The Gather Inn

[Groovetube]

Yes. Thanks to a premier we had in the early 2000s, they decided that the huge density of property tax payers were to be fleeced and quintupled and amalgamated so we can pay for all the smaller areas projects while they downloaded all the costs to us. So the city of Toronto was massively expanded to include a pile of smaller areas all around us, all quite a distance from us.

often when driving through horrendous weather when I’d cross over into the yellow area pictured it was like a bubble, suddenly no snowstorm.

that's not to say we don’t get our share of bad weather, it’s just often quite different than the ‘GTA’ weather. I live in the middle of the yellow and 2/3rds of the way down nearer the lake. Right downtown. The CN tower is right out our front windows.

 

[pm-r]

often when driving through horrendous weather when I’d cross over into the yellow area pictured it was like a bubble, suddenly no snowstorm.

I guess they might have ended up paying much higher taxes in the amalgamation agreement in that area in trade for better weather or some sort of pay-off deal...



- Patrick
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[Groovetube]

Actually the weather seemed better back before they skyrocketed our taxes here.

not the best deal really!

 

[rps]

Morning all. Sunny, at least for today, but cold here. The rumble is we are expecting 3 snow storms over the next 5 days….might be wild here for a week or so.

So it is a shopping day today to stock up and ride out the weather.

On snowy days I tend to be a ”radio guy”….not into day time tv. So a music preference question for you…. what album had a significant impact on a music genre..but the album itself was not a commercial success. To me the hands down winner was The Byrds’ “Sweetheart of the Rodeo”…to me it laid the foundation for modern Country-Rock and spawned bands such as Commander Cody and others. Thoughts?

 

[Groovetube]

Quiet in these parts these days.
There’s so many influential records. I’ve never thought there’s only a few for any genre, and it’s all opinion.

Maybe I’ll name one maybe, Iggy and the stooges.

 

[rps]

Quiet in these parts these days.
There’s so many influential records. I’ve never thought there’s only a few for any genre, and it’s all opinion.

Maybe I’ll name one maybe, Iggy and the stooges.

Interesting choice….but I can see why. Townes Van Zandt also comes to mind…he had a few albums which didn’t sell well but influenced many a song writer.

 

[Groovetube]

Good choice, another I’d say is Dwight Twilley. Have some of his records (I got from a dollar bin somewhere!) and saw him when I was at sxsw in the 90s

 

[rps]

Morning all….dull and cold here today…sitting at about -8 with the WC.
So to warm your spirits we have fresh and hot Butter Toffee coffee on served with warm cinnamon rolls…… and a thought for the day

 

[Groovetube]

Good advice, if we’re lucky! Quiet here as of late, good morning to everyone

 

[rps]

Good advice, if we’re lucky! Quiet here as of late, good morning to everyone

Morning Groove, et al. Yes, I’ve noticed that it is quiet here as well….but we do have lives other than the forum here…I hope that means everyone is well.

It’s PBS day for me today, after the football game of course. So an evening of Marple, Miss Scarlet and the Duke, All Creatures Great and Small, and then Vienna Blood……I guess I need to get a life…LOL.

I‘ve often wondered….the inventor of the door bell probably never had a dog….

 

[Groovetube]

Here we have doorbell cameras, cameras everywhere actually, backyard garage. Can’t get away with anything around here

 

[rps]

Here we have doorbell cameras, cameras everywhere actually, backyard garage. Can’t get away with anything around here

In this day and age, that’s not such a bad thing to have.

 

[pm-r]

Here we have doorbell cameras, cameras everywhere actually, backyard garage. Can’t get away with anything around here

Do they have video recording abilities or other options such as autofocus or motion detection??

It seems such cameras are becoming a basic necessity, especially for some areas, and almost the same as dash cams, for front and rear, for vehicles.



- Patrick
=======

 

[Groovetube]

Sure do, all of the above, it goes to the cloud right away. If anything happens I give the cops access.

 

[rps]

Do they have video recording abilities or other options such as autofocus or motion detection??

It seems such cameras are becoming a basic necessity, especially for some areas, and almost the same as dash cams, for front and rear, for vehicles.



- Patrick
=======

True dat Patrick…sign of the times. I’m of the opinion that we are getting meaner as a society….and it’s not because of the last three years, this societal meanness has be cultivating for quite a while I think.

 

[Groovetube]

The last 3 years has gotten a lot meaner I think. Though true it’s not all based on that.

we’ve had a rash of transit stabbing a and attacks lately, last stabbing was on a streetcar I take regularly to the gym, in fact it happened around the same time I was traveling south it was on the north car.

what I remember though having been here many decades is Toronto was much quieter before they almagamated and began cramming condo buildings into every square inch left vacant.

Or I’m just getting old. But this city has changed a lot in the past few years and not for the better.

 

[rps]

The last 3 years has gotten a lot meaner I think. Though true it’s not all based on that.

we’ve had a rash of transit stabbing a and attacks lately, last stabbing was on a streetcar I take regularly to the gym, in fact it happened around the same time I was traveling south it was on the north car.

what I remember though having been here many decades is Toronto was much quieter before they almagamated and began cramming condo buildings into every square inch left vacant.

Or I’m just getting old. But this city has changed a lot in the past few years and not for the better.

Groove, three things on your comment. First, I have always believed in the concept of population density…nature seems to take care of this with all animals but us. The more crowded we get the less space we have to feel ”untrapped” , Second, our propensity to be media conscious..social or otherwise has contributed, in my opinion, when you can vent but be invisible, when “might is right” instead of the other way round, when media rushes to be read or heard first without bothering to place things in a neutral context you cause bad influences….it causes us to question just what is the truth…Finally a lack of community….I grew up in a tiny village…everyone looked out for each other…especially others children…in larger cities you don’t have that…it’s all about me instead of us. One clue, take a look at the number of service clubs that are either closing today or struggling to stay afloat…. these institutions help develop and maintain community…many cities find it hard to hold onto these organisations.
I often felt that high schools should have career days where these groups can talk about your career as a community member…inculcate the youth in the concept of “us” if you will.

 

[Groovetube]

That’s largely to me, the demise of this once great city. All of the small centers, social, mom and pop, etc are all slowly disappearing but accelerating now. Rents are sky high, buildings sold for condos, high rent retail under condos replacing the ‘community’. They often brag about how they are building new and better communities, one only needs to walk around these new communities that are super high density to see it’s a sham. It’s rich developers getting in, making a big buck and gettin out of dodge.

we’re talking about getting out of downtown at some point. I don’t really enjoy Toronto as I once did.

 

[pm-r]

we’re talking about getting out of downtown at some point. I don’t really enjoy Toronto as I once did.

And I guess one of your questions is "where to go", as you stated elsewhere, the political arms are reaching out and grabbing everything from everywhere.

We have noticed quite an influx of ex-Toronto-tarion-area, and various Ontario areas generally, migrating out to our general area on the wet west coast here on Southern Vancouver Island, and also bringing some of there Ontario area's high real estate prices out west with them.

And of course they keep up their Eastern political views that us Westerners are just extreme radicals, barely removed from hippie status but they stopped their bitching long enough to enjoy some of the West Coast climate for those times when it really is enjoyable. ;-)



- Patrick
=======

 

[rps]

That’s largely to me, the demise of this once great city. All of the small centers, social, mom and pop, etc are all slowly disappearing but accelerating now. Rents are sky high, buildings sold for condos, high rent retail under condos replacing the ‘community’. They often brag about how they are building new and better communities, one only needs to walk around these new communities that are super high density to see it’s a sham. It’s rich developers getting in, making a big buck and gettin out of dodge.

we’re talking about getting out of downtown at some point. I don’t really enjoy Toronto as I once did.

Groove, in Ontario my choices would be Peterborough, Bowmanville, Belleville, or….wait for it….Hamilton…..now for weather there’s Windsor.