Great article from THE INVISIBLE EVENT for mystery writers / readers on how to hide clues in plain sight.

Really good article about how the mainstreaming of fan culture has lead to increasing corporate control of it.

Tremendous story from THE LOCAL about the harassment Chinese students at Canadian universities are under from their own government.

Tis the season of the University of Toronto college book sales, at the Victoria College sale.

In Quebec City for the Grand Prix Cycle Race, 18 laps through the old city and the Plains of Abraham. Lots of big names here.

It would be nice if all those articles on Charlie Kirk would mention he was a racist and white supremacist instead of just saying he was a "free speech advocate".

Toronto, ON mayoral. I'll try to be polite, and put it this way: I've seen stories like this about John making political decisions *for most of my career, and I'm old.* Example: in the 2010 race John was in and out and in and out. 58 sources were granted anonymity - www.thestar.com/news/gta/if-...

Well, it looks like my company has been sold. What does this mean? Who knows! Guess I'll find out.

Canadians! There is a petition to sign to protest Mastercard and Visa's control over the purchase of legal adult content. This is specifically about the Steam & itchio situation, but language protects adult creators. www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en... #nsfw #censorship #canpoli @acvalens.net

Been a long time since my university orientation days.

At the Fox to see Chow Yun Fat's CITY ON FIRE (1987) which I have not seen in a *long* time. I just wish the Fox wasn't such a slog from my place.

Just finished a 75km ride (with 500m of climbing) from Aldershot through Dundas Valley, back along the Brantford rail trail, through Hamilton, up the Hamilton Beach Trail to Burlington go. Hamilton has more and better bike lanes than I was expecting.

There is little more frustrating then setting up an engineering simulation, having it run with no issues up to 98.4%, and then crap out for no clear reason.

Took a vacation day (they've told me I have to use some up or else) and took the GO to Hamilton and rode the Chippewa Trail to Caledonia and back. Nice gravel trail, rough in spots with a lot of shade and a few dodgy road crossings. Going up the escarpment is no fun but coming down it is.

If you want to commemorate Terence Stamp, both THE LIMEY and THE HIT are available on Tubi.

In the mail today I got an Economist, two New Scientist's, a Skeptical Inquirer, and a Canadian Geographic. This ought to keep me going for a while.

This guy was just perched on the fence at the bus stop I was waiting at last night. He stared at me for about a minute before moving off, which is odd behavior for a raccoon.

Do you wish something like NYC's Summer Streets could be brought back to Toronto? Then please sign and share the petition urging @mayoroliviachow.ca & City Council to do so by 2026 as over 600 people have done! #BikeTO #WalkTO #ActiveTO #OpenStreetsTO #TOpoli tinyurl.com/openstreetsp...

I can't believe it. Actual good news!

REALLY enjoyed FANTASTIC FOUR, it was everything I wanted in a superhero movie. And this isn't the theatre I saw it in, but it is fitting.

Anyone have a less-picky dog?

Saw DOG DAY AFTERNOON this evening at the Revue Cinema, a 50th anniversary screening and part of their HEAT WAVE series of sweaty summer films (which is hilarious as DDA was actually shot in November). Still my favorite Al Pacino role, one of the greatest films of the 70s.

The new SUPERMAN is great. Gunn absolutely understands the character, a good man who wants to do good, and he doesn't think that that is silly. The film feels like it actually exists in the DC Comics universe (superheros have been a thing long before Superman for example).

Tech Guy: I have attained immortality! Me: Wow, you figured out how to stop aging? Tech Guy: No, I trained an AI on my emails to create a perfect copy of my personality. Then I uploaded it into a robot dog with M3GAN’s face. It will live forever Robot: As a businessman I often schedule meetings

The Alberta Separatist Party got clobbered in three Alberta by-elections, but Danielle Smith still seems determined to give them a leg up.

Man, I love this film so much. See it at the Revue on the 16th.

According to the CBC Climate Dashboard, we are due to set 117 new temperature records today, which seems like a lot.

GET YOUR WAR ON by the great David Rees, nearly 24 (!) years ago. www.mnftiu.cc/category/gyw...

An interesting article from The Economist on the decline of the birth preference for boys worldwide and the possible increase in preference for girls in the industrialized world.

Elsa Lam continues to prove & document how corrupt & full of lies the Doug Ford closure of the science centre was & is. Read & share widely - not that it matters in Ontario, a province that seems ok w a high level of this. www.canadianarchitect.com/draft-engine...

My first long ride of the year, great weather for it.

So I wonder how much of this "election on the third ballot" comes from the cardinals needing to get back on their phones.

Saw SECRET MALL APARTMENT at the Lightbox last night. A group of artists build a livable apartment in an "in-between" space in a shopping mall and use it for four years. Wonderful look at living life as art and its importance, and the need to push back against gentrification. Highly recommended.

I really want this to happen, would make cycling day trips to Niagara so much easier.

Lex Luthor on Canada - US relations (courtesy of SOLID JJ).

Cars, trucks & SUVs have become driver weapons. Sometimes intentionally, sometimes in the way streets & vehicles are designed. We should admit that we are very much OK w a certain amount of death & life-changing injuries in order to not inconvenience driving. My column this week. Pls read n share.

Lots of urban coyotes come here looking for wifi.

Always like seeing plants and herbs on sale this time of the year. Reminds me of how as kids my brother and I would raise petunias for sale.

My current read, found ion the remainder table at Book City, about the British government's attempts to deal with Hitler in the run up to WWII. Really great, learning a lot. And it's the debut book from a young(ish) historian, Tim Bouverie is going on my watch list.

Waiting 2 hours in line to vote for Carney is NOTHING compared to the 4 years you will regret if Poilievre is Canada's next PM. ##VotingMatters

Baseball in Christie Pits.

Voted! Poll was quiet, didn't need to like up, they said yesterday was very busy. Always glad to see the Marxist-Leninists running someone.

Spring isn't quite here yet but it's warm enough this afternoon to put out some chairs in the back patio and read a bit.

Elections Canada has a polling station set up at the Beltway under the Gardiner today. Looks like a good turnout.

Participated in another Don't Mess with the Don garbage pick up today, my group (one of four) started at the Brickworks and went south along Bayview, around 100 bags collected total. My friends Arthur and Christine were also there, had a nice lunch at the Brickworks after.

Seen today on the Danforth.

A small apartment building with 14 units (low cost as far as I know) which burned two years back is finally being replaced by a few townhouses.

On the weekend the Toronto Film Society had a double-bill of two lesser-known Hitchcock's, BLACKMAIL (1929), his last silent / first sound film, and FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT, a 1940 thriller with more than a dollop of WWII propaganda.

At U of T Walter Hall tonight for a feee student chamber music recital, featuring the McDonald's Creme Egg McFlurry Quintet.