My expat friend Graham Lee has just had an interesting article published in the new issue of Spacing. In it he suggests converting the current Skydome into a self-enclosed affordable housing community. Bleachers can be replaced by homes, walkways can be diversified shopping arcades, the JumboTron would come down, trees would go up, and the possibilities germinate from there. A compelling idea that the city might even consider if--pardon my cynicism--public space and affordable housing made as much money as high-rise condos:

The SkyDome has seen its value drop in recent years. In 1994, it was sold for $151 million, and recently Rogers Communications purchased it from Sportsco for a paltry $25 million. At this rate, by the time Toronto finally gives the Blue Jays the boot, I'll be able to buy it.*

The article isn't online but go to Spacing for more info and junk.

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You can tell a lot about a person according to their credit card bills. Here's what I've purchased in the days since my last bill:

Driving Lessons
Big Chef's Knife
Contact Lenses
Orthodics
Shout Out Louds CD
Sweet potatoes (5 lbs)

There's one for the account managers** at VISA:

Account manager 1: Check it out Teeg, she's a physical nerd who likes her Vitamin
A and has Swedish-alt-pop leanings and a propensity for vengeance!

Account manager 2: [Swoon]

Notes
* I'll be able to buy it: Regardless of the piece's tone, there is something downright nice in recognizing the voice of a friend in something published.

** for the account managers: This probably has happened, or will happen, since credit card companies are now catching fraud by monitoring purchases as they happen. Case in point: my sister, Beck, was buying three tuxedos and her cell phone went off. It was the credit card company calling to check if she, a then-single woman, was really--really?--buying three tuxedos. Another time her cell went off, and the company was calling to see if she was currently buying $800 in goods at a Wal-Mart in Orangeville. Little did they know that she was in Toronto at the time!

Credit card fraud--my god. There is so much evil in the world.