Canada

After the Caps were eliminated, we got to hear about injuries like Ovechkin's hairline fracture in his foot, and Erat's dislocated elbow. The Bruins weren't even eliminated but after their first round series, we heard about injuries to Redden, Ference, and Sidenberg. But the Leafs? Bozak had a separated bicep and...that's it (aside from Kostka's broken finger and Fraser's broken face). We still don't know what hip issue Gunnarsson played through, or how it will get better. Phaneuf claimed he wasn't injured, but no one really believes it. Grabovski? With his regular "face-in-elbow" routine? Kadri, with his 13:30 ATOI? I'm not saying there has to be a slew of injuries, but if the Leafs really were healthy, there's a story in there, too. Bob Cole’s love for hockey isn’t going anywhere | NHL | Sports | National PostBob Cole loves hockey, as if you couldn't already tell that every time he calls a game. NHL Grab Bag: The Many Faces of Bryan Murray - The Triangle Blog - GrantlandDGB Grab Bag deals with the playoff contender formerly known as Ottawa stepping in as "Canada's Team." Don Maloney remains as Coyotes’ GM after agreeing to long-term extension | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! SportsOne of the league's best GMs now has more stability than the team he works for. Is this the new Dallas Stars logo? | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! SportsDallas Stars may adopt yet another circle logo. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Big Oilers Data X: Isolating A Problem | mc79hockey.comAnother installment in the series I keep meaning to read. Minor news: Adam Cracknell Re-Signed To One Year, One Way Deal - St. Louis Game Time4th liner gets 1-year deal. Blue Jackets sign goalie Curtis McElhinney, defenceman Ilari Melart to 1-year contracts - The Hockey NewsMore minor extensions! Sens Eliminated

Breaking up is heard to do. You may have heard. And different Canadians go about passing through the blue flame in different ways. Michael Bublé: Exhibit A. Apparently, the Sinatra-come-lately had his feelings smashed to such smithereens a few years ago (by then-girlfriend Emily Blunt, I’m gathering) that he had “no confidence” left, and he turned to the book The Power of Now. “I needed it,” he just told Vanity Fair. “I started reading it, and I believed in it.” The Vancouverite crowd-pleaser may enjoy remarkable career success — among the top five touring acts in the world, did you know?! — but it’s the popular self-help guide he credits for saving him. Bublé, 37, goes on: “I started practising it, and it was as simple as just being in the moment and being thankful for what I had and every day trying to be grateful. … It was such a slow process, but it changed my life. Literally. If you talk to my mom and dad, they’ll tell you that I’m a different son. I’m present.” Will Arnett, meanwhile? The Toronto-sprung funnyman, having gone through a not-too-funny divorce from Amy Poehler recently, has been working things out by … well … working out. His abs look great these days, that is to say. Talking to Details magazine this month, the 43-year-old throws his hands up metaphorically, and asks, “If going to the gym obsessively for eight, nine months was my way of dealing, then let that be my worst problem.” Adds Arnett, the son of a former CEO of Molson: “Life is challenging, and I’d say that there is no guidebook — but there’s about a million guidebooks out there. All people have been doing since the dawn of time is trying to figure out how to live this life and be happy.” And now you know. OK, AND MEANWHILE: “Conrad wanted them here,” the ever-enthralling Barbara Amiel mentioned when I ran into her the other night. She was speaking, alas, of the two giant beasts that had joined us at the Toronto book launch for Lord Black’s new doorstopper, Flight of the Eagle. Indeed, the two very furry, quite ginormous Hungarian kuvasz appeared well-trained, and rather erudite, and even a little blasé, if you ask me, in this bastion of literary society. Barbara, as I and others noticed, had arrived at this party, held at Ben McNally on Bay, in a smart white quelque chose — one that matched the fur of her dogs perfectly. This, while her husband — on the trail for his geopolitical tract, written largely in prison — basked in his moment, accordingly. Others in the fete-flock? They included poetry-pushers Scott and Krystyne Griffin, the out-of-the-box Ivan Fecan, the ever-glam Suzanne Boyd, National Post opinion-maker Jonathan Kay and former Ontario premiers Mike Harris and David Peterson. THIS! THAT! THIS! • Basketball Hall-of-Famer, international diplomat, and all-around crazy person Dennis Rodman, touching down tonight at Muzik in Toronto, for a might-as-well-get-paid “birthday celebration.” • Jason Priestley talking tannins and more at a special dinner held the other night at Hugo Boss, on Bloor Street featuring various rare wines. The heartthrob joined various other GQ-friendly oenophiles at the event hosted jointly with Men’s Fashion. Evan Agostini/AP ImagesKatie Holmes and Sarah Polley were hanging out this week, you know, NOT talking about Tom Cruise. • Canada’s Sarah Polley is not starting major early Oscar talk for her documentary, Stories We Tell, just released stateside — it has a combined critical grade of 93% on Metacritic — but she’s also getting cozy with her co-star from long ago. In Interview magazine! It’s a conversation between Polley and Katie Holmes (who starred together in 1999’s Go), in which they talk motherhood and Margaret Atwood and Woody Allen, but not Tom Cruise. • Canada’s retail warrioress Bonnie Brooks looked polished and, it must be said, sexy in J. Mendel while receiving one of the honours at a much-ado benefit for Parsons New School of Design, held earlier this week in New York City. • One of the

Missing in France? Don’t expect police to come looking.Though the United States and Canada have bolstered their missing person organizations with the help of the Internet, France has suddenly taken a step in the opposite direction. Law enforcement agencies in the country have ended missing person's searches for adults.More...

The weak economy is hurting many discount retailers; last Thursday Wal-Mart’s (NYSE:WMT) results missed Wall Street’s expectations, reflecting the stress on low-income consumers, while Target (NYSE:TGT) reported Wednesday that first-quarter earnings plummeted 29 percent, missing its already lowered guidance. Wal-Mart is considered an economic bellwether, because its sales accounts for nearly 10 percent of non-automotive retail spending in the United States. Tough economic conditions followed Wal-Mart to Canada, where its results were exacerbated by what retail analysts have termed the “Target effect.” To better compete with its rival — which launched its first 24 stores in the country in March — Wal-Mart has embarked on an expansion project, but as its recent earnings report showed, performance at its existing stores declined in the past quarter. NEW! Discover a new stock idea each week for less than the cost of 1 trade. CLICK HERE for your Weekly Stock Cheat Sheets NOW! Target acknowledged in its earnings press release that “softer-than-expected sales trends” were responsible for its lower-than-expected results. But in Canada, the company’s new stores experienced an “unexpectedly strong surge” in sales, as Chief Executive Officer Gregg Steinhafel told investors on the earnings call. Still, he acknowledged that retailer must focus its efforts on strengthening sales in important categories: the repeat-business market segments dominated by Wal-Mart and grocery stores. “We are encouraging our new Canadian guests to make Target a preferred destination for categories throughout the store, including food, health, beauty, and household essentials,” Steinhafel said. The company’s Canadian stores generated sales of $86 million in the last quarter, which ended on May 4, supported by higher-than-anticipated sales in its home and apparel departments — categories in which it competes with Sears (NASDAQ:SHLD) and Wal-Mart. “People shop for food in Canada an average of 1.8 times a week and the idea is that if you get them in for food and other household items, they then cross-shop in the other departments,”  retailing consultant Richard Talbot told the Financial Post. It is for that reason that Wal-Mart opened a plethora of locations with full grocery stores last year. The company increased its store count by 13.8 percent and boosted overall square footage by 10.6 percent, beginning the new fiscal year with 379 locations, of which 209 were grocery-inclusive supercenters and the remaining 170 were standard discount stores. Last year, Wal-Mart operated 333 locations in total. Despite this expansion, Wal-Mart’s same-store sales, operating income and foot traffic suffered during Target’s first quarter of Canadian operations, with weak consumer spending and unusually cold weather hurting results as well. Same-store sales at Canadian stores open for more than a year, an important barometer of retail health, dropped 1.3 percent in the period ended April 30, while customer traffic dropped two percent. As a result, operating expenses grew faster than sales. NEW! Discover a new stock idea each week for less than the cost of 1 trade. CLICK HERE for your Weekly Stock Cheat Sheets NOW! “Our results were impacted by the unseasonably colder weather this year versus unseasonably warm weather last year and the leap year overlap,” Doug McMillon, president and chief executive of Wal-Mart International told investors on the company’s earnings call. Higher household debt levels weakened consumer spending in Canada as well, he added. Economic conditions have prompted 57 percent of Canadians to shop comparatively, according to a recent RBC survey, a practice that has made competition between discount retailers even stronger. However, the road ahead will not necessarily be an easy one for Target. In the last quarter, Wal-Mart made market share gains of 120 basis points in food, consumables and health and wellness categories, according

Regional transit agency will release funding plan that centres around new parking levy and increased sales tax

The massive tornado disaster that claimed dozens of lives in Oklahoma this past week brought forth tears and shock from many stars on social networks.

There’s no doubting that Apple’s iOS devices and Macs are popular, especially when you see the lines stretching outside of the company’s retail stores during each product release. However, it’s sometimes hard to see what the company has revolutionized that isn’t a shiny touchscreen device. That is the Apple Retail Store, which is used to educate customers about Apple products, provide technical assistance, and, in many cases, serve as an unlocked Wi-Fi network for passers-by. Apple’s retail stores have helped to revolutionize retail as we know it, crafting customer service and store design into an art. Let’s look at what Apple has included in their store that has revolutionized retail experiences, both in America and internationally. Genius Bar With the Genius Bar, Apple eliminated the process of shipping defective products, for the most part. By providing customers with the opportunity to get help with their products in-store, Apple is not only saving itself money but is attaching a human experience with their products, something that is lost in today’s corporate society. Apple’s Genius Bar can fix a range of issues, from broken iOS and Mac products, to older generations of the iPod to even some third party products that Apple…Continue reading Four key ways the Apple Store has revolutionized retailRelated posts:Apple pulls iPhone support from Canada Apple StoresApple discontinues the 23 inch Cinema DisplayA re-design for Apple Retail Stores?

Asparagus season is in full swing.

Rushed for dinner? Tired of the same old lunch? To ward off culinary boredom, take a good look at your kitchen cupboard, and make sure it's stocked up on essentials — and such standbys as canned foods, including tuna, soups, tomatoes, mushrooms, sweet corn and even milk (as in evaporated skim milk, sweetened condensed milk).

Without a doubt, the biggest story this week was Miguel’s impromptu leg drop during his performance at the Billboard Music Awards. Of course, he didn’t mean to do it, but damn! Now when it comes to crazy, are-you-serious news, an arrest warrant was issued for Bronx rapper Tim Dog who reportedly died earlier this year. Yeah. It’s not quite as ridiculous, but apparently Kanye West is pushing Will Smith to release new music. In more straight-up news, Action Bronson revealed that his Saab Stories project with Harry Fraud drops early next month, with the same going for Joey Bada$$’s Summer Knights EP. There’s some new Madlib on the way, too, along with a gang of Prefuse 73 collaborative projects. Oh, and hey, check out our guide to Kanye’s upcoming album, Yeezus. Here are the best tracks we heard this past week: Black Hippy – “U.O.E.N.O.” (Remix) The Underachievers – “May’s Patience” Earl Sweatshirt – “Guild” F. Mac Miller Boards of Canada – “Reach for the Dead” Pharrell – “Happy” Shad – “Homie” Disclosure – “When a Fire Starts to Burn” Quadron – “Better Off” F. Kendrick Lamar Click below to grab the Best Downloads of the Week. Chuck Inglish | Droptops  [EP] It’s almost summer and Chuck Inglish knows exactly what he’s doing with his latest project. Droptops is certified summer music through and through, thanks in part to the minimalist, bass-heavy production. Guest features include Asher Roth, Buddy, and Da$h & Retch, all of whom are strong complements to Inglish’s mostly languid delivery. And even if you disagree, you need this for your ride. You can download the EP here. Brian Fresco | Mafioso  [Mixtape] Mafioso is a new project from Chicago rapper Brian Fresco, who runs with the SaveMoney crew that features Joey Purp, Chance the Rapper, Vic Mensa, and others. Sure enough, they all show up on here, though Fresco mostly works to establish himself as a burgeoning talent. Even though there are a few filler cuts on here, this one’s definitely worth your time this weekend (and beyond). You can download the tape here. Shigeto | Boiler Room Mix Shigeto performed at a recent Boiler Room party and, like every set hosted by them, the entire thing has landed online. It’s 42 minutes of mostly danceable material, which Shigeto messes with here and there throughout with his MPC. I could see this one soundtracking your pre-nighttime shenanigans or being played when you’re winding down from whatever absurdity you’re getting into. Or just dance to it. You can download the mix here. Ryan Hemsworth | Still Awake  [EP] Ryan Hemsworth loves you. Yes, you, you, and especially you. How do I know this? Because he released his latest project as a thank you to all his fans out there. I get the strong feeling he’ll only have more fans to show love to once Still Awake makes the rounds, because it only continues to show off his immense talents. I, for one, can’t wait to see him play the Hopscotch Music Festival in September. You can download the EP here. The Jet Age of Tomorrow | The Jellyfish Mentality  [Album] The Jet Age of Tomorrow is the duo of Hal Williams and Matt Martians and they have a penchant for forward-thinking funk/R&B with a touch of soul and hip-hop. That’s especially evident on their third album, The Jellyfish Mentality, which they have been so kind to give away for free. This thing houses 21 (!) brand-new joints and collaborations with everyone from SBTRKT to Earl Sweatshirt to the Stepkids. Chyeah. You can download the album here.