Shorty said:

Gotta agree. I treat myself like a recovering alcoholic: one puff is too much. 'Cause if one's alright, then why not two? Why not just one cigarette? It couldn't hurt...

Nicotine is so highly addictive, it's ridiculously easy to become a smoker again. Blows my mind that this drug is still legal.

Ace said:

When I hold you in my arms and when I feel my finger on your trigger....

Crashin thunder that shakes the windows

Dark storm clouds

Rain so hard it stings your skin

Mach said:

It doesn't happen to be storming today where you're at, is it?

...never being owned by the things you own.

FunkMistress said:

University to Spadina: Queen West:

The area between University and Spadina Avenues was a cultural nexus in the 1980s known for its restaurants, clubs and eclectic mix of street performers, musicians and a haven for the punk rock scene with its famous club kids such as Kinga, Seika, Wanda and a host of others. In the 1960s and early 1970s, this stretch of Queen Street West was an aging commercial strip, known for "greasy spoon" restaurants and inexpensive housing in the area. In the late 1970s and 1980s, the area was transformed by local students, including those of the nearby Ontario College of Art & Design, and the area developed an active music scene which largely defined Canadian music of its era.

The vibrant arts culture soon attracted other artists, audiences, and wealthier people to the area. Since then, the name "Queen Street" has become synonymous with the words "trendy", "hip", and "cool". Older and hipper bars such as the Cameron, the Horseshoe Tavern and The Rivoli have not changed much, and top Canadian musical and comedy acts can still often be found performing in the area.

The CHUM-City Building, housing CHUM Limited's television operations, is located at the corner of Queen and John Streets in this area. Most notably among the CHUM operations, MuchMusic has become intimately associated with Queen Street's culture; the station's VJs have often broadcast their segments live from outside the building, and programs such as Electric Circus and the MuchMusic Video Awards have regularly taken place on the street.

A movement by local citizens to rename the area "Soho" after a side-street in the area has never been taken seriously by the municipal government.

Spadina to Trinity Bellwoods Park:

As rents rose, most artists began moving westward along the five kilometre thoroughfare. In the early 1990s, the new vogue area was associated with the Goth revival that hit Toronto during the same timespan. Night clubs such as Sanctuary, Catacombs, Freak Show, the Abyss, Savage Garden, The Bovine Sex Club and The Velvet Underground catered to the Goth and other subcultures. Occupying the same area, between Spadina Avenue and Trinity Bellwoods Park, is Toronto's Fashion District. In the later 1990s, high-priced clothing stores opened in the same area.

The area still serves its mid-1990s Goth clientèle, and now caters also to 'urbanites.'

On February 20, 2008, a large fire destroyed several buildings on the south side of the street, between Bathurst and Portland Streets. The block had been declared a heritage conservation district by the city the year before. Toronto Fire Services' "active incidents" website reported the fire as six-alarm intensity, with over 14 separate units dispatched to the scene throughout the day. Several neighbourhood business landmarks were destroyed in the blaze, including Duke's Cycle, National Sound and Suspect Video.

Trinity Bellwoods to Dufferin: West Queen Street West (the Gallery District):

Between Trinity Bellwoods Park and Dufferin Street is West Queen Street West, also known as the Gallery District. For this one kilometre stretch, nearly every storefront on the north side is either a gallery, bar, or nightclub (the south side of the street is largely taken up by the buildings and grounds of the former Queen Street Mental Health Centre, now part of CAMH.) One of the major players in the development of this recent phenomenon is Katharine Mulherin. The Stephen Bulger Gallery, founded in 1994, is also located on Queen West.

Another cause of this gallery conglomeration was the conversion of an old building into Gallery 1313, with extensive financial assistance by the city. The large amount of gallery space, including such galleries as Loop and Fly, allows Toronto artists of all levels of ability to show their work at a low cost.

Unlike the boutique-oriented storefronts of the eastern portion of the street, the Gallery District contains an abundance of space available for special events. The lack of retail in the area, however, creates a void of weekday pedestrian traffic.

West Queen Street West has undergone rapid transformation in the past couple of years. Rents have increased dramatically and many galleries have left. Recent departures include Sis Boom Bah, Luft Gallery, Burston Gallery and Brackett Gallery. At the same time as galleries have closed, many new bars have opened. Many attribute this sudden shift to the development spearheaded by the Drake Hotel, a former flophouse recently renovated and converted to a boutique hotel at a cost of $6 million.

The Gladstone Hotel is one of few pre-existing fixtures in the area that has been able to capitalize on the recent boom. This grand old railroad-era hotel had over the years fallen into disrepair and barely maintained itself by renting boarding-house style accommodation. The tavern on the first floor is now home to a weekly "Art Bar", where locals from the arts community converge to socialize. In 2005 it underwent a major renovation spearheaded by the Zeidler family.

The Camera Bar -- originally established by film director and producer Atom Egoyan -- is now operated by the Stephen Bulger Gallery as a rental space that offers a bar and film/video screening venue.

Ace said:

You are SO my hero!

Lammastide said:

Wish I could take credit for it, but it's filched from Wikipedia.

Lammastide said:

Word.

...getting a rush of goosebumps everytime he kisses me...

Long walks in the fresh air with my handsome man and my best furry friend that attracts all of the attention because he is so damn cute....

sammij said:

I'm not so sure that's happiness. Sounds a bit like herpes.