I've always been interested in man-made structures that have been left to decay. I also love the movie the Blues Brothers. There is a chase scene in a mall, and today I found out that mall has been empty for 30 years. After some searching, it appears there are several "Dead Malls" in Ontario.
Perpetual Radio looks for Dead Malls in Ontario...
I am grateful to Mr. Don Harkins the editor of THE IDAHO OBSERVER, (USA) and her associates Ms. Anne Wilder Chamberlain to help me prepare my story.
The following short note comes from them:-
KHALID
When we first began corresponding with Khalid Awan in 2007, we had no idea why he was serving time in U.S federal prison.We soon discovered Awan was one of the first of thousands of Muslims taken prisoner in the post-9/11 U.S "terror War". As the story began unfolding in our letters, we began to realize that this honest, humble and sincere man was not only innocent, but the ongoing injustice being done to him provides critical insight into the mindless, mean-spirited, bureaucratic-yes-men idiocy fueling the illegal U.S. "War on Terror" (and just about everything else that is going wrong in this country). At our insistence, Awan wrote his story and supplied us with whatever documents we requested. And now, after three months of cooperative efforts, the story of Khalid Awan can be told. We have come to know Awan as a peaceful man engaged in peaceful work, who has been wrongfully accused, detained and repeatedly convicted of crimes he did not commit because he was a Muslim with international connections and an office in New York on 9/11. Anyone who might of the Muslim belief, especially a person raised overseas who has difficulty understanding our language and our corrupt judicial system, can be arrested and detained indefinitely in this country, certainly without a trial before a jury of his peers. Khalid is one of these Muslims.
We present this to you in faith that you will realize a deeper understanding of the levels of complicity necessary for the "land of free" to tolerate the phony war on terror year after year and in hope that Awan --- and all the other million or more political prisoners being held by this country---will one day be reunited with their families.
(Thanks from the bottom of my heart to you, Mr. Don Harkin and Ms. Anne W. Chaimberlain for your devoted, caring attention in helping me expose my plight and injustices being suffered by myself and others. Your humanitarian devotion, on-going help and attitude truly an inspiration to me in my life!)
Khalid Qayyum Awan (From USA Federal Prison)
CONTACT OR MAILING ADDRESS IS GIVEN BELOW
Khalid Awan # 50959-054
USP Marion
P.O.BOX : 1000
Marion, IL 62959
USAI am grateful to Mr. Don Harkins the editor of THE IDAHO OBSERVER, (USA) and her... more
Photographs of actress Natalie Portman at the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, ON on Wednesday, September 16, 2009.Photographs of actress Natalie Portman at the Toronto International Film Festival in... more
Photographs of actress Robin Wright Penn at a screening of the movie "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee" at the Toronto Film Festival in Toronto, ON on Tuesday, September 15, 2009.Photographs of actress Robin Wright Penn at a screening of the movie "The Private... more
A massive police raid against marijuana grow operations seven locations across eastern Ontario and Toronto Tuesday left eight people facing organized crime charges.
An estimated $11.7 million worth of drugs were seized by the Ontario Provincial Police, RCMP, and Belleville and Toronto police.
The investigation began this spring after suspicious property transactions were reported in Belleville.
An earlier series of raids in June led to drug and paraphernalia seizures in Belleville, Brighton, and Toronto.
Barrhaven bust uncovers basement grow-op
Meanwhile, Ottawa police seized $803,000 worth of marijuana from a basement grow-op inside a Barrhaven home on Tuesday.
Two people were arrested during the raid on the 100 block of Len Lunney Crescent. About 800 four-feet-tall plants were discovered.
Thi Chuc Nguyen, 43, and Alex Nguyen, 23 were each charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking, producing a banned substance, and electricity theft.
The pair will appear in court on Sept. 30.A massive police raid against marijuana grow operations seven locations across eastern... more
"Livent founder Garth Drabinsky was released on bail this afternoon after being sentenced earlier to seven years in prison for an accounting fraud that propelled the theatre company onto the global stage before leading to its collapse.
Drabinsky's business partner and co-defendant Myron Gottlieb was sentenced to six years and also released after the Ontario Court of Appeal granted them bail.
"The contributions Mr. Drabinsky and Mr. Gottlieb have made to society must be and are taken into account, but no one is above the law," Ontario Superior Court Justice Mary Lou Benotto told their sentencing hearing in a downtown Toronto courtroom earlier today.
"No one gets to write his own rules."
She said the length of the sentences is a message to "those in business and the community ... that this will be the court's response to corporate fraud."
Drabinsky, 60, and Gottlieb, 65, were convicted in March on two counts of fraud and one count of forgery.
Today, Drabinsky was sentenced to four years for the first fraud conviction and seven years for the second, to be served concurrently.
Gottlieb was also sentenced to four years on the first fraud conviction, but to just six years on the second, with Benotto noting that he had been the victim of some "unfair allegations" and "caught in a wide net" meant for Drabinsky.
The forgery convictions against both men were stayed because the judge found that the facts underlying those charges were the same as those in the second count of fraud.
"This was not a one-time impulsive act but a systemic method of accounting involving employees and suppliers," Benotto said. "The evidence at trial disclosed a myriad of people who suffered as a result of the fraud."
Prosecutor Alex Hrybinsky had asked for prison terms of eight to 10 years, noting that neither man has shown remorse.""Livent founder Garth Drabinsky was released on bail this afternoon after being... more
"A full slate of performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream is back on at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, thanks to a $3-million cash infusion from the federal government's Marquee Tourism Events Program, announced Monday.
Stratford had been forced to cancel one performance of West Side Story and put 30 other dates for various shows on hold as ticket sales flagged. But the windfall from the Conservatives has spurred artistic director Des McAnuff to reinstate all six Midsummer performances that had been on hold.
Stratford's announcement was one of eight Monday as the federal government doled out the first $17-million from its two-year, $100-million Marquee Tourism Events Program (MTEP), announcing separate cash injections of up to $3-million for some of Canada's flagship cultural attractions, including $2.1-million for the Shaw Festival, $2-million for the Calgary Stampede and $3-million for the Toronto International Film Festival.""A full slate of performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream is back on at the Stratford... more
"Des McAnuff is confident the Stratford Shakespeare Festival will finish this season in the black, even though slow ticket sales have forced the company to put 30 performances on hold.
With ticket sales down 15 per cent from last year, officials at the Stratford, Ont., organization cancelled one performance of the musical West Side Story and have halted ticket sales for 30 other performances, waiting to see if purchases for other dates accelerate. Most of the performances in limbo are late-season dates in September and October.
But the festival's artistic director insists the season will fare well financially. “Our projections are that we're going to end the season in the black. … I'm not being a Pollyanna. We're putting strong work on the stage,” McAnuff said.
Research conducted by Stratford suggests patrons, weary from the economic crisis, have been hesitant to buy tickets as early as they normally would, contributing to the drop in sales. McAnuff played down the notion that the festival's hardship is understandable, considering these economic times.
Stratford recorded a $2.6-million deficit last year, the largest operating loss in dollar terms in the company's history. This year's budget was slashed by $3.5-million, but festival brass have sought another $1.5-million in savings. The festival needs to sell 512,000 tickets to break even, and suspending the 31 shows could save hundreds of thousands of dollars.
McAnuff is the lone survivor of the triumvirate of artistic directors assembled by general director Antoni Cimolino in the summer of 2006.""Des McAnuff is confident the Stratford Shakespeare Festival will finish this season... more
"Thumped by the uncertain economy, Ontario's Stratford Shakespeare Festival has removed 31 performances from the season's schedule.
One April performance of West Side Story has been officially cancelled, while 30 other performances that were selling poorly are "on hold" as the festival's administration waits to see if ticket sales pick up and economic conditions improve. Ticket sales are down 15 per cent from last year at this time.
"It's a decision we made in the context of everything that is unfolding right now," explains Anita Gaffney, Stratford's administrative director. "We're trying to reduce expenses, but we're also working very hard to spread the word about the season."
The suspended performances - both of classics such as Julius Caesar and musicals such as West Side Story - were mostly scheduled to take place in September and October. Ticket sales were placed on hold two weeks ago, and those who had already purchased tickets were contacted and offered alternative dates.
Festival officials hope to add the performances back into the schedule later in the season. According to research, Stratford has been conducting among past patrons, the sour economy is deterring regular visitors from buying tickets as early as they normally do. "We hear positive interest in the season and a high intention to visit this year, but they want to wait a bit before buying," says Gaffney.""Thumped by the uncertain economy, Ontario's Stratford Shakespeare Festival has... more
"Ontario culture minister Aileen Carroll announced a major boost to six cultural agencies yesterday, pledging $43.4-million in new operating funds this year.
Flanked by elated cultural leaders whose organizations have been battered by the declining economy, she announced a one-time boost of $18.6-million for 2009-2010 and an annual operating increase of $24.8-million to be split among six institutions. The beneficiaries, all located in the Greater Toronto Area, are the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Royal Ontario Museum, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, the Ontario Science Centre, the Ontario Heritage Trust and the Royal Botanical Gardens.
As a result, the permanent combined provincial contributions to these six institutions will jump to $80.8-million annually from the $56-million spent in 2008-2009, a 45-per-cent increase which AGO director and CEO Matthew Teitelbaum called "unprecedented."
"We recognize the incredible contribution that the cultural agencies make to our economy, but in order for them to keep making that, we need to give them the stability and the sustainability so they can do what they do best," Carroll said at the ROM, where the announcement was made. The AGO and ROM are the biggest winners, splitting $34.8-million of the new money between them.
The announcement comes less than one week after the AGO laid off 23 permanent staff as part of a large-scale restructuring plan. Gallery spokeswoman Susan Bloch-Nevitte said the AGO was "restructuring for a changing time," and would hardly have acted differently had they known a provincial windfall was on the way.""Ontario culture minister Aileen Carroll announced a major boost to six cultural... more
"For all the ways that the web is changing entertainment, at its most basic level, it is an accelerator. If you want a recent example, there probably is none better than David and Ian Purchase of Markham, Ontario.
One month ago, the brothers were toiling in anonymity toward their lifelong dream of becoming movie directors. They had signed on with Sons and Daughters, a local commercial production company who would represent them in Canada, and like many unknown directors attempting to break into the field, they were working away on their `reel' – industry talk for examples of their work.
This work is usually unsolicited, fake commercials for existing products – the brothers used Coke and iPod (viewable on their site at www.purchasebrothers.com) – to showcase their visual style and expertise. They also made a third short film, and that changed everything.
Based on the video game Half Life 2, they created a five-and-a-half-minute film called Escape from City 17 Part One, which with over two million views remains the most popular video in the past month on YouTube. Lauded by viewers worldwide for its engaging story, special effects and accurate depiction of the tense first-person-shooter's universe, the video has many fans and online commenters clamouring for more, and people in the film industry hoping and believing that this is possibly just the start for the suddenly up-and-coming siblings.
The brothers sent a rough cut to Valve Software, the maker of Half Life 2, and garnered such a positive reaction that they were flown down to its Bellevue, Wash., headquarters. This was high praise, as Valve has little interest in making a Half Life film; many of the pitches have been patently ridiculous.
"After seeing some of the dreadful ways Hollywood has attempted to turn video games into film, it was great to see how well the Purchase brothers have brought our game to life. Hollywood could learn a lot from these guys," said Gabe Newell, owner of Valve, in a statement about the first instalment. ""For all the ways that the web is changing entertainment, at its most basic level, it... more
Wal-Mart is closing all of it's Sam's Club Stores in Ontario, Canada within the next month. It seems that their member-driven store has been unable to compete with the Costco's.
There are discussions of Lowes taking over a few of the buildings, but nothing more.
Unfortunately Wal-Mart is planning on opening more supercentres after they close their Sam's Club stores. Wal-Mart said it would open 26 more supercentres this year, including 9 in areas where it is closing Sam's Club stores. But the new stores will not be open until later this year.
The 26 stores include expansions of existing stores, relocations, and new stores, bringing the total number of supercentres to 82 out of a total of 312 Wal-Mart stores across Canada by the end of this year.
Wal-Mart still spreads their poison :(
Is there a way to resist the spread of Wal-Marts? They clearly don't need to open this many stores in Canada.... I'm sure we can find ways of convincing the masses to stop shopping at Wal-MartWal-Mart is closing all of it's Sam's Club Stores in Ontario, Canada within the next... more
"One could describe Richard Einhorn’s creation of a choral piece about Charles Darwin and “On the Origin of Species” as a story of evolution about evolution.
The composer has been interested in evolution since high school in the late 1960s. During those years, Einhorn also began composing music.
With the world premiere of his oratorio “The Origin” at State University College at Oswego this weekend, Einhorn has, well, evolved.
“I’ve been wanting to do a piece about science for a very long time. And a piece that really was about the science and to see if there was any way that I could work with that as a dramatic subject,” he says in a recent phone interview from his Manhattan home.
“It became pretty obvious that ‘The Origin of Species’ would be a wonderful topic. Of all the subjects in science, ‘The Origin of Species’ turns out to be one of the more approachable topics because anybody can read it. You know Marge Simpson has read it on ‘The Simpsons.’ If she can read it, anybody else can.”
“The Origin” tells the story of Darwin and his scientific paper, “On the Origin of Species,” and uses his letters and autobiography to frame the 90-minute oratorio. Darwin’s 1859 publication of his theory — species change in order to survive — is considered to be the beginning of modern biology.""One could describe Richard Einhorn’s creation of a choral piece about Charles... more
I was watching the CBC program called the Fifth Estate and found it very interesting. The topic was renewable energy in Germany vs the (lack of) renewable energy produced in Canada--this was a very eye opening report.
Did you know that German farmers are producing renewable energy from wind power, but more interestingly, cow feces? They use animal feces and transform the methane gas and heat into energy and the by-product of it is odourless fertilizer that can be used for farming--this way there is no waste or pollution created. On top of all this, these farmers are selling their electricity to the grid!
In contrast, Canada (and the U.S.), are countries that have a ton of resources that can be used to create renewable energy but we continue to use nuclear energy, that costs billions of dollars to build and maintain and creates so much pollution. In the documentary, a farmer from Ontario is trying connect to the grid and sell his electricity, but Hydro One doesn't allow him to--he has spent over $1.5 million on engineering and construction to meet their standards, but still needs to spend more to be able to connect.
Something about the nuclear system that we are using now is obviously not beneficial to our budgets and environment, does the government realize that this is going on? Or do the hydro companies have more power in government than we think?I was watching the CBC program called the Fifth Estate and found it very interesting.... more
A nurse formerly employed at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health will lose her licence after she admitted to having sex with a patient while she worked there, a disciplinary panel ruled this morning.
The nurse admitted that "she sexually abused the patient by engaging in sexual intercourse... among other things" during the man's inpatient and outpatient treatment, according to an agreed statement of facts presented today at her disciplinary hearing. She was fired in 2007 when the affair came to light.
The five-member panel was required by law to revoke her licence and order a formal reprimand by the College of Nurses of Ontario. She had no previous disciplinary record.
Lawyer Kate Hughes, who represents the nurse, told the panel her client is "extremely remorseful" and intends to cooperate fully with the college. The nurse did not attend the hearing.
According to the statement, the man was admitted to CAMH in 2004 in connection to criminal charges, but found not criminally responsible on account of a mental disorder. He was discharged and treated as an outpatient in 2006, then readmitted in December of that year. The nurse was not among his primary caregivers, but participated in weekly meetings about his treatment.
In late 2005, the patient started showing romantic interest in the nurse, buying her coffee and flowers on several occasions, and later telling staff members she was his girlfriend. During that time, a manager asked the nurse if she was having difficulties with the man's "boundary issues." She said no.
The centre launched an investigation in February 2007 after the patient left the manager a voicemail message stating that he and the nurse "have been sleeping together" and "have been a couple a long time." The inquiry led to the discovery of a DVD sex video featuring the patient and the nurse.
She was fired and later admitted to unprofessional conduct.
The nurse and CAMH are also the subject of a civil law suit alleging they were negligent in their treatment of the patient. The suit was filed this summer by the patient and taken up by his family after he killed himself in July.
In the suit, he identifies himself as John and the nurse as Jane, to protect the identity of their child - she had told him she was pregnant. It is not known if she gave birth.A nurse formerly employed at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health will lose her... more
Carpool startup PickupPal in Canada was fined $11,000 after it broke some pretty insane laws on what constitutes legal carpooling. Apparently bus companies complained after the site was launched and sued under an Ontario law. Ridesharing in Ontario is apparently illegal unless the following (impractical) set of criteria is met:
* You must travel from home to work only – (Not Home to School, or Home to the Hospital or the Airport)
* You cannot cross municipal boundaries – (Live outside the city and drive in – sorry you cannot share the ride with your neighbour)
* You must ride with the same driver each day – (Want to mix it up go with one person one day and another person another day – no sorry cannot do that – must be same person each day)
* You must pay the driver no more frequently than weekly – (Neighbour drives you to work better not pay her right away just in case she drives you later on in the week)
WTF, Canada?Carpool startup PickupPal in Canada was fined $11,000 after it broke some pretty... more
\While a federal election looms in his native Canada, farmer Norman Collier is far more interested in seeing Barack Obama make history in the United States. So much so he constructed a huge sign to show his enthusiasm!\While a federal election looms in his native Canada, farmer Norman Collier is far... more
appears some National Hockey League officials think the Toronto market is big enough to have two teams.
According to The Globe and Mail, NHL governors have had informal talks about putting a second team in Toronto.
''Why shouldn't we put another team in the best and biggest market in the world?'' one governor told the newspaper anonymously, adding one scenario involves Research in Motion CEO Jim Balsillie being awarded an expansion franchise after coming to the aid of the financially-strapped Nashville Predators.
''I've heard bits and pieces of this scenario, although not in that kind of detail,'' Calgary Flames co-owner Harley Hotchkiss told The Globe and Mail. ''Our priority is to have the existing franchises solid.''
President of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Richard Peddie said his organization would listen to any expansion suggestions and downplayed any negative effect it could have on the Maple Leafs.
''When and if the league brings expansion to the table, we'll listen and decide what is best for hockey,'' Peddie told The Globe and Mail. ''The Maple Leafs would not be hurt one bit. In fact, it would help them. They could make all kinds of money renting the Air Canada Centre to the other team.''
Another governor told the newspaper the league would be better served by moving an exisiting team as opposed to granting an expansion franchise.
“I don't think it can be an expansion team,” the unnamed governor told The Globe and Mail. “We can't expand because we would be the laughingstock of professional sports. We've got too many troubled franchises."
In recent years, Balsillie has made attempts to buy the Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins amid speculation he would move the team to the southern Ontario region.
appears some National Hockey League officials think the Toronto market is big enough... more
Jeremy Greenspan of Junior Boys takes us on a tour of his hometown, Hamilton, Ontario, the inspiration and setting for much of their music.Jeremy Greenspan of Junior Boys takes us on a tour of his hometown, Hamilton, Ontario,... more
BRAMPTON, Ontario - A Canadian man accused of participating in military exercises and firearms training as part of a group authorities say plotted to storm Parliament and behead the prime minister was found guilty Thursday.
The man's attorney says the plot was a "jihadi fantasy" and that his client knew nothing about it.
A judge ruled Thursday that evidence of a terrorist group was "overwhelming." The man is the first person to be found guilty of a terrorist offense in Canada since the country enacted anti-terrorism laws in 2001.
The arrests of the 18 group members, known as the "Toronto 18," made headlines around the world and heightened fears in Canada, where people believe they are relatively immune from terrorist strikes.
Prosecutors said there were plans to truck-bomb nuclear power plants and a building housing Canada's spy service.
Seven of those arrested have since had their charges either withdrawn, or stayed. The trials of 10 adults, including the alleged ringleaders, have yet to begin.
Superior Court Justice John Sproat found the man guilty of knowingly participating in a terrorist group. As the 94-page judgment was handed down, the defendant's mother wept quietly in the back of the court.
The man has not been identified because he was 17, a legal minor, when he was arrested in 2006. He is now 20.
Prosecutors argued he attended a training camp where he participated in military exercises and firearms training and that he knowingly participated in a potentially deadly conspiracy. He had pleaded not guilty to terrorism-related charges.
Sproat rejected the defense argument that the plot was a "jihadi fantasy" that the defendant knew nothing about.
"He clearly understood the camp was for terrorist purposes," he said.
The defense, with the help of the prosecution's star witness, had cast the plot as "musings and fantasies" with no possibility of being carried out.
Sproat however said few would have believed the Sept. 11 attacks in the U.S. were a possibility before they happened.
"I'm satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that a terrorist group existed," Sproat said.
Sproat rejected defense arguments that two camps organized by the alleged ringleaders were simply a religious retreat or recreational in nature. "Apparently benign activities may be used to identify and indoctrinate recruits," he said.
Sproat noted that participants marched, played paintball games, shot a handgun and heard lectures on waging war against the West. He also called the young man an "acolyte" of the "charismatic" ringleader.
Evidence was clear the youth listened carefully to his mentor, the plot's ringleader, and wanted to please him, and therefore understood what the camps were about, the judge said.
"He had a full appreciation of the nature of the terrorist group," Sproat said.
The prosecution's star witness, Mubin Shaikh, infiltrated and spied on the alleged terror cell members before their arrests. Shaikh is a former Canadian army cadet and Islamic activist.
Defense lawyer Mitchell Chernovsky had noted that even Shaikh testified that his client was unaware of a plot. Shaikh said outside court that the youth should not have been found guilty. BRAMPTON, Ontario - A Canadian man accused of participating in military exercises and... more
