Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree in the King Edward hotel.

Snow

It's gross out there today. This picture was taken on Queen street near much music earlier this year around the time of the film festival. Propaganda for one of the movies. The snow looked and felt remarkable real.

And there was even a guy on the roof sprinkling "snow" down so that it floated down in the breeze. It was a great effect.

Streetcars stuck

A picture from the summer. A protest on University Ave backed up all the streetcars on College. I count 6.

3 more waiting at McCaul.

Artsy Cafe

This is the hallway to the bathrooms in a little cafe Tonya and I found in Orillia just prior to getting engaged. That's right. We got engaged!

Parliament

There's something majestic about our parliament buildings. Gives me a shiver every time. Tonya and I watched a Chinese celebration taking place. Tonya wondered how many countries would allow the celebration of another country on the front steps of their parliament building. It's what makes Canada great. Though you wouldn't know it if you read the comments section of any newspaper article dealing with immigration. See Tonya's comment on a recent article in the globe and mail:

Swiss vote to ban minarets

The recent vote by the swiss public to ban muslim minarets is very disturbing to me. My initial reactions (not to say that I'm proud of it) was, "well, at least that's not happening here!". I read a very good article about this vote in the globe and mail (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/swiss-minaret-ban-emboldens-europes-extremists/article1383413/) and was feeling a bit better about the state of the world until I read the comments.

People always tell me not to read the comments, but I can't help it - they're right there! Some of these comments were absolutely disgusting in their attitude towards Muslims, but what really caused me to need to write about it was the number of "thumbs-up" vs "thumbs-down" these comments received. For example, the very first comment I read, was not a comment, but a message from the globe and mail saying that this users comment had been removed because it was abusive. However, before the editors had got to it, the comment had received 53 thumbs up and only 36 thumbs down. for an ABUSIVE comment.

Here is the comment that really got to me. This person sounds like they think they're being thoughtful, kind and rational. At the time of posting this, this comment had received 168 thumbs-up and 48 thumbs-down. (I checked, you can't vote more than once.)

"The chickens have come home to roost.

Western people in many countries are getting tired of having the welcome mat fouled by the often angry responses that arise every time a Muslim decides to protest accepted customs of their adopted country. The range of rejected and protested customs range form the minor to major issues. The scale ranges from wanting to wear a full covering hajib for a drivers license, wearing a nagib while playing sports, wanting time off during the work day to pray to Mecca to the more serious issues like rioting over a cartoon. In return there is little conciliation and certainly little public protest or condemnation when an atrocity is perpetuated by violent Muslims. The silence is deafening from Muslim communities when innocent people are killed in the name of jihad.For many Westerners, the milk of human kindness is slowly curdling and I for one, don't blame them."

Why must we feel so threatened by things that are different? And why can't we separate the acts of extremists from everyday people? Dress how you'd like to dress, worship how you'd like to worship, and take comfort in those things that bring you comfort. Do it without hurting other people.

Colour sunglasses

Really should have had this picture in colour rather than black and white. Tonya was right.