This is why we do what we do...

I don't pretend that things like this are the direct result of any one form of action, but they would never happen without events like Park(ing) day and organizations like The Streets are for People.  This is a video of some of the amazing changes that have been made in NYC to make the space safer and more enjoyable for people. (source:Treehugger)

Quote: "we put down just the orange cones, even before we get to the apoxy or the tables and chairs and people are out in them, just in between the cones because that's how hungry people are for public space."

The Paradoxically Myopic Economist

It is common in the discourses of mainstream media, and even more so on Bay Street, to talk about economic stability as if it were the be-all-and-end-all of societal harmony and human existence.  Time after time, social and environmental "threats" are dismissed in terms of lost dollars or jobs in our economy.  To be fair, employment is extremely important, and people will almost always act in their own best interests, which in our 21st Century world means gaining financial security for our families above nearly all else.  However, also in this complex 21st Century world, we face challenges that should be trumping economic strength, and yet are not.  The environment, more than anything right now, is such an issue.

Of course, I am not suggesting that we all burn our possessions and live in mud huts to save the Earth, far from it.  However, we seem unwilling as a population to make even small compromises in our already vast and (frankly) excessive wealth to make the necessary progress in climate change and pollution to save the Earth and potentially countless human lives.  This was demonstrated clearly through Canadians' outright rejection of the carbon tax proposed by the Liberals, as well as countless other individual excesses which we seem unwilling to give up (have you seen how many people are still driving alone on the DVP? Jeebus!).  Perhaps it is lack of education on the real effects of climate change, or maybe it is apathy, or even nihilism, but in any case, the necessary reaction (although substantial from some) is still generally lacking.  The question I pose to all you economists then is, When the glaciers melt and polar icecaps sink into the sea, major seaside cities are underwater and millions are displaced, when famine is widespread and unquenchable drought is as common in summer as smog warnings in Toronto, does anybody care what our GDP is? Will we be paying attention to how much the TSX fell today? What about minimum wage?

Aside from whether you think this is mere alarmism or not (trust me, none of this is out of reach, and maybe not even far away) the point is that eocnomists (and by that I mean anyone who uses the economy like a punchline, yes you Mr Harper) have tended to view movements like environmentalism as special interests who will myopically sacrifice jobs and economic value, when truly, without REAL action on climate change and pollution in the coming future, we may face a world where economies are either irrelevant or even non-existent, and when jobs are a luxury rather than the norm.  Perhaps it's time for a new type of economic thought.

Nuit Blanche!!

Have you ever been excited, but you don't know what for?  That's how I was feeling last night when Kristen and I headed downtown to pop our collective Nuit Blanche cherries.  Although I had heard of the event (I was invited to the inagaural NB and now curse myself for not going!) we didn't really know what to expect, and the experience hit us like a transport truck designed by Picasso and driven by Warhol.  It was both obvious and abstract, meaningful and arbitrary, accessible and avant-garde, and more than either of us could have expected.

We started off the night emerging from the Dundas subway station after spending the last half hour surrounded by drunk highschoolers (who smell sweeter than more mature drunks, incidentally, I think it's the excess of sweet juices in their vodka drinks), only to be surrounded by literally thousands and thousands of people.  Dundas square was packed, so instead we went to check out Massey Hall, where there was a cool little installment of an office ceiling above an alley filled with corporate waste.  As people were walking through the alley, a homeless man was begging for money, which we later considered could be part of the exhibit (art or poverty?)

We also spent some time in the distillery district at some amazing galleries and installments, and got to meet up with Spicy and some of his friends.  We split off to grab a coffee and meet up with some international friends from Seneca, which didn't end up materializing, but it sounded like they had a great time too.

We visited Nathan Phillips Square twice, and it was truly unreal.  The lights in the windows of city hall were flashing on and off in patterns similar to how windows media player reacts to music, and then switched to a contrast between the light and dark that showed a shadowy figure dancing to the music.  This was followed up by tetris, pong, and space invaders, which were met by the cheers and groans of the audience, depending on which side they were cheering for.  Four people ran across the pond in the middle of the square, also met by the cheers and flashing of cameras, only to be apprehended by security upon reaching the other side.  As would be expected, Johnny Law received boos from all sides, and then everyone went on their merry way.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to see nearly enough, as the subways were only running to Finch until 1:30.  Hopefully next time we will stay longer and take in more of the white night, which left us tired but wanting more.