A fresh report finds civil rights were violated, people were detained illegally, and excessive force was used during the G20 summit in Toronto in 2010.
Independant police review director Gerry McNeilly has called the infamous “kettling” and mass arrest of thousands at Queen and Spadina “unreasonable, unnecessary and unlawful”.

Even officers in place thought the situation untenable, with one describing the incident commander as “maniacal,” the report said.

“Where are they going to give them a chance to disperse?” one officer asked.

“They aren’t, that’s the problem,” another replied.

“Well, that’s stupid.”

He also slammed command officers who let officers were taking off their name tags to hide their identities.

“This means that senior officers chose to ignore this violation of the rules or they tactically approve of the behaviour of nametag removal,” McNeilly said.

The report doesn’t assign blame or criticize Toronto police chief Bill Blair, something that angers Tommy Taylor who spent 24 hours in the G20 jail.

“I was there,” Taylor said. “I saw things that I’ve seen him flat-out lie about.”

McNeilly also said the G20 jail was poorly designed and operated.

Among complaints were overcrowding, lack of food and water or access to lawyers, the use of flex cuffs and strip searches. Detainees had to use toilets in full view of others and many were held illegally.

The 300-page report, which provides a detailed look at the events that weekend, finds that protesters were not the only ones who resorted to violence.

“Numerous police officers used excessive force when arresting individuals and seemed to send a message that violence would be met with violence,” the report states.

“The reaction created a cycle of escalating responses from both sides.”

The report takes aim at police tactics at the provincial legislature, which had been set up in advance as a protest zone. It says the force used for crowd control and in making arrests was “in some cases excessive.”

“It is fair to say the level of force used in controlling the crowds and making arrests at Queen’s Park was higher than anything the general public had witnessed before in Toronto.”

Because of shoddy paperwork, it is impossible to state accurately the number of people who were arrested over the course of the summit weekend, the report says.

The report makes 42 recommendations.

Among them, it urges changes to the Police Services Act and police code of conduct to oblige officers to disclose potential evidence of misconduct.

“Senior officers especially should not condone or distance themselves from the misconduct of subordinates or colleagues.”

It also urges governments to provide enough time for  planning and preparing large-scale security operations, both of which were sorely lacking in this case given the “wholly inadequate” four months police had to plan.

“Although insufficient time was certainly a factor, the operational planning committee should be faulted for the decision that it would be ‘business as usual’.”

In all, the report slams Toronto police, who had the lead in keeping order outside the summit security zone and were responsible for the detention centre, for poor planning and serious gaps in communications.

The incident command centre, set up for overall police control, had “no idea” how many officers were working.

Police often failed to give crowds proper directions to disperse, leading to confrontations and increased tensions.

It also faults the incident commander for referring to the crowds at one point as “marauding terrorists,” creating the impression that criminals were on the loose.

The findings follow on the heels of a similar report this week by the RCMP complaints commissioner.

That report found the Mounties had by and large acted reasonably but faulted poor co-ordination among police.

The June 2010 summit was marred by vandals who smashed windows and set police cruisers on fire as well as by mass arrests, including of innocent bystanders.

The function of the Office of the Independent Police Review Director — an arms-length civilian agency — is to process and oversee the investigation of public complaints against police or, in some cases, investigate a public complaint itself.

McNeilly said he decided it was in the public interest to combine a total of 356 complaints related to the G20 and do a systemic review of municipal, regional and Ontario Provincial Police involvement.

Numerous individuals and groups, including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, have lambasted police for riding roughshod over people’s rights.

Several civil suits alleging police brutality and violations of rights have also been launched against Toronto police and other agencies involved in the summit.

Earlier this year, McNeilly recommended charges against five police officers for the beating of G20 protester Adam Nobody at the legislature.

The question is, have we learned anything from the G20 protests, and how we handled them?

Saturday, October 20 and Sunday, October 21
Saturday, October 27 and Sunday, October 28

Tundra Trek 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Follow along the Zoo’s “Pumpkin Trail” to discover trick-or-treat activity stations throughout the Tundra Trek and check out Arctic wolves, foxes and polar bears – oh my! Take part in our “Critters and Costumes Parade” at 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm daily. Best of all, up to two kids in costume (12 and under) get in free when accompanied by an adult.

Come and hang out with 98.1 CHFI at the Toronto Zoo!

Why not bring Dad for a day at the Zoo and meet some of our wild Dads including “Inukshuk” the polar bear, “Gozi” the African penguin and “Charles” the Western lowland gorilla. Want to make Dad feel extra special? Listen to 98.1 CHFI to win a Fun Father’s Day VIP Prize Package. All winners, and their three guests, receive free Zoo admission, BBQ lunch sponsored by our new onsite restaurant Coyote Jack’s Grill^TM, operated by Compass Group Canada, animal visits and entertainment.

J-Lo has unseated Lady Gaga as the most powerful celebrity in the world, according to Forbes annual Celebrity 100 list!

The American Idol judge earned $52 million last year, as well as securing multiple endorsement deals and merchandise lines. Oprah Winfrey came in second, followed by Justin Bieber and Rihanna. Lady Gaga ranked fifth this year.

The top 10 on the list look like this..!

Forbes “Most Powerful Celebrity” 2012 Top 10
1. Jennifer Lopez
2. Oprah Winfrey
3. Justin Bieber
4. Rihanna
5. Lady Gaga
6. Britney Spears
7. Kim Kardashian
8. Katy Perry
9. Tom Cruise
10. Stephen Spielberg

Did Forbes get it wrong with this year’s list? Are you as surprised as I am, that neither Oprah or Gaga are  at the top?

The full list is here!

Is your diet stalling because of these common diet mistakes? Learn the right way to diet and start undoing the damage today!

From Dr Oz.com:  Diets aren’t simple. Even when you have the best of intentions, it’s easy to fall victim to bad habits or dieting myths that may cause more harm than good. We pinpointed the four common dieting mistakes that hinder your progress. Find out if your diet is stalling because you’re guilty of one or more of these missteps.

Thinking Gluten-Free Means Low-Calorie

When you strip grains like wheat from your foods, high-calorie sugars and oils are often put in to replace them. This is especially common with processed gluten-free foods. If you’re reliant on processed foods with a gluten-free label, be sure to double-check the nutrition facts to be aware of what you’re ingesting. But, the better way to go gluten-free is to do it the natural way. There are plenty of whole foods that are naturally gluten-free, like amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa and teff.

You Go Overboard on Fruit

Fruit is a great thing when you’re dieting – as long as it’s in moderation. While most fruits are low on the glycemic index because of their high fiber content, there are some that are much higher – causing spikes in blood sugar that can lead to insulin resistance and dysregulation of hunger hormones if consumed in large quantities over time. This is a dead giveaway for weight gain causes. In order to avoid these fruit pitfalls, make sure to eat fruits that are low on the glycemic index, like pears and apples, and limit consumption of the fruits high on the index, like melons, pineapple and dried fruit.

Relying Too Heavily on Protein Bars

Most Americans get more than enough protein each day, so eating protein bars as snacks can add unnecessary sugar, fat and calories to your diet. Instead of overloading on protein bars, you can opt for bean chips that are low in calories and sugar, and packed with fiber that’ll help tide you over between meals.

Juice as a Go-To Drink

When dieting, juice is a common swap people make for soda when they’re craving something sweet, but don’t want all the added calories. The problem is, juice is still packed with sugars, and more often than not, people will consume more than the suggested 8 –ounce servings, causing more harm to their diet plan than good. A great alternative is to drink water with fruit slices in it, so you can get some flavor without so many extra calories.

Researchers may have discovered why women fall for jerks!

A study from the University of Texas at San Antonio has found hormones produced near ovulation may influence women to pursue long-term relationships with bad boys.

“Previous research has shown in the week near ovulation women become attracted to sexy, rebellious and handsome men like George Clooney or James Bond. But until now it was unclear why women would ever think it’s wise to pursue long-term relationships with these kinds of men,” said Kristina Durante, assistant professor of marketing.

In the first of two studies, 33 women near ovulation that viewed online dating profiles of reliable men and sexy men thought the latter would contribute more to domestic duties, such as caring for the baby, cooking and doing chores.

“Under the hormonal influence of ovulation, women delude themselves into thinking that the sexy bad boys will become devoted partners and better dads,” said Durante.

“When looking at the sexy cad through ovulation goggles, Mr. Wrong looked exactly like Mr. Right.”

In the second study, 21 women interacted with male actors who played the roles of sexy cad and reliable dad during periods of both high and low fertility. Again, researchers discovered the women near ovulation thought the hunks would be better father figures — if those men were their partner.

The study was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

The construction season is about to get more painful in Toronto.
With several incidents of falling concrete from the Gardiner Expressway in the last few weeks, the city is moving ahead to get the highway fixed up, with a period of significant repairs starting this summer.

City staff insist the Gardiner is structurally sound but but salt has had an impact.

The Gardiner is very safe, but clearly because of the pieces that are falling, we’re going to do everything we can to continue to make it safe,” Public Works committee chair councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong said.

The city will increase what it spends annually on the Expressway from $10-million to $15-million for the next decade.

Construction crews will start with the Jarvis and Bay ramps. They are scheduled to be closed for up to six weeks this starting in July.

There will also be more inspections along the entire structure to make sure no other pieces fall off.

Daily Mail has the details

“I thought baby Blue would inspire me to write songs… but I just want to hang out with her’: Jay-Z on why he prefers the nursery to the studio

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 21:29 GMT, 15 May 2012 | UPDATED: 23:41 GMT, 15 May 2012

Jay-Z has revealed he thought he would be ‘inspired’ to write music by the birth of his daughter, but instead just wants to spend time with his new arrival.

The rapper became father for the first time in January to baby Blue Ivy with wife Beyonce Knowles, and although he thought the experience would have him locked in the studio with new ideas, he has preferred to simply spend time with his newborn

.

Family guy: Jay-Z cradling his daughter Blue Ivy soon after her birth in January

He told MTV: ‘After my daughter was born I thought I would be more inspired with all the new feelings and everything that I’d have to write about, but it really happened the other way.

‘I just really wanna hang out with her. I just wanna enjoy those moments for a bit and I’m sure that feeling of music will come back to me.’

Days after Blue’s birth Jay released the track ‘Glory’ in tribute, which included a sample of the baby’s cries.

While many presumed this was a new direction for a rapper known for his tough lyrics, he claims he has shown his tender side since the early part of his career, with tracks such as Regrets on his debut, Reasonable Doubt.

He added: ‘My music has always been like that, if you listen to Glory and you listen to Regrets side by side, it’s exploring the same sort of emotions.

‘It’s just one deals with my mom, one deals with my daughter. My music has always been filled with those sort of emotions.’

Jay has this week launched his Made in America festival, which will take place in Philadelphia on September 1 and 2.

CIBC and Rogers are partnering so you can pay with your smartphone — it will be as easy as a small tap.

It’s expected to be available by the end of the year, starting with Blackberrys, with additional devices to follow.

The new mobile payment technology allows shoppers to make purchases by tapping their phones to a sensor pad at a cash register. It’ll be available across Canada wherever contactless credit card payments are accepted.

It’s the first time a wireless carrier and bank have joined forces to offer a mobile payment option, the companies said.

CIBC’s David Williamson believes the innovation “will shape the payments experience of the future.”

“Canadians are embracing new technologies at an accelerated pace and we know they’re interested in using their smartphone for mobile payments,” Rob Bruce, president of communications at Rogers, said in a release.

“Today’s announcement with CIBC represents an important first step toward a whole new world of mobile transactions.”

Some of the key features of the new mobile payments solution include:

Full access to a existing CIBC credit cards on a smartphone at no extra cost – whether Visa or MasterCard – including the opportunity to earn loyalty points.
Multiple layers of security, with the companies proclaiming that payments via smartphones will be as secure as using a traditional credit card. Users will have the option to set additional password protection.
The new payment method will use the existing SIM cards inside a mobile device for payments, instead of an add-on piece of hardware or sticker.

Officials have said it will be as secure as your regular credit card.

Rogers is the parent company of  98.1 CHFI andCHFI.com