blogTO | Posts by Jerrold

blogTO | Posts by Jerrold http://www.blogto.com/ Toronto blog Copyright 2008 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:50:53 PDT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Morning Brew: August 20th, 2007 Photo: "good neighbours make good parks" by Lú_, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

Your Toronto morning news roundup for Wednesday August 20th, 2008:

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) announced its full schedule yesterday. 312 films from 64 different countries will be shown on 36 screens (including the new AMC at Yonge-Dundas Square) over 10 days. And if you put all the red carpets that will be used end to end, they'd go to the moon and back 6509 times.

Toronto will soon have new, purple neighbours. Kyiv and Istanbul will flank us on the new world edition of Monopoly, which resulted from votes tallied on the internet. Montreal earned the coveted property that is Boardwalk, and Vancouver beat us too. Did our fellow Canadian cities have better campaigns, or do Torontonians just not give a funk about getting high rank on a board game?

Can it be?! The end of the condo boom in Toronto is near?! According to some condo market analysts, things will certainly be taking a downturn, but not necessarily crash.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/08/morning_brew_august_20th_2007 http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/08/morning_brew_august_20th_2007 City Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:30:53 PDT City Jerrold 2008-08-20T08:30:53 Morning Brew: August 19th, 2007 Photo: "Monument to Multiculturalism by Francesco Perilli" by Shaun Merritt, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

Your Toronto morning news roundup for Tuesday August 19th, 2008:

Toronto's Chinatown BIA has hired a security guard company to patrol the streets and crack down on petty crime in the neighbourhood. It'll be a 3-week trial run at first, and if all goes well there will be less drug dealing and durian stealing.

A crazed woman wielding a hammer boarded a TTC bus yesterday and attacked and bloodied the female driver before being restrained by a couple of intervening tough and assertive female passengers. Police arrived within minutes, and made the arrest. Men on the bus sat on their hands and wondered "what the heck is up with chicks these days." Edit: My mistake. One man did try but failed to stop the attacker before the other women intervened.

The Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) has said no to a 21-storey condo development at Mississauga's lake front. Apparently tall buildings can only be erected in areas where other tall buildings already exist. But the previously approved and erected 16-storey building just 500m from the proposed site isn't tall?

]]> http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/08/morning_brew_august_19th_2007 http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/08/morning_brew_august_19th_2007 City Tue, 19 Aug 2008 08:32:33 PDT City Jerrold 2008-08-19T08:32:33 Contest: Win Tickets to Remain in Light's "House" Jonathan Hirsh and Ryan Seeley have created Toronto's newest theatre company Remain in Light (RIL), and their aim is to bring classic theatrical pieces to new light in an edgy, exciting, and engaging way. They've debuted with two plays that are currently running on an alternating schedule at the Paper Mill Theatre, one of which is Daniel MacIvor's House.

RIL's rendition of House is a solo performance by Ryan Seeley, and tells the laugh-filled story of a man losing his grip on reality and having a very bad day.

blogTO has two pairs of tickets to pass on to Toronto theatre-loving readers. Continue reading for full contest and event details.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/08/contest_win_tickets_to_remain_in_lights_house http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/08/contest_win_tickets_to_remain_in_lights_house Theatre Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:16:26 PDT Theatre Jerrold 2008-08-18T09:16:26 Morning Brew: August 18th, 2008 Photo: "CNE - swing ride" by Phil Marion, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

Your Toronto morning news roundup for Monday August 18th, 2008:

Wacky weather is the story of the summer. We've seen near daily sun showers, thunderstorms, funnel clouds, hail, and now sunsetning (that's sunset plus lightning, and Sam Javanrouh captured it well).

With the looming potential for a federal election in the near future, Prime Minister Harper has announced a September 22nd by-election in Toronto's Don Valley West riding. It's been a Liberal stronghold for 15 years, and could be an interesting test of the waters for the Conservatives.

Will the Canadian version of the ongoing and elusive "war on terror" be a major platform issue in the next federal election? A newly revealed open letter from the Taliban to the Canadian people states: "The Canadian people have to realize if their sisters, their brothers and their children are being killed in Afghanistan, it is because of the wrong policy of the government of Canada and their falling under the influence of [America] when they sent occupation soldiers to Afghanistan."

]]> http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/08/morning_brew_august_18th_2008 http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/08/morning_brew_august_18th_2008 City Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:14:32 PDT City Jerrold 2008-08-18T08:14:32 Morning Brew: August 15th, 2008 Your Toronto morning news roundup for Friday August 15th, 2008:

Four kids were unwittingly exposed to corrosive acids in the swimming pool at the Toronto Island's Royal Canadian Yacht Club, and required hospital treatment when they all became nauseous and vomited up their lobster lunches.

Toronto police have reason to believe that street-level drug dealers have secretly been sprinkling crack cocaine into marijuana in order to get their customers super duper hooked on their product. I suppose it's one more reason to get to better know your dealer. Similar accusations of crack in Tim Horton's coffee remain unfounded urban myths.

Police investigators also uncovered a strange stash of stolen goods destined for sale in the GTA. You have to know that something's not quite right when a stranger stops you, opens the back of a truck, and offers to sell you a hot tub, truck tires, body wash, and beer (and tosses in a case of canned spaghetti for free).

]]> http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/08/morning_brew_august_15th_2008 http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/08/morning_brew_august_15th_2008 City Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:45:46 PDT City Jerrold 2008-08-15T07:45:46 Contest: Win Tommy Chong's Autobiography Believe it or not, beloved 70's stoner comedians Cheech & Chong are still keeping busy in their profession. In fact, they're about to kick off another North American tour and will be at Massey Hall on September 9th.

But before the comedy tour comes to Toronto, Tommy Chong (one half of the legendary bud-baked comedy duo) will be in Toronto to promote his newest effort - an autobiographical book Cheech & Chong: An Unauthorized Biography.

blogTO has three hardcover copies of the book to pass on to fans. Continue reading for full contest and event details.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/books_lit/2008/08/contest_win_tommy_chongs_autobiography http://www.blogto.com/books_lit/2008/08/contest_win_tommy_chongs_autobiography Books & Lit Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:51:55 PDT Books & Lit Jerrold 2008-08-14T14:51:55 Morning Brew: August 14th, 2008 Photo: "Brickworks Farmers' Market" by Maryam S., member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

Your Toronto morning news roundup for Thursday August 14th, 2008:

Today marks the 5th anniversary of the massive 2003 Blackout that temporarily eliminated TV, internet, radio, refrigeration, and more - for over 50 million people. How will you celebrate? I was overseas when it happened, but I'm also fresh off a 10-day road trip/vacation from all things involving computer screens and monitors so I can somewhat relate to the sense of disconnection it must have involved. Huge thanks to Sameer for doing the Morning Brewing in my absence!

A coalition of retailers on the stretch of Bloor Street between Church and University has hired a lawyer and intends to delay the revitalization project spearheaded by the city because they feel that they've been left out of the planning loop. I'm not sure what expertise retailers have in the realm of sidewalks or potted street plants, but since they're paying into the development, I suppose they should be part of the consultation.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/08/morning_brew_august_14th_2008 http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/08/morning_brew_august_14th_2008 City Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:34:45 PDT City Jerrold 2008-08-14T08:34:45 Contest: Sebastien Tellier Sings Sexuality Reading Sebastien Tellier's bio is kind of like watching the film Forrest Gump (less the ping pong and shrimp gumbo).

Hailing from Paris, France, the singer, songwriter and instrumentalist has had his fair share of successes in his relatively short musical career. He's toured with popular French duo Air, had his music featured in Sophia Copola's film Lost in Translation (2003), worked with director Mr.Oizo on his cult classic Steak, and most recently had his newest album Sexuality produced with the help of Daft Punk's Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. He's even managed to piss off the president of France.

Sexuality is described as a sophisticated masterpiece of modern music - an "11-track meditation on love-making."

We'd like you to be the judge of that yourself by checking out his show at Mod Club on Monday night. Continue reading to learn more about the contest and event.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/08/contest_sebastien_tellier_sings_sexuality http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/08/contest_sebastien_tellier_sings_sexuality Music Fri, 01 Aug 2008 09:32:40 PDT Music Jerrold 2008-08-01T09:32:40 Morning Brew: August 1st, 2008 Photo: "Eastward on Jameson Ave" by Jim U, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

Your Toronto morning news roundup for Friday August 1st, 2008:

The largest fines ever handed out in Canadian courts are to be paid by Canadian tobacco giants Imperial and Rothmans. For years, both companies were manufacturing cigarettes, knowingly shipping them to smugglers in the US who would then bring them back into Canada for sale without required taxes and duty. If you ask me, this is a textbook case of white-collar crime that proves that if you have enough of it, money can buy your way out of the most serious of trouble. And allow you to keep running a business that puts serious strain on our troubled health care system.

A major drug raid operation has netted millions of dollars of narcotics, and resulted in 26 arrests. Unlike tobacco giants, these criminals won't be able to buy their way out and continue their illegal activity because the government doesn't collect taxes on cocaine, heroin, and GHB.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/08/morning_brew_august_1st_2008 http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/08/morning_brew_august_1st_2008 City Fri, 01 Aug 2008 08:40:51 PDT City Jerrold 2008-08-01T08:40:51 Morning Brew: July 31st, 2008 Photo: "Downpour" by Jose, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

Your Toronto morning news roundup for Thursday July 31st, 2008:

July's relentless, record rain resulted in a lot of whiny water cooler banter, but also put some of our infrastructure to the test (flooding sewer systems, hydro vault explosions, etc). Forecasters are predicting a much less thunderstorm and party-ruining, rain-ridden August, so perhaps we'll feel like we're having a summer after all.

The CRTC (finally!) is set to introduce a "do not call" registry system to introduce a mechanism for (almost!) putting end to annoying, unsolicited marketing/research calls. Exemptions will exists: businesses that have already established a relationship with you (for example, your mobile phone carrier), political parties, polling companies, newspaper publishers seeking new subscriptions, and registered charities will still be able to interrupt your most intimate Saturday afternoon with the family.

The much debated topic of driving while using a cell phone is back on the news radar. The Ontario government has plans to introduce legislation in the fall, mkng driverr dirtactions illgal n pnishable by steeep fines or imprisonmnt.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/07/morning_brew_july_31st_2008 http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/07/morning_brew_july_31st_2008 City Thu, 31 Jul 2008 08:26:34 PDT City Jerrold 2008-07-31T08:26:34 Win Tickets to Newsoundspace's Supernova Party For the folks at Newsoundspace, parties of one type beget parties of quite another type. Created recently by the co-founders of, and to raise needed funds for, the fun (and free) public participation project we all know as Newmindspace, the Newsoundspace all-night, all-ages parties bring to Toronto some unique DJs.

On Saturday night, Newsoundspace's Supernova is happening at the Opera House.

Dirty electro bass line purveyors Stupid Fresh (UK) will be making their Canadian debut. Also on the bill is Bubblyfish (NYC), a chiptuner whose bleep-bloop-blip-style interface of choice for live performances is the Nintendo Gameboy DS. And it may have taken a bit of an arm twist or two, and a twist of creative thinking, but local-favourites-gone-big-international Hatiras and Jelo will be doing a (first ever) back-to-back tag-team electro house set.

blogTO wants to send two readers and their favourite party companions to the event. Continue reading for more contest entry and event details.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/07/win_tickets_to_newsoundspaces_supernova_party http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/07/win_tickets_to_newsoundspaces_supernova_party Music Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:42:38 PDT Music Jerrold 2008-07-30T09:42:38 Morning Brew: July 30th, 2008 Photo: "summer fun" by angiemckaig, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

Your Toronto morning news roundup for Wednesday July 30th, 2008:

A shortage of donor organs, which results in long wait times and, presumably, some potentially avoidable deaths, has renewed debate about how Ontario should deal with the growing problem. Should Ontarians by default be organ donors upon death, but have the option to opt out before dying (rather than by default being non-donors, and having to opt in before death)?

In addition to over 3000 bicycles recovered in the increasingly bizarre Igor Kenk alleged bike theft crackdown, a box containing 3kg of wacky tabacky was seized on Monday. So far there's no word on whether or not the marijuana was stolen from fellow Torontonians. Unlike with the bikes, police won't be accepting photos of you with your weed as proof of ownership.

Yesterday afternoon, a large, internally decaying oak tree suddenly fell on a playground in High Park, narrowly missing several playing children. One child an one adult were injured in the incident, which provided CityNews with a headline you just have to click on. ZOMFGWTF! "They could be dead right now!"

]]> http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/07/morning_brew_july_30th_2008 http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/07/morning_brew_july_30th_2008 City Wed, 30 Jul 2008 08:36:34 PDT City Jerrold 2008-07-30T08:36:34 Morning Brew: July 29th, 2008 Photo: "Put the sledgehammer down and step away from the ATM" by schmaltzherring, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

Your kinda wacky Toronto morning news roundup for Tuesday July 29th, 2008:

Statistics can often be interpreted and conclusions shaped in a number of different ways. CityNews is the latest Toronto media outlet to suggest that we're having another "summer of the gun" citing statistics from Toronto Police Services. Do the stats warrant the fearful tone being projected, or does the blogosphere have one more media outlet to take to task?

Over 500 "winning" Ontario Pick3 lottery tickets remain unclaimed after the ball dropping machine thingy malfunctioned, prompting officials to grant prizes for two sets of winning numbers. It's the OLGC's way of rewarding those that fail to realize that the lottery is a tax for the stupid.

A Toronto-based hockey player was sentenced to a year in prison for a violent and perverse outburst he had on a flight from YYZ to Dallas last year. After being refused an alcoholic drink, he slapped a female flight attendant, head-butted a fellow passenger, and then "whipped it out" for all to see. Claaassy.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/07/morning_brew_july_29th_2008 http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/07/morning_brew_july_29th_2008 City Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:44:42 PDT City Jerrold 2008-07-29T08:44:42 Win a Toronto Independent Music Awards Prize Pack On Thursday night, and for the 4th consecutive year, the Toronto Independent Music Awards (TIMA) seminar and showcase series will hand out much deserved awards and recognition to local and regional up-and-coming artists spanning a wide spectrum of genres including alt rock, pop, country, metal, rap, and more.

Hosted by Toronto comic-book artist Sean Ward, the evening features live performances by previous winners and current nominees.

blogTO has four fantastic prize packs, each consisting of: a pair of tickets to the awards show on Thursday, Sean Ward's Electric Comics Freak Out 5&6, and a special TIMA 2008 compilation CD. Continue reading for more event and contest entry details.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/07/win_a_toronto_independent_music_awards_prize_pack http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/07/win_a_toronto_independent_music_awards_prize_pack Music Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:14:24 PDT Music Jerrold 2008-07-28T10:14:24 Morning Brew: July 28th, 2008 Photo: untitled by PierreD., member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

Your Toronto morning news roundup for Monday July 28th, 2008:

First, flooding led to an explosion in an underground hydro vault which forced the evacuation and displacement of residents of a high rise building. Then, when inhabitants were allowed to return briefly to grab important items from the mess, they found that during their absence their apartments had been ransacked and burglarized. Three teens have been arrested, and much of the stolen property has been recovered.

Several drowning deaths in cottage country and near Toronto have prompted the predictably mildly paranoid voices at CityNews to give us a helpful tip sheet on how to avoid a miserable drowning death, because you could be next.

With population growth and the loss of arable land to urban development leading to concerns of a looming food crisis, should Toronto be looking to install vertical farming towers? The 1-mile diet is an intriguing concept, but reminds us of zany sci-fi scenarios like Soylent Green (is people) and The Matrix (people farming towers).

]]> http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/07/morning_brew_july_28th_2008 http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/07/morning_brew_july_28th_2008 City Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:39:39 PDT City Jerrold 2008-07-28T08:39:39