It's Friday! Have some awesome.

[taste_is_sweet]

First off, the official song of the Pan/Parapan Am Games in Toronto! I don't think the majority of Americans even know this is happening, but the Pan Am Games are freaking huge. (Here's some more information.) I don't even think the opening ceremonies will be shown here. I don't get why the U.S. doesn't seem to care about this, I really don't, especially since the U.S. will probably clean up in the medals like always. And yet it's like it doesn't exist down here. Crazy.

But, the song is truly wonderful. (Start at 0.57 seconds if you don't want the preamble, or there's a music-only version here.) I think I've listened to it about 100 times.

If addictive, feel-good music isn't your thing, a few days ago a spontaneous memorial was created for a raccoon when the city of Toronto didn't send anyone to pick up the poor creature's corpse. I'm posting a link because it's such perfect, passive-aggressive Toronto humor (and I laughed and then felt bad, but kept laughing).

No one was disrespectful to the corpse, unless you count anthropomorphism and naming it 'Conrad'.

Comments

[springwoof.livejournal.com]

Hilarious! Yet sad. Yet touching. Yet odd....

RIP #DeadRaccoonTO

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly! And that kind of sums up Toronto perfectly, right there. :)

[blythechild.livejournal.com]

As someone who is living right downtown in T.O. to the PanAm/ParaPanAm Games, I am NOT amused. It's a circus here and we are so unprepared for the influx of athletes/tourists for these events that THE CITY HAS TOLD ITS CITIZENS TO AVOID DRIVING/USING TRANSIT/WORKING DOWNTOWN UNTIL THE DAMNED THING IS OVER. What sort of message is that? Oh, we want to show that we're capable of bidding for the Olympics just so long as we chase all of the city's residents out of town? Give me streetcars that work! Fix the fucking Gardiner Expressway so that chunks don't keep falling off and turning Lakeshore into a roller derby course! Build bike lanes and encourage people to use them! Don't build a million dollar event arena - rebuild community pools and playgrounds and park spaces for baseball and basketball! Ugh, Toronto... *facepalm*

On the upside, Conrad is not the first raccoon to be spontaneously memorialized while waiting for city services. It happened out in Parkdale 3 weeks ago (but said raccoon was run over and was a lot more squishy).

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

So, you're super happy and excited, huh? ::g::

That also sounds like the Toronto that I know, love, and am often exasperated by. I hope the commuting hasn't been as hellish as anticipated. Unless it's worse...

[brumeier.livejournal.com]

Canada never fails to entertain. I thought Conrad's memorial was touching. We get tons of dead animals around here - life in the country - and no-one even looks at them twice.

Nope. Never heard of the Pan Am games. I wonder why that is? You'd think the Olympics were the only multi-sporting event worth talking about. But you've got your finger right on the pulse!

Thanks for sharing the Canadian happenings!

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome! Still haven't heard anything about the Games down here. Too bad. At least Canada seems to be doing well. :D