News ← The Urban Country

Darcy Allan Sheppard Documents Revealed Through Freedom Of Information Request 2

May

2013

In Memory of Allan Sheppard – Photo by Tsar Kasim New details have emerged through a Freedom of Information request regarding the August 31, 2009 death of Darcy Allan Sheppard. Sheppard’s father claims the evidence he has obtained through the freedom of information request does not support the explanation in the decision to drop charges ...

Shanghai Cyclist Hit By Driver Caught On Video 4

Jan

2013

Screenshot from a YouTube video of a Chinese cyclist being hit by a turning car A driver’s dash cam caught on video a cyclist in Shanghai getting hit by a driver who had suddenly turned from the centre lane. Despite the unfortunate and misleading title of the video given by Shanghaiist writer James Griffiths, the ...

The Urban Country Has Moved… 5

Jan

2013

Photo courtesy of Chris Jupin As you may have noticed, we are currently undergoing some changes here on The Urban Country. We have moved from our old blogging platform (Blogger) to a new platform (WordPress). While we are at it we are cleaning up and simplifying the website design to provide a better user experience. ...

What Would You Do For $100 Million Dollars? The Incentives Behind Lance Armstrong 17

Jan

2013

Stack of cash photo by 401(K) 2012 In a recent article, I wrote that I care more about what Lance did with his fame than how he achieved it. I asked whether it is really cheating if everyone was doing it. I claimed that Lance had done more with his fame than most other professional ...

Russia’s 200KM, 3-day Traffic Jam

Dec

2012

Photo from video provided by 3news.co.nz In Russia, a 200KM mega traffic jam has stranded drivers for several days. The backlog on this highway that runs between Moscow and St. Petersberg was intensified by heavy snow last week. From Time.com: “A 125-mile long queue of vehicles spanned the roadway, which connects Moscow and St. Petersburg. ...

In Support of Lance Armstrong 13

Oct

2012

Photo of Lance Armstrong courtesy of Martyna Borkowski, Rubenstein Although I have never been a close follower of professional cycling, I had always had immense respect for the sport. It pushes the human limits, encourages people to stay active, and has minimal adverse effects on our environment. The recent doping allegations and overwhelming evidence against ...

Medical Marijuana: Rights over Reason? 4

May

2009

In May 2005, legal pot smoker Steve Gibson was asked to leave the premises of Gator Ted’s restaurant in Burlington Ontario. Since then, Gator Ted’s owner Ted Kindos has been battling Gibson; mounting tens of thousands of dollars in court legal bills with his business on the line. Gibson received a medical certificate to smoke ...

Who Controls Your Media? 1

Apr

2009

(Photo courtesy of fxgeek on Flickr) “Mediterranean becomes sea of death for hundreds” – CNN, March 31st “Chinese ‘Kill Weapon’ Gives U.S. Cause for Concern” – FOX News, March 31st “Two Killed Execution-Style in NFL Player’s Condo” – FOX News, March 31st “SHARE MORE PAIN” – Toronto Sun – March 31st For a period ...

Some things better left unspoken 1

Feb

2009

A January 12th news release announced that the US airline carriers have gone 2 years without a single passenger fatality. Although this is a remarkable achievement, some things are better left unspoken. The first thought that crossed my mind is that we’re going to see a plane crash in the near future. It was only ...

Don’t Speed in your Racing Car Son! 2

Aug

2008

First I’d like to send out my condolences to the family of the 3 young men who died in a car crash in Muskoka last month. The three young men were Toronto residents Tyler Mulcahy, 20, the driver of the car, Kourosh Totonchian, 19, and Cory Mintz, 20. Mulcahy’s girlfriend, Nastasia Elzinga, 19, was the ...