Monday, June 25, 2012

Reverse Lifecycle

Doesn't this reverse Lifecycle make sense???

Of course it is to the advantage of human beings, and many of life's trials and obstacles could be avoided. At the same time, it doesn't guarantee a trouble free life.

If we took this coupled with Benjamin Button, we would have some sort of idea of living in reverse.

Which would you prefer?

TIFF IN THE PARK IS BACK!


Palm Beach Story


TIFF in the Park is back again this Summer at David Pecault Square ... Grab your lawn chairs, snacks and picnic baskets and gather your close friends and family. This year's theme is "Screwball Comedy" with the likes of My Man Godfrey, Philadelphia Store, Mr. and Mrs. Smith and more!


Saturday, June 23, 2012

Bang Bang, Windows Up



Is it just me, or has there been a trend of crimes lately? It just seems that in a short span of time, a string of shootings have occurred in Toronto and surrounding areas... One after another...

First, the shooting at Eaton Centre sparked community mayhem in the downtown core of Toronto. Then... Little Italy, another shooting at a cafe. Scarborough had their own shooting recently at a parking lot of Kennedy and Hwy 401 and two shootings on Saturday-- a shooting in Richmond Hill and one in North York. On Sunday, a double shooting also occurred at Dufferin and Rogers in the city's West end.


Sunday, June 17, 2012

Sunday Funday



Toronto was full of crazy events this weekend.
We had Raekwon, Ghostface and Canada's own JD Era perform Sunday night at Dundas Square for NXNE Music Festival. Approximately 8,000 people were in attendance, with two lucky attendees chosen from the crowd to perform "Protect Ya Neck". The same interactive performance took place at the Ghostface concert in Oshawa back in November of 2011 and its likely that this is a routine performance taken on my Wu members at their shows. The two guest performers were hyped up with energy and took on the role like champs.


Thursday, June 14, 2012

A Damn Shame

It's a damn shame when people are soliciting money for a good cause, just for their own gain. By using this scam, an announcement has been sent by Autism Speaks:

"***IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT*** Autism Speaks has been told, by our supporters, that they have been solicited for donations from an organization identifying itself as the Autism Spectrum Disorder Foundation, implying that they either work with or for Autism Speaks. THEY DO NOT. Autism Speaks has no affiliation or association with the Autism Spectrum Disorder Foundation. Autism Speaks does not use an outside group or authorize any other group to raise money on our behalf through direct calls to individuals. In addition, Autism Speaks does not ever use automated calling to solicit donations."
http://www.autismspeaks.org/news/news-item/autism-speaks-warning-deceptive-solicitation-calls

Sad part is, it is not just the people that made a donation that are the victims of this scam, but the individuals diagnosed with autism and their families.

Cold world.


Father's Day Events in Toronto

Forget the commercials on buying dads the usual Gillette razors and Ties... I mean really, how many razors and how many ties does one need that every year, it's the saaaaame gift. Let that beard grow and rock a polo to work....If you want to go for the usual gifts, do it. But more important than gifting is showing. 


Father's Day Events:


:: Pegasus Hospitality Group is responsible for the information and reservations to a Father's Day brunch this Sunday which also includes a tour.


Time: 10:30am-1pm
Where: Toronto's Casa Loma
Contacts: 416-533-1573 www.casaloma.org


:: Tasty Tours presents Father's Day Sweets Tour at Ding Dong Bakery this Sunday which includes tours, discounts, samples and more. Enjoy Father's Day at Kensington Market.


Time: 11:30pm-1:30pm
Where: Ding Dong Bakery 321 Spadina Avenue Toronto (at Nassau)
Price: Adults $30, Children $10
Contacts: www.tastytourstoronto.com


:: Beer and Beach BBQ? Sounds like a plan this weekend. Grab your swimsuits (no speedos please!), sun screen and your appetite. This event is expecting a good 12,000 people this weekend. Buy dad a beer... get some bbq... go home and fall asleep.


Time: 
Friday, June 15 – 3pm to 11pm
Saturday, June 16 – 12pm to 11 pm
Sunday, June 17 – 12pm to 8pm
Where: Woodbine Beach (Coxwell & Lakshore)
Price: Free
Contacts: www.beachbbqandbrews.com

:: PHILLY'S GOING DOOOOOWN.... TD Bank presents The Toronto Blue Jays vs. The Philadelphia Phillies this Sunday. Take dad to a Jays game for the afternoon! First 20,000 attendees will receive a replica Jays batting helmet. 

Time: 1:07pm
Where: Rogers Centre (1 Blue Jays Way)
Contacts: 416-341-1234 www.bluejays.com



SHUT UP and DO.

Have you ever had to resort to drinking muddy water?
No? Then SHUT UP.


Let's not rank parts of the globe as "first world" and "third world" but as DEVELOPING and DEVELOPED.


Let's not believe that we have no responsibilities (individually, as a group, as a nation) at all whatsoever when it comes to people that are not blessed with privileges as you are.


What is really disturbing is that some people are unable to walk bare feet in the place of one that does not have access to basic necessities and still have the audacity to remove themselves as part of the solution.


I recently had someone I don't know question what it is I have done to contribute to the solution, just because I claimed they were ignorant. Trust me, he was ignorant. And best at that.
Is this really an argument with a premise? Question me because I questioned you, meanwhile, avoiding the issue and answering my initial question?


If I have tremendously contributed to the solution to the best of my abilities, is it not so that this person is still ignorant?


Maybe he was trying to equate my lack of efforts to his, except, I don't lack in effort.


My previous posts on privilege has apparently failed to reach people like him.


There is a world outside of Canada and the U.S. Just because you live in a privileged state, doesn't mean you wash your hands of global issues with the clean water provided.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Eaton Center Shooting




Another shooting occurred Friday at the Eaton Centre. Very little information has been released, except for the recollection of events by witnesses. The shooter opened fire in the food court Friday evening, endangering the lives of innocent people.
It is a damn shame when an individual decides to endanger the lives of innocent bystanders because of some desperate need for retaliation to "prove" something.

As of today, police are keeping tight-lipped about the shooter and the investigation as a whole.
Among the victims were Ahmed Hassan, 24, who died from multiple gunshot wounds. According to CP24, Christopher Husbands turned himself in to 52 Division and is to appear in court this afternoon.

Many question how the shooter could have gotten away. Police procedures have changed from containing the perimeters and and waiting for a task force, to entering straight into the perimeters and allowing victims to exit the premises. This allows people to remove themselves from the danger zone instead of being forced to stay inside with the shooter, and potentially be harmed in the process.

The Eaton Center was closed for the remainder of the weekend, and reopens today.

This incident brings back the Jane Creba murder back on Boxing Day of 2005, when a shooter opened fire among hundreds of shoppers on Yonge Street.

When we forget we're all humans, that is when disaster strikes.

Hall Pass?

Andrew Vanderburgh arrested fellow officer for DUI (2009)



Rookie Toronto police officer Andrew Vanderburgh  arrested a fellow officer Breton Berthiaume (Halton Police) back in 2009 for DUI and is getting what Metro News calls, "Rat Treatment". Other officers are treating Vanderburgh as a snitch... for doing his job. Arresting one of his own is apparently a big no-no. Get real, the man drank and drove, and sure, he was off duty, but so are some of the other non-police officers that drink and drive. Berthiaume was driving wrecklessly on the Don Valley Parkway.



No Street Hockey... More Twitter

Yonge/Eglinton (Photo: The Star)

What is all this fuss about banning street hockey?
Let the kids play!

We live in an age where kids are busy with their Playstations, iPads, Twitter, Angry Birds...

I can't lie, I was obsessed with Angry Birds... then Cover Orange... Then Fruit Ninja... Draw Something... And the list goes on.
So when the kids want to go outside and get some exercise, they will have to pick something that confines them to their driveway or backyard (if they have one), or they'll have to get to a park somewhere. Some people just aren't happy with kids playing hockey on the street. Sure, there are risks involved: Someone can hit your car, or more a more understandable reason is that kids running in the street + cars driving = disaster.
However, I don't find it to be much of an issue. The kids on my street play street hockey all the time, with no complaints from neighbours. They have fun playing and sometimes making up their own rules and assigning teams. What's wrong with that?
Sure the aforementioned games such as Angry Birds teaches you strategy. But so does hockey.

There are too many limits but on kids activities these days. With the cuts in funding for arts programs in schools and the intense focus academics is too restricting for a child or youth that is still learning to manipulate his/her environment. We're adults and yes, we may know what is good for the kids. But do we know all the time? Aren' we putting too many NO's and not enough possibilities?