Super Bowl Bonanza

The New York Giants and the New England Patriots gear up to test their mettle at Super Bowl XLVI. Having previously confronted each other in 2008’s Super Bowl XLII, the rematch has fans waiting in anticipation.

Besides the grit and grime of what is considered the biggest sporting event of the year, the Super Bowl also provides a platform of exposure for a multitude of corporations. Millions of dollars are invested in advertising campaigns, promotions, products and apparel, with this year’s record-breaking cost for a 30-second commercial on NBC priced at an average of US$3.5 million. Whether you like football or not, an expected 100 million people will be tuning in for the halftime show action, with veteran pop star Madonna performing alongside M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj.

The Patriots, led by the legendary Tom Brady, enter the competition having won 10 straight games, with an overall record of 15-3. The Giants, with quarterback Eli Manning shouldering the outcome, are currently at 12-7 games, with five consecutive victories.
www.superbowl.com

Super Bowl XLVI airs Sunday Feb. 5 at 6:30 EST

Porter Airlines CEO, Robert Deluce

Robert Deluce shows no signs of jet lag after touching down in Toronto just before sunrise. His red eye from California was preceded by a long day of aircraft-fuelled meetings neither distracted nor tempted by the Golden State. When we meet in his office at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport later that afternoon, it becomes apparent that the CEO and president of Porter Airlines isn’t the type of man that mixes business with pleasure, but a man who paradoxically puts forth a company that does.

Deluce gestures warmly towards his office where to the left of his uncluttered desk rests a pile of framed portraits that chronicle his roots and achievements in the aviation industry. Despite their significance, they emit an unpretentious display as they rest on the floor stacked against the walls. Read more

City Life Holiday Gift Guide

Bells are ringing, lights are glowing and the snow is falling – the holiday season is upon us once again. As the city transforms into a winter wonderland, filling your heart with that holiday cheer, it’s also time to dive into those crowded malls in search of smile-inducing gifts.

No doubt you’ve probably already embarked on several of these adventures, crossing friends and family members off your list; but there always seems to be that one person you can’t find the right gift for – that finicky friend or special someone who needs the perfect present.

Finding those final gifts can be a challenge, but not to worry. We’ve explored the city to put together our yearly Holiday Wish List to help you wrap your way through the Holidays! Read more

Inspire: Reflect on Life and Commit to Change

“BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD.” – Mahatma Gandhi

The end of the year often calls on us to reflect on our life and commit to change. But while our trivial promises to eat healthy or become active may serve personal goals, there are those who look to expending positive change to the world around them. Whether or not you conceive or forget your resolutions, the following list of individuals and organizations will inspire you to do more – to be that change that Gandhi asks of all of us.

1.  Robin Sharma
Authoring 11 bestsellers and the founder of Sharma Leadership International Inc., Robin Sharma delivers inspiring and motivational talks to rooms filled with employees from Fortune 500 companies like Microsoft and Nike. Read more

Chevrolet Volt

A shocking revelation in eco-friendly driving has made its way to the Great White North, and its name is the Chevrolet Volt. After the buzz about its marathon battery life, the 2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year is now modestly cruising Canadian streets, and for the environmentally conscious driver, this car is a hit.

When GM released the EV1, the first mass-produced electric vehicle (EV) of the modern era 15 years ago, it was received with much content, even though it was available only through lease. In a controversial fashion, however, GM killed off the EV1, citing unprofitability as its demise. Because public perception shifted towards eco-friendly transportation, major automotive manufacturers have changed course. Read more

Toronto’s LG Fashion Week

Photo 1: Klaxon Howl’s Queen Street West shop has managed to achieve commercial success while maintaining its Canadian roots with vintage and military menswear pieces. www.klaxonhowl.com

Photo 2: Inspired by New York City’s club culture, Sid Neigum shows a dark, avant-garde collection this SS12 season. www.sidneigum.com

Photo 3: Proving that home décor and haute couture go hand-in-hand, Korhani shows off a Canadian Made Innovation SS12 indoor rug in Rabbit print. www.korhani.com

Photo 4: Korhani continues to sweep us off our feet with its innovative rug runway fashion show. Model is wearing Korhani’s SS12 reversible outdoor patio rug in China Flower print. Read more

The Tube: London, England’s Underdround

It happens somewhere between a storied London street and a subterranean society that intimidation sets in. I’m studying an intricate map of colour-coded lines, linking and crossing each other like a game of Snakes and Ladders. Choosing dogged pursuit over walking away with my tail between my legs, I duck into a service station to join bobbing tourists on a nexus of travel and history.

England’s London Underground, widely referred to as the Tube, is the oldest of its kind and the busiest in Europe after Moscow and Paris. Much like the octopus of the New York City Subway, the sophistication of the Tube services hundreds of stations across England’s Greater London Area, albeit in a cleaner fashion. Its world-class transit network is the second largest in the world, and like an old, lumbering friend, screeches to a halt for underground visits with Big Ben and St. Paul. Read more

Kim Cattrall and The City

In the dusk of Toronto’s King Street West, the TIFF Bell Lightbox stands aglow as guests hurry in from the cold and into a packed auditorium. The impending event emits a palpable energy that runs between every cushioned seat of the Allan Slaight playhouse.

Within moments, a rapturous applause announces the arrival of Kim Cattrall, who at 55, is no less radiant than when she first began acting as a teenager. She joins the evening’s “In Conversation With … Kim Cattrall” host and CBC senior business correspondent Amanda Lang onstage to partake in a tribute to her career co-presented by TIFF and the Canadian Film Centre. The crowd is soon eating from the palm of her manicured hands. “I can’t believe we’re going to do this in such a short amount of time – I’ve had such a long, long career,” she says with a laugh. “And I remember every single moment.” Read more

Cake Boss: Bartolo “Buddy” Valastro Jr.

If there’s one thing fans of the hit reality TV show Cake Boss will attest to, it’s that there are cakes, and then there are Cake Boss cakes. The difference? A Cake Boss cake is layered, shaped and coloured with such whimsical novelty they’re almost too pretty to cut – but too delicious to resist.

It’s the artistic hand of Bartolo “Buddy” Valastro Jr. – a man who speaks with such Joe Pesci-like bravado that he may seem more street tough than master baker – that produces this lip-smacking beauty. “We really enjoy using our creativity to design custom cakes,” says Valastro, a fourth generation baker who heads the kitchen at Carlo’s Bake Shop, his family’s bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey. “It’s a merger of traditional methods of decorating and using new technologies to do things like make them spin or light up.” Read more

Steve Jobs: A Visionary Great

When Albert Einstein formulated E = mc², he changed how we looked at the universe. When John Lennon told us to Imagine, he changed how we heard music. And when Steve Jobs gave us a new device, he changed how we interacted with technology. When the Internet exploded with dialogue discussing the passing of the 56-year-old Apple co-founder on October 5, it can be said with all confidence that millions of people did it using the products he created. This is his legacy; this is the most important innovator in the last 35 years.

No one, especially in the world of technology, has influenced more lives than Jobs. Rival developer Bill Gates spoke of the pleasure of knowing him, Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg thanked him for showing “what you build can change the world,” celebrities wished him a heartfelt farewell, U.S. President Barack Obama Read more

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