Photo: "Festive Bike" by PJMixer, member of the blogTO Flickr Pool.

Events on Toronto's Radar for TUESDAY DECEBMER 1, 2009... lovingly handpicked from blogTO's events calendar.

BOOKS AND LIT | Canada Reads
America has Oprah's Book Club, and we have Canada Reads. Every year, thousands of us participate in CBC's national literary showdown in which five novels vie for the honour of winning and inflating book sales. What separates the competition from other awards is that the books aren't limited to those published this year, making for a much broader debate on what constitutes the best of Canadian literature. The five finalists for this year's Canada Reads will be announced today in a ceremony at the CBC Broadcast Centre that will be attended by the lucky authors.
CBC Broadcast Centre, 250 Front Street, Free, 12pm

BICYCLE | Winter Maintenance at Bikechain
Sure, Toronto's first snow-less November in 162 years might be a sign of the impending greenhouse gas apocalypse, but it certainly helped out the city's cyclists. The good weather won't last forever though, and sometime soon you're going to have to either put your bike in storage or man up and hit the icy streets. The knowledgeable folks at Bikechain are here to help you ride straight through the winter, and hold the first of three free workshops today on how to stay safe and in good repair until the spring.
Basement of 33 St. George St., Free, 6 pm

MUSIC | Voices of Hope: A Free Concert for World AIDS Day
Today marks World AIDS Day, a time to remember the victims of HIV and those who are continuing to struggle against the disease. The Voices of Hope concert was launched in 2008 by the Casey House, and simultaneous concerts will be staged today in Vancouver and Montreal to honour those who have been lost around the world and to call to break down the stigma surrounds HIV/AIDS. The show will be hosted by Tom Allen and features performances by jazz singer Julie Michaels, the Metropolitan Silver Band, and the Muhtadi World Drummers.
Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen St. E., PWYC, 6:30 pm

MUSIC | Eyedea & Abilities w/ Themselves at the El Mocambo
St. Paul's Eyedea and Abilities have some solid credentials. Eyedea was a Scribble Jam champion in 1999 and HBO Blaze Battle winner in 2000, while DJ Abilities is a two time regional DMC winner. I have to be honest, I don't really know what those credentials mean. But I'm putting this concert on the Radar because Themselves are opening the show, and Themselves made this. Is it good? Is it horrible? I can't tell, but it's terrifyingly bizarre, and you don't see that every day.
El Mocambo, 464 Spadina Ave., $15, 8 pm

BOOKS AND LIT | Strong Words No. 55
The Strong Words reading series ends its four-year tenure at the Gladstone with readings from four diverse writers. Erika Rummel is an Austrian-Canadian who writes novels inspired by her own serious historical research, Timothy Quinn writes about technology and politics for Z Magazine, Duncan MacDonell is a poet who co-founded the legendary Wavelength Concert Series, while Kate Carraway writes the "My Life My Fault" column for Eye Weekly. As always the event is PWYC and book donations for the TPL will be accepted.
Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W., PWYC, 7:30 pm

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