Pride in the City

What An Ass!

The city of Toronto will get their streetcars, but the city will also now have to pay the lions share.

The city must now find an additional $417 million dollars for the streetcars after Mayor Miller loses his high stake gamble with the federal government for federal stimulus cash. This means that on top of paying $355 million already ear marked for the streetcars, the city's tab now jumps to $772 million.

Who would sign a contract agreeing to this without first having financing in place ... oh wait, I know, Mayor Miller -- that's who. What an ASS!

This means that "the deal" with Bombardier, two years in the making, will be approved just before tomorrows deadline and the city will not be on the hook for any penalties had the deal fallen through. But because this deal did not meet the federal governments guidelines for stimulus cash, Toronto now has to use money that had been ear marked for six other TTC capital projects which were to take place over the next 10 years.

Guess who will be picking up the tab in the form of higher taxes?That's right, you and me....

To read the entire story from today's Toronto Star, click here.

Once again, everyone now --- what an ASS!

Unwelcome House Guests

So I go out in the backyard the other day to check on my mutts. Hobbes, my oldest was sleeping about 5 feet from this tree on the deck.And this is what I saw when I came out. This little guy was just sitting there in the tree watching my sleeping dog and probably thinking about all the stuff he could do to him.As soon as I came out he climbed up higher into the tree and his friend popped out to see what was going on. I guess its a good thing my dogs aren't guard dogs....

Nice!

This is a couple of shots of a house that backs onto the beach in the leash free park that has recently been renovated. The yard has a pool, hot tub and putting green. Not surprisingly, they recently installed this privacy fence. And I have to say this is one of the coolest privacy fences I have ever seen.
(No its not a painting; its a reflection of the beach off its mirrored surface!)

Shame!

I blame mayor Miller and city hall for the state of things in the city of Toronto these days. City workers on strike, garbage piling up, parks closed, and daycare's locked tight.

Don't get me wrong, the city workers on strike are being unreasonable as well. Who decided that going on strike in a time like this would be a good idea.

Does no one read a newspaper, or watch the news.

Did no one see what happened to GM when workers wouldn't take a pay cut? The company went bankrupt and the workers lost their jobs.

Last time there was a garbage strike here in Toronto in 2002, it was jobs for life on the line.

Now it's unused sick days and being paid for those sick days that were not used. What?!?

Do you think the people who recently lost their jobs due to the downturn in the economy really have any sympathy for accumulated sick days that no one else gets?

GIVE ME A BREAK!

Did I go to sleep and wake up in 1988?

This is 2009 and like it or not, this is the new reality. Wake up and understand that the gravy train has left the station and tax payers are fed up with having to pay for perks that are not only unreasonable in today's economy, it is also money that could be better spent on our ailing infrastructure that sorely needs it.

Having said that, the majority of the blame still falls on city hall.

Let me put it another way. If you are a hockey player and sign a contract with the city with a no trade clause, and then the economy takes a turn and the city decides they want to trade you. How can the city be upset with you when you refuse to be traded. Didn't the city sign the contract and agree to the terms in the first place?

So its back to you Mayor Miller. It is your office that puts this city in the position that it is in right now. Time to get off your ass and stop pointing fingers at the tax payer for illegally dumping garbage and get these strikers back to work.

That is what WE pay YOU to do.

...On The Plus Side

One of the good things about this strike is that the leash police are also out on the picket lines. Which meant a walk in no mans land this morning.

Enjoying the Waterworks, just like old times.

Snow in June?

... no its just the feathers from the Canada geese molting. Soon they will be able to fly again, and they can take their ugly ducklings and fly away somewhere else, to bother someone else. F*cking geese...

Greetings From South Africa

Here are the latest pix from my brother down in South Africa. He was telling me that they are headed into their winter now in South Africa, as their season is opposite to ours.I just laughed...

The Stig Revealed!!

One of the best shows on TV is a British show called Top Gear. Its a show all about cars, from super cars to the every day cars you find parked in your drive way. But what makes this show so good is the way that they review these cars. They put them through tests that are so crazy and insane you can only laugh.
The wife and I call it "car porn".
One of the more popular segments of the show is they have a celebrity guest drive an average car around a track and time them. Those results go on a big board in the studio for all to see and it becomes a big competition for bragging rights between all the guests on the show.
They also have a mystery driver named the Stig who takes the car they are reviewing and puts it through the paces on that same track. Those times also go on a big board in the studio.
The Stig, who is so obviously a race car driver, never talks and his identity has always been a big mystery to everyone who watches the show ... that is until yesterday.
To open the shows 13th season with a bang last night, the identity of the Stig was revealed. Any guesses? Last chance...

Are you kidding me?!

That's right kiddies, the Stig is none other then 7 time F1 world champion, Michael Schumacher!

Top Gear can be seen in Canada on BBC Canada. Check your local listings, and check it out; you won't be disappointed, I promise

Update:

Apparently there is a Stig for every occasion. Schui, it appears, was just the "Ferrari Stig".

To find out more, click here.

Boom, Boom -- Pow!

And just like that, after all those months of freezing our asses off and wishing for it, we have finally arrived at the first day of summer.

I give it 5 minutes before someone starts to complain about how hot it is...

Enjoy it while it lasts people!

(oh and a Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!)

Changing Face Of Toronto: Simcoe WaveDeck

Here is one of Toronto's latest efforts at revitalizing the waterfront. Check it out. It is call the Simcoe WaveDeck and this is the first of three coming soon to a waterfront near you. So you can't walk on it, cause the angles are just too crazy. And I don't think letting your kids play on it would be a good idea either, (falling off and drowning maybe a problem) but it is pretty cool to look at, which I guess is the point. What do you think?

The Sugar Shack

... or Shots from the Bike...
Ever wonder where sugar comes from?

Well it all starts here at the Redpath Sugar shack.Great lake freighters, like the Redhead here, arrive at all times of day or night...... and it's sugary sweet cargo is unloaded.Oh, like you were expecting me to tell you where sugar really comes from? Seriously?! If that's the case then you better go ask your father...