FaceBook loses $22,453 for each minute it’s down

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FaceBook was down this afternoon for an estimated 18 minutes and as we have come to know, it made the lives of the FaceBook generation something slightly worse than death by a thousand cuts. Users began reporting the social network down around 3.30 p.m., bringing interaction on both Facebook’s website and mobile apps to a grinding halt. “Sorry, something went wrong. We’re working on getting this fixed as soon as we can,” read an error message on Facebook’s desktop site. According to reports, the outage appeared to affect users in the U.S. and Canada, as well as other parts of the world.  Later, in a statement, Facebook said: “Earlier today we encountered an error while making an infrastructure configuration change that briefly made it difficult for people to access Facebook. We immediately discovered the issue and fixed it, and everyone should now be able to connect.” Facebook had major outages in May, June and August. TechCrunch’s Josh Constine estimates Facebook loses at about $22,453 every minute it’s down around the globe. Mashable put the total downtime at 18 minutes. 

Ryan Slack’s Sturgeon Lake Muskie monster

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Ryan Slack, a Leaside lad now grown and married will be remembered by many from Leaside High School. Over the weekend while fishing on the Trent Severn System Ryan, caught this monster Muskie out of Sturgeon Lake. His dad, former CTV editor Ian Slack, mailed the pictures to The Bulldog.  The barely believable denizen was about 50 inches long but the mouth was frightening. Truly unreal said Ian. It seems to be at least ten inches across. Ryan and his brother in law Jim got a 36-incher about ten minutes earlier and returned it to the lake. They tried to revive this one but after a half an hour of trying it was no go so it the enormous specimen will be mounted. The Trent Severn System is famous for its muskie, pickerel, pike, walleye, large and small mouth bass and many other fish.  

“Emergency repair” closes Glen Road bridge

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Rosedale’s Glen Road pedestrian bridge has been closed for an apparently unknown period of time for emergency repairs. The City issued a release this morning (Wednesday, August 3, 2013) that the well-used footbridge connecting the southern reaches of Rosedale with Bloor Street was found to require urgent repairs during a routine inspection. The news release says only that the bridge will be opened again once repairs are complete. The bridge extends from the intersection of Glen Road and Dale Avenue, across the Rosedale Valley Road to Bloor Street East just east of Sherbourne Street. The closure means that pedestrians will now have to walk out to Sherbourne St. along Maple Ave. and use the Sherbourne bridge to reach Bloor.

Shocked fish eaters say “No!” to Penrose closing

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News of the decision to close Penrose Fish & Chips at 600 Mount Pleasant Rd. has moved quickly across South Bayview. Some readers just don’t want to know. Stephanie (@girlstar28) was in denial as she tweeted No!  It was one of many expressions of regret.  Ward 22 Councillor Josh Matlow said the news made him sad. “We shall find a way to extend our gratitude to this beloved family and local landmark,” he tweeted  News of the closing of the neighborhood institution broke last night in The South Bayview Bulldog. The owners, Dave and Rosemary Johnston, have made the decision to take some time  for their other passion, sailing. But they are still greeting customers for another month at Penrose Fish and Chips.  Penrose Fish and Chips to close 

Penrose Fish & Chips to close after 65 years

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A Toronto dining institution, Penrose Fish and Chips on Mount Pleasant Rd., will come to an end in October after nearly 65 years. For Dave and Rosemary Johnston (right) the second generation to operate the much-loved fish and chips emporium, it is a sad farewell but one that seems appropriate. “I will miss the excitement and the people, the staff and customers,” Dave said wistfully as he spoke about his family’s lifetime of commitment to the business. And there is no doubt that Toronto will miss Penrose Fish and Chips. The thriving business has been built on hard work and love, with the added bonus of good fortune that comes from a place where people find their passion in their work. “It was something that just happened,” Johnston said of the long lineups of observant (and not-so-observant) fish eaters on Good Friday eve. And yet every day seemed the right day for fish and chips when it came from Penrose. That feeling was embellished by the endorsements of show personalities like Barbra Streisand. She enjoyed the food so much she announced two nights running from the stage at the Air Canada Centre everyone should go and try it. Penrose Fish and Chips is named after that tiny street in the Glebe known as Penrose Road. It sits a dozen doors to the south of the Johnston’s Mount Pleasant address. It might have been a Toronto Penny Lane. 
The little shop at 600 Mount Pleasant Rd. has carried the name Penrose even before Dave Johnston’s mom and dad, Roland (Roly) and Marion, made their way from New Brunswick looking to find a living in the big city of Toronto in 1950. “It was actually called Penrose Sea Grill as early as 1938,” Dave recalled. And it was here that Roly and Marion set up their family business. Dave Johnston says his father was proud of the business and made him proud too. There was lots of work and training for Dave as a boy. His mom, Marion, “absolutely loved” working in the shop, the 60 hours a week and all. It was truly her life and she was active nearly until she passed away in 2012 at the age of 91. Roly died in 1994. Part of the appeal and mystique of Penrose Fish and Chips was the variety of house specials including the dishes cooked personally by Rosemary.Johnston, a certified pastry chef. Her Halibut Chowder is famous. And there were few leftovers from her homemade lemon meringue and pumpkin pies. Even as Penrose Fish and Chips closes and the family retires the name, cooking lives on in the Johnston family. Daughter Katie is a chef and graduate of the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont. Stacey, 23, is the Guest Services Manager at St. Louis Chicken and Ribs on Yonge St. What next for Dave and Rosemary? They will fully embrace their second passion of sailing. They are long-time members of the Toronto Hydroplane and Sailing Club at Ashbridge’s Bay. Is this retirement? Wisely, the Johnstons are leaving their options open. “If something comes along, we’ll have to see,” says Dave.  Photos top from left: Roly and Marion Johnstone at Penrose Fish and Chips. Rosemary and Dave Johnston will retire the Penrose name. Centre: The Penrose neon sign, Dave Johnston as a teen working at the shop, Dave with his mom and dad.  

Voting poll: News goes from hot to not so much

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CTV News Toronto was getting mileage this evening out of a Nanos Research Poll which suggests that John Tory has broken out of the pack in the contest for mayor of Toronto. The poll shows Mr. Tory with 42% support, Rob Ford with 28% and Olivia Chow with 26%. Good stuff. The poll sets on its head the notion coming from a Forum Research take of last week in which Mr. Ford was closing on Tory. It is revealing of these post long-weekend dog days that CTV had to hype up the wet weather and Justin Bieber’s shenanigans on an ATV in Stratford for stories two and three. Much lower in the news was the grotesque tale of Islamist cavemen beheading another reporter and, courtesy of Canadian television, broadcasting their triumph with a kind of “we’re gonna get you” video. 

Website tells if you are on Toronto voters list

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The City of Toronto has released the address of a new website called MyVote which will tell you if you are on the voters list in your ward.  The process requires a voter to enter an address. The website will take you to a page with a command bar offering useful choices such as Who’s Running in My Ward? and Ballot Sample. But there is also one that asks the all-important question Am I  on the Voters’ List? If you are known by more than one name or have let your diminutive (like Bob instead of Robert) get into the records, then you may have to try a couple of times before confirming your status. 

Man caught breaking into cars on Sutherland Dr.

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Police at 53 Division say they arrested a man breaking into cars on Sutherland Drive over the weekend and are reminding residents to keep vehicles locked.. Many of these cars had not been locked. Their reminder is to Lock It or Lose It.  They also ask that if you have been a victim of this type of crime, please report it to the police at 416-808-2222.