Morning Brew: July 23rd, 2008

Photo: "Parking hassle at Toronto Harbourfront" by jonathan ponce, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

Your Toronto morning news roundup for Wednesday July 23rd, 2008:

Another pile of odd meat has been found in a Mississauga park (how's that for a weird opening headline?). For the second time in less than a week, meat being described as suspicious has been discovered in public green spaces, prompting dog owners to recall the recent High Park poisoning case and fear for their pets' safety. Odd (and delicious) meat belongs in storefront windows in Chinatown, not in suburban parks.

Speculation on the part of police and silence from area residents has it that south Etobicoke's not-so-well-known "10th Street Gang" may be responsible for the drive-by shooting that killed three people on the weekend. Ten years ago, I lived at Lakeshore and 6th and never felt even the slightest bit unsafe, but I suppose things have changed since then.

Loreen Small, the mother of gun-slain teen Jordan Manners, had a scary brush with guns in the Jane-Finch area again last week. A man who was rejected in courtship by Small's daughter, shot 7 bullets in the direction of the family, but fortunately missed his target. One must wonder at what point Small will choose to flee rather than fight the ongoing gun violence.

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The trial of a school bus driver who is accused of driving drunk took a turn down David Hasselhoff lane, when testimony revealed that suspicion was raised when the accused struggled to eat a hot dog.

We're well on our way to breaking a new weather record. With seemingly daily thunderstorm activity, this summer in the GTA is shaping up to be the wettest on record. Don't bother reading through the reader comments in the Star article, unless you're doing a study on stupidity on the internet.

For the photographer enthusiasts out there: am I reading this correctly? Is one of just five people in the world that is skilled with daguerreotype photography a Ryerson University prof, here in Toronto? I've always been fascinated by the technique.