Photo: "Crema" by bomb_tea, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

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

In financial news, the feds are now saying that the country will continue to be run at a deficit into 2015, two years longer than their earlier prediction and a far cry from their initial vow to not run a deficit at all (made in late 2008). But with the bad news comes some timely good news, as election fever heats up. Toronto is finally going to get some stimulus funding to invest in infrastructure (in the order of $200-million to $300-million). I'm not sure, however, that re-paving the DVP will do much for the poor saps that are having less sex in poor economic times. Update: 10:28am: Toronto will be getting close to $600-million in stimulus funding.

Would lowering the speed limit on every street in Toronto make the streets safer for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists? What would the effects be on traffic in an already congested city? Councillor Bill Saundercook thinks that since everyone assumes that going 10 over the posted limit is OK, we may as well drop speed limits everywhere by that much. Ummm... no.

Back to school means that hazing rituals are once again under the microscope. Drawing the number "9" on foreheads and bruising newcomers to the school with hockey sticks is fun for the high school seniors, but unacceptable to school staff and to police, who have laid charges in Burlington.

Keep the car at home this weekend. TIFF events on the streets of Yorkville, the Weekend to End Breast Cancer run, Taste of the Kingsway, and the Taoist Tai Chi Society parade are all scheduled - so you're probably better off on the subway or on your bike.

Funeral services for Darcy Allan Sheppard, the cyclist killed in the high-profile case that still has Toronto engaged in heated debate, will be held today in Edmonton. While it may bring closure to some of his friends and family, not all will be satisfied until the pending charges and court case of his alleged killer are resolved.

And yesterday the TTC announced that they've stepped it up large for this year's Nuit Blanche. They'll be running much of the subway all night, and offering a single, special Day Pass for $9 to get you there and back.