How To Climb At True North For Just $2.50

[OVER-THE-TOP INFOMERCIAL VOICE]

Climb at True North for just $2.50!

The cost of a regular day pass at True North Climbing is $19. But let me tell you about my secret technique for visiting this state-of-the-art gym -- for just $2.50 a session!

I’ve done it before myself -- and now, for a limited time, I’m going to share with you my exclusive method for climbing there on the cheap...

Imagine that you could get an introductory lesson, plus an unlimited two-week membership at this gym. Even if you’ve never climbed before, the beginner lesson is perfect, and then, you’ve got two fun-filled weeks to try out an exciting new sport.

How much would you be willing to pay for this package -- say, fifty bucks? That sounds like an excellent value, doesn’t it?

But wait -- there’s more!

Now what if I told you, this also includes equipment rental? As I said, the usual cost of a day pass is $19; but the harness and shoe rental are another $5.50 -- apiece. Simply go twice, and the offer has paid for itself.

You don’t even have to bring a climbing partner: the gym -- conveniently located at Keele and Sheppard in Downsview Park -- also features a fantastic bouldering setup, as well as a pair of slacklines, gymnastic rings, workout area, and a set of weights.

But wait -- there’s more! 

What if I told you that this incredible deal is available now, for a limited time only, for the low, low price of just $25 -- tax included -- a savings of 50%?!

Well -- you take that deal!

Snag this deal before it’s gone!

And that’s how I climbed at True North for just $2.50 a session. It was simple: The last time they offered this amazing bargain, I redeemed the voucher... and enjoyed ten sessions over the course of fourteen days -- somewhat to the staff’s amusement.

Can you beat that? You could even climb more than ten times, if you wanted to!
[Results may vary. Some conditioning required. Not to mention some silliness, and a free schedule -- but it can be done.]

Once again, click here to purchase this exceptional deal, which includes:

• an introductory climbing lesson
• a two-week membership
• equipment rental
• access to all of the air-conditioned gym facilities: routes, bouldering, slacklines, weights, gymnastic rings, changerooms, showers, and comfy couch
• all for just $25 -- a 50% savings off the regular price!

Get it for yourself, or buy it for your friends as a gift. Hurry now -- grab it before it’s gone...

Full Disclosure: This post uses a referral link. I am neither employed nor paid by True North -- but I have climbed there quite a few times. Amusing ‘infomercial voice’ notwithstanding, I’m posting because it’s a solid value -- just go twice, and the math makes it totally worth it. Also, I want to see if anyone tries to beat my number... [challenge, anyone?]

If you shoot for ten sessions, I highly recommend something like the following schedule so you don’t burn out: climb, climb, rest, climb, boulder, rest, climb, boulder, rest, climb, boulder, rest, climb, boulder -- and then sleep.

Good luck, and let me know how it goes!

The Bathurst Rock Oasis -- A Look Back

It’s been a year since The Rock Oasis closed its doors on Bathurst, and moved out to the east side. What happened was, a condo developer bought the site, kicked out the climbing gym, and tore it all down -- the classic fate for historical buildings in Toronto.

I really miss the old place. I want to share some photographs with you, for nostalgia’s sake.

I’m bitter that the developer was in such a hurry to demolish the structure. What was the result? A few mildly interesting designs -- and a vacant lot.

Then: June 27, 2011 - the Last Night

June 2012 - An empty lot (note the Minto temporary structure in back)

They could have just as easily let the building remain standing ’til now, and gotten the same result. Losing the site to condos was inevitable -- but ousting the gym a year early, for no practical purpose, was galling. [Construction in... 2013? Give me a break]

I guess I’m a crank.

The whole affair took me awhile to process.

The ‘transitional Oasis’ on Carlaw has been ok. It’s too short, but I still go. I got used to it. I have many friends there, and it’s the most geographically convenient climbing gym for me. The route-setting is solid given the constraints, and I’m looking forward to the new spot on Morse Street -- if ever and whenever it gets built.

But my heart pines for the old shed. It was home.

The Rock Oasis on Bathurst -- In Photos
Before the end came, I tried to take some interior shots for posterity. I’m not good with picture-taking and composition, so my goal wasn’t about revealing the aesthetics of the place, as much as documenting the literal perspectives I had experienced as a climber there.

As a result, the photos are mundane, repetitive, and there are more of them than are reasonable. But it’s all I have left. If anything, I feel like I missed numerous vantage points.

Click the images below to browse the photos (arranged in two somewhat arbitrary sets).

Set 1: Bathurst Rock Oasis Interior

Set two:

Set 2: Bathurst Rock Oasis Interior 2
Note: a small # of these are from a friend, G.

The images bring back a host of vivid memories. I find it striking to see just how compact the place really was. And I had forgotten how many different surfaces and angles and nooks and crannies there were to the walls. We had a lot of good times there.

We miss you, Bathurst Oasis!

Also of Possible Interest
(click images below to view associated post)

Photos from the Demolition: The Wreck of Rock Oasis -- In Pictures

A pictorial coda, taken the night before it all came down for good...

Farewell to Rock Oasis: my lengthy essay on the history of the building
at Front and Bathurst, and of the surrounding neighbourhood

Covered in the Globe and Mail, mentioned online by Gripped, and overall positively received, my rambling essay deals with the forgotten history of the building (also known as the Doty Engine Works), and the surrounding neighbourhood at Front and Bathurst -- as well as the history of the climbing gym itself.

Check it out if you haven’t read it! There are tons of great old photos of the building in the piece.

A Light Catch

See also
Rock Oasis Setback -- New Gym on Morse St. Cancelled
Condo Developer Borg
What’s to come at Front and Bathurst
No, I’m not involved with StopMintoFreed

Secret bonus video tour -- your reward for reading to the end. Thanks.

Reminisce with me in the comments!

Remembering Cristina

Cristina singing her heart out
Photo: Alex Beetham

About a year and a half ago, a friend of mine passed away suddenly in her sleep.

It was a shock to everyone -- so abrupt. So unexpected. It was a dream she never woke up from.

I knew Cristina Taborda mostly from skateboarding, but I had also begun to quietly follow her artistic career.

I was first surprised -- and charmed by -- a media installation she had created called Sensory Inn. She was also associated with the Clay & Paper Theatre.

Cristina’s Sensory Inn -- ‘Precious, fragile & powerful’

More prominently, she was involved in Toronto’s independent music scene -- her affiliations included Parks and Rec, and her own band Radio Belle.

I remember speaking to Cristina at a holiday party, the year before she left us. I asked where I could get her music. She flashed that gorgeous smile of hers, and laughed.

“How sweet of you to ask!” she said. Then she gave me a hug.

She was beginning to perform regularly in numerous venues around town. She had an expressive voice, an infectious exuberance, and a restive talent. Who among us wasn’t secretly in love with her, a little?

Anima Fado. L to R: Larry Lewis,
Cristina Taborda, Nuno Cristo

After she passed away, I would listen every now and then to a fado performance of Cristina’s, hosted on the website of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

To my disappointment one day, I discovered that CBC Radio had changed their online archives -- the concert was no longer available for streaming. The memento of her voice was silenced.

So I wrote to them, and asked if it was possible to get a copy.

Months passed, without any response. I assumed I would never hear back. My note was lost in the ether. But then amazingly, about a year after I wrote in, someone found and replied to my message.
(I don’t want to get anyone in trouble, so I won’t name names. I sincerely thank them for their help.)

It took some patience, but recently I finally managed to obtain this pair of audio recordings of Cristina, singing for Anima Fado on May 19, 2010, at the Lula Lounge.

I invite you to listen -- carefully.


LINK: Cristina Taborda with Anima Fado, set 1

The songs -- in particular their thematic content -- have acquired a wistful poignancy, now that she is departed.

“Fado is songs of destiny from the narrow cobbled streets of urban Portugal. The mysterious song of Lisbon, Fado is not only music and poetry but life itself.” 

-Anima Fado

Here’s the second set:


LINK: Cristina Taborda with Anima Fado, set 2
[The video photographs are not from the concert that evening; they are lifted from Cristina’s Facebook page...]

There is a complex word associated with fado, saudade, that is briefly discussed near the end of the second set (~15:53). Subtleties and nuance often get lost in translation, but saudade nevertheless seems to capture how many of us feel about the loss of such a bright, vibrant talent.

The days pass by, ever onwards. Though our memory fades, and the light dwindles in the distance, still there remains a place in our hearts where she touched us; still do we long to see that smile once more.

You are missed, Cristina.

Please enjoy, and share!

The Best Industrial Mushroom Processing Video You'll Ever See

I hate mushrooms.

But this video of a state-of-the-art industrial mushroom processing facility makes compelling viewing for anyone interested in how food can be handled on a large scale, using machines.

UPDATE: Sadly, the original video no longer seems to be available. Here’s a different version—did Marcelissen take over mushroom processing from Havatec?—that unfortunately lacks the original trance soundtrack. (Try playing the video in conjunction with the flower processing video linked at bottom).

 

If you’ve ever wondered how mushrooms are harvested, sorted, cut, oriented, weighed, and packaged -- you really need to watch this video [On a different note, the trance soundtrack demonstrates how important audio can be in manipulating our perception. Without that pulsing beat in the background... I’m not sure whether these rolling shots of machinery would be as fascinating].

Havatec BV is your partner for fully automated processing of mechanically harvested mushrooms on your mushroom farm. Whether you need a processing capacity of 2 t or 20 t per hour, Havatec BV always has the right solution. The best solution for you depends partly on the number of sorting sizes you want.

The mechanical contrivances for doing the sorting, orienting and cutting are quite clever -- someone had to think about designing a system of interconnected machines that would do all of this! The engineering is admirable.

Havatec, based in the Netherlands, also makes advanced industrial equipment for handling flowers. New projects currently under design include an x-ray machine for cheese (!) as well as high-resolution counting devices.

via kottke.

LinkedIn Passwords Breached

Dear LinkedIn: get your act together.

You use people in social ads without their permission. You slurp up people’s Calendar information onto your servers. And now you’ve let your password systems get compromised.

I just don’t trust you anymore.