Of Football and Rock n'Roll

Oh, what exciting times these are to be a Football fan in Toronto... The Argonauts after a middling start to the season that saw them reach down to a QB who couldn't even make the woeful Hamilton Tiger-Cats, they find themselves at the last week of the season now in sole possession of first place in the CFL's Eastern Conference by a single point over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. I won't argue that Saturdays game was pretty, because a 16-8 win involving a lot of Rouges (Single points on kicks for you American's keeping score), the Argos have stumbled into position to host the Eastern Final a week before the Skydome (Stuff your new name Ted Rogers) hosts the 2007 Grey Cup, the only problem is, they want a commitment to purchase our Playoff tickets by Thursday this week, before we know what date the game will be on. If its an Eastern Semi-Final on November 11 (Remembrance Day), then i will be in Ottawa supporting our Veterans and Troops at the National Remembrance Day Ceremony at the National War Memorial, if its an Eastern Final the week after, you'd better believe i will be at the game.

Saturday night consisted of good old fashioned drinking and rock and roll with friends in Whitby. One of my planning classmates Corby has a house out there, with his Drum Kit in the basement, and a collection of his co-workers now get together monthly for some rock and roll in the basement, some BBQ and Beer, a general all around good time with friends. Another couple of Waterloo planners (Jakey and Edey) joined in this time, and I went out to see friends and enjoy the inevitable requirement of Corby's BBQ skills, Panago Pizza, Rock n' Roll, The Maple Leafs, Random Youtube (turns out R.Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet" videos are funny if you are drunk....) and of course, the Trailer Park Boys!! It turns out, no matter how old you are, sometimes its still good to act like you are 19 and don't know any better and just let rip, especially when its done in a way where the only bad thing that happens is a Sunday morning hangover!

All in all, not a bad way to spend a Saturday in the early fall in Toronto

The Tax Man Commeth

Well, Mayor Miller and the 44 Headed Hydra that is the Toronto City Council finally stepped up and used the powers granted to them by the City of Toronto Act, 2007 last night and voted in the Land Transfer Tax and the Vehicle Registration Act. In theory, neither will actually effect me directly, as whenever i am buying a home, I will be an exempted first time homeowner, and despite my vehicle ownership, its registered at my parents home and not to my Toronto address. It will effect me directly as because of Council's delaying through the summer to now, only about 1/2 the money that could be collected, will be collected next year, which means service cuts and tax increases, the former which will make living in the City more of a pain, the latter which raises the prospect of a big assessment increase on the apartment building i am in, with a consequent rental increase next year.

While i actually support the taxes, as i believe it behoofs our elected representatives at the local level to use whatever powers they have before we go running cap in hand to the Provincial or National governments, the fact that they both have surpluses illustrates the problems in our Federal System. What worked in 1867 in the British North America Act with making "Municipalities Creatures of the Provinces" (See, i did pay attention in class every now and then), doesn't anymore. The radical growth of Cities in the intervening 140 years means that Municipalities, especially the larger ones like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver must have a seat at the table. These places drive our economy, house the majority of our population, and as the recent bridge collapses in Montreal show, are on the verge of collapse from lack of funding for proper infrastructure renewal and expansion.

While i applaud Toronto City Council for doing something, there is more they can do on their own, as well as now being able to go to the Province or the Feds and be able to say they are trying to use the tools they have. I don't know that it will help, but at least they have started making the effort.

Tales of Casks and Fountains

So, how better to start this than with a tale of beer, and great beer at that. My weekend started with the eager anticipation of the 2007 Volo Cask Days at Bar Volo, a fine establishment on Yonge Street in Toronto. As always, Ralph and his family and staff worked insane hours to serve us, the beer loving public, keeping the restaurant open normal hours till 2am Friday night (nee Saturday morning), then working till between 4 and 6am to get prepped for the Cask Festival. After all of this, he had the audacity to apologize for being 10 minutes late in opening at 10am for the preview breakfast!!! Even when we got there Ralph was still working like crazy to get ready!! As always, the many fine brewers of Ontario stepped up to the plate, everytime I think they can't go any further they do. Kudos to all, but I am especially singling out a few, Magnotta for their "Fog on the Tyne" IPA with Weizen yeast, for a product from a brewery i would normally pass over, well done!! Ken and the Black Oak Crew for the S.T.F.U Pale Ale, another great name and another well made beer. The "Grains of Wrath" brewed by John from Church Key to be a house beer for Volo was excellent, I look forward to having it again in the future. And to the Biergotter Home Brew Club. You put out some amazing products, you are a hugely talented group. The Monks Elixer was great (maybe a few more months ageing wouldn't hurt), and I have heard nothing but good things about this years Hopocalypse Redux.

My Saturday ended with me sitting down with my roommates to share some beers and Watch Transformers on DVD, this ended with our kitchen receiving a new coat of Barell Aged Gonzo Imperial Porter Paint. Suffice to say, many tears were shed as we tried to control ourselves at the silliness of the situation as a fine beer sprayed across our apartment!!! That said, for the amount of Gonzo on the walls, we still got 6 sample glasses out of the bottle, so maybe we are lucky after all. We followed the Gonzo with a Great Divide Double Hercules IPA and a Three Floyds Dreadnought Imperial IPA, both of which did not explode, allowing us to watch the rest of Transformers on DVD in relative peace (this being my 5th viewing, 2 in theatres, 1 in IMAX, one a download and one DVD viewing), and i am still amazed that Michael Bay didn't screw it up. Onwards to a sequel, give me Grimlock and the real Devastator (ie the Constructicons, not the mislabeled Brawl from the movie) and I will be gold.