Stock markets in Toronto and New York spun wildly up and then plunged Thursday, apparently related to the uncertainty of what China and the US will do to each other. Writer William Watt of MarketWatch said: “Another rally, another close well off the highs.” In Manhattan, the Dow composite gave up more than 300 points while the TSX finished down 32 after posting a nice gain earlier in the day.

Authorities in the US state of Missouri say they have traced an emailed bomb threat to Russia. It was one of dozens, possibly hundreds, of bomb threats made to an array of public services and businesses across Canada and the US Thursday. All appear to have been baseless. The threats were made by email and included a demand for payment in bitcoin. Some of the emails had the subject line: “Think Twice.” The sender claimed to have had an associate plant a small bomb in the recipient’s building and that the only way to stop him from setting it off was by making an online payment of $20,000 in bitcoin. Police in the US said the emailed threat to a school in Troy, Missouri, about 55 miles from St. Louis, was sent from Russia. In Toronto there were threats made to TTC subway stations. In Toronto, police won’t name the targets until the matter if fully investigated. Instances were reported in Winnipeg, Calgary, Ottawa and Vancouver as well as some US cities. New York City was hit with several threats.The Palm Beach County, Florida, sheriff’s office and the Boise, Idaho, police said they had no reason to believe that threats made to locations in those areas were credible.

Service has fully resumed on the TTC in Toronto after reports of bomb threats at King Subway station. pic.twitter.com/TDv5ifMO4H

— Simon Dingley@CBC (@SimonDingleyTV) December 13, 2018

Stanley Kutcher

Rick Snyder

Suganthan Kayilasanthan

Faces for Thursday begins with Stanley Kutcher (left) eminent mental health expert from Nova Scotia whose own state of mind must be pretty good because he has just been appointed to the Canadian Senate. By the way, Senator Kutcher is a former candidate for the Liberal Party. This is what the prime minister promised never to do. The Senate was going to be independent. Uh-huh. At centre is outgoing Republican Governor Rick Snyder of Michigan  He has signed Hail Mary legislation Wednesday to keep Canadian oil and gas running through a tunnel to his state. The line is owned by Enbridge and is part of the Canadian economy. Incoming Democrats say they want to shut it down. Maybe they’ll buy their oil from Saudi Arabia. And at right is naughty Toronto physician Suganthan Kayilasanthan. He has just had his license to practice in Ontario revoked by the College of Physicians and Surgeons. Seems Dr. Kayilasanthan had intercourse and oral sex with one of his patients. He also gave her excuse slips to avoid examinations she was scheduled to take so she could hang out with him.

• Supreme Court’s opinion on Senate shows status quo is with us forever
• Can Stephen Harper win Canada by killing off the Senate?

The Chinese must smile at their own malarkey when they issue bulletins that two Canadian men have been detained in China on suspicion of “endangering national security.”  That would be Canadian men from Canada, population possibly 35 million. The Canadians in question are entrepreneur Michael Spavor and former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig.  Spavor runs a cultural exchange organization that helps people travel to North Korea. The apprehension of the two  seems clearly related to the pending US extradition case of Meng Wanzhou, of the electronics giant Huawei, who is currently on bail in Vancouver.

3 people have been sent to trauma hospital after the car they were in smashed into a pole on Don Mills south of Van Horne at The Peanut. Toronto Fire crews had to extricate all 3 people. Don Mills is closed south of Van Horne for the investigation. pic.twitter.com/7uD515B9OD

— Peter Muscat (@Peter_Muscat) December 13, 2018

Four people survived this collision with a utility pole on Don Mills Rd. near the Peanut Plaza Wednesday night. The tweet says three but that’s wrong. Quite a mess.

Via Rail has chosen the German firm Siemens over Bombardier for a nearly billion dollar contract to modernize its passenger service along the Quebec City to Windsor corridor. And Siemens could receive a further nearly $500 million from VIA if it exercises options for 16 more trains on top of the 32 awarded Wednesday. The government came prepared to explain why Quebec’s Bombardier got the cold shoulder but there can be little doubt the company has damaged its reputation badly with the notorious failure to deliver trains and streetcars on time to the TTC and Metrolinx. The contract doesn’t require any Canadian content. Siemens will build the trains at its North American headquarters in California. Via Rail and Siemens also announced a 15-year technical services and parts agreement valued at $355.5 million. VIA Rail repeated arguments previously made by federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau that the decision to bypass Bombardier is justified because Canada’s free trade agreements with the European Union and the United States don’t allow Via Rail to favour Bombardier in the awarding of contracts.

58th Scouts at 111 Manor Rd./Josh Matlow

Gift elves / @care_gift_elves

Oriental Lillies

Closing soon

Thursday starting at 4 p.m.

Pooch Parade December 22/BIA

Josh Matlow tweets a sweet picture (upper left) from Ward 12 west of Mt. Pleasant to remind us that the 58th Toronto Scouts are selling Christmas trees, as they always do, in the parking lot of the Church of the Transfiguration. That’s at Manor Road and Redpath Ave. They are there Monday to Friday from 6 to 8.30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. Upper right, it’s the Care Gift Elves as they deliver a shipment to the Red Door Shelter on Carlaw Ave. Good going guys. Below that, another horticultural brightener in the form of Oriental Lillies at Longo’s. Centre left, the latest word from Sunnybrook Hardware is that they will close in January sometime, but they are playing the exact date by ear. Centre right, don’t forget the Yonge St. Clair BIA street party Thursday starting at 4 p.m. Visit the Tunnel of Glam. It’s a hoot. Then at bottom, a reminder of the Holiday Pooch Parade sponsored by the Bayview Leaside BIA and Big-Stretch Yoga on Saturday December 22. Looking forward.

This is a “porch person” seen in video captures posted by Toronto Police. It’s all about theft from South Bayview porches. They would be happy to hear from you at 53 Division is you think you know this lady.

Work in 1917

1916 some two years away from completion

Mayor John Tory and Ward 14 Councillor Paula Fletcher unveiled a plaque Wednesday on Cambridge Ave. just off the Danforth to mark the 100th anniversary of the completion of the Prince Edward Viaduct. It is one of Toronto’s most  recognizable landmarks. The bridge links Bloor St. with Danforth Avenue and made possible the City’s expansion to the east end. The viaduct was built with an unused lower level intended for trains which more than 50 years after it was completed became the route of the Line 2 subway. There is interesting history here about how the people of Toronto kept voting against building the viaduct until they finally changed their minds.

Poet Laureate, Anne Michaels joined Councillor Fletcher and Mayor Tory at plaque unveiling (Twitter / @JohnTory)

Mayor Tory sent email early Wednesday naming Council members he has appointed to civic duties for the new term. Ward 15 Councillor Jaye Robison will be TTC  chair. “We will all rely on her to be a strong advocate for the Relief Line and focused on ensuring transit service continuously improves,” he said.  Tory ally Denzil Minnan-Wong, Ward 16 Don Valley East, will continue to serve as the City’s statutory deputy mayor. Three veteran Councillors will take up the other deputy mayor roles:

• Ana Bailã​o, councillor for Ward 9 — Davenport, will handle the housing file. Bailã​o was also a deputy mayor for a period during the last term. Tory called her a “champion for housing” who has been instrumental in getting more affordable units approved.
• Michael Thompson, Councillor for Ward 21 — Scarborough Centre, will focus on jobs.
• Stephen Holyday, Councillor for Ward 2 —​ Etobicoke Centre, will concentrate his efforts on “modernization and governance.” He will also chair council’s special committee on governance.

Councillor Gary Crawford, who has worked closely with Tory over the last four years on his executive committee will remain as the City’s budget chief.  Anthony Perruzza (Ward 7) will be the City’s poverty reduction advocate.

“Airblown” moose are inflated and lighted by electricity/Bulldog photo

How do you do?/Bulldog

On every street corner/Bulldog

Burnham Rd/Bulldog

Many residents of Bennington Heights are celebrating the season by keeping large lighted, “airblown” moose balloons on their lawns. This electrically lighted and fan-inflated moose herd in Bennington follows similar seasonal neighborhood lawn balloon shows like that on Inglewood Drive in Moore Park where 14-foot Santas prevail. Very nice.