1992

Rating: NNNNN

Jays win the series

When the Blue Jays play their inaugural game in the snow in 1976, no one expects it to take the team only 17 seasons to win the World Series. Joe Carter figures prominently in the last play. He takes the throw from reliever Mike Timlin on Otis Nixon’s groundout to seal the deal, though it’s not nearly as spectacular a moment as his walk-off homer that will win the series again the next year. Perennially underappreciated Cito Gaston – the first black manager to win a series – leads both winning teams.

they said

The game is being sanitized for women as a reaction to the violent play of men. The response should be to clean up men’s hockey, not limit women. – former Olympic runner Abby Hoffman, five years after Justine Blainey won the right to play with boys

I tell people I’m Aryan, not white. You can be a Jew or a fag and be white. – skinhead Mike at racist rock band Rahowa’s coming-out party at Branko’s on Bloor

If anything, I’ve become more disgusted with the world. – Nick Cave on his joyless world view

I think it would be difficult for us to politically enlighten our audience – after all, it’s music. – Jian Ghomeshi of Moxy Früvous

I don’t really think about why people come to our shows, but I sure am glad they do. – punk icon Henry Rollins

Hands-on, I do absolutely nothing. Eyes-on, I do everything. – visual artist Jeff Koons

But musicians only retire – or go on vacation – when the phone don’t ring. – Tito Puente

There’s a reason why modern dance is marginal at best – it’s just not very good. – dancer Mark Morris

we said

“Stinx.” – about folk-soul singer Vinx’s I Love My Job LP, in what is the shortest NOW review ever.

“Wayne’s World may be set in Chicago, but the hoser world view is in place.” – about Wayne’s World

“It’s unlikely they will ever be accepted by the music establishment as serious artists.” – about the Beastie Boys

“I enjoyed Batman Returns, though I am about to make rude remarks about it.” – about the Bat-sequel

“Dollar for dollar, the worst movie of the year.” – about Basic Instinct

“It would appear that the thousands upon thousands of Torontonians who helped make Canada the world’s largest sales territory for Roxette aren’t that big on live concerts.” – about a rather poorly attended live concert by Swedish pop band Roxette

“His smirking, cooler-than-thou persona works to create an ironic distance between himself and the stupid films that have made him rich.” – about Chevy Chase

Top 10 albums

Angélique Kidjo Logozo

The Tragically Hip Fully Completely

Ministry Pslam 69: The Way To Succeed And The Way To Suck Eggs

Tom Waits Bone Machine

Disposable Heores of Hiphoprisy Hipocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury

Pete Rock and CL Smooth Mecca And The Soul Brother

R.E.M. Automatic For The People

Blue Rodeo Lost Together

Five Blind Boys of Alabama Deep River

k.d. lang Ingénue

Top 10 movies

Europa

The Player

Glengarry Glen Ross

Malcolm X

Reservoir Dogs

Naked Lunch

The Crying Game

Masala

Unforgiven

Highway 61

in this year

JANUARY

City council bars Barenaked Ladies from playing Nathan Phillips Square because their name “objectifies women.”

MARCH

Massive Ataratiri reclamation project in the port lands, requiring the removal of tonnes of contaminated soil, is killed by the province.

MAY

A survey of 450 homeless people by StreetHealth finds one in 10 have experienced assault at the hands of police.

Glad Day bookstore goes to court to fight obscenity charges for selling lesbian S/M mags.

JUNE

The AGO shuts doors to protest funding cuts.

U.S. VP Dan Quayle tells a spelling bee contestant that the word “potato” has an “e” at the end.

JULY

Bitter 31-day strike at the Toronto Star ends with firing of 12 staffers.

AUGUST

A crack in cooling equipment at Pickering nuclear generating station allows 3,000 litres of cancer-causing radioactive heavy water to leak into Lake Ontario.

City of Toronto discontinues collection of household batteries, forcing chemical-laden cylinders by the thousands into landfill.

SEPTEMBER

Police chief Bill McCormack beats back calls for his resignation following inquiry into sex-for-pay scandal involving cop/escort service owner Gordon Junger.

Metro council’s Spadina LRT plan leaves out bike lanes.

George Burdi, heir apparent of the neo-Nazi movement in Canada, has his coming out in NOW.

OCTOBER

Blue Jays win first of back-to-back World Series titles.

NOVEMBER

The Star sells its shares in Southam newspaper chain for $250 million to Conrad Black.

NOW employees unionize