That was a pretty good (no pun indended) assessment of the man and the spectacle that surrounded him.

I was never a fan but I remember the hubbub when his solo albums came out and the videos were a staple for me growing up (Beat it, Billie Jean, Thriller.) I'm still a bit uncertain about his legacy given the whole mess surrounding his relationship with kids but his sudden death was a shock...

It seems a little ridiculous in this day and age we can allow a modern city to degrade so much and invite all kinds of pests and potential disease simply because we have to negotiate for something as simple as garbage pickup. To say nothing of how long its going to take to clean up all the...

Just stopped in to the LCBO at Royal York 30 minutes before closing. Between the half-empty shelves and the frantic shopping I thought I was in the middle of an 80s impending nuclear disaster of the week flick. I was waiting for fistfights in the aisles but no dice. The staff were taking it in...

Hope it doesn't last. I can't stand going to The Beer Store to buy beer.

It definitely a lot easier to play hardball when the union can't hold such things hostage. Contracting out individual services also gives some flexibility, and avoids situations where locals representing a variety of services are joined at the hip during collective bargaining as it is in the...

Yay for Etobicoke and contracting out (and something for the other municipalities to think about next time). At least Miller looked serious about not giving in on CBC Newsworld this morning. We'll see if it lasts.

I don't mind the bag charge so much as trying to figure out how many I'll need before I start bagging them. We tend to reuse plastic bags for future trips, use them to line wastebaskets, take out the garbage etc. so they get a lot of use. I'm still not into the canvas bag thing but I suppose...

I remember seeing Freore do Julias Caesar at Stratford in 1990 and thought he was great. He looked his Shakespearean self in Titus.and I have to admit I've even been a fan of his cheezy stuff such as his over the top bit in The Chronicles of Riddick. Did the movie industry ruin him?

On the one hand it's a bit of a cautionary tale--even with so much money on your side you can't prevent genetics, habits or bad luck from catching up to you. On the other hand, money can buy you opportunities to mitigate those bad circumstances that people without the income just can't do. I...

Yeah, it does have that early 80's feel written all over it. With all the reno work over the years you have to imagine a little harder with the rest of the Eaton Centre but I get what you're saying. Is the fountain still there?

Anyplace that serves beer made on premises is worth a shot for me. The interior looks slightly cheezy but fun. Here's a video of it I found via a local beer info site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN1LVnQkAqk Is Mr. Greenjeans still around? I must admit I didn't even bother to look up...

Although support would certainly be higher outside the GTA I believe there are also a lot of GTA'ers who are getting sick and tired of the tribunals and their wide-reaching powers, but I can see this being a touchy issue for conservative politicians. The Tories do have to frame the issue...

True that--Dundas is Bloor Street's freaky brother who climbs out of the cellar once in awhile to meet up and scare the kids (somewhere near Kipling). Too many run-down sections, strip malls or car-friendly retail with matching parking lots, especially in the west section. But it's true it...

Yeah, this is bad all around. Echoing BrandonTo416, this reminds me of a Patriot Act Lite, and bypasses the regular steps to spying on John Q. Public and that is asking for trouble.

Agreed. Our union used to allow the banking and cashing of sick days on retirement but it was removed quite awhile ago. Although it's a nice idea in theory (especially for those of us who don't get sick often) I fully understand having it taken out. It's a perk that others might find offensive...

Nice sweep of the Phillies by the Jays--kinda makes up for the embarrassment that was the Florida series. Now, if Wells can do what he's supposed to offensively, Rios can get his head back in the game and they can survive the recent pitching injuries they might still have a wild card shot. At...

This is a good thing--not only the closures (because things did get too crowded) but also the denser overall locations. Last year we missed much of the other the zones (missed one completely) because there was a lot to do just within the main downtown zone. It would be nice to close most of...

I find it odd too--making it solely an issue about Israel (instead of about human rights in general) makes about as much sense as those who did so at the Durban anti-racism conference. This melding of issues complicates things as Israel is well ahead of the curve on gay rights but are routinely...

Miller Don’t let non-citizens vote, Toronto councillor says By Chelsea Murray, National Post Giving non-Canadians municipal voting rights would diminish the value of citizenship, says one prominent city councillor. The city organized a panel discussion on the issue Wednesday night, at...