There's a wide variety of Can-Con rules that have supported the music industry on commercial radio, public radio, satellite radio and cable-tv. Moreover, there's also a variety of government programs involving grants and foundations that help support Canadian musicians in a variety of ways (particularly to help them finance the filming of music videos).
Some how I think our stars, like Celine, Avril, etc. didn't need Can-Con or tax dollar support to gain international success. Did Margaret Atwood use tax dollars to fund her first books? If yes, then that's a good example of prudent arts funding, as eventually the public teat is removed and the artist takes off in the private sphere.
You live in Cabbagetown, so there's gays in your life darling.
Goodness, of course there are, I wouldn't want it any other way. Most of my neighbours and many of my closest friends, neighbours and fellow church-goers in Cabbagetown are gay. Anyone who's a fan of urban gentrification must thank and embrace their gay neighbours, and they were the pioneers of the movement.
I didn't introduce homosexuality to this thread, and I've only replied to the post that said violence, sex and homosexuality are part of our lives, and clearly thought that was not the case of my life.
You live close-enough to Regent Park and St. Jamestown that you can't pretend you've never seen crime or violence either.
I've seen petty crime, sure, but not violence. Even if I did see violence, that would be part of someone else's life, not mine. Now, if we're using the word "life" to mean not each of our own personal lives, but society in general, well, then sure, we could say that life is full of a variety of things, sex, violence, homosexuality, right-wing nut jobs, lunatics on street corners, lovers, cheaters, alien abduction fearing red necks, whatever and everything could apply.
Back on topic, mostly, I'm all for tax dollar support of the arts, provided that there is a business model behind it, meaning that tax dollars are eventually weaned off, and the art stands on its own merits as a business venture. Now, some arts will always need support, such as the TSO, but if it's only a small portion of the total, and the costs are mostly covered from other non-tax sources, I can also live with that.