Check out Greenpeace | Ask Nestle to give rainforests a break

Title: Greenpeace | Ask Nestle to give rainforests a break Watch the video.

The Massacre of the Innocents

The Art Gallery of Ontario was my cultural venue of choice on the weekend and I made a point of showing my son the gallery's Peter Paul Reubens masterpiece 'The Massacre of the Innocents' and it truly is a masterpiece.
The 'Innocents' in the work practically come to life on the wall and the light seems to radiate from within the oak panel on which it is painted. Although the subject matter is grotesque, violent and horrific the technical beauty amazes.

Ride The City

I know many of you out there are avid cyclists and like me are concerned with safety. Ride the City is a cycling site that has now added Toronto to the list of cities where you can map our your route and get a 'direct' route, a 'safe' route and a 'safer' route to your destination. These designations may be a bit confusing. Keep in mind the 'safer' route is the safest level and the 'direct' is the most direct, though not necessarily unsafe.
I just signed up today and did have a small issue. When you create a new user ID you are instructed to check your email for a link. Standard procedure, however, when I checked my email.... nothing, waited.... nothing. Went out for several hours and finally had  the link when I got back. Perhaps this was a minor glitch, but it has been my experience that when people sign up for something like this on the internet, they expect to receive the link immediately.

The site is nicely laid out and simple to use. You simply enter your starting address and your destination and your route will be mapped and colour coded to show you what parts are on bike paths or bike lanes and what is on regular city streets.

I tested the system by entering my address and an address that I know is a bit difficult to get to by bike. 388 Bloor to 5 Concorde Place. Ride The City worked beautifully. This is the 'safer' route information I was given on the left of the screen.


Another great idea is to show local bike shops and rental locations. Other cities that benefit from this service are Austin, New York, San Diego, Chicago, Seattle, Washington DC and more. They also offer users the option to embed the service into their own websites like this:




Check out the site and get cycling!!!

Earth Hour Next Saturday Night

Earth Hour is on March 27th from 8:30 to 9:30 PM. Please join the rest of the world and turn out those lights!

LottoMax TV Commercial Update

A few weeks ago, I submitted a complaint to Advertising Standards Canada regarding the commercial in which the driver of a speedboat and a person in a helicopter are texting each other while playing hide and seek.

While fully realizing the advertisement is far-fetched and fantastical, I do not support or condone the unsafe behavior. It is a slap in the face and a disregard of the new law enacted to stop the use of mobile devices while operating motor vehicles.

I received a reply from the OLG explaining their stance on the advertisement the relevant part of the letter follows. At this time I still feel the ad is at the least poor judgement and potentially goes against clause #10 as described below:

Toronto Opera Repertoire - Figaro DVD

This is a sample clip of the Marriage of Figaro performance on February 24, 2010 by the Toronto Opera Repetoire. A two disc DVD will be available around the end of March, please contact me if you would like to purchase the DVD.  Price is $25.00

http://www.toronto-opera.com/

Debborah Donnelly to be Green Status of Women Critic

The Green Party of Canada is pleased to announce the appointment of Debborah Donnelly to the Shadow Cabinet portfolio of Status of Women. Debborah is the nominated candidate for the Toronto-area riding of St. Paul.

As a Canadian Naval Officer for over a decade, Debborah blazed a new path for women in Canada’s Armed Forces by being one of the first female officers in a combat role. She was instrumental in developing policy on the training of women in the Navy, and eventually instructed and mentored the next generation of women and men at the Naval Officer Training Centre. Also a skilled archaeologist, Debborah has worked on numerous excavations overseas, where she forged ties with and learned from women of many cultures.

Town Crier Profiles Chris Tindal

Chris Tindal says he’s running to make a difference. 

“I think the decisions a councillor makes over the next four years will be with us for a lifetime,” said the 28-year old. “We are building the city for the next generation.” 

He said a large part of the job for the local rep is focused on development in this dense downtown Ward 27. He wants to focus on having new office space in the city built closer to transit. 

“I think everyone wants to get to and from work in a convenient way,” said Tindal who has lived in the ward for a decade. 

He said he is a member of Auto Share, commutes by bike in the summer and uses transit regularly. He’d like to see people get away from the bike vs. car rhetoric. 

“A lot of people in this ward drive but would rather not if given the option,” said Tindal. “We have to get people out of their cars with a carrot  not a stick.”

If the city implemented its entire bike plan rather than a few cycling lanes here or there, it would encourage more people to commute by bike rather than car, he said.

Tindal was the federal Green Party candidate in Toronto Centre twice, so he has already met many of the people in the ward during those campaigns. 

Now hopes to win the race through the sweat of his brow. 

“I will work hard to make sure every single resident in this ward gets a chance to meet me and tell me their hopes and dreams,” said Tindal. 

Cyndi Lauper to perform free concert a Queens Park for Toronto Pride

Cyndi Lauper, one of the world's most recognized Queer icons, comes to Toronto on Saturday, July 3 2010 for a FREE concert in Queen's Park.

An unwavering advocate for LGBTTIQQ2SA* rights, Cyndi Lauper established herself as a household name with the 1983 single "Girls Just Want To Have Fun", kicking off a long career which includes more than 25 million in record sales and nominations for 13 Grammy awards, 2 Emmy awards, 2 American Music Awards, 7 American Video Awards and 18 MTV awards.

Her most recent album "Bring Ya To The Brink" affirmed her international pop diva status, even more so amongst her LGBT fans, who were featured prominently in the music video for her #1 single, "Into The Nightlife".

"It's an honor to always have the genuine affection of the gay community," Cyndi says. "They have never turned their back on me and I will never turn my back on them. We've had a long and enduring love affair."

In 2007, Lauper created the True Colors Tour, bringing together artists like Erasure, The B-52s, the Indigo Girls, Deborah Harry and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts to raise public awareness about issues facing the LGBTTIQQ2SA* communities. A year later, she founded the True Colors Fund to inspire and engage everyone-particularly those in the straight community-to become involved in the advancement of equality.

Canadians Advocating Political Participation