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Horwath wants city to pause transit cuts DARREN CALABRESE/THE CANADIAN PRESS
Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath walks through a TTC subway station yesterday before making an announcement.
Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is pledging millions to help fund transit systems and is urging Toronto to hold off on planned transit cuts until after the provincial election, even though her par-
ty is running a consistent third in the polls. Horwath stood outside a Toronto subway stop to talk about her plan for transit yesterday, the same day layoff notices were going out to about 250 employees of the Toronto Transit Commission. The city is aiming to reduce its 2012 budget by
10 per cent. In addition to the layoffs, 171 front-line operator jobs will be eliminated through attrition as the TTC tries to whittle down a projected multimilliondollar budget shortfall. A possible fare hike has also been raised, but the decision has been deferred to December. THE CANADIAN PRESS
An all-girl pillow fighting league Taking your average slumber party pillow fight to a whole new level Van Wailin’ has Lovely Handles pinned to the pink mats as she thumps her opponent repeatedly with a pillow. Crowd members chug beer and shout obscenities from three metres away. Two commentators trade barbs from a nearby stage. This isn’t your average slumber party pillow fight. No, this is Bedlam: AllGirl Pillow Fight Revue, Toronto’s only active pillow-fighting organization. Founded and operated by women, the group formed after a five-yearold Pillow Fight League went on hiatus in March. More than 200 people — female university students, men in business suits, and ZZ Top clones among them — crowded around a 12-by-12 ring on Friday night for six girl-ongirl fights, held at El Mocambo, a rock club near College Street and Spadina
“It’s certainly meant to be a spectacle, halfway between WWE and roller derby, with elements of mixed martial arts thrown in.”
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PHOTO COURTESY IAN KELLY
Kitty Barnum and Stella Lugosi, top, in Bedlam’s main attraction at the El Mocambo Friday night.
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BEDLAM CO-FOUNDER CHRYSTAL CLEAR.
Avenue. The evening also featured a standup comedy act and drag performance. None of the 15 fighters use their real names. Instead, they assume elaborate personas. Van Wailin’ is a 25-yearold former journalism student, who rocks 1980s party girl makeup. Lovely Handles is a Middle Eastern temptress. Stella Lugosi, a vampire, models herself on WWE fighter The Undertaker. “I want to bring the dark side and doom to pil-
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low fighting,” said Lugosi, 29, a web designer by day. Even with arm and knee pads, a standard-size polyester pillow and referee, the fights get violent. Elbows to the face, clotheslines, knee drops
— all moves are legal, as long as a pillow is in play. A match ends with a threecount pin or submission. Before Friday’s fight, the fighters had trained twice a week for three months, learning how to
properly execute and take hits. Unlike lingerie football, where women play in underwear, Bedlam encourages its fighters to express themselves through costume. TORSTAR NEWS SERVICE
As the European banking system goes, so goes the stock market — and there’s now reason to think good thoughts about Europe. Allan Small has more at metronews.ca
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