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New Art Trend: the Decal

 Decal

Whenever I have the opportunity, I bike through the Champs des possibles. Not only do I have the chance to smell the wild flowers and check out the beekeeping station, but I can also see if there is any new graffiti or tags. Although this work is not always the best, it usually gives the area a burst of colour that is so badly needed against the 70s-styled cement factories. On the large wall facing the railroad tracks is a spot where aspiring artists practise before actually going out into the streets, and the art on this wall changes fairly often.

Notre Père
A few weeks ago, I noticed a new medium being used--large-scale decals. I saw a fair bit of this on the ramp leading up to the Jacques-Cartier Bridge. Although I originally thought this was one piece, I took a closer look to discover that it was made up of 8 panels. Was this originally meant to be on a billboard? What makes it better than spray paint is its impermanence--it eventually just peels off. As you can see, the queen's crown in the top left-hand corner has already started to come down.

I was also intrigued by the lettering, and from where I was standing, it looked like there was some netting around the letters. As I got closer I could see that this was just a new style of tagging. Then I noticed a strange verse in the far left-hand corner. Upon closer examination, I realized that someone had written the Lord's Prayer in French.


Other related posts

Duluth Street: An artist named Phlash
St Viateur Street Art
Duluth Street: Norte-Sur Mural






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Loaded Inaction

This week, all eyes were on the parliamentary vote to continue or abolish the long-gun registry. I realize that to those of you south of the border or abroad, this sounds like an issue from a Hollywood western, but it is something that affects all Canadians, both rural and urban. The long-gun registry requires that rifle and shotgun owners register their weapons. Please bear in mind that rifles and shotguns are the most common kind of firearms used in Canada.

People living in rural areas, often referred to as the duck hunters and farmers in this debate, feel that this registry treated them as though they were criminals. Police bodies want to maintain the long-gun registry for obvious reasons. Fourteen police officers were killed with long guns last year, and thus, the gun registry is an essential work tool (1). Women's groups are also upset. In 2008, long guns were used in 72% of firearm-related spousal homicides (2).

Both sides in this debate have been accused of not telling the whole story or inflating their statistics to serve their own purposes.

For most people, it's not hard to figure out what side I'm on. Jack Layton is the leader of the New Democratic Party, a labour party that professes to support women's rights. This is also the party that I have supported since I was eligible to vote.

I was sickened to see Jack Layton not compel his caucus to vote in favour of maintaining the gun registry on the basic principle that gun control saves police officer's and women's lives. On the one side, we have people afraid to be depicted as criminals, while on the other side, they are concerned with safety and survival.Why is the principle in this case so hard to see?

The vast majority of farmers and hunters practise gun safety and do not threaten their wives and children with weapons. But everyone out there knows a gun owner who is a mean drunk, who makes threats, is physically abusive or has mental health issues.

It all goes back to what your middle school teacher said, "It's those who don't follow the rules who ruin it for everyone else." We pay higher taxes because some people don't pay their share. We pay higher prices for consumer items because of shoplifters. Although we may all be law-abiding citizens, we are continually compelled to pay for someone else's wrongdoing one way or another. That's life!

Your thoughts readers?

In the end,  Jack persuaded 6 MPs to change their vote, and the bill to abolish the long-gun registry was narrowly defeated. While Jack may have endeared himself to a few duck hunters and farmers, I can't accept the fact that he didn't stand up for principle when he had the chance. Next election, I will be voting for someone who champions women's rights through action, not words.

Related links:
Long-Gun Registry: What's Going On?
In a Hypothetical Society
Glass Ceiling: Smashed or Cracked?
National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
Doc Review: Finding Dawn by Christine Welsh



[1] Nick Aveling, "Police Chiefs Endorse Register Over Tories' Plan" National Post, August 24, 2010.

[2] Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile 2006. Available at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncfv-cnivf/familyviolence/pdfs/fv-85-224-XIE2006000_e.pdf
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The Crowdsourcing Pull

Companies used to hire employees to do their work or outsource it to other specialized companies. Now the private sector crowdsources or invites the public through an open call to help them create solutions. Many companies have followed this trend of mass collaboration enabled by Web 2.0 to reach their business goals.


This great cheap option has been criticized for offering low or no wages and taking employment and contract opportunities away from individuals and companies.

Nevertheless, my husband could not help but give in to the pull of crowdsourcing this week. The radio network NRJ made an open call to help the Montreal station come up with a new 30-s commercial with a cash prize. Was it the reward that kept someone awake day and night for the past week? Or was it having a great, albeit AMBITIOUS, idea that he just had to work on? But can I criticize him? No, because I took on an equally ambitious and unpaid project this week--my first podcast via Skype.

Please watch our final 30s commercial.

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Review: The Happy Home for Broken Hearts

Imagine logging on to Facebook to discover UK author Rowan Coleman asking for volunteers to review her latest book The Happy Home for Broken Hearts. I jumped at the chance, and a few weeks later, I received a copy in the mail.

Rowan Coleman is the bestselling author of The Accidental Mother, The Accidental Wife and The Baby Group. She has also written the YA Ruby Parker series. In total, she has written 8 books, the first of which was published in 2002. It's a wonder that she has had time to breathe since then. In addition, she runs short story contests on her blog with fabulous prizes. Read the latest eight winners here. She also holds a flash fiction contest on her Facebook page every Friday, and they're a lot of fun.





The Happy Home for Broken Hearts

We meet Ellen Woods (or Ellie as she is known to most) at the passing of her husband Nick, who was killed suddenly in a tragic car accident. Grief stricken, Ellen spends the next year living vicariously through the romance novels she edits in her Victorian house with her adolescent son Charlie. Not only does Ellen have to come to grips with being widowed, but she also has to face the fact that her dearly beloved left her penniless. Sister Hanna aggressively convinces Ellen to open her home to lodgers to stave off bankruptcy.

The first lodger, Sabine arrives in London for work to flee her wayward husband. Then Ellen's employer asks her if she would like to become the editorial assistant to Allegra Howard, Ellen's favourite romance novelist, who also needs a place to stay after her home was severely damaged by flooding. Ellen is forced to work quickly to make the septuagenarian Allegra comfortable, which includes painting her dining room lavender. Finally, we meet third lodger Matt, a columnist for a girlie magazine, who turns out to be less of a lad than expected. In fact, Matt finds his way onto the very pages that Ellen is editing....

There's an interesting and realistic dynamic created between Ellen and her sister Hanna. Born in the early 70s, Ellie chooses the more traditional route in life, marrying and abandoning her professional aspirations, while sister Hannah born 8 years later opts for the single, professional and sexually-liberated path. Both predictably assume that the other has made the better choice. As Ellen realizes that she still has her entire life ahead of her and must break out of her self-imposed confinement, Hannah begins her downward, self-destructive spiral, as the truth she is hiding becomes too much to bear.

Although the reader initially fears the neediness of prima donna Allegra, it's the wisdom and insight that Allegra brings to Ellen's life that gives her the momentum to move forward. The aspiring novelist will also glean a few gems from Allegra and Ellen's professional relationship. The reader gets better acquainted with all the characters on the home's centre stage, the kitchen, also the site of a few cringingly awkward, yet liberating encounters.

Perhaps the most beautifully rendered relationship in the book is the one between Ellen and her son Charlie, who is still grieving the loss of his father and coping with adolescence. His new found independence is another change that Ellen, and every other mother on earth, struggles to comes to terms with. If Hannah, Allegra and Matt are instrumental in making Ellen break out of her protective shell, then Charlie is the force that keeps Ellen from skidding out of control.

This was a great way to escape a rainy weekend, and I look forward to the sequel, which I'm sure RC is penning as we speak.

As usual, I will be giving this book away to a new follower. Just follow my blog via google. Winner to be announced on September 19.

Related post
Rowan Coleman's Friday Flash Fiction

Other Reviews
Death to the Dictator! by Afsaneh Mosadam
The Selves by Sonja Alhers
Living Downstream by Sandra Steingraber
Book Review: The Next Generation of Women Leaders
Book Review: The Spare Room by Helen Garner
Aya: The Secrets Come Out
Film Review: Mary and Max
Doc Review: Finding Dawn by Christine Welsh
Book Review: Violent Partners by Linda G Mills
Review: Exit Wounds by Rutu Modan
A Review of Montreal's Bixi Rental Bike




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School Supplies... A Necessity?

In my previous post on going back to school, I wrote that in Quebec, parents have to buy school supplies for their children. At the same time, parents have to shell out money for text books and school trips. This means that in the third week of August, parents are expected to spend about $200 per child, and that does not include any purchases for clothes.

In response to this post, I received this comment from Fidel Fuentes on my Facebook page:

"The whole thing is a bloody disgrace. Way back when I was living in Ontario I was going to a Catholic School. The school bought all student supplies in bulk. This meant that if I wanted a pencil, note books, art supplies, dictionaries, school books etc., all I had to do was go to the back of the class, open a drawer and take out what I needed. The parents of poor kids didn't have to choose between sending the kids to bed hungry in order to buy school supplies. The whole things makes me sick."

I found this comment indeed humbling. How soon we forget. Both my husband and I were raised by our mothers on limited resources. In my case, my mother would have had to come up with the 1970s equivalent of $400 for me and my brother. What would my mother have done? Like many single mothers, she had a fairly good job, but coming up with that kind of money would have involved saving over a sustained period of time.

I decided to look into what a single working mother could do.

My first stop was the vice-principal at my daughter's school. VP Pierre Lemay told me that coming up with the money for some families was indeed difficult. I asked him if the school accepted donations of unused school supplies from previous years. He said that this would depend on what my daughter's class needed and he directed me to my daughter's teacher. Lemay also told me that there were some area organizations that provided school supplies, but suggested that I phone the CLSC (area healthcare and social services centre), where they would be able to give me further information.

On my lunchhour, I contacted the CLSC social worker, who in turn referred me to
Jeunesse au Soleil or the Sun Youth Organization on St-Urbain St. I spoke with an adviser there who was making up school supply packages to be given out on next Tuesday. However, he did point out that supplies were limited, and that they were strictly for people who used the Sun Youth food bank. I asked him how single-parent families managed.

"It's a dire situation for many. People on social assistance are given extra money for the back-to-school period, but it's not enough," he said. "And there are still a lot of parents not on social assistance who can't afford  school supplies."

One of the other organizations that the Sun Youth adviser referred me to was the Welcome Hall Mission (Mission bon acceuil) in St-Henri. On August 16 and 17 of this year, the organization handed out 2,200 packages of school supplies, footwear and clothing, worth $170,000. In addition, 40 refurbished computers were given away. This is the ninth year running for the WHM's Head Held High event, which is slated as Montreal's largest school supply distribution.

The other referral I received was for Fondation Maman Dion (Celine's mom). This year, the Foundation also gave out 2,200 packages to students in 72 school boards across Quebec. The package includes $200 worth of school supplies from BuroPLUS and a $200 coupon for clothing at L'aubanerie. To be eligible, parents must apply before the April deadline. Applications are reviewed by a selection committee made up of retired teachers.

It's great to see that these organization's exist, but there's one thing that I'm sure would put off a lot of working single parents and low-income families. These are charity organizations that receive funding through corporate and private donations. I believe that many families are still too proud to take handouts, and as my Facebook friend suggested in his comment, some families might cut corners on necessities so that they can buy school supplies. It is indeed a sad state of affairs if an adult earning a living wage cannot afford school supplies for his/her children.

Schools supplies are an essential part of a child's education. So why don't our taxes pay for them?

Furthermore, why are families paying retail prices for school supplies in Quebec when the provincial government can purchase the whole thing in bulk, through a competitive* tender process, at a fraction of the cost?

I'd love to know what you think reader...Should the government pay for school supplies or should parents foot the bill?

*by competitive I mean the best price/quality ratio. This does not mean your friend who owns a chain of office supply stores.

 Related posts
Belle Province Back-to-School
Return of the Angels
Urban Solutions for Greener Surroundings
For the Vegan in You
Multitasker Foils Gentrification
The Lure of Fishing on Bernard



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Belle Province Back-to-School

Sometimes it's the little differences that throw us off, such as our children starting school on August 26 instead of the day after Labour Day. Then there are the other not-so-subtle differences, such as having to pay for your child's school supplies (Grade 3, $45.00), textbooks ($75.00) and school day trips ($30.00) all at the beginning of the year. For those of you who, like me, grew up with school supplies provided by a Board of Education, this may seem unfair. After all, isn't that what our school taxes are for? Then consider this: I pay $1,600 a year (Yes, a year) for an after-school program from 4:00 until 6:00 pm weekdays. Both the $7.00 a-day daycare and after-school programs show that Quebec is ahead of the rest of the country when it comes to families.

Does your child go back to school after Labour Day? Do you have to pay for your child's school supplies? How much does your after-school program cost?

Here's another difference. Take a look at the top left picture, which I took last week in front of my daughter's school. The students (I've blurred their faces) have made placards and are reminding drivers to slow down on Laurier Avenue, the busy street in front of their school. They are chanting the slogan "C'est la rentrée. Ralentissez!" or Slow down! We're back at school. You'll also notice two Montreal policemen in the picture, as well as a parent and a teacher who are standing by. In fact, I was on the other side of the street next to a cop in uniform who was also taking pictures of this mini-demonstration.

Demonstrating or protesting is our right and a sign of a healthy democracy. I'm pleased to see that the children at my daughter's school are being taught the importance of exercising this right. Not only are the students given time to demonstrate (the morning bell has already rung), but they are also backed by the school and police force. Protesting for change is a worthy lesson for children, and a good way to remind area motorists that "We're all late for work!"

Although my view is not shared by everyone, particularly the forces of order at this summer's G20, I think that protests are a useful way to raise awareness and effect change. You'll recall that earlier this summer, I wrote about a group of seniors who were protesting the closure of a borough street for an open-air market, and I was surprised by how organized they were. Not only did they have their placards ready, but they were also handing out leaflets with their laundry list of arguments.

Peaceful demonstration is alive and well in Quebec! Thank goodness.

Related posts

Return of the Angels
Urban Solutions for Greener Surroundings
For the Vegan in You
Multitasker Foils Gentrification
The Lure of Fishing on Bernard


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Review: Death to the Dictator! by Afsaneh Mozadam

Death to the Dictator!
Afsaneh Moqadam
Sarah Crichton Books

Less than one year after Iranian demonstrators took to the streets to protest the fraudulent re-election of hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as President of the Islamic Republic, writer Afsaneh Moqadam tells the true story of Mohsen Abbaspour, a man in his early twenties who votes for the Reformist party and its leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi. Swept up in the euphoria of possible change, the once politically apathetic Mohsen finds himself alongside his friends and fellow reformists in the streets posing the greatest challenge to Iranian authorities since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The Presidential Guard, Basijis and police eventually suppress the demonstrators through brutal force and mass arrests. Like many fellow citizens, Mohsen is arrested, taken to the notorious Evin prison and then to Kahrizak. He is repeatedly interrogated, tortured and raped until he is finally released on August 29, 2009.

In the letter that accompanied this book, the publisher vouches for the truthfulness of this account and informs us that a pseudonym has been used to protect the author’s identity. Given the relatively short period since the events of June 2009, the requisite anonymity is unsurprising, especially since Moqadam could well be Abbaspour.

This book offers an insider account of what transpired in June 2009 from the perspective of a twenty-something secular protester and gives the reader a rare glimpse into how a young Iranian views the ruling party, his parents’ generation of revolutionaries and the shift in power from the mullahs to the neo-fascist Revolutionary Guard and its protector, Ahmadinejad. This perspective is particularly significant when we consider that Mohsen and his generation are largely the result of a pronatalist policy implemented in the 1980s in order to create an Islamic army of 20 million. This policy backfired producing a baby boom made up of individuals similar to Mohsen: educated with bleak employment opportunities and little if any interest in military service. 

Another interesting aspect of the story is the speed at which change apparently occurred. Shadi, a veteran of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, tells Mohsen that it took them a year or two to get as far as the reformists had in just two weeks. Moreover, just 10 days after the stolen election, brazen and fearless protesters began chanting the previously inconceivable, “Death to Kamenei!” The story sheds light on how technology acted as a catalyst in this revolt. In spite of using spyware provided from a major cellphone maker and slowing Internet speed to a snail’s pace, the authorities were unable to keep up with the transfer of information and images through new technology and social media.

Although many readers will find the rape and torture difficult to stomach, this part of the story must nevertheless be told. The more people become aware of rape and torture, the greater the likelihood that one day they will take a stand against these acts. Besides, as we've learned from the press, rape and torture are also perpetrated by Western governments.

Death to the Dictator! reads like a true account; however, in addition to a few structural problems, the English was somewhat stilted, which did interfere with the flow of the story and led me to believe that this book was released prematurely, perhaps to commemorate the one-year anniversary. Nevertheless, if you’re interested in knowing more about one Iranian’s experience during this tumultuous time then you will enjoy this book.

This review was cross-posted at Elevate Difference.


Other posts related to Iran and the green revolution:
Iranian Bloggers: The World's Only Eyes and Ears
Persiankiwi's Twitter
Persiankiwi et al.
Persiankiwi Disappears
Finding Cracks in a Crackdown

Other reviews:
Living Downstream by Sandra Steingraber
Book Review: The Next Generation of Women Leaders
Book Review: The Spare Room by Helen Garner
Aya: The Secrets Come Out
Film Review: Mary and Max
Doc Review: Finding Dawn by Christine Welsh
Book Review: Violent Partners by Linda G Mills
Review: Exit Wounds by Rutu Modan
A Review of Montreal's Bixi Rental Bike



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Alice in Flames

It seemed like I had waited a long time for this. It was dusk on a hot August night, as we drove northward to St-Michel. I looked out the passenger window at the lilac sky and felt the warm wind on my face. I had butterflies in anticipation. As my family and I walked from our car to the TOHU, we could see the side of the structure bathed in blue light in the distance. An announcer's voice boomed from the stage in the background, where most of the spectators were crowded in front. There was a burst of applause. We headed for the structure to get a good look, as the silver leaves on the poplar trees shimmered in the wind.

The 10 Works of Alice in Wonderland

A perimeter had been set up around the structure, and the crowd was already about five people deep. The final Alice looked just as it did in the sketch I had seen four weeks earlier. To see the colours in daylight, click here. I tried to get as close as possible to take a picture of the 10-metre high 10 works of Alice in Wonderland before it was set ablaze. I set my camera to the night setting and took a few pictures. The shutter speed is slow to let in as much light as possible, but it's hard to stand perfectly still. The result is a less-than-sharp picture. There are many photographers standing around me with telephoto lenses waiting for the show to start. Many have staked out an area and have set up their tripods. There seems to be two distinct crowds: photography buffs and people from the St-Michel neighbourhood. My husband was thinking and brought his tripod, but I'm not sure how he's going to use it yet.

A Close-Up of the Detail


We still have to wait 20 minutes, which is a long time for our three- and eight-year-old. Our "little" 50lb-son is already asking to be picked up. I'm not sure how we are going to take pictures while holding our children so they can both see. Three fire trucks are standing by in the streets. There's a trailer in the distance with a flag on top to gauge the wind. The Falla team of designers, falleros and volunteers are introduced on stage to loud applause. Then a delay is announced. Too much wind. We groan, as my son lobs his teddy bear into the crowd, which I wade in to retrieve for the second time. The band plays on behind us, and when the song finishes, the host announces that the show will start in a few minutes, wind permitting. The crowd starts to shift from the stage to the perimeter. My husband gives in to my son's pleas and puts him on his shoulders. The firemen move closer and stand in a line at the ready. The Falla is about to start.


The first structure with the clock is lit from inside. The fire quickly moves up the structure, but is extinguished by the wind. Fireworks are used as a diversion until the fire is successfully lit again. This time flames race to the top of the structure. The crowd cheers as each character burns, wavers and falls to the ground. We are hit by rolling waves of heat. My son is cheering and waving his arms, as his father tries to steady his hand holding his tripod with a video camera above the crowd. I do my best to take pictures without moving, as the crowd pushes forward, and my daughter tugs at my arm to be picked up. Unfortunately, I am only able to hold her in the air for about 30 seconds at a time (She's heavy too). Just as well. The burning of the second structure is much more spectacular, and she has a better view. As the structure cracks and pieces fall off, I realize that I have never seen a fire this big before, and the heat is making me lightheaded. The second structure comes down in three large pieces, and then it is over. The entire show ends in just six minutes.

We walk back to the car and decide to go to the Dairy Queen to cool off. The only disappointment of the night: our DQ with the vintage sign also adheres to 60s banking practices, and there's no Interac. The dep will have to suffice. Then we rush home to put our kids to bed and look at our pictures.

The top two pictures are captures from my husband's video, which is beautiful except for the lurching each time our son got excited and cheered or stuck his fingers in my husband's eyes. My pictures got better as we approached the four-minute mark. Next time, we'll also bring something that my daughter can stand on, so that she can see over the crowd.

Click on the arrows in right-hand corner to see slide show full-screen




Related posts:
La Falla: Spanish Tradition at the TOHU
A Must-See: Cirque Éloize's iD
200th Post: the Readers' Choice





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