City
Morning Brew: City Strike, Summer, Projected Ads, Perez Hilton Bleeding
Photo: untitled by jakemartella, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.
What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):
Welcome, Summer! Early yesterday morning marked the official beginning of summer. Take advantage of the longest days of the year, warm weather, and a city thriving with events and culture and excitement. If you're having trouble getting motivated, think for a moment what things will be like six months from now.
For breakfast this morning, we're serving the essence de garbage omelet with a side of pureed children who have nowhere to go today because unionized city workers are on strike. Run to your local hardware store and buy a bunch of clothespins for the noses of all your loved ones!
Workers at the Globe & Mail are also poised to go on strike, meaning that one of Canada's leading newspapers might not be able to very well report on the strike by city union workers in Canada's largest city. See the pattern here? A recession is proving to be a good time to be part of a union.
With private sector funding running dry, the Bell LightBox (the future home of TIFF) is poised to open for the 2011 festival but is still nearly $50-million short on required funding. How much work will be required to squeeze more drops from the city, provincial and federal rocks; and how TIFF can juggle other monies is being looked at now.
OMGWTFBBQ! Celebrity reporter and drama queen Perez Hilton claims to have been assaulted by Black Eyed Peas member Will.I.Am last night in Toronto. Rather than calling the police, he sent out a plea for police help on Twitter, which suggests to me that he's either full of shit or he's totally stupid. Publicity stunts work though. You're reading about it right now.
Someone has been running projector-based ads on the sides of buildings (using a gas-powered generator) in the evenings around the city. Is this legit? Some good discussion is happening over at Spacing.
And for those of you who were not online all weekend (with all that was going on in the city, I can't blame ya!), here's a quick recap of what blogTO was up to:
- Jessica Napier filled us in on the rain-soaked by resilient community spirit at the Big on Bloor street festival in Bloorcourt.
- Jerrold and his umbrella attended the inaugural Toronto Wine + Spirit Festival in the Distillery District.
- Peter reported on the closure of Queen St. furniture store Rumah.
- Briony filled us in on the anniversary party for Sydney's menswear store in Queen West.
- Roger reviewed the No Doubt show at ACC, and included some awesome photos of Gwen Stefani.
- Tanja checked out the opening party for Pride Toronto 2009. Lots more pride to come this week!
- Derek introduced us to a home turned permanent art gallery at 107 Shaw St.
- And Christopher and some friends briefly got buck naked out at Hanlan's Point Beach.
Discussion
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or both - that's my guess anyway.
Furthermore, I called your comment trolling because it I perceive it as trolling. It's a stab-and-run one-liner that offers nothing beyond insult. If you think the Spacing story is bullocks, why not tell us why you think it's bullocks? If you think I'm missing out on more important local news, why not throw up a link to a different story and offer an opinion that people can respond to? It would be great to see you, a frequent reader and commenter, offer something of value more often.
That said, let's can the British-isms, eh? (it's bollocks)
Hmm I see no logical fallacy in perceiving anything you don't like as trolling. It's too bad on this great wide interwebs no one has taken the time to post some sort of actual definition. The comment system here sucks for any real time of discussion, because you can't group them together like most current websites have. I'm sorry if my feedback isn't adequate enough for you, you're starting to sound like that White Squirrel Cafe guy who wanted customers to tell him off to his face. I must have misread the button I press to post, judging by everyones reactions it must say 'Add Praise'.
And finally if I have to do your job for you here's how to win the crowd over http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/article/654455 ZOMG DON'T WE ALL HATE NICKELBACK?!1one
On your broader assertion: Projections on the sides of buildings are entirely to do with the public realm, even if they qualify as "grey spaces"(http://spacing.ca/wire/spacing-spring-summer-2009-grey-spaces/).
As for details on the national awards Spacing has won, all you've got to do is visit Spacing.ca.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll
And, your first comment was stupid. So there. :)
A mall is NOT a public space. It's private. They can enforce rules on you that are not enforced in public spaces (no shirt, no shoes, no service). They can kick you out at will. If you refuse to leave you are charged with TRESPASSING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
Comparing an advertisement to hanging a swastika flag is total hyberbole. Godwin's Law, even?
Only spacing, torontoist and a small amount of fringe advocacy groups have defined this 'grey area'. The 'grey area' is not enforced by the law, therefore it's completely irrelevant to bring into a discussion about what is/what isn't public space.
Canada
...it would seem that Canada does not have restrictions on this type of flag - like there are in say Germany itself. Articulating hatred or violence against a group is a criminal code offence, but the test for inclusion in that realm is quite high. It is impossible to say from our vantage point whether this type of 'militaria' would qualify - this is where a lawyer would come in. [7]
7th June 2007
Canadian High Commission, London
Again with the hyberbole. It has nothing to do at all with advertising, legal or otherwise. Nor does it have anything at all to do with this discussion.
Thank you. Private property falling under public laws.
Private property can still fall under the realm of public law. However it does not mean that private property is exclusively public. You seem to be rather confused about this HUGE differentiation.
So no, the city has made it clear that you can't advertise what you want on private property.
Explain. It cleary isn't there is a sign-by-law. Therefore what exactly is grey? Other then you trying to muddy the waters?
>The city's sign bylaws have shown that the city does not treat advertising on private property directed at public space as a mere free-for-all.
Wait, didn't you claim it was a big grey area in the preceding para? LOL, Which one is it?
>So no, the city has made it clear that you can't advertise what you want on private property.
Again, wrong. The federal and provincial governments along with the various courts in Canada and Ontario have. As I've previously explained.
The City's sign-by-law does not cover content (Unless it's a first party sign, then there are restrictions). It (the by-law) covers size, materials etc.
A wall on a building is public space, or has a effect on public space. The City of Toronto has a bylaw stating that these projections are illegal and have fined and shut them down previously.
Libraries are public space. Toronto PUBLIC Library. Malls (as much as you and your fringe groups would like to believe) are wholly private property OPEN to the public. There is a huge differentiation to make here.
>Toronto has a bylaw stating that these projections are illegal and have fined and shut them down previously.
Do you have a link to this info? I can't seem to find any information on previously fined and shut down projection ads in the City of Toronto.
Cause they have advertising on them. Same way when I get snow on my sidewalk, my sidewalk is subject to city by-laws on snow removal.
I assure you that my sidewalk is still not public space and I can charge you with trespassing on it if you decide to hang out on it, unwanted. Ask my neighbours, they've already paid the fine.
Either way, it doesn't matter, you get the point and doesn't change or affect mine in any way.
Talk about ego. How important do you think your opinions mean to people?