Posts from — January 2010

Trapped at Sherbourne… There’s almost always something blocking this exit. Once I saw a bicycle shoved in there.

Filming in the neighbourhood again. Another cop show, I imagine. SJT makes for a good slum location. Because it is one.

A lonely shoe left on the platform. I wonder what its owner wore on to the train?

Arriving at Museum. Museum Station.

Accumulated Christmas season libations—post libation.

Michelle has a new obsession: Maneki Neko, also known as the Lucky Cat. She has a mug with a bunch of waving Lucky Cats on it, and was inspired to make some of her own using Sculpey. She made one resembling the Punk, and then decided that she would like to make cats for some of our friends and family.

The first in this series was made for Ms. Corinne Cupcake. If you check out her website you will have some idea of her tastes. Which is why we decided that Lady Cupcake’s Maneki Neko should be…different. Rather than wearing a coin or holding a lantern, we gave this dark kitty something a bit more macabre to do:

Yes, that is a severed head. Crafted by yours truly, as a matter of fact. I think I did a pretty good job, if I do say so myself.

With the right lighting, it’s a bit of a creepy sight!

We’re giving the Maneki Neko to Corinne today. I hope she finds it fit to take a place alongside the creepy headless dolls, corpse children, and monster puppets that line her shelves.

Tomorrow Stark and I have to buckle down and finally take down our Christmas decorations. I know, I know, it’s the end of January already. But I am encouraged by the knowledge that no one else in our building has been on the ball, either.

I found the evidence of a Christmas tree corpse having been dragged down the stairs last week:

And this stuck to the door where all the pine needles were littered:

Serve Canada Youth.

There are all sorts of weird and wonderful things for sale in Toronto.

For up to zero percent off, you can get…

A disembodied ass.

And imprisoned French maid.

A one way ticket to dehydration!

A mysteriously vague product termed “Feminine Paper” (not to be confused with “Household Paper”)

A vintage bra/shoulder pad combo (how have I lived all this time without this product?)

And some quality beer in the Cabernet aisle.

Okay, let me explain my train of thought while taking a photo of this bottle of Schlitz, the most unfortunately named beer in history. When I was a kid, my parents would often reminisce about defunct beer brands, most notably PBR (which has since had a very annoying hipster renaissance), Rheingold and Schlitz. My father would talk about working the beer pavilion at the 1964 New York World’s Fair and my mother would then sing the Rheingold song:

In my head, these stories have also become conflated with the Miss Subway beauty contests, for reasons I can’t quite figure out. Maybe because I have put all the Forgotten New York nostalgia into one special place in my mind, or maybe because ballots used to be available at stores that sold Schlitz… it remains a mystery.

I work for a radio group that has its offices at the End of the World, otherwise known as the boundary of the city of Toronto. It’s only a 45-minute subway ride but an entirely different mindset away from downtown.

Each morning on my way to the subway station I am greeted by the local wildlife.

I ride all the way out to Kipling Station, otherwise known as The End of the World. In the distance, there is home.

I often stand outside and stare up at the radio tower. Sometimes falcons roost there, keeping a watch for stray starlings.

All day I write short radio pieces on topics of great import.

I also engage in a multitude of other tasks that challenge both my intellect and dexterity.

I take breaks in the break room, otherwise known as the patch of cement at the foot of the radio tower.

At the end of the day, I battle the rush hour commuters for a spot on the train.

Home…the light at the end.

Welcome to Cameracratic, our little blog, featuring photos taken with our HTC Dream cameras.

Meet Michelle (a.k.a. “admin”):

And stark:

We own numerous cameras or varying quality, but as late have had neither the leisure time nor the leisure money to pursue our shared hobby, documenting every moment of our respective days on film. However, with the introduction of these nifty little devices known as cell phones into our lives, we have rediscovered the passion of everyday documentary. To know more about us, check out our about page.

Michelle is a librarian and archivist, writer, runner, TV watcher, photographer, and fan of the Oxford (or serial) comma. Stark is some of the above, but not others. What we share is a passionate appreciation of the beauty and absurdity of the world around us. This blog presents a few slices of life as we see it when we are walking to the store, commuting to work, going for a run, or sitting down to a drink.

Oh, and I should also introduce you to our High Priestess and Master of All She Observes, The Punk:

I suspect you’ll be seeing a lot of her.