Torontoist is ending the year by naming our Heroes and Villains of 2007––the people, places, and things that we've either fallen head over heels in love with or developed uncontrollable rage towards over the past twelve months. Get your dose, starting Boxing Day and running into the new year, three times a day––sunrise, noon, and sunset. It smells like a mixture of hot pee and old sweat. It's really loud, sometimes emitting a high-pitched tone... [continue]

Torontoist is ending the year by naming our Heroes and Villains of 2007––the people, places, and things that we've either fallen head over heels in love with or developed uncontrollable rage towards over the past twelve months. Get your dose, starting Boxing Day and running into the new year, three times a day––sunrise, noon, and sunset. Look! It's a bird, no, it's a plane, no wait, it's Tre Smith of the OSPCA! This child actor... [continue]

A UN Envoy is calling Canada a climate hypocrite. Harper, in return, stomped his feet and said he was going to throw a party and only invite the people who didn't call him names. The Queen is upset with Canada because she wasn't invited to Quebec City's 400th birthday bash. The Queen then stuck her tongue out at Harper, and he told her to blame the UN. The OPP spent money meant for the...... [continue]

While the word "nutcracker" might evoke some painful mental images in some, for many it's a familiar part of the holiday season. The original ballet was composed in Russia by one Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1892, and The National Ballet of Canada has been performing The Nutcracker since 1964. James Kudelka did a revamp of the choreography in 1995, and since then The National Ballet's Nutcracker has become what The Globe and Mail has...... [continue]

Have you wanted: dead or alive tickets to runaway to an amazing rock show, but a lack of funds have been giving love a bad name? Say it isn't so! It's your life, and we here at Torontoist think you should have a nice day, everyday. If you've always loved Bon Jovi, then you should keep the faith that we'll be there for you and your bouncin' needs, if that's what it takes. Bon Jovi...... [continue]

It's the holiday season, which means that stress is high and we're not always thinking when we spend our money. But this time of year is also a busy season for fraudsters, who love to take advantage of people's holiday forgetfulness. Paying by debit is one of the easiest ways of paying for your goods, but it's the easiest to compromise. We know several people who have had thousands of dollars drained from their...... [continue]

First and foremost, we're going to warn you that the video above may not be safe for work, children, or the faint of heart. It's from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario's latest ad campaign. In the video, a young sweet sous-chef with her whole future ahead of her happens to slip on some grease, spilling a vat of boiling water all over herself and horribly scalding her face. While she's on...... [continue]

It's time to sharpen your skates, start bubbling up the hot chocolate, and get out your kneepads (and asspads and helmet, if you're like us), because today kicks off the skating season at Nathan Phillips Square. If skating isn't your bag, then you can still come down tonight to check out the Cavalcade of Lights kickoff. The events include performances by Jully Black, Sarah Slean, and Kim Stockwood, as well as a performance by...... [continue]

When you think of literacy, chances are the first name that comes to mind isn't Slash. But the notoriously bad-assed guitarist from rock legends Guns n' Roses has recently come out with an autobiography detailing his many, many encounters with sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. He was born in England but moved to LA in the early seventies, where he was surrounded by musical icons such as Joni Mitchell and David Geffen, and even... [continue]

Ballet Jorgen's Anastasia is making its way around the country, and if you missed its Toronto stop on Saturday, you missed quite the treat. Audiences packed into the Toronto Centre for The Arts to see Bengt Jorgen's intricately choreographed tale about the infamous Russian Grand Duchess, which follows the four years leading up to that fateful day in 1918 when she disappeared forever. Jorgen is known for his eccentric ballets, but with Anastasia he...... [continue]

Ballet Jorgen is notorious for its unique, original ballets, and they are leaping into their 20th year with their largest undertaking to date. Anastasia tells the story of the famous Russian Grand Duchess over four years during the Russian Revolution. Complete with an original score composed by Russian-Canadian composer Ivan Barbotin and an award-winning crew on hand, this piece is bound to mesmerize its audiences. Want to go? Well lucky you, because we have... [continue]

Last year, 26-year-old Ines Markeljevic had an idea. Why not try and set a Guinness World Record for the most people doing the Thriller dance? "I'd been doing the Thriller dance for nine years. It was my own sort of Halloween tradition," she says. She had learned the dance as a teenager, and had performed it not only at Halloween, but also for charity events and dance competitions. "For my tenth year, I wanted... [continue]

Police are investigating a mysterious purple liquid found seeping around the Don River. When asked for comment, the police stated that they have all their men rolling around in the goo in the hopes that it's radioactive and gives them all superpowers. A man is dead after a shooting near Broadview and Dundas. And an Etobicoke teen is dead after being hit by a car in a parking lot. Let's stop the hate, shall... [continue]

There's no arguing it: sex is everywhere. It's on tv, it's walking down the street, it's how each and every one of us came into existance. You might love it, you might hate it, but no matter what your thoughts on fornication, there's bound to be something for you at the Everything to Do With Sex Show. Now in its eighth year, the ETDWSS promotes itself as a non-threatening consumer affair. This year it features... [continue]

No matter which generation you're from, chances are you have been influenced in one way or another by puppets. Lamb Chop, Elmo, Kermit, Casey & Finnegan, and even Ed the Sock have been huge puppet figures in popular culture. So why not relive your childhood and come on down to a puppet play this Saturday afternoon? Toronto puppeteers Kristen, Jackie, and Renee are back in town after a tour in New York City and are... [continue]

This weekend, Toronto will be a rockin' city, as the 2007 World Rock Paper Scissors Championships cut into town. The game of Rock Paper Scissors has been settling scores on playgrounds since long before little brothers came into existence. In fact, some say it originates back to the year 200 BC in Japan, where it was referred to as "Jan-Ken." Others say it started as an early Scandinavian pastime, while others trace it back... [continue]

Chances are, if you're like us, your first experience with pornography was a mix of titillation, curiousity, and shame. Maybe it's still that way, but at least for one weekend you can be free from shame if you join fellow pervs at the Hard Liquor And Porn Film Festival. Eight years ago, Darryl Gold threw a party and invited guests to bring booze and their favourite porn scene. When one party-goer decided to bring... [continue]

Two girls are waiting for the light at King and Niagara. One girl is teaching the other girl about pap smears. Girl 1: And that's when they put the spatula inside of you! Girl 2: I thought it was called a speculum? Girl 1: Right...well it feels like a spatula.... [continue]

While there was barely a cloud in the sky, there were plenty of dust clouds floating above mosh pits at Park Place this past weekend during the 13th Vans Warped Tour. The crowds almost looked like a gang of punky bandits as they turned to wearing bandannas over their faces in order to breathe through the dust clouds. Certain bands even wore face coverings to breathe since the clouds were so thick that you... [continue]

It's that time of year again, when punks (and punk wannabes) dust off their Doc Martens, ply up their mohawks, master their moshing, and make their way to Park Place in Barrie for Vans Warped Tour. Saturday's show will see bands such as Bad Religion, New Found Glory, Ill Scarlett, Killswitch Engage, and Toronto's own k-os hitting the stage. This year marks the 13th annual event, which has previously showcased such great acts as... [continue]