On Sunday three young men robbed and beat up a cabbie in the middle of the night near Russell Street and Robert Street area. One of them left a pretty good picture of himself on the cab’s camera. Call police if you know him.

Reuters reports Thursday that a 15-old girl in western Nepal has suffocated to death after being forced to stay in a poorly ventilated shed because she was menstruating in an age-old Hindu practice banned over a decade ago. Similar cases have occurred in recent months. Roshani Tiruwa apparently died when she lit a fire to keep warm. The practice of isolating menstruating teens is mixed up with deep superstitions that violating the practice will cause crops to fail. It is reported that as few as one in ten woman in India use or have access to modern hygiene products commonplace elsewhere in world.

Four male lions born at the Toronto Zoo will  be transferred to a large lion community at the Parc Safari in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Quebec, where they will be able to act like grown-up guys with their pride of followers. That’s lion life. Above we see them in January of 2016 with Dad Fintan. CBC

What?

Stop it!

Run!

Yeoww!

A man in Leeds, England. leaps in surprise as his e-cigarette explodes as he stands with his wife in a Boots pharmacy. Left, the e-cigarette ignites and then (centre and right) turns into something of a Roman candle. He suffered minor injuries. The explosion was caused when the c-cigarette battery came in contact with metal. Be warned.

JUST LIKE AN ORDINARY CARDINAL

Pope Francis is fond of venturing out into the streets of Rome just as if he were still an ordinary Cardinal. This time he was looking for some orthopedic shoes. He found them along with large numbers of his flock who sent the news of the shopping pontiff winging onto social media.

Pope finds just what he’s looking for

The CRTC will build a fund to expand high-speed Internet service to remote parts of the country it announced today. The move is being heralded like a declaration of human rights in some quarters — and perhaps that is how the telecom regulator wants it to be seen.  But you may be sure that it will still be business as usual for most people who want this level of service in their homes — i.e. it will cost something.

Near Brookdale and Ledbury

Also a call to Joicey and Esgore

Police fire ask for security video

Fire officials and police are surely curious about just why two men were busy setting fire to a home in Armour Heights in November. Here we see them at shortly past midnight on November 24 at a home in the Brookdale Avenue and Ledbury Street area. Then on Sunday, November 27, 2016, at 10:40 p.m. emergency personnel responded to reports of a fire at a home near Joicey Boulevard and Esgore Drive. Toronto Fire Services investigation has determined this fire to be an arson. Investigators believe the two incidents are connected. Authorities are asking anyone with exterior cameras in this area to check for video.

The Toronto Zoo has released this charnming bit of video showing Da Mao with his “enrichmenment snowman”  More like wrecking-crew exercises.

The strange workings of the TTC will now see the transit agency hire “undercover fare inspectors” of all things in order to make sure people pay their fares. This is another streetcar issue. The shortfall in revenue occurs because of non-payment (as much as $20 million). It starts with mobs of people standing in the street to get on the tram. They’re out there blocking traffic, along with the streetcar, because the tracks are in the middle of the road. So the TTC loads people by all doors and many of them don’t pay. What a surprise.

HOW ABOUT PORTABLE PRESTO SCANNERS

No one can cheat on his fare on the 88 Leaside bus or the Yonge subway. One would have to be an invisible acrobat to get over the gate. But we have streetcars in Toronto. Since it’s digital 2016, how about designing portable, wireless Presto scanners? They could be held at the doors of the streetcars by some of the TTC employees who are now sent home early. Three or four to a streetcar. Or would that be a “not my job” issue at union hall?

Bessborough School Grade Sevens got a treat Tuesday when they attended the Raptors shootaround (informal practice) at ACC. Then on the way back to class they all poured into Starbucks on Bayview Ave. Funny how that makes the lineup merge into one big crowd. This clip missed the full impact of the onslaught. Teachers were saying things like: “Okay everybody, get your things and go outside.” Actually, you’re welcome in there any time kids.

We hope you had fun on Santa's Horse Drawn Carriage the past two Saturdays. Here are some photos of the event. pic.twitter.com/bxidZbVqkn

— Bayview Leaside BIA (@LeasideBIA) December 20, 2016