Wednesday, June 30, 2010

The Best Frozen Lasagna From Toronto Grocery Stores...




I made a discovery a few months ago, and I've been keeping it on the low, I don't know why... Maybe I didn't want everyone out there to find out and start buying all of it, leaving me with none the next time I look for it...

It's this Frozen Lasagna called The Village Kitchen - Vegetable Lasagna (900 g). I have to say, it is the best frozen lasagna you can buy out there. At least here in Toronto, and from a regular grocery store (I'm not going to give out the name, but you can find where to buy it at this link: The Village Kitchen - Locations).

Now, just to be clear, this isn't me trying to sell a friend's products. I don't know who they are, it's just, damn, they make an amazing lasagna! So amazing that I actually had to take the time to write a post about it...

Toronto G20 Business & Individual Compensation Claim Information




If you were one of the countless Torontonians who were hit financially by the Toronto G20, whether it was your Business that was impacted, or if you personally lost money due to the Summit, you are probably now wondering what exactly you can do in terms of getting compensation from the Federal Government.

I took the liberty of looking into that for you, and I've pulled together some information that was available for your review.

Monday, June 28, 2010

I'd Fly Porter Airlines Again Anytime!




So, I decided to escape Toronto this past weekend for a family thing, and to avoid the headache that is, G20. And unlike the 900+ people who probably wished they'd done the same (Toronto Sun: More than 900 arrests during G20 Summit), I had an awesome time partying it up in Chicago!

When looking for flights, a friend suggested I check out Porter, as he flies it all the time and has nothing but good things to say about the Airline. So I thought what the hell, it's right here anyway, much closer than Pearson. (At the time I wasn't thinking about the G20...)

So I checked out their site (Fly Porter - Porter Airlines), and when comparing the prices to all of the other Airlines (including Air Canada of course), Porter had the best price. So I booked it. I actually called in instead of doing it online. I just feel safer talking to someone and getting the actual confirmation from a human being... I guess it's a personal preference... I'm coming around...

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake in Ontario Felt in Toronto!!!




Did you feel it? That's the question that everyone is asking...

It appears that a 5.0 Magnitude Earthquake hit Ontario at around 1:45pm today, with the Epicenter in Cumberland, ON.  The tremors of the quake were felt all the way here in Toronto.

Personally, my desk started shaking while I was in the middle of a work conference call...  Wow, that's a first for me!

Here are some further details about the earthquake:



--jackandcokewithalime

(Image:
Screenshots taken from http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/dyfi/events/us/2010xwa7/us/index.html
)

Monday, June 21, 2010

Toronto Workers Told To Take Vacation or LOA During G20




Everyone in Toronto has been talking about how they're getting screwed by the Toronto G20, either because they live downtown and it's going to be mayhem, or because they work downtown and that's going to be a nightmare. From Jays games being moved out of town, to Musicals being cancelled... The G20 may be good for Toronto, but it sure is horrible for Torontonians.

The latest story that I heard was from someone on the subway who was complaining that she was told today at work to either take vacation days during the G20, or to take an unpaid leave of absence. She asked not to mention who her employer is (for obvious reasons), but let's just say that she works at a corporate headquarters for a large company. So given that, we're not talking about a small business that won't make money during that time.  We're talking about a corporation that knows it's unrealistic to expect workers to make it downtown to work during the G20, and as such instead of taking the hit, they're passing it on down to the poor Torontonian worker...

Beware of the Dalton McGuinty HST Manipulation Machine...



So, it looks like after a year of constant HST Manipulation from Dalton McGuinty, Ontarians still aren't believing it, and as such another media blitz focused moreso on TV Ads has been kicked off.

Just to keep things real, I found a great YouTube video that reminds us about Dalton McGuinty's countless failures, lies and manipulation. Something that we should remember when looking back at the beginning of the HST, and his big promises about how the HST was going to create hundreds of thousands of jobs... (Create Jobs... Yeah, right! And McGuinty wouldn't raise taxes if he was elected... Right...)


It may be too late now to repeal the HST (as doing so would cost Ontarians $5 Billion, as it was given to Ontario by the Feds to ease the HST transition and would have to be paid back if repealed -something Dalton conveniently fails to mention when asking his opponents to promise they would repeal it if elected), but tossing Dalton McGuinty and his government into the trash can still be done next year on October 6th, 2011.

That's 471 days and counting....

--jackandcokewithalime

PS: Somebody should ask George Smitherman for his opinion on the HST...  ;)


(Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToXiukUqczg on YouTube
)

Toronto Western Hospital Blamed Victim For Racist Sexual Abuse???




What's with all of these workplaces condoning the racist and sexual abuse of their employees by their co-workers and superiors these days?

In this case, a young black female worker, Stacey Walker, at the Toronto Western Hospital was sexually harassed by 3 of her male superiors, and was also a victim of harsh racism, and when she reported it, her claims were dismissed by her bosses saying the abusers were harmless. In one case, when she reported it to the HR department, they told her that she had a problem, and should take an assertiveness workshop...

And again, like in the case at the Mississauga Transportation and Works Department, these 3 criminal scumbags are being protected by their employer, and it's the victim who is on leave... The hospital is still saying that there may be disciplinary action, not confirming that the abusers will even get punished. Instead, talking about a "healing and counselling" process for the abusers and department (given that the victim does not plan to return after the betrayal by Hospital Management).

This is another clear case where abusers are defended by the employer, and victims are dismissed. The 3 abusers should be fired immediately, and should have criminal charges pending. The HR worker who failed to assist the victim, should also be fired immediately. I mean, what is HR there for if they're just going to dismiss the victim, and defend the abusers? University Health Network President Robert Bell should resign immediately in disgrace for allowing this conduct to go on at the hospital.

Here's the story from the Toronto Star:

Sunday, June 20, 2010

George Smitherman Finally Does Something Useful!




The Toronto Sun captured Frivolous George Smitherman finally doing something to pay back Ontarians for his Billion Dollar eHealth fiasco (though, obviously you won't hear him site that as the reason)...

Smitherman spent some time on Saturday with his team weed-whacking down at the Joseph J. Piccininni Centre on St. Clair Ave. W. near Caledonia Rd.

Here's the story from the Toronto Sun:

Another Reason To Fear Canada Revenue Agency Workers...



(The Connaught Building - Home of the Canada Revenue Agency)

You know, I thought long and hard about whether to do a post about this, because I, like everyone else out there, fear the CRA Auditor (for non-Canadian readers, the CRA is the equivalent of the IRS down in the USA).

Nothing against you, oh mighty and powerful CRA Auditor... You're cool. Really. No, really. Please. I'm sorry...

I'm just saying that everyone has a fear of the CRA Auditor. I mean, who doesn't start to sweat when you get an envelope in the mail from the CRA?

Anyway, news came out today about another reason you should fear the CRA Auditor and pretty much any other worker at the Tax Agency, and this isn't just related to you being audited.

Apparently, Canadian Tax Agency workers have been "snooping" on tax payers' records and private tax data for their own personal use, including on ex-spouses which is the majority, and also on family, friends, colleagues, ex-employers, competitors and etc. In some cases, they're taking your personal data and burning it onto CDs so they can take it home and use it for their own side-business purposes...

Here's the story from the Toronto Star:

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Smitherman Plans Attack Ads for Rob Ford in September...




With Rob Ford stealing the lead from George Smitherman in the latest Toronto Mayoral Race Poll (see Latest Poll: Rob Ford Takes The Lead In Toronto Mayoral Race), the Smitherman camp is in a panic, pointing fingers at each other in blame for his downfall. Campaign leaders are blaming the Smitherman base (his people-facing volunteers and staffers) for having a lack of motivation; while the Smitherman base are blaming replacement campaign chair Bruce Davis for the slide (as things have only gone south for Smitherman since Davis signed up).

Overall, things aren't looking good for Frivolous George, and he's probably sweating more now than he did when the eHealth scandal was exposed... I had to!! ;)

Anyway, as surprised as the Smitherman camp is in Rob Ford's surge in popularity, they still don't expect that Ford will be a serious contender come October. And they're planning a series of attack ads for Ford in September to ensure that they shake his credibility in time for the election.

Here's the story from Now Magazine Toronto:

Rob Ford's Message to Supporters in Response to 'Set Up' Attempt...




An HIV-positive man who was introduced to Rob Ford by a Toronto Star reporter, tried to discredit and set up Ford via a recorded phone conversation, where he begged Ford to try and score some OxyContin (a narcotic pain reliever) for him since his doctor refused to give him any more.

Dieter Doneit-Henderson apparently had a 52-minute long phone conversation with Rob Ford during which he threatened Ford indirectly, telling him things like, "I can see your house from here". He also told him that he knows where Ford's entire family lives, leaving Ford worried for the safety of his close ones.

Ford played along with the psychotic Doneit-Henderson, telling him basically that he'll look into it for him, and trying over and over to get off the phone without offending Doneit-Henderson. Ford later commented that he had an inkling that Doneit-Henderson was recording the conversation, and basically said what he wanted to hear.

It should be no surprise that after the conversation was finished, Doneit-Henderson immediately went ahead and sent the recorded conversation to the Toronto Star reporter that introduced them...

Ford sent a message out to all of his supporters after this ordeal, and I've included that message below for your review.

But first, here's the story from the Toronto Sun:

Ford vs Pantalone vs Mammoliti - Council Vote Comparison




Did you know that Giorgio Mammoliti and Joe Pantalone voted against naming Toronto Streets after Canadian Soldiers killed in Afghanistan? Or that Rob Ford voted against banning cigarette smoking from Parks?  How about that Mammoliti and Pantalone both voted that the TTC and EMS (Ambulance) should not be essential services? Or that Pantalone voted against reviewing the Capital Budget item by item?

The Toronto City Council Vote Results provide great insight into the policy-making track records of 3 of our 30 current Toronto Mayoral Candidates, all of whom belong to that exclusive group of 6. Toronto Voters should try their best to find time and review the Council Vote results in order to make a fully-informed and educated decision in the coming Mayoral Election.

I only wish that Rocco Rossi, Sarah Thomson, George Smitherman and all of the other candidates had similar documented track records that could be reviewed this comprehensively... (Though some people may say that George Smitherman has a record that we're all trying to forget!)

I took the liberty of pulling the votes of Rob Ford, Giorgio Mammoliti and Joe Pantalone for 50 Toronto Council Votes that took place from 2007 to 2010. I went with the more popular vote topics, excluding the boring ones like tree-removals and etc. After reviewing the results, I split them into 4 categories:

Taxes - 9 Votes
Council/City Spending - 27 Votes
City Business - 11 Votes
Campaign Donations - 3 Votes

I've included those Vote Results here below for your review.

Take a look at the Vote Description, and how each of the 3 candidates voted, and see if their Council Voting Track Record aligns with their Election Promises and Platforms... Also, take a look at the Attendance of each of candidates at these votes... With all of the mud-slinging going around right now in regards to who is putting in the time at Council and who isn't, that's an important thing to note.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Seattle PD Officer Punches Lady in the Face!! Here's the Video...




The Seattle Police Department is conducting an internal investigation into a police officer who was recorded on a cell phone punching a woman in the face, after stopping her and a friend for jay-walking...

Here's the video from YouTube:

Satisfaction Study: Air Canada 5th Overall in North American Airlines...




J.D. Power and Associates just released their "2010 North American Airline Satisfaction Study", and Air Canada placed 5th in Overall Satisfaction.

The survey was based on responses from over 12,300 passengers who flew on a major North American Airline from April 2009 to April 2010. The results show that all Airlines improved in Overall Satisfaction by about 15% from 2009.

Here's the Article and Results from the J.D. Power and Associates Website:

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

The New XBOX 360 KINECT Controller! Here's a Video...




Have you seen the new Microsoft XBOX 360 KINECT Controller? It takes the Nintendo Wii type of gaming to the next level!

Here's a video from YouTube that shows the various functionalities:

WARNING: The Actors in this video are really, really bad...

Monday, June 14, 2010

Rob Ford's Lead Has The Toronto Star Spinning!!




Watch out, the Toronto Star's spin machine is working on full force now that Rob Ford is leading the Polls in the Toronto Mayoral Race.

Usually the Star tries to be more under-handed in their attempts to glorify George Smitherman, while destroying Rob Ford, but their latest attempt in an article released today just went above-and-beyond their norm.

Here's the story from the Toronto Star:

WARNING: The following article from the Toronto Star contains desperate and blatant manipulation, and therefore should be taken for exactly that and nothing more.

Unlocking the Volume on Rogers Cable Box Remote Control



(Let's see you find a non-copyrighted picture of the Rogers Cable box that doesn't have a cat on it!!!)

If you just picked up a Rogers Cable Set-Top-Box, installed it on your TV, and now you're trying to control the volume with the provided Remote Control, you may notice that every time you press Volume + or Volume -, the TV light on the Remote Control goes on, and the volume doesn't change.

This is happening because the "Global Volume Control" on your Rogers Remote Control has been locked by default to one device, your TV. And since your TV code has not been programmed into the Remote Control, it is doing nothing.

Now, one would think that having the Rogers Set-Top-Box Remote Control on default control the volume of the...Rogers Set-Top-Box, but hey, who am I to question the all-powerful and all-controlling Rogers Cable... Oh Rogers, I dare not mock thee...

Anyway, after some searching (when having to deal with this issue myself today), I was able to find the steps required in order to fix this issue. I've included those steps here below for your reference:

Let the South Africans Toot Their Own Horns...Vuvuzelas!!




I remember watching the first game of the 2010 World Cup while conveniently working from home that day, and hearing for the first time the sound of 60,000 vuvuzelas (the South African fan favorite plastic horn), and it really did sound like a swarm of bees... I just got a new TV (after my last one died...it was a sad day), so my first thoughts were #$%%@$!!! I thought it was done... Anyway, after verifying that the TV was ok, I started thinking maybe it was the broadcast. I had no idea that the noise was from all of the South African fans blowing their vuvuzela horns... Eventually I figured it out.

Ziplock Bag Filled with Water & Pennies Repels Flies & Wasps!




Apparently, there is a new tactic (well, new to me) that people are using in order to repel pesky flies and wasps from getting into their homes/restaurants/stores. It literally only costs a few pennies, and supposedly it works wonders! Not to mention, it doesn't involve the usage of any pesticides...

Latest Poll: Rob Ford Takes The Lead In Toronto Mayoral Race




CP24, CTV and The Globe and Mail just released their latest Toronto Mayoral Race Poll, and it has Rob Ford as the new leader!

The Poll of 1,000 Municipal Voters was taken by telephone and conducted from June 7th until June 11th.

Here are the official results and story from CP24:

Saturday, June 12, 2010

TFSA Hidden Charges More Costly Than The Benefits...




As the old saying goes, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is... And that's what many Canadians are finding out with their supposedly "Tax-Free" Savings Accounts.

Though the Government of Canada on their TFSA website (http://www.tfsa.gc.ca/) uses words/phrases like "Flexible", "Tax-Free Withdrawals" and "Access" (as shown in the screenshot from the website above), they really should have used phrases like "Hidden Fees", "Read The Fine Print" and "Harsh Penalties"...

You see, TFSAs are great if you plan on putting money in there, and never using it. But, if you do ever need to use the money, like for an emergency for example (which we were always suppose to be able to do), or if you want to transfer your TFSA from one Bank to another, be prepared to get hit with large hidden fees, if you're not careful.

Here's the story from the Toronto Star:

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Secret Toronto Parking Ticket Cancellation Guidelines - Here's the link...




After a long fight, Toronto City Councillors Howard Moscoe and Denzil Minnan-Wong finally got the Secret Toronto Parking Ticket Cancellation Guidelines document released to the public.

Some examples from the document of Drivers who are given breaks on Parking Tickets include:
Toronto City Councillors
Drivers who live more than 100 km from Toronto
Drivers who were attending Religious Ceremonies
Drivers who were not sure which side of the street to park on
Drivers who got multiple tickets for the same offence within 3 hours
Fast Food Delivery Drivers
Nursing Agency Drivers
Tour Buses
Taxi Cabs
Limos
Disabled Drivers
Various Delivery Vehicles
Security Companies
Utility Vehicles and many, many more...
Here's the link to the Official Toronto Parking Ticket Cancellation Guidelines document from the City of Toronto website:

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Toronto 2010 Mayoral TV Debate #2 - Video Link & Thoughts...




Wow, what an ending! Rocco Rossi went after George Smitherman, looking him in the eyes while completely dismissing his transportation plan, saying that it's one day "$7 Billion", the next day "$5 Billion", and here are some napkins and a pen to come up with the next figure! You couldn't help but smile when you saw that! :)

Tonight, the second televised 2010 Toronto Mayoral Debate took place on CP24, and it didn't disappoint.

If you didn't get a chance to watch it, CP24 has the full debate video available to be viewed for free on their website at the following link:

2010 FIFA World Cup Complete Schedule Including Canadian TV...




With all of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa fever going on around Toronto, I thought it only fitting to post the Complete Schedule (including Group Matches, Round of 16, Quarter Finals, Semi Finals and the Finals) with the Canadian TV and Live Online Coverage, on the site for your reference.

Here you go:

Friday, June 4, 2010

Scary YouTube Video Threatens the Toronto G20. Here It Is...




The Toronto Sun reported tonight about a scary YouTube video (shown below) that contains veiled threats to the Toronto G20 Summit. The video contains a credit link from an anti-capitalist group called the Convergence Des Luttes Anticapitalistes.

Here's the story from the Sun:

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Ontario Is A Great Place To Work...If You're "Non-Racialized"



 

The CCPA, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, released a troubling report today that showed that "Non-Racialized" people are getting Signficantly Higher Employment Income than "Racialized" people here in Ontario.

In case you wanted to confirm, "Racialized" is described in the report as a person who identified themselves as a Visible Minority in the 2006 census. Therefore, a "Non-Racialized" person would be someone who did NOT identify themselves as a Visible Minority. For a far more detailed definition, see footnote #1 in the report, the link is provided below.

You can review the 14-page report (pdf) on the CCPA website at:

The Top 5 High-Risk of Cheating Occupations for Women




I found this interesting article on the Toronto Sun website today which listed - based on a survey from the Infamous Cheaters Dating Website AshleyMadison.com - The Top 5 High-Risk of Cheating Occupations for Women...

Guys, if you're significant others are in any of these lines of work, you better watch out!

Here's the story from the Toronto Sun:

CP24: Regular Folks Who Download Odd Song - "We're Actually OK"




If you caught CP24@8 at around 8:39pm tonight, then you heard CP24's Rena Heer say -when discussing the Tories new Copyright Bill- that regular folks who download the odd song are actually ok.

And believe me, when I heard that, I stopped everything else that I was doing, and I rewinded on my PVR and replayed it over and over just to be sure.

I captured the relevant part of the news report text below (exact text):

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Wipeout Canada Looking for Contestants! Here's the link...




Yes, I admit it. It's a guilty pleasure of mine to watch these enthusiastic contestants run through a wall of punching gloves which about 98% of the time nails them square in the face and they go flying into a pool of mud. I can watch that over and over, and the soothing effect that it has on me, oh, it's the best. :)

But to be a contestant? Given that there's no chance that I would win, I'll just choose to sit back and watch the Human Nascar Crashes, if you will. It's the ultimate stress relief, especially after a hard day at work.

Anyway, Canadians, if you're a fan of the show Wipeout (see the YouTube video clip below if you don't know it), and you're looking to make a quick $50,000, Wipeout is coming to Canada and looking for Canadian Contestants!! The Entry Deadline is July 1, 2010.

Here are the details from the Wipeout Canada website, in care you're interested:

Mississauga Employs & Pays Sunshine List Salary to Bully-Boss Domenic Galamini???




City of Mississauga Mayor McCallion, the Peel Police and the Ministry of Labour have disgraced all of Mississauga, Ontario and Canada with their lack of action in regards to the Criminal Assault, Torture and Forcible Confinement abuses that have been taking place at the Mississauga Transportation and Works Department for at least 5 years.

Here's the story from the Toronto Star:

New 243 and 249 Area Codes for Ontario Coming in March, 2011...




Hey you 613ers (Wikipedia - 613 Area Code Details) and 705ers (Wikipedia - 705 Area Code Details), there are new Area Codes coming your way in March 2011.

Here's the story from CTV News:

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Can Toronto Trust Frivolous George Smitherman's Plans/Promises?




Last week Toronto Mayoral Candidate George Smitherman released his "Plan to Get Toronto Moving. Again", and also outlined his stances on the 4 key issues in his platform for the next Mayor of Toronto.