The Backwards City

Toronto should be renamed "The Ass-Backwards City", it already pays it's unskilled unionized workers more than it's workers who require skill or a brain to do their jobs. ($52,000 a year to hand out subway tokens, $45,000 a year to clean streets, $55,000 a year to pick up garbage).

Now add this our list of backwardness, police and prosecutors have charged the owner and two employees of a flower shop for making a citizens arrest of a local crackhead shoplifter who supports his habit by stealing from all the shops in Chinatown.

He stole from them earlier in the day, but got away. Then he came back an hour later to steal again but this time got caught.

They called the police, who came and charged the shopkeeper and 2 employees with assault, forcible confinement, concealing a weapon, and kidnapping.

The thief was charged for shoplifting.

Pretty ass backwards huh?

But it doesn't end there. The prosecutor agreed to a reduced sentence for the thief (of 30 days), in exchange for testifying against the shopkeeper. And now the prosecutor is considering dropping the kidnapping charge to take away the shopkeeper's right to a jury trial.

Dinner at Astoria

Last night I had dinner with the girlfriend at Astoria Shishkebob House on The Danforth, and it was ama-zu-zing. In my rating system of 1-10 amazuzing is an 11. I had to give it an 11 because I already gave their Mississauga location a 10, and their original Toronto location on the Danforth and Chester was definitely 1 point better.

I had the big lamb souvlaki, and she had the small. Both cooked medium, which is the only way to eat their lamb souvlaki, because when you get into the well done territory it just tastes tough and burnt. The meals also came with awesome potatoes and rice, oh and I asked for an extra cup of tzatziki because I'm addicted to the stuff, although not as bad as I was a few years ago; when I'd break into cars stealing radios and loose change to support my tzatziki habit.

There's lots of parking behind Astoria at Danforth and Chester and all allong the Danforth, or FREE street parking on Chester if you can find a spot. One warning about the free parking though, if you're with a group of slow eaters or really chatty people you might not finish before your 1-2 hour time limit is up, and could get a ticket.

Oh and there's Chester subway station right there too.