Toronto issues Extreme Cold Weather Alert

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Toronto has issued an Extreme Cold Weather Alert and is advising homeless people to seek shelter. Such alerts are standard and frequent during cold weather. The goal of making truly homeless people aware of coming dangerous weather is open to question. few of any access to media or informed source. But it i9s clearly better than nothing. Outreach and hostel workers may be able to communicate the information by word of mouth. This alert is in effect until further notice. Alerts are typically called in the morning for the coming overnight period so that community agencies have sufficient time to call in extra staff to provide enhanced services. During an Extreme Cold Weather Alert:
 • Shelters are directed to relax any existing service restrictions and are reminded that if a bed is not available at their site they are to allow the client to stay at the shelter until they are able to find a bed for them elsewhere in the system.
 • The City of Toronto immediately adds 172 shelter spaces to those available to staff looking to refer a client to a shelter bed.
 • Overnight street outreach is increased in the downtown core, focusing solely on warning people of danger and urging them to get into a shelter or another warm, indoor place. Workers will transport people to warm places if necessary.
 • TTC tokens are available at some drop-ins so people can use public transit to get to shelters.

LHS Online Code of Conduct has teeth

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Leaside High School has published an On-Line-Code of Conduct for all students. Vice principal Andrea Parise warns students that inappropriate postings in any social media networks will be immediately removed and students responsible for these postings would be subject to suspension and/or arrested for breaching the On-Line Code of Conduct. She adds that In some cases, post-secondary applications and/or scholarships have been revoked. Then she lists the specific offenses:  Name-calling or threats – Unwelcome remarks or slurs – Obscene gestures or jokes – On-Line harassment – Derogatory or offensive materials – Threats of outing someone (staff, student, community member) – Intimidation or physical violence – Or anything else that negatively affects an individual or group.  

U.S. tax break of $429 billion for Facebook

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It hasn’t drawn much attention, but Facebook’s first annual earnings report contains an accounting gem: a multibillion-dollar tax deduction in the U.S. for the cost of executive stock options and share awards. Even though Facebook (FB) reported $1.1 billion in pre-tax profits from U.S. operations in 2012, it will probably pay zero federal and state taxes—and even receive a federal tax refund of about $429 million—according to a Feb. 14 statement from Citizens for Tax Justice.  Bloomberg News 

Tiffany sues Costco in U.S. over engagement rings

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The jewellery icon Tiffany has gone to war in court with low-price icon Costco in New York to stop the sale of what it calls counterfeit engagement  rings bearing the Tiffany trademark. It is a fascinating case which bring into focus the Costco practice of selling designer lines which it obtains through a third party of some type. In the Tiffany case, the trademark lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court also calls on Costco to forfeit profits from the ring sales, plus damages of $2 million per infringement. Tiffany said it believes hundreds, if not thousands, of Costco members bought engagement rings they believed were authentic Tiffany products but were not. Luxury retailers often sue to stop sales of alleged imitation products they believe cut into their own revenue streams and customer goodwill.  In Costco’s case, it also sells goods which are genuine at cut-rate prices. The practice undercuts small specialty retailers which rely on their profits to stay in business. “This is not the kind of behavior people expect from a company like Costco, and this case will shed a much needed light on this outrageous behavior,” said Jeffrey Mitchell, a lawyer for Tiffany. Mitchell also noted in the statement that Tiffany maintains an “aggressive and rigorous intellectual property program and regularly takes actions against counterfeiters and infringers.” A spokesman for Costco was not immediately available. In November 2012, a person shopping at a Costco in Huntington Beach, Calif., complained to Tiffany that she was disappointed to see Costco offering for sale what were promoted on in-store signs as Tiffany diamond engagement rings, according to the lawsuit. 

Mount Pleasant snow removal well underway

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Crews were making steady progress against the piles of dirt encrusted snow filling the curb lanes of Mt. Pleasant Rd. north of St. Clair Ave E on Friday. The City’s excellent industrial snow blower is seen here blasting the filthy stuff into a truck at Heath St. At City Hall meanwhile there was some familiar hand-wringing going on about whether Toronto should have declared a snow emergency to deal with last weekend’s storm. Well, maybe. But here in Worry City we have to fret about things like streetcar delays, possible annoyance that a car might be towed (really?) and even whether Winnipeg might laugh at us. What could be more mortifying? God bless the hard working guys on Mt. Pleasant we say.  They seem to be so functional, so useful. 

Just another day at the office in Central Russia

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Sequence of  pictures shows the scene in an office in the Russian Urals as the meteorite explodes nearby. On the left, an employee is speaking with a colleague across the office. In succeeding shots she flinches and covers her ears as the loud blast blows out the office window. She hides behind the desk for a moment and then she and her fellow worker race out door.  Note earlier post and post below  

Brazen rush hour robbery of youth, 16, in a car

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No. 53 Division has reported a particularly brazen robbery of a teenager who was apparently at the wheel of a car which was stopped or parked near Avenue Road and Eglinton Ave. West.. This incident occurred at 5.45 pm. on Tuesday, February  12, 2013. The report does not say if the car was on a main route during rush hour or parked on a side street. According to the young man, who is 16,  two male suspects opened the passenger side doors and entered the vehicle. The TPS reports says: “One of the suspects removed the vehicle key, while the other suspect threatened to shoot the victim, although no weapon was seen. The suspects removed a quantity of cash, a cellphone and a key ring from the victim. The suspects then exited the vehicle and fled the scene in an unknown direction. No injuries were sustained by the victim.”  Police are requesting the assistance of the public in identifying the following described persons in connection with this offence. Description of Suspect #1: Male, black, 15 to 19 years, 5’10” to 6’, medium build, black hair. Suspect #2: Male, black, 15 to 19 years, 5’10” to 6’, medium build.

11.45 pm mugging at Eglinton E. and Banff Rd.

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Toronto Police Service report:  A 34 year old male reports that on February 13, 2013 at approximately 2344 hours, he was in the area of Eglinton Avenue East and Banff Road when two male suspects approached him. One of the suspects grabbed the victim’s iPhone and a struggle ensued. The second suspect indicated he was armed, although no weapon was seen. The suspects then fled the scene with the victim’s property in an unknown direction in a vehicle. No injuries were sustained by the victim.

Meteorite crash in Russia injures 500 people

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A meteor crashing to earth in central Russia has terried thousands and  and injured hundreds of people. More than 500 people have been injured.. Fragments of at least one meteorite were seen falling from the morning sky in the Chelyabinsk region at around 9am local time, around 1,500km east of Moscow. Witnesses described feeling a pressure wave and hearing explosions overhead as the object hurtled to earth. Windows shattered and there were localised power cuts, sparking panic among residents. The emergencies ministry said that 20,000 rescue workers had been dispatched to help the injured and locate those needing help. Still images from video shows the trail of a falling object above a residential apartment block in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk Five people have been seriously injured  Almost all the video of the event was recorded on the ever-present Russian dashboard cam, a standard fixture for motorists in that country.  This meteorite incidentally is not the one which has been predicted by NASA and is expected to pass some safe 17,000 miles from earth today. 

Nadir Mohamed to retire as boss of Rogers

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Nadir Mohamed will resign by next year from his position as CEO of Rogers Communications and Media. He will leave the Toronto-based company by January 2014. Mr. Mohamed has been with Rogers since 2000 and headed its wireless division before taking over the top job in 2008, after Ted Rogers Jr. passed away. The company said its board will appoint a committee to begin an international search for a new chief executive but neither Edward Rogers III or his sister Melinda Rogers will put their names forward, although they will be involved in the search.