coffee anyone?

A great idea for anyone who loves coffee. The Indie Coffee Passport – allows the bearer to try great coffee at 24 independent coffee shops in Toronto including Manic, I Deal and Crema. $20 for 24 coffees? Sign me up!

maths busking

An innovative idea for engaging young people in Maths, Maths Busking uses attraction techniques proven on the streets by traditional buskers. After a depressing report by the Royal Society showing that most children are completely disengaged in Maths, post-secondary Maths students are out on the streets of London teaching and engaging people in Maths without them even knowing it.

no bull in catalonia

I’m very proud of the Catalan government for banning bull-fighting (by 2012) in the autonomous community of Catalonia. The parliamentary vote (67 for the ban, 59 against) was historic in a place that romances the torture of animals; I agree that the art of the matador is elegant, colourful and beautiful, but let’s not overlook the actual act that is being committed.

I am not against people eating meat per se, but to cruelly kill an animal slowly and tauntingly for the pleasure of thousands seems a bit barbaric to me. Now when will the rest of Spain catch up? I won’t hold my breath – tradition is slow to change.

alegno nose

I really miss the previous owner of Alegno. I think her name is Samantha but I can’t remember; she left to open a Yoga studio about 8 years ago. She was kind, charming, funny, and always made everyone feel special – a stark contrast to the current tyrant that owns the place. I have been going to Alegno for about 12 years and keep going now because their pizza is pretty good; I wish I could say the same for the customer service or the current owner’s general demeanour. Samantha sold the restaurant to one of her wait staff (who we disliked all the way back then), and things have gotten progressively worse.

The current owner is often rude but we overlook it because the location is convenient and the food is pretty good (cooked daily by the original Indian chef for at least the last 12 years). Last night was a perfect example for really bad customer service. I, fortunately or unfortunately, have been born with a very acute sense of smell. If something has something I dislike in it or smells off, I can normally smell it a mile away. So when our pizza arrived at the table, I immediately smelled the unmistakable