You'd think it would be common practice these days for everyone to regularly wash their hands, especially if they work in the health-care profession. Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care advises that frequent handwashing is "the single most effective way to prevent the spread of communicable diseases." (Cooties are the obvious exception here, since they can only be prevented by administering a cootie shot.) Unfortunately, the statistics indicate that health-care workers aren't very diligent......

Who knew the CBC was so popular in western Africa? Granted, Test the Nation was an unmitigated success (well, for the bloggers anyhow), but the fact that fashion from half-way around the world could be inspired by our venerable national broadcaster still seems quite remarkable. First spotted by the Inside The CBC blog, you're looking at what may very well represent the height of African fashion. This smart and sassy number (a traditional west......

At the Wellington Street entrance of the CBC Broadcast Centre, visitors of a certain age are met with some familiar sights from their childhoods: the treehouse from Mr. Dressup, a gang of puppets from Sesame Park, and the ratty but iconic Rusty and Jerome figures from The Friendly Giant. Now, the family of the Giant aren't feeling too friendly following a comedic skit shown during this year's Gemini Awards, and they are demanding the removal......

For the last 50 days, Donna Dillman has been on a hunger strike to protest uranium mining in eastern Ontario. Tomorrow (Tuesday), she brings that fight to the steps of Queen's Park, and she'd like you to join her. Donna, a grandmother, is concerned about strong scientific evidence that particles released into the air and water during uranium mining and processing contribute to increased rates of cancer and organ damage, especially in children. The CBC......

Earlier this evening, The Star reported on what might somehow rank as one of the strangest videos on YouTube. Recorded on Monday afternoon at the protests in Montebello, the video shows the tail end of a confrontation between Dave Coles (president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada) and three masked men who seem hell-bent on rilling up him, his fellow protestors ("old guys, grandmothers, grandfathers"), and the line of riot-ready police.......

A lot happens in and around Toronto, but we can only write about so much in a week. Here's the best of the rest, in a new weekly feature we're calling Superfluist. Superfluist will appear every Friday night. Cathy Gordon decided to get very, very publicly divorced on Monday, with an art piece she called "On My Knees." For it, she crawled around Toronto for a while (on her knees!), signed divorce papers, and then......

Saddam Hussein was executed by hanging on Friday, and video of the execution popped up on the internet by Sunday. The CBC link doesn't have the video, because they're a news organization, and as such not in the business of providing snuff films. If you want to see it, go to Fox or CNN, who both have it. No, no links. Torontoist is likewise not in the business of providing snuff films. Canada's chief of......

The CBC points out that three people were murdered in a matter of hours this Sunday. First, a man was run over and then hacked to death by machete. Second, a 22-year old man was found by his parents in their backyard. Third, a man was found shot in the head in a Parkdale rooming house. Out of town, a Toronto-raised basketball star is clinging to life in a Pittsburgh hospital after being shot in......

What, it's over? Filmmakers, fans, industry people and most of all bloggers are in shock that this year's TIFF is coming to an end. Vickie over at Moviepie Musings has even given it a name Post Festival Sickness. I hate PFS. And, if it really is PFS, it’s not even waiting until after my final screening to kick in this year. Evil! I am fighting its onset tooth and nail, dosing myself with plenty of......

The Sun is reporting that the City may be owed millions of dollars in uncollected rent from its 905 properties. An audit discovered that the city also hasn't been raising rents with market rates and also asking for a part of business revenues from establishments that rent out spaces. The CBC weather forecast has inspired a new Barenaked Ladies song. Most of the time the CBC forecast just inspires us to throw our radio against......

A 12-year old girl who has been missing for two days has been found after an exhaustive search in the city's east end. She had run away after a fight with her parents. It seems that the Feds are stiffing Toronto about $6 million in homeless funding. The shortfall means the city can't sign service agreements with social organizations. Construction of new facilities for the homeless will also be affected. Thank you Ottawa may we......

The CBC reports that the Toronto Port Authority, that lovely little federal body responsible for trying to build a bridge to the island airport and complicating waterfront development, has sued community advocacy group Community Air. The $3 million lawsuit alleges that the non-profit group has defamed the TPA. Spacing Wire has their analysis and John Barber dedicates his column in today's Globe to the lawsuit. We're echoing Barber's complaints about the lawsuit. This is a......

It could be one of two things the sound of CBC TV's ratings plummeting or it could be the sound of the the IQs of Canadian TV watchers reaching new lows. The CBC announced its fall lineup and it's a strange mixture of mainstream trends that the CBC resists (more reality tv, quiz shows) and giant national projects meant to unify Canadians in front of their TVs (Hockey: A People's History). The CBC will try......

Things get worse for the TTC. In light of GM Rick Ducharme's resignation the TTC have decided to tell him to leave right away instead of waiting around till November. Ducharme is fighting this and threatening to call his lawyers. He also pins the blame for his resignation on interference by TTC Chair Howard Moscoe and even Mayor Miller . Many councillors are now calling for Moscoe to step down. Ducharme is the third TTC......

A shooting near Front and Jarvis yesterday left a 20-year old man clinging to life. Some 16 shots were fired and witnesses claimed they saw three men run off. The shooting and a search by police afterwards locked down two nearby elementary schools. The CBC is reporting that one of the terror suspects currently in custody had been given weapons training by the Canadian military as a reservist. The TTC is holding ">an emergency meeting......

The man with the second most thankless job in the city (TTC Union head Bob Kinnear takes the cake for this one we think) has tendered his resignation. The Star has a nice PDF of it here and a story on the whole sordid situation. The CBC doesn't shed much more light except that it was Adam Giambrone who confirmed the resignation. The media has been abuzz with rumours that Ducharme was not getting along......

Oooh look, the Corp has redesigned its website and its about time. The CBC site has tons of great stuff, the podcasts alone are enough to move us to tears sometimes. But prior to today's redesign, CBC.ca hasn't had a major redesign since 2000. That's like 42 years in internet time.......

The CBC is reporting that the TTC will be seeking damages from the union over yesterday's wildcat strike. The Comission is giving all metropass holders a $4 rebate which will cost the system some $840,000. Starting June 5th users can present expired May Metropasses to get their cash. Yep, this is just what a cash-strapped system needs to give back about a million dollars because of an illegal strike.......

Council voted 39-2 in support of the City's 2015 Expo Bid. The next step involves courting the Provincial and Federal governments for funding. Queen's Park and Ottawa are expected to foot a huge chunk of the bill, including $2.8 billion for cleaning up contaminated soil near the lakefront, and a possible $700 million deficit after the event. The TTC is still running despite edicts from the union not to enforce fare collection it seems that......

The finalists for the Canadian New Media Awards are up for your perusal. A bunch of Toronto area folks are up for awards including our friends at murmur! The only thing we're sad about is just how snore-inducing their site is. Maybe its that traditional Canadian modesty or the organizers unwillingness to outshine those who they are celebrating. In other web awards news the voting form for the Webby Awards are up. The CBC Digital......

Police are still flummoxed by the Tim Horton's fire on Sunday. The Globe calls the events puzzling and the Star quotes the police reassuring Torontonians that this wasn't an act of terrorism. Both use this quote which sadly doesn't tell us much. "We don't know whether this was an accidental or deliberate act at this time," Staff Sergeant Myron Demkiw said. Harper and Co. are rolling out their agenda today with the throne speech. The......

Toronto's theatre critics are luke warm on the $28 million production of the LOTR musical. Both Richard Ouzounian at the Star and Kamal Al Solayee at the Globe give the play two stars. The CBC gives a nice little roundup of the play's shortcomings. Even the Sun's John Colbourn gives it a so so review with the headline "Middling Earth." Ouzounian calls the play dull and the music and script both problematic but he keeps......

If we have to post one more picture of a gun...Jeez. Well, given there's been no update on the 'national gun crisis' in a while, let's check up on the issue with a few links. - A pastor calls for the War Measures Act to find the gunman from the funeral shooting. Too late though, city councilor Michael Thompson already came up with that idea. Lame-city. - The CBC's Mary Weins talks to a Jane-Finch......

As was reported in last Saturday's Globe and Mail, the CBC is in dire need of our help. And it's not exactly for funding or to fill an empty archives position -- it seems that there have been a number of strange occurrences in and around the Mother Corp recently. The CBC Radio has put Promo Girl on the case, who is making public appeals for help with the mysteries. This week, it appears that......

A hot topic around certain media water coolers this week is definitely George. And for once it’s not Mr. Bush we’re scrutinizing, it’s Mr. Stroumboulopoulos and his new show, The Hour. The formula fits. The CBC needs to nab a younger audience before their mostly-geriatric audience croaks. Hell, we’re all a generation in need of fresh ideas. So, they give themselves a to-do list: - Make a hip new show that happens to cover the......

Pierre Berton, quintessential Canadian, author of 44 books including The Last Spike, television journalist, and marijuana advocate, has passed away yesterday in Toronto. The CBC reports the cause as heart failure. Watch, listen or read any responsible Canadian news agency for tributes.........