Happy #NYE #Toronto 2013

As a serious, new media photoblogger I resolve to enjoy the doubleheader at the @HondaIndy, see more motorcycle and auto shows, have fun in the city and take more photos of friendly Torontonians, (photo by Fresh Joe, above, with me wearing my viking helmet).  Even as the big newspapers go behind pay walls (and probably back to free again in the near future - I will be here with my coverage of the GTA). I really look forward to the NASCAR and IndyCar racing season and the World Naked Bike Ride.

I love the heat distortion in this Honda Indy photo and this is my new screensaver below

Thanks to everyone for their support, those that visit, those that comment on the blog, or say hi to me when we meet in the streets. Here is to a great new year, all the best everybody!

Best wishes from James and Joe Hamilton.

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Yuiko's Cherry Blossoms Ring in a New Year

As an old year ends, and a new year begins, let's celebrate with this photo of Yuiko's cherry blossoms:

I met Yuiko at the Brooklyn Lyceum over the summer.

She was sitting a couple rows ahead of me during a performance of Piper Theater's Fiddler on the Roof.

After the show, we chatted about her work and she later e-mailed me more information about the work, also sending me a clearer, "fresher" photo:

Yuiko credited this work to Kohei Toyama, an L.A.-based artist she met at the NYC Tattoo Convention a few years back.

I also snapped this shot of the lotus tattoo on the back of her neck:

As we move from one year to the next, let's pause and remember to cherish every moment, because life's beauty, like the cherry blossom, is fleeting.

Thanks to Yuiko for sharing her beautiful tattoos with us here on Tattoosday, and a happy new year to all of our contributors and readers!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

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Yukio's Cherry Blossoms Ring in a New Year

As an old year ends, and a new year begins, let's celebrate with this photo of Yukio's cherry blossoms:

I met Yukio at the Brooklyn Lyceum over the summer.

She was sitting a couple rows ahead of me during a performance of Piper Theater's Fiddler on the Roof.

After the show, we chatted about her work and she later e-mailed me more information about the work, also sending me a clearer, "fresher" photo:

Yukio credited this work to Kohei Toyama, an L.A.-based artist she met at the NYC Tattoo Convention a few years back.

I also snapped this shot of the lotus tattoo on the back of her neck:

As we move from one year to the next, let's pause and remember to cherish every moment, because life's beauty, like the cherry blossom, is fleeting.

Thanks to Yukio for sharing her beautiful tattoos with us here on Tattoosday, and a happy new year to all of our contributors and readers!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

You have read this article cherry blossoms / Kohei Toyama / lotus with the title December 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://chriswiggin.blogspot.com/2012/12/yukio-cherry-blossoms-ring-in-new-year.html. Thanks!

Ring in the New Year #Toronto

The 28th annual City NYE 2013 (#City2013) bash starts at 10 pm on December 31 in Nathan Phillips Square with headliners Johnny Reid, The Tenors, Kardinal Offishall and hosts Dina Pugliese, Kevin Frankish, Gord Martineau, Tracy Moore and other celebrities.

Also included in the lineup are Serena Ryder, Bridgit Mendler, Victoria Duffield, Shawn Desman,
Massari and Jully Black.

The scaffolding and stage have been rising for over a week

"With Canada’s most diverse lineup of musical talent, City New Year’s countdown show invites viewers to ring in 2013 with millions of their closest friends during the 28th annual City New Year’s Bash, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/CT and 8 p.m. MT/PT. Hosted by Citytv and Rogers Radio on-air personalities City New Year’s Bash 2013 will usher in the New Year live with exciting musical performances, and loads of family entertainment in front of tens of thousands of revelers from Citytv’s three party centrals: Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto, Olympic Plaza in Calgary, and Churchill Square in Edmonton."

See more of the stage setup after the jump.

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#Toronto Sugar Beach covered in sugar, Sugar!

White crystals blanketed the urban park at the edge of Lake Ontario across from the Redpath Sugar factory. Believing a freak windstorm had blown the sugar onto the umbrellas and Muskoka chairs I tasted the white stuff, after several minutes and a touch of frostbite on my tongue I knew that I was incorrect. It was winter in the city.

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Playing in the snow

Falling snow makes a great portrait in Berczy Park down near #Toronto St Lawrence Market.

GIF animations generator gifup.com

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Idle No More in the Eaton Centre

Members of the Aboriginal community and their supporters began a demonstration in the lower level of the #Toronto Eaton Centre around the fountain. The December 30, 2012 flash mob started in the early afternoon and was in solidarity of Chief Theresa Spence and her request to meet with Prime Minister Harper.

The Chief has been on a hunger strike since early December and is currently living in a teepee along the Ottawa River. She did meet over the weekend with former Prime Minister Joe Clark.

"Idle No More is a peaceful organization that is working towards profound social, political, and economic change. Our goal is to use education to build consciousness and awareness in all Canadians on the resurgence of Indigenous sovereignty and environmental protections. We are working on building relationships within our communities as well as across Canada and globally. We also call out to each community to organize teach-ins and peaceful demonstrations – we believe an educated public is the best form of action. Each community has different needs, and we support the various actions that are taking place across Turtle Island, however because of the many decades of colonialism, some community members are seeking stronger forms of action such as blockades. While we need to protect the land from further damage, we hope that this will be used as a last resort to protect Mother Earth, and not as a symbolic act. We are working hard to maintain INM as a positive movement that includes all cultures in a vision for justice for all people and for our earth."

Posted by Joe Hamilton. See more of the peaceful gathering after the jump.

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Early winter Sunnyside

New Years Eve is tomorrow night and on New Years Day you can wash away 2012 with a refreshing Polar Bear Dip in Lake Ontario at Sunnyside Park. I went by the beach during the latest brief spurt of winter that provided a nice blanket of white fluffy stuff and no one was swimming in the cold water yet. And you should really practice being a polar bear before the actual event.

Dinosaurs think that the snow is the start of another ice age

The dip happens January 1, 2013 at 12 noon (arrive at 10:30am for registration and pre-dip events).

Significant accumulations of snow settle on the geese

Swans keep together in the inner harbour

Swimming sign and symbols

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It's a white post Xmas in #Toronto

The snow stayed away from the GTA leading up to Christmas, then on boxing day we started to get hit with the white stuff. Saturday, December 29, 2012 brought some more and the roads around the city were slick.

PS This was a test of my new blackberry playbook.

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2012 is only the beginning!

A red eyeball graffiti painted on a bridge pier in #Toronto. It is a beginning but we have to remember that nothing lasts forever, especially not graffiti. Also 2013 is just around the corner so 2012 is pretty much done.

More graffiti from under the Bathurst Street Bridge crossing the railway lands, just south of Front Street and adjacent to Old Fort York.

Evidence of the graffiti artist, possibly including some DNA.

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Honda Indy #Toronto Boxing Week Sale

Speed freaks can quench their appetite with a @HondaIndy Boxing Week sale - it ends Jan 2, 2013, or when the ticket limit has been reached.

IZOD IndyCar races will return to the race track in Exhibition Place during the July 12-14, 2013 weekend doubleheader on the Streets of Toronto.

There is only a few days left to take advantage of the offer: "SELECT 2-DAY START/FINISH GRANDSTAND TICKETS FOR THE PRICE OF A SINGLE DAY, OVER 30% OFF - $85 per ticket (SAVE $40!) BUY TICKETS Offer valid Friday December 21 at Noon through Wednesday January 2, 2012 at midnight. * Limit of 150 2-day Start/Finish Grandstand tickets available for purchase."

See more racing after the jump.

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