The Bulldog

Toronto Fire to high-rise call on Thorncliffe Park Drive

Starving Artist waffle house open at 505 Mt. Pleasant

The Starving Artist waffle restaurant at 505 Mt. Pleasant south of Millwood Rd opened Saturday and is ready for business daily from 9 to 6 hereafter. The decision to open was made Friday when the liquor license arrived. Staff say Saturday was fairly busy even though there was no advance  announcement. A note to diners that the method of payment is cash.

WORLD: Remarkable pictures and stories this Saturday

NBC News is saying that Vladimir Putin is thinking about giving Donald Trump some red meat for his supporters by extraditing Edward Snowden to the US.  Upper right, latest word from Farewell Spit in New Zealand says that as many as 150 beached whales have been re-floated and saveed by a band of hard-working rescuers. Below that, in the battle to defeat ISIS, allies in the cause have come face to facce and are now fighting each other. God help us. And you really have to watch a huge tractor trailer in Wyoming being blown over just as it passes a parked highway patrol car. No one was hurt. Also see: Rescuers race against time to save whales

Ford Motor buys into self-driving firm for US$1 billion

Ford Motor has done a deal with the upstart self-driving car firm Argo AI. Argo is made up of defectors (so to speak) of the self-driving teams at Google and Uber. These clever people have Ford’s handshake to invest as much as $1 billion US over the next five years in the Pittsburgh tech start up. The firm that Henry built will now be the largest shareholder in Argo AI  Ford chief executive officer Mark Fields said the investment is in line with previous announcements on planned capital expenditures. Argo AI, which focuses on artificial intelligence and robotics, will help build what Ford calls its “virtual driver system” at the heart of the fully autonomous car Ford said last year it would develop by 2021. “With Argo AI’s agility and Ford’s scale we’re combining the benefits of a technology start up with the experience and discipline we have at Ford,” Fields said at a press conference.

CGS students learn the universal language of Gumboots

The children had a wonderful day at CGS Wednesday as they got the opportunity to experience Gumboots dancing. Just Aissi, an accomplished choreographer and percussionist, came to the Eglinton Ave E. school again this year for a workshop with both the JK/SK and 1-3 students. The children learned that Gumboots originates in South Africa and was created by miners who were forbidden to speak while they worked. They invented codes and rhythms by clapping, stomping and slapping their boots. Students got a kick out of wearing their rubber boots, and picked up the moves and rhythms well. They were very surprised at how tiring this was. They were exhausted afterwards. The JK/SKs also learned how to sing a song in Zulu. This was a wonderful activity to commemorate Black History Month and experience a different kind of physical activity. Thank you to the CGS PA for sponsoring this again for our students.

Jennifer keeps track (ahem) of Davisville station rail work

https://twitter.com/JennyyyyD/status/830386667638886401

Meraki teams competing at regional synchro championships

There are high hopes for the Leaside Skating Club Meraki teams this weekend as they compete in the 2017 Ontario Regional Synchronized Skating Championships. These are on at the Herb Carnegie Centennial Centre (formerly named the North York Centennial Centre). This is at 580 Finch Ave. W  for those who might like to cheer on the home teams. There is skating until 8.30 Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.  Meraki by the way is a Greek word meaning to do something with soul, creativity, or love; to put something of yourself into your work  Meraki

“It’s your fault.” train maker Bombardier tells Metrolinx

Bombardier, the train maker that sometimes seems to be hardly working, has filed a court order against the Ontario government transit agency, Metrolinx, in response to complaints about failed delivery and poor quality,  Bombardier’s retort is that it is Ontario which has jeopardized the delivery of train cars for the Crosstown Eglinton LRT. It did this by changing the scope, timeline and technical qualifications of the project “countless times” Bombardier claims. CBC

Man survives hours holding nose above filthy water

An Australian man has survived hours straining to keep his nose above filthy water after his excavating machine tipped over hurling him into the pool. Daniel Miller, 45, had been riding the machine at his isolated property 300 Sydney. When the edge of an earthen dam gave way, the farmer was pinned down by a bar on the three-tonne excavator. Mr Miller said he adopted a yoga pose — arching his back for air — until a neighbour 500 metres away heard him shouting.

Antique clothing, jewellery opening at 1592 South Bayview

Look for a business selling vintage clothing and jewellery at the newly-leased (and long-time vacant) 1592 Bayview Ave. This fragmentary description winkled out so far suggests there is a consignment element.

Glimpses from east of Laird courtesy “hooked on junk”

This Twitter account is @torontomobilia. The post is moments old suppertime Friday but from the weather, taken om a whole different day.
https://twitter.com/Torontomobilia/status/830191925517045765

Be happy! The high Saturday is 6 snow-melting degrees




Yes, it is crummy tonight and yes, there may be ten centimetres sometime near midnight but it may all be gone by noon or shortly after if the forecast of six degrees is correct. Much better than the mayhem caused by the driver in the video at the left in Lynn, Massachusetts.