Making Waves on Toronto's (Digital) Beach

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11585938140001265222009-10-13T19:17:05.803-04:00Making Waves on Toronto's (Digital) BeachSometimes it feels like Toronto is in a parallel universe. These are examples.Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-23605354615756476752009-07-24T09:36:00.005-04:002009-07-24T09:55:04.964-04:00Does Buckinghamshire Know That Their Toronto Studio Stinks?

Across the road from the shiny new film production studio and sound stage in Toronto's Port Lands that Pinewood has taken an interest in, is a growing pile of smelly, oozing, rat attracting garbage. On a hot day, the smell brings back not so fond memories of the old rendering plant in the area, which had an odour that could cause retching on the Gardiner Expressway. Plus ca change....

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-29597145091457612842009-06-23T22:58:00.020-04:002009-07-24T09:54:05.133-04:00RIP Toronto Industrial Jobs - Cascades Commissioners St. Plant

It has been a about a year since the Cascades cardboard plant on Commissioners Street was closed. Gone are 150 or so jobs, and a huge local user of recycled cardboard and paper. It does not appear that Cascades is getting out of this business, since they are expanding in Quebec. It is highly unlikely that those 150 workers are moving to Quebec any time soon. The Toronto Star articles talk about

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-56082177157894777562009-06-16T22:27:00.005-04:002009-06-17T21:57:57.236-04:00Bike Racks on the TTC Bus - Your tax dollar not working that hard

It seems that many TTC busses are sporting a bunch of metal strapped to their prows. Cow catchers? Jay-walker catchers perhaps? On closer inspection, and some research, it appears that these things are bicycle racks. To hold 2 bikes. Most busses seem to hold 30 - 50 passengers. Where do the other 48 put their bikes? Or do they wait for the next bus? How long does it hold up the bus to mount your

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-74739488012367181632007-08-28T08:23:00.000-04:002007-08-28T09:02:02.314-04:00What's blue and empty in York Region?

The Sunday Toronto Star bemoaned the fact (their fact) that suburbs like York Region attracted more new residents than the City of Toronto, and in the same breath, that areas like York Region were un-sustainable (their words) because there was not enough transit. And quoted the local governments as saying they will start investing in transit. But why do people move to the suburbs in the first

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-81423830022650149032007-08-19T20:55:00.000-04:002007-08-20T22:54:41.931-04:00Escape from Toronto (in a storm)

While watching CNN describe the hurricane hitting Jamaica, and the comparisons to hurricane Rita and Katrina, problems getting people out of the way of the storm was brought up several times. Now in Jamaica, and previously during Katrina, the people who could not get out of the way of the storm, the people hit hardest, were those who did not have their own means of transportation. Those who

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-32925657984122906692007-08-19T20:45:00.001-04:002007-08-19T20:54:30.385-04:00The windmill re-turns.

Never let it be said that only bad news reaches this blog. I spend an enjoyable day sailing west of the Island on Friday, and witnessed a miraculous sight. The windmill was turning. And turning. One almost wants to break out in song. Instead, we have a movie.

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-61761499924496378682007-08-15T22:11:00.000-04:002007-08-17T17:25:45.350-04:00TTC Streetcar Named King Running (on) Empty

An almost full page in the National Post today tries one more time to make sense of Toronto's budget woes. CFRB talk show voice John Moore, makes excuses for the 3,200 new jobs at the city, and their cost, by saying "Streetcars don't drive themselves". The Post's photo editor helped drive that point home better than he probably expected. The accompanying photo shows a lonely streetcar on King,

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-55583163507699481982007-08-14T08:31:00.000-04:002007-08-14T09:05:15.122-04:00What the H E Double Hockeysticks

It seems from recent reports that Al Gore's famous climate doom forecasting hockey stick interpretation of Michael Mann's graph was based on incorrect data, or was just plain wrong, when it predicts a future that was hotter than Hell. The mid 1900's seem now to be shown as the hottest period in NASA recorded time, and that the apparent higher temperatures after 1999 were simply due to satellite

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-53892176095245657462007-08-09T20:36:00.000-04:002007-08-09T21:13:32.854-04:00CNE Windmill stops traffic

While driving across the bottom of the city this morning, I ran into more traffic than usual. No, not another truck rollover. The CNE windmill was actually turning, a sight so incredulous that people just had to slow down to look. Of course, with a temperature of only 23 degrees Celsius, its wind power was no longer useful to offset imports of power from the US to keep all of those enemies of the

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-18062512787708072752007-08-08T20:38:00.000-04:002007-08-08T20:47:43.717-04:00Michael Suddard's Homepage - Michael's Blog

Michael Suddard's Homepage - Michael's BlogCan't agree more.

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-10994523849305631032007-08-07T13:53:00.000-04:002007-08-07T15:45:36.540-04:00Lights Out - Anybody Home?

Went to lunch in the underground food court in The Yonge Eglinton Centre, and I thought that I had come across a disaster scene. The place was pitch dark, only one in 5 or so of the lights were working. Not sure whether to go in or not, but no smell of burning subway so it must be OK. But what a dingy, depressing place. Too dark to read. Hard to see which Chinese food item was which. I will have

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-42484506284684509772007-08-03T08:52:00.000-04:002007-08-03T09:05:34.832-04:00Another stack at PEC

In better energy news (compared to windless windmills) for Toronto, the fourth stack arose Thursday at the Portlands Energy Centre. IT appears that these things are light enough to be raised by one, albeit huge, crane. If anyone from the Ontario Power is reading this, it would be great to get onto the grounds and take a 360 degree panorama of the site over a period of time.

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-16586074422489592692007-08-03T08:34:00.000-04:002007-08-04T15:23:16.275-04:00Wind Powered Honda

While the CNE windmill still refused to power any air conditioners in Wednesday's 30 degree heat, the privately owned, albeit much smaller, wind turbine at Maple Honda near Canada's Wonderland on Highway 400, was generating up a storm. At 50 Kilowatts, it is only 1/15 the potential power of the windmill at the CNE, but based on my limited sample of comparative uptimes, it appears to generate many

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-34584981296081998172007-07-30T22:01:00.000-04:002007-07-30T23:52:58.630-04:00Big stack attack in the Portlands

A third stack arose at the Portlands Energy Centre, bigger than the first two, and a base for the fourth has already been constructed. While the above ground structure is impressive, the amount of underground construction shown in photos on the Ontario Power Authority website is equally impressive.Putting on my Made In Canada hat though, I wonder why the stacks had to be brought in from Thailand.

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-1753325213835164942007-07-30T21:57:00.000-04:002007-07-31T00:12:32.997-04:00Still not turning

Drove by the CNE windmill twice today. Still not turning out windpower. Oh, wait, it does look like one of the blades moved a bit.

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-66713744525429934832007-07-29T23:45:00.000-04:002007-07-31T00:15:56.834-04:00How Many Lightbulbs Does It Take To Turn A Streetcar?

Every day, nearly empty (1 - 3 passenger in all) streetcars rumble down Queen Street East, obviously wasting huge amounts of energy. Lets assume that these light loads make up 8 hours each and every day, not unreasonable at all considering there are only the two rush hours periods where the cars are full. 8 hours, at an average of a car every 12 minutes, is 40 runs. Huge cars with nobody in them.

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-43301728513440812552007-07-26T21:01:00.000-04:002007-07-26T22:25:59.197-04:00Toronto Sun agrees on Power To The People

Rob Granatstein of the Sun seems to agree on the need for a power plant in our back yard, despite, as he quotes, Councillor Paula Fletcher "detesting" it. As he points out, the massive new condos bring massive air conditioning demads, and the few power lines into the city are already highly loaded.Rob said it better, but I said Power To The People first.

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-53754595800056727372007-07-26T20:55:00.000-04:002007-07-26T20:59:28.319-04:00Turn turn turn turn

It was a great song, but obviosuly not one appreciated by the CNE windmill. Wasn't turning yesterday, wasn't turning when I drove by twice today.

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-36817027991814909792007-07-24T20:04:00.000-04:002007-07-24T20:42:26.224-04:00If a tree falls

Yesterday a huge-ish oak tree fell in ravine nearby, on top of a child's play house, narrowly missing a house and a car. Given the history of building in the area, it was probably about 60 years old. The remaining stump was rotten half way through. This tree's time was simply up. Soon another one will spring up from one of the acorns that the squirrels missed. The circle of life continues.But in

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-29831372896655995462007-07-23T17:47:00.000-04:002007-08-01T10:10:24.118-04:00Climate on a clothesline

The Toronto papers have in recent weeks carried a number of letters and articles decrying the lack of clotheslines to reduce our collective carbon footprint. Writers want bylaws and covenants against clotheslines eliminated so that the "little woman" can hang her clothes up to dry rather than load the hydro grid, or turn gas into CO2. My mother hung her clothes on a line because we were too poor

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-6916832234212984242007-07-22T18:49:00.000-04:002007-07-23T18:04:38.021-04:00Portlands Phoenix

The new 550 megawatt gas fired power plant in the Toronto Portlands is rising like a Phoenix from the ashes of the old coal fired Hearn Generating station. Generating approximately 750 times as much power as the flaky CNE windmill in a hurricane, it will power the rapidly rising wall of condos along the waterfront, the condoification of the lower Don area and then some. Despite opposition from

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-79439634244770411582007-07-19T08:43:00.000-04:002007-07-19T22:46:26.231-04:00Low DefinitionTelevision

Obviously the cost of large scale outdoor pixel board LED displays has come down as more and more of the wall of billboards lining the Gardiner Expressway are sporting live video. Have the producers and their clients ever driven there? We see what appear to be made for television spots being played on low resolution screens, that are supposed to be absorbed by motorists whizzing by at 120 kph.

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-21859750170342416802007-07-18T20:19:00.000-04:002007-07-19T16:55:45.120-04:00Windpowerless - again

Has anyone ever seen the wind turbine at the CNE actually working, in living memory? Driving by tonight, as probably every night for the last 2 months, the thing was again not turning, not lighting up the 200 homes it was touted to power. The flag on the Medieval Times building was blowing fairly straight out, so wind speed was about 10 - 15 knots. If you can't make power at that speed, then when

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1158593814000126522.post-41701122453810400492007-07-17T21:23:00.000-04:002007-07-19T16:55:29.420-04:00Canadian web hosting wilderness

I just cancelled an account at a Canadian web hosting company who shall be nameless, but rhymes with Microsoft's old SQL tool. I moved it to GoDaddy. One quarter the cost, GoDaddy measures their disk space in gigabytes, not megabytes, and trying to get dot net nuke going at the Canadian ISP was like waiting for climate change. Lost a potential client when they wondered why a demo was so

Toronto Media Photo Video Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097892176489056095noreply@blogger.com0