The Silicone Diaries, the new one-woman show written and performed by self-proclaimed "most celebrated transsexual in Canada" Nina Arsenault currently being performed at Buddies' cabaret space, is already a hit. The theatre announced an added performance before the show had even opened, tickets have been selling like hotcakes, and there's already rumours of the Diaries coming back next season, this time in the more spacious "Chamber" section of the venue. That last tidbit is very welcome news for audience members; when we attended the jam-packed opening, "seating" choices were limited to standing room at the back, or cramming ourselves onto the room's grand staircase. We opted for the latter, an experience so uncomfortable we couldn't help but imagine, while Arsenault waxed poetic about the various illegal silicone injections into her ass and hips she had scored in Mexico, the more practical appeal of having a little extra cushion back there.

Once a week, Vandalist features some of the most interesting street art and graffiti from around Toronto. You should contribute.

The latest installment of the Sleeman Premium Weekend series at the Comedy Bar brings seasoned stand-up and comic actor Todd Barry back to Toronto for three headlining shows. Barry is no stranger to Hogtown comedy clubs. "Toronto’s one of the first cities where I headlined, if not the first," he says. "It was at a place called The Laugh Resort…that was ten or twelve years ago. But the last time I performed here was five years ago at Yuk Yuk’s."

The Edgewater Hotel sign is gone. City officials ordered that the Parkdale landmark be removed on November 3, after nearly three years of working to convince the owner of the building to which it was attached to make necessary repairs. According to a Municipal Licensing and Standards manager, the sign had finally become so derelict that city inspectors deemed it unsafe.

“Guys, we did it. He's actually here!" Toronto comedian Bob Kerr exclaimed in front of a sold-out, standing room–only crowd while he hosted the first of two shows at the Rivoli starring Paul F. Tompkins. Tompkins, if you didn't know already, is an enviably talented Los Angeles–based comic with a resume that includes decades of stand-up, TV (Mr. Show, Best Week Ever), and movies (There Will Be Blood, The Informant!), but before last month, he had never set foot in Hogtown. So, what brought him here? Twitter, Facebook, and Bob Kerr. Together, Kerr and Tompkins took advantage of all that is good in social media and started a trend that shows no signs of abating.

For the past eight years, the Ontario College of Art and Design has been asking potential art buyers to put pretense aside and trust their gut in support of the school. “Whodunit?,” OCAD’s signature annual fundraiser, is a mystery art sale in which the name of the artist remains a secret until after you purchase the piece. It’s a refreshing concept in a creative marketplace so often dogged by an atmosphere of manufactured buzz and the dreaded art star.

Everyone needs love, even people who aren't, in fact, people, but over-designed alien glassworks stuck to the sides of historic buildings. They need love, too. We are pretty sure of this. So we wonder whether calling the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal one of the ten ugliest buildings in the world is really necessary. For reference, here's last year's "winner." Sure, the crystalline ROMniplex may have a shoddy interior, but it's nice on the outside if you stand in the right place, plus it makes a sweet lightsaber-fight venue. Besides, obviously no one told the selection committee about Toronto's dirty little secret at the corner of Jarvis and Dundas. Go ahead and trash the crystal, but remember, we'd still love you—even if you'd been designed by Daniel Libeskind.

ART: Since its conception in 2002, the "Love Show" has strived to raise awareness about the privilege that defines so many of our lives, while reminding us of our responsibility to others. Each year's proceeds go to community-based organizations that stand up against violence and encourage self esteem. This year, the sales from all the miniature (8x8) pieces—donated by local artists for the exhibition—go to the Workman Arts Program (at CAMH), whose mission is to support artists with mental illnesses or addiction and promote a greater understanding of these realities through various art forms. The theme of this year's show is "Dreams," exploring all meanings of the word—from night-time visions and nightmares, to daydreams and aspirations for the future. Each piece will sell for only seventy-five dollars. 918 Bathurst Street, 7–9 p.m., FREE.

Amidst the brouhaha about fare increases at this month's TTC meeting, one thing that was overlooked was the approval of the design for a Highway 407 station [PDF] on the new Spadina subway extension. Except—they haven't really decided on the finer points of the design. Did we say "finer points"? We meant "all of it."

When will the TTC open subway doors earlier than its current wake-up call of approximately 9 a.m. on Sunday mornings?

In September 2010, the Ontario Ministry of Education will introduce a new course titled Gender Studies, designed to help teenagers get a better grasp of all these perplexing issues. The course will be available as an elective for grade eleven students province-wide, creating a safe place where gender in our society, and in others, can be discussed.