8 Things You Need To Know For August 30

Good morning — Andrew from Narcity here! ☕

Off The Top: After completely mailing in late-career performances in the Pirates of the Caribbean and Fantastic Beasts franchises, it was nice to see Johnny Depp really commit himself to the role of, uh, a weird, dispassionate astronaut head at the VMAs.

In Case You Missed It

1. Despite All Our Rage, Canadians Have Now Found A New Gauge

Doesn't it feel like a lot of that early-pandemic camaraderie has given way to general testiness? According to the new "Rage Index" by Pollara Strategic Insights, that is objectively true. As a country, Canada currently has a "grumpy" rating; 49% of inhabitants have recently felt annoyed or angry — with 14% feeling very angry, Helena Hanson reports. Here's what else you need to know about the pressure building on our personal barometers, including which provinces are currently the angriest.

• Go Deeper: Unsurprisingly, Canadians haven't been too pleased about a number of ripped-from-the-headlines topics: inflation, gas prices, airport delays and this year's so-called Freedom Convoy have all caused Canadian blood to boil.
• My Take: You have every right to be mad about that tortured Smashing Pumpkins pun in the subheading up there. Apologies.

2. The University Formerly Known As Ryerson Unveils Its New Mascot

Having officially changed its name from Ryerson University to Toronto Metropolitan University back in May, TMU has now ditched its former sports team nickname, the Rams, in favour of something that... stands out on the page. According to Mira Nabulsi, the school's teams will now be called the "TMU Bold," with the "Eggy the Ram" mascot replaced with a falcon. As people are wont to do, the announcement was met with mixed reaction, with basically everyone pointing out that the new nickname sounds like a font.

• Context: What was wrong with the name "Ryerson" anyway? Well, Egerton Ryerson (1803-82) was an educator and minister whose writings greatly influenced the creation of Canada's residential school system, which violently and cruelly sought to force the assimilation of Indigenous peoples.

3. Eight Films Debuting At TIFF Next Month That You Don't Want To Miss

The Toronto International Film Festival (September 8-18) is right around the corner, and whether or not you plan on attending an in-person screening, cinephiles and Oscar-pool-organizers alike will be paying close attention. As one of the world's preeminent launching pads for the fall film slate, there is no shortage of huge movies premiering at this year's edition. Mira Nabulsi breaks down a handful of this year's flicks, from the Harry Styles-led My Policeman to the Viola Davis warrior epic The Woman King. Read the full story here.

• My Take: Not listed above: Steven Spielberg's apparently semi-autobiographical coming-of-age film The Fabelmans, which is already being touted as a potential Best Picture frontrunner. Also unmentioned is Glass Onion, the sequel to 2019's Oscar-nominated Knives Out.

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What Else You Need To Know Today

🎉 HOLIDAYS
Summer isn't quite over yet — we have over three weeks left, after all — but with the end of August ushering in back-to-school season, the vibe is indeed destined to shift. Luckily, August 30 marks both National Beach Day and National Toasted Marshmallow Day, so get out and enjoy the warm weather while you can.

✈️ FLIGHT BLIGHT
Showing that Vancouver is every bit the international city that Toronto is, YVR has experienced decidedly Pearson-like delays in recent days. According to Ashley Harris, the lengthy hold-ups have been attributed to staffing shortages. Here's what you need to know.

👑 KING IN THE NORTH
Speaking of Vancouver, basketball royalty LeBron James made his first-ever pilgrimage to the B.C. metropolis over the weekend, cutting a proverbial rug at the Kendrick Lamar concert and greatly enjoying the "beautiful, wonderful city" overall. Alright, so... how about getting an NBA team back up in Van City?

🍂 FALL INTO AUTUMN
With autumn rapidly approaching, Madeline Forsyth has scoured the map of Ontario for eight small towns "that are like stepping into a fall fairytale" — just hopefully not one of those fairytales where a witch kidnaps and eats children who misbehave because that would suck.

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Andy Roddick, whose 2003 U.S. Open title marks the last time an American won that tournament, turns 40. Cameron Diaz turns 50 today (that doesn't seem real but, no, it's not a typo). Basketball Hall of Famer Robert Parish has circled the sun for 69 years. Stand-up comedy great Lewis Black is 74. Warren Buffett, currently the world's seventh-richest person, is 92.

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Have a great day and see you back here tomorrow!