Following the conflict in Afghanistan, the George W. Bush administration established the controversial detention and interrogation facility Guantanamo Bay, located within Guantanamo Base Naval, Cuba. The first group of 20 detainees would arrive on January 11, 2002.

In the 10 years of the camp’s existence there have been 775 detainees accused of having links with Al-Qaeda or the Taliban. Most of these prisoners have been released without any charges and transferred back to their home countries.

As of 2012, 171 detainees remain in Guantanamo Bay with their future in as much doubt as ever. According to the latest figures released by the Defense Intelligence Agency and published by the Miami Herald, there are 46 prisoners who have been deemed as “indefinite detainees” who will neither be charged nor released. 89 prisoners are eligible for release or transfer but are still held, 6 face death penalty trials, 4 are convicted war-criminals and 1 is serving a life sentence.

Obama’s 2008 campaign promise to close-down Guantanamo Bay has turned into a prolonged impasse with Congress throughout his first-term in office. Congress has thwarted the possibility of transferring detainees, while neglecting to finance the trials of Guantanamo captives in the United States.

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It has been an incredibly tumultuous year. Governments have fallen, natural disasters have devastated and figure-heads have passed away. We look at the top 5 stories which shaped 2011.

5. The Japanese Earthquake

The 8.9 magnitude earthquake which rippled through Japan in March was depressingly vivid. It was one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded and triggered a massive tsunami in the north-east of the country. The images broadcasted were implausible as buildings, bridges and cars were swept away in a matter of minutes. The earthquake left more than 20,000 people dead or misplaced with billions of dollars caused in damage. This natural disaster did happen to show however, the kindness of the human spirit as millions of dollars were donated to the relief cause. Perhaps even more astonishing than the earthquake was just how efficiently Japan has managed to rebuild.

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The most searched for celebrity death according to Google was Ryan Dunn. For anyone still scratching their head at that name, you can see a nice little write up on the man below, but as for the list itself, it's an incredibly mixed bag that points to the more surprising interests of those using Google for the latest in big name death.

Below I've provided a slightly revised top 10 death list. Morbid as that may sound, it shoudl at least provide a look back on some people we were sad to lose, and others we should have lost sooner.

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A new study paid for by Eli Lilly Canada Inc. has received some attention about its findings on the sex habits of Canadians. It found that Canadians between the ages of 46 and 60 are 7% less likely to engage in spontaneous sex compared to twelve other countries around the world. The United States and South Korea scored similarly. The margin of error being 3% throws those results into question right away, but there are more questions to this study than the math suggests.

A study on sex habits funded by a drug company that has an erectile dysfunction drug on the market (in this instance, Cialis), makes all the sense in the world. However, making a press release and distributing that news to the world is slightly suspect.

The study shown online is very high on graphs and low on information. Anyone familiar with an academic study will know it tends to involve detailed reports on the methodology and supporting literature. The Lilly funded study instead opts for a very colourful and slightly confusing presentation of data collected by a '10-minute online quantitative survey'.

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2011 will be remembered for the revolutionary wave of protests, demonstrations and democratic upheavals which shaped the ‘Arab Spring,’ a persistent movement which has now reverberated its way to the Kremlin.

It was a massive protest, for Russian standards, and one which the country had not experienced since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990’s. The anti-government demonstration in Moscow on December 7th illustrated the publics overwhelming sense of indignation following Russia’s disputed parliamentary elections.

The protesters included liberals, nationalists and communists but perhaps more worryingly for Mr. Putin and his United Russia Party; the protests were led by the young, educated and middle-class workforce. They have been referred to as Russia’s ‘iPad’ generation and are demanding greater accountability from their government. The demonstration has inspired a collective voice to emerge and as the autocratic grip on the media wanes, this voice will only become louder.

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The United States Senate recently passed the National Defence Authorization Act. Not the warmest title, but one that carries the pleasant message that defence on a national scale has been authorized. What sort of defence? A good question that the title never bothered trying to mention.

So what is in the bill? Well, what it 'authorizes' is the U.S. military's power to detain individuals actively suspected of being a member or supporting of terrorist organizations. One option available to the military is that they may hold said individual in: “Detention under the law of war without trial until the end of the hostilities authorized by the Authorization for the Use of Military Force”.

That basically means The U.S. military can hold someone until hostilities with the enemy cease, in this case, terrorist organizations. Hold you without a trial, mind you. Apparently the fact that this 'War on Terror' is being considered a war allows special wartime rules, although considering the nature of the enemy, how can a war on terror ever definitively end? And if the conflict has no end, it gives license for the military to hold someone indefinitely.

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The introduction of the Stop Online Piracy Act (or SOPA as it's commonly known) presented a major avenue of internet censorship that the U.S. government could be bringing to the internet. Although it professes the noble goal of wanting to stop online piracy, it features legislation that is incredibly broad and may have far-reaching effects beyond blocking websites that provide access to pirated software and media.

Perhaps most notably of its overreaches is that it gives the government the power to block websites that not only host the pirated data, but it may also block websites which have links that lead to those said websites. There is no distinction between the types of content on websites, so this would even include links posted by anonymous users.

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Only 3 Weeks till the 2011 Rum & Rhythm. If you haven't had a chance to pick up your all-inclusive ticket then here are 10 more reasons!

#1. It's an All-Inclusive Caribbean resort in the heart of Toronto. With your first class boarding pass you'll receive the red carpet treatment, valet parking and all the luxury and warmth the Caribbean has to offer.

#2. You can Win a Vacation. Live in Canada? Been outside lately? You can win one of over 20 getaways to a sunny destination at Rum & Rhythm and beat the cold this winter!

#3. Rum. It wouldn't be "Rum & Rhythm" without  plenty of exotic and aged rums. We also have a mixologist who'll be serving up some incredible rum punches.

#4. Rhythm. Dance the night away to sweet Caribbean Vibes of Soca, Reggae, Salsa and live performances by the Joy Lapps trio and the Junkanoo Band.

#5. Discover. We'll have plenty of things to discover throughout our Treasure Island resort; including live Cigar rolling, freshly chopped coconuts and much more.

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Hispanics: driving force behind Canada’s Creative Class

Ottawa, ON (Tuesday, November 15, 2011) --- The Honourable Diane Ablonczy, Canada’s Minister for the Americas, and Michael Darch, Managing Director of global marketing at the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation, presented awards tonight to the 10 Most Influential Hispanic Canadians 2011.

The event was attended by over one hundred and fifty executives, Canadian and Hispanic media, Members of Parliament and Ambassadors from most Spanish-speaking countries and Brazil. Private sector association HispanicBusiness.ca has been organizing the national Hispanic awards program since 2007. Nominations for this year’s awards were declared open in Montreal in July by the Hon. Paulina Ayala, Member of Parliament. In May 2010, Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with past awardees at his office in Ottawa; a similar meeting is expected next year.

"It was an honour for me to present this year's awards to 10 inspiring Hispanic-Canadians. Their impressive accomplishments shed light on the contribution of Canada's Hispanic diaspora community, and the importance of trade and commercial ties. The people-to-people linkages to our neighbours in Latin America are a key element of our prosperity and growth. The Americas have been a foreign policy priority for Canada, reaffirmed through the visit of Prime Minister Harper to the region in August 2011",” said Minister Ablonczy. The 10 Most Influential Hispanic Canadians 2011 in alphabetical order by first name are:

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How Businesses Are Trying to Tap Into the Canadian Hispanic Community

On Wednesday November 16, 2011, The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce hosted a panel discussion on the marketing initiatives targeting the Canadian Hispanic community; or the lack thereof. The panelists were the following: Fabiola Sicard- the Director of Latin American Markets and Multicultural banking for Scotiabank; Aldo di Felice- President of the Canadian specialty channel Telelatino; Bobby Sahni- Head of Multicultural Marketing for Rogers Communications; Eduard Urena- Owner of El Popular newspaper. Numerous people from different cultures and professions participated in the forum to exchange thoughts on how to sell to the Latin American community.

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We present to you, round two of Liberty Social Hour: Noche Caliente.

InLibertyVillage.com and CityEvents invites you to a series of casual socializing and networking events. This fall, we will be hosting evening events at Locus 144 and William’s Landing in Liberty Village.

Located just minutes away from the chaotic streets of the downtown core, Liberty Village is an emerging community just west of downtown Toronto. The stomping ground for many artists and new local business establishments, Liberty Village is the new creative hub of Toronto; projecting all that is artistic, urban, and chic. The Liberty Social Hour will give local residents and businesses a chance to experience the potential of Liberty Village at different venues while interacting with their community. It’s the perfect opportunity to create valuable relationships while exchanging and sharing ideas and opinions concerning the life and work in Liberty Village. Enjoy one of the many beautiful venues that Liberty Village has to offer. You can’t help but to become engaged in your community!

“CityEvents and InLibertyVillage.com hosted the summer Liberty Social Hour –Le Belle Ete, which enabled locals to mingle with each other. Locus 144, located in The Liberty Market, held a successful community networking event showcasing their unique dinner menu and spirits lists. The ambience of Locus144 is very soothing, a great place to unwind and submerge yourself into the warm and cozy colour pallets of the decor. Lights were dimmed to perfection and the music just loud enough so people could still talk.” -SnapDownTowntoronto.com

Winters may be cold but we are bringing the heat to Liberty Village- Noche Caliente.

Join us on the following days and create valuable relationships within your community – in your Liberty Village:

Wednesday, November 23rd - Locus 144, 144-171 Liberty St., www.Locus144.com

Food & Drink Specials: Half price appetizers, $5 rail drinks, $6 all beers & $8 wine.

Thursday, January 26th - William’s Landing, 120 Lynn Williams St., www.WilliamsLanding.ca

Food & Drink Specials: TBA

From 5:30PM to 9:30PM, socialize, mingle, network, and experience your community. You can always find a new weekly drink or food special when you come to Liberty Social Hour.

For more information visit www.torontocityevents.ca, www.deblewis.ca or www.inlibertyvillage.com and supported by www.mercadonews.com, and www.bhive.ca.

Toronto Hispanic Chamber of Commerce invites you to a special forum to discuss new marketing initiatives targeting Canada’s Hispanic community.

Why focus on the Hispanic market?

There are more than 700,000 Spanish-speaking immigrants in Canada; 90% of immigrants who have arrived in the past 10 years hold a post-secondary degree from their home country and they represent tremendous purchasing power and an untapped market for Canadian businesses. Learn about this growing community and how you can attract these consumers.

Join us on November 16 for an enlightening panel discussion, followed by light refreshments.

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What criterion determines luxury? Is it a brand name? Is it price? Is it a specific design? Although luxury varies by individual, most consumers can agree that quality is the cornerstone of luxury. ‘If you want quality you’re going to have to pay for it’. Paying for it is expensive, but enjoying it doesn’t have to be. This is one of the beliefs of GTA Exotics Toronto Exotic Car & Motorcycle Rentals. Luxury appeals to comfort, convenience and also style.

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Get a chance to win a 4-day 3-night stay for two at the all-inclusive Crown Paradise Resort in Puerto Vallarta*, plus an Adventure Tour for two! Just tell us why you love Mercado News Magazine on Twitter with hashtag #loveMNM, or on our Facebook page.  Contest ends November 30, 2011.

*Airfare to Puerto Vallarta not included.

One entry per person on either Twitter or Facebook.

It's kind of taken for granted that Fox News is the mouthpiece of the radical right in America, though the idea is unfortunately less entrenched, that Sun News does much the same in Canada. Still in its nascent stages, I, like many Canadians, have still yet to get used to the idea of the network, though its coverage of the Occupy movement has really helped us become aware of the role that this network is vying to play in our political world.

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There's an old Chinese proverb: one generation plants the tree, the next generation enjoys the shade. That sentiment really reflects the Occupy Toronto movement that began this Saturday.

The large crowd embraced the rain and chilly weather to begin their occupation of St. James Park and the crowd was as diverse as the city itself. It certainly skewed towards the young, but there were even a few old veterans of the 60's movement, back again standing up for the rights of the voiceless.

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A few minutes after the 5 PM meeting time, the gathering at the park next to OISE (The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education) didn't seem to be much in the way of organized. People stood in small groups talking to one another, but nothing on the scale a movement like the Occupy Toronto group would likely hope for. It was kind of a setback for a meeting attempting to improve focus, among other things.

But as time went on eventually a circle was formed, rules of order were discussed, and soon I was witnessing the most coordinated group effort I had seen in some time. This October 13th meeting was to discuss their strategy for their occupation of the financial district in Toronto beginning on the coming Saturday, just two days away.

Most of the people at the gathering were new, not having been to the previous meeting on October 7th, but they picked up on the rules very quickly. To show you agree with something being said you would raise your hands and shake them in support (although clapping and cheering became popular choices as well) and to express disagreement or disdain for something you would cross your arms over in an 'X' shape.

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On September 17th a group of demonstrators crowded onto Wall Street in New York city and started an occupation that has begun to spread globally. A truly grassroots effort, the demonstrators plainly say that they represent the 99% of the population that isn't incredibly wealthy. The 99% that are tired of seeing bankers on Wall Street reaping in record bonuses while nearly collapsing the economy while unemployment reaches new heights across the United States and the rest of the developed world.The disparity of wealth in the United States has gone under-reported for some time.

 

Images from Mother Jones compiled from studies done by researchers at Harvard, Berkley, and several other institutions show how the richest 1% have managed to gather over one third of the wealth in the richest nation on Earth. Not only that, but the proportion of the wealth they continue to gather has been growing over the last thirty years.

 

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With chairs and microphones arranged on a small stage, the first night of the De Colores Festival of New Works felt like a privileged, intimate look into works still deeply connected to the passionate, creative minds from which they had been conceived. Sans costume or stage directions, the actors read their roles from two selected, undeveloped scripts in front of a small audience.

Held at the Wychwood Theatre on October 6th and 7th, the Alameda Theatre Company’s fourth installment of the event presented four selected staged readings in total, all written by Latin-Canadian playwrights.Martha Chaves’ Staying Alive offered a profound and humorous look at aspects of the playwright’s own life. Her alter ego, Joanna – played by Maria Del Mar – is an agnostic, lesbian comedian, sent to Canada from Nicaragua as a teenager. Her mother, long ago exiled from Nicaragua for her position in the Nicaraguan Revolution, has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Along with Joanna’s love of poetry, a Greek chorus of three drag queens (José Arias, Ryan G. Hinds, and Jonathan Morton-Schuster) guide her as she contends with religion, sexuality, alcoholism, and ultimately the true nature of her relationship with her mother. 

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In the 1970's a chemical known as Glyphosate was developed by the Monsanto Company to help fight weeds. Over the next two decades that followed, it quickly became one of the most popular methods for killing weeds in farmlands across the world as sold under the brand name 'Roundup'.

However, in 2000, the patent Monsanto filed for Glyphosate expired, and since then there has been a glut of new herbicides using the chemical, and as a result, weeds seem to be developing a resistance to it.  In terrible Hollywood movies, you'll often see some horrible monster develop immunity to its weakness over time. The super virus stopped only by extreme heat in the first half of the movie will inevitably become immune to it sometime during the second half. In a movie it might ridiculously happen over the course of a few rough days, there is some truth to the concern.

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The economic crash of mid-2008 left most countries in the western world in a weakened state. In spite of this, Canada managed to bounce back quickly, and now finds itself in the unique position as one of the more stable economies of the western world. To further that economic growth, the Conversative federal government has made a strong effort to strengthen its trade relationships with Latin American countries whereas other countries such as the U.S. are being left behind to struggle with their own recovery.

On August fifth Stephen Harper flew to Brazil in order to help build similar relationships he's already pioneered with other countries in Central and South America. Canada has created free trade agreements with both Columbia and Peru, the later of which came into effect on August 15th. While on his trip, Harper also created a similar free trade agreement with Honduras, further diversifying Canada's trade relationships.Although these agreements will be of benefit for Canadian businesses, there are still some criticisms that the Canadian government is creating these relationships while not putting adequate pressure on the governments of certain countries. Canada's new deal with Honduras is called premature as critics point out that the poverty stricken country is still unstable after its recent military coup with one of the highest crime rates in the world.

In June 2009, Honduran president José Manuel Zelaya was deposed through a military coup after a request from the Honduran Supreme Court to detain Zelaya for forcing through an illegal referendum on the Honduran constitution. Following Zelaya's exile, enforced by the military under no government orders and after no trial, there was a dramatic increase in the number of foreign paramilitary groups within Honduras.In 2010, Porifio Lobo Sosa was elected as president of Honduras. Many of the participants in the military coup, such as general Romeo Vásquez, were appointed to high ranking government positions. Vásquez now runs the state owned telecom company Hondutel.

Now, nearly two years after the coup, there is still violence within Honduras, this time between an alleged armed resistance to palm oil plantation owners. On August 16th, just days after Stephen Harper announced Canada's new trade deal with Honduras, eleven people were killed in a struggle that the Honduras government reports were between a combination of private security and the military against an armed insurgence. No information was given as to the motivations of the interlopers, only that they were masquerading as 'campesionos', or peasants.The Honduran government, as well the media which it controls, insists that the violence in Honduras is a result of foreign mercenaries. However, the only recent history of mercenaries operating in Honduras was in October 2009 when the U.N. advised Honduran authorities to reduce the number of mercenaries operating within its borders, a violation of human rights. The mercenaries were apparently used to hunt down supporters of the deposed Zelaya, obviously putting them on the side of the Honduran military which has obvious ties with the new government.

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Five Thursdays. Five Locations. One community.

Mercado News Magazine, InLibertyVillage.com, and CityEvents invite you to a series of socializing and networking events. Each Thursday will be hosted on a beautiful summer evening in various locations throughout Liberty Village.

We present to you the “Liberty Social Hour: Le Bel Été.”

Liberty Village is the creative centre of Toronto, highlighting everything that is artistic, urban and chic. Liberty Social Hour will give Liberty Village residents a chance to experience the venues, and potential of Liberty Village while meeting your neighbours or collaborating with a local technology company.

This is a beautiful summer, Le Bel Été. This is Liberty Village.

Join us on the following Thursdays and create some valuable relationships within your community, Liberty Village:
Thursday July 7 - Barista Espresso Bar  (Event pics here) *****
Thursday July 14 – Merci Mon Ami
Thursday July 28 - Locus 144
Thursday August 11 - Mildred's Temple Kitchen
Thursday August 18 - Liberty Noodle

From 5:30PM to 8:30PM, socialize, mingle, network, and experience your community.

And if that isn't enough of a reason to experience this series, think of the free swag bags we'll be giving out! We will be announcing a great drink or food special each week.

 

Really? Sore losers? Or did you feel like you missed out on last summer's G20.  Trashing police cruisers? At least cover your faces and do it proper. (Tongue and Cheek). I always felt that Vancouver was easy going, laid back, 420 friendly tree hugging hippies, not so Toronto friendly, but thats another story --- This scene is right out of a bad douche bag Jersey Shore episode and even they probably would show more class.  

The Canucks played well, but Boston just had a little bit more.  As Canadians we have a pretty cool international reputation, where I have even met Americans in South America trying to pawn themselves off as Canadians, and the Mossad who likes to use our passports from time to time ... but thats another story. Canadians are proud.  Sure last summer Toronto went through a destructive G20, where our beloved Prime Minister took a $1BB dump in our backyard, wears lipstick during his speeches and won a majority government, but he pretty much invited hooligans from all over the world.  This riot is all you, Vancouver.  Not cool. 

Not only have your embarrassed yourselves, but probably all Canadians including myself.   

Rod Ponce