Saturday Brew: Missing Teen (Needs Help), Kessel TO Bound, City Software Gaffe, Cellphone Rebate, and a Future Shop 'Misprint'

Photo: "YDS helmet reflection" by PJMixer, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):

Toronto police have stepped up the search for missing teen, Mariam Makhniashvili. Unaccounted for since Septemeber 14th, she was last seen wearing "black pants, a light blue shirt, denim jacket and large black backpack with a green stripe" (the Globe). Without passport, money, or obvious reason to leave her home, there are now more than 100 officers assigned to the case. The Crime Stoppers number is 1.800.222.TIPS.

Phil Kessel is a Maple Leaf, and like all things related to the Blue and White, I don't know what to think. On the one hand, I'm happy and hopeful, but on the other, I'm thinking we paid too much. Still, 36 goals at 21-years-old is a touch better than the prospects of stellar seasons from Jason and Jason. Sorry guys -- you kinda suck.

Revisiting a major issue in this summer's municipal strike, the city of Toronto owes about 200 million dollars more in sick pay than originally estimated. The discrepancy is being blamed on a software error that was identified prior to the strike. Still, not all are satisfied. City Councillor Mike Del Grande opines that such a mistake can't realistically be blamed on faulty software, and thus wonders if the city intentionally withheld this information during the strike. Maybe. Really? Maybe.

Customers nation-wide are set to receive rebates after a Supreme Court ruling dismissed appeals from telecom giants, Telus and Bell. The contentious issue, which has been in legal proceedings for quite some time, involves the overcharging of urban residential customers. Although the Consumers Association of Canada and the National Anti-Poverty Organization originally estimated the rebate to be in the neighbourhood of 50 dollars, the number might be closer to 10 bucks. That's not going to help my 200 monthly phone bill much...

A Future Shop contest started last week is taking some licks in the Toronto Star. The 'Beat the Clock' campaign is said to have offered items like X-Boxes for as little as two thirds of their standard retail price. But, those 'lucky' enough to have bought such items soon saw their purchases rescinded on account of a 'misprint.' Here's the legal-speak: "According to the contest rules, Future Shop says it will not be responsible for, or liable to any promotion entrant, for "any computer, online, telephone or technical malfunctions, or errors that may occur, regardless of the cause."

To go Scorsese: nice fu*%#ing game. I'll be sure to include a similar clause in my blogTO contract so that I'm free and clear when I post the Morning Brew at noon. "Sorry guys, it was a technical malfunction."

Happy Saturday!