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Heeding the security advice of leading community groups – like the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) – is a best practice for developers. But so is original, creative thinking about security issues. While the tips from organizations like OWASP provide an excellent foundation for building secure apps, they don't necessarily cover every risk developers may face in a given context or prioritize risks in the right order.
To illustrate the point, here's a look at the OWASP's top 10 list of API risks, along with an analysis of what it does well and what it's arguably missing.
What Is OWASP?
OWASP is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving software security. Founded in 2001, the group originally focused on security for simple Web applications, but it has more recently expanded its focus to address the security of API-first development and cloud-native architectures.
OWASP is not a regulatory body or an industry group. It doesn't set standards with which developers have to comply in order to avoid compliance issues.
Nonetheless, OWASP enjoys an established reputation in the software development and security communities as a leading resource for best-practice guidance on building secure applications. It's no single source of truth for securing software, but its recommendations are one essential reference point for modern developers.
The OWASP API Top 10 List
OWASP periodically publishes lists of security risks for both Web applications and APIs (obviously, there is overlap between these categories because many Web applications use APIs, but OWASP assesses the risks separately, which makes sense because not all Web applications use APIs, and not all APIs are used in Web applications).
Here's a summary of the latest version of the API risk list:
- Lack of object-level authorization checks.
- Flawed user authentication.
- Exposure of more data than necessary.
- Lack of resource quotas or limits.
- Flawed function authorization.
- Lack of filtering for client data.
- Reliance on default security configurations or configurations that are flawed.
- Injection attacks.
- Insufficient tracking of exposed resources.
- Insufficient monitoring.
Improving the OWASP Top 10
Again, the OWASP top 10 list is a vital starting-point for establishing best practices that developers should follow when working with APIs. But for my money, it has some weaknesses.
Third-Party APIs
One of the most surprising things to me about the OWASP top 10 list of API risks is that it draws no distinction between in-house APIs and third-party APIs.
Although both types of APIs may work in the same way in a technical sense, third-party APIs pose additional risks in the sense that developers' ability to monitor them is limited. So, in many cases, is their ability to manage authentication and authorization. If developers don't build the APIs themselves, they can only interact with the APIs in whichever way the APIs support.
In this sense, I think the list ought to include a tip about being extra careful when using third-party APIs. Developers certainly need not avoid third-party APIs, but they should understand their origins and limits.
Like many "top 10" lists, OWASP's API risk list is a bit redundant. That makes it harder to work with and arguably gives developers a false impression of which items to prioritize.
For instance, items 2 and 5, both of which involve authentication or authorization, could probably be consolidated into a single point about ensuring that APIs properly authenticate and authorize all resources.
I suppose you could claim that improper user authentication is a greater risk than broken function-level authorization. But you could also argue the opposite. Either way, I'm not sure the difference here is significant enough to merit two separate items. The main takeaway is that reliable, granular authentication and authorization is essential for every API interaction, and I don't think the list states that as clearly as it could.
Insufficient Emphasis on Monitoring
Only the last two items on OWASP's list deal with monitoring API resources and behavior. I tend to think that comprehensive monitoring and logging should be near the very top of the list, because you can't manage API security risks very effectively if you lack visibility into them.
Granted, logging and monitoring tend to be jobs for IT engineers more than for developers. Perhaps that's why OWASP gives them relatively little weight on this list, which is geared toward developers. Still, we live in a DevOps-centric world, where the line separating developers from IT teams is blurred. Plus, you can't track API resources and behavior if the APIs don't provide proper facilities for logging and monitoring, which is something developers have to implement.
Training and Culture
Talk about "building a security culture" or "training developers in security" often sounds fluffy, especially when it is not accompanied by specific advice on achieving these goals. Nonetheless, I'm surprised that the OWASP list includes nothing in the way of warning about lack of shared visibility or collaboration between developers and security teams.
I think this topic could be added in a way that isn't so abstract or generic that it's meaningless. For example, the list could mention the importance of making API monitoring and log data available to both security teams and developers, which is one small step toward building a security culture.
The OWASP top 10 list of API risks is a must-read for any developer who cares about securely designing and using APIs. But at the end of the day, the list represents only one set of perspectives about API security. It's crucial to think through the guidance for yourself and adapt its recommendations to your own application and environment.
Chris Tozzi has worked as a journalist and Linux systems administrator. He has particular interests in open source, agile infrastructure, and networking. He is Senior Editor of content and a DevOps Analyst at Fixate IO. His latest book, For Fun and Profit: A History of the Free and Open Source Software Revolution, was published in 2017.


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Node is buffer native method basics and more
The node is buffer method is the standard way to find out if something is a buffer or not in a nodejs project, when it comes to working with buffers in nodejs. The standard is buffer method is right there as part of the Buffer global, and can be used by just passing a value as the first argument. The resulting value that the node is buffer method will return is then a boolean value that will be true if the value is a Buffer, or not if it is not a buffer.
In addition there is also the is-buffer npm package as well, which is a user space option for this kind of task. One might thing that there is no need for such a package, but oddly enough there are often some extending situations in which there might actually need to be some additional logic, or the same task needs to be done a different way.
One might think that a task such as this would be a trivial matter, and in most cases it is, but in other cases it is not. There is a long history of having to make user space solutions for native methods in javaScript, such is the case with the native isNaN method returning true for values other than NaN. So lets take a look at this one real quick to find out if this is the case with the is Buffer method in nodejs..
1 - node is buffer basic example
In nodejs the Buffer.isBuffer method is fairly easy to use. Just call it off of the Buffer global and pass a value that is to be tested if it is a buffer or not.
Simple enough so far, but lets throw a whole bunch of other values to see if there is anything weird going on, which is the case some times with methods like this.
2 - Throw all kinds of values at it time
So when it comes to other naive methods like this there are some times some weird situation in which there is a need to write my own solution, or use another method that does the same thing in a user space framework. To find out if that is the case I just need to trow all kinds of values at the method to see if it returns true for something other than a Buffer.
If the is buffer method in nodejs works as I would expect it to, it should return true for a buffer, and only a buffer. So if I give it an instance of a buffer it should give me a true boolean value, and false for every conceivable other type of value that might end up being passed to it in a project. So lets through together a quick test of sorts for that.
So that works out okay, I guess the native node is buffer method works just fine, so why bother with a user space module with this? Well there is the fact that the Buffer.isBuffer method is part of the node Buffer global, so there is the idea of making the method portable between node and a browser environment. Aside from that maybe I cant thing of any reason to bother with making a user space solution for this in a pure nodejs environment.
3 - Conclusion
I am not sure if I want or need to give this post more attention, I guess I could but together some more code examples surrounding this one, but why? It would seem that the native is buffer method in nodejs works the way that it should. So with the method working find there is no need to make a user defied replacement really, at least not when working in just a nodejs space.
There is still working out a user space method for the sake of having something that will work in client side code, but the package I liked to does just that, also why use nodes buffer objects on the client side when there are more appropriate alternatives? I might come back to this post at some time maybe, but I think there is only so much more to write about on this one.
For more on buffers you might want to check out my main post on the nodejs buffer global here.

subset: commoncrawl


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|Dec 1
|Dec 2
|Dec 5
|Dec 6
|Dec 7
|Dec 8
|Dec 10
|Dec 11
|Dec 12
|Dec 13
|Dec 14
|Dec 15
|Dec 16
|Dec 20
|Dec 21
|Dec 22
|Dec 24
|Dec 25
|Dec 27
|Dec 28
|Dec 29
|Dec 30
|Date on manuscript: song A Christmas Carol "before 1898"; letter: "around 1894"
|First publication: song A Scotch Lullaby, New Haven: Yale Courant 33/5 (Dec, Third Week)
|Date on manuscript: song No More
|choral Processional: Let There Be Light dedicated to Central Presbyterian Church, New York City
|Premiere: lost organ Piece for Communion Service (Charles Ives, org), at Central Presbyterian Church. While at Central Presbyterian Church, Ives composed this and several organ works that went into his Symphony No. 3: The Camp Meeting and conducted the premiere of his cantata The Celestial Country.
|Date on manuscript: song A Farewell to Land, sketch—"70 W. 11" [New York City]
|Edith Ives writes words and tune of her song Christmas Carol which was then set by Ives himself.
|First publication: Seven Songs. Cos Cob Press. Aaron Copland selected these seven songs from Ives's 114 Songs and accompanied at the piano the premiere at Saratoga Springs, NY (1 May 1932) with baritone Herbert Linscott: Charlie Rutlage, Evening, The Indians, Maple Leaves, The See'r, Serenity, and Walking.
|First recording: piano Three-Page Sonata (Luise Vosgerchian; issued in 1963 by Cambridge Records); song Nov. 2, 1920 (An Election) and Religion (Corinne Curry [S] and Luise Vosgerchian [pf]; issued in 1963 by Cambridge)
|Premiere: choral The Bells of Yale (Yale Glee Club) at Hoyt's Opera House, South Norwalk, Conn.
|First recording: Sonata No. 1 for Piano (William Masselos [pf], for Columbia Records, issued 1953)
|First recording: song Weil' auf mir [German text] (Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau [Bar] and Michael Ponti [pf]; issued in 1976 by Deutsche Grammophon)
|First recording: choral The Bells of Yale (Henry Herford [Bar], men's voices and members of Ensemble Modern, cond. by Ingo Metzmacher; issued in 1992 by EMI Classics)
|First recording: songs General William Booth and God Bless and Keep Thee (Radiana Pazmor [S] and Genevieve Pitot [pf], for New Music Quarterly Recordings, issued in 1935)
|First publication: Tone Roads No. 1, New York: Peer International
|Premiere: Chromâtimelôdtune [Schuller realization] and Set No. 3 (by a pick-up chamber orchestra, cond. by Gunther Schuller), at Carnegie Recital Hall, New York City
|Premiere: "In the Night" [mvt. iii of Set for Theatre Orchestra] (Saint Paul Chamber Music Society ensemble, cond. by John J. Becker), at St. Thomas College Auditorium, St. Paul, Minn.
|Premiere: song The New River (Mary Bell [S] and Henry Cowell [pf]), at Musikhalle, Kleiner Saal, Hamburg, Germany
|Birth of César Franck at Liége, France. Ives admired the honest religiosity of Franck's music and quoted his Symphony in D Minor in three related songs: The Song of the Dead, The Ending Year, and The Waiting Soul.
|Birth of pianist (and composer) Olivier Messiaen at Avignon, France. Messiaen was the accompanist for the world premiere in Paris of a group of Ives's songs, 5 March 1936, with singer Victor Prahl: The Innate, Majority, Paracelsus, Requiem, and Resolution.
|Birth of conductor (and composer) Morton Gould at New York City. Gould and the Chicago Symphony made the first recordings of Symphony No. 1 and Orchestral Set No. 2 (also premiere of the latter).
|First publications: piano Study No. 22 and "Three Protests" [from Varied Air and Variations], in New Music
|First recording: Orchestral Set No. 1: Three Places in New England [Sinclair version for large orchestra] (Philadelphia Orchestra, cond. by Eugene Ormandy; issued in 1976 by RCA)
|Premiere: Sonata No. 5 for Violin and Piano [Washington's Birthday, Decoration Day, and Thanksgiving in John Kirkpatrick's reconstruction] (Daniel Stepner [vn], John Kirkpatrick [pf]), in the Music Building, State University of New York, College at Purchase, Purchase, NY
|Ives plays his interlude on BETHANY [Interludes for Hymns, no. 2], at Center Church, New Haven, Conn. Ives used BETHANY prominently in his song Down East.
|Premiere: lost organ Prelude [II] (Charles Ives, org), at Central Presbyterian Church (developed into mvt. i of Symphony No. 3)
|Premiere: piano Thoreau [mvt. iv of Sonata No. 2 for Piano: Concord, Mass.] (Clifton Furness [pf]), at Hartford, Conn.
|Birth of poet Heinrich Heine at Düsseldorf, Germany. Ives used Heine poems for songs Du bist wie eine Blume, Frühlingslied, Gruss, Ich grolle nicht, Die Lotosblume, and two versions of My Native Land.
|Date on manuscript: song Her Eyes "put in [song] Mirage"
|Date on manuscript: choral Matthew Arnold Overture, sketch —"7 night job [completed]!" The overture is used, in part, in the song West London.
|Birth of Ludwig van Beethoven at Bonn, Germany. Ives greatly admired Beethoven's music, creativity and strength. Among the several Beethoven pieces from which Ives borrowed, most important is Symphony No. 5 (Emerson Overture/Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, Sonata No. 2 for Piano: Concord, Mass., piano Study No. 9: The Anti-Abolitionist Riots, The Celestial Railroad, and Four Transcriptions from "Emerson").
|Premiere: lost Largo for Violin and Organ (William Haesche [vn] and Charles Ives [org]), at Central Presbyterian Church, New York City (which went into Largo for Violin, Clarinet, and Piano)
|Date on manuscript: Sonata No. 3 for Violin and Piano "ended"
|Premiere: Tone Roads No. 3 and Scherzo: Over the Pavements (Tone Roads Chamber Ensemble, cond. by James Tenney), at the New School Auditorium, New York City
|Date on manuscript: Robert Browning Overture, sketch of mm. 107–140—"70 W. 11"
|First recording: songs The All-Enduring and Song (Jan DeGaetani [Mez] and Gilbert Kalish [pf]; issued in 1988 by Nonesuch Records)
|Winter solstice (annual): song/choral December
|First recording: Sonata No. 5 for Violin and Piano [Washington's Birthday, Decoration Day, Thanksgiving in the Kirkpatrick reconstruction] (Daniel Stepner [vn] with John Kirkpatrick [pf]; issued in 1982 by Music Masters)
|Birth of Ives editor, conductor, and band arranger Kenneth Singleton. Singleton is the editor for current or forthcoming publications of Symphony No. 3: The Camp Meeting, Symphony No. 4/iii, Postlude in F, Chromâtimelôdtune, Gyp the Blood or Hearst!? [mvt. ii of Set No. 2], chamber ens Mists, Evening, Remembrance, An Old Song Deranged, Set for Theatre Orchestra, March No. 2, with "Son of a Gambolier", March No. 3, with "My Old Kentucky Home", and choral The Bells of Yale, The Boys in Blue, and A Song of Mory's.
|Birth of naturalist philosopher Sir Isaac Newton near Grantham, England. Ives's Universe Symphony contemplates the universe as Newton understood it and goes on to contemplate the expanding universe of Edwin Hubble.
|Premiere: piano Minuetto, Op. 4 (Charles E. Ives? [pf]), location not specified. The earliest performable works of Ives are Holiday Quickstep and song Slow March (both of 1887).
|Date on manuscript: Holiday Quickstep—[started] "Xmas '87"
|Holiday Quickstep played at Methodist Sunday School program
|Premiere: "Adeste Fideles" in an Organ Prelude (Charles Ives, org), at First Presbyterian Church, Bloomfield, New Jersey
|Date on manuscript: Overture and March "1776" score-sketch [begun], "Danbury"
|Christmas (annual): Symphony No. 4, mvt. i; Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano, mvt. iii; "Adeste Fideles" in an Organ Prelude; songs A Christmas Carol, Christmas Carol (Edith Ives's), and Watchman
|Premiere: Decoration Day [mvt. ii of "Holidays Symphony"] (Orquesta Filarmónica de la Habana, cond. by Amadeo Roldán), at Teatro Nacional, Havana
|Ives is elected to membership in the National Institute of Arts and Letters (along with William Schuman).
|Premiere: songs Chanson de Florian, Lincoln, the Great Commoner, and The Rainbow (So May It Be!) (Harry Wayne [Bar] and Esther Lundell [pf]), at McMillin Theatre, Columbia University, New York City
|Date on manuscript: Symphony No. 1/iv, score-sketch [finished]
|Date on manuscript: The Masses (Majority), date on p. 9 of score, "27 W. 11 [New York City"
|First publication: The Unanswered Question, New York: Southern Music Publishing Company
|Birth of poet Rudyard Kipling at Bombay, India. Ives used Kipling poems in a group of songs: The Love Song of Har Dyal, The Only Son, The Song of the Dead, Tarrant Moss, and Tolerance.
|First publication"Adeste Fideles" in an Organ Prelude and Variations on "America", together, New York: Music Press


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Learning objectives
To learn how to:
Select the candidates for the technique
Optimise the use of equipment
Carry out the procedure
Adapt the procedure to specific subsequent structural interventions
Manage the complications
Transseptal catheterisation was introduced in the late 50s1 and gained popularity with the introduction of the electrophysiological and structural heart interventions.2–10 Here, we shall describe the use of transseptal puncture (TSP) technique in the main transcatheter structural, and especially valve, interventions.
In current practice, the use of TSP has shifted from a diagnostic procedure, which is now used only exceptionally, to the first step before percutaneous interventions.
Transseptal puncture has been used worldwide for percutaneous mitral commissurotomy (PMC). More recently, it is increasingly performed for transcatheter interventions on the mitral valve (MitraClip procedure, annuloplasty or valve implantation: valve in valve, valve in a ring, valve in massive annular calcification), left atrial appendage closure and paravalvular leak closure. Finally, very recently it was also used for the new techniques of transcatheter mitral valve implantation.6 7 Its use for percutaneous aortic valve intervention has been almost entirely abandoned.10
The main contraindications to be excluded before TSP are as follows:
Left atrial thrombosis is an absolute contraindication for TSP if it is in the atrial cavity or on the septum. In patients with organised thrombosis localised in the apex of the left atrial appendage, TSP may be performed in exceptional cases where there is no therapeutic alternative. Left atrial myxoma also constitutes a contraindication. As a consequence, the performance of transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) is recommended to exclude left atrial thrombosis before transseptal catheterisation. TOE should be performed immediately, or only a few days before the procedure depending on the intervention planned.11
The other following contraindications are relative:
Bleeding disorders.
If the patient receives vitamin K blockers, there is …
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Commissioned; externally peer reviewed.


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Cafť Trivia
Mugen no Ryvius
(Infinite Ryvius)
How many smelts is Kouji given to eat and why? What else is on his tray?
13 fish. He's low on calcium. He also has rice, miso soup, burdock? with ground (yama imo), daikon, tamago yaki and (of course) green tea.
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Hi Dahlings
Hope you still enjoying your Easter Break .short day for me at work today so i have just finished this little card .
I used
Spellbinders A2 Bracket Borders One
Cherry Lynn Heart to Heart
Cherry Lynn Spider Flower
Cherry Lynn Word's
Impression Obession Sprial Flowers
Die-Namics Royal Rolled Rose
Inside the Heart i used Acetate and put the smaller one on it ,it looks like it is floating .
Thank you for popping in .enjoy the rest of your Easter Break
Big Hugs xxxx
Monday 1 April 2013
5 comments:
Martine, a gorgeously dimensional card! Wow! And is the paper in the background heat embossed with white EP, or is that the way the cardstock came? Wonderful idea to use the acetate that way - I have not seen the IO rolled flowers before, and they certainly are beautiful! Thanks for sharing today. And for the tips regarding the eBosser, too!ReplyDelete
Hi Donna yes it is embossed ,xxReplyDelete
gorgeous card Martine, such a lot of work making all those flowers and fabulous card designReplyDelete
hugs pam
This is absolutely stunning Martine! I love the gorgeous dies and the heart does indeed look like it is floating. Stunning!!!!ReplyDelete
Sooo beautiful - love the roses xReplyDelete
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Amalia 4 Light Chandelier
Regular price $ 249.95 USD
Regular priceUnit price per
Sale price
Amalia is a transitional 4-light pendant that pairs well with transitional to modern decor. The fixture's classic lantern-style silhouette is enhanced by a smooth matte black finish. Medium base bulbs are exposed within the fixture's open-cage for a sophisticated, airy feel. This 4 light fixture is comfortably sized for a cozy dining room, nook, or entry.
Fixture Finish: Matte Black
Fixture Width: 20"
Fixture Height: 21.875"
Max Height: 97.375"
Chain Length: 6' (3.8mm)
Rod Qty: NA
Canopy/Backplate Dim:4.875"Dia x 1"E
Fixture Weight:9.141 lbs.
Number of Sockets:4
Fixture Wattage:4 x 60W(M)
Bulb Type :Incandescent, Type B
Bulb Included: No
Slope Ceiling: Yes
Approved Location: Dry Location
Please email for availability. email@example.com


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💈 ASMR BARBER - The MULLET CROP - Hair Hood SIGNATURE HAIRCUT
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#ASMR #barbershop #haircut #oldschool SHARP HAIRCUT done by OLD SCHOOL BARBER 💈✅🔥 You can find us on INSTAGRAM: @hairhood.ro @ben_the_oldschool_barber You can find us on FACEBOOK : HAIR HOOD Or you can visit our website: www.hairhood.eu Join this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuc5e6jU-fKk0bgrmDye2Tg/joinFOR COLLABS YOU CAN CONTACT US AT ➡ firstname.lastname@example.com A way to support our work is to donate, you can do it in our REVOLUT account by adding ☎ +40753635978 A LIKE, COMMENT and SHARE would help us a lot to grow the channel and the classic barbering community! Also don't forget to SUBSCRIBE! 🤝 So feel free and don't hesitate! 🙏🏽 We are working on new videos, your opinion is very important, so give us some suggestions about what do you want to see next on the channel. 💈 Hope you enjoy this ASMR and we hope that you are all safe and healthy! If you have any question we are here to answer so don't hesitate. If you enjoy this video don't forget to SUBSCRIBE, LIKE, SHARE and hit the BELL NOTIFICATION BUTTON. THANKS FOR WATCHING!
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Welcome to USA Powerlifting Louisiana!
Louisiana has a long-standing record of producing some of the top high school and collegiate lifters in the nation. These lifters also help fill sub-junior and junior USA Powerlifting teams that go on to represent the United States in IPF International meets across the globe. All this is due to the rich tradition and pride Louisiana has for the sport of powerlifting.
Information about USA Powerlifting, what powerlifting is, rules and bylaws can be found on USA Powerlifting's website.
Find "USA Powerlifting Louisiana" on Facebook and stay connected!


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This week we focused our Millennials' attention on major professional sports; the NFL has reigned supreme for at least 20 years, but we had an inkling that things might be changing amongst Millennials. Before we delve in, I'll introduce our panel:
- Joe Cardillo, an older Millennial, Content and Analytics specialist
- Salina Mendoza, a young entrepreneurial Millennial working in Solar
- Satnam Singh, a young Millennial working in digital
- Kelly Mosgofian, a young Millennial working in sports
- Albert Qian, a young Millennial working in Silicon Valley
You can watch or listen to the entire hangout, or read the recap post below:
Some Facts About Sports
- 2014 was Soccer's biggest year in the US as far as attendance at professional games AND viewership.
- College Football attendance is on the decline.
- The NBA ranks 2nd after the NFL among 12 – 17 year olds (Gen Z)
- 73% of American men, and 55% of American women, regularly watch the NFL
Who watches what?
To gauge where our panels' sports passions lie, I asked the following:
How many watch the NFL regularly? 4 of our panelists said yes
How many people watch regular season baseball? Only 1
How many people watch golf? Surprisingly 5 of our panelists watch golf.
How many people watch the NBA regularly? 3 said yes
Questions about Golf
Because we know that Golf has not been attracting Millennials, or even GenXers for that matter, I had a lot of questions about golf. But first I wanted to get our panel's overall opinion about golf in 60 seconds or less; here's how they answered.
Albert: I think it's a sport where you make a lot of business deals. I think it's a misunderstood sport; I paid attention to it because of Tiger Woods. Now there is no one I'm rooting for.
Hessie: I do watch and enjoy it. I enjoy Sergio Garcia (forgive her), and Michelle Wie are winning.
Joe: I watch a few tournaments a year; I typically watch the Masters. I only play golf a couple of times a year – partly because it's expensive and inaccessible. I also don't like that golf courses consume so much water (Joe lives in NM). Great sport, kind of fun to play – totally out of touch with the modern world. I like watching major tournaments – there's drama, there's passion and tension… but all of the other stuff that makes up golf is what turns people off.
Kelly: Golf is game, not a sport, it's like darts. It's actually a great tool to bring people together – it's fun, kind of like happy hour. Most people aren't going to be great at it.. so it's low pressure. My perception of it is based on who I see playing it regularly. It's played by people who are out of touch. It's a place where the 1950's mindset still lives. There is racism, sexism, classism… it's huge. Working on the golf course gave me this whole new perspective – I didn't realize that this attitude was this prevalent. Half of the people who play here (at the course he works at) think like that.
Salina: It's an expensive sport. We do use it to bring people together – we get drunk and have fun. You can't even celebrate after a success in the field – you have to stay calm. There is definitely a gender bias there.
Satnam: I don't golf because I don't have the patience for it. I do love watching golf – I watch all of the majors and I love Rory McElroy. It is the rich people's game – usually rich people don't give a crap about anything.
Hessie: The aura of golf, how you're supposed to present yourself.. it's so pretentious.
The NFL
Next we moved onto the NFL, the league most haunted by bad PR. There have been a rash of stories about the terrible behavior of its stars, so I asked:
Has Social Media impacted your opinion of the sport?
Satnam, our most avid NFL fan, said that nothing has impacted his viewership. Despite the bad stories, he'll still watch. He said the bad press has opened eyes to how the NFL hasn't kept up with taking care of issues, but it doesn't impact how he consumes the game as a fan.
Satnam does not follow NFL stars on their own social feeds. Selena does follow her sports heroes personal profiles on social, avidly, but only the NBA stars that she loves. She does pay attention to the NFL in general online because she's always checking ESPN for her other sports.For the most part, she ignores all of the bad things coming out about the NFL, just like she ignores a lot of the news because the bad stories are the only ones featured.
Kelly says that social media has greatly impacted his awareness of developments in the NFL; 10 years ago only hardcore NFL fans would have known about most of the domestic violence and other issues. He also brought up the PGA President being fired for sexist tweets as an example of Social Media impacting all sports. He thinks it's positive at times, and named the exposure of Ray Rice as an example, but that it often goes too far. The PGA President called 2 golfers 'squealing school girls' on Twitter, which he sees as immature, but not necessarily blatantly sexist, and he thought losing his job was too great a punishment.
Joe jumped into say that the Tweet was simply the straw that broke the camel's back for the PGA President; I had to add that social media often acts as that last straw. Joe is a casual sports fan, but would be a much more involved fan if the organizations who manage most professional sports 'got it together' in regards to these huge issues, like domestic violence.
Albert also brought up the issues around violence in the game of football; he won't let his kids play in the future. He also referenced the NFL's non profit status, and the fact that they make tons of money and sweep so many issues under the rug as being a real negative for him. He compared football games to Roman gladiator fights, and the fans similarly – watching a violent fight to the death for entertainment. With all of that being said, he still watches and is in four Fantasy Football Leagues.
I had to go back to Satnam, the most hardcore football fan, about the issues concerning player safety that Albert raised. He saw it from a different angle, and said football fans hate seeing the 'softening' of the game as the NFL places restrictions on how the players hit etc. He thinks the players have to take responsibility for their own safety too, and that violence is part of the game.
The NBA
Selena has watched professional basketball since her young childhood; I smiled when she described the Shaq/Kobe years as 'back in the day.' What Selena really appreciates is the 'show' that the athletes put on in the NBA – it is entertainment and athletics. She sees the League as diverse in its fan following, and inexpensive compared to other professional sporting events. For comparison to the cost of attending other professional sporting events, here's what we came up with:
NBA – $60 for a ticket, maybe $125 total evening out including drinks and parking.
Golf – anywhere from $20 – $100 a round depending upon the course, +$15 cart fees, ending up at $100 – $150 plus equipment costs.
NFL – $200 average for a regular season ticket, up to $400 if a great team is coming to play for ticket cost alone.
Getting back to the NBA, I asked Selena specifically about the Donald Stirling incident; she and the panel agreed that the NBA handled it perfectly. Joe referenced the NBA players' comments on social media around that time, and how it was apparent that they appreciated the League's response in dealing with it swiftly.
I asked the panel specifically if any of the panelists had heard the NBA players described as 'thugs;' something David Stern had to deal with years ago, and they all said absolutely not.
One thing that is very clear to all of us is that Golf has a major problem, but it's entirely fixable. Most of our panel enjoy watching the PGA, and see the game as exciting. Even the Millennials who see the game in general as exclusive still said they enjoy the actual act of playing golf with their friends. Since Millennials in general enjoy experiences and socializing, golf has a lot to offer. But obviously, from the comments that came out of our hangout, the game has a lot of work to do in order to pull younger people into the game as participants.
Football still has a hold on fans' imagination, even our Millennials, but things may turn. Many of our Millennials expressed concern about a range of things.
The NBA has certainly resurrected itself from the troubles it experienced quite a few years ago, and stands poised to capitalize on the mistakes of the NFL.
More generally, our panel wants online viewing of sports. Millennials will pay to view their favorite sports, but they don't want to pay for the other 'garbage' that they don't want. Kelly goes as far as listening to sports on the radio to avoid paying cable fees.
Satnam watches sports primarily on TV; he follows sports on social, but watches 80% on TV. Albert watches his sports on TV at the bar, rarely at home. He will have his ESPN app open all of the time to stay connected. Selena doesn't watch any TV but watches all of her sports online. Joe doesn't watch TV at all; if he could watch sports on his phone or tablet he would.
Millennials want to consume sports like they consume all of their entertainment, often on mobile and on demand. They do not like the 'game' cable television plays, trying to bundle everything into a giant, more expensive package instead of allowing them to buy only what they want.
Regarding the future of sports, we could only discuss a few of the major professional leagues in our short hour, and for now it appears that the NFL is safe. However, when I asked what sports we needed to tackle next the response was: soccer, cricket, and even curling. As we move into sports that are lesser known in North America it will be interesting to see if any of them have a chance at dislodging a few of the majors.
Photo credit: on1stsite. via photopin cc.
VP of Content & Strategy at ArCompany. She has an extensive background in Sales, and focuses on generational marketing and content. With Hessie Jones she founded ArCompany's Millnnnial, GenX and Boomer Think Tanks and writes and speaks on those topics from an insights/strategy perspective.
8 thoughts on "Millennial Think Tank: The Future of Sports"
I've only followed a few sports preferring to play rather than spectate. I really appreciated what the panel had to say. I've been exposed to Golf, because of my father, but I appreciated Kelly's and Salina's point of view. They bring up some very critical issues about how the game is perceived and the attitudes that contribute to that perception.
I will have to admit, after talking about the violence of these sports, I feel a bit guilty about being a Hockey fan. I didn't realize until the bit about the NFL and what Albert had to say about player injuries. It is a high risk, high reward profession with a very limited time span for earning power. I just feel that this argument is only the tip of the iceberg and that there is certainly more to discuss in the future.
Great panel this week!
susansilver The perceptions and attitudes thing is big, I think part of what's going on is the shift in power…it used to be the association / leadership of a professional league had a lot of say, e.g. the NFL defined what was good / important culturally and controlled the conversation around tradeoffs whereas now that's not possible.
Same goes for golf. The tradeoffs of not building courses that are environmentally friendly, not combating racism / sexism…well, the PGA, golf courses, and local golf associations no longer get to decide how the tradeoffs work and if they want to attract audiences they'll have to build the nuts & bolts + brand of the sport with audiences instead of delivering a product and saying take it or leave it. Obviously it's not hard to see where I stand, I like the idea of continuous customer development. It's much easier than shoving things down the throat of the market, and there's value in it for everyone.
This one was particularly interesting for me, since I'm not a sports fanatic.
I'm in favor of and believe that transparency is fairly inevitable, those sports and sports brands that embrace it as a way to hold themselves accountable and mandate real, sustainable growth are going to win in the long term. I wonder how much of the problem is really guts & vision at the top, since the real problem here for many sports is the whole "we've always done it this way" instead of "we're always looking for ways to grow and develop."
Also, we didn't have anywhere near enough time to get into Nascar, but the green.nascar.com initiative is fascinating.
As a GenX mom, I see the behaviour of my kids: GenZ who would rather play sports than watch sports. Nate is a huge fan of soccer and hockey but he'd be more inclined to go outside and shoot pucks at the net than have to sit through an entire hockey game on the television.
albertqian brought up a good point about the violence in sports. I do believe that parents will not encourage their children to pursue sports like football or hockey given the increasing incidence of concussion and brain injury. The sport needs to change at the professional level — it already is within house league hockey. No longer is body checking allowed. I believe this will soon be adopted even at the Rep Hockey levels. The reality is that what was once deemed acceptable "violence" has escalated to the point where people are blinded to what is considered entertainment. It's the reason I don't watch boxing or UFC.
hessiejones albertqian All great points Hessie. My little nephew (6) is the same way. He'd rather play than watch! He's good at it too (if I can brag a little).
JoeCardillo That is fascinating on the part of Nascar. It means that they acknowledge that their sport has a responsibility to the environment. That can do a lot for building awareness around climate change because of the fan following that Nascar has. I'll be following along now and see what happens and how they do.
I'm sorry, but it's difficult to take seriously a "think tank" that includes more people who watch golf and the nba than baseball and football. That is not representative AT ALL. Normal millennials do not care about golf AT ALL beyond *maybe* a VERY occasional, casual round. And everyone I know thinks the NBA is a complete joke and fully rigged. Football is clearly very popular, though is definitely losing popularity. And they have serious problems looming in the future because kids just aren't playing football as much anymore due to parental concussion concerns. Football is also almost completely dependent on ad revenue from once a week "TV events" for a very small number of games per season. Consuming media in that way is quickly going the way of the dinosaur.
And baseball… I sincerely believe that baseball is going to (eventually) regain its #1 spot from football. Revenue is currently 7 fold what it was after the strike in the 90s. There is no sport that can replace or objectively compare to baseball. It is completely unique. The strike of the 90s was devastating to the sport's popularity, but there is a post-steroid small ball renaissance happening now. The biggest challenge baseball faces is adapting to HOW millennials want to consume the sport. As you mentioned, they want it available on their devices and DO NOT want to pay for cable. That is the biggest sticking point MLB has to address. But professional baseball has existed for 146 years and has weathered many economic and cultural shifts. MLB also attracts the most talented baseball players in the world. (People in other countries actually play baseball. Football… not so much.)
As for soccer, it is gaining popularity, but it's difficult to overestimate the number of people who say they like soccer because they think it makes them seem cool. That is a lot different than people who actually spend any money whatsoever on the sport. Also, MLS in the US will not attract the world's top talent anytime in the foreseeable future, for reasons I think are probably obvious. My city has one of the most (possibly the most) popular soccer team in the country, but they are still a distant 3rd in popularity behind football and baseball.
Hi Holly,
You are certainly correct regarding Millennials across the board with Golf, AND with GenX as well. They may WATCH Majors – they aren't playing. Golf actually lost 650K golfers last year.
As far as our Think Tanks, we actually have a GenX, a Boomer, and a Blended one as well. We founded them because we were FED UP with generational stereotypes, and we often find that the hype is flat our wrong. Our standard format is to tackle a topic starting with stats from a reputable research company, such as Pew Research, and then delve into a qualitative discussion on our Hangouts. We are also formulating our own surveys so that we can reach ALL of our Think Tank members, not just the ones on our panel that week.
Regarding the NBA, I'm not sure you're accurate on that (and I don't know about normal Millennials because we have learned they don't think as a monolith on much of anything) but the NBA is certainly more popular than it was say 10 years ago.
On soccer, I think you're right – it's still up in the air as to how real this American (puppy) love affair is.
Are you a Millennial? Would you be interested in coming on a think tank episode about sports? We'd love to hear from you.


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BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Banksy apparently wasn't in the building.
The mysterious graffiti star, who's up for an Oscar for his film, "Exit Through the Gift Shop," didn't appear with his fellow documentary feature nominees during a Wednesday panel at the motion picture academy's Beverly Hills headquarters, nor did he tag the building. Jaimie D'Cruz, the film's producer, isn't sure he'll turn up for Sunday's ceremony either.
Photos of Banksy's confirmed works around Los Angeles, courtesy of MELROSEandFAIRFAX.
Banksy around LA
"Not as far as I know," he teased.
Banksy is likely in Los Angeles though, as evidenced by several new pieces that began appearing around town last week. The latest works are a crayon house constructed in downtown, a unique traffic sign posted in East Los Angeles and a giant water tank off the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica tagged with the phrase "It looks a bit like an elephant."
If the elusive artist, who appeared throughout his film in shadows with his voice disguised, showed up to Wednesday's panel in Beverly Hills, he would have been treated beforehand to a reception of flowing wine, creamy risotto, flat iron steak and grilled vegetables. He also would have learned about the creative processes of his fellow Oscar nominees.
Banksy's controversial "Exit Through the Gift Shop" is up against the war chronicle "Restrepo" by Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger; financial meltdown expose "Inside Job" by Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs; environmental odyssey "Gasland" by Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic; and garbage dump art project "Waste Land" by Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley.
"We don't know what it feels like for them," said Junger of the U.S. Army soldiers he was embedded with in Afghanistan during the making of his documentary. "We don't know what it feels like to be in combat. We wanted to make a film that puts you there with them, a neutral film that the far left, far right, pro-war, anti-war, everyone can experience and engage in."
While the documentary feature nominees deal with such behemoth issues as the Afghanistan war, natural gas drilling and the financial crisis, this year's short documentary nominees hone in on compelling people, such as post-traumatic stress disorder sufferer Robynn Murray, terrorist attack victim Ashraf Daas and a 12-year-old Eritrean refugee named Johannes.
The short contenders are terrorist tale "Killing in the Name" by Jed Rothstein; Murray profile "Poster Girl" by Sara Nesson and Mitchell W. Block; refugee account "Strangers No More" by Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon; relocation saga "Sun Come Up" by Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger; and environmental epic "The Warriors of Qiugang" by Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon.
"I'm really blown away by the reach of documentary films right now," said Lennon. "From a point of view of competition, it's really intimidating, but looking at the whole field, it's really exhilarating."


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Katie & Brad love their bygone years, and managed to weave their enthusiasm for it into their wedding with a fabulous vintage bus, 50s style dresses and hair and even an original Ken doll on the wedding cake!
The ceremony on the family estate at Hoppers Crossing was followed by a lively reception with plenty of dancing at Red Scooter, St Kilda.
Thanks for inviting me to be your wedding photographer – I'm glad you love the photos! 'Like' me on Facebook for special offers!


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When I buy electronic devices, I always keep an eye on their power consumption. Especially the power drain that you'll get 24/7. For most devices, this is their "standby" power consumption, but some devices are left on all day long. My broadband router, a TP-Link Archer C7 running OpenWRT 15.05 Chaos Calmer, is in this last category.
Posts tagged 'router'
My ISP,
Skynet Belgacom Proximus, has been rolling out IPv6 since 2013. However, you need a B-Box 3 in order to get it. Recently, my B-Box 2 decided to stop working, so I got a (free) upgrade to a B-Box 3 (but see below).
I've been struggling with my dd-wrt setup lately. So I started looking around for potential alternatives. One thought was to use a Raspberry Pi as router, but I was worried about its performance. So I did a few tests.
As a follow up on my previous article with the WRT320N, here's my journey for the WRT610N revision 2 (which is very similar, but has two radio's).
Since none of the dd-wrt releases include ip6tables support, I added it myself. The standard kernel does support module loading, so you can simply add additional kernel features without reflashing the device. You do need some writable storage. I use the remaining 4MB of flash using JFFS, but using an external storage (USB, network, …) is also possible.
Since you can't run a complete build environment on the router itself, you'll have to set up a cross-compiling environment on your own machine. As I found out, this isn't always very easy to do…
Continue reading 'Compiling custom dd-wrt kernel modules' »
I bought myself a new WiFi router. When in the shop, I specifically searched for a router that is supported by dd-wrt, and has (at least) 8MB of flash. I settled for the Linksys WRT320N: it has a dual band (switchable between 2.4GHz and 5GHz, not simultaneous) 802.11a/b/g/n radio, a 4 port GbE switch, and a WAN port. It houses a Broadcom BC4717 processor running at 354MHz, 8MB of flash and 32MB of RAM.
The default Linksys firmware is actually not bad, but dd-wrt just offers a ton more features: Multiple SSIDs, IPv6 support (including Sixxs tunneling), WAN volume monitoring, custom firewalling, traffic shaping, … So I decided to void my warranty and put my router on steroids! Mandatory note: this may very well turn your router in to a very expensive brick.
It is perfectly possible to configure a linux server (or workstation if you wish) to talk IPsec. The Linux Advanced Routing & Traffic Control site has a page describing it. Since IPsec is a standard protocol, I wanted to get a tunnel up and running between a linux host and a Cisco router: with success! Here are the config files that I used in this test:
IPsec is becomming the Internet standard for securing IP packets. Instead of manually configuring all the encryption parameters, the keys are usually negatiated between the peers using an ISAKMP (Internet Security Association and Key Management Protocol)/Oakley protocol: IKE (Internet Key Exchange). This post goes into its details.
When doing some network engineering, it's sometimes necessary to tunnel across IP-clouds. There are multiple reasons why one would use a tunnel:
- Security: You don't want the carrier-network to see your data
- IP conflicts and/or routing issues: You want to carry private IP addresses (eg 10.0.0.0/8 in IPv4) across a public segment (eg the Internet)
- Workarounds: for whatever reason you whised that there was a connection between A and B
Technically, a tunnel consists of taking a bunch of bytes and re-packaging it. The well knows GRE-tunnel takes IP packets and encapsulates them in another IP packet. The outer IP-layer is used to carry the packet across to the other endpoint, where the inner IP-layer reappears. Other tunnels operate at different layers. SSH for example encapsulates TCP segments inside its TCP-connection; SSL-based VPN encapsulate IP packets inside their TLS-session.
Especially in the third case, workarounds, it would be very practical to be able to build a layer 2 tunnel: transport raw ethernet frames, including IEEE802.1q VLAN tags. This is called the L2TP, Layer 2 tunneling protocol. The current version (3) is defined in RFC 3931.


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I received an e-mail yesterday with this title…and it reminded me that while many attractions in the Berkshires close during the "off-season," the Hancock Shaker Village does not…and in fact, they embrace the Winter and Spring, and the opportunities they present…as the Shakers would have done. So a couple of the upcoming reasons to come to the Berkshires, stay at Hampton Terrace, and plan some time at Hancock Shaker Village:
Join them for an evening of Shaker-inspired hospitality in the 1830 Brick Dwelling. During 2008, Shaker Suppers are offered:
Saturday, October 11; Sunday, October 12;
Saturday, November 8; Saturday, November 29; Saturday, December 27.
Guided Tour occurs before supper. Guides dressed in period attire present an introduction to Shaker life as you stroll the grounds and view the Village's premier collection of Shaker furniture and artifacts in selected buildings. Your dining experience begins with cider and cheese served by hosts in traditional Shaker dress in the spacious kitchen of the historic Brick Dwelling. Dinner is served by candle light in the Believers' Dining Room.
The menu varies, making use of fresh, seasonal ingredients. Chef Paul Proudy selects soup, a variety of entrees, accompaniments, and desserts from recipes in The Best of Shaker Cooking by Amy Bess Miller. Chef Proudy has been recognized by Yankee Magazine for his outstanding fare and adaptations of traditional Shaker cooking. Dinner is served buffet style so you may savor an assortment of Shaker flavors.
- Butternut squash and carrot soup flavored with ginger
- Garden salad with a vinaigrette dressing
- Bread
- Pot roast of beef with cranberry chutney, ham baked in cider
- Herbed rice and roasted potatoes with rosemary
- Sister Mary's zesty carrots, green beans with dill
- Bread pudding
- Coffee and Tea
- A plain chicken breast (gluten-free) or vegetarian entree is available by advance request.
A program of Shaker music completes the evening. During the 20-minute a cappella program, enjoy Shaker music in authentic surroundings.
Shaker Workshops Trunk Sale – December 6 and 7
Great deals on Shaker reproduction furniture and household items. Discounts up to 50% off of tables, chairs, lamps and more! A truck load of assembled and finished furniture as well as other goodies from the Shaker Workshops catalogue. Visit the Shaker Workshops website to sneak a peek at all the great Shaker-style items they create. Sale begins 10am Saturday, Dec. 6th in the Visitors Center.
Hampton Terrace is the #1 rated bed and breakfast in Lenox according to Trip Advisor. Located less than a 20-minute drive to the Hancock Shaker Village, Lenox is known primarily for Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony. The BSO only spends two months in the Berkshires, but most of the other attractions are year-round, including the museums, restaurants and shops. See why The Berkshires have become one of the world's great destinations.


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Check out a Top Gun: Maverick Official Behind the Scenes Featurette starring Tom Cruise! Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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US Release Date: May 27, 2022
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jennifer Connelly, Val Kilmer
Directed By: Joseph Kosinski
Synopsis: After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy's top aviators, Pete Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him.
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This is a truly delicious dessert that is perfect for Valentine's Day. The picture alone makes me drool! I can't wait to try it out. Thanks to Tara at Smells Like Home for the recipe!
Here's what you need to make it:
For the brownies:
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 oz red food coloring (or a scant 2 tbsp)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract, divided
1/2 cup (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
For the white chocolate buttercream frosting:
1/2 cup (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 oz good-quality white chocolate (not chips), melted – I recommend Callebaut
1 – 2 tbsp heavy cream
Here's how to make it -> Red Velvet Valentine's Brownie Tutorial


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Johanna Bockman is an Associate Professor in Cultural Studies at George Mason University where she researches comparative and historical methods, moving beyond studies of nation states to explorations of transnational trends, such as neoliberalisms, socialisms, and the non-aligned movement. She's the author of Markets in the Name of Socialism: The Left-Wing Origins of Neoliberalism published by Stanford University Press.
Mussolini Headkick, "Your God is Dead," Themes for Violent Retribution, 1989.


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Why Toronto's condo rental market is described as 'ridiculous'
'Fierce' competition for few units pushes prices higher as hot housing market keeps millennials in rentals
At the end of January, Nicole Meredith got a big, unpleasant surprise.
The rent on her one-bedroom condo apartment in Queen West was jumping in just 90 days from $1,275 a month to $1,700 — a $425 spike.
"It was totally shocking," says Meredith, 25.
Shocking, sure, but not entirely surprising in Toronto's pricey, competitive rental market, where a lack of units is pushing prices to new heights as the hot housing market keeps millennials like Meredith renting longer.
Open houses and bidding wars are now just part of the game, says real estate agent Dena Schiff, who works solely with clients looking for rentals.
"The competition is fierce," she says, citing the example of a recent listing in the Bay Street and Bloor Street West area for $1,800 a month.
- What kind of apartment can you get in Toronto for $1,800?
- High rent could make Toronto a 'generational ghost town'
The condo owner hosted an offer night. Instead of meeting agents in real life, he used FaceTime — asking each to make a "best offer."
"It was pretty ridiculous," said Schiff.
Ridiculous, you'd think, considering all that construction downtown, right?
Not quite, if you were to listen to Shaun Hildebrand, senior vice president for Urbanation, a real estate consulting firm.
"The Toronto rental market is the strongest it's been in three decades, and a lot of [it] has to do with what's been happening in the ownership market," said Hildebrand.
"There is such a lack of affordable entry-level homes for sale, and prices are rising so quickly, that more and more would-be first-time buyers are being pushed out of the market and are renting for longer periods of time."
It's a sentiment borne out by data and echoed by real estate watchers interviewed by CBC Toronto.
Condo apartment rentals dropped in 2016
The number of condo apartments rented through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) during 2016 in the Greater Toronto Area dropped two per cent to 26,602 units, according to January report released by the firm. That's the first annual decline reported by Urbanation since it started monitoring the data in 2011.
Condo rents rose 12 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2016 compared to the same period in 2015, with the average condo now renting for $30.80 per square metre ($2.77 per square foot), or $1,990 per month, says Urbanation.
According to another analysis by the Toronto Real Estate Board, the average rate for a one-bedroom condo apartment listed on MLS in the fourth quarter of 2016 is $1,776, up 7.4 per cent from the previous year.
The Toronto rental market is out of control.- Geordie Dent, Federation of Metro Tenants Associations
That comes after successive year-over-year increases of 7.2 per cent, 6.4 per cent and 4.8 per cent for each of the previous three quarters.
"The Toronto rental market is out of control," said Geordie Dent, executive director of the Federation of Metro Tenants Associations.
According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's 2016 data, the condo apartment vacancy rate is at one per cent — the lowest in seven years, the housing agency says.
"And because of that, rents are shooting through the roof. You go to a showing in some parts of town, you're going to have a lineup around the block," Dent said.
The low supply squeeze
You'd think with all those cranes in the sky, supply wouldn't be an issue.
But once again, Hildebrand says, not quite.
The majority of new builds in Toronto are condos. Last year 18,000 condo units completed construction, down from 19,700 in 2015, and 21,000 in 2014, according to Urbanation's analysis.
"It directly impacts supply growth in the rental market," says Hildebrand. "And that's exactly what we're seeing right now."
About 50 per cent of all new condo units are bought up by investors, who then turn them over to tenants.
There needs to be something done to encourage developers to build more rentals.- Shaun Hildebrand, Urbanation
Hildebrand says what's desperately needed is purpose-built rentals.
Last year, just 1,700 rental units completed construction, he notes.
"There needs to be something done to encourage developers to build more rentals — allowing them more density or some kind of financial incentive, reduced developer chargers or lower interest rates."
Hot housing market
And then there's that fading dream of owning a home in the city.
Stricter mortgage rules and skyrocketing home prices are keeping many millennials renting longer.
"Prices are rising by 20 per cent year-over-year," Hildebrand said.
"Each year it's getting tougher and tougher for first-time buyers to get into the marketplace, so they're renting."
The mortgage rules boil down to a stress test for all insured mortgage applications.
The test is to determine if a borrower could afford to pay back a loan if the rate was higher, so a borrower will be judged against the five-year standard rate of 4.64 per cent for a five-year loan, even though many lenders are currently offering mortgages at far less than that.
Previously, that test was only used on certain segments of the market. But as of last October, it's now in place for any insured mortgage for a buyer putting down less than 20 per cent of the home price up front.
"Partly because it's so difficult to buy a home now in the Toronto area, it's forcing, perhaps, a lot of would-be buyers into the rental market — which makes the rental market even tighter," said real estate lawyer Mark Weisleder.
Everyone wants to live here
The secret's out — Toronto's a great place to live.
"We're seeing immigration levels to the GTA at 10-year highs, population growth in the core growing very quickly, and a robust job market as well that's leading to stronger rates of household formation for the millennial generation," said Hildebrand.
That has driven demand for rentals, he says, to a 30-year high.
Census figures show the City of Toronto grew 4.4 per cent between 2011 and 2016.
But much of that growth is concentrated in large swaths of the downtown core, which has seen major new condo construction since 2011. (Some neighbourhoods grew by 50 per cent, adding tens of thousands of new residents.)
You can see the areas of greatest growth in the below image marked in red.
The Toronto Foundation's recent vital signs report notes Toronto's outsize growth since the start of the century, saying that growth between 2001 and 2014 in Toronto was equivalent to 87 per cent of the total population of Calgary in 2015.
"Forty per cent of Toronto's youth who moved here within the last five years did so for better opportunities," the report says.
But finding an affordable place to call home when they get here is a real struggle, according to a number of young people who reached out to CBC Toronto with their stories.
For Meredith, who has been renting downtown since she was 18, the crunch might now be too much to handle.
"It's definitely a possibility I won't be able to afford to live here anymore," she says.
Are you a renter or landlord and want to share your story? Email me at email@example.com
With files from Lauren Pelley and Lakshine Sathiyanathan


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Navigating the waters of supply chain sustainability
Katharine Earley summarises some of the key water challenges raised by supply chain professionals at 2degrees Live, with a focus on tea and cotton. 2degrees Live united nearly 200 sustainability professionals in London this month to discuss best practice in driving efficiency across the supply chain. The event focused on the pressing issues of water, energy and waste, and took the form of a series of dynamic presentations and case studies from companies including Coca-Cola Enterprises, GlaxoSmithKline and Unilever, combined with practical, interactive discussion groups. With demand for water...Read More
Food miles: Re-opening a seasoned debate
The perceived wisdom that importing food creates significant CO2 emissions – while sourcing local and seasonal food is more environmentally sustainable – is currently undergoing scrutiny at many levels. Katharine Earley explores the key issues at the heart of the longstanding 'food miles' debate. This post includes commentary from Mark Holmes, principal sustainability consultant at ADAS, and local food experts Peter Lefort of Community Action Groups and Julian Cottee of Oxford-based social food enterprise Cultivate. I read recently that just 2-3% of the global carbon...Read More