Archive for February, 2010

• Notes on #ChangeCampTO

  Date: 2010.02.19 | Category: Civic Footprint | Response: 1

  Anil and I attended ChangeCampTO, held Tuesday Feb 16th at the Toronto Public Library in the Bram & Bluma Appel Salon room. Purchase viagra online Prospecto levitra I’m so glad we went. Mark Kuznicki, ChangeCamp founder, Ryan Coleman and all the volunteers put toge Over the counter viagra ther a really interactive, fast paced event.

  During our roundtable discussion, we talked through the idea of mobilizing people around a cause or issue – in this case using Levitra achat the Toronto 2010 municipal elections as the focus.  We discussed ways to engage the community and the barriers that might exist in doing so. Levitra prix pharmacie  It was wonderful to sit around a table with different members of the community with unique perspectives and expertise. Online levitra Viagra sin receta Levitra contraindicaciones  Of course, that means in some cases an idea would bubble to the top and then quickly fall, but then, I enjoy a little healthy debate. Viagra levitra

  The four scenarios to discuss around “co-creating a toolkit for a self-organizing movement of engaged citizen led dialogue and action” were:

  • Same time, same place
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  • Different time, same place
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  Our table was given the task of preparing a toolkit for mobilizing people together at the same time, but in a different place. Naturally, technology becomes the top discussion. Levitra pill  We discussed how best to use technology, language and access barriers, and anonymity versus identity. Kaufen viagra

  As I’ m sure you know, we are big fans of opening up our infor Pastillas levitra mation and processes. Viagra sale Viagra bestellung I’m very excited that ChangeCamp follows the same ideals. Cheap viagra online You can follow our table’s conversation thread (and the conversations of the other 20+ tables) at this link.  I would also encourage you to review ChangeCamp’s official wrap-up and analysis of the event, here. We talked about inclusivity being a top priority, and also acknowledged that if we could increase civic engagement by even 20% in each ward, what a huge success it would be. Viagra for women

  One thing I will take away from the second table I was at was the idea of “reclaiming the community center”.  In this discussion someone threw out the notion that we could rethink how the community centers are used, what our ideas of them are, and how we can better promote programs within a Kauf von viagra community center. It got me thinking. Brand viagra Purchase viagra   I deeply value our local community centers – and there are also conversations happening in bars, coffee shops and on the TTC. Levitra pas cher  Are those conversations and social gatherings happening at community centers? Could community centers become the next hot spot? Should they?

  It is something I’ll be thinking about as I continue to work with ChangeCamp and other agencies in our community.
  

• Mercy, Mercy Me

  Date: 2010.02.17 | Category: Civic Footprint | Response: 0

  I remember when Marvin Gaye’s dad shot him dead. It was April 1st, 1984, I was 10 years old and was very upset by what happened. Levitra pill Although Marvin’s dad was suffering from a long bout of mental illness and drug abuse, he had a history of dishing out verbal and physical abuse to the Gaye family. Online levitra Viagra sale Levitra contraindicaciones Viagra bestellung A toxic mix. Viagra for women

  I listened to a lot of Marvin growing up. Viagra alternatives

  Rolling Stone magazine rank’s Marvin Gaye’s album What’s Go ing On as album of the year Viagra levitra in 1971. Kaufen viagra Mercy, Mercy Me was one of the three #1 hits on the album. Over the counter viagra Pastillas levitra Cheap viagra online

  Mercy, Mercy Me is as relevant today as it was +30 years ago. So to is the not-so-talked about mental illness that Marvin endured prior to his death. Purchase viagra online Prospecto levitra Purchase viagra

  Mood Disorders of Ontario and Canadian Mental Health Association researchers have documented that one in three Canadians will suffer from a mental health issue in their lifetime.

  The loss of a loved one. A mid-life crisis. Levitra achat A work related episode. Levitra pas cher Levitra prix pharmacie

  Some cases more severe than others. Viagra sin receta Many simply requiring that people in need find help, just knowing that it is OK to talk about it without fear of stigmatism. Brand viagra

  Issues of mental wellness is something that we want to actively promote as part of our Timeraiser and Civic Footprint programming. Kauf von viagra

• A Real Cinderella Story

  Date: 2010.02.16 | Category: Civic Footprint | Response: 1

  Prom is a one of those momentous events in high school that you never forget. Viagra bestellung Kaufen viagra Pastillas levitra It’s a right of passage for every teenage girl to find the perfect dress and act out the Cinderella story Purchase viagra for one special night. One organization is turning the fairytale Cinderella into a reality for many young girls in the city. Ballroom Blitz is a 100% volunteer run organization that promotes self-confidence and individual beauty by providing free prom dresses Levitra contraindicaciones and accessories to graduating grade 12 high school girls who cannot otherwise afford them. Levitra pas cher Levitra pill Over the counter viagra

  On Saturday February 27th, Ballroom Blitz is organizing the Downtown Diva Dress Drive where they are hoping to collect over 1,000 dresses. Viagra sale Kauf von viagra Cheap viagra online So get out your cocktail dresses and formal gowns and give a girl the chance to be a princess for a night. Viagra levitra

  You can drop off your dresses on Saturday February 27th from 8am to 11am at any of the following locations:

  Downtown Toronto: 155 Dalhousie Street M5B 2P7

  Bloor West Village: 619 Windermere Avenue M6S 3L9

  North Toronto: 1001 Roselawn Avenue #127 M6B 4M4

  Mississauga: 1091 Atwater Ave L5M 1M8 (Dixie/QEW)

  Thornhill: 52 Schuster Lane l4J 8Y7

  Oakville: 527 Tipperton Cres (Bronte)

  Oakville: 2139 Rosemount Crescent (3rd Line & Upper Middle)

  Brampton: 297 Rutherford Road South L6W 3R5 (Steeles/410)

  Burlington: 5203 Lakeshore Rd, L7L 1C7

  The Beach: 143 Sears St, M4L 1B4 (Queen & Greenwood)

  Here are a few things to consider before dropping off any dresses:

  • Dresses MUST be current/modern style.
  • Dresses MUST be clean and on hangers. Online levitra Viagra for women
  • Dresses MUST be prom dresses, formal gowns, or fancy party dresses. Purchase viagra online Viagra alternatives

  Accessories MUST be stylish, clean, and in excellent condition.

  For more information check out Downtown Diva Dress Drive on Facebook. Viagra sin receta Brand viagra Levitra achat Levitra prix pharmacie Let’s m ake this Cinderell Prospecto levitra a story a reality!

• Learning From Ideas

  Date: 2010.02.12 | Category: Civic Footprint, In the News | Response: 0

  I’ve been watching a lot of TED talks lately.

  
  

  For those who are unfamiliar with it, TED, or Technology Entertainment Design, is a non-profit organization that spreads good ideas through conferences, their video site and the annual TED prize, given to individuals with “One Wish to Change the World.” The TED talks, featured on the site, are given by individuals ranging from entertainers to artists to scientists to professionals and to anybody else with a creative idea.

  
  

  Two talks with very different approaches have stuck out in my mind: Bill Davenhall’s Your Health Depends on Where You Live and Ze Frank’s Nerdcore Comedy. Davenhall, the head of health & human services marketing at ESRI, talks about the novel field of ‘geomedicine’ and its nonexistence in health care services. Viagra sale Purchase viagra Using GIS to map heart attack rates and toxic release sites in the United States, Davenhall’s map allows users to track their place history (places they have lived) in the United St ates to get Levitra prix pharmacie a grip on the effect their environment has had on them. Kaufen viagra Cheap viagra online You can look at it as a grim picture, or as a move toward a more comprehensive health care approach that takes ‘geomedicine’ into account.

  
  

  The second talk, given by internet personality, entertainer and public speaker Ze Frank, is a light-hearted talk about tech joys and the numerous ‘ web Brand viagra toys’ Frank has created to increase the amount of social capital on the web. His creations have inspired people to come together and create (anything) themselves and in collaboration with other each otherAs such he’s been featured in numerous media and is currently working with Time Magazine. Viagra for women Viagra alternatives

  
  

  At Timeraiser, we’ve been talking a lot about open data/architecture and how to harness and display Levitra contraindicaciones it using web-based interactive mapping. Viagra levitra Over the counter viagra Viagra bestellung I think these two talks hold a lot of lessons for this type of work. Levitra pas cher Online levitra Purchase viagra online Davenhall’s US health example puts the power of interactive web mapping on display. Simply type in one or more locations and investigate your past Levitra pill and present local environments. Kauf von viagra Frank’s talk highlights the benefits interactivity has for creative and innovative thought, and for increasing a community’s – a civic environment’s – social capital.

  Over the past couple of months I’ve been mapping various non-profit organizations using open data. Viagra sin receta Levitra achat This week I’ll be sitting down with Emily to discuss how we can bring these into the public sphere in an interactive and creative way. Hopefully we can maximize the amount of information available in a user’ s environment while providing a platform for the creation of capital. Prospecto levitra Pastillas levitra

• Step Aside, Jamie Oliver

  Date: 2010.02.10 | Category: Civic Footprint | Response: 0

  Sure, Prospecto levitra Fifteen” href=”http://torontoist.com/2009/06/original_fifteen.php”>Jamie has Fifteen, but Toronto has the YMCA. The Culinary Skills Training Program at the YMCA sounds pretty fantastic, and some of the pictures from this article are drool-inducing. Viagra bestellung  The Torontoist recently featured a story on the Basic Culinary Skills Training program. Levitra pas cher Viagra sale Purchase viagra

  In it, Kaori Furue describes a tour of the new location at Metro Hall, complete with details about a new Cafe opening today, as well Viagra for women Levitra achat as a description of the 10 additional student spaces created out of funding from the Boston Pizza Foundation. Viagra alternatives  Here is another good example of a Social Enterprise in Toronto. Brand viagra Pastillas levitra Levitra prix pharmacie At the Cafe, students will prepare cold and hot items to be sold during breakfast / lunch, with “proceeds going back into the program to cover operating costs, supplies and rent”. As someone who loves all things food related, the culinary tie-in is close to my heart.

  The B asic Culin Over the counter viagra ary Skills Progr Online levitra am is a 12-week program for people who receive social assistance. Viagra levitra Once completed, students receive a Communication Food Handlers Certification, as well as 344 hours of hands-on kitchen training. Purchase viagra online

  

  Our neighbourhood YMCA at Yonge and Grosvenor

  The program, and its new location, is a great example of a community-based win-win-win program (like Timeraiser!). Students learn essential culinary skills, equipping them with quality job training, Cheap viagra online the downtown core g ains Levitra contraindicaciones a new foodie spot with a cause, and employers have a larger pool of qualified graduates from which to hire from. Kaufen viagra

  I can’t wait to head down and check out the Cafe (slated to open today!), and will be sure to upload pictures to our Civic Footprint Twitter feed when I do. Levitra pill Viagra sin receta Kauf von viagra