Farewell To A Legend

Yesterday we lost one of the best. Long time film critic Roger Ebert passed away at the age of 70.

Ebert was a long time film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times since 1967, and continued to do so until his death yesterday. Even with losing the majority of his jaw due to a cancerous tissue near his right jaw, Ebert stayed strong and has reviewed more than 200 films.

In addition to writing movie reviews, Ebert has also written several books, and has influenced movie critics around the world.

We truly have lost one of the best.  

Posted By: John Oakley

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Pick Your Poison

Metrolinx has unveiled their short list of funding options for The Big Move. Let’s put aside the fact that The Big Move really should have been several Small Moves carried out over the last thirty years or so and have a look at some of the choices that would affect you directly:

Highway Tolls

Payroll Tax

Parking Tax

Property Tax

Gas Tax

Sales Tax

Transit Fare Hike

Driving Distance Charge

Boy that word ‘tax’ sure appears frequently.

Now not all of these will make the final cut, but they seem to be the ones that Metrolinx believes they can float with little dispute. If they choose to go with three options, which three would you prefer or accept?

Posted By: John Oakley

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Opening On Easter Sunday

A No-Frills in Vaughan faces a $30, 000 fine for opening on Eater Sunday.

A long-standing law forbids opening on Easter Sunday because of Christian religious beliefs.

This store owner claims to have a large Jewish clientele and even has support from Rabbi Mendel Kaplan, the Chaplain for York Regional Police.

There are places in the GTA that are designated ‘tourist zones’ and merchants in those areas are exempt from these shopping laws. If a merchant opens and makes zero cash, he’ll learn his lesson and likely not open the next time or at least abbreviate his hours.

Is it time to maybe abolish these faith-based laws? In an ever more secular society, shouldn’t the opening of a store be up to the owner?

Posted By: John Oakley

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Actions WILL Speak Louder Than Words, Hopefully

Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair has spoken out against officers who abuse their station by acting arrogantly and entitled.

This comes after the much publicized case of Raymond Costain, a chef who was charged with impaired driving. After Mr. Costain made the unfortunate choice to leave the scene, he was pursued and subsequently captured on film being beaten by the police.

Now we know that the few ‘bad cops’ as it were, are the ones sullying the good name of the Toronto Police. And these are the ones that will be the focus of Chief Blair’s mission to clean up the image of the Thin Blue Line.

Chief Blair can talk as toughly as he wishes, but when the time does come to lay out discipline; he must do so without flinching. Finger pointing is not enough; the time has long passed for something as inconsequential as that.

Posted By: John Oakley

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Code Splitting

Two new area codes hit the GTA today. 365 joins the 905/289 region and 437 is now the baby brother to 416/647.

It only took a dozen years to exhaust the newer 647 and 289 numbers mainly because of the boom in technological devices and portable devices.

Thanks to this same technology, you’ll only ever have to dial somebody’s number once as you can store it in whichever device you use; thereby negating the need to ‘remember’ if your buddy’s number was a 416/647/437 area code.

But because of the boom in portable devices, there should be a marked drop in land based numbers. Once those have been out of circulation for a long enough span of time, they could be reactivated.

Perhaps the most amazing truth to phone numbers is if it was decided that the human brain could recall more than seven numbers (it can) and phone numbers ...

Posted By: John Oakley

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Sorry; Sometimes It’s Not Enough

Let’s give TTC CEO Andy Byford credit. He’s visible and will confront issues as they crop up.

But apologies just aren’t enough when it comes to the stagnation that has been in place at the Commission for the last three decades.

The non-expansion of the system is inexcusable and now poses such a problem that funding discussions are daily occurrences. But instead of growing slowly and steadily over the years, we now have to deal with a giant push and reformation thanks to their ineptitude.

The onus will be on us to provide funding via tolls or taxes or some sort of surcharge, make no mistake about that.

Mr. Byford has been like a breath of fresh air; it’s just unfortunate the commission didn’t have anybody like him in place thirty years ago.

Posted By: John Oakley

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Pay To Not Play

The city is currently refusing to cancel fees for ice time that went unused by the Greater Toronto Hockey League due to a snowstorm.

The GTHL has deals with some private rinks and they have waived the daily fees for that overly snowy day back on February 8^th, 2013.

Should they have to pay the city even though access was well nigh impossible? If you were to sign up a snow removal service and then experience a mild winter, you are still on the hook for payment, so why wouldn’t the GTHL be subject to the same treatment?

Does the GTHL have a point or are they just whinging about this one?

And let’s be truthful, the city could use the cash.

Posted By: John Oakley

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Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Sunday March 17th is St. Patrick's Day, which is a religious and cultural holiday.

Named after one of the most recognizable Ireland patron saints, St. Patrick's Day is a day where people can lay back and enjoy feasts, and of course have some drinks, maybe even some green beer!

The majority of the downtown core will be closed due to the 26th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade this Sunday.

Will you be be participating in any of these festivites?

Posted By: John Oakley

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"Thank You For The Welcome"

Yesterday white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney in St. Peter's square, signalling that a new Pope has been named.

72-year-old Argentinian Jorge Bergoglio who will be known now as Pope Francis appeared on the balcony over St. Peter's Square in Rome yesterday addressing everyone and thanking them for the welcome.

Pope Francis replaces Pope Benedict XVI, who had said he was not strong enough to lead the Church anymore. Benedict had telephoned Francis and he plans to meet him.

The Pope will begin his first day on the job today with a prayer on Thursday morning.

Posted By: John Oakley

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Three Baby Raccoons And A Garden

Dong Nguyen has pleaded guilty to beating three baby raccoons with a shovel.

The reason for the beating was that the baby raccoons were destroying his garden back in 2011. The 55 year old Nguyen had his dangerous weapons charge withdrawn and instead he received a conditional discharge on the charge of cruelty to animals. He had to appear in court nineteen times before the charge was settled.

Now, Nguyen's punishment is that he must pay $1,365 to Procyon Wildlife which is where the work was done in order to help treat one of the baby raccoon's broken leg. In addition to that, he also must complete 100 hours of community service at a humane society shelter. A suggestion was made by Nguyen's lawyer Peter Scully to make the community service only 40 hours, but Justice Marvin Zuker increased it to 100 hours.

Does the punishment fit the crime?

Posted By: John Oakley

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She Said What?

It only seems like yesterday since we last heard from Sarah Thomson. Now we hear something else today that is something we probably didn't expect to hear.

Yesterday, Sarah Thomson said she's not 100% sure, but she thinks that Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was on cocaine the time the alleged "ass-grab" occured. In a radio interview yesterday Thomson said "I thought he was, yes, but I don't know, I went back and looked up, you know, what are the signs of cocaine use. I looked it up and you know sweaty, talking quickly, out of it, arrogant, all of these things were on there."

When Ford was questioned about the alleged use of cocaine, he responded by saying "I've said what I have to say I don't have any further comment, thank you very much." Even Rob's brother, Doug, said "No comment."

Will the next chapter in this story be even ...

Posted By: John Oakley

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And The Plot Thickens...

The Rob Ford/Sarah Thomson situation is getting more interesting by the day.

On Sunday, Mayor Rob Ford said that he questions whether Sarah Thomson is "playing with a full deck." Later on that day, Sarah Thomson fired back saying "Decades ago powerful men who sexually assaulted women would call them 'hysterical' or 'crazy' to debase their credibility. It pushed many assaulted women into silence." She isn't going away quietly.

On Friday morning, Sarah Thomson had posted a picture of Mayor Ford and herself at a party that was held by a Jewish political group and said that the Mayor had "grabbed her ass." She also had said that Rob Ford said she should have joined him on a trip to Florida because his wife was not there.

Ford denies all of this happening, and Sarah Thomson has said she would "wait and see" before going to the police.

Have things become ...

Posted By: John Oakley

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RIP Stompin' Tom Connors

A statement from Stompin' Tom Connors:

Hello friends, I want all my fans, past, present, or future, to know that without you, there would have not been any Stompin' Tom.

It was a long hard bumpy road, but this great country kept me inspired with it's beauty, character, and spirit, driving me to keep marching on and devoted to sing about its people and places that make Canada the greatest country in the world.

I must now pass the torch, to all of you, to help keep the Maple Leaf flying high, and be the Patriot Canada needs now and in the future.

I humbly thank you all, one last time, for allowing me in your homes, I hope I continue to bring a little bit of cheer into your lives from the work I have done.

Sincerely,
Your Friend always,

Stompin' Tom Connors

Posted By: John Oakley

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Many Happy Returns!

Our fair city turns the grand old age of 179 today. Huzzah!

Incorporated on this day in 1834 from the town of York, Toronto has certainly seen numerous changes over the years. The name Toronto likely comes from the Iroquois word ‘tkaronto’, meaning ‘place where trees stand in the water’.

York was established by Governor John Graves Simcoe in 1793; and he chose the site believing Americans would be less likely to attack.

Clairvoyant, Governor Simcoe was not as we learned in the Battle of York in 1812.

After a five day occupation, we chased those rapscallions out of Hogtown.

She may not be a ‘world class’ kind of place; and despite the many ups and downs in Toronto ever since 1834, it’s still a pretty damned good place to live.

Posted By: John Oakley

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Promoting Our Own; We Suck At It

The inaugural Canadian Screen Awards were handed out last night in Toronto. The Genies and Geminis have been combined into one show now known simply as the Canadian Screen Awards.

And yet again the day after, most of us have no idea these awards were even handed out, let alone do we know who the big winners were or who was even nominated. We’re only moments away from not knowing if certain stars are even Canadian.

It’s long been a source of pride for us when a Canadian made it big in the US. But at the same time, we ignore our own stars working on our own soil. It’s been a long running nationwide inside joke.

And it’s kind of sad. One Toronto television morning show had an American television star on their show today to promote a show that has already aired for two seasons in the US ...

Posted By: John Oakley

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Benny’s Gotta Jet

Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation takes effect tomorrow.

Rumours of why Benedict is resigning have been rampant given he’s the first pope to resign in nearly 600 years.

It’s no secret that Benedict took a more conservative approach than his predecessor John Paul II.

The papal conclave that will commence soon after should last between two to three weeks and the goal is to have a pope in place for Easter.

With a declining global population, is it too late for the Roman Catholic church to bounce back? Do they have any hope even if they elect somebody with a more progressive stance? Or has the church dragged its feet for far too long?

Posted By: John Oakley

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