The South Bayview Bulldog

It may well be, as some are saying, that people who threaten death online are less likely to actually do it because they ventilate. Possibly. But that hopeful reading of online threats is no substitute for the type of defensive moves being taken at the University of Toronto this morning. In recent days a comment somewhere on BlogTO threatened to shoot women in the university’s women’s studies department. Many publications, especially online, have a fairly rigid requirement for those wishing to comment. As well, most publications have someone take a look at what was actually said before it is permitted online. BlogTO requires only that the reader give a name and the comment is published immediately. That may be too easy. The South Bayview Bulldog reads every comment before it is published and like most publications, reserves the right to discard any comment for any reason. The most remarkable trove of obscene threatening and abusive comment by far is found on Youtube. There, for reasons not entirely clear, it seems anyone can publish anything and have it remain there indefinitely.

This fine group of young people was at Sunnybrook Park on Wednesday as part of the Morning Glory Cycling Cycling Club youth cycling program. MGCC has a program for children 3 to 14 years to learn riding skills and fun grass-track racing. Grass-track racing is a popular European sport for kids learning to cycle competitively and is a fun and safe way to introduce kids to bike racing. The program is run weekly in season.  Thanks to Dr. Tim Marshall of the Bayview Chiropractic Clinic for this.

Police have released video captures of these three men wanted for the stabbing of student at Central Technical School on Bathurst Street earlier this week. From left to right the men are described as follows: 1) black, 18-20, 5’11”, 165-175 lbs. and has his hair braided. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a Blue Jays T-shirt, and was carrying an orange bag. 2) Black, 18-19, 5’10”, and with a medium build. He was wearing a Blue Jays baseball hat with a curved brim, black hooded sweater with a white logo, and dark jeans. 3) Black, 18-19, with a slim build and black hair. He was last seen wearing a white Adidas jacket, black T-shirt with a large white logo, and khaki pants. The 19-year-old victim has improved in hospital from what were said to be very serious wounds,

Pedestrians ran for cover and at least one has complained of glass in an eye from a shattered pane. Toronto Star

New Normal at Hot 89.9

The recently created e-mail news memo called @12.36 reports today that Ottawa radio station Hot 89.9 is giving away $40,000 for a gender transition. Says @12.36, Hot 89.9’s fall ratings-baiting contest, “The New Normal,” has an interesting grand prize: the chance for a lucky listener to “live the life they want to live.” An application asks detailed questions about the medical and treatment history of each hopeful. The station promises to be empathetic in the way it portrays the entrants, although the official rules stipulate that finalists “must demonstrate sufficient physical, psychological, and mental capacity to endure the process of the contest.”

Former Leaside resident and media insider Ian Slack has written to report on the mass changes at the upper levels of Bell Media. He includes the rather chilly memo (see link) from Bell Media President Mary Ann Turcke setting out details. Most notably for CTV Toronto followers is the removal of Paul Rogers as Senior Vice-President. Wendy Freeman, President, CTV News, survives it seems and a long-time assistant, Joanne MacDonald, will now manage the day-to-day news operations of CTV News Toronto and CP24. Who’s in and who’s out.

Ontario will cut the neighborhood anti-violence program known as TAVIS  approximately in half. That will take the funding of Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy from $5 million to $2.63 million  The minister, Yasir Naqvi, says his ministry believes “that the best way to prevent crime and keep our communities safe is to work with local groups and prioritize community-based crime prevention and youth engagement – by giving communities the ability to allocate funding where it’s needed most”  Anyone may interpret that as he wishes. Inevitably, the decision will; be seen in the context of Ontario’s pressing provincial debt.

The City has sent letters to 12,000 residents across the City from which it says, by press release today, that it will pick 28 people to volunteer as members of a “Planning Review Panel”. It isn’t stated how the addresses were chosen. These 28 individuals will “learn about city planning and offer input on a wide range of issues” the news release says. The panel will be “randomly selected” and yet at the same time will have “equal representation of both men and women, as well as people of all ages, homeowners and renters and people who identify as visible minorities. The panel will also include at least one Aboriginal member.”  Citizens can read the whole
release here.