Considered Thoughts

Saturday, November 5, 2011

For my beautiful Dad ....

My dad taught me many things and now we gather to celebrate a rich, loving life well-lived. We love you so much, and thank you for a beautiful life and family.

To love. To be loved.
To never forget your own insignificance.
To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you.
To seek joy in the saddest places.
To pursue beauty to its lair.
To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple.
To respect strength, never power.
Above all, to watch. To try and understand.

To never look away. And never, never, to forget.
― Arundhati Roy

Saturday, October 15, 2011

If there is one message that exemplifies #OWS and #OccupyToronto, it's likely this:

Posted by Antonia Zerbisias http://twitter.com/#!/AntoniaZ/status/125268263188971520

Raymond Depardon: photojournalist and filmmaker

"My dream is to go roaming with a movie camera, let myself be carried away by the images, to stay curious, free myself from the television news, go and see what's happening in other places, and be alone."

NB: April 16, 2019, I have not been here in a very long time. But it's Spring Fever, and time to spruce up this joint? I see that the original link that I attached to this post is now defunct. So, I've added this as a place holder in the meanwhile.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Toronto International Film Festival, 2010

One of my favourite memories from last year's Toronto International Film Festival. I spoke to Director and screenwriter Lee Chang-Dong, showed him my notes that I made seeing his film Poetry. And he gave me this autograph and surprised me with a kiss on the cheek. What a charming man. He is one of the great masters in global cinema.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Toronto City council on verge of austerity measures: how will this impact the strength of Arts and Culture in our city?

The arts and culture sectors are critically distinctive assests to Toronto and its economy, expressed in the world renowned events such as the Toronto International Film Festival, the Toronto Fringe Festival and Luminato Festival, for example. We must not ignore the impact that this sector has on enhancing our competitive advantage on the world stage. The arts and culture sectors are one of the most significant economic catalysts for any city. We as citizens who wish to live in a vibrant and dynamic city must push the various levels of government and leadership to prioritize it for the benefit of all our communities in Toronto.

There is an opportunity now to hold this new municipal Ford-administration to account for any erosion to funding support for cultural institutions, councils, and other stakeholders. The city and it's leadership need to recognize the cost that the city will suffer if they compromise this imperative. For instance, having the city at the table as funding partners for cultural projects is critical for attracting private enterprise to contribute crucial complimentary sponsorship dollars, scenarios testifiers spoke to at the Core Service Review that occurred at the end of July.

The organizing committee of Friends of the Arts, a collective of art advocates in Toronto, has initiated an online petition for those who would like their voice to be heard in regards to arts funding in our city, there are opportunities to do so. Find out more around the risks facing arts in Toronto and how you can take action. Visit www.ipetitions.com/petition/fr iendsofthearts today and add your name.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Election 2011, the shady aftermath: This is the culmination of one many discussions I've had in the last 24hrs ...

This Harper regime has till this point, through their two minority terms governed for five years. When they complete their majority term, it will take them to being nine years in government. At the end of those nine-years it will be a struggle to dial-back and return to a semblance of a 2006 era-society, in other words before the Conservatives got into government.

Now standing on the other side of the 41st Canadian General Election, this Harper Majority government has just been rewarded for corruption, for misspending, for lying, for scandal upon scandal. What that means is that this is just the tip of the iceberg ... they tried in 2008 to axe funding to opposition parties (catalyzing the 2008 30 min-coalition), now they have the Majority and will succeed in doing that and all the others things they could not do as a Minority. And the implications the nature of this style of governing have fundamental consequences to erode democratic parliamentary access & equability (such as it is).

What depresses me today, what am I afraid of is the script, the wish-list hiding in the jacket-pocket of Harper (keeping it warm, and close to where his heart should be) ... contents of which we have not anticipated, notions and initiatives so subtle in nature, we will over look them but exist their as old CPC ambitions to consolidate government power and satisfy their base. Nevertheless a list that is ready to be deployed by the CPC in this climate of a majority rule in a parliament disarmed to its own defense (cf. skirting ... contempt of Parliament, taking their Senators and running them in parliamentary elections etc etc) For the next four years, we undeniably need to brace ourselves for this new Canada on the horizon.

Back in the day around when Stephen Harper was the strategist for Preston Manning and the Reform party, he made a comment, which always stuck with me: "When I am done remaking Canada, you will not recognize it."

And here we stand watching him and his government - his regime with unfettered restraints ....