From My Bottom Step

Classical Music as a Loitering Repellent

The London Public Library is undermining its own reason to exist.

Dear Automobilists: Cyclists are People Too

“We need to talk.”

The Corporate Graveyard

The following is a brief moment of irony, brought to you by the global marketplace:

As billions of taxpayer dollars flow into Citibank, I couldn’t help but appreciate the irony of this quote made in 1981 by Walter B. Wriston, the brilliant banker and former chairman of Citicorp:
The philosophy of the divine right of kings died hundreds of years ago, but not, it seems, the divine right of inherited markets. Some … Continue Reading

Beyond Spare Change

It is late Saturday night. I am walking to a friend’s birthday party. I happen upon Tyler who is sitting in his usual spot, doing what he usually does – panhandling. I have known Tyler for about a year. He is out a lot later than usual. I sit down and chat for a while.

Tyler’s story is as complicated as anyone’s story: it is a tale of abuse, heartbreak, lost … Continue Reading

The Cap on Bottled Water

Putting water into a plastic bottled is not itself a maniacally evil act. However, when mass culture is duped by the imagery of picturesque, high mountain springs and healthy, slim models sporting H2O name brands, the whole thing gets a little out of control.

Tit-for-tat and the Gaza Strip

The time for debating the difference between terrorism and just war is over, especially when it comes to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Reconciliation is not going to be solved by justifying one act of violence vis-à-vis another act of violence: when your own family is killed you instantly become victim of injustice, and there is no other way of possibly perceiving it, and seemingly no response but to enact what you … Continue Reading

Car-less in London, Ontario

My brain was always rushing ahead to the next thing. The automobile made it possible: it provided the necessary individualized, utilitarian tool to keep me constantly moving.