Mayor admits he read document while driving

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Mayor Ford has admitted that he was driving along the Gardiner Expressway reading a document while in charge of his vehicle. The incident apparently occurred this morning and was photographed by someone in another car right beside the mayor. The picture shows Mr.Ford with a document in his right hand and using his left hand to steer. It was distributed to the world on Twitter. The story about this matter appears in the Toronto Star and quotes the mayor as saying by way of explanation for his behavior merely that he’s a busy man. “Yeah, probably. I’m busy,” he is quoted. As reported by Daniel Dale, the exchange continued this way: When a reporter followed up by asking whether he reads while driving, he said, “Yeah, probably. Trying to catch up on my work; you know, keep my eyes on the road, but I’m a busy man.” When the reporter asked whether he doesn’t see a problem with reading on the Gardiner, he said again, “I’m busy.” The mayor’s reaction seems to reveal an obstinacy that he has been politically one of his most unhelpful qualities. The larger matter also begs the question of by whom and why the picture was taken.  It seems improbable that it was taken by chance and then hurried onto Twitter with an alert to the Star all without a lot of planning. The mayor should apologize and stop this reckless behavior. No one believes he is so busy that he must drive in such a careless way. On the other hand, he might also ask whether he is under surveillance by people looking for things to embarrass him.

Dollarama still a long way from opening

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A peek through the door of the Dollarama premises shows just how far away they are from opening the store. This picture was taken today (Tuesday, August 14, 2012). Signage at the right is from Shoppers Drug Mart days. Many people — including the South Bayview  Bulldog — thought that Dollarama at 1531 Bayview would be open in time for back to school. But that opportunity has clearly been missed. Looks like the soonest we’ll have a chance to spend a dollar or two there will be Christmas. Think? 

Fido looks for a new dog to play Fido

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RELEASE — Returning this summer by popular demand, the Fido Casting Call™ 2 contest will search for the next dog to star in an upcoming Fido advertisement. Open for submissions across Canada on August 13, Fido Casting Call 2 will support the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides, a non-profit organization that provides Dog Guides to Canadians with disabilities. Dog owners across Canada are encouraged to get their pooches brushed up, competition-ready and captured on camera striking their favourite pose. Dog owners can enter the contest by submitting a superstar image of their dog online at www.FidoCastingCall.ca, and dog lovers can vote daily for their preferred pooch until September 10, 2012. For each vote, Fido will donate $1 to Dog Guides Canada, up to a maximum of $200,000. Dog Guides Canada will use the funds donated by Fido to train and place 10 Dog Guides with Canadians with disabilities. To help get your dog ready for the competition, an All Star Prep team of groomers will be onsite at local Fido Casting Call 2 park events August 18 to 19 in six Canadian cities: Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Montréal. Additional information and event details are available at www.FidoCastingCall.ca.

“F-bomb, sexting , flexitarian, life coach”

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Merriam-Webster has picked about 100 additions for its 2013 dictionary. Among those that made the cut: Earworm, mash-up, sexting and f-bomb. How about flexitarian, obesogenic, energy drink and life coach? They’re in too. The company ranged over every human activity to update the 114-year-old dictionary. It gathered evidence of usage over several years in everything from media to the labels of beer bottles and boxes of frozen food. So who’s responsible for lobbing F-bomb far and wide? Kory Stamper, an associate editor for Merriam-Webster, said she and her fellow word spies at the Massachusetts company traced it back to 1988, in a Newsday story that had the now-dead Mets catcher Gary Carter talking about how he had given them up, along with other profanities.  Huffington Post.

Thieves grab bikes out of garages in Moore Park

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A warning to those who own expensive bicycles as thieves are on the make in Moore Park and Rosedale. Of course, it could happen anywhere in South Bayviewland but residents on Rose Park Drive and elsewhere say the brazen bike bandits are going up lane ways and into garages in broad daylight.  Most recently there’s a report that two mountain bikes were stolen from a garage between Wednesday August 1st and Monday August 5th.

Writer says Canada “set the bar too low”

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Gold medal winner Rosie MacLennan
The  Summer Olympics are over and Postmedia writer Mathew Fisher says there’s just no hiding the awful truth. The athletes were valiant but 2012 is quite possibly our worst summer Olympic games ever. Fisher says that the Canadian team placed 36th in the standings used by the IOC. We won just  one gold medal, five silver and 12 bronze. It’s clear, says Fisher, that Ottawa and the Canadian Olympic Committee “set the bar too low”. Fisher’s column.