KIA’s “One Epic Ride” our favorite

There were many winners among this year’s Super Bowl commercials. But for sheer sweep of story-telling and non-stop surprises, KIA’s One Epic Ride gets our vote for best of game commercial breaks. Follow the Optima sedan through an adventure which is really too good for a mere car. See it on a special page at our associated blog Yonge and Roxborough.

Union gets notice re private trash collection

The City has taken the first necessary step to privatize garbage collection. Mayor Ford said at a noon hour news conference that he has officially notified the Civic Employees’ Union that the City intends to recommend seeking competitive bids for curb-side pick up west of Yonge Street, to the Etobicoke border, plus privatize more of the litter vacuum operations and litter and recycling pick up in parks. The notice given today is required under labour legislation. More.

EmmaZ closed, Lampe Berger next door

With the closure of EmmaZ, 1697 South Bayview, at the beginning of the year, the Lampe Berger line of catalytic lamps has moved next door to Smokin’ Cigar. The stores are associated. Lampe Berger is a moderately popular product originally said to have some medicinal quality but it is now used simply as an air freshener. There is no indication about the status of the EmmaZ premises although there is a fair amount of merchandise and things remaining in the shop indicating perhaps that the lease has not yet expired.

South Bayview bus lines remain unchanged

Cutbacks to certain local bus routes announced Friday will have no impact on the important South Bayview lines. These are the Bayview 11, which passes through South Bayview heading north from the Davisville station and south from Steeles Ave. As many riders will know, the No 11 goes into Sunnybrook Hospital as does the short turn Sunnybrook bus No. 11C. The rush hour service No. 28 to Bayview Ave at Belsize Dr. remains untouched. And the busy South Leaside lines, 88 and 88A, which find their way from St. Clair station to Thorncliffe Park, also remain untouched. The affected lines are 56 Leaside which will see service end at 10 pm each day Monday to Friday and at 7 pm Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. There will be no service west of Laird Drive to Eglinton Station Sunday or holiday daytime. The No. 74 Mount Pleasant service will end at 7 pm every day. And the No. 103 Mount Pleasant North service will end at 10 pm on Sundays and holidays.

FLASHBACK: Geothermal conversion 43 Bessborough Dr.

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A home at 43 Bessborough Dr. is being converted to geothermal heating, a technique which uses the earth’s heat to heat and cool the building. It would seem to be a fairly rare project. The home is undergoing a renovation and with it, workmen are drilling down an unknown distance to tap the heat of the earth. As one worker at the site said, “This house is going to be completely disconnected from natural gas.” At the left, a bin containing mud from drilling is being evacuated. At right, shots of the drilling equipment.

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Geothermal heating relies on an energy exchange between the air within the building being heated and the ground. Below ten feet the earth’s temperature is fairly constant (generally between 50º-56°F). During the summer when the ambient temperature of the building exceeds that of the ground heat pumps are used to pump heat from the building into the transfer medium (typically water with small amounts of ethanol or glycol) and is subsequently pumped through narrow pipes into the ground so that the heat can be dissipated in the earth. When the ambient temperature falls below the ground temperature the process works in reverse. Heat pumps extract heat from the ground and use it to heat the building. Wikipedia

Laugh out Loud event a great success

Civic luminaries and hard-working local residents helped raise more than $40,000 last Friday at the “Laugh out Loud in Leaside” comedy event in aid of construction of an additional ice pad at Leaside Arena. Left, Mayor Ford and organizer Charlene Kalia, centre Leaside resident and AM640 Talk Radio host John Oakley and right, Actor/Comedian David Sparrow. The two men are seen conducting a dynamic live auction at the On the Park Events and Conference Centre. Comedians from Yuk Yuk’s entertained the capacity crowd. The arena expansion is a $9.5 million project of which $7 million is a recoverable loan undertaken by the city and $2.5 million is to be raised by the user groups and the community. The project will come before council as part of the 2011 capital plan in February.

Super Bowl ads will tickle millions

Excellent National Public Radio roundup of Super Bowl advertising to be seen this Sunday. Stills provided by the advertisers are a nice tease. Above left is something called “One Epic Ride” in which Poseidon looks favorably on the KIA Optima. Right, out to excel over the 2010 Betty White and Abe Vigoda entry, Richard Lewis and Roseanne Barr will reprise the Snickers theme that “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry”. Here’s another look at the 2010 Snickers ad with White and Vigoda And thanks to Oh you for catchung our error on Abe’s name.