Morning Brew: Dining in the Dark, Tainted Beef, Unjust Tasering
Photo: "Open For Business!" by dzgnboy, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.
What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):
There are a number of things I like doing in the dark... like watching fireworks, catching fireflies, and... sleeping. One thing I've never tried (intentionally, anyhow) is eating in the dark. Toronto's first dining-in-the-dark restaurant has just recently opened. I guess the chefs at O. Noir need not worry too much about presentation, eh?
A St. Catharines man has been awarded $50,000 in punitive damages after a judge agreed that he'd been unjustifiably Tasered and falsely arrested back in 2003. The moral of the story? Don't yell "Hey, Baby!" to a police officer unless you want to get zapped and spend 6 years of your life fighting for your rights in court for a measly $50k.
Toronto police officers, especially those on bikes, have a problem with body armour in the summer - it's just too hot to wear it and remain hydrated, comfortable, and free of sweaty pits. Although current Kevlar vests are several times lighter than steel, they still create a dilemma for our boys and girls in blue. Until new technology comes about, I guess it'll continue to have to be a trade off - if you want protection, you have to be uncomfortable.
Time and time again it's been demonstrated that what you say online can get you into trouble in the much the same way (or even more) as saying it out loud in public. Frederic Geisweiller, owner of Le Select Bistro, is getting this lesson first hand after posting his political opinions to their web site and causing a wave of reaction in Toronto's Jewish community and beyond.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning the public about beef tainted with E.coli. President's Choice steaks, roasts, and ground beef may be affected, so check the detailed list on recall and check your freezer.
And the Toronto Star is nearing the end of their 'List Week'. Many of their short, themed lists are Toronto-centric, which is cool. I particularly like the top 10 speed trap locations, the Most-read stories of all time on thestar.com, and the 7 nastiest insults hurled in the House of Commons.
Comments (17)
Thanks for the link to parliamentary insults. The sexist comments would normally be way out of line, but the fact that Copps earned so many reminds me she deserved little sympathy. You just wish her enemies had been a little smarter with their names, so only she and not the whole gender was insulted. I rather like that gender, and they have no reason to be insulted along with Copps.
MPs also enjoy Parliamentary Privilege while in the HoC. You'll often see parties taunting each other to 'say it outside the House' where the same statement would be actionable.
This is why the distance between the two sides of the house is 'two sabres length' - no sword fights please!
I usually ignore the accusations of Liberal bias on the part of The Star but it is difficult to believe that they didn't have one nasty comment from either the Liberals or the NDP. On the other hand the quotes they did feature are pretty revealing; especially the former Reform Party comments..."Sambo"? That's pretty outrageous.
Why be so vague about Le Select Bistro? His comments were quite valid, and what he was referring to even made the brew in April http://www.blogto.com/city/2009/04/morning_brew_april_9th_2009/.
I am so bored with the self-described 'Jewish lobby'. I don't get their tactics. Every time someone from this lobby hyperventilates about a situation (where, not incidentally, more Palestinians than Israelis die) they hurt their cause.
They don't represent my Jewish friends who can talk about Isreal without foaming at the mouth. I actually watched 'Munich' sitting between one of these sane Jews and a Palestinian friend. Guess what happened after the movie: an intelligent and thoughtful conversation.
I Agree with you Andrew. This is contentious issue, and the owner of the Select Bistro has a right to his opinion, an opinion I happen to share.
And I know that in saying so, I'm about to be branded as anti-Israel. (Which would be a ridiculous statement. but whatever.)
James, i agree with you too.
I think Jerrold's a jew (and Russian, it explains his red streak), so it's no surprise he just wanted to focus on the restaurant being anti-semitic instead of the underlying issue of profiting from annexation
The dead sea scrolls are a snap-shot of HUMANITY in an era none of us was around for. They're not Jewish scrolls, and Hebrew is not the only text. They're said to have originated in the lands within Israel's CURRENT borders. Maybe you should ALL go to the ROM to get educated before making speculative comments.
RE: Dining in the dark - Isn't that sooo 90s?
Andrew, I think Jerrold is entitled to whatever bias he wishes to have. He is no different than every other news reporter in the city.
And no different than you and I.
I actually watched 'Munich' sitting between one of these sane Jews and a Palestinian friend. Guess what happened after the movie: an intelligent and thoughtful conversation.
The classic "my *insert minority here* friend" comment that so many minorities dislike, whether gay, black, arab, jewish, chinese, etc.... somehow justifies his opinion.
Just because you have palestinian or jewish friends doesn't make you an authority on arab/jewish relations, nor validate you as a "righteous" person. It's actually condescending. Just becuase you have gay, blackor whatever minority friends - does that somehow elevate you to the upper eschalon of peace seeking global citizenry? Are you collection a United Nations entourage of friends to make you feel better about your "white" guilt?
James's point, i think, was to say that not all Jews are apart of the "Jewish Lobby" and since I also know several Jewish people who are also not part of it, I knew what he meant.
White guilt is BS. Complete and Total BS.
I can't help being white any more than I can help being gay. Or someone can help being black, Jewish, or whatever.
And I don't recall him asking for validation either. This kind of rhetoric really gets to me.
Do you have anything to contribute regarding what he is trying to SAY? Or are you just going to limit your attacks to your unfounded perception of his person?
Every time this discussion is brought up, the zionist camp always starts resorting to argumentum ad hominem.
I'm saying this as rhetorically as possible:
Why?
Re: Body Armour
There's a saying... "Tis better to sweat than bleed"
Re: Dark Dining
I first discovered this phenomena watching Nip/Tuck... interesting to say the least... but it's not the actual dining in the dark that has me curious, but rather the other stuff you can try to get away with in the dark, and if you wqtch Nip/Tuck, you know what I'm talking about :P
So we are just supposed to throw out $100 worth of meat because once again this third world country cannot make its people keep clean?
If you are under 40 and therefore have never read any English poetry, I advise reading the last two stanzas of a poem called "Terence, This Is Stupid Stuff" (you can google it if you have no books at home). You will find out what happens to people who don't flee screaming in terror from poisons...and why I'm not throwing out that meat.
It's a very simple formula:
If (Cost of individual lawsuits
Do Nothing & make shameless profit
Else
Recall Meat
So nice of you to paint such broad strokes. It really brings out your ignorance.
Our "third-world" country didn't produce the beef, it came from a US company.
I know of several people under 40 who have read English poetry, your age doesn't make you automatically more cultured.
One can have "books at home" and still be without a copy of your "A Shropshire Lad".
Also, I hardly think emulating Mithradates will work with E Coli bacteria.
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