Thank Your Lucky SARS

Forgive the terrible pun. SARS is a serious problem. But not really here in Toronto. Just to prove it, the city has unveiled some terrific deals to re-encourage tourists to visit. If you’re travelling from New York, Ottawa, or Montreal, you can fly to Toronto for FREE the next three weekends. And if you like theatre, you can get an amazing deal on tickets to see The Lion King or Mamma Mia! It includes theatre tickets, a three-course meal, tickets to a Blue Jays game, and even a night at a nice hotel, for $125 (Canadian dollars, too!) per person. Normally, this would cost at least $300.

You could even forego the hotel room and crash with me or one of the GTABloggers! Come and visit us! We don’t bite!

Only In The National Post

Front page of the National Post today: Rebecca Eckler Is Pregnant

Now, for those not in the know, Rebecca Eckler is someone who has built her entire journalistic career around the type of writing that should have been confined to a weblog. I have nothing against her personally. In fact, I’m a little envious that I can’t get a column for a national newspaper talking about my feelings about relationships, what clothes and shoes I find jaunty, and where I had drinks last weekend. The cynical me wonders if the whole pregnancy thing is just a way for her to get material for another nine months plus worth of columns.

Apple Music Service?

Rumours have been swirling for weeks, and next Monday, some of them will become reality. It’s almost a certainty that Apple will be launching some sort of online music service, probably closely linked with its iTunes software (or the bundled MusicMatch that comes with Windows versions of the iPod). My guess (and it’s an informed one) is that Apple will use the AAC format that has been included in Quicktime since last year. AAC is a new compression format that squeezes files smaller than MP3, but will allow some form of digital rights management. The files will still likely be convertible to MP3, allowing Apple to save face with the file-swapping masses, while satisfying the music industry’s need to get paid. As for prices, who knows? But in my opinion, even $1 per track might be a hard sell.