This Just in...

HUDSON BAY CENTRE
Gorgeous colour combination

Great colour, but I hate Wellies with a passion

HOLT RENFREW CENTRE
Boldly graphic Ray-Ban poster

Stunning window for the Holt Renfrew Cafe

MANULIFE CENTRE
De Catarina (luggage, handbags and leather goods)

I've no desire to buy a bag of spit - I mean - Spitz

A beautiful, highly collectable Lampe Berger at William Ashley




This one's called The Cobra

About Lampe Berger (vid)

BLOOR ST.
Freshly laid granite sidewalk__Bloor St. E @ Yonge

I think the black tubing may be used in the winter to heat the Bloor St. W sidewalk between Yonge and Avenue Rd. This stretch is also known as the "Mink Mile" for its numerous high end stores (Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Tiffany...)

YONGE ST.
My neighbour, MTV Canada

The Cookbook Store

I want this stool__China Panda

A cute sign of summer

Le Chateau's lifelike mannequin scared the crap out of me

We're in day 26 of the garbage strike

No way in hell is this my Toronto

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What the Mayor Stands to Win - and Lose - for Taking a Hard Line on the City Worker' Strike
[NOW Magazine - Jne.25/09]

He Wins
*Brownie points (and maybe a few votes) from the inner burbs for looking like he's trying to hold the line on taxes.

*A reprieve, for now, from the braying on council's right wing about how he's supposedly soft on unions.

*Some $240 million dollars in sick leave savings - if the union gives in.

*Time (but not much) during the impasse to figure out how to get out of this mess without looking like he's caving. Tick, tick, tick...

*Support from non-unionized city managers whose bonuses have already been suspended and cost-of-living increases put off.

He Loses
*The trust of city unions the mayor worked hard to win - and their support in the next election.

*The quality of public services. If you think morale's low now, imagine how ugly it could get should workers be forced back to work and to make concessions.

*The fight against privitization of garbage services. Anti-union backlash is already reaching a boil in the electorate. The mayor's detractors will point to (the suburb of) Etobicoke.

*Political capital if the strike lasts more than two weeks. A fickle and ill-informed public (see the hysteria whipped up by the Star) can turn fast when the whiff of garbage hangs thick in the air.

*Pride weekend, Toronto's biggest single tourist draw. Private haulers have been hired for the post-party cleanup. Will unions picket Pride events?
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Evidence of Pride Week (Jne.19-28) displayed outside of Crepes a GoGo and Le Pain Quotidien

Rainy day birds eye view of the Pride parade from my condo window__Church St. @ Bloor

Paid 4 bucks for this. It looks like it sucks, but with two hot actors in it I'm hoping I get my money's worth. The blurb reads:

Too much of a good thing...can be deadly. When Alice, an American living in London, meets Adam, a handsome adventurer, she's lured out of her safe, mundane life to pursue an affair that brings her to the heights of excitement and ecstasy. But when Adam's mysterious and violent past begins to surface, Alice investigates...and learns that Adam's past - and her future - may both point to murder!

YORKVILLE AVE.
This grocery store has just gone out of business - it didn't last 6 months. Before that, there was a candy store that also tanked after a short run. Guess what? There's a firehall across the street, the block is a retail desert, and Whole Foods is minutes away. They never stood a chance.

It appears they're making progress at the Four Seasons Residences site but I don't know if they managed to sell the 9,000 sq. ft. top floor penthouse suite for $30 mil yet.

A massive 28,000 sq ft spa is expected at this property, to be completed in 2011. In addition to treatment rooms, relaxation lounges and changing areas, the facility will feature a health club and a pool. Two towers will house 203 one- and two-bedroom units, in addition to a 9,000 sq ft custom penthouse in the Yorkville area of Toronto. Prices range from $1.2 million to more than $16 million. [spafinder.com]

The Regency is a spectacular property (from the outside at least) and wildly expensive, but an acquaintance tells me it's only 30% occupied. I've yet to see anyone besides security walk in or out of this building.

Poster of Scarlett Johansson on the cover of this really shitty magazine whose name is best forgotten

Another one bites the dust

Here's a Ducati bike sporting the characteristic solid panel at the bottom

I prefer the Ducati Monster 696, which as of Mar.09, is available (in the U.S.) for $119/month [Motor Racing]

This car resembles a Studebaker Convertible and is just as pretty



Gorgeous Maserati

The eye-catching Toyota FJ Cruiser

HAZELTON LANES
I'm a sucker for a tight dress__TNT

Not my style but pretty nonetheless__Asian Culture

This dress looks like a tribal costume__Asian Culture

Sasha's ass remains uncovered here in Canada__Whole Foods

Interesting combo of lace-up and sandal__Browns

100 YORKVILLE
The condo development is progressing at a steady clip

Anthropologie will open soon as part of this residential/retail complex

Women can't wait to shop here - I see them peeping in the windows all the time

Anthropologie's presence will help revitalize Yorkville

Sunglass Hut will also join Anthropologie, Teatro Verde and Diesel at 100 Yorkville

RECENT FINDS
vest = $98 & tube = $89 @ Guess

vest = $89 @ Guess & skirt = ? @ American Apparel

shoes = $65 (on sale) @ Aldo

I'm rockin' the gladiator trend with these babies

TV
Wipeout. A rather staid imitation of the Japanese game show, Most Extreme Elimination Challenge (MXC). It's got all of the props and none of the charm. Still, a faceplant is a faceplant and satisfying to watch in any language.



The Agenda with Steve Paikin is a real snooze, but he's smart as a whip and sometimes manages to shed light on topical news, like a recent parliamentary scandal.

Some new shows have cropped up this summer:
Law & Order: UK. Yes, another addition to the franchise. This one's actually pretty good - a little grittier than the other L&Os and the acting's superb. It stars (amongst others) Bradley Walsh (a very familiar face to Brit TV fans)...

...and the gorgeous Freema Agyeman, who I wouldn't be surprised to find posing topless sometime in the future. Hefner - or whoever owns Playboy now - probably has her number on speed dial.

Guess who's on TV now? Tim Roth! With the addition of Jeff Goldblum to Law & Order: C.I., it's my theory that character movie actors on TV just might signal a return to storytelling as an antidote to the glut of reality TV and CGI-laden movies. Is it too much to hope for that quality writing finally makes a comeback? Only time will tell...

Lie to Me is about these body language experts who can tell when a person is lying. It's okay. Not superlative or groundbreaking but kind of interesting because they show actual evidence of their theories through photos of real life public figures caught in a lie. I'm on the fence about this one and since it won't appeal to the Gossip Girl crowd, I'm guessing aging boomers might give it a shot.

I don't know who this actress is but she's hot and brings a feisty energy you rarely see in female roles. Her character in Lie to Me is a prodigy of sorts to whom reading people comes naturally. In this episode "A female soldier says her sergeant raped her."

Don't you know what it's like for a woman in the military? You're either a bitch or a whore. They're just waiting for you to fail.

If your boss makes advances, you're afraid of losing your job, but if your platoon leader makes advances, you're afraid of losing your life.

You're a natural. He's spent two decades trying to see what you were born seeing.

The Philanthropist with James Purefoy is about a billionaire traipsing around the world saving people while he rakes in the dough. It's maudlin and heavily cliched, so the only reason I take a peek at it now and then is because Purefoy's attractive and has a nice speaking voice. Neve Campbell (Wild Things) and Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order) are also in it. Their acting sucks big time which makes me wonder whether they're doing it just to cash a cheque.

The production value seems high on this show as it appears as though they're filming in actual locations around the world. Heavy financial involvement may imply that the studio's committed to an extended run, but I honestly don't think the writing, acting and direction are strong enough to see it through to a second season.

I spent my life watching from behind tinted glass and you know what? I couldn't do it anymore. So I stepped out and the most amazing thing happened.

This show's not new - it's in its 2nd season - but it was the first time I'd seen The Cleaner starring the delectable Benjamin Bratt (Law & Order). His character helps others get over their addiction to booze, drugs etc. by isolating them in a remote location. It's gloomy, depressing and only mildly interesting to me because he's so foine.

Same old P.K. You're back in my life and already 9 miles up my ass.

Hmmm...
I caught this horrible movie called Walk All Over Me (2007) with Leelee Sobieski. The blurb is "A small-town girl becomes a dominatrix." I couldn't watch the damn thing, but here's the interesting part: a blind item not too long ago alluded to a Hollywood starlet who makes big money as an actual dominatrix. Not only that, but apparently this domme also has at least one other girl working for her, effectively making her a bona fide pimp. The name being tossed around was none other than Leelee's. Juicy! Now as far as this crap movie goes, is it a case of art imitating life or vice versa? Was she inspired to pursue "the life" after shooting wrapped up or was she already in the game? I guess the only way to find out is to book a call with her, but dommes - as far as I know - aren't into chit chat.
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