JB's Warehouse & Curio Emporium

Photo taken September 2005 - JB

With all the furor about the city's new garbage recepticles, I haven't seen much outcry about the new infomaps popping up in local parks. Their supposed raison d'etre, a neighbourhood map, is hidden by the ads on the outward panels. You'd think the maps would face the street... UPDATE SEP 26TH - Spacing magazine nicely sums up how crappy these are. Note the appropriate advertiser. *** It's official: the National Post reunion is being held at Macleans magazine. All you have to do is check any site following Canadian media. New editor Kenneth Whyte is piling on former Post writers as the magazine takes a more sensational right-wing tack to rebuild its sales. My department has a subscription and my jaw drops further with each issue...though it was funny to see the word "pecker" on this week's cover (the Brian Mulroney bio). Still, with each issue, the urge to take a match to it increases, especially after the friendly look at Wal-Mart. The othe...

Carrying on with our tour... Looking north at the first cross-street, Vankoughnet. Like most one-ways in the Annex, Croft switches directions here. This method of traffic calming confused me when I was little, especially on Brunswick Ave. Because I only ever saw Brunny from Bloor or Harbord, which provide no access onto it, how did cars find their way onto that street? The reversing one-ways may be confusing, and are hellish if looking for a park forces you onto Bloor on a busy night, but they beat the speed bumps favoured elsewhere. UPDATE: While passing Croft on the College streetcar on Saturday, I noticed the traffic direction had changed, so that it flowed southbound instead of northbound. I'll check later if the direction has changed for the rest of Croft. Modern architecture at #54. More car barn graffiti, near Ulster St. Mind-blowin'! The main stretch of Croft comes to a halt at Harbord St, as Central Tech blocks its path. Originally located at St. Lawr...

This white box came in a bag of coupons and storage containers given away by Sunrise Tofu at an Asian-themed food show at Exhibition Place. What surprises does it hold? The suspence mounts. What lurks beneath the wrapping? It's a pig! A glittery, gold piggy bank! A side view of Goldpig, with a word from its sponsor. Isn't it larve-ly? - JB

This post is the first of a series looking at some of Toronto's interesting sidestreets, roads waiting to be explored by bicycle or foot. If you have any suggestions for future installments, send them along. First up: Croft Street. Croft runs through an "in-between" area. The northern stumps fit in with the Annex, while the southern stretch doesn't feel like any neighbourhood in particular - you are within a 5-10 minute walk of Kensington Market (SE), U of T (E) and Little Italy (W). The sign greeting you at College. At first glance, it looks like a glorified alley that may have earned a name due to its length. Even as a one-way street, Croft can be a hair-raising trip, with little room for cars and pedestrians to share. Looking north from College. Our walk starts at the south end, with new murals at College commemorating the great Toronto fire of 1904 (also check the Ontario government site here ). The murals illustrate the origins of the street's ...

All summer, I've tried to visit Point Pelee . Lack of time or bad weather quashed most attempts, but Amy and I finally made to the southern tip of Canada on Saturday. We started off at the marsh boardwalk. This faded sign greeted us. (Note: picture altered to show text on sign - it was faded enough to be useless) The boardwalk was wobbly but busy. The furthest section and watchtower were closed due to decaying planks - a sign indicated discussion were underway as to its fate. The marsh itself was full of canoeists, which turned the gears in my head. We'd rented a canoe years ago and, other than one crash, suffered no mishaps. Attempts to convince Amy to rent one since were futile. This time, she was open to the idea, so we plonked down our $20 deposit and waiting for one to return (canoe rentals at Pelee are cheap - $10/hr!) I might have imagined myself as Pierre Trudeau, majestically paddling his canoe, clad in buckskin. The reality was Charles Tupper, John Turner or K...

As mentioned previously, I never finished the tale of my spring swing through New England and Montreal. We go to day 6 on the road, as the intrepid traveller leaves Boston to head back to the Great White North. Today's tale begins a few miles north of Beantown... Wandered into Lowell. I checked the Boston guide book and discovered this was where Jack Kerouac permanently left the road. I wasn't in a hurry and there wasn't a downpour. Why not look for it? The graveyard was listed in the guide book, so I checked a map in a grocery store for directions. Found Edson Cemetery, but the office was as lively as the folks in the ground. I drove up and down the numbered streets within the graveyard, looking for any unusual adornments to the graves. All I found was a giant elk. I asked him for directions. "What are you, some pinko from Soviet Canuckistan? Go away kid, ya bodder me!" Deciding it was best not to ask him any more questions, I continued criss-crossin...

Finally getting a chance to explore the city by bicycle again... This week's long ride started off in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. I usually discover one well-known tomb passing through - this time, pioneer hockey announcer Foster Hewitt, located close to the Eaton crypt. I couldn't get the Hockey Night in Canada theme out of my head for 10 minutes. From there, went along the crowded Belt Line trail. My internal radio switched from hockey to traffic reports. Thanks, John. Eastbound Belt Line is very busy, with walkers backed up between Avenue and Oriole, you may want to switch to Chaplin Cr to avoid delays. Westbound Belt Line is moving smoothly, but watch out for fresh gravel between Eglinton and Bathurst. Now over to Mary to check in on the Don Valley... Along the way, I discovered a new trail I'd never heard of, the York Belt Line, which runs from west of the Allen to a fence near Caledonia and Eglinton. Paved, fairly flat and relaxing. Several parks along the way ful...

In an optician's window at Duluth and St, Denis, more than eyeglasses were on display... Inside were two women with short black hair in white lab jumpsuits arranging mutilated/mutated baby dolls. The piece appeared to a statement on genetic manipulation, with videos of "ultrasounds" with deformed fetuses. It was credited to "Frank Ketchup", which isn't turning up in net searches. At St. Denis and Duluth, the mutated babies grow Between the plastic dividers Row on row - JB

Recent headlines surrounding the arrest of marijuana activist Marc Emery and a post on Blamblog yesterday stirred memories of some of my favourite family roadtrips of my early teens. Many moons ago, Emery ran City Lights book store in London. Two hours away from home, it was an excuse to get away for a whole day. We'd hit the road early, usually stopping for for a snack at the West Lorne service station (the Tim Horton's being a radical improvement over the 1867 restaurant that was there on childhood trips to Toronto, which I only remember for its dinginess and smelly clientele - no wonder we used to picnic on the way to my grandmother's house). Until we grew out of it, our usual first stop was the Superstore Mall on Wellington, due to the plastic ball room in Loblaws. Most of the day was spent downtown. After leaving the car in the crazy parking lot at Wellington Square/ Galleria , we'd split up - Mom sticking to the then-thriving mall, Dad and I wandering off to R...

Ah, summertime in Essex County. Time to hop in the car and head east of Essex on old Hwy 3 to the North Ridge Dairy Freez. Open since 1954, it's the last drive-in food stand in the area, a relic that hasn't gone mock-retro. Folks lined up for dairy goodness, while a carhop grabs an order. I don't recall ever ordering food, or ever figuring out what the "Charlie Special" was. This time round, Amy went for a sundae with fresh local peaches, while I had a Boston Cooler - traditionally made with Vernor's, in this case regular ginger ale and soft serve mixed together. Why is this gnome smiling? Is he proud of his ice cream? Is he surveying a backyard of of picnic tables filled with satisfied customers? Has he snapped from beheading his friend? pictures taken July 31/05, Dairy Freez, North Ridge, ON - JB

Soaking up some rays. Taken at Mersea Park, Leamington, Aug 1/05.

Hey folks, I'm back on my feet again. The cold is in its last stages, just the occasional coughing spell. I should have stayed home on Wednesday, but one meeting and a mound of work did not need to be dumped into anybody's else's lap...which I had to do anyway on Thursday when half of the documents I expected to wrap up lingered on (and were there to welcome me back yesterday - my anxiety was unjustified). The combination of nasty cold and many other things that went on this week has caused a 42-car pileup in items awaiting entries. Consider the next few a crash course. True to form, my birthday fell amidst the most oppressively hot days of the year. A few moments of anxiety led into Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, due to tickets selling like hotcakes. We weren't above searching for no-show tickets (got lucky twice), while others just missed the mark. Highly recommend it if you haven't seen it yet - how many movies allow Christopher Lee a touching moment? ...

A recent morning paper included a course calendar for U of T's School of Continuing Studies , whose offerings include a few chuckle-worthy courses. I'm not necessarily mocking the validity of these course - some of them sound interesting. It's the name or the concept of somebody shelling out $100-600 for these that's funny. ARTS Ciao Italia: Have Imagination, Will Travel Yes, my imaginary Italy includes crowded freeway rest stops where old ladies push you out of the way while ordering lunch at the cafeteria (true story, happened near Genoa). In Italy, Do As The Italians Do Course coming next year: In Uzbekistan, Do As The Uzbeks Do . Journey with Us to Magical Places with Great Art Actually, "Magical Places" seems to be a theme among the art courses. Sadly, no "Magical Places: Scarborough". BUSINESS Essentials of Competitive Intelligence a.k.a. How to Cope with Wal-Mart. Advanced Mediation: Getting Beyond Impasse Not guaranteed to ...

brought to you by Prudential - Get a Piece of the Rock and EF Hutton - When EF Hutton Talks, People Listen Three down, three to go in this year's sampling of the Fringe theatre fest. Let's cut to the chase, sports fans - here's the roundup so far, in alphabetical order: ( Eye ratings based on a scale of five stars, Now on five Ns) Confessions of a Class Clown (**** eye, NNNN Now) The Glen Morris has a reputation for being the kiln of Fringe venues. When I volunteered a few years ago, others shuddered whenever it was mentioned, thanking their lucky stars they didn't wind up there. Given how steamy it was last night, and hearing how others had their enjoyment of shows there this year damped by the heat, would it be worth it to check anything out? This show was worth the sauna effect. A one-man recounting of his experiences as a school cut-up, then his experiences seeing such behaviour crop up on provincial English exams he marked, it managed to be funny and ...

Puchased at an Acme in Clifton, NJ I rarely buy snack cakes, but made an exception on the roadtrip. I'd read raves about Philadelphia-based Tastykakes over the years, so why not give them a shot? But what to pick - Butterscotch Krimpets? Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes? The winners, chosen through the highly scientific eeny-meeny-miny moe, were Snowballs and Jelly Krimpets. Krimp on this! Mmmm...snowy Package Notes: Nothing oddball, just a smart blue scheme. The Snowballs were wrapped individually, while the Jelly Krimpets were in two-packs. What's It Like?: The Snowballs were very fresh, with moist cake and non-sickly vanilla filling lying under a mound of coconut-studded "marshmallow". Didn't have an overwhelming chemical taste like some bargain-basement cakes. My mom would have liked these, even if they weren't pink like the kind she used to get. The Jelly Krimpets did not live up to the brand name. A blah, bordering on stale, sponge cake with a...

Bedford, MA - Boston, MA - 80.5 km* * this is the last day I have mileage for, as the sheet I kept track of my driving for the rest of the trip has decided to go on vacation. There aren't any pics for this entry either, due to the dreary weather. By 5:30 AM, I was in full burp/nausea mode, then slumped back to bed for a few more hours. Like most down moments on the trip, there was an upside. Because I needed to rest, I missed the free breakfast buffet that came with the room...which opened an opportunity to take a second shot at grabbing a meal at Legal Sea Foods . Once I felt ready to move, I drove in along Mass 2 to Alewife subway station. The last time I left the car there, somebody smashed into the back of the car, leaving no exterior damage but a twisted trunk latch...which proved beneficial in the long run, as the trunk no longer flew open with little prodding. This time, both official garages were full, but I was able to park at an impromptu lot at the restaurant/furni...

Purchased at Market Basket, Billerica, MA Package Notes: Eye-catching label. Key ingredient: Prepared Bean Mix (Contains Fifteen of These Bean Varieties: Northern, Pinto, Large Lima, Garbanzo, Baby Lima, Green Split Pea, Red Kidney, Cranberry, Small White, Pink, Red, Yellow Split Pea, Lentil, Navy, White Kidney, Black) . Adds up to sixteen...so at least one of these beans will not be in your soup. This soup comes from Indiana, but I've never seen it in neighbouring Ohio or Michigan. What it's doing in New England is a good question. I know that my Mom has used HamBeens dry 15 Bean Soup packages over the years. What's It Like?: About as close to homemade soup as I've bought, except for the use of starch as a thickener and a hint of artificial flavour. Lots of beans, lots of ham chunks. Nice smoky flavour. Would You Buy It Again?: Yes, though it also makes me crave a bowl of Mom's bean soup. - JB

Busy weekend in these parts. Spent Friday night down in Cabbagetown, hearing Paul and his buddies spin tunes at the Underdown. Like last time, I made a prolonged exit. My first attempt to leave ended when I wound up being pulled aside by one girl to answer a round of 20 questions, which was fun but proved when you put me on the spot (especially by an attractive interrogator), my mind empties. Spent Saturday on the road, on a trek with Maria down to Buffalo to the birthplace of the deity of bar foods, the chicken wing. Me in front of the Anchor Bar. For full details, check out Maria's site (June 12th entry). I will add that the spaghetti with meat and mushrooms ($9.00) was of gargantuan proportions - the salad alone would have made a normal-sized meal (the spaghetti sauce had an average jarred tomato base, but the added meat and mushrooms were tasty). Driving north along Main from the Anchor, we came across this charming insurance sign. It was a change from Cellino & Ba...

Purchased at Trader Joe's, Burlington, MA Package Notes: Clear glass jar that promises "a hearty and savoury vegetarian soup...filled with tender chunks of butternut squash, potatoes and garbanzo beans, this unique soup is a quick, savoury and inexpensive trip to the Northern reaches of Africa." Let's compare the price of a journey. Expedia.ca flight from Toronto to Marrakech (with connections in New York and Casablanca) - $3,165.67 CDN Cost of Trader Joe's soup - $2.75 CDN (based on today's exchange rate) What's It Like?: It's what Amy would call a "grilled cheese soup" - a hearty tomato-based soup with the chunks promised above that would be suitable for dipping a sandwich. Nicely seasoned, not spicy, goes down well. Would You Buy It Again?: No question. Have to wait until July to find more - hopefully TJ's Detroit-area locations carry it. - JB