The Bulldog

Trustees spent $108,000 on travel in 3 years

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Toronto school trustees spent $108,000 to travel to conferences over a three-year period. They hit places like California, Boston and Whistler according to information obtained by Torstar News Service. It says the biggest spenders were trustees Gerri Gershon, spending $13,804.54, Elizabeth Moyer with at least $13,727.53 and Shelley Laskin with more than $13,533.93. This information was recorded during the period from 2010 to 2013. Metro

U.S. won’t have to ask Putin for lift into space

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Ungainly but serviceable

NASA has announced a multi-billion dollar contract to build the Space Taxi, a 21st-Century generation vehicle to get astronauts back and forth from the international space station. The craft will be built mainly by Boeing with the assistance of Space X, a closely-held private aerospace firm. The Space Taxi program will mean that the U.S. no longer has to rely on the Russians to shuttle crews back and forth in space. It is an arrangement born in the chummy aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union, But it is an arrangement that has soured. Vladimir Putin is seen to be a kind stealth conqueror of his neighbors and the Americans are close to humiliation that they have to seek his permission for their space efforts. For those who think about money, that’s what this is all about. Even as the Americans retired their obsolete Space Shuttles they were hurting to find money to build new ones. It was among the most painful examples of how the mighty U.S. has been unable to do the great things expected of it.  Reuters

Late poll: Tory, 43%, Chow 29%, Doug Ford 28%

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Ipsos is reading a rock-solid winning lead for John Tory into the results of its latest poll on who is ahead in the Toronto mayoralty. It shows Mr. Tory lengthening his lead over previous recent surveys. He now sits with 43% of the support as recorded by Ipsos. There has been a levelling out among the other two candidates, leaving them both more or less as also-rans. Olivia Chow and Doug Ford are 14 and 15 points behind Mr. Tory at 29% and 28% support respectively.  Ipsos CEO Darrel Bricker is quoted as saying that Doug Ford’s candidacy is not likely to have an impact on Mr. Tory’s lead.

Burger King turned down 3 times by Tim’s

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The down-and-dirty of the dealings between Burger King and Tim Horton’s is described in a so-called “takeover circular” released today. It forms the basis of news stories this Tuesday, September 16, 2014. The adventure began with Burger King getting Warren Buffett on side for the proposal and a primary offer of $73  a share for Timmy’s. We don’t know if ‘Tim’s management scoffed at that but it wasn’t nearly enough. Two more offers followed and they were both turned down. The winning offer was $88 and change share. Financial Post

IKEA recalls children’s swing over defect

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Gung-Gung swing

IKEA has issued an urgent recall of the Gung-Gung children’s swing. There are no reports of injury in Canada but there are reports of two injuries overseas. About 300 of the swings were sold in July and August in Canada. IKEA is urging customers who have purchased the swing to remove it immediately and return it to any store where they will receive a full refund. The recall notice says only “incidents have occurred where the fittings in the suspension have broken”. The company said there have been four reports of the swings breaking — in Germany, Austria and Canada. In Austria an eight-year-old broke his leg in a fall. The swing is made of polyester fabric and hangs from a plastic suspension fitting attached to a steel hook. “It was tested and met all the applicable safety regulations,” Ikea spokeswoman Daniel Rogosic told AFP, adding that the company was investigating the cause of the fault.

Social media “och ayes” are ruling Scotland

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There are two days left before the referendum on Scotland’s future and the Telegraph newspaper in London says the “Och Ayes” are ruling social media. If you restricted yourself to FaceBook and Twitter there is no question that Scots would wake up Friday as a separate nation. But there’s that other part of humanity that doesn’t communicate this way. Most polling, which is done by asking people face to face or by phone suggests the No side will squeak out a win. Stayed tuned.  Telegraph 

How others live: Chinese forget how to write

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It’s an issue in all societies as the keyboard and the iPhone make it a rare thing to actually commit anything to paper by longhand. But it’s even more difficult for the Chinese, Their language has no simple alphabet like European languages. Each word is a character and there are more than 85,000 of them. This BBC report has found that the Chinese are having trouble remembering the “word” for ideas like thumb

Upsetting sight of Bayview Ave. wheelchair lady

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Readers have been touched and upset by the appearance on Bayview Ave. of a woman who is apparently in need of help. Some have put their own name on her medical condition but we are not physicians. We do know that as she sat in a wheelchair at the corner of Bayview and Belsize Drive that she was visited by police who had been called by a member of the public. On the back of the chair and also scrawled on a suitcase and leather satchel, barely coherent and disturbing statements. “Shunning Outside — Better than Alone in my apartment” are the words of one scribbled series of complaints. “With chest pains and vomiting, crippled with bruises — overnight — Police controlling my phone — emails, barred at buildings, targeted….” The comments go on. This was the sight at about 3.30 p.m. on September 15, 2014. Was it a case for the city’s street outreach? What we do know is that Toronto police were called by citizens and that they talked to the woman. There is no other information available from the police at this time.    

Tweets scourge obscene Urban Outfitters ploy

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There is intense and hostile reaction among those tweeting tonight about Urban Outfitters obscene Kent State jersey with the designer blood splatters. Earlier post Many are noting that the firm has apologized but that it hardly seems adequate. One post picks up the cynical defense UO makes that “it didn’t mean to make the connection.” Hilarity in the midst horror. Some said it was no apology at all. Another noted that Urban Outfitters had lost $53 million. The skinny seems to be that this type of offensive product line does not sell. Their stock is said to have closed down 1% (that’s the $52 million) the day this sweatshirt was released and has massively underperformed the broader market over the last five years. Someone else tweeted they must have run out of the Boston Marathon version.

Scots peer into “black hole” of independence

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Jean Charest liked to remind Quebecers that all the nice ideas and feel-good arguments in the world could not change the awful truth. Separation from Canada was a Black Hole which contained nasty things that no one could guess at. The country owes Charest a debt of gratitude for his patriotism in this regard. Now the Scots are being enticed with dream-like appeals to be independent from the U-K. The referendum is Thursday, September 18, 2014 and the surge of  Yes sentiment is said to be pushing Scotland perilously close to the edge of the black hole. But the best research says that as of September 15, polls showed the race is very close with a small “no” lead and a very heavy turnout. Here’s the kicker. Many places around the world have a stake in the Scottish vote. The Chinese go crazy in the politburo when democratic countries start talking about parts separating. The deepest fear of the red mandarins is that China will explode in separation frenzy. And oh, the separatists in Quebec will be looking at how they can use whatever happens in the Highlands to take apart this country.