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Canzine 2008 hits Toronto on Sunday, October 26 at 1pm at the Gladstone Hotel.

Canzine is Canada's Largest zine fair and festival of alternative culture. Gonna be pretty amazing, with booths and stuff set up, along with readings and film screenings. An absolute MUST SEE is Spencer Butt, he's an amazing poet and all around great guy, so while you're there checking it all out, make sure to check him out.

For more details...CLICK HERE

Flaherty speaks...

Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has announced a loan protection plan. This could protect Canadian's looking for long-term loans from defaulting on these loans.

The federal government will provide a "backstop" to the country's banks, offering insurance on their wholesale term borrowing, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said Thursday.

Flaherty said in Ottawa that the government is making the guarantee available so the country's banks aren't put at a competitive disadvantage amid the global credit squeeze. By doing so, Canada is following similar steps already taken by more than a dozen countries, including the U.S., the U.K., Australia, Spain, Ireland, Germany and Sweden.

"Our actions will help Canadian financial institutions secure access to longer-term funds so that they can continue lending to consumers, homebuyers and businesses in Canada," Flaherty said.

Flaherty said the insurance will be offered to federally regulated deposit-taking institutions on commercial terms, with no expected cost to taxpayers.

He told reporters that the program is only temporary, lasting from November to April. He said it will be up to the financial institutions to decide if they want to pay the premium to insure their debt.

As someone with very little money of his own, this doesn't exactly put my mind at ease. However, it is good to see that there is government regulating what's going on with our banks. The global crisis is absolutely insane. Hope you're speaking with your financial advisors! Don't try deal with anything on your own!

Palin Cancer

Governor Sarah Palin is being described as a cancer on the GOP. David Brooks, a staunch GOP supporter, says she is a "fatal cancer" in a recent interview. The Palin-effect is being blamed for Sen. Barack Obama's new lead in the polls. Well thank God that people finally woke up and realized just what was at stake. McCain is not exactly young - he's the oldest presidential candidate ever - and Sarah Palin has essentially no foreign experience. I can't imagine what it must be like living in the US right now - poor economy, an unjust war, $25 million raised to oppose same-sex marriage - but I am very glad that there is distaste for this woman. It is obsurd that she was nominated...and I'm just happy that she is single-handedly ruining McCain's campaign.

Says Brooks...

[Sarah Palin] represents a fatal cancer to the Republican party. When I first started in journalism, I worked at the National Review for Bill Buckley. And Buckley famously said he'd rather be ruled by the first 2,000 names in the Boston phone book than by the Harvard faculty. But he didn't think those were the only two options. He thought it was important to have people on the conservative side who celebrated ideas, who celebrated learning. And his whole life was based on that, and that was also true for a lot of the other conservatives in the Reagan era. Reagan had an immense faith in the power of ideas. But there has been a counter, more populist tradition, which is not only to scorn liberal ideas but to scorn ideas entirely. And I'm afraid that Sarah Palin has those prejudices. I think President Bush has those prejudices.

(Source)

A bit of entertainment news...

Lady Madonna..total bitch
Madonna's divorce is bringing out all sorts of beautiful, airy details about the lovely marriage between the woman and her soon-to-be-ex, Guy Ritchie. Reports of the Queen of Pop being harsh, demanding and otherwise...a total bitch, now there are reports from celebrity blogger Perez Hilton that it was Guy's gold digging ways that led to the divorce.
Madge is currently on tour (complete with her disgusting arms), and recently rocked the ACC two nights in a row here in Toronto. Apparently, she's already over the divorce. Did I mention she hired Paul McCartney's divorce lawyer?

It's Britney, Bitches.
The Pop Princess is back, if she ever really left. After what can only be described as the worst/most amazing public fall from grace, including several stints in both rehab and psychiatric wards, along with the loss of custody rights over her two children, she's back. And getting better media coverage than ever! Her new single, Womanizer, jumped a remarkable 95 spots in one week to reach #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. This is the highest ranked single since her debut, ...Baby One More Time. And the video... Well, it looks like a mash-up of Toxic and Gimme More, but she certainly puts rumours of her body to rest.... Click Here to View.

Who loves Tina Fey? (I do!)

Bill Clinton gives straight answers.

I love this man. His appearance on Letterman may give some people a better understanding of what exactly happened to create the economic turmoil in the United States.

Loonie drops, along with gas prices.

Markets aren't exactly bouncing back from the global financial crisis that began in the US several weeks ago. The Canadian dollar is dropping, to a rate lower than it has been in over three years. The only bonus: lower gas prices. So, while financial experts and stock brokers may be freaking out, regular people are happy enough to have affordable gas again.

The Canadian dollar briefly fell below 80 cents US on global currency markets on Wednesday, while North American stock markets began the day weakly.

The loonie later traded at 80.06, off 2.33 cents US from Tuesday's finish. The dollar hasn't closed under 80 cents U.S. since the middle of June 2005.

The loonie shed 1.38 cents on Tuesday, after the Bank of Canada cut the target for the overnight rate by one-quarter of a percentage point.

The Canadian dollar has been under pressure as investors move back into the U.S. dollar and oil prices continue to retreat.

So what is going on?? Well, the global markets aren't doing well. And Canadians are feeling different effects.

My advice: Talk to your financial planners. Also, stockpile gas. Who knows when it'll be cheap again.

World Press Photo Exhibition

It has become incredibly cold in Toronto.
Thank goodness for the World Press Photo Exhibition. It is an incredible way to escape the cold that has taken the city by surprise.
I mean, seriously, there were people with shirts off in the park two weeks ago. What the hell?

Tomorrow (Wednesday, Oct 22) is the final day for it. And let me just say that it is absolutely phenomenal. Anyone with a day off who wants to see some of the most amazing, thought-provoking and powerful photos of the past year should consider this an absolute must.

Details:
It is located at the Allen Lambert Gallery @ BCE Place (181 Bay St, Toronto, ON)
The exhibition runs from 7am - 10pm, so you and yours can make your way there after work or dinner or...whatever.
Best part? Admission is 100% FREE!

Who loves TV?

I'd like to take this opportunity to discuss some of my favorite shows of this season.

1. Weeds, Season 4.
I would just like to say that I resisted watching this show until this summer. It started innocently enough, renting the first disc of season 1...and the next thing I know, I'd seen everything that Nancy Botwin and her family had done over 4 seasons. The fourth season of the show, which airs on SHOWCASE, keeps getting better and better. Anyone who wants to see a hot soccer mom turn into a pot dealer and have to deal with all the pitfalls (money laundering) and benefits (paid cash for a new Prius) of the trade, seriously needs to watch this show. It is hilarious, crazy and totally entertaining. Amazing cast.

2. Heroes, Season 3.
After a lack-luster second season, the cast is back to true form. And VILLAINS! This season sees Claire fighting crime, Sylar being..well, still awesomely creepy, Suresh losing his shit, and Peter still trying to be the "All-American" good boy. So far, it has been pretty great. The story is moving along quite nicely and the only thing that sucks is the loss of the beautiful (and bitchy) Elle, played by the gorgeous Kristen Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Veronica Mars, Gossip Girl).

3. Gossip Girl, Season 2.
Even before you start rolling your eyes, just take a moment to go watch an episode or two. If you still aren't convinced...you're either too old or just don't want to admit to yourself that it is horribly addictive.
Season 2 starts with the group enjoying the tail end of their summer vacations. Chuck Bass, played by the delightful Brit, Ed Westwick, is still the man you wish you were. Heartless, perfectly dressed and totally upfront about his intentions (they are basically sex and money). He and Serena were holed up at their family's home in the Hamptons, along with Nate, while Blair was off in France, and the Humphrey's did their thing in the Big Apple.
Drama soon ensues as they all head back to the city. I can't even begin to tell you what is happening for fear that you haven't seen any of the episodes. But it is truly a great, totally guilty pleasure.

4. The Rachel Zoe Project
"Who the eff is Rachel Zoe?" Well, she's a celebrity stylist with a reality show that may or may not have been cancelled. But it is available on YouTube and is totally awesome. It follows her and her two assistants as they prepare for awards season in Hollywood. It sounds totally ridiculous because it is. That's why I love it. "....I'm getting a total witchvibe."

5. CBC: The National
What Canadian in the right mind doesn't love watching this program? If you don't watch the news, you really need to start.

Voters no-show, Dion bows out.

I am pretty disappointed in the low voter turnout that this country saw in the latest election. And while I believe the election was a total waste of taxpayers dollars, I have to say that Liberal Leader Stephane Dion didn't do as poorly as was expected, though he didn't really make anything change for his party or supporters in the latest election. And the reason is simple: he lacks charisma. An academic, he most certainly is. A man of enthusiasm, sure. But a man of passion, no. Or at least not in the language spoken by the majority of those who occupy Canada: English.

This is not to say that Harper is anything close to charismatic or passionate, but he leads the Tories - not exactly known for their outgoing ways.

It will be good for the Liberal party to find a new leader. The party needs some new life and kick to it. The only problem could be insufficient funds. There have been rumblings that those who ran for Liberal leadership with Dion the last time around haven't been able to pay their campaign bills.

Who do you think should be the new party leader?

So we begin.

Well I've decided that a blog is the best way to keep my writing skills sharp while I search for a job in the big city of Toronto. After finishing school, I moved east from Regina to Toronto. That's over 2500kms. Funny how a three hour flight can make it seem not so far away.

Studying journalism, I realized that I had zero interest in the broadcasting profession. This has made my choice of career that much more challenging, as writers who have made their lives as journalists are in no hurry to retire - good for them, terrible for those trying to make a name for themselves in the field. So, as a result, I wait tables and blog. The alternative is public relations, but I'm not convinced it's for me just yet.

The blog will cover an array of topics - from news to business to entertainment. Hope that readers enjoy what I've got to say.

Best,

CPD