Photo: "Brollie..." by chewie2008~, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

Your Toronto morning news roundup for Monday September 22nd, 2008:

The federal election battles in Toronto are heating up...

Someone doesn't like Etobicoke Center's Liberal candidate Borys Wrzesnewskyj. It's unclear still whether it was a group of bored and unruly teens doing it for shits and giggles, a calculated and inappropriate political message sent by those who oppose his views, or a personal vendetta. Someone went on a late night mission to steal and then arrange his campaign signs into the shape of a giant penis on the lawn of a school.

"Sorry, the blog at conservativeandgay.blogspot.com has been removed." O RLY? Chris Reid, the Conservative candidate for Toronto Centre is no longer a candidate. My favourite line from the blog? When writing about the Manitoba Greyhound bus incident, he declares "...we need concealed-carry handgun legislation in this country, so we can defend one another and deter horrible events..."

VIVA Las Vaughan (and Newmarket, and Aurora, and...)! Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113 rep Bob Kinnear is really good at what he does. Earlier this year he negotiated a pay raise for TTC employees to ensure that they're the highest paid in the GTA, and now he's helped negotiate a pay raise for VIVA transit, citing how much more TTC employees are paid. Brilliant.

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What do we call a city slicker that goes out to rural areas and has no clue what he/she is doing? The term "citiot" comes to mind. But what about a small town guy who visits the Big Smoke, gets wasted, and nearly dies when he falls in front of an approaching TTC subway?

Here's me being positive about sports...
The Toronto Blue Jays succeeded in ensuring that other teams will vie in the playoffs again this year, extending the streak to 15 straight years. Go Jays go!

Happy Autumn, folks! Today at 11:44am summer officially ends. I'm going to celebrate by taking an early lunch and sitting outside reading Saul Williams poetry. :)