Not The Hockey Player » Events

Neil

Gary Roberts — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:51:39 +0000

“Hi, my name’s Neil!” says the guy, loudly, as he turns the corner right in front of me and moves into my way. I’m walking home from work, it’s just after 5PM and starting to get dark. The temperature is 4°, unseasonably warm for January—a nice night to walk home. I have to stop, because …

Egyptian women cane morality police

Gary Roberts — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:54:21 +0000

You go, grrrlz! Post-revolution gangs of young men trying to enforce Sharia law in the Nile delta town of Benha, Egypt, found themselves on the receiving end this week. According to reports in the Egyptian news media: Vigilante gangs of ultra-conservative Salafi men have been harassing shop owners and female customers in rural towns around Egypt …

100 Strangers on New Year’s Eve

Gary Roberts — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 22:04:04 +0000

Walking home along King West today (after braving the crowds at the LCBO to buy a bottle of bubbly for tonight’s New Year’s Eve festivities, which in our case involves sitting at home with cheese, hummus, bread, olives, bruschetta, wine, and a selection of our favourite pre-recorded TV shows), I saw a young couple in front of me with cameras …

Kids sometimes get bad presents

Gary Roberts — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:01:45 +0000

When my little nephew Robert was around 5 or 6 years old, he told me to buy him a toy truck for Christmas. He had a specific truck in mind and even told me where I could buy it. I remember telling him that when we were kids my family didn’t have much money and that our …

Me, in a church? What’s that all about?

Gary Roberts — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 00:24:40 +0000

This isn’t something that happens very often. I’m at Christ Church Deer Park on Yonge Street just north of St. Claire. It’s a very nice church. Quite beautiful, in fact, with its vaulted wooden ceiling and stained glass windows. However, I’m not here to pray or to kowtow to things immaterial, but to listen to the …

Occupy Toronto: It’s all quiet now

Gary Roberts — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:56:08 +0000

Walking through St. James park this morning, I’m struck by how quiet and empty it is—except for a few pedestrians making their way to work—after the Occupy Toronto protesters were evicted yesterday. According to the news this morning, the last remaining protesters were physically removed during the night from the library yurt, which had become …

Occupy Toronto: Mexican stand-off

Gary Roberts — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:05:10 +0000

The police are still trying to evict the protesters at St. James park. According to people I spoke to there, they carried a passive protester out of one the temporary, barricaded structures, which then raised the ire of the crowd. This happened on the east side of the St. James cathedral and the police quickly formed a …

Occupy Toronto eviction underway

Gary Roberts — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:55:48 +0000

I just walked through St. James park on my way to work, where the police are out in force as the eviction of the Occupy Toronto protesters is currently underway. There’s no sense of impending confrontation from either side yet; the police are simply shadowing the by-law officers as they go about their business of taking tents …

An American Theocracy

Gary Roberts — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:30:00 +0000

In just under 12 months time the 2012 U.S. Presidential Elections will take place. We’re already witnessing the various Republican nominees jostling for position in this race, and recently there was a meeting of six Republican presidential candidates in Iowa, the Thanksgiving Family Forum [video on YouTube]. It’s a long video, almost 3 hours in …

City of Toronto calls on protestors to respect Court decision

Gary Roberts — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:49:32 +0000

It’s official—the Occupy Toronto protesters have to pack their tents and move along. The City just issued this news release after Mayor Rob Ford and Toronto City Manager Joe Pennachetti held a 10:15 AM media briefing this morning in response to the Superior Court of Justice – Ontario’s decision. City of Toronto Media Relations has …