By Lori Dance

Now that the strike is over, the legacy remains: the folks over at the Globe and Mail are not only kvetching about the resulting fruit flies (as are AM640 and CityNews, briefly) , but the publication also suggests a few remedies to the scourge. The cheapest and most environmentally friendly way? A drop of dish soap in a shot glass one-third full of cider vinegar. Tested and confirmed! Disgusting but true!
Speaking of those with a predilection for propagation, hot stuff, what are you doing in two weeks? Feel like offsetting a portion of the federal government’s three million dollar tourism stimulus fund to bring former U.S. president Bill Clinton to the Ex to discuss “Embracing Our Common Humanity”? You know, sometimes a cigar isn’t just a cigar, especially when a four hundred thousand dollar subsidy (from said fund) for this year’s gay pride festivities allegedly prompted Tourism Minister Diane Ablonczy to be “stripped of responsibility” by Conservative Party supporters. Mmm-hmm. You like that kind of talk, don’t you? Tickets are only between twenty dollars and fifty dollars… you don’t mind paying, do you, baby? I left my wallet in my other pants…
Let’s keep riding that euphemism train, shall we? “It’s in Your Hands,” Toronto! CAA has launched their seventh annual Ontario’s Worst Roads competition. Voting is open until September 30; far from being a catty complainathon, apparently nearly 90% of the roads named in the top (or, in this case, worst) twenty have garnered the attention necessary to be fixed. Will last year’s darling, Steeles Avenue, maintain its number-one position before it gets its own fabulous makeover? Dare a girl dream?
And on the topic of catty complainathons, co-chief executive officer of Research In Motion Jim Balsillie believes that the Maple Leafs are conspiring against him, but, really, is there anyone in Toronto who hasn’t felt the same way at one point or another? Specifically, though, the Toronto Star reports that “Balsillie believes Richard Peddie and the Maple Leafs are behind the NHL’s rejection of him as an owner and are a key reason why his attempt to move the bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes to Hamilton is being thwarted,” which, when you put it that way, somewhat diminishes the number of potential commiserators.
Finally, the Toronto Sun reports that “cops say they’re worried about a missing Toronto woman who is known to wear a clown mask.” Please call Crime Stoppers if you’ve seen her.