As you complain about all the rain falling on our beloved city, spare a thought for the poor souls in Alberta and Saskatchewan who desperately need rain to control forest fires and those in Manitoba where flooding is making our relentless downpours look like spring showers. But then, if we Torontonians can’t complain about the weather, what would we do?
The news that Montreal has had to bail out the Bixi bike-share program to the tune of $108 million in loans and guarantees has some in Toronto worried about our own Bixi program. Once the rain stops, get out there and start renting those bikes, people.
More from the Arnold Schwarzenegger front. It seems the reason for Ahnold’s split from wife Maria Shriver may be because the Governator fathered a child with a staff member. And what do we have in Ontario? Dalton McGuinty. Just not the same.
For the kids, news that the Flintstones is making a return to primetime television. The fact that the new series will be made by Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy and American Dad, may give parents some pause for thought.
+
IDLER
+
SCATTERLINGS
Super downsize me: In Europe, McDonald’s is replacing cashiers with touchscreens.
Clive James on product placement in modern poetry.
Know your city! Toronto’s new listing of self-guided walking tours, complete with maps.
The New Yorker‘s Ben Greenman loves silly charts. We love Ben Greenman’s silly charts.
Facebook photos of Mark Zuckerberg’s dog, Beast. No, seriously.
+
LOCAL
The stories of police brutality at the G20 just refuse to die. In the latest installment of the ongoing saga, the Special Investigative Unit says they can’t identify the police officers who broke Dorian Barton’s arm. This, despite a number of photos and 11 witness officers.
In more news of Toronto garbage, a new poll shows that 60 percent of city residents favour privatizing trash collection. Of course, the poll was conducted by a group representing private sector garbage companies.
A contingent of Mohawk Warriors have taken over part of High Park, claiming that off-road cyclists are destroying a sacred burial ground. Hey, you kids, get your bikes off my cemetery.
Even as controversy over city funding of Pride continues, there comes news that Caribana is being forced to change its name because it was trademarked by the festival founders. As if Caribana didn’t have enough problems already.
After years of bickering. the city is about to take over running Casa Loma from the Kiwanis Club. Seriously, though, if you haven’t been, you should visit, especially when the gardens are in bloom.
If you want to hold a birthday party there, however, just be careful about putting up a bouncy castle. Or at least watch this video before renting one for the kids.
+
THE LAST
Russian police have arrested a man caught eating a friend’s liver after leaving a trail of body parts across half of Moscow. Police report, by the way, that the man was eating the liver with potatoes, not fava beans and a nice Chianti.
