Two models of crossbow are being recalled over safety fears. Cameron Sports Imports (CSI) yesterday announced the voluntary recall of the Buffalo River crossbows because of trigger mechanisms which "can become dangerous under certain circumstances". CSI said anyone who bought the KTB8035 folding or KTB8032 fibreglass, as far back as January 23, 2008, should stop using it and bring it in for a free repair.
HAMILTON — Jim Balsillie has unveiled his vision for a revamped Copps Coliseum that would be home to a third Ontario NHL franchise.
Balsillie’s plans for the arena feature an atrium-style entrance lobby, luxury boxes, lounges and restaurants, new seats and a state-of-the art video scoreboard. The arena would seat up to 18,000 spectators.
The BlackBerry boss has made a US$212.5-million bid for the Phoenix Coyotes on the condition he can move the club to Hamilton.
The NHL is against the move and instead wants to find a buyer who will keep the team in Glendale, Ariz.
Balsillie’s Copps reno would cost upwards of $150 million.
Earlier this month, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty left the door open to using public funds for the project but said he would have to wait and see Balsillie’s proposal.
Copps Coliseum opened in 1985 and currently seats 19,000, depending on the configuration.
Metro news services
The request from four major record labels to fine the Pirate Bay operators for every day the site remains up and running was declined by the Swedish District Court today. Contrary to what the labels had requested, the court said it wants to hear the defendants before it will take any action.
In the request to the District Court, music industry lawyer Peter Danowsky had pointed out that The Pirate Bay links to hundreds of music albums to which the record labels own the rights. The labels consequently demanded action, and wanted the Pirate Bay team to remove the torrents, close the site or pay up. The labels further asked the court to apply financial penalties immediately, without hearing the opinions of the defendants.
Interestingly, Pirate Bay’s Peter Sunde has stated that they were never asked by the record labels to remove any of the torrents Danowsky referred to in his request to the District Court. Sunde, who is one of the defendants himself, despised the actions of the record labels and said that they are only interested in money and power, and not the artists they claim to represent.
After reviewing the case, the District Court has denied the labels’ demands today, and said that they will give the Pirate Bay operators a few weeks to state their position in the dispute. The record labels are also given a week to, should they chose, appeal the District Court’s decision to the Court of Appeal.
Judge Caroline Hindmarsh who reviewed the demands and made the decision said: “I don’t think these are circumstances where the case must be tried immediately. Usually you get to make your statement before a demand like this is granted”
The record labels have not yet decided whether to appeal the District Court’s decision. “We will decide tomorrow if we will appeal or not”, said Peter Danowsky in a comment. Meanwhile, The Pirate Bay keeps serving millions of BitTorrent users as usual.
I feel the exactly the opposite when it comes to Barry Taylor. Monotone and laid-back, his delivery is pretty much the antithesis of the most annoying of DJs. At 30, the Hamilton native has already been on an on-air presenter at the Edge for five years. As the host of regular lister-interactive segments such as "The Barry Interesting Survey," "The 4:20 Thought," and Megaphone man, Barry entertains in the vein of Stephen Wright - with deadpanned coolness. His sometimes awkward, casually opinionated, always friendly delivery is a breath of fresh air. I caught up with Barry Taylor to talk about radio, music and his adventures behind the mic, both on radio and in stand-up comedy.
What music did you listening to growing up? Did you ever listen to CFNY?
Growing up I was more into hip hop music than anything. Like most people in the '90s I liked Pearl Jam and STP, Alice in Chains and Green Day. My friends were into punk music which got me into NOFX. The artists that I listened to most were probably EPMD, Jurrassic 5, Pharcyde, Lost Boyz, Wu Tang, Beastie Boys and Rage Against the Machine. I used to like listening to the live to air from the Kingdom on Friday nights because of the music. I listened to talk radio more than anything.
You worked at the station first as an intern and then with promotions. How did you end up on the air and was that always the goal?
I began interning at the Edge while in college. I got hired as a promotions assistant and a few months later there was an opening for an overnight position. I applied and was shot down right away because my voice was too monotone. I went back the following week with a cheesy demo that had more "energy" and got the position. I wanted to be on the Edge because it seemed to be the radio station that most reflected my personality and allowed for growth.
Other then the fact you're speaking into a microphone, is there anything similar between stand-up comedy and radio hosting?
Yeah stand-up is a lot different than radio. I think that's why I like it so much. There's an immediate reaction that's not there with radio. You're your own censor. It's real freedom.
If I ever bring up the radio to my friends (and when radio is mentioned on this blog) a consistent response is, "Who listens to radio anymore?" Do you still have listeners or is it pretty much the same eight people calling in every night for the Barry Interesting Survey?
Who does listen to the radio? There's so many other options. I'm a big believer in providing content with music, if not, why would anyone listen? Some radio programmers think you just need to play the hits over and over and over and people will listen. I've never understood that. Talk radio will last though. When I take calls there's a pretty diverse group. There's a few people who call in regularly. It's just nice knowing some guys will take time away from Dungeons and Dragons and/or World of Warcaft to participate.
Digital media has put challenging demands on more traditional forms of media, mainly print, radio and television. In regards to radio, I seem to find it's becoming more and more homogeneous, trying to reach out to the widest listener base as possible. Do you find it strange that a station called "The Edge" would play so many songs that can be found on Mix 99.9, 104.5 and 103.5?
Yeah it's weird. The rating system for radio is really flawed and doesn't benefit stations like the Edge. In the next year or so a people meter will be introduced, which will really change things. Ratings data will be a lot more accurate. Right now radio programmers are handcuffed. I still think you need a balance of content and music to really attract an audience. Keep in mind, most stations are owned by corporations now and the more people that listen the more money the station makes.
I dug up this quote from a great 2005 post on this site about radio: "I still find it hard to believe that radio stations are that hard-pressed for new material that they have to rotate the same thirty songs constantly throughout the day." CFNY has a long history of playing actual alternative music where new bands could be discovered. You must hear hundreds of new bands every year (through, among others, the Steam Whistle Indie Club). Are there really not enough decent bands that would work on the radio, or is there just not enough room for them on commercial radio?
It's tough. You've got to pick your spots. I'm a big fan of Canadian content regulations though most people aren't. 36% of the music we've got to play has to be Canadian. Without that, bands like the Flatliners, Bedouin Soundclash, Tokyo Police Club and even Alexisonfire wouldn't have gotten on the radio. Not because they didn't deserve it but because they're up against bands promoted by major labels. There's lots of politics. There's more than enough music out there to avoid playing the same songs over and over, but it goes back to the ratings system. On air people have little if any choice in the music that's playing while they work.
I get the feeling from a lot of hardcore music fans that the only good bands left in the world are the one's most people have never heard of. What are you thoughts on that?
It seems like anytime a band gets popular they lose credibility with hardcore music fans. Kings of Leon is that band now. That's true with any subjective material though. I guess people like to be unique; that or they want to be able to say "I knew that before you did". It's a self esteem issue, really. I just drink that stuff away.
What's it like having a store front studio in the heart of the city? Any good stories or characters?
228 Yonge Street. The sequel to that show 227. During one of the first overnight shifts I worked at the studio I had just turned on my mic to talk and as I looked up a drunken homeless man was whipping out his dang and pissing on the see through glass door directly in front of me. I think I probably just said on air what was happening. Not really much else I could do. There are lots of homeless people in downtown Toronto - sometimes they'll just hang out in front and listen to the music, and some even dance. It's like a live rendition of the Michael Jackson Thriller video most of the time.
Where are some of your favorite places in the city to have a drink or listen to music?
Favourite venue is probably Lee's Palace. The first time I saw the Music was at Lee's. Blew my freakin' mind. I saw the Weakerthans there too, which was great. For a night out I really like McVeighs Irish Pub. I do stand-up and/or drink there every couple of weeks. The staff are great and it's comfortable.
Where are your next stand-up gigs?
I've recently joined Facebook. It's 2005 in my world. I use it strictly to post my stand-up gigs. And surf for tail.
Have pigeons always had an affinity for you?
If Mike Tyson has taught us anything, it's that we all need to respect the pigeon. That's something the Croc Hunter never understood.
Collingwood to host Wakestock:
Wakestock is finally GOing to Collingwood. After a lengthy stay in the Toronto Islands for many years (2005 to 2008), the town council unamiously approved on having this multi-day event being held in Collingwood. I first posted my own view about the rumours of the event surfacing back last month. At the time, the internet community is surfacing rumours that the festival won’t take place in the Toronto Islands as it had for many years. This plan can now finally be ruled out.
The event will take place on August 6th to August 9th, 2009 at Collingwood Harbour. The Issues surrounding the event were addressed by the organizers of the event to the town council. In 2004, the demise of Wakestock was contributed to the hundreds – if not thousands of fans that were rowdy and were arrested for druken behaviour and many phsyical fights.
It’s a wait-and-see scenario for many people in Collingwood. If the organizers do not abide to the rules set by the council, the town has the authority to stop the festival at any time and at all costs. The main drawback to having the festival in Collingwood is that – how would people in the Toronto area without a car would be able to shuttle back from the concert venue and into the downtown core? My solution: have major sponsorships sponsoring shuttle buses. It would can cost a lot of money, but it does make a lot of sense. How about carpooling/ridesharing? That would be a definite bonus (despite a recent provincial decision that bars Pickuppal from operating in the province of Ontario).
A paramedic was facing disciplinary action today after he walked into a supermarket crowded with shoppers wearing just a thong.
The ambulanceman had been on duty when he strode defiantly into the Tesco store wearing just the underwear and a pair of socks after staff refused to serve him while he was wearing his ambulance uniform.
Police were called in and interviewed the medic about his actions which were said to have left shop staff and customers embarrassed and stunned.
Supermarket showdown:The Tesco store in Addlestone, Surrey, where a paramedic stripped down to his thong and socks after being refused alcohol because he was wearing his uniform
The man, aged in his 40's, had walked into the large Tesco shop at Addlestone, Surrey wearing his full all-in-one green coloured ambulance uniform.
He selected a bottle of wine but become annoyed when the check-out assistant told him it was the store's policy not to sell alcohol to people wearing uniform.
The paramedic then stormed out of the shop, walked to his vehicle in the car park and took off his uniform.
However, he didn't stop there - and stripped right down to the thong and pair of socks he was wearing. Then he walked back into the shop and asked the same cashier:
'Now, I'm not wearing my uniform any more. Will you serve me now?' The assistant refused and the manager was called, along with the police.
Refused: Tesco would not serve the man while wearing his full ambulance uniform (posed by models)
Rachael Monkton, who had been in the Tesco store shopping when the incident took place, said: 'He was shopping with a woman when the girl at the check-out said she couldn't let him buy alcohol.
'He got a bit agitated and the manager was called over but she took the side of her employee.
'So the paramedic stormed out, leaving the woman at the tills and when he came back he was just in his underwear.
'People were staring at him and laughing - I couldn't believe my eyes. Normally people would pay to see a man in uniform strip but we got a free show,' added Rachael.
A spokesman for Tesco confirmed that it was company policy not to serve members of the emergency services if they were wearing uniform and stood by the cashier's actions.
'It is absolutely right that the cashier did not serve him when he was in uniform but what happened afterwards was unprecedented,' he said.
'We realise that the customer may not have understood why he was refused alcohol but it was simply a member of our staff following company policy and the actions which followed were wholly unnecessary,' the spokesman added.
The paramedic, who is employed by the South East Coast Ambulance NHS Trust, Surrey division, was understood to have been spoken to by his managers and to be facing the possibility of suspension and disciplinary action.
It was the second time in as many months that a customer at the Addlestone branch of Tesco has stripped in the store in protest at actions of the staff.
In February, 68-year-old Norman Matthews took off his clothes after being wrongly accused of stealing a scratch card from the customer service desk.
