George, Charlotte at party for military children in Victoria

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Prince George and Princess Charlotte have played with children of the Canadian military families at a rare joint appearance at an official event. Charlotte, 16 months, was heard speaking in public for the first time — saying “pop” at the balloons that filled Government House in Victoria. The residence was set up got a perfect kids party including a petting zoo and miniature ponies. The play day comes on day six of the royals eight-day tour of Canada. It is the first official trip all four of the family have been on together.

Brisket Chilli is back at Andy Elder’s Grilltime shop

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U.S. Supreme Court to ponder “scandalous” trademarks

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The U.S. Supreme Court will venture into the tinderbox of “scandalous” trademarks it as agrees to hear arguments from a band known as The Slants that the government has no authority to prohibit trade names that some people find scandalous. The Slants is a 21 Century Oregon group of four Asian American musicians who play “Chinatown Dance Rock.”  They insist the U.S. patent office cannot deny a trademark just because some people are offended.  Consumerist 

REDSKINS

The court’s decision may have real meaning for other businesses. The Washington Redskins NFL team is under intense pressure to change its name. The patent office for years accepted the Redskins trademark and then decided it was scandalous. In Canada, the Edmonton Eskimos team owns the name and there is no legal challenge. But the Eskimos are excoriated all the time by aboriginal critics who say they are insulted by it.

DYKES

Related is the larger question of free speech in a changing society  We do not know if the name Dykes on Bikes has been trademarked in the U.S. but the use of the word is a dead issue. In a period of what seems like a couple of years it has gone from nasty epithet to a benign description.

Train had engine in the rear as it high balled into station

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Train engineer Thomas Gallagher, 48, cooperating with police

The death count in that horrifying commuter train crash has been scaled back to a single fatality, injuries are said to number 108, including the engineer, Thomas Gallagher, 48. But he is now said to be conscious and cooperating with authorities. The engine was in the rear. The direction ahead is seen by cameras. Is this where the misjudgement occurred? Witnesses aboard the train and in the station tell a story of a train rumbling into the Hoboken station without slowing a bit, slamming into the bumper stops at the end of the line and flying over the platform to knock down support pillars for the station roof. The astonishment is evident in the graphic video shot by commuter “Leon O” and posted to Twitter. It is seen one video down in this post.

Prince William and Kate watch aboriginal dancing in Yukon

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Prince William and Kate travelled back to Victoria Wednesday night after spending the day in Yukon. In Whitehorse, the couple watched First Nations dancers, sent a telegraph to the Internet and met young artists. They also travelled to the picturesque community of Carcross, where they took an alpine walk with the majestic snow-covered Montana Mountain as a backdrop and visited a mountain bike festival.

Canadian leaders on way to Israel for Shimon Peres funeral

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Canadian Press (CP24) 

Highway 401 mayhem in Cambridge, Keele St. accidents

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Seven people have been hurt and some are said to be in critical condition after an accident on Highway 401 near Cambridge. It happened in the eastbound lanes of the highway near Highway 6 shortly after 3 a.m.  A tractor-trailer struck a guard rail and a short time later, an SUV rear-ended the truck. Speed is considered to be a factor. And on the same highway near Keele Street a woman was found without vital signs after a collision in the westbound lanes. She has been declared dead. The westbound express lanes were closed for the investigation, but have since reopened.

Immigration to Canada up 33.3 percent in a single year

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Some 300,000 immigrants landed in Canada in the past year. It is the highest number since record-keeping began in 1971, Statistic Canada says. July to July figures show that 320,932 immigrants arrived. The largest element of these was the 25,000 Syrian refugees which the federal Liberals agreed to settle here. That number is a 33.3-percent increase over the prior year, when 240,844 immigrants came to Canada.

Spadina, Davenport signs have aboriginal names added

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Nice touch. A number of other streets have signs similarly enlarged. Read comments of CBC users. Facebook

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Baby escapes fatal defect courtesy “third genetic parent”

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Fertility doctors using a brand new technique to eliminate inherited disease have helped a woman deliver a baby with “three genetic parents.” The child who is now five months old, has the usual DNA from his mother and father, plus a small amount of genetic code from an unknown female donor. The method was carried out in Mexico by U.S. Dr. John Zhang and his team because the procedure is illegal in the U.S.

BlackBerry quits the hardware business as losses continue

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BlackBerry will cease designing, ordering and selling handsets the Waterloo firm announced Wednesday. itbusiness

Ontario hints at cutting Bombardier out of subway action

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The Globe and Mail says Wednesday the Ontario government is offering bidders for work on the Finch Ave. West subway a chance to quote on the vehicles which will roll on the rails there. It is a slap at Bombardier — the more or less sacred manufacturer of Canadian streetcars and subways trains. Of course, Bombardier can’t get the job done. The Globe seems to think Ontario might act on its own to cut Bombardier out of the Finch Ave. action but it seems unlikely. It is safe to say the federal Liberals would do anything to prevent such a damaging decision to their status in Quebec.