Movie Review: Reneissance

I caught Reneissance on the dish the other night, its a neat little movie. Its animated but in pure black and white - not even greys. The movie itself is just 'okay', but its got an interesting look. Not very memorable, but one thing did stick with me; the setting is a futuristic (~50 years) Paris, and sections of the city have had "glass" pedestrian promenades built above the streets. I think this is a very interesting and doable idea for city core areas that have become over congested. Thinking of areas in Toronto like Yonge and Queen, picture a glasstic (my word for something transparent with the flex and strength properties of plastic) platform built at about the 3rd floor level that goes between the buildings and completely covers the streets. There is room at street level for the cars, trucks, and streetcars, but the majority of the pedestrian traffic would be above this. The glasstic still allows daylight to reach the underlying street, but there is now room for free human movement outdoors including outdoor cafes and miniparks with seating areas and gardens in the middle of what would be the intersections below. The underlying structure would need to be strong enough to support the weight of many people (thinking sporting event or political rally or protest) and the winter snow, but minimal snow removal costs would be incurred in this area, just enough on the pedestrian level to allow movement between buildings - but even that is optional since the pedestrians could use the street level in winter to avoid the snow. Anyway, this was a minor background concept in the movie, but it got me thinking about the practical applications.

A freakin shame in the name of progress

Okay, picture a golf course... mostly open space, right? Usually some trees lining the edges of the fairways just for clarity and visual appeal. If I were going to build a housing development, I would be thinking that taking over a golf course would be perfect with the already designed flow, previously mentioned well-placed full-grown trees, and the strategically placed patches of water with connecting brooks and streams.

But no.

Hwy 50 between Bolton and Hwy 7 had the Hunters Glen Golf Course. Not a great looking course, fairly typical looking. Well apparently it has been sold because the sign says its closed, and the machines have been on-site - cutting down ALL the trees and running them through a giant wood chipper. So I'm guessing by spring it will be cleared and flat, and filled with "houses" (if you can call them that) that are barely far enough apart to carry a lawn mower through on its side, each with its own newly planted 5' maple tree (that will likely die over the first winter)....

I'm assuming here, it could become a wonderful Super Center - mostly pavement with no trees at all, but whatever it is to become, I doubt it will be as "nice" as the golf course was....

Oh ya....

Driving on ice and snow when you are late for work and traveling 10km/hr is a lot more manageable when AC/DC is on the radio...Back in Black...gunna be a good day!

Wow - warm!

Warm enough this morning (end of January!) that the engine auto-stop on my Honda Civic Hybrid is kicking in whenever I come to a stop....which seems to be a lot this morning.....had to wait for not one, but 2 train crossings, on top of the regular traffic issues... plus I stopped for a Western Breakfast Sandwich at Country Style, just for fun.