King Arthur Movie Tristan

Somebody call the politicians!!

In all the fuss I have heard about David Miller, Joe Pantalone or Maria Augimeri being missing in action during the exploding neighbourhood crisis, nobody has explained what they would actually do to improve anything. It's astounding to me that nobody - NOBODY - has suggested they are better off out of the way of the productive work.

It is time, past time, for the people displaced by the explosion to return home and back to some form of normality. There is no way, none whatsoever, that David Miller and his band of merry counsellors can speed that along. Therefore, they are better off getting out of the way of the guys in hazmat suits and letting the guys with hammers and screwdrivers get on with their work.

There's plenty of time for finger pointing, blame fixing and responsibility denial in September. Meanwhile the rest of us can have some peace from it all.

After yet another shooting kills yet another innocent bystander in Toronto the not in a death spiral, Mayor David Miller and Premier Dalton McGuinty have, yet again called for a handgun ban. This time, their pleas seem to have some validity as the handgun in question appears to have been legally owned by a registered handgun owner.

The problem with the above is simple: while the shooter may have had a permit to own the gun, it was still an illegal gun at the time of the shooting. How's that? you say. In order to own a handgun, you must agree it will be in one of two places: at home, locked in a safe; at your gun club, locked in a safe. There are two exceptions to this rule: You may take it out at the gun club for target shooting; you may travel between the club and your home with the gun. In order to do the latter, you must go to the police, notify them of your intent to travel with the gun, and get a temporary travel permit, that allows you to drive with the gun in your vehicle between the two locations. That's it. Take the car, with the gun, to a strip club at 1:00 on a Saturday morning, and the gun is illegal. It is in a non-approved location. David Miller has said one of the reasons he wants a ban is if someone has a gun on them in the streets of Toronto, they can be arrested, no questions asked. That is true either way, if someone has a gun, then they are violating any permit they have, and can be arrested. No questions asked.

Proponents of a handgun ban use such baseless arguments all the time, and they do so for a reason. There is no evidence to suggest banning handguns will have any effect on violent crime. Some States have found letting more people carry guns around results in less violent crime. Britain has found banning the handgun went along with an increase in handgun use. Neither of which proves a pro handgun causation, but they do make a mockery of anti-handgun arguments. There is no reason to ban handguns.

But, some would argue, it can't hurt. There's no legitimate reason to own a handgun, so what have we got to lose? To which I would ask, when the handgun ban fails to decrease violence, which item will be next on the banned list? Which hobby next to be declared pointless? Which freedoms taken away for David Miller's political expediency? What possession of yours will the state confiscate because they have no interest in solving the problem?

Because that's what this is about, finding red herrings to yell about, finding bucks to pass instead of facing up the the real challenges of solving the problem. And when you ask what have we got to lose, the answer is, freedom.

Edmonton Sun's Kerry Diotte hits the nail on the head yesterday, with an op-ed called NYC beats TO anytime. Having been to New York last spring, and spending far too much time since plotting ways to get back, I couldn't agree more. A day in Toronto can be a great time, a wonderful experience, but New York City - Manhattan especially - is a truly amazing place.

A walking city from top to bottom, just a simple stroll from 78'th street down Broadway to Times Square is an experience, with a new discovery around every corner. Toronto simple can't compete. Besides, New York has the worlds greatest restaurant: Peanut Butter & Co.

I knew as I was framing this post in my mind whilst working today, that I would be pretty lonely in my opinion. I knew already what the great Joe Warmington had to say, could have guessed what Right Girl and Wonder Woman were saying, yet still found myself agreeing with David Miller.

I, and this blog, have been supporters of our troops since day one. I used to own one of those magnets, until some anti-war-Bush-hating-BirkenstockAndSock -wearing-smelly-old-needs-a-haircut-hippy-unionist stole mine (or it fell off, who really knows)(see picture right). But again, I must say it, David Miller is right: showing the ribbon can be construed as a political statement.

The debate, then, ought to be, should we be making political statements on public emergency vehicles? And perhaps, a reasonable answer is no.

I happen to think they belong there, I happen to be happy that Rob Ford was prophetic ( "It should be 45-0," adds Councillor Rob Ford. "We should all be 100% behind our brave troops."). But, if the answer is no, we should not be making political statements on public emergency vehicles, that means NO political statements: no breast cancer ribbons; no firetrucks in the gay pride parade. Not just, no right of centre political statements, no political statements. And that's what is really galling everybody. They know this wouldn't even be a question if this was any other cause.

For me though, the best part of this was the bit nobody noticed. The ribbons would stay on until removed during routine maintenance. That means that, unless you are a highly paid unionized mechanic in the city of Toronto, you are not qualified to remove an over sized fridge magnet from a fire truck.

Fortunately, this is all moot, as Toronto council voted 45 - 0 to keep the ribbons. Apparently the city of Toronto e-mail servers were getting a work out.

All the Fluffy news about the worlds biggest nuts.

Nicole Richie celebrated Memorial Day with a party, the invitation to which read:

My fellow Americans its that time of year

To celebrate our country by drinking massive amounts of beer

Let’s stand together as one, live the American dream

Take shots, pass out, & wake up with our pants ripped open at the seems

Let’s glorify this day in your sluttiest tops and your tightest pair of tsubi jeans

Even though we have no f***** clue what Memorial Day really means!! Mashas House Sunday May 28th, at 2pm XXXXX Crest Court Beverly Hills, Ca 90210 There will be a scale at the front door. No girls over 100 pounds allowed in. Start starving yourself now. See you all then!!! PLEASE MAKE SURE TO RSVP AS THIS IS A LARGE PARTY AND WE NEED TO KEEP TRACK OF WHO’S COMING. Thanks

Slutty Clothes on women that are too skinny - nice. Good thing they have brains.

Lindsay Lohan got herself an impaired driving charge, anda substance said to be cocaine was found in her car. One presumes she will get the Parisian treatment, and be banished to some jail time. Or is there a different standard for celebrities that have earned their fame, and actually have an identifiable talent?

Since the accident, Lohan has checked into rehab - again - and friends(?) have suggested she's suicidal.

Not to be outdone, Britney Spears spent Memorial Day eve, drinking her skanky ass off. She was spotted puking in the men's bathroom of the exclusive Sky Bar in Los Angeles. Whether the puking was before, or after, her supposed bathroom tryst with Ryan Phillippe is unknown.

While Britney pukes, A-Rod paints Toronto red. The married Yankee star, who's team is in last place of the American League East, was spotted hitting a strip club with a buxom blond. He later stayed at a different hotel as his team, but not, it is assumed, as the blond.

The Police began their long anticipated reunion tour in Vancouver this week. Reviews have been, frankly, luke-warm, but it's hard to imagine how a concert that begins with Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland playing Message in a Bottle could be bad. In fact, I have heard a bootleg of the concert, and it sounded pretty good.

As an aside to Police fans, if you haven't already, read Andy Summers Autobiography One Train Later. It's one of the best Autobiography's I have ever read.

Charles Nelson Reilly, the Match Game's answer to Hollywood Squares Paul Lynde, has died at the age of 76. Reilly, like Lynde and The Gong Show's Jaye P. Morgan, became more famous for his role on the game show than for his work that got him a job as a 'celebrity' on that game show. In Reilly's case, he was a Broadway actor, acting teacher and director of note prior to his job on The Match Game.

While Stephan Dion prattles about "The hollowing out of Corporate Canada," the retail music sector is about to get a severe stylus-holing out as Sam The Record Man is set to close the flagship Young Street store in Toronto.

This is news that truly saddens me, as Sam's Young Street is the best CD store, with the greatest inventory that I know of except for the Virgin mega-store in Times Square.

Periodically the Lady Hespeler will decide "Lets go to Toronto and shop!" I always agree, only because I can kill and hour or two, with ease, in Sam's. None of the other stores even come close to the selection of Sam's, especially their classical music department. I will miss those trips downtown, but I can't imagine what would drag me down there now.