In the opening line from 28: Stories of AIDS in Africa, author Stephanie Nolen illustrates a feeling many of us understand. "I looked at AIDS in Africa for a long time before I understood what I was seeing," she writes. Nolen is an award-winning journalist who has spent the past several years as our eyes and ears on the AIDS pandemic in Africa. As the Africa correspondent for the Globe and Mail, Nolen has written......

It is a peculiarity of our city that its grandest monument was erected to honour a largely forgotten and misunderstood war. Yet, the life of the South African War Memorial—the tall granite column overlooking the intersection at Queen and University—reveals a great deal about how the city’s priorities and values have evolved over time. Although University Avenue terminated at Queen Street at that time, it acted as a stately boulevard connecting the new government buildings......

Toronto places three roads in the province's worst twenty streets. Steeles placed fifth, Bathurst ninth and Dufferin twelfth in the survey of the worst-maintained roads in Ontario. That having been said, be glad you don't have to drive in Sudbury (first, third, eighth and tenth). Take THAT, Sudbury! Dutch traffic planner says Toronto needs "naked streets." By which he means downtown core streets with no speed limits, traffic signals or curbs. Pick your joke: 1.)......

So, last season—sorry, cycle—of Canada's Next Top Model was kinda "meh" compared to the Tyra-shoutin', model-faintin', drag-walkin' original. Host Tricia Helfer seemed to be reprising her other role as a robot Cylon, but one with consistently dwindling batteries, and the season one production values were also a bit low-wattage. The new host CHUM has whisked-in to save the day is ANTM fan favourite and Toronto-bred Jay Manuel, who dashingly wears shirts for promo shots......

We don't know about where you are, but it seems like spring can't decide whether or not to happen. Some days are warm, some days are cold, and sometimes you aren't sure which. Baseball may have started up (and soccer/football winding down) but it still seems cold out there. Unless it's not. Anyway, onto the -ists. Austinist happily anticipated fall's Austin City Limits, even though they're not fully recovered from South By Southwest. In other......

Canada faced a tougher challenge than expected in their World Baseball Classic opener Tuesday evening. After giving up three runs during an eighth inning South African rally, Ernie Whitt's team found themselves heading to the ninth trailing by a run. Fortunately the team exploded, scoring four in their next series while creating some breathing room for Minnesota Twins Jesse Crain to close out the 11-8 victory. Former Blue Jay Corey Koskie homered for the Canadians.......

There's a breeze in the air, and a million things to do before winter wraps its claws around you. Get out there! - Shock and awk at the El Mo tonight, as unfunnyfunnyman Neil Hamburger takes the stage. 9pm and ten bucks. - South African hip hop phenom Tumi and the Volume make a double stop in Toronto. They poetry slam tonight, and play Harbourfront's Culture Shock fest for free on the morrow. They say:......

As if being administrative capital of a province of ten million was not sufficiently honourable, Toronto was today named a Cultural Capital of Canada. The designation is bound, if we're not mistaken, to solidify the city's place as the centre of the Canadian cultural universe. Rightly or wrongly. Probably rightly. But wait! That's a Cultural Capital of Canada. Not the... Instead of sticking with the tried-and-true domestic tradition of one capital per administrative unit, Heritage......