéale Readers, It is hard to believe it is already February of 2009. It seems like yesterday this now thriving magazine was a proverbial “New born” and now we are a proverbial “Toddler”. With each baby step we have taken have come great challenges as well as great benefit. Many of you have been here all along the way and we thank you for your support. Those new to the family, we hope you are enjoying the read and the experience. February’s edition is a strong entry and showcases the strong talents of our editors and contributors equally. We are proud of the work and hope you all enjoy it. We hope the New Year of 2009 is treating you well and we will see you in March!
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Publisher: Omar Murji Editor in Chief: Shawn Shapiro Webmaster: Heronymo Allen Editors: Eric Rosenhek(Arts, Feature and Podcast), Deepi Harish (Culture and Living) Layout Editors: Paul Bannister, Murray Crawford, Marnina Herrmann Marketing/Event Interns: Andria Corradetti, Rochelle Grabenheimer Editorial Intern: Kait Fowlie POETRY: Oneal Walters, Chris Daly, Silver-Lining (Geomatic), Tristin Norenberg Goodmanson, Jason Chavez Contributors: Kait Fowlie, Don Young, Stephen Links, Leslie Luxemburger,Anthony Lopopolo, Shazia Islam, Amanda Urbanski, Leviana Coccia, Vicki Lee, Dave Proctor, Sarah Rix, Matthew Braga, Adrien Cheung
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Comedy that doesn’t wait for the punchline
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Just who is Al Sapienza
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Pass the Dutchie and turn the page
4 - 5 / Poetry 6 - 7 / Sports Caddy 8 - 9 / Then and Now 10 / Hidden Gems 11 - 14 / Impatient Comedy Club 15 - 16 / Toronto Blogs 17 - 20 / 30 gigs, no money 21 - 23 / Web Comic 24 - 27 / Kasia 28 - 29 / Anti-Valentines 30 - 35 / Green Economy 36 - 37 / Marijuana 38 - 39 / Rise of Interactive TC 40 - 41 / Tokyo Police Club 42 - 44 / Al Sapienza 45 - 46 / York students losing hope as anger and frustration grows
December to March I’m pushing hard to get out, alive, but isolated and buried in a coffin. Wooden and heavy, a solid fortress which will entomb me for four months.
Take Me
Life doesn’t flash, it pauses, and I see Mr. Layton. He left us years ago, a truly progressive poet. I close my eyes and let go, my ears pop. Again and again, I envision West Humber, I stand inside the English classroom with the teacher to the left of me, she sits as I read my first written poem “Good Bye”; after my classmates cheer and ask questions.
I’ve been hurt so much now, I wonder why I’m still alive; I have to stop to ask God why and how, But to me it’s like I’m living in a giant beehive.
I lie still, only I can feel my smile, only I can give love to others. Only I can float above the ocean’s stillness. So now I supply the world with poems, if one child needs me, I open my eyes awaken because one child loves me. The lid rattles and my cage opens, light strengthens me and I see Obama’s face. Only I can feel my smile.
I cannot mend your broken heart, But my hardest I can try; But just when it’s starting to work…you toss me a dart, And say “Goodbye”.
Into the dead season I rise out of the coffin I hear cheers and cries, many people stand here I see snowy roads and feel the brisk wind on my face and a chill that wraps my forearms. The dial on my watch reads, December. - Oneal Walters www.myspace.com/onealwalters Untitled Poem #2 A grammar written It was written Fiercest of sages A point between lines Exponentially acute Referentially triangulated A compass of words, Wrapping words with wisdom Naive elaboration Following nature
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What I’ve done doesn’t matter anymore, I’ll never find true love; Because most people see me as a whore, Or just think I’m a bore.
I get hurt left and right, Even from my closest friends; I do not like to fight, And these rules I will not bend.
Now I’m out on my own, All alone with the Lord all mighty; Then he too shoves a dart down into my bones, And starts to take from me my family. He usually takes one at a time, But just lately he’s taken three; Now when I hear the deathly bells’ chime, I just pray to him “Take Me.” - Chris Daly Radically constructed paradox Quintessentially changed Revolutionary lyricists Sequential vernacular Nuanced verbatim A dialogue of knowledge Driven Persuasive illusion A labyrinth of dialects. - Tristin Norenberg-Goodmanson thewackyandwild.blogspot.com
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Happiness is Bliss She is indeed something. She isn’t like the rest. She’s different. In a rotten world that is crumbling at her feet, she manages to stay on top. Death is facing her in the face. She doesn’t run... She couldn’t. She knows she has to be strong. What else could she do? She is surrounded by happiness and bliss. Her boyfriend’s love wraps around her like an over sized quilt. And on that quilt...on every patch there is a picture. A picture of her life... A picture of her past. A picture of the present. She wonders why she has no pictures of her future. She becomes worried. Her boyfriend tells her not to worry. She’s frantic and tries to sow on her own future on the quilt. To her surprise it doesn’t work. Her boyfriend tells her not to worry. He can’t guarantee a future for her. He can’t grantee a life filled with constant happiness. He can though, guarantee her one thing..... A future with him... That itself cannot be defined by a quilt.
Pressing On Pushing past self doubt and conquering one’s fear... while fighting against the hatred that fills this world, becomes its own mission. Fighting to find the love that was lost so long ago... trying not to show one’s dissatisfaction for things that no longer makes scence...trapped in a life focused solely on the dollar...with no care of it’s fellow man! How do you grow when so many block the sun? Or how do you walk when so many block your path? Searching one’s self for empowerment, looking to excel past the rest...hoping to be declared the best. Putting my best foot forward while watching each step as I go...carefully plotting my course...imaging all that I can become, slowly putting my fears to rest. Wondering if life is one big test...and how much gas do I have left? If You ask a question heard only by the wind... does it reach the ones you love? or does it stay lost among the sky and all it’s secrets? Does your question become an answer hidden within a story or does it linger around in the back of one’s mind... left untold? All things have a beginning, a middle, and an end... the question is... which slot do you fall into? - Silver-Lining (Geo Matic)
She is indeed something. She isn’t like the rest. She’s different. - Jason Chavez
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The Sports Caddy:
Sundin’s homecoming to conjure mixed reviews By Anthony Lopopolo
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ever, is Hockey Day in Canada, which will conveniently witness the Canucks and Leafs faceoff in what will be a ceremonious return for the soon-to-be 38-year-old. But how can we gauge what will happen on that day of hockey appraisal and small-town acknowledgement? Will Sundin’s presence in Toronto provide an undercurrent of bittersweet emotion, immortalizing Feb. 21 as a day not only designed to recognize palatial hockey shrines hidden in the corners of Canada, but reunite a storied relationship? Reaction in this city is well-documented, splitting sides on Sundin’s decision, with one loyal and the other resentful. So we very well may see one
fan fully clad in a blue-and-white Sundin jersey (the Maple Leaf brand), or homemade posters that detract from his many great accomplishments with his former club, as if he performed some kind of irrevocable treason. The latter was the response yielded in his debut with Vancouver – a 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers – on Jan. 7 at the Rexall Centre in Edmonton. While in a different conference than the Leafs and far-removed from the confines of this heated Toronto sports environment, the Oilers’ fans serenaded the Swedish centre with a shower of boos and jeers that didn’t seem to stop; weighing in their jaundiced opinion of Sundin’s signing. Whether it was a breed of prejudicial
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Photograph of Mats Sundin originally published by Café Magazine
At least he’s still in blue-andwhite; that is, if you overlook the tinge of green. It felt like a long trek through a blinding wilderness of snow and sleet, but former Toronto Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin, who spent half-a-year mulling over a return to the NHL, put speculation to rest after signing a one-year, $5.625 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 18, 2008. Since his signing, flocks of journalists have approached him, questioning his fitness, the primary factors that went into his decision, and whether he was content with his move westward. Complacency is apparent. What most fans are waiting for, how-
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divisional hatred or simply another example of Oiler fans meddling with larger NHL issues (as they have done in the past when Todd Bertuzzi visited after the Steve Moore incident), Sundin’s uneventful unveiling was turned into an affair full of contempt. But don’t expect a comparable response from Toronto’s heterogeneous mix of hockey fans, for there are too many factors to collectively consider. First, there are those who make much out of Sundin’s acclaimed statements made early last year about being a rental player, and how unfulfilling that would be for any player in his position. They cannot forgive him for choosing to exercise his no-trade clause instead of giving the Leafs a chance at orchestrating a blockbuster deal. “I never believed in rental players to start with,” he said to Toronto reporters on a brisk February day. “My opinion
without saying a solemn final farewell. A handful of fans believe he earned the right to return at his own whim, while some hope failure befalls Sundin in his attempt to rekindle his passion for the game. Given the perceived inconstant nature of Sundin, whose to-play-or-notto-play mentality took him well-beyond many of his “fixed” deadlines, reaction may be either vulcanized or diluted, a variable similar to Sundin’s erratic actions. And perhaps that’s the short-term end to this see-saw situation, as we have seen many sports athletes in the past 12 months leave their respective clubs on unfortunate grounds to explore new options. NFL quarterback Brett Favre, who wrote his name in Green Bay Packers folklore, drew disjointed feedback when he left Wisconsin for the New York Jets, giving fans quite the quandary in
Given the perceived inconstant nature of Sundin, whose to-playor-not-to-play mentality took him well-beyond many of his “fixed” deadlines, reaction may be either vulcanized or diluted, a variable similar to Sundin’s erratic actions. has always been that you want to be there from training camp or the start of the season to be part of that group.” Second, there are those who have and continue to utter Sundin’s name amongst a list of Leaf greats. They remember his 500th goal, the hat-trick clincher and overtime winner against the Calgary Flames a few years back. They cherish his leadership qualities and his classy behaviour around the press, teammates and fellow players across the league. They admire all he has done with a leaf on his chest. Third, there are those who were left stunned by the transfer, almost unable to let go of his 14-year tenure with the club. Some merely applaud what he has done for the Leafs, while others no longer appreciate the player after leaving
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resolving their own opinion of the man. But like Sundin, Favre’s triumphs for the Packers – including a long-awaited Super Bowl championship in 1997 and an abundance of individual accolades in green-and-gold – will supersede most arguments questioning his integrity as a player of heroic stature. It’s the binding relationship that is materialized after a sustained stay with an organization that prevents any sort of long-term scarring, even though there may be a good dosage of sullenness in the initial stages of the breakup. In fact, looking at the Sundin saga through a different lens, his departure presents some optimism for sports fans in the GTA. The Maple Leafs and general manager Brian Burke – who in all fairness, made his first unofficial move
even before signing forward Brad May by declaring the Leafs were uninterested in the Swede’s services – can now hit the final fifth gear in respect to their rebuilding phase, which has been impeded several times by the city’s sweeping nostalgic fever. If anything, keeping Sundin wouldn’t reflect plans pertaining to the future of the franchise, nor its long-term stability. And with Sundin gone – not to imply that his presence would be a negative one – more players can assume leadership roles, essentially providing more opportunities for prospects to solidify a spot on the roster. Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs will have a better chance to receive higher bids for their players in the stretch leading up to the Mar. 4 trade deadline. The value of players like Nik Antropov or Alexei Ponikarovsky suddenly increases, because a team that couldn’t make or afford a deal for Sundin may still require a scorer. In turn, that could present tempting offers to Burke. However, t h is N H L f ra nch ise shouldn’t be so surprised by the conclusion of this story. Many captains in this team’s illustrious past have relinquished the “C”: Darryl Sittler, Dave Keon, Doug Gilmour and fan-favourite, Wendel Clark. Whether Sundin will be the target of malicious profanities or the recipient of a standing ovation, the result of his first visitation won’t be the be-all-andend-all of his reputation in Toronto. As this fan base has shown numerous times before, it’s the loud yet unspoken bond between a team, fans and an endearing player that always exists. Time affords strength in that kind of marriage. Mixed emotions may proceed, but the moment of noble recognition will come when Sundin’s name is placed beside the many greats that wore the Maple Leaf uniform. – pb
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Then & No w: Pearson
Airpor t
By Stephe n
Links
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Photograph by Wylie Poon
Recently putting myself at the mercy of three international airports over the span of two days and countless time changes as I journeyed across the world, I have decided to credit Pearson International, or Lester B. Pearson Airport for getting me to my new home on the right foot. My 31 hour journey began in terminal 3 at 4:30am so the history and evolution of the busiest airport in Canada was not something that I was really concerned with at the time, but now looking out over Australian mountain ranges at sunrise I can take the time to appreciate the originating force at which got me to my own personal Eden here on the beautiful Gold Coast, Queensland.
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The original airport dates back to 1937 when the Toronto Harbour Commissions purchased nine farmland properties equaling 420 acres that was to be home to two concrete runways, a converted farmhouse of a terminal building and a grass landing strip. As you can guess the airport was not always named for Canada’s most achieved Prime Minister, seeing as Mr. Pearson did not become Prime Minister until 26 years later. The airport opened in 1939 after the first fully equipped terminal
Again numbers outgrew the airport facility in the early 70’s and the necessity for the building of a second terminal intended strictly as a freight terminal was the result, opening in the summer of 1972. Since the shaping formation of the current airport many changes have occurred and are still occurring. In 1984 the airport was renamed Lester B. Pearson International Airport and subsequently a third terminal opened in 1991 to offset the overflow of traffic from the other two. A $4.4 billion de-
In 1969 security was working overtime when they arrested Jimi Hendrix for possession. building was finished a year earlier and was dubbed “Malton Airport”, appropriately named for it’s location. A year later it was sold to the city of Toronto and was then used as a military training airport before and during the Second World War. As the airport expanded a second terminal building was built in 1949 to replace the first one. This time the design mirrored the Toronto City Centre Airport terminal building that had the ability of handling 400,000 passengers annually. With numbers increasing expansion was again inevitable and this time occurred both southward and westward leading to the disappearance of most of the town of Elmbank. In 1958 Transport Canada gained control of the airport and in 1960 renamed the airport “Toronto International Airport”. Later that year the second terminal building was demolished to make way for the Terminal 1 building all Torontonians who have traveled anywhere are familiar with, it’s the one that everyone driving to the airport now makes a mistake in visiting due to the less than par signage at the side of the highway. Designed by John B. Parkin the building consisted of a square central structure above which an eight level parking garage and a two level concourse were built between the years 1957 and 1964.
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velopment program is in place spread over a ten-year period to revamp terminal buildings as well as expand runway spaces and numbers. A new Terminal 1 has replaced and amalgamated the origi-
recorded YYZ in honour of the airport (YYZ being the national code for the airport). Sticking to the music theme, in 1987 Pink Floyd rehearsed in an Air Canada hanger for the Canadian leg of their “A Momentary Lapse in Reason” tour. Finally on the music notary, in 2004 everyone’s favourite French Canadian superstar Celine Dion filmed part of her music video for “You and I” in one of the Air Canada hangers. The song was later used as the music for the catchy Air Canada marketing campaign. Name-dropping aside, the airport should also be mentioned for its role in operation Yellow Ribbon aiding 19 diverted planes headed for US cities during the September 11 attacks. Also recently, quick response times saw crisis diverted as an Air France flight skidded off the runway and burst into flames where luckily no one was killed.
In 1987 Pink Floyd rehearsed in an Air Canada hanger for the Canadian leg of their “A Momentary Lapse in Reason” tour. nal Terminals one and two, the second of which was officially closed on January 29th 2007 with demolition starting in April of the same year. The new and improved terminal opened April 6th 2004. Given the title of 2006 Best Global Airport according to the UK based Institution of Transport Management, the airport has had a few notable occurrences over its lifetime. Not overseeing the tragedies or near tragedies, I feel because of my tendencies to travel I would like to note primarily the positive episodes while keeping in mind the somber ones. In 2007 Pearson made the mark on the list as the 21st busiest airport in the world moving 425,513 flights. Just as important a historic date, in 1969 security was working overtime when they arrested Jimi Hendrix for possession, a charge he was later acquitted of. In 1981 Rush
With the constant innovation in airport security and safety one would hope airplane food and comfort would advance as well as a matter of personal health safety and security. With years to perfect the gourmet meal and with what we pay for travel you would assume that with countless engineers working on aerodynamics they could allocate some manpower towards the ergonomics of the airplane cabin and the excitement of the traveler’s palate. Nonetheless, soggy meals and cramped conditions aside, flight has advanced and is constantly being perfected so that we can travel the world or bring the world to us and this is something that we all should take advantage of because it is truly ours to experience. – pb
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Hidden Gems:
By Kait Fowlie
Chromewaves.net is a mega ‘MP3’s of the week’, ‘concerts and pho- a similar vein to Chromewaves. It’s a
informative music blog that started in 2002 as a mere experiment. What evolved over the years was an unbridled attempt to preach the word of every desired aspect of pop culture relevant to its creator, pertaining primarily to the world of indie rock, movies, television, and comic books. Made by a web monkey who goes by the name of Frank, Chromewaves.net is the product of an obsessive music junky who eats, sleeps, and breathes pop culture. The man knows a thing or two about how to craft a sweet website - he works as a web developer at a major Canadian Newspaper. Chromewaves certainly does not disappoint in this department. Its aesthetically pleasing layout and clean organization makes the vast selection of music accessible to the web surfer. This has been my one stop music shop for the past 2 years. I think I speak for a majority of the population of web surfers who visit this site when I say that if it weren’t for Chromewaves, I wouldn’t be half as knowledgeable as I am today as far as local concerts are concerned. The blog features a comprehensive archive of
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tography’ arranged by the year, dating back to 2002 and 1993, respectively. His selection of MP3’s is available to be listened to and commented on. He focuses on a wide range of indie rock music, for the most part they are underground names such as Calexico, Rachael Yamagata, and Belle and Sebastian, any music lover will surely find a new band to pursue. In particular, Chromewaves offers up some curious cover tunes. An aspect of indie rock that never fails to intrigue me is the sheer amount of covers. The Smokin Mojo Filters, for example, shamelessly demonstrated their love for the Beatles with a cover of Come Together, and put it on The Help Album, a charity album dedicated to helping war-stricken areas, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina. This was one of the MP3s of the week for August 2008. Also included into the mix is a small book list, film and show list with direct links to each particular site. His taste in both revolves around some well known classics and some underground titles. But the blog list is certainly the most impressive, with numerous blogs with
hyper-textual jam! For the visual enthusiasts out there, (or just plain musician creepers) the concert photography featured on the site is both artistic and cutting edge. It provides coverage on shows that take place at venues in Toronto such as the Drake, The Horseshoe Tavern, Rancho Relaxo and many others. You might even see some of your friends in the background if you look close enough. This blog was made for the Toronto indie rock community. In comparison to its other music loving counterparts, blogs such as all music.com and hypem.com, Chromewaves.net provides music knowledge on a local level, which is what I enjoy most about it. While it may not provide a comprehensive overview of different types of music, its specialized perspective is helpful for seekers of nearby parties and shows. Quality, not quantity, is the basis of Chromewaves’ appeal. For more information, please visit www.chromewaves.net. – pb
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Longform Laughs By Don Young
Don Young
atre e h t r othe e k tient a i l p m Un I the , s p u o eats r gr t . o e C Theatr comedy as a improv ance art... m perfor
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Is it more effective in developing talent on the stage? The proof is in the pudding; so, what did the performers this evening serve up? The weekly performances of the company are held at the Savannah Room at 294 College Street, just west of Spadina. It’s a good location and the food is standard pub fare. Meals are hearty and the portions are generous. They also have a nice selection of beers on tap. But enough about the venue; we’re here for the improv. Let the show begin. The first team up is Ten Minute Pimp (TMP). This group of seven gets right into it with the audience contribution of chasm and peanut butter. They meld into a team and give a visual interpretation of a chasm. They break off and reform, quickly becoming whatever the creative compound requires. As an opening act, they really warm up the audience with their improvisation skills. These people are talented. The evening is off to a good start. Next up is Nakatomi Protocol, a team of eight. They take the torch from TMP and carry the excitement without losing a bit of the enthusiasm that prevails in the audience. If these are “incubator” teams, then imagine what the more experienced teams that follow will bring. This is not a competi-
tion, but the opening team set the bar high, and this team isn’t going to settle for being almost as good as the first one. They twist and turn, finally bringing their performance full circle. The audience wants more, but a ten-minute intermission is required, if only to refill glasses and give people time to visit the bathroom. Everyone is in place as the lights go down in preparation for Big In Japan to take the stage. This team of five (only one female, Claire Salloum) is the house team of ITC. Bob Banks, Sean Magee, Sean Tabares and Kevin Thom complete the group. Individually, these people are talented. As a team, they provide non-stop entertainment, which is better than most things seen on TV. Starting from a prompt of “intrepid,” they form into a classroom with a hilarious skit about midterms. They move into a curator scene, about cataloguing pieces in a closed museum and taking a few odd pieces home. Before the laughter stops reverberating, they reform into a skit about a mixed marriage – a Canadian father with an American mother, and a child who is growing up with the principles of George Washington. It’s never really clear whose version of early Canadian history will take precedence. Then off
http://www.impatient.ca
he name “Impatient Theatre Co.” sounds interesting and worth looking into. They have a nice website, which explains what they are about. Their ‘About us’ says, “Since 2001, The Impatient Theatre Co. (ITC) has been at the forefront of the Toronto improv movement and is largely responsible for the proliferation of longform improv comedy in Toronto.” That doesn’t really tell me a lot, except they seem to feel they lead the longform improvisation movement in Toronto. What about the other theatre groups that provide similar training and shows? There’s Bad Dog Theatre Company, Catch 23, Project Project, Second City, and a lot more that come and go with the seasons. What makes the Impatient Theatre Co. stand out against the others in the improv game, especially ones as prominent as Second City? Have they outlasted many others by offering something better? I posed that question to Kevin Patrick Robbins, ITC’s founder and artistic director, after a recent performance. He quickly pointed out that the quality of improv in Toronto is very high. “The Impatient Theatre Co. is not better,” says Robbins. “Its style of training is different as we treat improv as a performance art.”
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http://www.impatient.ca
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to a driveway scene where a flooded car engine leads to several unwanted lessons from an overly helpful neighbour. Jump to a skit about the first time a date has been brought home. But what are those voices coming from the closet? And does a dead person qualify as a “skeleton in the closet” if they are only dead a few days? Perhaps the confession is a bit premature. The “longform” improv continues as two gay men at a bus stop – preparing for a visit with one of their parents – recall the first Thanksgiving meeting with the other’s family. A child returns for the holidays and fights with a parent, which is followed by a return to the near empty museum. The finale is a rollicking skit in the Taco Shack, with ancient mummies and characters amongst a bunch of bones and artifacts. When the second intermission comes, it’s well deserved for the cast and wellneeded for the audience. One can only laugh for so long before it leads to dire consequences. And that’s not about the glass becoming empty. The break allows for the opportunity to talk to the young lady sitting next to me, writing in her notebook. A competing journalist, perhaps? No, she’s a student of ITC, here to enjoy the show and study the actors and the way they
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work. Rebecca is a dream come true; a person on the inside that I can pump for information and get the real scoop on this troupe. Bonus: she has taken courses at the other improv place with the better-known name because it was once on TV. What else could a writer want at intermission (other than the obvious change of fluids), than the chance to talk with a charming woman? When I ask the obvious question, Rebecca replies, “The Impatient Theatre Co. is more fun. Their courses are more about the craft, and the feedback is better.” So why is she into improv? “Stress relief.” After a day job that is challenging and technical, Rebecca enjoys the release of improv. Will she become a professional actress or performer? No, but she enjoys it so much that she will continue with the progressive courses that are offered, and expects to participate in improv forever. For now, she appreciates that the courses are less expensive than the other place. As proof, Rebecca seems to be getting a lot more enjoyment out of improv than she gets from her degree in Environmental Science. The intermission ends much too soon, and the team that takes the stage is called Munchausen. This is sure to be a little different, as they’ve brought
in Sabrina Jalees, a stand up comedian to do monologues between skits. This team is made up of veterans, and they put on a fantastic show. From an initial prompt, “catalyst,” Sabrina leads off with a monologue about cats. The crew takes over and carries us to an animal hospital, where Percy Ranger, recently peeled off the front of a Honda Civic, has passed away. The distraught master, who coincidentally was driving the car, is beside himself in grief. What happens now? The next skit reveals the prison where cat killers are sent, and the treatment they receive from the more respectable inmates. The scene jumps to the Austrian army and quickly on to a farm, where an occasionally challenged young man has to tell his father about foaming cows. We will avoid the details for now, but this has to be the funniest skit of the whole evening. Or maybe not; there’s still more to come. Sabrina returns for a personal reminiscence of the TV show she was on last summer, as well as her experiences working with children. There is some discussion of milking cows and their effluent release systems. The performance returns with a pair of students returning from spring break and a tale of being swallowed by
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a snake in Brazil. On to a confrontation about a report not turned in. “It got covered in cow sh….” Well, you can imagine the rest, and it isn’t pretty. Following this is a landlord and tenant discussion about rent past due. The skits move along quickly, taking us back into the Vet. Hospital and the tale of Percy Ranger’s fate on the street. Sabrina comes back to talk about people and the concept of becoming famous on YouTube. Her comments are extremely funny, but a tad too personal to write about here. Back to the improv and a skit about aptitude test results which reveal a candidate’s true vocation. Other than the hope of airline pilot (he feels he may overcome his fear of flying), the main character is pegged as a mortician or a YouTube celebrity. Jump forward in time to a celebrity YouTube mortician. Move on to a prison scene. Cut to the father and son on the farm. Now the horses, particularly the mares, have this same foaming disease in places where a man…but let’s not go there. Instead, start the last skit of the night – driving along with Percy’s master in the car. Can you guess what happens? How many dead cats does it take to end a longform improv? Like an action movie, the cop chase scene ends the evening. The only thing I’ll tell is that they didn’t drive off a cliff like Thelma and Louise. It’s been a long ride, and yet the audience is sad when it’s over. While people trickle out (very slow compared to the speed they came in), I stop to talk with Sabrina Jalees and ask why she performs stand up comedy. “You have to challenge yourself,” she replies. “I like the attention from being on stage.” Jalees began her career on stage at Yuk Yuk’s at the age of sixteen. Since then,
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she’s made a lot of appearances. She’s moving to New York as her career expands, and we’re sure to see lots more of her in the future. A very talented young lady, she clearly shows that comedy has no gender bias. It’s an equal opportunity for those who wish to learn and apply themselves. This brings us back to the Impatient Theatre Co. and Kevin Patrick Robbins. The ITC training centre presents a series of courses that you can learn about on the company’s website. They are presenting a new program, The Bat – Improvising in the Dark, which is like “a theatre of the mind, requiring the visualization by the audience.” It sounds like an interesting concept, and audiences should be able to view it, perhaps as early as February. They also offer corporate programs designed to foster team building and development, as well as group communication. Robbins considers it as a way to learn how to get along together – basic life skills. Another project that Robbins is very proud of is the Toronto International Improv Festival, which will be held at the end of August and will draw together the local improv community, plus teams from other places. It is the improv event of the year in Toronto; and this year, they expect it to be bigger than ever. With the level of improv talent in Toronto, it’s sure to be an event worth attending. So to recap: For an excellent evening out that’s not very expensive, catch the Impatient Theatre Co. at the Savannah Room, 294 College Street. Shows begin at 8:00 pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. If you don’t arrive on time, you’ll still get in, but you may not get a seat. However, the comedy is equally enjoyable when you’re standing.
ITC
performing groups (groups will vary depending on the night of performance)
Ten Minute Pimp Michelle Da Silva, Jason Davie, Morgonn Ewen, Damon Lum, Emily Pringle, Brian Reynolds, Sarah Thompson, Matt Wolodarsky.
Nakatomi Protocol Laura Bailey, Adrianne Gagnon, Ken Hall, Steve Hobbs, Alexandra Lean, Erin Lovely, Peter Madore, Onai Sharif, Karena Thomas.
Big In Japan Bob Banks, Sean Magee, Claire Salloum, Sean Tabares, Kevin Thom.
Munchausen Kevin Patrick Robbins, Kevin Williams, Matt Folliot, Kevin Thom, Sean Tabares.
For improv courses or to lean more, visit: www.impatient.ca
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According to Wikipedia, a blog - a contraction of the term “web log” - is a website maintained by one or more individuals with regular entries that are in reverse chronological order. They can contain different types of material like links, videos and photos. Here’s a list of the top five Toronto-based blogs:
Toronto’s Top Five Blogs By Amanda Urbanski
3. Daily Dose of Imagery 5. Spacing Toronto: Understanding The Urban Landscape http://www.spacing.ca/wire/ Spacing Toronto is published by Spacing Magazine, which focuses on Toronto’s landscape. It is considered “your hub for daily dispatches from the streets of Toronto to cities around the world, offering both analysis and a forum for discussion.” It offers seventy-two different categories for you to choose from, all having to do with the city you live in and the things that affect it in the present and upcoming future. It is updated daily by the fortyseven writers that contribute to it. This blog thoroughly covers the GTA’s everchanging landscape. Also, it has up-todate information with links to Toronto-area newspapers, as well as personal opinions that give readers different perspectives on certain situations.
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4. Toronto Metblog http://toronto.metblogs.com/ The fourth blog on this list is called Toronto Metblog. It started out in Los Angeles with the intention of becoming an alternative news source focused locally in its area. Eventually metblogs became the biggest network of cityspecific blogs, with the same intentions as the original one. It offers topics relating to local politics, event reviews, lunch recommendations and traffic in the area. As of right now, there is only one contributing writer, who goes by the name of “SWOONONEONE.” Despite not being updated daily, the subject matter is relevant. It also offers new bands to check out in the Toronto area, and even different art events that fellow Torontonians are involved in. This is a good blog for someone who is interested in politics, or wants to catch up and discover some hidden musical and artistic talent in our vast city.
http://wvs.topleftpixel.com Daily Dose of Imagery is a photo blog that is updated daily with a new photograph. The photos consist of images taken in Toronto and the surrounding area. The contributor is a man named Sam Javanrouh. He has lived in Toronto since 1999 and is the creative director at Optix, an animation company. The following is stated on his blog: “Daily Dose of Imagery is a simple view of my day to day visual experience.” The reader can search for pictures or simply click the “day before” button to see the photo that was previously posted. This blog has won numerous awards and has become increasingly popular. Javanrouh’s photos are spectacular in capturing an entirely different side of Toronto that most people do not get to see on a day-to-day basis. This in itself is one of the reasons Daily Dose of Imagery made the list. It is a small discovery of things that most people would not pay attention to while walking down the street.
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1. BlogTO http://www.blogto.com
2. Torontoist http://www.torontoist.com This blog is written by writers who are “deeply passionate about this city.” Torontoist focuses on everything Toronto-related and can be seen as a guide for those who are new to the city. The categories found here include Home, Culture, Events, Photos and “Popular.” The subject matter ranges from news, transit and politics to photography, advertising, street art and graffiti. Torontoist was supposed to be shut down at the end of the year, but after much lobbying from its readers, it re-opened and the 28 writers are continuing to post daily. It was a hard choice between Torontoist and the number one blog, because Torontoist is truly helpful and informative; especially for people who are new or just visiting the city and want to find something fun to do.
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Lastly, the number one blog in the top five is BlogTO. This blog is a “source for hyper-local arts, music, film, fashion, food and news coverage.” The easy to navigate blog has 25 writers that vary in personalities – from artists, musicians and photographers to politcicos, food lovers and fashionistas. These writers post daily, sometimes with more than one post in a day, which offers amazing variety throughout this blog. This diverse group of people write about their own experiences in Toronto, which manages to capture how diverse this city really is. All of these reasons are why it’s number one. However, the greatest reason is the “Best of Toronto” section, which lists the best restaurants, vintage clothing stores, comic book stores, contemporary art galleries with emerging artists, bakeries and cafes, and even where to find the best fruits and vegetables. The list is endless, clearly showing readers that these writers are determined to show why Toronto is such an amazing place to live.
Check out these five blogs when you have a spare minute. They give alternate perspectives on an assortment of subjects in the most refreshing and down-to-earth way. Blogs are personal and honest, which is something most publications sometimes lack when reporting news that affects us. This is a great change! Be open-minded and you might just be surprised at what you find.
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A Month on an Indy Film - Part 2 30 Gigs of Raw Film and No Money
By Don Young
This month we look at the production phase of At Home By Myself... With You Last month we wrote of the memories of prep or pre-production: the time when everyone is rushing to make the set ready for the cast and crew to come in and film the movie. The production phase, the part many people think of as making a movie, is filming. Once principal photography is complete, the project goes into postproduction, where the raw footage (or video) is edited and special effects plus titles and credits are added. “At Home By Myself… With You.” began pre-production almost a year
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before principal photography began. Production included 17 days filming on the set. Post-production may last for many months. Much of the independent film industry thrives on anticipation. All through the process, there is always the next step: writing a script and anticipating its acceptance, hoping for producers with sufficient funds to make it, and praying that established actors will find the script worthy and want to act in it. Then there’s the anticipation of finding good locations, getting a crew
signed up who can make something great with limited resources, scheduling the filming to suit the actors and the efficient use of equipment and people. Through it all, there are many points of anticipation that tower above the others. Two of the most anticipated are the first call of “Action!” on the set and the first frame of the movie coming up on a theatre screen. The former says, “We are really filming a movie,” and the latter, “Everyone can see the movie we made.” They both are followed by a sigh of relief.
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DAY 1 of 15: Call: 0800 / Shoot Call: 0830
The crew arrives by 8:00, although Kris Booth, the director was there an hour earlier (anticipating the first day of filming). The Craft Services person, Michael, was in at 7:30, making coffee and starting breakfast. People file in, introductions ensue, breakfast is consumed, and lighting is set up. The camera is constructed and set up where Kris and Mark, the Director of Photography (DOP), have decided. Patrick, the 1st Assistant Director, takes control of the set and the responsibility for being ready to film. He answers to the Director, and keeps him informed of anything that may affect filming. The 8:30 Shoot Call time passes. The actress starring in the film, Kristin Booth, is arriving at 9:00 am. for blocking, followed by a half hour in hair/ makeup/wardrobe with Ginger. She isn’t even due on the set for filming until 9:30. How can filming begin at 8:30? The reality is that the people creating the call sheet (the 2nd AD, Peter) anticipate things that may not happen. Like, what if everyone woke up an hour early and decided to come in to get their work done? That would mean the 1st
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AD could move the shot time up earlier (called a pull, whereas delaying a call time is called a push). Pushes are a lot more common than pulls. Shoot Calls are a lot more optimistic than reality. We’re at the point we left off last month. At 9:45 am. Kristin is in place on the set, in the living room, with the crew all around (out of sight of the camera.) Patrick calls, “Roll Sound!” Christian (1st Assistant Camera) starts the camera rolling, Alex (Sound Mixer) calls, “Speed!” Martina (2nd Assistant Camera) puts the clapper board in front of the camera, and at Mark’s nod, says, “Scene twenty-seven apple, take one. Mark!” and the clapper falls. Mark calls, “Frame!” signifying that the camera is ready to film.
All is ready for this take, so Kris calls “Action!” and the filming begins. This is the moment of truth. Is everything ready? Anticipation runs high. Anyone on the crew can call for hold, if something is wrong. Is there a Tim’s coffee cup in the background, left by a crew member who should not have had
food or drink on the set? Maybe someone at the back of the set is talking to his mother on the phone. All is ready for this take, so Kris calls “Action!” and the filming begins. Note: the recording by the camera is referred to as ‘filming’ in spite of that it may be a video camera. This movie was filmed on a High Definition (HD) Video Camera and downloaded onto a pair of external hard drives to provide a working copy and a backup. This is considered much more economical than using film. We may discuss this in a future column. The first scene is filmed, and filmed, and filmed again. This gets boring, although it is nice to relax a moment after the camera rolls. Remember, Rose (Production Designer) and I were up all night making ready. We probably sighed louder than anyone but Kris, the Director, who was probably up all night in anticipation of getting his vision on film. Now we look ahead to what the call sheet holds for us. The first scene has Kristin changing props and decorations. We’ll have to stand by for reset needs on the set. The second scene requires Kristin to create a list (another prop). The third scene is simple for us, and we may use the time between takes to get the things ready for a set change before the fourth scene is to be filmed. That scene again has Kristin changing props, and is followed by a couple of scenes that are easy for us, as the props and set decoration stay in place. That will take us to lunch (we estimate) so we can be ready for another set change after lunch. Looking at the afternoon list of scenes, there is a list of scenes to be shot during set changes in the living room. These may include several different scenes in the bathroom, and a montage in the kitchen of the cupboards and fridge. We have to be ready for any of these. We also realize that, if the camera is moved into the bathroom for one
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or more scenes, lunch may come in the middle of the second setup. All we can be sure of is that we have two more sets to be made available, and two resets to be done in the living room. A busy day for the art department, but no less so for Ginger, hair/makeup/wardrobe, who will need to redress Kristin and maintain the correct hair and makeup for each change. Both departments, as well as Genevieve (Continuity) will be taking pictures of each setup and the characters to ensure that future shots will match. Meanwhile, back in the second apartment, Alex (Art Director) creates props and set decoration for future scenes. The living room set has seven different themes to be created. Alex, often with the help of Ryan (Production Assistant) and Rose, makes up set pieces as diverse as Italian statues and a cruise ship. Some feel the best creation of the art department was the Nova Scotia lighthouse, with an operating light. I liked the palm tree with coconuts. This is complicated by the multifunctional use of that apartment. It houses the operating kitchen, bathroom and craft services, and serves as the lunchroom, requiring a reset before and after. At night it serves as storage for props and equipment. It is also the production office, where the Peter (Production Manager) maintains all the scheduling needed to make the movie. He is often joined by Bryce (Producer), and occasionally by Ryan or Andrea (Executive Producers). Peter (2nd AD) also maintains a space in the bedroom with Ginger as he is responsible for the call sheets, actors and schedules, etc. While filming continues on the set, much activity occurs in the production area. When in a studio, things become comfortable and you focus on getting the job done. When you film on location, a whole other set of issues must be addressed. In a residential place (like these apartments), it is critical. This is
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where people live. They may be supportive and encouraging of what you want to do, but it is still their home, and the place where they find sanctuary after being out to earn a living. Who wants a film crew working from before 8:00 in the morning until after 8:00 at night? In this case, the residents are great. We try to be quiet, especially in the early and late parts of the day, but when the objective is getting a film made, sometimes one forgets that there are times when people sleep, just on the other side of a wall: their wall. And there are times when our equipment exceeds the available space and it spills out into the hallway, making the path from some apartments to elevators seem much like an obstacle course. We try to respect people’s needs, but we also ask for the same in return. While filming, sound is an important element. Alex (Sound) hears every word that is said by the actors, and quite a few that are not. When the camera rolls, he is responsible for recording the sound, which will be matched back to the film in editing. What he may not want to record is the sound of a blaring stereo three apartments away. Another thing that may spoil his composure is a resi-
dent doing construction during the evening (just like we were doing for most of the weekend). Is it some kind of a payback? The two Peters (A.D. and P.M.) are sometimes kept busy, chasing down errant sounds and politely requesting silence, if only for a few minutes. Most people cooperate. The residents of this building are exceptionally cooperative. They are tolerant of us, and considerate of our needs. It makes our job much easier, if not quieter. So the days continue each one being full and having some variety, yet still being a quest to get all the scenes in the script converted to visual elements and sound recorded on a hard drive. Raw footage that will be used by the editor to create a movie that someday people will experience in a movie theatre and applaud. For the crew, one day seems to flow into the next. Your life is on hold (What life?) If there are no call sheets to tell you what you are doing, you probably would not know. The call sheet is like your bible. Someone creates it (many people contribute to it) and you usually get it every evening for the next day. It tells you what will be filmed, when, how and whom, before and behind the camera. If the print is
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small, it is only because there is so much information needed and so little space. The cast and crew follow it religiously (really?) unless someone changes something. Often there will be notes made on it during the day to remind you of things needed or done. Sometimes you cross off scenes once completed, especially if scheduling of someone or something requires a change in filming order.
DAY 8 of 15: Call: 0800 / Shoot Call: 0830
This is the midpoint of filming. The Call sheet says so. It also tells us that most of the cast and crew haven’t changed since the Day 1 call sheet. That’s like continuity, Genevieve’s responsibility, although she doesn’t concern herself over crew so much. But change an actor or even something small like a prop or its placement, and she will be on you like a wet blanket. Raphael is still the Key Grip (the guy who sets up equipment and mounts stuff) although Cliff has replaced Nathan as Gaffer (electrical things and lighting). There aren’t any other grips or electric workers. This is independent filmmaking at its best. You can start the day as a lowly production assistant, and end it as a best boy grip. Just ask Ryan, or Jessica, the Production Assistants (P.A.s.) Ryan starts the day picking up cast and crew to get them to location on time. He’ll quickly jump into helping Michael prepare the breakfast, while moving equipment to get space to work in the holding apartment. Then he may get called to set to assist in building the camera crane or moving furniture. As filming starts, he likely gets a short break before giving a hand by painting or doing other construction for the art department. Then Peter will send him on an errand to pick up some necessary thing. When he returns, it may be time to set up the lunchroom, while carefully moving Alex’s art department creations to a safe storage place. After helping the caterer get set up, Ryan may be will have
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the time to walk Domi, the dog that is adopted as the mascot, which means we watch him for his owners who are in the apartment across the hall from our set. Sometimes we use a bit of their apartment in our filming, and so we watch Domi when they are out. It also means he won’t bark and wreck our sound recording at a time when there is nobody around to do anything about it. After lunch, Ryan, who may get to sit down for a half hour to eat, will take down the lunchroom, return the art department things, and do whatever else is needed. So back to Day 8. The call sheet looks simple, with four scenes to be filmed. One doorway, two living room and one in the office. All are Mexico themes, plus boxes and Australia props needed in one. Simple enough. Listed as ‘Time Permitting’ are four small scenes in the bathroom. It looks like an easy day. Looks
But of course, you cannot hit a star in the face with a tennis ball.... can be deceiving. Lower on the call sheet under ‘Please Note’ are few things to add to the challenge. One scene will have the camera across the hall in our neighbour’s apartment, Domi will be kept in the production apartment, and the water will be off in the building from 8:00 am. to 4 pm… NO S . .T! That’s not exactly what it says, but the meaning is clear. If that’s not enough, ET Canada and Futuréale will be in at lunch hour. It’s a good thing I get the lunch hour off so I can be in for my interview with the producer and director. I don’t tell anyone that it is me, and nobody bothers to ask. I did ask Rose if I could leave at lunch so I could do interviews, but didn’t tell her that the interviews were on our set. The day goes off well, and the water stays on. The first scene is Romy (Kristin Booth) opening the front door and being hit in the face with a tennis ball. But of course, you cannot hit a star in the face
with a tennis ball, as it leaves marks and gets you in trouble with their agent. On a big budget shoot, you use a stand-in for the actress, who is so happy to be on set pretending to be a star, that they will allow you to throw a tennis ball at their face many times. On this production, the budget is not so lavish, but we do have lots of tennis balls (props) and an ‘A list’ Canadian star. The scene starts very well, until they roll the camera. On ‘Action!’ the door opens, the ball flies, and Kristin gets it right in the eye. It’s quite an eye-opener, and not just for Kristin. We won’t name the shooter. It’s a major concern and increases the challenge for Ginger, the person who can do miracles with makeup. And remember that ET Canada will be in at lunch to film: “Kristin Booth, one of the hottest young stars in Canada, shows off her black eye on national television!” Imagine the publicity. This is no way to start the day. On the good side, the water stays on, Kristin’s eye goes red, but she carries on filming the scenes needed for the day, with the help of an ice cube and a bit of makeup. She is a real professional actress. The crew gets back to business, Domi gets treated like a star, and all progresses well until lunchtime. The ET crew arrives, as well as the production’s Publicity person, Julia, still photographer, Kelly, and EPK operator, Paul (the one who takes video around the set to use on the extra features on the DVD). You have to anticipate the future. Did anyone anticipate Kristin Booth having a black eye on the morning of her national television interview with dress designer, David Dixon, by Natalie Deane, and a rehearsal being filmed by Joe Lotocki, of ET Canada? I think not. Next month we’ll finish the story of the day, and the filming right up to the final cut and wrap out. – pb
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http://www.qwantz.com/
Of Computers and Comics By Matthew Braga Popular web comic author, computer programmer, and almost, says Ryan North, private investigator. “The more I looked at the courses, the more it seemed really super sketchy,” explains North of his career that never was. “The private investigators I talked to said it was all parking outside the houses of cheating spouses. It destroys your faith in people.” And while he may not have the mystique of a shady P.I, the Ottawa native has remained perfectly content as the author of Dinosaur Comics - one of the most widely read web comics on the Internet. Despite the cold weather, and a busy schedule, North managed to find some time away from his creation
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to talk comics, computers and life on the Internet. “I have several parties [to attend] later which are very exclusive,” he jokes, with a grin. “I just hope the women will stay until I get there.” Speaking between spoonfuls of mushroom-laden soup at a small Thai restaurant in Toronto, North tries to explain what exactly Dinosaur Comics is. Most striking is that the comic’s layout has stayed exactly the same since its inception. “I’ve been doing it for over 5 years now, and all I do is change the dialogue,” says North. “So it’s sort of like remixing the first comic in that sense.” The comic itself features three friends - T-Rex, Utahraptor and
Dromiceiomimus – all of whom happen to be dinosaurs. “And those are their names, because I’m not the most imaginative person in the world,” North explains. The initial concept for Dinosaur Comics was born as North was finishing an undergraduate degree in Computer Science at Ottawa’s Carleton University. It was during this time that he maintained his first site, Madhouse. The site, which is still accessible to this day – albeit, long abandoned - showcased some of North’s early wit and humour, and acted as a precursor for much of the content that would eventually be found in Dinosaur Comics. It wasn’t until he discovered various dinosaur figures in an old pack of computer clipart that he
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could construct a comic to express his unique brand of humour. Both the dinosaurs and other offpanel characters contemplate everything from food and philosophy, to computers and technology. There are even some creepy neighbours, consisting of raccoons and cephalopods. It’s a quirky juxtaposition – dinosaurs discussing the finer niceties of human life – but it’s one that’s garnered a readership of a couple hundred thousand visitors daily. It’s a formula that has worked brilliantly, with enough wit and humour to keep the series fresh; and yet, one that’s taken years to perfect. A common question for North, like many authors, is just how much of himself is found within T-Rex, the series’ highly exuberant and excitable lead character. It’s a careful balance which North has nurtured as the series has progressed. “I kind of have it both ways sometimes,” he explains. “T-Rex is not Ryan. But sometimes, things that happen to T-Rex are similar to the things that happen to Ryan.” He offers an example – during graduate school, he wrote a comic in which T-Rex is involved in a threesome. Returning to class the next day, he was greeted with the congratulations of his peers. It proved challenging to explain that the entire scenario was fiction – much to his dismay, he did not, in fact, have a threesome. “There’s this assumption that if it’s really well written, it’s something that must have happened to you; that you just can’t make stuff up,” he explains. “People can write stuff they don’t know. It’s weird because in the last 10 years, I think we’ve forgotten that. But all the characters come from me, and I feel they’re all reasonable people, which makes them easy to write about.” The Internet has proven to be a highly successful medium for the comic
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genre in recent years. While print as a medium has slowly fallen from grace, the Internet has quickly filled the role of informational juggernaut with gusto. In particular, it means the Sunday paper is quickly losing its place as the go-to domain for the comic genre. But for North, it means that he can both do and say things that aren’t considered traditionally comic in nature. That means keeping the same layout for over five years; or, pushing his own unique blend of jokes, memes and pop culture ponderings. Yet, in straying so far from what is expected visually from a comic, some question whether North’s series can even be considered a comic at all. “It’s interesting because people say if the pictures don’t change, why is it a comic at all? Why not make it a blog post?” says North. “What they’re missing is that the pictures don’t change, but the pictures still explain what’s going on.” According to North, defining comics as a whole is a near-impossible task. For some, a comic is your Sunday morning Peanuts strip. For others, a comic may not have any words. And for others still, a comic may simply be a T-Rex and a Utahraptor discussing the finer points of Lockean philosophy. “I think I’m straddling some people’s definitions,” states North. “I’ve got words and sequences, but the pictures are in some way different than the pictures you have in a regular comic because you’ve seen them before. If someone does happen to ask, I say ‘I’m a cartoonist.’ If people call me and say, ‘You know what? A cartoonist really draws,’ then I’ll say ‘okay, I’m a writer.” Regardless, North admits that in choosing such a style early on, he encountered trouble generating new ideas. “After the first month, I had nothing,” admits North. “I had this
backlog of ten or twelve [comics] … and by the end of the month, I’d used my entire backlog and had no idea what to write on Monday.” North explains with a laugh that if things had gone differently, the strip may have been re-branded as “Astronaut Comics.” Initially part of a larger plan to introduce monthly themes, working with dinosaurs proved to be easier than the alternative. “The astronaut images I had were really bad. And the thing with astronauts is that they have visors over their heads. They have no facial expressions at all, so they look really robotic. I decided to just do Dinosaur comics and found that I could keep doing it.” That being said, North has proven to be incredibly versatile, considering he works with the same six panels, day in and day out. He explains it took almost a month’s worth of updates before he realized he could have his characters continue their conversations off-panel. Months later, it occurred to North that he could even introduce entirely new characters that relied completely on offpanel dialogue, which eliminated the need for any changes visually, while still being able to build the characters. Such a move has given everyone – from Star Trek’s Captain Jean-Luc Picard to God – the opportunity to converse with T-Rex and friends. “If you put something up like ‘later…’ in the third panel, you can entirely change what’s happening in the layout,” North explains. “So it’s really flexible in a way that’s surprising. This makes remixing the images after five years less of an achievement because it’s not that hard.” Normally, those who graduate with a degree in a Computer Science – let a lone a masters – are quickly snapped up by the ever-expanding technology industry. But instead, while North may write Dinosaur Comics full time,
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on a comic? “Comics aren’t easily searched,” he explains. “The issue is that we have all this text, but it’s locked away in an image file. Google can’t read that. So Oh No Robot allows authors a way to transcribe their comics (a huge task) by splitting it into a few small easy tasks.” Once the contents of a comic have been transcribed and stored on the Oh No Robot server, it’s immediately searchable across the Internet, along with the potential to expose a web comic to a much wider audience. Yet, North’s most successful project came just last year, with the introduction of Project Wonderful – his response to the current, albeit broken model of online advertising. “The main issue is that ads are sold in terms of clicks or displays, so you pay for every click or for how many displays you get,” he says. “But the net’s not really designed to track who viewed what site where, and who clicked when.” The result is what’s commonly known as “clickfraud.” Usually, whenever a user clicks on an ad, the advertiser pays an advertising network, which in turn, pays the publisher. Yet, publishers looking to exploit this business model often coordinate large computing farms, also known as “botnets,” whose sole purpose is to illegitimately click ads in order to earn the publisher money. In order to solve such a problem, Project Wonderful aims to prevent clickfraud by only charging for the length of time an ad is displayed. “By charging for advertising time instead of per clicks, you’ve actually solved the problem by eliminating it,” explains North. But another issue is the amount given to the publishers (those displaying the ads on their website). Google Ads, for example, doesn’t tell its users how much money they retain from the sale of ads.
“You’re in this weird system,” says North. “As a publisher, they tell you that you have five clicks that cost five cents, so you now have 25 cents, and you sort of have to take their word for it.” Transparency, explains North, is the key to Project Wonderful. Unlike Google, or other advertising networks, Project Wonderful communicates just how much it retains from each sale. Currently, it’s one of the industry’s lowest values, as North’s system only takes a 25% share of advertising dollars. It’s a strategy that results in lower advertising costs, while publishers displaying the ads receive more than they would through conventional advertising networks. “It means we make less money, but I guess I’m not a very good entrepreneur,” North states with a smile. “You know, my plan isn’t ‘let’s not make money,’ it’s ‘let’s do this better.’” Of course, if the success of Project Wonderful is any indication, there’s no doubt that North has still managed to generate a healthy stream of revenue. In fact, combined with the steady number of t-shirts sold through Dinosaur Comics, North is completely selfsufficient. His work on the site, and its connected projects, are his only source of income. “[When] I started the comic, it was a choice between getting a real job, which seemed like an awful a lot of work, or just doing the comic and seeing how that goes,” North remarks. He takes a moment to reflect, then adds: “This is my job. And it worked.” Dinosaur Comics can be found at www.qwantz.com
http://www.qwantz.com/
he’s found no shortage of uses for his academic skills. “It’s not really like I’m wasting my degree; I’m just not using it in a direct way,” says North. “I never see learning as a waste. I can do comics about computer linguistics…and speak with authority.” In fact, for a short while, North even ran a second comic in tandem with Dinosaur Comics, dubbed Whispered Apologies. Much like how Dinosaur Comics experimented with the use of narration, Whispered Apologies married user submitted stories with the art of North and other web comic authors to create what he considered a collaborative web comic project. While the comic was not nearly as popular as Dinosaur Comics, what eventually killed it was not its lack of popularity, but the time it took for North to create and release each new comic. “I really enjoyed it, and I’d like to go back to it some day,” he says. “But it took just as long as it takes to write a dinosaur comic, and I didn’t have time to do two comics full time, so I had to stop.” But his computer science skills have proved far more useful than one might think. During the first couple weeks of its existence, North found the entire process of making Dinosaur Comics to be a largely simple affair. So much so, in fact, that he needed to find other ways to occupy his time. “It really only took like half a day at that point,” North explains. “Do the comic, put it up, answer the emails, browse the forums, and I’m all done. I don’t know if you’ve ever had a job where they don’t give you enough to do, but that stuff kills you.” This led to the creation of a search engine called Oh No Robot, which allowed North to use many of his computer linguistic skills to solve a common problem in the web comic world: how do you perform a web search
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Teaching By Dancing By Shazia Islam
Local choreographer Kasia Ignatowska embraces our vulnerabilities
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on a raised platform. Nice. I like intimate. A few other people came in, and they humbly took their places on the floor beside us. The performance area was spacious – bedecked with strips of translucent plastic sheets taped to the ceiling, one beside the other to make a semi-circle. Visual artist Carrie Chisholm and dancer Penny Chivas were ready to play their respective roles. When the show got underway, Carrie, dressed in a long white sleeveless dress and moving with deliberate grace, began to cover Penny with
more of those plastic sheets as she lay motionless on the f loor. Carrie then continued to hang up another plastic strip as if she were hanging the laundry. Penny struggled to remove the sheets that covered her in silent bursts of indignation, finally freeing herself. She moved as if she were waking up from a long, unpleasant sleep. She moved like she needed to teach herself how to move again. And the show continued to build up in intensity with a close interplay of Carrie’s visual artistry and Penny’s inventive movement.
all photos for this article provided by Kasia
It was a cold and wet Saturday night in T.O. As I stepped off the streetcar to the steady beat of the downpour that was soaking up the city, I felt my body slump in an exasperated cry for warmth and light. In less time than it takes to wink, I was completely drenched. I made my way along Queen Street West, towards the performance venue where local choreographer Kasia Ignatowska would be presenting her work in progress, Embracing Vulnerability. I passed block after block bracing myself against the unrelenting wind and rain. The worst was yet to come when I felt the water seep into my shoes. Needless to say, I was quite miserable. I was very close to hopping on that streetcar again and making my way back to the warmth and comfort of my home, but something compelled me to keep moving towards my destination. When I finally reached the studio space on Markham Street in a bedraggled mess, I was ushered in by Kasia herself. I really had no idea what to expect. To tell the truth, I wasn’t thinking much about the upcoming performance, but just my sad physical state. I took a seat in the small studio next to a group of fine-looking twentyto-thirty-somethings who didn’t look at all like they had been affected by the rain. Okay, I said to myself, I was going to try to enjoy myself and forget the discomfort I felt at that moment. I took a look around the studio. The small intimate crowd and I were seated
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Oddly enough, I no longer felt the discomfort of my rain-soaked shoes after the show. I felt a weight was lifted off my shoulders as the message of Kasia’s dance piece hit me. I had to accept my state at that moment, without judgment and criticism. In Kasia’s own words: Embrace your Vulnerabilities was important to express because we always judge ourselves sometimes too harshly, and it’s hard to improve or face challenges when you resist the vulnerabilities. I wanted people to realize that it’s okay to be imperfect, look weak or not at their best, and not have to apologize for it! These are the qualities that make us human. In today’s world, everyone is pressured to strive for perfection and to fit into society; so, I wanted to tell people and show the process you’re in rather than the product being polished somewhere in the back. As I mused over the message on my way home, I wondered how Kasia got started. What pulled her to dance?
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Who inspired her? What other projects a story, but makes the character rehas she worked on? What are the chal- linquish rather than reproduce an lenges that face her as an artist? Well, existing style. Kasia answered those questions and a few more in our interview. W hat are some of the physical/ emotional challenges of being a When did you know you wanted to dancer? How does dance affect your be a dancer/choreographer? What daily routine? brought you to Toronto? The physical challenge is working Around 12 years of age was when with physical limitations, which do I discovered it was more interest- make me stronger. Through yoga ing to speak through the body and and ballet training, I’m expanding movement. I moved to Toronto the range of movement. Also, I’m from Poland when I was 14. constantly working on changing the current of my spine, which has been How would you describe the type(s) effected by scoliosis. As a dancer, it of dance(s) you perform? is all about having an open, strong Contemporary dance. Translating body with a wide range of movement thoughts and feelings into movement to fully express/communicate a which involves a research based pro- statement of the most subtle dynamcess. Experiencing emotional states, ic. It is self-discipline; that’s why it’s improvising and exploring the topic crucial to be physically engaged daithrough different mediums: visual ly, whether you feel like it or not. An art, reading, talking to people. It’s emotional challenge (choreographygot its own life that doesn’t just tell wise) is that I’m always working on
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material, which allows me to figure things out, mature and expand my knowledge of a certain topic. Therefore, the context will also evolve. It’s a challenge to stay focused on the initial state of being when you’ve moved on and feel like starting a new concept.
W hat are some of the challenges of being an artist and following your artistic aspirations? Money. At the beginning, you have to be able to juggle a job in order to pay for basic needs, while figuring out funding for studio space and the dancers’ honorarium, arranging performance/rehearsal space, harmonizing everyone’s schedule, and most importantly, having a strategy for the most efficient business plan. However, the challenges feed and test the passion; so if it’s good, they’re there!
Who do you draw inspiration from? Who do you admire? For inspiration (at this point), transitions in my life. I keep surprising myself with the choices I make, people I meet, and feel a need to express and share what I learn from it. I admire Bruce Lee, Louise Lecavailer, Julie Duguay, and my great-grand mother. People who met the end of their personal growth and kept yearning for more!
H ow
do you keep yourself motivated to dance? To be honest, my body is like another person – always telling me what it wants. It craves to be in shape and expressive. When it needs down time, I’ll watch a video – most recently, “Carmen,” choreographed
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by Roland Petit and performed by Alessandra Ferri and Laurent Hilaire – check it out for yourself on YouTube! Other than that, people who are motivated, motivate me. So I read bios. I just finished reading about Bruce Lee. Now, I’m go-
hard working, sometimes it’s just hard and that’s when you should embrace it, work with it (not against it), or simply leave it; take a break doing something completely different and come back!
What’s it like working on someone else’s project? How about when you’re working on your own? I appreciate working on someone else’s project because I get to fulfill a new vision. I discover a less habitual movement through the process - become influenced by people’s emotions, become a character with a different history. Working on my own requires taping the rehearsals and inviting “outside eyes” to find out whether my intention is readable or if they see something different.
Do you think dancers have good opportunities to explore and present their art form in Canada? There is never enough funding for the arts. How do you get around this and ensure that your works are produced? To name a few, there is Series 808, where choreographers can show their works in progress. How Dare She Productions, created by Tanya Crowder, is great for obtaining audience’s feedback and an honorarium. Random events like Women in Dance pop up, which don’t provide financial support, but are great for networking and exposure. Montreal’s L’Agora de la ing through a “Bible” – a massive danse selects works from national book on the great composers. Fur- and international choreographers. thermore, live shows (music, dance, The general opinion is that there visual art) and talking to other art- aren’t enough opportunities out ists about their process gives me a there. However, the solution is in comforting feeling to know that as the statement – create the oppormuch as artists are passionate and tunity yourself. Producing takes a
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lot of creativity and improvisation, which involves bartering, getting free rehearsal space in exchange for teaching, fundraising and promotion. I think that if your work speaks for itself, and with the right amount of business skills and promotion, one can establish their own theater or a festival. I’m still working on all of these skills by the way.
W hat do you think of the rise in popularity of reality TV dance shows like So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars? Normally, I consider watching mainstream TV programs as a time waster. However, SYTYCD and DWTS creates a window for culture. As much as the contemporary dance world tends to make fun of the show for its commercial quality, creating a competition and trying to find “the best” dancer is vital, as there is a healthy challenge thrown at the choreographers who show courage by being put on the spot. I do appreciate the f lashy, technical medley of dance styles.
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Parents and kids get inspired and W hat are your thoughts on the fusign up for a variety of classes, and ture of dance? dance schools get business. I’m re- Dance will always be there to bring lieved it’s aired! the value and quality of life for those who want it. It will continue W hy is dance/creative movement to comment, answer and question important even for non-dancers? personal and world issues. It will It makes people appreciate their entertain, inspire, challenge and body rather than take it for granted. bring all around health! Dance provides the creative physical hygiene to have inner and outer Absolutely! It is truly a liberating poise, which means the ability to experience when dance and creexpress yourself with confidence. ative movement allow us to tap into Dance is a fun and a smart activity, our hidden wellspring of positive because apart from getting fit, you thinking, whether we are the danclearn cognitive skills like coordina- ers or members of the audience. In tion, peripheral vision, and how to both cases, we’re looking for a break. orientate yourself in space. Most im- Instead of the negative self-doubt portantly, it creates a great challenge and insecurity that fall upon us in that infuses a positive attitude! our day to day struggles, Kasia suggests only one simple move to make things a lot easier: accept who we W hat are your future goals involvare in any given moment and really ing dance? live that moment. Surrender to our Continue to develop warm and eloquent communication as a cho- vulnerabilities; surrender to the poreographer, dancer and teacher. tential of the present, and surrender Hold my own dance classes, estab- it through dance. L ook out for lish a dance theater, and expand K a sia a nd her i n novat ive work , my freelance career as a musical Embrac i ng Vu l nerabi l it y, some theater choreographer. t i me i n M ay, 2 0 0 9.
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AntiValentines or
February fourteenth is coming
by Leviana Coccia
Who doesn’t love choco- Hallmark Valentine’s Day makes people McConnell, an 18-year-old student at
lates, cinnamon hearts, and spending time with someone you love, whether it is a best friend, a parent, or a boyfriend or girlfriend? No one. But, who would rather be surprised with a box of chocolates by a loved one any other day instead of expecting one on Valentine’s Day? The feast of Saint Valentine is celebrated every February 14 with traditional Valentine’s cards, love letters, chocolates and roses. Perspectives have altered though, and Valentine’s Day is no longer seen as a day for love, but also a day for spending money, disappointment and transformation. In Toronto, there seems to be an antiValentine’s Day movement since a number of people refuse to celebrate the feast due to the commercial aspect of it, have no one to celebrate it with, or just dislike the day altogether. Whether these Torontonians sit around with friends and watch John Tucker Must Die or eat their emotions, a Valentine’s Day controversy does exist. The easiest way to spot whether or not there is an actual anti-Valentine’s Day movement is by checking the place where everyone connects – Facebook. There are 170 Facebook groups promoting “Anti-Valentine’s Day.” One of the groups, called “L.I.E. (Love is Evil: Anti-Valentine’s)” addresses the change in value of Valentine’s Day from surprising a loved one to expecting a gift. The group description says that a commercial or
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who are not in a relationship feel unwelcome in society because they have no one to celebrate it with. The group even has an accompanying website where the administrators went more in depth on the topic and even created a section where people can vent about Valentine’s Day and what they don’t like about it. The website argues that the main motive behind Valentine’s Day is money. Whether or not someone likes Valentine’s Day depends on who they spend it with. This reassures all those single people out there that Valentine’s Day should not be celebrated only on February 14, but every time they are with someone they love. “I don’t have anything personal against Valentine’s Day,” says Alana Wynnyczuk, an 18-year-old student at the University of Toronto. “It’s a bit ‘hallmark-y.’ But if you have someone, then it can be cute; and if you don’t, it can be a good time to hang out with friends. I have not participated in an anti-Valentine’s Day movement apart from watching John Tucker Must Die and eating a lot of chocolate with my friends.” No matter what a person’s relationship status is, Valentine’s Day should not have to be filled with presents and treats, but with quality time and memories to flourish. “It’s not that I dislike Valentine’s Day, but I don’t love it either,” states Rachel
the University of Guelph-Humber. “It’s nice to have the cute moment of ‘will you be my Valentine?’ with the flowers and such, but I don’t need an over-the-top display. I’d rather have the every day romance as opposed to the commercial Valentine’s moment.” Showing someone you care does not need to be done solely on February 14. As McConnell said, it is nice to have someone ask you to be his or her Valentine, but Valentine’s Day should not be the only day to do something thoughtful for a loved one. You can give someone a card or a letter telling them how much they mean to you any day of the year. Receiving it on Valentine’s Day should not make the letter that much more valuable and thoughtful. “Say what you want about Valentine’s Day and it being a ‘Hallmark’ or corporately constructed holiday; I like it,” says Matthew Waghorn, a student at the University of Guelph-Humber. “No one is making you buy anything. It’s a choice that we, as consumers, make. To me, it’s about spending time with people you care about. Again, it’s your choice to go spend money. Valentine’s Day is about romance, not consumer goods.” Both the guys and the girls agree that Valentine’s Day can be a little overrated, but there is nothing harmful about getting together with friends, family or a partner in the middle of February to celebrate your relationship. The main
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focus of this anti-Valentine’s Day business is the unnecessary need to purchase something from Hallmark because it’s Valentine’s Day. The purpose of the day is to show how you feel, not to show how much money you have in the bank. It just feels all too typical that Valentine’s Day has been manipulated from head to toe by Hallmark and all those huge multinational corporations, who started planning for the big day two months back. It is like Valentine’s Day is a competition between Loblaws, Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart to see how many Hershey’s Kisses and Pot of Gold’s they can sell. Like every other holiday, Valentine’s Day has become just a dollar sign. A big, fat dollar sign. “Personally, I’m not one for Valentines Day,” states Rahm Derrick, a student at the University of GuelphHumber. “I think it is too commercial! It doesn’t have its roots in any major religion and it’s not a public holiday. So I don’t see why it should be celebrated. Besides the fact that it reminds us guys to do a little extra for a special girl, there really is no point.” Stereotypes are also present with Valentine’s Day – the guy in the relationship always does something extra special for the girl. From a girl’s perspective, it is also nice to give a little something to the guy as well, not because you feel the need to, but because you want to. Just because a day has a name attached to it should not mean that a person needs to do something on that day only. The term “Anti-Valentine’s Day” needs to be redefined. Instead of it meaning everyone hating on Valentine’s Day and love (even though it can be taken to that extreme), it should be a celebration of community and well being for singles and friends everywhere. Meet Market Adventures in Toronto holds one of the largest “after work” parties that give singles and friends a chance to meet more people on Valen-
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tine’s Day. These types of organizations and events help re-define the meaning of Anti-Valentine’s Day. Samuel Gruszecki, Meet Market’s Director of Strategic Initiatives, is one of the people behind the Anti-Valentine’s Day After Work Party. The party has been successful for the past six years, and the team is expecting 800 people or more to attend the event this year. “The Anti-Valentine’s party was created for singles to get out and have some fun. With over 800 people in attendance the last two years, and the same expected this year, it’s obvious that they are having fun,” explains Gruszecki, proving that the main point of Valentine’s Day is to have fun without worrying about your relationship status. “This is the biggest Anti-Valentine’s party in North America,” he continues. “We see a range of people from their mid 20’s to late 40’s, and everything in-between. Everyone coming out is single.” Despite all the Facebook groups, not a lot of people have heard of any antiValentine’s Day movements or gatherings in the Toronto area. “I’ve never actually participated in an anti-Valentine’s day movement; maybe ‘cause I’ve never heard of one going on,” says Amanda Urbanski, a student at the University of Guelph-Humber. “If there was one, I doubt I’d participate in it.” Urbanski is not the only person who has never heard of an anti-Valentine’s Day movement. “I don’t know of any other Anti-Valentine’s functions,” Gruszecki reflects. “I don’t think there is an anti-Valentine’s movement in Toronto. I don’t really expect to see people marching on city hall with picket signs asking to have the holiday banned. This is just something light hearted and lets people know that it’s okay to be single and to enjoy life. I take the exact same standpoint. It’s no different than any other day and if you look at the history behind it, there’s very
little to do with chocolate or gift cards. It’s a celebration of standing up for what you believe in, and I believe in getting the most out of life.” It is easy to see that there are many different opinions about Valentine’s Day. Some hate it, some love it, and some are in between. Because of this variety, it is safe to say that there isn’t an antiValentine’s Day movement in Toronto. Sure, there may be people who would rather sit at home and watch sappy love stories and feed off self pity. But these are the people that need to forget about the stereotypes. Does it really matter that you did not get any candy hearts? Does it really matter that no one asked you to be your valentine? These things should only matter if you want them to matter. If you think of life as something other than candy, presents and money, then hating Valentine’s Day shouldn’t even be an option. To avoid sitting at home in despair on Valentine’s Day, call up a friend, go to a party, or have a girls or guys night. Nothing is wrong with going out for dinner with a cousin either. Love is not just what two partners share. Love is something anyone can feel. Valentine’s Day is a day to have fun and to forget about past heartbreaks. It is important that on Valentine’s Day, no one feels inadequate because that is not what love is. As sappy as it sounds, love can be celebrated on any day of the year. Today, tomorrow and yesterday will do just fine. The card you give someone to show affection does not need to be from Hallmark. It can be hand made. There is no need to dish out another $20 for Valentine’s Day; multinationals make enough money. Love everyday as if it were in remembrance of Saint Valentine. – pb
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By Leslie Luxemburger
Background Times are changing in the world economy. The U.S. is in a recession and Canada has just entered a major economic crisis. The manufacturing and automotive sectors have been hard hit, with over 100,000 job losses so far, in the U.S. and in Canada. The North American dream seems to be dying a quick death. However, that is just one side of the picture. The truth is that there is an emerging green economy whose new mantra is one of ecoefficiency, increased cost savings and green program’s services and initiatives. Therefore this economic crisis is not just a normal fluctuation in market forces, but it represents an incredible opportunity for green energy and sustainable technologies and products to emerge in Ontario, and the rest of Canada. According to a 2007 MonsterTRAK. com survey, “80% of young professionals are interested in securing a job that has a positive impact on the environment, and 92% would be inclined to work
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for a company that is environmentally friendly” (Deloitte 2008:7). Also, a recent survey by Deloitte and Charles Lockwood (2008) found that the faster a company adopts green business and building practices, the bigger the gains it stands to reap. Many companies may deny this new ‘green economy’ calling it a fad. But regulations and legislation, as well as voluntary incentives, request companies to adopt green practices, systems and programs, while greening their bottom line and realizing increased cost savings. Ironically, companies that are forced into green retrofits by regulations will lose many potential benefits available to companies that voluntarily go green earlier on, because these companies utilize financial incentives/grants available to them, obtain valuable marketing opportunities, and increase their investor confidence. Many businesses in the GTA are implementing green retrofits as a means to strategically position themselves as leaders in a sustainable world, increase profits, improve productivity, strengthen employee job satisfaction, obtain green
products and technologies at reduced rates, and attract green jobs and green business retention and attraction, while greening their bottom line. Businesses that see the green light also have incredibly exciting opportunities to stream-line their production processes, reutilize waste, capture waste heat, reduce their water and energy consumption, and participate in ecoindustrial networking and education programs. This report highlights the current trends and improvements in the Green Economy, with an emphasis on businesses in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Green Economy: What is it and what does it mean for business as usual? Green washing is the familiar sound of companies presuming to have environmentally friendly processes and products, when in fact they use it for marketing purposes and to make a quick
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profit. What is this new emerging ‘green economy’ and why is the future of business in the GTA dependent upon it? The Green Economy is the emerging system of strategic and innovative business partnerships, costsharing mechanisms and ethical money making, based on cooperation instead of competition, and on environmental sustainability, eco-efficiency, pollution prevention and social equity and diversity. The typical neoclassical economic model of the GTA only rewards competition, and has inherent ‘perverse’ economic incentives that reward many human activities that are environmentally and socially destructive, yet nonetheless increase Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The eco-industrial business model is a revolution that is central to green business: reducing the green business’s footprint on the environment, through reducing waste, energy and water demands, streamlining production processes, capturing waste heat and energy, and can include water cascading, cogeneration, waste reutilization, sustainability education and networking, programs and services for low-income families. The Green Economy is about repositioning companies and whole communities in production and consumption processes that are closely connected – moving from global based production processes (which are extremely wasteful and inefficient) to local economies of scale, where business leadership in environmental and social sustainability equal higher profits for all those involved. The truth is that many companies/ businesses consider forging new alliances with social and environmental innovators because of the many benefits- cost-sharing mechanisms through renewable energy projects, green building retrofits, corporate social marketing, green procurement/ purchasing blocks, environmental education and networking, eco-
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efficiency projects, ecological restoration, sustainable transportation, staff training, education and reward programs and much more. With the current climate crises, vanishing species and natural habitats, and a complex array of challenges on the horizon, the green economy represents not only the
solution, but the inevitable evolution in business and management in the GTA.
Green Economy benefits and challenges This section offers a short costbenefit analysis of the green retrofits/ green economy options and their benefits and costs. The short term costs are far smaller than the many long term benefits derived from green economic tools, technologies, and business management solutions. Note: These are only the ‘market benefits’ derived from green retrofits. The non-market benefits (externalities) are even greater and include: health and social wellness, natural capital and green infrastructure enhancement, water and air quality, increased quality of life (not the same as “Standard of Living”) and climate change mitigation. 1 to 5:
Freeman Associates. (2006). These benefits hold true for all ecoindustrial and green business projects implemented in the GTA. In fact, the earlier that companies adopt green business practices (green building retrofits, sustainable transportation options, etc) the larger their financial gains, and the improved production and employee retention they experience (Deloitte and Charles Lockwood 2008). According to a recent report by the Apollo Alliance and Urban Habitat (2007), generating clean renewable energy creates more jobs than using fossil fuels. In fact, in 2005 alone, renewable energy technologies around the world generated $40 billion. This is projected to quadruple in size by 2018. It is reassuring to know that jobs associated with solar, wind and solar water heating, geothermal, and bioenergy production are growing at an alarming rate. So much so, that wind energy could ultimately supply 20% of the U.S.’s electricity needs and employ tens of thousands of people in associated manufacturing, construction and maintenance jobs (ibid). Yet, despite the Ontario government being far behind in its efforts to attract renewable energy jobs to the GTA, there are incentives available to businesses in the GTA, and many exciting projects underway.
Greening the RCI sector The RCI sector consists of residential, commercial and industrial businesses, and is responsible for more than 80% of the energy used and waste and air pollution produced in the GTA (Partners in Project Green, 2008). Green retrofitting and waste re-utilization are some especially important potential sources of revenue for the RCI sector. Tapping into these eco-business networks is possible and desirable. One such example is the highly successful Partners in Project Green (PPG) Eco Business Zone, North America’s largest eco-business
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zone - 12,500 ha of industrial and commercial lands, consisting of more than 12,000 businesses, representing the sectors of: logistics and transportation, warehousing, plastics, manufacturing, automotive supply chain, and food and beverage processing (Partners in Project Green, 2008). The majority of businesses in the PPG area are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that employ between 100 and 500 people (ibid). By working together through ecobusiness networks, businesses are able to green their bottom line by sharing resources, information, staff expertise and materials, re-using waste, capturing waste heat and making profits through cogeneration. Through knowledge transfer/information sharing of ecoindustrial best practices, businesses are able to utilize new green technologies at reduced rates, conduct eco-efficiency audits, work together to share land, waste, resources and technical expertise. Through constructive “feedback loops,” one business’s waste becomes another’s product, thereby helping to eliminate waste from the business cycle. Making sustainable transportation options available to employees also helps to retain and attract green jobs, guarantee high employee satisfaction and green marketing opportunities which put businesses ahead of their competition.
installation; geothermal heat pump jobs. These jobs involve manufacturing parts, assembly, installation, maintenance, marketing and sales, construction and operation, and involve skills training and exciting mentorship/trades opportunities. In contrast, in the GTA, the number of green jobs is much less, and primarily concentrated in jobs related to planning, management at the grass roots and private sector level. Nonetheless, the The Green Economy in the GTA has the potential to create new green, local jobs and provide opportunities for youth engagement and involvement. Green jobs allow low-income residents to obtain skilled training and employment, and contribute to sustainability and urban renewal.
Summary: the future of the Green Economy in the GTA The future success of the green economy in the GTA depends upon many factors. On the one hand, the green economy will continue to grow and expand, regardless of businesses
and developers that refuse to hop on the sustainability band wagon. Companies that do not make the switch to more sustainable business practices, green production and distribution processes will fall behind, and struggle to remain competitive in a market where green technologies and environmental regulations, accrual accounting and asset management and public opinion will set the competition apart from them. On the other hand, businesses can reap the endless rewards of participating in (and forming) eco-industrial networks, such as the Partners in Project Green Pearson Eco Business Zone. The green economy is no doubt taking root in Ontario especially, in the GTA, creating very large waves of change in the RCI sectors. This means that businesses are in a position where they can either adopt new ways of doing business, through green mechanisms and practices, or they will simply be left behind in the competition because of their obsolete, rigid business models. This new green economy is what is referred to as the “restorative economy” – an economy of protecting and enhancing what matters most to people: quality of life, health, the natural infrastructure/ natural capital and quality of human
Some of the ‘Green Economy’ jobs that are expanding rapidly in the U.S. include:
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•
Energy efficiency and green building retrofit jobs: auditing energy use in buildings; manufacturing materials and devices; installation of efficient lighting and heating and HVAC systems; installation of insulation, windows, and appliances;
•
Renewable Energy jobs: jobs in solar PV, wind energy, solar water heater development and
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networks and relationships. After all, the economy is not a subset of the natural environment and the quality of our community life. As I write this, strategic and innovative green business partnerships are being formed; pollution prevention is taking hold very quickly. Production processes are being streamlined and re-engineered according to “industrial ecology” and “industrial symbiosis”– green technology, green retrofitting, ecological design processes…The very way of doing business is changing in the GTA. Thousands of businesses are becoming more socially and environmentally conscious; they are adapting to a changing market climate, from a “me first” environmentally destructive attitude of consumption, to an organic, environmentally friendly, responsible business model founded on principles of ethics, equity, social justice, sustainability and environmental protection. The success of the Natural Step Method, the Ecological Footprint (Mathias and Wackernagel and Global Footprint Network 2008), the genuine progress indicator and Roy Romanow’s Canadian Index of Wellbeing, the Genuine Progress Indicator and Redefining Progress (Pembina Institute, 2008), are just some of the examples of what this paradigm shift will mean
and look like for the emerging green economy. Essentially, it will mean businesses will make more money, while greening their production processes, reducing their waste and water and energy use, and being recognized and rewarded for green business innovation and leadership! Truly a win-win situation for businesses and all of their partners. The costs of inaction are too great to bear or even contemplate. The costs of our current actions are no longer just felt by immediate generations of human species and the myriad of diverse species on Earth, the only known planet to support life in all of the known galaxies. The costs of inaction will benefit future generations as well. The current economic system is dysfunctional: from an asset management perspective, businesses don’t destroy services, products and goods that offer other products, goods, services and benefits FOR FREE do. This is what our current economy is doing to our natural infrastructure and each time waste is produced, water and energy are used inappropriately. The research revealed that “further research into the non-marketing related roadblocks to the use enhanced on-site stormwater management technologies [and green technologies and practices] in the business sector is required before an implementation plan can be developed”
(Sustainable Technologies, 2008). Therefore, for businesses to switch to the new green economy, they must adopt green business practices, such as those mentioned in this report. The market’s reaction to the green economy is a positive one and the costs of doing green business decreases, each time that a business switches to the green economy network. The longer those businesses wait for the next guy to make the switch to go green, the harder and more expensive it will be for them to do so, and the more regulatory barriers they will encounter. The first challenge lies in educating businesses, industries and the public about the real costs savings and benefits of green business.
What steps can your business take? There are many opportunities available to you and your business: •
Join an existing eco-business network, such as Pearson EcoBusiness Zone or contact Partners in Project Green staff for assistance with technical expertise and advice (416661-6600).
•
Form your own ecoindustrial/business network – contact businesses within a 10 km radius and create a map of the ‘production and waste stream’ for your area to see which businesses can benefit from trading/sharing which products, wastes, waste heat, etc. Conduct research to find suppliers of green products and technologies that your company can use.
•
•
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Conduct an “eco-energy audit” to determine the areas where your business operations can save money and enhance environmental performance, save water, energy and reduce
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waste. •
•
•
•
Educate senior management on the benefits of green business practices. Utilize cost sharing mechanisms available by forming citizen programs for eco-efficiency and utilizing the support of planning and development staff and businesses in your municipality. Utilize funding and innovative marketing strategies and programs available to you; and Create an environmental management system for your company that includes: staff training and education programs, rewards for ecoefficiency, committees.
Greening Retail. Accessed November 25, 2008 online: http://www. greeningretail.ca/ GTAA Partners in Project Green. (2008). Eco-Business Approach. Accessed September 14, 2008 online: http://www.partnersinprojectgreen. com/eco-business-defined/ecobusiness-approach Mountain Equipment Coop. Greening Our Operations. (2008). Accessed December 20, 2008 online: http:// www.mec.ca/Main/content_text. jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1408 474396038944&FOLDER%3C%3Ebr owsePath=1408474396038944&bmUI D=1230398847445 Freeman Associates. (2006). Action Plan for Sustainable Practices –
Implementation Strategies for the Residential and Business Sectors in the Greater Toronto Area. Accessed December 8, 2008, online: http:// www.sustainabletechnologies.ca/ Portals/_Rainbow/Documents/ Social%20Marketing%20Action%20 Plan%20-%20November%202006.pdf Toronto and Region Conservation. (2008). Living City Vision. Accessed November 5, 2008 online: http://www. trca.on.ca/Website/TRCA/website. nsf/WebPage/trca__living_city__ living_city?OpenDocument&ppos=1 &spos=0&rsn= Zero Footprint. Green World Marketplace: Canada. http:// zerofootprint.net/green-world/ organizations/tag/Canada
References & Resources For more information on making the leap to green business practices, products and services, please visit: www.partnersinprojectgreen.ca, and read the material in this references section: Apollo Alliance and Urban Habitat. (2007). Community Jobs in the Green Economy. New York: United States. 21 pp. Cunningham, S. (November 13, 2008). The Restorative Economy. At the Credit Valley Conservation Sustainability Conference. Mississauga, ON. Deloitte and Charles Lockwood. (2008). The dollars and sense of green retrofits. Deloitte Development. 8 pp. Green Biz.com. (2008). Business Operations. Accessed December 2, 2008 online: http://www.greenbiz. com/
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Benefits
1. Reduced operating costs
2. Access to green technologies, solutions and products at reduced rates
3. Increased economic competitiveness
4. Reduced business risk 5. Better investor confidence and financing for projects
6. Greater regulatory compliance
Costs
1. A 5% to 10% increase in upfront costs (to make transition to green business products, activities). The average pay back period is 6 months. 2. Differences in site requirements and/or responsibilities between business owners/ managers and tenants (e.g., property management firm not responsible for retrofits to existing structures – tenants responsibility – but they are responsible for site) ¹ 3. There is no consistent vision as to which ecoefficiency/green business products and practices are most important for that business or market sector. 4. Securing municipal approvals for construction the major consideration for building owners/managers at the early development stages ² 5. Environmental stewardship not seen as core business and therefore not a major focus of building owners/managers (beyond compliance with regulations/shorter-term payback technologies) ³ 6. Paybacks (where they exist) associated with onsite stormwater management technologies are long term and much less desirable than environmental technologies with shorter payback periods, such as certain energy conserving/ generating retrofits or energy
7. Higher employee job satisfaction and greatly improved productivity 8. Corporate branding and green marketing improve corporate image and production 9. High employee job retention and attraction –
conserving/generating technologies for new construction 4 7. Building design and planning driven by costs, (primary focus on capital and carrying costs, not operational costs), function and regulations (to secure approvals) 5
attraction and retention of skilled labour force 10. Environmental benefits: reduce climate change impacts, prevent pollution from harming human and natural communities, improve air and water quality and make the GTA area a better place to live.
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Cannabis culture in Toronto
By Kait Fowlie Deep in the shady corners of Toronto’s most insubordinate subcultures lies a revolutionary seed. It’s sprouting, slowly but surely, and it’s pushing the borders of social propriety, medical ethics and agricultural norms. I’m talking about Cannabis. Reefer, pot, Mary-Jane, dope, ganja … its many aliases are a product of its wide referral from many different types of people. After all, Canada in all its multicultural glory, boasts the largest population of people who regularly smoke up, as reported by last year’s World Drug Report by the UN Office of Drugs and Crime. Toronto has a slight, yet proud sect of stoners, who represent themselves in many different businesses, events and organizations. From clothing to coffee shops, cannabis has a distinctive following among the citizens of Toronto. But unlike our West Coast and European counterparts who shout their enthusiasm from the rooftops, Toronto’s division is a fairly underground assembly. Unfortunately for the masses! Originally cultivated in Central
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Asia many thousands of years ago, cannabis is an extremely versatile and useful plant. Marijuana is found in the buds, leaves, and resin (or gum) of the cannabis sativa plant. These parts contain THC, a cannabinoid responsible for the psychoactive properties of cannabis. The stems and seeds of the plant are called hemp marijuana’s close counterpart. Hemp is an extremely versatile biome used in the construction of health foods (hemp nuts are packed with protein and essential fats), clothing, paper, cosmetics, biodegradable packaging materials and much more. No need to worry about slipping into a parallel universe simply by adorning a sweater made of hemp fibres - hemp is legal because it doesn’t contain any THC. In fact, hemp is much more durable than cotton and significantly more of an efficient insulator (so it keeps the wearer more comfortable in their current universe). Cannabis made its way down the spice trade and spread to Africa, Europe and eventually, the Americas. Here in
Toronto, a curious soul may be able to find outlets for cannabis paraphernalia at the many head shops dotted along Queen st. West and Kensington Market. Or perhaps one of the few elusive coffee shops in the city. A few of these concept cafes exist in Toronto and strive to offer a hassle free, accepting environment for stoners. The Kindred Café is an example of one of these progressive establishments, serving a wide variety of fair trade, organic teas and coffees, food and baked goods. Fully equipped with a scenic rooftop patio, the cafe can also act as a private party venue to suit ones social stimulant ingestion. It is located just west of Yonge, south of Wellesley. Hot Box café and are both located in the heart of Kensington market. These places are shameless. Roach-oRama lures people in with its eclectic music, psychedelic atmosphere and fresh market foods. Hot Box welcomes folks of any race, economic status, religion, as long as they are down with pot. Kensington Market is an excellent
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environment for such a place. I’ll admit, I’m biased. During my time as a ‘hemployee’ at Hot Box Café last summer, I fell in love with the laid back clientele, the occasional tip in pot brownies and the fact that there was never a dull moment, really. The business was single handedly started up by a righteous female, Abi Roach, who quickly became well known in Kensington Market for her atypical passion. I’d recommend that any pot positive soul go on down and try the tokin’ tuna melt. Despite the out-in-the-open existence of these organizations, cannabis is still illegal in Canada. Don’t ask me how it works - I just made the food at Hot Box. However, it is generally known that, with the exception of those who have obtained a legal permit for medicinal use, the devils grass is off limits insofar as the public eye is concerned. But efforts put forth by Hot Box, Kindred Café and other organizations are just a small step for a stoner, and one giant leap for users everywhere. For example, the Toronto Freedom Festival, which hosts the Marijuana March, is a passionate attempt to raising awareness of the benefits of pot. The festival itself is a celebration of our collective freedom and modernity. Held at Queens Park north, the jam hosts four stages of live music and speakers, over 50 vendors and a diverse range of food. The best part- It’s 100% free! The 2008 festival saw about 15,000 attendees, a profound increase in turn out in comparison to 2007. The Marijuana March has been a permanent fixture on the first Saturday of May for the past 10 years. The philosophy of marijuana’s many advocators is, legalizing cannabis would be helpful for the economy (tourism and ‘sin tax’), while banishing the taboo of the drug. Not to mention the positive impact of medical
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marijuana. Its benefits in this context rely on its properties conducive to pain relief, relaxation, and appetite stimulant. A Toronto based organization called C.A.L.M. (Cannabis as Living Medicine) aims to provide Canadians in need with access to medical cannabis. 90% of Canadians support medical marijuana.
Obviously, political and social stigmas pose obstacles for the organization. C.A.L.M’s goal is to overcome these stigmas and liberate its users, without shame or disgrace. Why do these obstacles exist? The downsides of marijuana are obviously more prevalent than its benefits. Some might say that smoking pot is conducive to laziness, social isolation, memory problems and lack of coordination. One of the biggest
concerns revolving around marijuana is the possibility of it being a gateway drug, leading to other drugs with even bigger health concerns. According to the UN report, a staple of police forces in the global sphere, while Canada represents the most pot smokers, we are actually under the international average for heroin, amphetamine and ecstasy use. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, haters! Take it from legendary Jamaican reggae star Bob Marley, who advocated marijuana use by questioning in his music, how a plant created by god could be made illegal by humans. He reasoned that if growing cannabis is a crime by mans standards, then God must be a criminal. While I don’t necessarily believe that smoking a fat sack of dope every day is exactly conducive to a healthy lifestyle, I do believe that cannabis has the potential to help people. If we can’t overcome the stigmas around this substance, than we may lose progress in the medical world. Not to mention lose an objective viewpoint. We have overcome so many social stigmas in the past concerning the lifestyles of others. Why can’t we get past this one? Are stoners hurting others? What benefit does the marijuana taboo hold in society? Would you lose respect for a prospective friend if you found out they smoked pot? Why? I urge you to meditate on these questions so we can clear the smoke, so to speak, concerning the reefer revolution.
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The Rise of Interactive TV
In a generation that is consumed by the internet, the marriage of television and the World Wide Web is hardly a surprising one. This past fall, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) announced its plans to create a 24-hour digital channel called Current Canada. Approximately one third of its content will be user generated content (UGC), and viewers will be able to submit short video clips via their website. In a statement released by the CBC in late 2008, executive vice president Richard Stursberg discussed the concept behind Current Canada. “It collapses the distinction between the programmers and the audience, so that the audience becomes the programmers,” says Stursberg. “You have to think of it not as a conventional broadcast network, but as something utterly flattened. It’s much more like a social network.” The channel is a result of a partnership between the CBC and an American television channel based on the same premise, Current TV. Although Current TV was the brain child of former U.S. vice-president Al
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Gore, the channel does not have the environmentally focused agenda that one might expect. Instead of another Inconvenient Truth, the topics of discussion on Current TV range from music to international politics to technology. While the upcoming Canadian channel will be largely modeled after its American counterpart, it will still have to adhere to federal broadcasting rules, namely that 35% of its content must be Canadian. CBC announced that an application has already been submitted to the federal broadcast regulator (the CRTC) for Current Canada, but the channel and its corresponding website likely won’t begin operation until 2010. While this user generated content based channel may seem like a venture into the unknown, Current Canada is
By Vickie Lee
actually modeled after many existing programs. First of all, Current TV has already been on the air for almost four successful years. Launched on the morning of August 1, 2005, Current TV has since won an Emmy for Best Interactive Television Service in 2007, and has spawned similar channels in Italy and the United Kingdom. Fu r t h e r m o re, interactive television is not really a novel concept at all, as director of the graduate Media Production program at Ryerson University, Dana Lee points out. “The idea of UGC being submitted to a television show or channel isn’t a new idea - America’s Funniest Home Videos has been doing it for years,” says Lee.
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Rather, it is only the medium in which the content is submitted that has changed. The internet provides us with faster and more convenient ways in which we can submit videos in for consideration. Moreover, the advent of more advanced and more user friendly technology has made it easier for even the most technologically disabled to shoot their own videos. Higher quality videos will also be more likely to entice viewers, compared to the hand held camcorders of old. However, our neighbours to the south certainly do not deserve all the credit for the innovation of this interactive type of programming. Although Current Canada is set to be modeled after Current TV, ironically, the latter actually was partially inspired by a Canadian program called ZeD TV, which ran late night on CBC from 2002 to 2006. The experimental Canadian program aired videos submitted by users via their website, with no segment being longer than a few minutes each. Even though the show was nominated for an Emmy and several Gemini awards, CBC announced the cancellation of ZeD in May, 2006. Nonetheless, CBC held on to their vision of interactive programming, by diligently maintaining the ZeD website, and now by creating an entirely interactive channel. While not too many people may be familiar with Current TV or ZeD, there are certainly a few who do not have a working knowledge of the ever popular UGC website, YouTube. In many ways, the parallel between the proposed Current Canada and YouTube is blatant. Both are dependent on video clips being submitted by their users, and the content is almost exclusively videos under ten minutes. However, the CBC has stated that Current Canada is not meant to simply be another YouTube. The main difference between the two mediums is in how it engages the viewer.
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“When we surf YouTube, we pick and select by either finding our own links…or by typing explicit search information into YouTube’s search engine,” says Lee. “Current TV takes all of this away from the television viewer.” In other words, Current Canada will still allow the viewer to sit back and not have to actively filter what they are watching. However, Current TV gives more power to the viewer than conventional television programming does, by allowing the viewer to control, in some part, what the channel shows. So what is one to make of this trend of interactive media that seems to be on the rise in the past decade? There will almost certainly be
a positive response from the CBC’s target audience, the eighteen to thirty year olds. They are mostly likely to be interested in producing UGC, and will produce content that will interest others in this demographic., David Tucker, a media professor at Ryerson University, sees the positive in this, as it will allow for the democratization of televised content and for more people to have their voices heard.
However, Tucker sees potential downfalls as well, should this interactive programming take a more permanent hold on television networks. As everyday people seek to take a greater control over what is shown on television, this will consequently mean that someone in the network is losing some of their power. “The people I am concerned about are working media professionals; the writers and production people already hurting from the economic downturn, CRTC drama policy, shrinking license fees and dwindling opportunities as consumers assume greater control over content, driving down the value of their expertise,” says Tucker. Good or bad, the launch of Current Canada may not be occurring at the most opportune time. In November, 2008, Current TV announced that it would be cutting sixty positions, with thirty new positions being created. The channel stated that the layoffs were a preventative measure, ensuring the company stays profitable through 2009. Furthermore, Current TV said that it would be changing its format from shorter length UGC to more traditional thirty minute videos. So what does this all mean for Current Canada? Executives must make careful decisions in choosing the content allowed to air. People expect a certain standard in the quality of videos they watch on television, and furthermore, are not accustomed to short length videos. However, if marketed correctly, Current Canada will be able to take advantage of this technologically savvy generation, who are more than willing to have their fifteen minutes of fame. In addition, this channel has the opportunity to capture what is uniquely Canadian. Whether this produces enticing content, or simply interests a limited audience, remains to be seen.
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arts.culture.living
From Newmar ket to Wister ia Lane
Indie group Tokyo Police Club has a lot to cheer about By Sarah Rix “I’m sixteen, cute. I like graphic novels and Tokyo Police Club.” Perhaps a band knows it has made it big when it gets name-dropped on Desperate Housewives. Maybe an even better in-dication of a band’s success is when they actually get invited to appear on the aforementioned show. Granted, when Tokyo Police Club made their prime-time television debut in November, 2008, they performed in a “battle of the bands” under a different name: Cold Splash. Their spot on the show also likely had more to do with the fact that the four guys in the band happen to be good friends with a Desperate Housewives script coordinator. But beyond the silly name change and one-liners, a little exposure never hurt anyone. And a little exposure on a huge show like Desperate Housewives isn’t so bad for the little-indie-band-that-could out of Newmarket, On-tario. Graham Wright (keyboards), Josh Hook (guitar), David Monks (bass/vocals) and Greg Alsop (drums) make up the high-energy indie rock band that has increasingly garnered both critical success and a core fan following since their 2005 formation as Tokyo Police Club. Before gaining success under their current name, the four members had already faced a breakup, and general commercial disappointment, under their previous project, Suburbia. Their regroup as To-kyo Police Club, which occurred a few months following Suburbia’s breakup, was credited to their love of making music together. Early indications of the band’s regrouping
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were hardly promising. Playing with no set agenda in the basement of Hook’s house and at small Toronto concerts during the summer of 2005, the foursome were met with general disinterest. The To-ronto suburbanites were close to again parting ways when an invitation to play the Pop Montreal festival came up. It was in Montreal that the Toronto band played to a sold out crowd that ate up their raucous, garage rock style. It was at this point that Wright, Hook, Monks and Alsop became convinced that they could indeed be on to something and that it was time to make Tokyo Police Club a full-time commitment. After signing with a local indie label (Paperbag Records), the band released A Lesson In Crime, their debut EP in the spring of 2006. Despite only clocking in at just over sixteen minutes in length, the band toured to promote the EP throughout the fall of 2006. Back then, the band re-lied on gimmicks to make their shows memorable. This included the waving of a red flag and signs displaying the band’s name. This was then followed in early 2007 by the release of another album called Smith EP. Throughout this touring, Tokyo Police Club increasingly garnered fan buzz, largely through MySpace, the networking site known for making bands and connecting them with an audience. The MySpace buzz ultimately led to critics taking notice. Blender, Nylon, the New York Times and Entertainment Weekly all raved about the band. A Lesson In Crime, which was eventually re-released to a wider audience,
went on to sell over 30,000 copies – an unexpected suc-cess for a band that only learnt to play in their final year of high school. Up to (and including) the present day, the band has continued to tour, making notable ap-pearances at Edgefest in 2006, the Coachella music festival, Virgin Festival, Lollapalooza, Glas-tonbury Festival, Reading Festival and the Roskilde Festival. Beyond David Letterman and Craig Ferguson appearances, they also toured in 2008 with alternative-rock favourites Weezer and An-gels and Airwaves. They also finished off the year by co-headlining appearances at Jingle Bell Rock, a crosscountry concert tour with Canadian indie heavy-weights such as Metric, The Dears, and Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains (of Death From Above 1979 fame). Monks described the band’s early music as “wide-eyed post-punk with a tendency to get over excited - so much so that someone has to come and tell it to settle down.” But after almost three years of solid touring on increasingly larger scales, the band’s music has undoubtedly ma-tured and evolved. April, 2008 saw the release of Elephant Shell, Tokyo Police Club’s first LP. It was released under their new label, Saddle Creek Records. Indeed, Elephant Shell shows that the young men have learnt to work with and commit to their various musical styles. But don’t assume that Tokyo Police Club are only aimed at pleasing the young, internet-savvy generation. In January, 2008, they took the stage
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including Tessellate, which was named by CBC Radio 3 as the number one song of 2008. Soundsect.com, reviewing Smith EP, stated, “At this point in time, there just hasn’t been a Tokyo Police Club song released that hasn’t been good.” And despite almost all of Tokyo Police Club’s songs being relatively short (only one song on Elephant Shell clocks in at over three minutes), critics have come to the general consensus that the length of their songs, and thus their albums, are secondary to their quality. In other words, what you’re paying for is quality over quantity. Tokyo Police Club manages to pack in everything they want to say in a short amount of time as possible. Perhaps this is another indication that they were indeed born out of a media-savvy age; an age where attention spans are short and often wandering. The short songs are also interesting when it comes to seeing the band perform live. When one song ends and
another begins, you can see Monks, the lead singer and bass guitarist, step back from the microphone and just take it in. The eager crowd lies before them with bated breathe, waiting for the familiar cry of “Operator, get me the President of the World. This is an emergency,” before they launch into Cheer It On. Indeed, Tokyo Police Club has something to cheer about. As the band will continue to tour in 2009, hitting up the United States in the early part of the year, one thing is certain. As far as Tokyo Police Club goes, and no matter how short their songs happen to be, they’re poised on the brink of massive stardom. Beloved by college kids and teenagers, yet still liked by my own father, it’s an exciting time for both them and their fans. The little indie band that could just might prove to the world that not all Canadian music happens to be Celine Dion or Nickelback. Not only does Tokyo Police Club have something to cheer about, but so do we.
www.tokyopoliceclub.com
at Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square to play the family-friendly Winter City Festival. Teenagers, parents, their kids and people walking past stood to watch the band – fingerless mittens in tow – drive through both familiar and unfa-miliar material. Despite freezing temperatures and falling snow, at least 2,000 people turned out to see the band deliver the free concert – a far cry from when they made an appearance a yearand-a-half earlier at the University of Toronto’s after-frosh concert, playing to about 75 confused kids. The band has already garnered over 1.5 million listens on popular music sites like last.fm. Radio wise, Nature of the Experiment – off of A Lesson In Crime – received heavy rotation, and Cheer It On, from the same EP, which invites calls of ‘Tokyo Police Club!” during the chorus, garnered play on both national radio stations and MuchMusic. Elephant Shell, which debuted at number ten on the Canadian album chart, has already spawned four singles,
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By
Shazia I s l a m
Flip through any celebrity magazine and you will certainly see full-coloured spreads of the darlings of Hollywood, most of whom are embroiled in some personal tragedy that ought to remain private instead of on the front pages of the tabloids. 42
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A l Sapienza was photographed by Paul Bannister
Evening
An with Al Sapienza
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We get more juice on Branjelina’s babies and Gwyneth’s post-natal flat abs than their talents as actors. However, there is a rare breed of actors who have managed to keep their private lives safe from public glare and scrutiny. They have used their fame to educate people and share their wisdom on the fine art of acting. Al Sapienza is one such actor. I got the opportunity to meet Al at the historical Royal Alexandra Theatre. He and the rest of the cast of the hit musical, “Dirty Dancing”, were getting ready for another night’s performance of the show. The show has been extended and will be playing at the Royal Alexandra until February 1st, 2009. I had only watched a few episodes of the hit TV series, “The Sopranos”, in which Al plays mafia hit man, Mikey Palmice. Although I had seen the classic movie version of “Dirty Dancing” countless times, I had yet to march myself over to the box office and grab myself a couple of tickets to a production not to miss. Of course I had seen “Pretty Woman” like every other fairy-tale addicted woman a number of times as well, and recognized Al as the courteous doorman. I
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was also armed with a set of interview questions based on some research I had done about Al. I knew quite a bit about his acting credentials and background history, so I was confident that the interview would be straight-forward and I would get all the answers I was looking for. I was pleasantly surprised. Al welcomed me at the theatre with a charming smile. I immediately felt at ease. Our conversation began with an informative tour of the century-old theatre. Al took me through the actors’ quarters. The rooms were cozy little spaces with all the mirrors framed with the large white bulbs characteristic of a star’s dressing room. He showed me the stage set which consisted of a number of moving platforms that would be raised, lowered, and rotated during the course of the show. The performers are apparently not the only ones doing the dancing. We went up to the rafters where all the lights were ready for motion. The bird’s eye view of the stage and the theatre’s interiors was spectacular and I could only imagine what a magical experience it must be for an artist to perform in such a venue as this.
After the tour of the theatre, we grabbed a bite at Al’s favourite restaurant in T.O., KitKat. I had what Al was having, a delectable chicken dish followed by the most scrumptious chocolate cake ever. It was quite easy for me to forget that I had a job to do. Al made me feel quite at home, and our conversation took many different turns. Whatever questions I had planned to ask were thrown out the window as spontaneity became the order of the evening. Al had a lot to say about acting and then some. It was quite apparent to me that this was his passion. Acting fit him as neatly as a glove. Al studied management and marketing at NYU. He didn’t really enjoy it and turned to his musical background for inspiration. He started drumming when he was just eight which gave him the talent and creativity to compose a tune for his ex-girlfriend. This song had all the right ingredients because it caught the attention of a big time producer, Murray K, who was otherwise known as the fifth Beatle. Murray K offered Al a role in the stage musical, “Beatlemania”. He played the role of Ringo which
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opened his eyes to the world of acting. The next step in his journey took him to L.A. where he studied Stanislavsky’s method acting principles. He took the classes for about fourteen years, and at the same time, took on many different acting jobs. Al said that in order to make it in this business, a budding actor needs to immerse him/herself in acting and be prepared to work fifty or more hours a week. He believes that getting your feet wet with the non-paying and minor roles will help get your foot in the door. It certainly paid off for him. His versatility as an actor is impressive. He has played a wide range of characters, from doorman to hit man, from loving father to tragic artist. You name it, Al has played it. Not to mention, his first venture as an actor was in theatre, and he has performed in over thirty plays to date. And if it’s a new character on his agenda, he puts his method acting to work and hits the streets to see who these people are for real. He talked about the idea of being present, and how important it is for an actor to experience the scene as a real event. I can see how actors tend to be a little more accepting of the multi-dimensional and compli-
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cated aspects of human nature, more so than most people. As Al spoke of the different roles he had played, I could see the humanity in his eyes which became even more pronounced when he shared his thoughts about his country’s future. He was there just after the massacre and destruction of 9/11, alongside his fellow New Yorkers as they worked together to bring peace back to their city and country. Perhaps his success can be attributed to his work ethic and passion. You gotta love what you do. Al’s got the whole thought controls reality philosophy down. The universe opens up for you if you focus all your attention on the thing you want, and that he did. He also asserts that no matter what you might see in the magazines, there is a role for all shapes and sizes, and if you look closely enough, you’ll find something that fits and brings out your potential. This, of course, is the kind of thing everyone wants to hear. We want to know that even mortals who can’t live on an apple a day deserve a space under the spotlight. Well, Al doesn’t live on an apple a day. He takes good care of his physi-
cal and mental health, and is always prepared for the next role that comes his way. He landed roles in movies like Lethal Weapon 4, Frankie and Johnny, Free Willy 2, Phoenix, and the musical American Mall. He also produced his own movie called “The Gifted” in which the world of music and hustling collide. Some of his roles are one-liners, while others are more apparent and physically demanding. All of them have played a part in fulfilling his destiny as an actor. Al said that he intended on acting for as long as possible, well into his later years. In that case, it will be very exciting for his fans to see the adventures he comes across on the stage and on the silver screen. Our conversation ended, well, because Al had a show to do. Don’t miss Al in “Dirty Dancing” playing at the Royal Alexandra Theatre until March 29th, 2009. I can’t wait any longer myself and must be off to grab some seats and see Al in action. For more information, please visit the official website, www.DirtyDancingToronto.ca. – pb
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York students losing hope as anger and frustration grows By Adrian Cheung Unless you live under a rock, you’ve undoubtedly heard about the York University strike by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local branch 3903. York employees including teaching assistants are feuding with the school’s administration. And if you know anyone that attends the school, it’s likely that you’ve had a conversation that goes something like this: You: “So, what’s going on with the strike? They got a deal hashed out or what?” York student: “No, not yet. One side keeps bringing proposals to the table and each time it gets knocked down by the other side. I’m not too worried though, it should settle itself out no in time.” That type of talk was probably more common in week 3 of the strike. Talk to that same York student now (week 11) and it should probably sound more like this: You: “Is this strike coming to a close yet?” York student: “Hmm. NO! It isn’t resolved yet! Everyone’s being selfish and it’s hurting all of the students! @#$%&!” What was once seen as an extended summer break for some students has become a mixture of confusion, uncertainty and anger. “[The students] don’t know what to do with themselves. You do all your work that you’ve been assigned up until the strike; you do all your readings. But after that, what’s left?” said Leanne Simaan, 18, an Art History student at
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York. The strike, which started on November 5th, has become a stubborn struggle, set around the new set of demands that CUPE 3903 has been asking for from their employers. One of the most contentious issues in the new bargaining agreement is a demand of 10.5% wage increase for teaching assistants and greater job security. Tyler Shipley, spokesperson for CUPE 3903 says that the wage increase discussions have been exaggerated and that they are striking on the basis of job security and fairness to the teaching profession. “We’re trying to protect our members and the university at large from a really disturbing trend towards a casualization of teaching. And by that, I mean, moving away from full-time, well-paid and specifically tenured positions,” Shipley said. Shipley gave the example of one of the member’s situation who received a 25% cut from his previous year’s wages; a teaching assistant supporting a family and paying off a mortgage on a $14,000 salary for the four courses that he would be teaching. As he spoke on the phone, Shipley sniffled, battling a cold, brought on by the long winter marked by fierce negotiations and even longer times spent out on the picket lines. “It’s been tough, no question. And not just financial hardship. Four hours is a long time out in the cold.” York University meanwhile, has repeatedly stated through various media sources that CUPE’s proposals have been unreasonable, given the current
economic recession. CUPE’s initial proposal in the bargaining agreement included a 40% wage increase over the next three years. York’s spokesperson Alex Bilyk told The Excalibur, York’s campus newspaper, “I certainly understand the frustration that this group has voiced; they’ve put some good thought to their recommendations and their timetable. Bargaining is an item with quite a few dynamics to it, you know, it takes two to make a deal, so it’s a two-way street.” The street better start moving a little quicker! Shipley said that if an agreement is not reached by late January, it is likely that the 2008-2009 school year will be cancelled. But what appears most at stake here may not be what a union like CUPE wants, nor is it what an institution like York wants. The ones with the most at stake are those that have no voice at the negotiation table – the students. “We’re waiting for months for an answer and there’s no conclusion. We wait every Monday, we ask ‘Is school coming back?’ and the answer’s always ‘no’,” said Simaan. Bryan Brewda, 18, studying Music Performance and Education, says that he has been a frequent player of the guessing game. “I thought that when both sides met on Nov 5th, I thought that York U would give in so that a strike wouldn’t occur, but it did. I was anticipating it lasting around two weeks to a month, but I was very wrong,” said Brewda. Heading into January, CUPE brought forward their third proposal into the meeting rooms. And that is
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exactly what many students are complaining about – a lack of voice in negotiations. But Shipley from CUPE said “There is a reason the students aren’t at the table – it’s because they aren’t stakeholders in the actual contract we’re negotiating, so this is not going to dictate how we proceed in bargaining.” That specific quote has garnered much controversy by students who argue that they are stakeholders, stakeholders in their own education and their futures. And while students may not have a direct say on what happens between York and CUPE, that doesn’t mean they haven’t been voicing their opinions, their feelings and campaigning for the strike to end. Word is spreading fast and students are getting connected with the help of the internet. Through the “York Anti-Strike” Facebook group and the student-created website YorkNotHostage.com students have been able to keep up-to-date on new developments, learn more about the issues and voice their opinions. Lyndon Koopmans, 18, a Schulich Business student has been one of the more proactive students and is one of the creators of the site. It has been designed to keep students in the loop, a place where rallies have been organized, as well as taking part in letter-writing campaigns to MPPs. YorkNotHostage.com has been careful not to support either side in the strike,
but instead asking for a quick end to the three-month strike. Koopmans hopes that the site can be a forum where words are met with change and where students can have a real impact, even if they aren’t in the meeting rooms. “Our goal is to give [students] a voice, yes but, but also give them a voice that can get something done. I think that’s the best thing that you can do,” said Koopmans. He says that running the group has become a “full-time job” and has kept him busy for all the time off. Other students haven’t been quite as lucky. Many employers and internships are turning down York students for positions because there is no guarantee when the strike will end, throwing work schedules into doubt. “I can’t guarantee that I’ll be there next Thursday because school could start any day. And the companies are in a hard position too because then they have to find people to fill your spot,” said Simaan. She included that she knew of many peers who simply told their employers that they don’t go to York. This is what it has come to for many students. Work on the same project, the same essay, the same research that you’ve been working on over two months. Or get turned away from a job over something that you have no control over. It’s no surprise that many
students have been reduced to sitting at home, waiting for an answer, any answer. “I feel like I’m just rotting, just wasting away,” said Mistry, as sounds from the T.V. blared in the background. For another first-year Schulich business student, Laura Kong, 18, it’s not just her plans that have been disrupted, but her parents as well. “My mom wants to retire by the time I’m supposed to graduate (2012) and my dad wants to retire a year after that. They would have to help me pay for four and a half years of school if this year’s cancelled and that’s a lot to ask for,” Kong said. The overwhelming loss of hope and disappointment has led some students to think of transferring to other schools, where they could start fresh. Other students are not as willing to compromise, saying that they had worked very hard, fighting through the tough competition to get into their programs. And so slogging through the exhausting months of November, December and half way through January, many students have become closer to other York students connected if by nothing else, then by being in the same boat. People from programs that would never meet have joined the same groups, Schulich and Osgoode schools have met, first and fourth year students are mingling, teachers and teaching assistants have something in common, besides the work inside the lecture halls and offices. “We have a great program here, great people, great professors, great students and lots of friendships. And it really hurts when something like this comes out and destroys all that and keeps us away,” Koopmans said. And it’s never been clearer that more than just a school year is at stake. Editor’s Note: This article was written prior to the back to work legislation
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I will change. I will spend more time with family & friends. I will lose weight. I will drink less. I will relax. I will learn something new. I will get into shape. I will do some volunteer work. I will get organized. I will find a better job. I will get to bed earlier. I will get out of debt. I will have a smaller footprint. I will eat better. I will take a vacation. I will make more art. I will have a better love life. I will save money monthly. I will have a dinner party. I will go running regularly. I will make some new friends. I will become a vegetarian. I will read more. I will spend less time watching TV. I will see more live entertainment. I will take swing dancing lessons. I will fight fair. I will stop I will learn to knit. I will go back to over it. I will study journal. I will drink
eating junk food.
The Resolution Rock
FutuRéale’s Dave Proctor made some New Year’s resolutions. This is his story.
visit my parents. I will explore. I will
I will write a poem. church. I will get harder. I will start a less coffee. I will I will stop worrying. count my blessings.
I will be happier. I will forgive. I will spend less time playing video games. I will buy a gym membership. I will get a haircut. I will dress better. I will shave daily. I will stop procrastinating. I will begin over. I will stop smoking. I will carry spare change for the homeless. I will clean my room. I will become a better listener. I will improvise. I will be greener. I will broaden my horizon. I will not be bullied. I will get discovered. I will pay my bills on time. I will dance to a different drum. I will throw away everything that is worn out. I will be enlightened. I will forget the past. I will go to the dentist. I will buy myself a present. I will find my mojo. I will get a life. I will find peace. I will get lucky. I will get out of my hole. I will smile more. I will get on with it. I will walk away. I will tighten my loose screws. I will loosen my grip. I will be heard. I will quit while I’m ahead. I will not die this year. I will get the point. I will fall in love. I will be on time. I will figure it out. I will take the road less traveled. I will quit beating myself up. I will be friendlier to strangers. I will donate. I will drink more water. I will stand up. I will be counted. I will accept my inner demons. I will open my mind. I will count the stars. I will learn to enjoy all the little things. I will say what I mean. I will try harder. I will leave my baggage at the airport. ...And then I will be a much better person.
I could almost parrot her exactly, I thought, scraping myself off the New Year’s Eve floor. “I’m not going to worry so much,” “I’m gonna learn how to be happier,” “how to take things not so seriously,” “and to stop biting my nails!” It was Britney Spears telling an interviewer on New Year’s Eve what it was that she looked to change in 2009. I guess we all do it. So I picked three things that needed to change, needed to happen, or start happening more. Heart pounding beneath last year’s clothes, I raised my fists to the skylight and vowed to get in shape, to get out of debt, and to be more creative.
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Day 1 With these vows, the door thundered open and I ran, wondering whether I would still be running in ten days, or collapsed on the roadside ten minutes later; the year’s first victim of the Resolution Rock. Each year, the Balmy Beach Canoe Club in the Beaches offers the Hair of the Dog Run, a three or nine kilometer “shake-it-off” up and down the boardwalk for groggy New Year’s Eve masochists. I had been looking forward to this for weeks. My friends were wondering if there was something wrong with me. Sadly, the Hair of the Dog Run has no mercy for a hangover, no matter what its title may imply, and suddenly on New Year’s Day, even the 11:30am start time becomes staunchly unrealistic. But I resolved to get in shape. I awake an hour after the starter’s pistol, and the annual Polar Bear Dip requires waiver forms and pledge sheets. However, I forced myself to suit up and run on my own. So with no Beach Club to cheer me on, I hit the pavement with a thump. Running into what my eyes saw as a wall of bright, migraine light, I felt each step was a new chance. I was shocked that I could still do it. Each step was me shrugging off my girlfriend, who was snickering at my admittedly ridiculous running get-up. I picked one of Toronto’s better fivekilometer routes; up and down Greenwood Avenue from Queen to Danforth and back. A sheer vertical climb (at least an 80 degree grade), and then the delight of cruising down the same sharp slope after touching one of the Beer Store’s brown bricks and turning around. I ran past people who were out for their morning walk. Some were moving rough and slow through the chewedsnow sidewalks. Others were moving with speed and purpose; one old couple repeating “We have to see Walter today,”
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as I passed. I dodged four spots of vomit, each four feet away from the last, and felt great. The sidewalks got less icy.
Day 2 The bar was quiet and my coworkers dealt with the “second day” symptoms of world-class hangovers. The finished wood still smelt of champagne and sanitizer. Some co-workers promised me that they never make resolutions in January. Instead, they choose to do it in the spring. Another reminded me that if he wants to change anything, he does it immediately and doesn’t wait for this arbitrary season. And yet, another friend tells me that she resolves to do everything to the fullest of her potential this year. A manager told me that I was not needed; business was slow because of resolutions. People resolving to eat better, spend better and drink less. The manager said I can go home or take whatever customers may come through the door. At home, I had a nap. When I woke up, I realized that I didn’t make a cent. But I resolved to get out of debt.
Day 3 Notepad out. Pen ready. Going to write the first thing of the new year, I thought. But I was bored and would rather play video games, or watch strange movies I got as Christmas gifts. However, the pen was getting heavy and there was that same inspiring morning light coming from the window. There was no New Year’s Day remorse coursing through my head and I had zero excuses. And I resolved to be more creative. So I started slowly. My pen moved at a light jog across the page. This was different from writing articles or essays – this was fiction, my first love. It should
have been faster than running; easier on the lungs at least. My mind raced for something to speak on; something to write about. But the resolution thing raked at me. So I put down the pen for a little bit and stood out on my deck. The air was smoggy and sharp; loud and not conducive to a calming run. With writer’s block and icicles dangling from my every breath, day three seemed like a resolution write-off. Unless, of course, I went looking for change in the couch.
Day 4 I did nothing. Nothing to change myself for the new year. I slept with a lump in my throat and thought of the girls at the New Year’s Eve party – the one that wanted to give up coffee, or the other that swore she’d take up yoga. A hundred of these are worth one honest “everything-to-my-full-potential” resolution rocker.
Day 5 I lost a day to ordinary and boring 2008 stuff. So I rose with great resolve on day five and started doing relevant research for this article; only to find my own resolutions – get in shape, get out of debt, finish that novel or that screenplay, or learn to play the guitar, or whatever – at the top of lists on USA.gov and in newspapers across the country as the most common resolutions made. Then I read about the continent’s 52% resolution fail rate, and started to look at mid-February as a probable terminus; the end of this self-improvement jag. I found out that resolutions to change oneself go back to as far as ancient Babylon, 2000 BC. The changeover of the calendar during the first new moon in the spring inspired people to make sacrifices, pray for good
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harvest, and vow to make themselves better Babylonians by returning borrowed farm equipment and so on. Taking back your neighbour’s plough – the “eat better” of its time. I wonder how Britney’s nails are doing and feel a bit lost.
Day 6 By the five day mark, I assumed the muscles must have stretched out; my back, my arms, my legs. Everything should be ready for another run, another day at work, and another stab with the pen. The apartment needed a change (a resolution to be cleaner), but it can never get off its ass to do what needs to be done. I had to wipe the walls and dust the desk. It was not enough for me to organize my own improvements. I had to look after my lazy bedroom and my lazy living room. I started kicking and curling clothes towards the laundry hamper, and vacuuming where I would usually just be “swiffering.” My running outfit stank faintly of dried sweat and desperation. Regardless, I pried it from the wrinkled grip of the laundry and put it on again. I took the notebook under my arm and surveyed the place – messy, but not hopeless, I thought. Taking the notebook, hamper and my crackling running clothes, I walked out and headed to the bank to dig a deeper hole into my account by paying the rent. I could now continue living in a room with my lazy, messy stuff. The street squeaked beneath my running shoes. I kept moving forward and hopped a railing outside Wellesley station. I stepped into the Laundry Lounge, trying to keep this new life of mine clean. I used fabric softener for the first time in months. Then I ran again. Because I resolved to be healthy and beautiful.
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I ran behind trucks spitting gasses and honks; from Wellesley to Gerrard, then Yonge to Church. Amidst foot traffic and walking dogs, I ran. I ran through brown snow and wet pavement; through late Boxing Day sales and big plastic bags – the markers of spent money and runaway Christmas debt. I ran back to the laundromat and stretched against a maroon Grand Vitara, twisting my arms towards the sky. I moved the clothes into the dryer and started to write. Because I resolved to be brilliant and inspiring. Something small, something light; a commissioned half-poem, half-gift for a good friend. Short, pretty words floating on the electric, dusty air of the Laundry Lounge. I was determined not to fail; at least for today.
Day 7 I edited the brief piece in my apartment, which was starting to get its act together, and rested on my patio while I waited to go to work. At work, I was offered the night off. Though I resolved to be rich and happy, I took it.
Day 8 The cycle of inspiration and unmotivation moved on like an impossible machine. On some days, I could scarcely bring myself to tie up the running shoes. And yet this morning, all I could think about was resolutions, and how today they’re driving me, seven days after I made them. After seven days, the hangover has faded and this intoxication to be healthy and fix everything wrong with me still raged. No word from Britney’s fingernails or the others that I interviewed about New Year’s. Were they as indecisively caught between living
and changing as I was, or was I the only one trying, the only one who felt bad? The shoes beckoned, one lace curling towards me like a twisted finger...
Day 9 ...but I ignored them for a whole day...
Day 10 ...and never took note of my non- resolution-centric days when I was compiling the skeleton for this piece. But I did things regardless. I watched old movies and laughed. I spent time with family and friends. I listened to how loud the fights and the make-up sex can get in my neighbours’ rooms. I read. I read Josh Freed’s piece on New Year’s resolutions in the Montreal Gazette. He poked fun at the Babylonians; said they probably never took anything back, and that we are foolish to try to change when it’s so cold and so bleak outside. And he resolved to not make resolutions. But he didn’t offer a better alternative, except some more contextually appropriate times to change: spring, September. Between me and cynics like Freed, the difference is advocating the change, being proud that you’re willing to, and breathing each exasperated gasp of truck exhaust and writer’s block for as long as you can. While it may be better to change whenever we need to, we must first remember that we can, even if it means predictable, yearly resolutions, and even if we don’t follow them. And if indeed we don’t, we must resolve to keep living. On day 10, I didn’t keep any resolutions. But on day 12, I might bring back my dad’s power sander, even though I didn’t promise to. – pb
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