The Spengler Cup: A Brief History

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Edward Brain

The Spengler Cup is scheduled to begin in 10 days in Davos Switzerland.  The tournment starts on December 26th (Boxing Day) and runs until New Year’s.  It started in 1923.

The tournament was started by Dr. Carl Spengler as a tournament for German language countries who need a positive boast after the end of the First World War.  However, it soon started attracting teams from all over Europe.  The tournament was so successful that non-European teams, from countries like the U.S. and Canada now compete.  Qualification is by invitation Continue reading →

Posted in Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Peter O’Toole Has Died

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Edward Brain
English: Screen shot from the extended (12 min...

English: Screen shot from “Lawrence of Arabia” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Famed English actor Peter O’Toole has passed away in London after a lengthy illness.  Mr. O’Toole was 81.

Mr. O’Toole was most famous for his portrayal of T.E. Lawrence in the movie Lawrence of Arabia.  He would win a BAFTA Award for his performance in the movie, as well as first Academy Award nomination. Continue reading →

Posted in Obituaries | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Canada Post to end Door-to-Door Delivery

Posted on December 11, 2013 by Edward Brain
A Canada Post box.

A Canada Post box.

Today, Canada Post has announced that it will end door-to-door delivery of mail over the next five years and increase the postal rate to $1 for stamps purchased on an individual basis, or 85 cents each if purchased in a pack.

A Conference Board of Canada report earlier this year claimed that “mail volumes are expected to drop another 25 per cent in the next seven years“.  Of course, part of the issue here is Canada Post. Continue reading →

Posted in General, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa, & Joe Torre to enter Cooperstown

Posted on December 11, 2013 by Edward Brain

The Expansion Era Committee of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum has unanimously elected three managers to the Hall of Fame: Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa, & Joe Torre.

Each manager has had a successful tenure with one team, winning at least one World Series title with the team they are most familiar with. Continue reading →

Posted in Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Roy Halladay Announces Retirement; Retires as a Blue Jay

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Edward Brain

Two time Cy Young award winner Roy Halladay has announced his retirement today, immediately after announcing that he had re-signed with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Halladay broke into the majors with the Blue Jays on September 20th, 1998.  In his second start, on September 27th, he would one hit the Detroit Tigers in a 2-1 victory.  The one run came off a solo homerun with two out in the ninth, which spoiled a no hitter. Continue reading →

Posted in Toronto Blue Jays | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nelson Mandela Dead at 95

Posted on December 5, 2013 by Edward Brain

Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid fighter and former President of South Africa, has passed away at the age of 95

Mr. Mandela was born in the village of Mvezo, Cape Province in the then Union of South Africa.  He was the son of Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa and Nosekeni Fanny.  He was the descendant of Ngubengcuka, the King of the Thembu people. Continue reading →

Posted in Obituaries | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Non-Owners and Residents have no Right to Parking Spots

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Edward Brain

Gerry Hyman has a new article.  Let’s discuss some of the question brought up:

QUESTION:  Twenty years ago we purchased a parking unit in a condominium corporation across the street from our home. We have now been advised that the declaration has been changed by a vote of owners to provide that parking units may only be rented or sold to a resident owner of the condominium building. That means that we will be unable to sell the parking unit to a purchaser of our home which does not have a garage. Can the board make a declaration change that will affect the sale price of our home? Continue reading →

Posted in Condominiums | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jack Morris Deserves a spot in Cooperstown

Posted on December 1, 2013 by Edward Brain

Jack Morris is eligible for the 15th and final time to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.  I believe he should be there.

Jack Morris is a four time World Series winner, having won two World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays, and one with both the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins.  He pitched the deciding game of the 1991 World Series for the Twins and was on three straight World Series winning teams (1991 with the Twins, plus the 1992 and 1993 World Series with the Blue Jays. Continue reading →

Posted in Toronto Blue Jays | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Don Pasquale at the U of T Opera

Posted on November 29, 2013 by Edward Brain

Last night I attended the opening performance of the University of Toronto Opera’s first production of Gaetano Donizetti’s comic opera Don Pasquale.  The production is directed by Michael Patrick Albano and conducted by Sandra Horst.  The cast starred Dylan Wright (Don Pasquale), Zachary Read (Dr. Malatesta), Jonathan MacArthur (Ernesto), Andrea Núñez (Norina/Sofronia), and Mikail Shemet (Calrlino.)

The action takes place, not in Rome in the early 19th Century, but in Toronto’s ‘Little Italy’ neighbourhood in 1955.  The set features the front of several businesses, including the ‘Pasquale Pizzeria and Café.’  The set also includes a turntable which allows the scene to be rotated to few the inside of Pasquale’s house, and is done a few times during a scene.  The whole set, and updating to Toronto in the 1950’s was a success in my opinion as humour still exists, and the story works just as well in in either the 19th 0r 20th Century.  Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

50 Years since Camelot Ended

Posted on November 22, 2013 by Edward Brain
Picture of President Kennedy in the limousine ...

Picture of President Kennedy in the limousine in Dallas, Texas, on Main Street, minutes before the assassination. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today marks the 50th Anniversary of the JFK Assassination.  On this day in 1963, while riding through Dallas, Texas, U.S. President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed by Lee Harvey Oswald.  Many people still remember where they were when they heard the news of his assassination.

The official report of the assassination, the Warren Commission, stated that Lee Harvey Oswald acted on his own on November 22, 1963 when he shot and killed the President, and also concluded that Jack Ruby acted on his own when he shot Oswald two days later. Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments