roberrific

Adam Vaughan hints that front line cops are perhaps the latest victims of the disastrous planning now shielded by politics. Ottawa's part in this debacle will never be truly known without a full public inquiry, which is just how Stephen Harper likes it.  Adam Vaughan's talk left me hopeful there will be some 'accountability' in this matter, at least at the municipal level. It's significant that Adam Vaughan is himself a past member of the Toronto Police Services Board, and it was his downtown riding that was the site of many of the protests. The banks, Money Mart cheque cashing stores, gold buyers, furriers and high-end fashion chain stores, GAP and other clothing outlets were the prime targets of the angry mob. No compensation has ever been paid to these retailers who lost so much money in both property damage and lost business. The government had months to plan for this Summit, but instead they built gazebos in Muskoka Lakes and erected a fence around the downtown core. Instead of sensitivity training, security forces were indoctrinated in Harper's autocratic politics which are decidedly  anti-protest. 

It was a widespread violation of Canadian civil rights.  People were stopped and searched on ferries and LRT trains coming into the city. In one case a young lady was detained and material was confiscated on a VIA Rail trains at Union Station, others were maligned coming into the Province in Niagara Falls and in Ottawa / Hull. Lots and lots of good people were arrested and their civil liberties were completely removed for 48 hrs.  Over 1100 people were arrested and not charged. It was the largest mass arrest in the history of Canada, and there will never be a full public inquiry into the ordeal because the Harper government is almost entirely responsible.

If you watch the clip above, you'll see Adam Vaughan says all of the same things that I have been saying for years. He's been saying them too perhaps. Beyond the standard rhetoric of, 'those who erred need to be held accountable' which is a polite way of saying that Chief Bill Blair should resign, he says that a full public inquiry into the ordeal will reveal a lot more about the gazebos in Tony Clement's Muskoka Lakes political riding than Stephen Harper's Conservatives would be comfortable with... Its a fact, the costs of the 2010 Toronto G20 Summit exceeded one billion dollars.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20100526/summit-costs-100526/

"I think the police chief, the police service board, myself included, all played a roll in this," Vaughan said. "I think we need to have public accounting and, where necessary, be brought before courts of justice, or disciplinary action, where we failed to protect the public and the city." Adam Vaughan also said there will be more reports to come on the file as the Toronto Police Services Board works on its own report on actions at the G20.

The Police Car was Abandon, Like Others Before it, in Hopes it would Be Vandalized on Camera

Without a Royal Inquiry we will never know the truth to the allegations that senior security forces administrators ordered that at least three different Toronto Police squad cars be left unwatched in angry crowd situations. They wanted them to get damaged because they had to justify a billion dollar budget and some well documented acts of brutality that were currently playing on the news channels. Sacrificing one or two squad cars to local idiots was an absolutely brilliant way to collect PR footage of 'radical elements rioting in Toronto' and make the visuals that are now so iconic and key to the defense of forty eight Toronto police officers now charged with offenses under the Police Act.
The burning police car was a PR stunt from start to finish. It was planned and executed earlier on other streets that day, but didn't find the right combination of hooligans, accelerants and news cameras until Sunday afternoon

Of course Toronto defense lawyer Gary Clewley references that burning cop car when he says police actions must be taken in context with the events of the day. This is the first line of defense for police and was created as such. Gary is perpetuating the notion that there was a riot in Toronto and things were really out of control. Its not true. But his statements find a ready audience in all of those people who watch the news and yet don't really understand the news (and how TV news is made).  Without a full public inquiry into the maelstrom there is no reliable accounting for the senior most administrators - the ones who did the most wrong(s).
These first eight police officers will likely be the worst offenders and the hardest punished.  This list was in the newspaper very shortly after the report was published and to me that evidences that these charges had been looming for some time and these officers are the first to be sacrificed for the good of the force. These really Bad Lieutenants for Sacrificing include,

• Const. Blair Begbie,
• Const. Alan Li,
• Const. Jason Crawford,
• Const. Michael Martinez,
• Const. Vincent Wong,
• Const. Micahle Kirpoff,
• Const. Ryan Simpson,
• Const. Donald Stratton

But are these tough cops also just more victims of the Harper Government dirty closed-door politics? And lets remember too that nobody is going to lose their jobs over this; even Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair will not resign.

At approximately noon on Sunday March 18th 2012 out front of Toronto Police 51 Division I happened to spot three uniformed Toronto Police officers reading and reacting to printed paper on chipboard signs that had been propped up to face the station and the public eyes in front of their Parliament St location - the large billboards had been left on poles on the sidewalk. I was real curious about this ? what an absolutely primitive form of protest... its lazy .. and indeed, almost cowardly.. But was it effective?

I posted a question about Who Left the Protest Signs outside 51 Division Toronto Police on Urban Toronto discussion forum and blogged about Silent Protest Outside Parliament St Police Station on Arob12 Canada Blog but have still not received any satisfactory explanation of what this was exactly...  On Twitter I got nothing, and when i posted pics on Twitpic and asked who orchestrated this printed protest? there was no answer.  How many police stations were affected? Did it get any attention? I have been studying leadership and the science of communication at a premium business management consulting firm and have reason to believe these resources were mostly wasted - mostly wasted in such a passionate yet futile attempt at change.

This old school form of protest exemplifies the emotions that are present just under the surface here in the city as people feel put upon by the police force and yet cannot protest in any meaningful way except to cry out for change in the same manner as their ancestors, so many years ago ..  Seriously this printed broadsheet reminds me of stories from the American Revolution.

Test Your Survival Skills on 8th September 2012 Urban Warrior Toronto run

The annual Urban Warrior Toronto run is set for 8th Sept 2012. This is kind of like a half marathon with serious obstacles in the way , but of course that's the fun part!

I met Joshua Turnbridge and Cathy Muffolini in mid March 2012 and we got along pretty well right from the start. It all happened because Josh did some research on the internet and discovered my content somehow and came through several portals to knock at my door.. It came as no surprise to him that this is the best way to convert surfers into shopper and followers into friends and fanatics even, depending on your merchandise

These good folks are part of the organization that's managing and promoting this year's annual Urban Warrior Toronto run , which is a unique extreme fitness competition that will take place on Saturday, September 8th, 2012

Urban Warrior could perhaps be considered an extreme sporting event - its focused on challenging individuals of all fitness levels to perform in stressful but uniquely 'storyfull' conditions

More on this later

Two nights ago I hosted the Jib.ca/Lenzr.com Search and Social Rank Symposium at Archeo in the Distillery District. The focus of the evening was to share some of the latest ideas from leaders in the SEO and online marketing industries; it was a success--there was a big turnout, great information was shared, and, due to popular demand, we're planning another one for April. 

Let me make something clear: I spend a lot of time in the Distillery District. Not only are many of my blogging projects centered on this historic Toronto neighbourhood, my office and home apartment are located here too, one elevator ride, about 40 paces and then eight flights of stairs away. Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway) there is a constant overlap of work and recreation, and when work is so close to home it can become difficult to shrug it off and do something for myself.

So when a friend who lives in the building told me his hair stylist was making a house call that morning and asked if I wanted in I was thrilled--the full head of hair I wear was in need of a cleanup--and the timing couldn't have been better with my presentation fast approaching that same evening.

His stylist, Rachelle White Wind, arrived at 11 A.M. sharp with her supplies and a smile. Rachelle is an Ojibwe/Cree woman from Winnipeg who runs her own mobile salon for hair styling, makeup and brazilian blowouts in Toronto. She's an expert stylist/cosmetologist who is regularly in demand for CBC television and other high-profile gigs, and she's also a working actor and model (see her next in the upcoming TV pilot for Mohawk Girls) and a great conversationalist. Rachelle's styling career in Toronto has met with great success since her days in Winnipeg hair school, but her mobile salon prices are very competitive, starting at $20 for men's cuts, $40 for women's, and anywhere from $150-$250 for the Brazilian Blowout (the best price in the city!) She consults for Vancouver hair school too - Aveda Institutes are all across Canada now.

I asked Rachelle what her most unusual hair styling appointment was like, and she responded with information I'd never heard before. She said that in her aboriginal community in Winnipeg, people who have just lost a loved one often decide to shave their heads while in mourning to symbolize a rebirth. Doing this early on and throughout her career has helped shape Rachelle into the compassionate, concerned and attentive stylist she is today. Long story short: Rachelle is a high-end stylist who will come to you at your convenience for a great price.

Aveda Institute Canada is running a hair school scholarship video contest for which five lucky and talented winners will receive a full tuition to one of five Canadian schools: Aveda Institutes Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria and Winnipeg! Submit a two-minute video that explains why you were Born to Style and you could be on your way to a glam career.

Lenzr Photo Contest Software Powers 2011 Toronto Christmas Market Challenge.

Can you take a prize winning photograph of the 2012 Toronto Christmas Market? You have three chances.

There are three prizes. The Winner will receive a $250.00 cash prize, 2nd place will receive a $250.00 restaurant gift certificate, and 3rd place will receive a $100.00 restaurant gift certificate. Working in combination with high ranking and very important event planners, and Distillery District administrative staff, the corporate blogs have been very proud to announce, all day today,  that Lenzr propreitary code was selected over two other rival platforms to power the Official 2011 Toronto Christmas Market Photo Contest which collects and displays images right on the TCM website.

Robsome wrote about the experience of living and working on the Distillery District site - he provided original thoughts and pictures and links to a smattering of blogs and pages about the Christmas Market collected from around the internet.  His post appears at Toronto Christmas Market Celebrated Alongside Two Matches for Apple iPads on December Lenzr  which proves to be both informative and provocative . its only natural to want to search around more for little details and get further glimpses into the workings of the largest serial photo contest website in Canada, perhaps all of North America. and  how they have now integrated their process and web workings into the largest Christmas market in Canada. Rob Campbell broke the good news this morning, Sat Dec 3rd Lenzr Report on Smojoe which was even tweeted - that's rare. Smojoe last tweeted on October 6th 2011.

Ancestry Guru Wordpress documented the toil and tremendous energy that went into Creating a European Style Christmas Market at 55 Mill St Distillery District, one of the most historic areas of North America. And the same ideas were shared in an earlier isotope of that thread found on Roberrific Christmas Market Blog Wondercafe

Further digging brings us some of the same information but fresh bits and new perspective on Arob 12 Toronto Christmas Market in Distillery post which has mostly the same pictures but separates out the Electronic Engineering photo contest. This match has been sponsored by a reed switch manufacturer that is generously supplying an Apple iPad 2 to the winner as selected by judges from Top Ten grouping of user ranked images Dec 25th 2011. Its going to be an interesting Christmas. The competition is very stiff as there are already over eighty images and some of them are truly exquisite.

From 1923 to 2010 there was a spectacular Anglican church on the main street of Picton Ontario.

The structure became empty early in 2000 when the parish vacated the property and the building was reluctantly put up for sale in 2004 by the diocese. It was bought at auction by a rather short sighted property developer who became eager to see a return on her investment. After two businesses failed on the site she grew rather impatient.  There were two attempts here - one family tried a freecycle / local flea market venture and another chap went more upscale with a used clothing / bookstore, but the writing was on the bright red bricks of the semi - historic stainglass window encrusted wood paneled walls.  And it happened sooner rather than later, the Anglican church in Picton was sacrificed to the god of Capitalism. It happened in August 2010, with some local protest, but not enough fuss to save the building.

I wrote about the issue in my journal on Babycenter, Church Demolished in Canada, inventory management
 
There was no attempt to save the stain glass windows by any local Toronto artists or renovation experts or artisans at that time. But I wonder if, perhaps today with social media contests and radio campaigns and other means of marketing we could have made a difference.

Any piece of the oak ornate wooden trim that wasn't smashed up by the swing arm backhoe would certainly be worth something to salvage shops and home decor DIY experts. The wood and bricks and glass that decorated this beautiful building could furnish any home. Why didn't they try to save the steeple or the railings or doors of the wooden interior. It was explained to me that the site was only so big and storage and security and general  inventory management make such a reclamation operation very expensive and ultimately unprofitable - contrary to the needs of Capitalism, our new 'prime directive'..

At one point after it became clear that there was a rising tide of local citizens who wanted the demolition stopped and all sorts of people People from other churches got involved , too late Toronto mortgage broker and municipal councilors, local politicians, property owners got behind various well documented movements to buy the property for $250K in 2008 and 2009 , but all proved unfruitful. History marches on.

Earlier today I wrote a profile about a business storyteller named Nora Camps on Canada Blog Friends and I'm quite proud of the post because there's a lot of take away for readers. I've made it clear how Nora generally accepts work for large corporations who are bent on making positive change in the world. She helps them tell their stories.

Nora Camps is a graphic designer, web marketing strategist and painter in Toronto. She's one of the two principals of Duo Strategy and Design, and heads a large business storytelling agency that's bent on changing the world with multimedia art. Nora’s blog is filled with insights into the business of being a commercial artist, and her struggle to make change from the inside out.

Innovative, Nora is using a Lenzr photo contest called Canadian Harvest to wrangle images of the seasonal crop collection from all over this great nation and she is displaying the submitted pictures on her website. Nora is offering a $400 photo license to one image.

Also present on the Lenzr index in October is the very popular Landscaping and Lawn Care which has the most submissions so far this session.  The contest asks for pictures of beautiful backyards and a property maintenance company in Ontario Canada is offering to buy the winner over $250 worth of battery operated lawn care equipment.

Here is a perfect picture of a winning Lenzr member getting her prize. This is Danielle Thompson getting her flat iron and hair dryer from Donna Dolphy inside her hair salon at 88 Scollard St in Yorkville
Our Daily Bread

In a world where most folks choose either ‘white, brown bread for their breakfast sandwich, isn’t it nice to know there are other choices? This photo contest celebrates the bread maker’s art and the prize is a bread making machine that can be filled with organic ingredients and used to make wholesome, healthy bread - the staple of life.

Artists and live music filled The Distillery District this past Labour Day weekend for ArtFest. This time around, the usual stable of oil painters and sculptors were accompanied by a diverse group of craftspeople who create art from recycled materials.

Shoppers and tourists and dental clinic patients venturing forth from the Toronto dentist and doctors in nearby health centers found it difficult to ignore the stories told by these curious art pieces. In true artistic fashion, the displays were more than the sum of their parts. Some were made from junk and everyday materials, but one thing was clear throughout the event: Despite the recycled materials, there was no recycling of ideas going on.

These artists are not afraid to repurpose everyday glass and metal in their displays. These materials seemed to be the building blocks of about half of the pieces, though most artists couldn't resist adding their own unique touches like shreds of printed paper and fragments of brass. In some corners of the festival, art made from furnace pipes and insulators stood defiantly under the summer sun, while pieces containing old transistor tubes electrified onlookers.

SHOWCASING RECYCLED MATERIALS AT ARTFEST

Appearing above is Catie Raymond of Whimsical Garden Art. She has enjoyed great success filling the homes of wealthy Muskoka cottage owners with her artwork. Her focus on incorporating recycled, reclaimed and reused possessions intrigues customers and helps preserve Ontario's outdoors.

Artists like Catie were abundant at ArtFest, and their focus on recycled building materials set the event apart from many other art festivals in Toronto. The romantic notion of an artist starting with a blank canvas or amorphous clay doesn't apply here--these people are creating art from material with preexisting stories and connotations.

There's no doubt some artists are stepping outside of their comfort zone when they decide to incorporate recycled material into their art. After all, they are using materials that could undermine the intended harmony of their piece.

But there are also some artists (and viewers) who will find relief through using recycled material.  They weld stainless steel ice cube trays onto furnace pipes and all manner of exotic marriages to give the new object d'art a more complicated meaning.  These are the artists who are wary of the idea of an "Author-God," who believe that the interpretive value of a piece extends way beyond what its creator "intended."

In the end, these recycled components serve to anchor the pieces in a social context--one that is more open, participatory, and arguably more accessible than other forms of contemporary art.

Christian Aldo: turning everyday denim into stunning bas-relief,

Christian Aldo's mastery of sculpture and painting make it difficult to notice the amount of denim in his work. The denim gives his bas-relief art an extra dimension of texture and cultural connotations. Christian draws his inspiration from eroticism and his artwork is unrestrained as a result.

Scott McKay enjoys forging connections between objects by welding them together. An experienced arc-welder, he creates his artwork by working with all manner of steel and a bit of bronze. He's influenced by the blacksmithing tradition, and operates the Strong Arm Forge in Newbury, Ontario.

One piece that caught my eye was his conglomeration of wrought iron and rusted red-orange metal. These aged materials would be easy to overlook in an industrial setting, but Scott's distinct arrangement gave the piece unexpected warmth and vibrancy.

Leather phoenix

Artist Ruta Wilson gave leather new life in her metal horse sculpture. Affectionately named Casey, the sculpture is made entirely from reclaimed materials including wrenches and barrel hoops.

Ruta's choice of materials give the sculpture the illusion of dynamism, despite the fact that it's completely static. The taut leather resembles strained muscles and the tail blows freely in the wind.

Casey is but one of Ruta's many metallic creature sculptures. More of her work can be found at West Rock Art Metal.

Myelene Trepanier's artwork hits a little bit closer to home—literally. She spends her time filling wooden frames with cute scenes of suburban life.

Myelene likes to pay tribute to existing homes by using metal appliques from furniture, doors and handles. Her artwork presents streetscapes in an animated light, while the empty space in each frame begs us to reinterpret our own neighbourhoods.


Interestingly, Myelene is not from Ontario and made the trek all the way from Piedmont, Quebec. More of her work can be found on http://www.creationsdoctobre.com

If you've ever had a friend who questions the "usefulness" of art, tell them to think again. On a practical level, recycled materials art is part of a trend called upcycling that aims to give old products new value.


Coined in 1994, upcycling aims to create objects with greater quality and functionality than their original product. The term is relatively new to our lexicon, but the ethos has been around for ages and can be found everywhere from the lean manufacturing practices in factories to the conservationism of the displays at this year's ArtFest.

In this sense, a great deal of the artwork at ArtFest was functional art. When I think about it, even the location of ArtFest was brilliant. After all, it's a venue that has repurposed aging industrial building to hold events like these.

The amount of recycled materials art was impressive, to say the least. And the pieces themselves were impressive, too. These artists really enriched my experience by triggering associations through simple objects like used tires and scrap metal.

Voting for the July August photo contests has begun, have you uploaded your images yet? So far, the two photo contests in the lead are Toronto Tourist Attractions and Fireplaces and Furnaces. These two have had the most images uploaded and incredible prizes. 

Fire Places and Furnaces Photo Contest: 

The Fire Places and Furnaces photo contest is all about winter. I know it is the summer time right now, but Lenzr wants you to appreciate the heat wave by reminding you of the cold winter we had. How did you keep warm? Take pictures of you cozied up by a fireplace or a furnace. Show Lenzr the essence of warmth. During the winter time, when the snow is on the ground, we crave to be at home, curled up in front of a fireplace for warmth. Think back to that and show us images of your favorite moments. Your picture must be taken in doors and there must be a fireplace or a furnace in the image. The winner of this contest will receive a sony laptop courtesy of a furnace installer in Cambridge Ontario. Now is the best time to look into upgrading or checking in on your heating system. It is best to be prepared for the winter now. 



Toronto Tourist Attractions Photo Contest: 

The next photo contest is Toronto Tourist Attractions. This contest is all about appreciating the city of Toronto and what it has to offer. Almost all canadians have visited the city once or twice before , submit your favorite attraction the city has to offer. Try to capture the city in the best light. Think of this picture as what you would like to see in a travel publication. You can be a Local or tourist, just send Lenzr your best shots. The winner of this contest will receive an inflatable boat courtesy of a Toronto bed and breakfast. This place is located in the water, looking in on the edge of the city. There is simply nothing better than sleeping on a boat, and they sponsor knows this first hand. 

Voting for these contests has started already. Voting ends on August 25th, the top ten photos will proceed to the next round of judging and will be deliberated on. The winner will be announced September first. 

Lenzr has launched two new photo contests that promise to have you raving about the prizes. This contest cycle is especially exciting because the prizes offer contestants choice and fame. Cameras, ipads and laptops are fun but with this contest cycle you get to pick your prize.

A Manufacturing Process:

The first photo contest is called , A Manufacturing Process. Lenzr was approached by a manufacturing company to help them find the perfect images for their process manufacturing and lean manufacturing white pages. This contest is strictly for professional photographers who are trying to publicize their name. The image should capture machines doing their work for the better of the factory. Image ideas should focus on robotic movements such as bottles waiting to be labeled. Be creative with your image shots. The winner of this contest will receive $250 and a licensing agreement for their image use for three years (not exclusive). You get the cash and fame with this contest. The company will also be giving $75 + non exclusive licensing agreement to three other members for their images.

Classy Summer Drinks:

The next contest is more relaxed and fun for everyone involved. Classy Summer Drinks is all about capturing the perfect image of the season in your cup. Take a moment out of your busy day, make your favorite drink concoction and take a couple of snaps of it before you sip away your stress. Don't forget to add some ice cubes to your drink, our sponsor, a stainless steel ice cube trays expert knows the importance of a chilled beverage. In order to win, you have to get the best shot of summer in a drink! Get creative, you will need to be to win this contest. The prize for this contest is $400 worth of product from the sponsor's catalogue. The winner will get their pick of products and the sponsor will ship it right to your door step for free. Think you know the perfect mix for this drink? well then upload your pictures to Lenzr and upgrade your kitchen today!



Both contests started on August 1st 2011. Just like all Lenzr contests, this is a 60 day challenge. Voting for the top 10 photos begins on September 15th but you can upload pictures until the 25th of the same month. The judges will deliberate and announce the winner October 1st.