NEWSPAPERS TEND TO fuel thought and conversation. In the future, they might also fuel our automobiles.
Researchers at Tulane University have discovered a bacterial strain – TU-103 – that uses newsprint to produce butanol, a biofuel that can serve as a cheaper and more environmentally friendly substitute for gasoline.
TU-103 is the first bacterial strain from nature that produces butanol directly from cellulose, an organic compound found in all green plants – and “the most abundant organic material on earth,” the research team notes in a news release.
Nice to see that newspapers still have value in the digital age. Continue reading →
Cooper, normally a pretty serious guy but given to the occasional light-hearted moment, triggered his own laughter outbreak with a few puns that I think were quite clever – he spoke of Depardieu’s “jet stream” and concluded: “All I can say is they should thank their lucky stars it wasn’t Depar-two.” Continue reading →
The featured match was a semi-final between Serena Williams – in the midst of a comeback following health issues – and Victoria Azarenka, the Belarusian who is attracting quite a bit of notoriety, and criticism, for her on-court grunting, which the Globe and Mail aptly described as “a high-pitched warble (that) lingers for almost two seconds”: Continue reading →
Son of Gretzky isn’t a hockey player, at least not good enough of one to go pro. But he’s not a half-bad baseball player. According to MLB.com, Trevor finished his senior season with a .393 batting average, with one home run and 27 RBIs in 31 games in 2011.
He’s not posting spectacular, prodigious numbers just yet; to be fair, the young Gretzky is recovering from injury. But if I were the Cubs, a team with little left to lose, I’d take a chance on a kid named Gretzky, too.
I DIDN’T KNOW ABOUTThe Brokers With Hands on Their Faces Blog back in 2008, when the global economy took a big ol’ tumble into the toilet. I’m sure it would have lent a bit of bizarre lightheartedness to an otherwise f-d up situation.
The blog – which, as per its name, showcases images of brokers with hands on their faces, those cliched photos that most every newspaper in the world runs whenever the economy takes a turn for the worst – was launched in the fall of 2008 as a humorous response to the big crash. It ceased operations in 2009 when things seemed to be improving, at least as far as financial markets were concerned.
With the markets having resumed their madness over the past week, however, TBWHOTFB creator Matthew Robison – who has since relocated from New York to Wisconsin, and is struggling to make ends meet – decided to re-start his Tumblr photo blog with fresh images of, well, brokers with hands on their faces. Honestly, you’d think these guys would be used to watching the markets get hammered; that reacting like that would just be a waste of energy at this point. Continue reading →
THE CANADIAN NATIONAL EXHIBITION, Toronto’s annual summer fair, is a nexus of summer-eating naughtiness, a place where fatty food lovers can really get their fix.
Last year deep fried butter was the talk of the town. This year, it’s the donut cheeseburger, which has two Krispy Kreme donuts for a bun. This heart attack waiting to happen comes to the CNE courtesy of Epic Burgers and Waffles, a local proprietor which put out a press release earlier this week to promote their public health hazard. “The salty/sweet combination is a perfect convergence of all that is insanely good,” the company boasts.
NEW YORK TIMES columnist Paul Krugman is taking the U.S. news media to task for the cult of “balance” in its coverage of the recent debt showdown – reportage that characterized the Democrats and Republicans as “equally intransigent” during negotiations.
This simplistic “he said, she said” portrayal of the debt debate prompted pundits to “fantasize about some kind of ‘centrist’ uprising,” Krugman notes, “as if the problem was too much partisanship on both sides.”
Paul Krugman
The essence of the media’s cult of “balance,” he says, is “the insistence on portraying both parties as equally wrong and equally at fault on any issue, never mind the facts.” If one party declared that the earth was flat, Krugman quips, “the headlines would read ‘Views Differ on Shape of Planet.’”
The thing about always covering political disputes as if both parties are equally to blame is that there’s “no penalty for extremism,” he adds. “Voters won’t punish you for outrageous behavior if all they ever hear is that both sides are at fault.” Continue reading →
LOOKS LIKE I’M not the only one in for a long weekend – those doofuses in the U.S. Congress continue to wrangle over raising the debt ceiling with the deadline just days away. Hopefully these “leaders” can reach some sort of deal soon and avoid destroying their own country and taking the world economy down along with them.
Merry Christmas to all — if you celebrate it, or even if you don’t; and even if you don’t, you’re still going to love Simon’s cat in ‘Santa Claws’ (unless you don’t like cats, in which case, forget you). Happy … Continue reading → […]
NOVEMBER HAS BECOME synonymous with “Movember,” the annual event during which guys around the world grow moustaches to raise money and awareness for men’s health, prostate cancer specifically. It’s a brilliant publicity campaign that has gathered a huge amount of … Continue reading → […]
HOW’S THAT FOR heeding a warning? Saw this head-shaking piece of work on the way into a Toronto-area hospital yesterday. If the genius driver responsible for the damage could read the sign, apparently he didn’t get the message. ryan@roadtostarrdom.com […]
CANADIAN NOVELIST Russell Smith had a thought-provoking column in the Globe and Mail a few weeks back examining the growing tendency these days for young creative people, writers in particular, to work for free. The spur for the discussion was … Continue reading → […]
NEGATIVE OPINIONS about news organizations have hit an all-time high in the U.S. But Americans trust their news organizations more than they do government and business. This according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center for the People … Continue reading → […]
Recent Articles
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Architect Richard Witt knew he’d designed a great condo when a community meeting for the project ended with him receiving a round of applause.
Living down by the river (January 28, 2012)
David Wex has been so impressed with what’s happening at Underpass Park that the developer recently threw a party there to show it off.
The value of good karma (January 28, 2012)
Karma condo's charity/marketing campaign generated a great deal of interest in the project and raised over $15,000 for three local charities.
Nice guys really do finish first (January 21, 2012)
A gutsy approach to business — tempered by humility and community mindedness — has served Charles Mady well.
Toronto embraces Shangri-La living (January 14, 2012)
If the rip-roaring success of condo sales at Shangri-La Toronto can serve as any indication, this city appears to have embraced the new arrival with open arms.
New townhomes on the ‘Block’(January 14, 2012)
The success of this redesigned townhouse project is a testament to the demand in the city for at-grade contemporary housing.
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Lovely vistas are a big selling point for Lago Condos, Monarch’s latest project at its Waterview master-planned community in Humber Bay.
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Bond, The Bond, coming soon to downtown T.O. (December 3, 2011)
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Picasso: A sculpture on the city skyline (November 25, 2011)
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Ten York will link downtown with the waterfront (November 25, 2011)
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Ion to benefit from new Humber River hospital (November 25, 2011)
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Tarek Sobhi felt that Eglinton Ave. near Bathurst St. was in need of a nice new condo project, having not seen any multi-family development for decades.
Counting out loud (December 2011)
Women started outnumbering men as law school grads a decade ago, but no one knows how they’re faring in the profession. It’s time for law firms to go public.
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It’s an all-too familiar scene: A guy in his mid-50s shoots out of bed at 3 a.m., sweating buckets, deep in the throes of a serious “Oh crap!” moment.
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So you’ve hit the big 4-0. Your glory days aren’t necessarily behind you, but things aren’t as carefree anymore.
Financial Freedom: 30-somethings (September 2011)
You’re in your 30s and you still know how to live the good life, but the realities of adulthood have set in.
Financial Freedom: 20-somethings (July/August 2011)
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The new retirement (May/June 2011)
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There’s nothing more important to the well-being of your house than a properly functioning roof.
Household insurance and weather damage (August 19, 2011)
Simply purchasing a policy doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be sheltered from the potential financial fallout after a storm hits.
Colleges worried about CSC funding cuts (September 16, 2011)
Ontario schools see great value in the relationships they've formed with the Construction Sector Council.
Project owners fear loss of sector council data (September 14, 2011)
The federal government's decision to phase out core funding to the Construction Sector Council has raised concerns among owners.
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Our abundant natural resources, educated workforce and diverse population position Canada to be a global leader, Liberal MP Justin Trudeau says.
NEWSPAPERS TEND TO fuel thought and conversation. In the future, they might also fuel our automobiles.
