Photo: "Robarts Mothership 1" by Xenomancer, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):

Obama (Obama Obama Obama). No links required.

Who doesn't like getting into museums and art galleries for free? Much like Toronto Public Libraries do with books, they will be expanding a program for loaning Torontonians "Museum and Arts Pass" (MAP) passes that give them free access to a bunch of our best cultural institutions. This is a fantastic concept!

Following on the heels of news of major cuts in jobs and production by car makers in the US, the much anticipated restructuring plans of Canadian automakers GM and Chrysler will be revealed today. Many predict that cuts won't be as sweeping as they were in the US because those sweeping cuts have already been made here. Maybe they should have a giant 2-for-1 sale on existing inventory and then start making a lower volume of better cars.

While many business and individuals are getting crushed by the recession, one type of business is reaping the benefits - pawnshops. Many are seeing major increases in inventory as people liquidate stuff for a lot less than it's worth, just to make ends meet. I've never sold to a pawn shop, but I have bought, and in today's climate, buying comes with even more guilt than ever.

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A well-liked Toronto restaurant owner has seemingly vanished, and police are suggesting that the case has the tell-tale signs of foul play. George Koutroubis, owner of Six Steps, has been missing for a few days, and his friends, family, and business associates are fearing the worst. What I find particularly disturbing (and perhaps premature) is the past-tense descriptions used to describe Koutroubis in the linked article.

And lottery players will surely be flocking to buy tickets for this Saturday's 6/49. No one won Wednesday's big jackpot, which means that the upcoming draw is for the second highest jackpot in the game's history - a whopping $48 million. If I won, I'd pay off all debts, buy a nice, overpriced house in the city, and then build my own personal transit system.