Ravens' View

Welcome to my blog

Graffiti is like a dandelion - to some it's a flower to be appreciated and encouraged, to others it's a weed to be stomped out and eradicated.

I have worked for several years in this area of graffiti mural promotion. From my initial photography of back alley art I developed more interests and links into the culture of Hip-Hop, and now volunteer in several youth-related areas. I have worked with Const. Scott Mills of Toronto Crimestoppers, he uses this same approach as a way to reach youth and show them they can be valued members of the community. Check out his work at  Legalgraffitiart on YouTube. I'm also associated with the youth group Sketch here in Orleans. Our mission in Sketch is to enable and empower local youth to create "somewhere to go, something to do".

I've also kept developing my photography skills - and of course buying more equipment. I'm currently using a Nikon D90 with their 17-200 VR zoom - a great multi-purpose lens. And a new printer - Epson 1400, so that I can do prints up to 13" wide. I do have many old pics to scan in still, but also have a lot (as in thousands) of photos up on Flickr -a wide selection that includes local graffiti, mural projects and arts events. Murals from last last summer included the pool at  Jack Purcell Community Centre, Photolux Studios, Hillary's Cleaners,  a ravine wall in Orleans, Genest pool, Hino's restaurant, and the buildings behind Boushey's Market on Elgin. Some of the arts events I covered were last summer's Ottawa Bluesfest and the Ottawa Folk Festival.  If you see a photo you'd like a copy of, or have an event you'd like me to cover, drop me a line. Forthe graffiti photos, if it's your art, or you know whose it is - please let me know and I'll gladly add the credit.

If you're interested in commissioning a mural for your property by local graffiti artists - not tags but creative aerosol art done to your requrements - contact me via my email,  ravensview  at gmail dot com. I'd be glad to pass your request on, for them to contact you directly.

For more info on graffiti transformation projects keep on reading this post.

Letter to my MP about prorogation

I sent the following to my MP on Jan 21- I will add any replies I get.

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Mr Galipeau

I consider your parties use of this process to be a misuse, an abuse of power. It’s an escape from questions on Afghanistan detainee abuse, from issues of climate change, from bills that had been on the order paper.

The excuse that it is needed for consultation is just that – an excuse. You should be able to sit in Parliament and represent us now – that is what we hired you to do.

The façade of public consultations on cut-backs will be used by your party as way to avoid criticism on any cuts you do make – you can just claim that the public asked for them in one of those mystery meetings.

And the justification that the Senate was not working before is hollow – not having a Conservative majority allowed the opposition in the Senate to do their job, to act as a check and balance, to help to temper and modify bills from the House.  

Get back to work – and by that I mean get back into Parliament.

I am a member of the “chattering classes”, of the supposedly non-consequential FaceBook group against prorogation, and will be adding my voice on Parliament Hill this Saturday.

Do drop by to see how many voters care about this.

Do resist any urge to stand up and offer the same old Harper excuses.

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Got this back 10 days later on Feb 1

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Dear Mr. Young,

 Thank you for your email regarding the recent prorogation of Parliament. I assure you I will bring this to Mr. Galipeau`s attention.

 In the meanwhile, I kindly request your mailing address for correspondence purposes.

 Thank you.

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Sent back on the 5th

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Thanks for the reply – I’ll be interested in seeing a response.  

 I prefer to not use snail mail – except for Christmas cards.

An Open Letter to the Government of Canada

From website No Prorogue. Posted January 21st, 2010 | Author:Scott McComb 

I've copied this below in it's entirety. Send a copy to your MP and friends - especially the pro-prorogue ones. Discuss it with your kids, your partner, the gang at the pub. Think of what some next steps could be. Get involved, with a donation, with some action. Make change happen, one step at a time.

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An Open Letter to the Democratically Elected Members of Parliament,

As concerned citizens of Canada, we write this letter in direct response to the recent decision of the Prime Minister to prorogue Parliament.

While prorogation is the usual means of bringing a Parliamentary session to a close, it has traditionally happened once the sitting Members have worked their way through the agenda set out in the Throne Speech. In contrast to its normal use, Prime Minister Stephen Harper twice now has sought to prorogue Parliament despite having accomplished less than half of the business laid out before the House of Commons. Indeed, within a month of the delivery of the Speech to the Throne in the fall of 2008, Mr. Harper was seeking haven from potential defeat at the hands of the majority of the House. Again, on December 30th, 2009, Mr. Harper has prorogued a Parliament in the middle of its agenda, delaying the accountability of his government to the House.

We are dismayed that prorogation should be used for such political gamesmanship. Furthermore, we interpret these prorogations as a suspension of our democratic rights to be represented by our duly elected Members of Parliament. We soundly reject the assertion made by Mr. Harper that it is merely “business as usual”. In actual fact, such prorogations are not seen in any of the British style parliaments of Australia, New Zealand, Scotland or the United Kingdom.

No to prorogue

I sent this to my MP - will post his reply when/if I get one.

 

Mr Galipeau

I consider your parties use of this process to be a misuse, an abuse of power. It’s an escape from questions on Afghanistan detainee abuse, from issues of climate change, from bills that had been on the order paper.

The excuse that it is needed for consultation is just that – an excuse. You should be able to sit in Parliament and represent us now – that is what we hired you to do.

The façade of public consultations on cut-backs will be used by your party as way to avoid criticism on any cuts you do make – you can just claim that the public asked for them in one of those mystery meetings.

And the justification that the Senate was not working before is hollow – not having a Conservative majority allowed the opposition in the Senate to do their job, to act as a check and balance, to help to temper and modify bills from the House.  

Get back to work – and by that I mean get back into Parliament.

I am a member of the “chattering classes”, of the supposedly non-consequential FaceBook group against prorogation, and will be adding my voice on Parliament Hill this Saturday.

Do drop by to see how many voters care about this.

Do resist any urge to stand up and offer the same old Harper excuses.

 

Dance - for valentines and others

  I mentioned these events in a previous post - always well run, big crowds, lots of fun, and suitable for couples or those on their own too. For this one, some will bring a Valentine, or find one there (preferable not someone else's) , some might worry it's an event with a little more pressure but I can assure you there's also many of us at these events that go just to have fun.

Here's Barry's latest invite -