This is quite an interesting interview. Ford makes some good points in his favor. One of the interesting aspects that emerges is the sleazy stalking to which The Toronto Star's reporters, particularly Robyn Doolittle and Daniel Dale, have subjected him and his family.
EYE ON A CRAZY PLANET
Showing posts with label video. Show all posts
Showing posts with label video. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
I don't know any other city besides Toronto that can make this boast...
I bet your stupid city doesn't have its mayor featured in a hardcore sex tape parody.
Mine does!
(this is very, very, very NSFW!!)
h/t Five Feet of Fury
Mine does!
(this is very, very, very NSFW!!)
h/t Five Feet of Fury
Friday, November 8, 2013
The Rob Ford "death threat" video is obviously him joking about a celebrity boxing or wrestling match
Kathy Shaidle at Five Feet of Fury observed that Rob Ford sounded like he was doing a Hulk Hogan impersonation in the latest "scandal" released of the mayor after it was purchased by The Toronto Star for $5000.
That sounds pretty close. The video was made around the time of Ford's celebrity arm wrestling match with the famous pro wrestler.
In the video, you can clearly hear Toronto Mayor Rob Ford talk about being "in that ring" and when he talks about killing and only needing "15 minutes".
He also says if he wins, he'll "donate.." One of the other people in the room talks about how Ford's opponents "are pros."
Now under what circumstances other than a celebrity boxing match/fight does someone talk about donating???
It does sound a lot like it was in the spirit of his match with The Hulkster.
Ford admits being extremely inebriated when the video was made. But is it so terrible to get drink, in private, and joke around about what you'd do in a celebrity fight, and imitate the bluster of professional fighters?
This new "scandal" with which The Star is trying to outrage Toronto is no scandal.
But after they paid for this piece of nonsense it does firmly establish that The Toronto Star is a scandal rag with about as much credibility and integrity as The National Enquirer.
That sounds pretty close. The video was made around the time of Ford's celebrity arm wrestling match with the famous pro wrestler.
In the video, you can clearly hear Toronto Mayor Rob Ford talk about being "in that ring" and when he talks about killing and only needing "15 minutes".
He also says if he wins, he'll "donate.." One of the other people in the room talks about how Ford's opponents "are pros."
Now under what circumstances other than a celebrity boxing match/fight does someone talk about donating???
It does sound a lot like it was in the spirit of his match with The Hulkster.
Ford admits being extremely inebriated when the video was made. But is it so terrible to get drink, in private, and joke around about what you'd do in a celebrity fight, and imitate the bluster of professional fighters?
This new "scandal" with which The Star is trying to outrage Toronto is no scandal.
But after they paid for this piece of nonsense it does firmly establish that The Toronto Star is a scandal rag with about as much credibility and integrity as The National Enquirer.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Toronto mayor Ford admits having smoked crack cocaine
Speaking to reporters outside his office, Ford asked the media to repeat a question asked to him in May.
“Do you smoke crack cocaine?” a reporter said.
“Exactly. Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine,” Ford said. “I’ve made mistakes… all I can do is apologize and move on.”
“But, no, do I? Am I an addict? No.”
“Have I tried it? Probably in one of my drunken stupors, probably approximately about a year ago.”
After five months of avoiding comment on the crack cocaine scandal, the mayor suggested he was just wasn’t asked about it.
“I wasn’t lying, you didn’t ask the correct question,” Ford said.
More at NATIONAL POST
And for those curious, I don't really care all that much for reasons delineated here
UPDATE: Flouting all decency and regard for the electoral process, some City Councillors are trying to remove both Ford and the Deputy Mayor
Rob Ford's support numbers means something his obsessive opponents haven't figured out
The recent Forum Research poll, taken after Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair disclosed the existence of a video in which Toronto Mayor Rob Ford puffs on a glass pipe, shows some pretty good approval ratings for the embattled civic leader.Particularly noteworthy is that Ford's highest approval rating, 55%, comes from Scarborough, for which Ford successfully managed to get funding for subway expansion from Kathleen Wynne's heel-dragging Provincial government.
Ford opponents in politics and government have been insisting how unnecessary the Scarborough subway is and how the eastern borough would be so much better served by what would have been a fully-funded Light Rail Transit system. Much of that attitude is illustrated by The Toronto Star's Urban Affairs columnist Christopher Hume, when he bravely, and obviously painfully, ventured out of his elitist downtown enclave to Scarborough recently to assess the surroundings and reiterate his preformed conclusion about Scarborough's transit needs.
Here's the funny thing, though. Why is it that the people who actually live in and know the Scarborough area best are the ones most supportive of Rob Ford?
Therein lies a clue to much of Ford's success, and why the media and his obsessive detractors have such little success is swaying support away from him.
It's because Ford actually listens to his constituents and tries to give them what they ask for, rather than condescendingly and paternalistically deciding what is best for them, whether they want it or not.
Weird, isn't it, that the public will loyally support a politician who listens to and seems to care about them, even though their intellectual betters and moral superiors in the media and politics tell them they shouldn't?
Friday, November 1, 2013
That sound you hear is heads exploding at The Toronto Star - Ford approval rating goes up after news breaks of existence of video
The popularity of Toronto’s top politico has risen slightly following the announcement that a video that allegedly shows him smoking crack cocaine exists, according to a new poll.This is the best laugh I've had this week!
A Forum Research poll conducted Thursday night puts Mayor Rob Ford’s approval rating at 44 per cent – up 5 points from a poll conducted earlier this week.
What was that about The Toronto Star being the Wyle E. Coyote of newspapers?
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Separating the personal from the political with Rob Ford
A news leviathan that dominated today's headlines across Canada was confirmation, from Toronto's Police Chief Bill Blair, of the existence of the elusive Rob Ford "crack video."
It would be pointless to argue the authenticity of the video. Anything can be faked, but the apparent efforts of associates of Toronto's Mayor to procure the video suggests it was not a fabrication concocted by special effects experts.
That's the bad news for supporters of the embattled chief magistrate.
But for Torontonians who fear the demise of their only mayor to show demonstrable concern for fiscal accountability in over a generation, there is in fact a great deal of good news to counterbalance today's revelations.
Barring some new shocker, there will not be any charges against Ford, and quite reasonably so. A video with a man smoking a pipe with a puff of smoke coming out of it is not conclusive proof of any criminal wrongdoing.
Ford has said he's not resigning. And there's something that the ecstatic media buzzards that despise Ford have forgotten in their current euphoria; the next municipal election is a year away.
A year is an eternity in politics.
Ford has kept property taxes down to the rate of inflation, as he promised. He eliminated the Municipal Vehicle Registration Tax, as he promised. His influence has managed to get federal and provincial funding for subway expansion, as he promised. Ford has saved millions and improved garbage pick-up for half the city by privatizing that service, as he promised. Because the municipal unions knew he would play hardball, Ford was able to negotiate a fair contract with them, staving off any strike. That in stark contrast to his predecessor David Miller who forced the city to endure a prolonged, fetid garbage strike in the hottest months of the summer of 2009. At a point where the length of the strike would have forced union workers subsisting on strike pay to negotiate a deal more favorable to the city, Miller completely capitulated to the unions.
Miller is relevant to any current discussion about Ford. Because if one of Ford's presumptive rivals gets into office, like the straw man candidate David Sonacki, Miller's Budget Chief, to whom all of Toronto outside of the offices of The Toronto Star remain indifferent at best, a return to the fiscal ineptitude and high taxes of the previous administration is virtually guaranteed.
The orgy of sanctimonious revelry at The Toronto Star over the disclosure of the existence of the Ford video will probably turn out to be short lived.
Ford lied about the video. But in terms of lying, The Star also lied about Ford, when during his mayoral campaign, the newspaper published false accounts of Ford having physically assaulted a high school football player he was coaching. Even after the alleged victim of Ford's non-existent assault denied it ever happened, The Star still did not print a formal retraction of their lie.
And we all know that the public is not as inclined as partisan media and partisan politicians to become histrionic about politicians lying about events in their personal lives. Indeed, a hysterical overreaction to personal foibles can backfire in a big way against the people trying to exploit it.
Newt Gingrich thought he had Bill Clinton on the ropes after the lies the former President told about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. But in the end, it wasn't the President, but Gingrich, who lost his job. The Speaker of the House role was taken away from Gingrich after the charge he led plummeted the GOP into a disastrous performance in midterm elections, when the public rejected their exaggerated hysteria about the Clinton affair.
Toronto's media mavens have been scrambling over each other to demand the crucifixion of Ford, whose indiscretions have cost taxpayers nothing. Yet strangely, most of them have remained complacent and silent about the billions of tax dollars wasted by the corruption Kathleen Wynne's provincial government.
The public are not as stupid and oblivious to that hypocrisy as the media might hope.
The milquetoast, mushy middle Councilor Josh Matlow and leftist Councilor Joe Mihevc both rushed today to exploit the news about the Ford video to their advantage. That is the same Mihevic whose incompetence and mismanagement of the St. Clair streetcar fiasco cost the city tens of millions only to see a neighbourhood divided, no discernible improvement in transit service and increased traffic congestion in his ward.
"It pains me to see the City of Toronto in the situation we currently face," Mihevic gloated about Ford. No more, I can assure you, than it pained me to see a $40 million project mushroom to over $120 million largely because of Mihevic's ineptness.
A year from now, when Torontonians go back to the polls to select their mayor, the Rob Ford video may or may not be on their minds. But so too will the high taxes, the incompetence, and the paternalistic arrogance of David Miller and his acolytes on City Council. Knowing that horrible stewardship of the city, and union-bosses' and developers' domination of City Hall would return if one of Ford's potential rivals like Olivia Chow, David Sonacki or Karen Stintz should replace him will also be on the minds of voters.
Which weighs more heavily on Toronto's voters in the fall of 2014 remains to be seen. But I wouldn't count out Rob Ford yet. Not by a long shot.
It would be pointless to argue the authenticity of the video. Anything can be faked, but the apparent efforts of associates of Toronto's Mayor to procure the video suggests it was not a fabrication concocted by special effects experts.
That's the bad news for supporters of the embattled chief magistrate. But for Torontonians who fear the demise of their only mayor to show demonstrable concern for fiscal accountability in over a generation, there is in fact a great deal of good news to counterbalance today's revelations.
Barring some new shocker, there will not be any charges against Ford, and quite reasonably so. A video with a man smoking a pipe with a puff of smoke coming out of it is not conclusive proof of any criminal wrongdoing.
Ford has said he's not resigning. And there's something that the ecstatic media buzzards that despise Ford have forgotten in their current euphoria; the next municipal election is a year away.
A year is an eternity in politics.
Ford has kept property taxes down to the rate of inflation, as he promised. He eliminated the Municipal Vehicle Registration Tax, as he promised. His influence has managed to get federal and provincial funding for subway expansion, as he promised. Ford has saved millions and improved garbage pick-up for half the city by privatizing that service, as he promised. Because the municipal unions knew he would play hardball, Ford was able to negotiate a fair contract with them, staving off any strike. That in stark contrast to his predecessor David Miller who forced the city to endure a prolonged, fetid garbage strike in the hottest months of the summer of 2009. At a point where the length of the strike would have forced union workers subsisting on strike pay to negotiate a deal more favorable to the city, Miller completely capitulated to the unions.
Miller is relevant to any current discussion about Ford. Because if one of Ford's presumptive rivals gets into office, like the straw man candidate David Sonacki, Miller's Budget Chief, to whom all of Toronto outside of the offices of The Toronto Star remain indifferent at best, a return to the fiscal ineptitude and high taxes of the previous administration is virtually guaranteed.
The orgy of sanctimonious revelry at The Toronto Star over the disclosure of the existence of the Ford video will probably turn out to be short lived.
Ford lied about the video. But in terms of lying, The Star also lied about Ford, when during his mayoral campaign, the newspaper published false accounts of Ford having physically assaulted a high school football player he was coaching. Even after the alleged victim of Ford's non-existent assault denied it ever happened, The Star still did not print a formal retraction of their lie.
And we all know that the public is not as inclined as partisan media and partisan politicians to become histrionic about politicians lying about events in their personal lives. Indeed, a hysterical overreaction to personal foibles can backfire in a big way against the people trying to exploit it.
Newt Gingrich thought he had Bill Clinton on the ropes after the lies the former President told about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. But in the end, it wasn't the President, but Gingrich, who lost his job. The Speaker of the House role was taken away from Gingrich after the charge he led plummeted the GOP into a disastrous performance in midterm elections, when the public rejected their exaggerated hysteria about the Clinton affair.
Toronto's media mavens have been scrambling over each other to demand the crucifixion of Ford, whose indiscretions have cost taxpayers nothing. Yet strangely, most of them have remained complacent and silent about the billions of tax dollars wasted by the corruption Kathleen Wynne's provincial government.
The public are not as stupid and oblivious to that hypocrisy as the media might hope.
The milquetoast, mushy middle Councilor Josh Matlow and leftist Councilor Joe Mihevc both rushed today to exploit the news about the Ford video to their advantage. That is the same Mihevic whose incompetence and mismanagement of the St. Clair streetcar fiasco cost the city tens of millions only to see a neighbourhood divided, no discernible improvement in transit service and increased traffic congestion in his ward.
"It pains me to see the City of Toronto in the situation we currently face," Mihevic gloated about Ford. No more, I can assure you, than it pained me to see a $40 million project mushroom to over $120 million largely because of Mihevic's ineptness.
A year from now, when Torontonians go back to the polls to select their mayor, the Rob Ford video may or may not be on their minds. But so too will the high taxes, the incompetence, and the paternalistic arrogance of David Miller and his acolytes on City Council. Knowing that horrible stewardship of the city, and union-bosses' and developers' domination of City Hall would return if one of Ford's potential rivals like Olivia Chow, David Sonacki or Karen Stintz should replace him will also be on the minds of voters.
Which weighs more heavily on Toronto's voters in the fall of 2014 remains to be seen. But I wouldn't count out Rob Ford yet. Not by a long shot.
Rob Ford on crack is still better than Olivia Chow on whatever she's on that makes her want to waste public funds
Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair says he has the Rob Ford "crack video".
However Blair confirmed there is nothing in the video that would form the basis to lay criminal charges against Ford.
Frankly, I don't care. Ford is doing a good job keeping city finances in order and ensuring public funds aren't squandered the way it was under his predecessor David Miller and the way his rivals would should they get the opportunity.
Monday, August 12, 2013
More slimy media slander and innuendo about Rob Ford
It's a hot, sweaty, August night at Toronto's Taste of the Danforth Greek Festival.
Toronto's mayor Rob Ford turns up to mingle with regular citizens has a couple of beers while 'letting his hair down.'
Despite the dishonest portrayal of him by the left-wing media that despises him, when Ford goes out in public, he is usually swarmed like a movie star by adoring citizens who want their photos taken with the mayor.
That happened, as usual, this week and in a video that just surfaced, Ford talks to a man n front of him about `the stink.`` Ford then asks `you want some cologne?"
Now spurious reports are emerging that Ford asked "you want some blow (i.e cocaine)? The ever-desperate and idiotic looking Toronto Star, in a column by Rosie di Manno, suggests that Ford asked "you want some bone/"
Di Manno, whose intimate knowledge of crack cocaine slang is evidently better than mine, professes that "bone" is slang for that drug. The distinct 'c' at the beginning of the word "cologne' is unmistakably different tan a "b" sound. Eventually, as if bragging that paying basic attention is some thorough investigation by assiduous, conscientious Toronto Star investigators, she gets around to writing:
Ford has been an exemplary mayor when it comes to protecting the interests of the City's taxpayers. He hasn't been using the citizens of Toronto as Guinea pigs in a socialist social experiment as predecessor did with the enthusiastic support of the left wing media..
The continuing popularity of Ford, despite their histrionic vendetta against him, burns deep and painfully in the wretched hearts of the Toronto Star's 'brain trust'. So any opportunity to rail against him is a piece of rancid cheese leaped upon by starving rats.
While not the psychiatric definition, there is a point to the bromide, "insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results." With the abysmal failure by The Star every time they have tried to malign Ford, it has become obvious that its writers' addiction to making themselves look idiotic in their pathological invective is worse than anything of which they have accused Rob Ford.
Toronto's mayor Rob Ford turns up to mingle with regular citizens has a couple of beers while 'letting his hair down.'
Despite the dishonest portrayal of him by the left-wing media that despises him, when Ford goes out in public, he is usually swarmed like a movie star by adoring citizens who want their photos taken with the mayor.
That happened, as usual, this week and in a video that just surfaced, Ford talks to a man n front of him about `the stink.`` Ford then asks `you want some cologne?"
Now spurious reports are emerging that Ford asked "you want some blow (i.e cocaine)? The ever-desperate and idiotic looking Toronto Star, in a column by Rosie di Manno, suggests that Ford asked "you want some bone/"
Di Manno, whose intimate knowledge of crack cocaine slang is evidently better than mine, professes that "bone" is slang for that drug. The distinct 'c' at the beginning of the word "cologne' is unmistakably different tan a "b" sound. Eventually, as if bragging that paying basic attention is some thorough investigation by assiduous, conscientious Toronto Star investigators, she gets around to writing:
"when the Star enhanced the audio, it became clearer what Ford is actually saying. Well, not entirely clear, but — after repeating “I’m not driving,” as if to reassure there’s no risk of another DUI on this evening — the mayor mutters something about “stink.” I can’t definitely make out if Ford is referring to himself or the photo-seeker standing close. He says: “Give me some cologne. You want some cologne? I’ll give you some cologne.”Here's the video, and anyone with reasonable hearing can make out what Ford said.
Ford has been an exemplary mayor when it comes to protecting the interests of the City's taxpayers. He hasn't been using the citizens of Toronto as Guinea pigs in a socialist social experiment as predecessor did with the enthusiastic support of the left wing media..
The continuing popularity of Ford, despite their histrionic vendetta against him, burns deep and painfully in the wretched hearts of the Toronto Star's 'brain trust'. So any opportunity to rail against him is a piece of rancid cheese leaped upon by starving rats.
While not the psychiatric definition, there is a point to the bromide, "insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results." With the abysmal failure by The Star every time they have tried to malign Ford, it has become obvious that its writers' addiction to making themselves look idiotic in their pathological invective is worse than anything of which they have accused Rob Ford.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Oh, what a difference a month makes! Ford up, Wynne down
Wasn't it only about a month ago that the Editorial Board of the Toronto Star were walking the halls of One Yonge Street with semen stains on their trousers, a result of their turgid excitement at the anticipated demise of Toronto's fiscally conservative mayor, Rob Ford?
The Kool-Aid they were drinking must have tasted as if it were spiked with ambrosia as they basked in certainty that unproven allegations by a tabloid website and two Toronto Star reporters of the existence of a video, purporting to show the mayor smoking crack cocaine, would spell a sudden end to Ford's term of office.
The Star was trying to invoke a politician they idolized, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, to accelerate Ford's removal and even got her to imply that she might take extraordinary measures to help remove him.
Repeated shots at Ford by the liberal media and the left beholden to entrenched special interests had failed to hit their mark. A law suit had Ford ordered removed from office for an insignificant matter related to funds he raised for charity on city letterhead, only to see that reversed on appeal. They failed in other attempts at proving a conflict of interest in which Ford acted not for himself, but in the interests of the city. But this time, there was no way they could lose!
How could the prissy conservative base of Ford Nation not finally turn their collective back in revulsion at the thought of Ford smoking drugs!?
Then some funny things happened. The first thing to deflate the angry leftist nabobs was the outrageous revelation that at least half the city thought the Toronto Star reporters were lying.
Then add to that the inconceivable shock that even in the event that Ford had been smoking crack, his support base didn't seem to care very much.
Then, leaving egg on the faces of the mob of Ford haters, the video never materialized, even after $100,000 was amassed to pay the drug dealers who supposedly possessed the mythical beast.
Amid all that, Ford's approval rating actually went up.
Now, to the dismay of Ontario's Liberal establishment, there's a new sort of licentious stain that needs to be scrubbed off them. This week, one of Kathleen Wynne's closest advisors and colleagues has been arrested on an array of charges related to child pornography. Ben Levin was Deputy Minister of Education during almost the entire time Wynne held that portfolio as Minister. He was instrumental in their attempt to introduce a controversial Sex Education curriculum that met widespread condemnation for exposing young, pre-pubescent children at an inappropriate age to graphically sexual material.
The charges against Levin are before the courts and unproven. Even so, it does not look good for someone who was once the current Premier's top man, who along with her was pushing for kids to be exposed to sex at an early age, to potentially have an insidious motive for sexualizing children.
Add to that new revelations about the Ontario Liberal government's lying about information related to their politically-motivated cancellation of two gas plants which effectively stole half a billion dollars from the province's taxpayers.
Suddenly, Rob Ford, who had 15,000 people turn out to support him at his Ford Fest in Scarborough last weekend, is in the driver's seat. He is pushing forward with a proposal to extend subways to Scarborough, and with the Liberals facing a handful of impending by-elections, Wynne is sheepishly following his lead, fearful of antagonizing voters in ridings she hopes to maintain for her party.
The beauty of democracy is that governments need the consent of the governed. Deceptive media outlets like to pretend that they are the arbiters of that consent, but even unscrupulous politicians, like so many in government at Queen's Park, know which way the wind is blowing. Lacking Ford's conviction and his interest in serving his constituents more than party interests, it's no surprise that it is Ontario's Premier and not Toronto's mayor who has been forced to bend.
UPDATE (11/7/13 3:56 pm) : A Rob Ford crack video has finally materialized!
The Kool-Aid they were drinking must have tasted as if it were spiked with ambrosia as they basked in certainty that unproven allegations by a tabloid website and two Toronto Star reporters of the existence of a video, purporting to show the mayor smoking crack cocaine, would spell a sudden end to Ford's term of office.
The Star was trying to invoke a politician they idolized, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, to accelerate Ford's removal and even got her to imply that she might take extraordinary measures to help remove him.
Repeated shots at Ford by the liberal media and the left beholden to entrenched special interests had failed to hit their mark. A law suit had Ford ordered removed from office for an insignificant matter related to funds he raised for charity on city letterhead, only to see that reversed on appeal. They failed in other attempts at proving a conflict of interest in which Ford acted not for himself, but in the interests of the city. But this time, there was no way they could lose!
How could the prissy conservative base of Ford Nation not finally turn their collective back in revulsion at the thought of Ford smoking drugs!?
Then some funny things happened. The first thing to deflate the angry leftist nabobs was the outrageous revelation that at least half the city thought the Toronto Star reporters were lying.
Then add to that the inconceivable shock that even in the event that Ford had been smoking crack, his support base didn't seem to care very much.
Then, leaving egg on the faces of the mob of Ford haters, the video never materialized, even after $100,000 was amassed to pay the drug dealers who supposedly possessed the mythical beast.
Amid all that, Ford's approval rating actually went up.
 |
| Accused child pornographer Ben Levin with Kathleen Wynne and Justin Trudeau less than two weeks ago |
The charges against Levin are before the courts and unproven. Even so, it does not look good for someone who was once the current Premier's top man, who along with her was pushing for kids to be exposed to sex at an early age, to potentially have an insidious motive for sexualizing children.
Add to that new revelations about the Ontario Liberal government's lying about information related to their politically-motivated cancellation of two gas plants which effectively stole half a billion dollars from the province's taxpayers.
Suddenly, Rob Ford, who had 15,000 people turn out to support him at his Ford Fest in Scarborough last weekend, is in the driver's seat. He is pushing forward with a proposal to extend subways to Scarborough, and with the Liberals facing a handful of impending by-elections, Wynne is sheepishly following his lead, fearful of antagonizing voters in ridings she hopes to maintain for her party.
The beauty of democracy is that governments need the consent of the governed. Deceptive media outlets like to pretend that they are the arbiters of that consent, but even unscrupulous politicians, like so many in government at Queen's Park, know which way the wind is blowing. Lacking Ford's conviction and his interest in serving his constituents more than party interests, it's no surprise that it is Ontario's Premier and not Toronto's mayor who has been forced to bend.
UPDATE (11/7/13 3:56 pm) : A Rob Ford crack video has finally materialized!
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
What doesn't kill Rob Ford makes him stronger
Six weeks ago Rob Ford seemed to be a dead mayor walking.
After countless near political death experiences, Ford's mayoral obituary appeared to be shaping up as he faced crack cocaine allegations, his staff were being fired or fleeing, and some councillors publicly called on him to step aside.
Fast forward to the last week of June and Rob Ford getting mobbed at the Tim Hortons across from City Hall, posing for photos with customers and staff before slowly making his way through Nathan Phillips Square and getting swarmed with more photo requests.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Be careful walking around One Yonge Street - You may slip on goo from Toronto Star staff's exploded heads
Mayor Ford’s approval rating up from May
TORONTO – A new poll has found support for Mayor Rob Ford is on the rise, despite the allegations of drug use that surfaced more than a month ago.
According to a Forum Research poll conducted for the Toronto Sun, Ford’s approval rating is at 47 per cent — up from 42 per cent in May.
The president of Forum Research said the approval rating isn’t surprising now that the alleged drug video allegations have died down and Ford is focusing on issues at city hall.
More HERE
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Death threats received over my support for Rob Ford
On two separate occasions in the last week, women have threatened to kill me because of my support for Toronto's persecuted mayor, Rob Ford.
They aren't the usual types you'd expect to menace someone over political expression. One of them is a middle-aged suburban housewife, the mother of two daughters, who hasn't done a day of real (i.e. paid) work in fifteen years. The other, younger, is an extremely, almost exaggeratedly, feminine single High School Art teacher. Making it even more surprising was that, in both cases, the discussion about Rob Ford was initiated by them. I learned long ago not to raise the subject of Ford with people whose outlook may differ from mine, since his name evokes seething hysteria from some people.
But still, I thought threatening to kill me was a bit much.
In all fairness, the threats, made by the two women with whom I have been friends for many years, but to my knowledge have never met each other, were not meant literally. At least, so I hope.
The irrational, hyper-emotionalism that Rob Ford sometimes inspires is a remarkable phenomenon. But there are, as far as I've observed, consistent patterns to it. The people subject to it tend to be moderately intelligent but not exceptionally so, and tend to be highly susceptible to the opinions of others. Such people also only read certain, select media and accept it uncritically.
Intriguingly, not only the death threats, but responses to questions I posed to these very different women were almost identical.
When I asked the women how they could be so certain of what they considered Ford's malfeasance, and how 'terrible' a mayor he was, the response from both was that it was because of things they read in The Toronto Star. As it was, their opinion about Ford was shaped by Star editorials as much as by that newspaper's slanted reporting.
My response that The Star wasn't really a credible source about Ford and that it had printed demonstrable lies about him just agitated them further.
A big part of their anger was that Ford was a so-called "embarrassment" and "Toronto has become a laughing stock." Unfortunately, I've encountered that reaction from a number of people before and it's borne of a particular type of bizarre insecurity. Sure, Ford's alleged "crack" scandal has made the news in North America and beyond. But does anyone who isn't prey to this weird pathology really think people in New York, Los Angeles, Paris and Tokyo are dwelling on anything going on in Toronto, let alone what's its mayor may or may not be doing?
Pointing out to them that their lives haven't been genuinely altered by that perception not only didn't seem to alleviate their anger, but made it worse.
But let's look at another example. Yesterday, news broke that Montreal's mayor was arrested on charges related to fraud and civic corruption. Contrast that with the unproven allegations about Rob Ford made by unnamed sources related entirely to his personal behavior outside of his work as mayor.
Are Montrealers, other than a few sad, chronic whiners, going about saying how "ashamed" they are to be from that city? Of course not. If anything, it's the opposite.
Whether there's something about Quebec culture that's superior to Ontario's and gives them enough security to not continually obsess over what others think of them, I couldn't say. But it does highlight a pathetic trait of far too many Torontonians who do.
When railing against what a terrible mayor Ford was, I asked a simple question to the two women, both of whom are financially comfortable. The question infuriated them.
"Name one thing that Ford has done or is responsible for, something that you've seen with your own eyes or has involved you personally, that has in any tangible way affected you negatively?"
That really got them flustered. They both have "heard of things" that they couldn't actually verify and "knew" how Ford was "destroying Toronto" without being able to factually identify how.
So stymied, both of them, these two lovely, normally kind women, one on Saturday and the other on Sunday, said I can't say anything more about Rob Ford or they would kill me.
Maybe it's a woman thing. After the second instance on Monday, I spoke about it to my most recent ex-girlfriend, who lives just outside Toronto and with whom I am still on very friendly terms.
"Hey, L*** just threatened to kill me!" I complained on the phone.
In a blatant display of victim-blaming, my ex responded, "What did you do to her?"
"I didn't do anything! I was just saying nice things about Rob Ford and she threatened to kill me!"
"It was probably your fault."
"What do you mean it was my fault!? I don't go around being violent or threatening anyone. I just explained how Rob Ford is a good mayor who is being unfairly maligned and she threatened to kill me! So did another woman I know on Saturday for the same reason!"
"It was still probably your fault."
That's what things are like these days. You can be innocently walking around the city and some nut case will pelt an orange slushie at you, or sitting on a restaurant patio discussing urban affairs and the next thing you know, your companion is threatening to murder you. And only because you support a municipal politician committed to a small government that is responsible to taxpayers
It's a good thing I don't believe in stereotypes or conspiracies. Because if I did, I'd think this is all down to a bunch of women who like spending money and are out to eliminate people who believe in fiscal accountability.
They aren't the usual types you'd expect to menace someone over political expression. One of them is a middle-aged suburban housewife, the mother of two daughters, who hasn't done a day of real (i.e. paid) work in fifteen years. The other, younger, is an extremely, almost exaggeratedly, feminine single High School Art teacher. Making it even more surprising was that, in both cases, the discussion about Rob Ford was initiated by them. I learned long ago not to raise the subject of Ford with people whose outlook may differ from mine, since his name evokes seething hysteria from some people.
But still, I thought threatening to kill me was a bit much.
In all fairness, the threats, made by the two women with whom I have been friends for many years, but to my knowledge have never met each other, were not meant literally. At least, so I hope.
 |
| How could anyone not like this guy? |
Intriguingly, not only the death threats, but responses to questions I posed to these very different women were almost identical.
When I asked the women how they could be so certain of what they considered Ford's malfeasance, and how 'terrible' a mayor he was, the response from both was that it was because of things they read in The Toronto Star. As it was, their opinion about Ford was shaped by Star editorials as much as by that newspaper's slanted reporting.
My response that The Star wasn't really a credible source about Ford and that it had printed demonstrable lies about him just agitated them further.
A big part of their anger was that Ford was a so-called "embarrassment" and "Toronto has become a laughing stock." Unfortunately, I've encountered that reaction from a number of people before and it's borne of a particular type of bizarre insecurity. Sure, Ford's alleged "crack" scandal has made the news in North America and beyond. But does anyone who isn't prey to this weird pathology really think people in New York, Los Angeles, Paris and Tokyo are dwelling on anything going on in Toronto, let alone what's its mayor may or may not be doing?
Pointing out to them that their lives haven't been genuinely altered by that perception not only didn't seem to alleviate their anger, but made it worse.
But let's look at another example. Yesterday, news broke that Montreal's mayor was arrested on charges related to fraud and civic corruption. Contrast that with the unproven allegations about Rob Ford made by unnamed sources related entirely to his personal behavior outside of his work as mayor.
Are Montrealers, other than a few sad, chronic whiners, going about saying how "ashamed" they are to be from that city? Of course not. If anything, it's the opposite.
Whether there's something about Quebec culture that's superior to Ontario's and gives them enough security to not continually obsess over what others think of them, I couldn't say. But it does highlight a pathetic trait of far too many Torontonians who do.
When railing against what a terrible mayor Ford was, I asked a simple question to the two women, both of whom are financially comfortable. The question infuriated them.
"Name one thing that Ford has done or is responsible for, something that you've seen with your own eyes or has involved you personally, that has in any tangible way affected you negatively?"
That really got them flustered. They both have "heard of things" that they couldn't actually verify and "knew" how Ford was "destroying Toronto" without being able to factually identify how.
So stymied, both of them, these two lovely, normally kind women, one on Saturday and the other on Sunday, said I can't say anything more about Rob Ford or they would kill me.
Maybe it's a woman thing. After the second instance on Monday, I spoke about it to my most recent ex-girlfriend, who lives just outside Toronto and with whom I am still on very friendly terms.
"Hey, L*** just threatened to kill me!" I complained on the phone.
In a blatant display of victim-blaming, my ex responded, "What did you do to her?"
"I didn't do anything! I was just saying nice things about Rob Ford and she threatened to kill me!"
"It was probably your fault."
"What do you mean it was my fault!? I don't go around being violent or threatening anyone. I just explained how Rob Ford is a good mayor who is being unfairly maligned and she threatened to kill me! So did another woman I know on Saturday for the same reason!"
"It was still probably your fault."
That's what things are like these days. You can be innocently walking around the city and some nut case will pelt an orange slushie at you, or sitting on a restaurant patio discussing urban affairs and the next thing you know, your companion is threatening to murder you. And only because you support a municipal politician committed to a small government that is responsible to taxpayers
It's a good thing I don't believe in stereotypes or conspiracies. Because if I did, I'd think this is all down to a bunch of women who like spending money and are out to eliminate people who believe in fiscal accountability.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
More bad news for Ford Haters
Rob Ford was not the target in Project Traveller.
He wasn’t even a target.
The Toronto mayor is a footnote to this investigation from a police perspective.
Toronto Police launched the project about a year ago. The controversy involving Ford came much later.
Police listening in on wiretaps never heard Ford speak.
What they heard was people they were targeting talk about Ford.
While the city remains transfixed on the possibility police have recovered the video allegedly showing Ford smoking crack — which Ford has denied doing — Project Traveller started like any other for the Gun and Gang Task Force.
It had nothing to do with Ford, but with combating drugs, guns and violence
 |
| Shannon Everett via twitter |
Update: Toronto's "hated" mayor being swarmed by fans in the middle of hipster downtown Little Italy
(h/t The Hammer):
Saturday, June 8, 2013
The tides must be turning: Toronto Star publishes second pro-Rob Ford item in two days
UPDATE: The link to The Toronto Star article at the bottom of this post came up on my Google news feed today, but is actually about 7 months old.
Fortunately a helpful lunatic on twitter let me know of the error:
However there is an article in today's Toronto Star that is not explicitly hostile to Ford and even presents him in a positive light. Though The Star being The Star, they can't resist opinionated digs, but the article does show how Ford goes out and serves the constituents of the city. That is something very rare for The Star, so indeed the tide may be turning after all.
Original post below:
Perhaps it's because they were sensitive to the many criticisms of their bias and their pursuing a vendetta against Toronto's Mayor, Rob Ford.
Perhaps it's because of their many efforts to bring him down, the last one, involving am alleged video of Ford smoking cocaine has backfired.
The Toronto Star violated all standards of journalistic decency and ethics in a desperate shot at scooping a US-based gossip website.and unseating Ford. The video, from unnamed and highly disreputable sources, not only failed to materialize but also did not affect Ford's support. Worse than that for The Star, their histrionic reaction discredited them to the extent that half of Toronto believes the newspaper has no credibility.
And perhaps they finally realized that Rob Ford is going to be mayor of Toronto for some time, whether The Toronto Star likes it or not.
Whatever the reason, they have suddenly and startlingly taken to publishing articles that actually treat Ford fairly, presenting him in the positive light he has worked hard to earn.
From today's Toronto Star:
Fortunately a helpful lunatic on twitter let me know of the error:
@eyecrazy "from Today's Star" clicked on link: "Published on Wed Nov 07 2012" right. Lying like an authentic Rob Ford supporter. #topoli
— :: ultranol :: (@ultranol) June 8, 2013
However there is an article in today's Toronto Star that is not explicitly hostile to Ford and even presents him in a positive light. Though The Star being The Star, they can't resist opinionated digs, but the article does show how Ford goes out and serves the constituents of the city. That is something very rare for The Star, so indeed the tide may be turning after all.
Original post below:
Perhaps it's because they were sensitive to the many criticisms of their bias and their pursuing a vendetta against Toronto's Mayor, Rob Ford.
Perhaps it's because of their many efforts to bring him down, the last one, involving am alleged video of Ford smoking cocaine has backfired.
The Toronto Star violated all standards of journalistic decency and ethics in a desperate shot at scooping a US-based gossip website.and unseating Ford. The video, from unnamed and highly disreputable sources, not only failed to materialize but also did not affect Ford's support. Worse than that for The Star, their histrionic reaction discredited them to the extent that half of Toronto believes the newspaper has no credibility.
And perhaps they finally realized that Rob Ford is going to be mayor of Toronto for some time, whether The Toronto Star likes it or not.
Whatever the reason, they have suddenly and startlingly taken to publishing articles that actually treat Ford fairly, presenting him in the positive light he has worked hard to earn.
From today's Toronto Star:
Friday, June 7, 2013
Hell has frozen over: al Starzeera publishes a pro-Rob Ford editorial
Now that their Rob Ford video was eaten by the Loch Ness Monster and their best efforts to get rid of Ford have only resulted in half of Toronto being convinced that The Star is made up of pathological liars, they may have finally recognized the writing on the wall.
But I doubt it will last.
But I doubt it will last.
Since 2010, a common cry from some of my anti-Ford friends has been, “It’s not my Toronto, anymore!” Sure it is. When Miller was mayor I never thought it wasn’t “my Toronto.” I just thought it was my Toronto run by a grandstanding incompetent.
And this is what those who want Ford gone have never understood: their inability to admit that Miller was a disaster and that Smitherman or Chow would be more of the same.
h/t The Hammer
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Former Toronto Mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson's latest desperate ploy for attention
This post, alleged to be from former mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson's facebook page, has since disappeared.
It has been noted she doesn't say what video, but the implication is clear that she means the "Rob Ford crack video," the actual existence of which has never been validated.
It looks like nothing more than another desperate ploy for attention.
The latest since last week.. groan...
UPDATE: This be the video..argghh... A sad attempt to trick people into watching her narcissistic campaign. Not sure which is worse, the horrible song itself, the shrill singing...
It has been noted she doesn't say what video, but the implication is clear that she means the "Rob Ford crack video," the actual existence of which has never been validated.
It looks like nothing more than another desperate ploy for attention.
The latest since last week.. groan...
UPDATE: This be the video..argghh... A sad attempt to trick people into watching her narcissistic campaign. Not sure which is worse, the horrible song itself, the shrill singing...
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Oops! Now Gawker is saying Ford crack video may be "gone"
Or maybe it just didn't exist in the first place?This is an interesting development that may do permanent damage to The Toronto Star, which invested its credibility, such as it was, on unnamed sources with highly discreditable backgrounds.
As for Gawker, how reliable is someone whose unbiased journalistic opinion proclaims:
" Rob Ford...is a conservative and a racist buffoon"
Gawker's editor John Cook "reports":
when the intermediary called to tell me that he had finally heard from the owner. And his message was: "It's gone. Leave me alone." It was, the intermediary told me, a short conversation.
UPDATE: The Toronto Star reveals its secret strategic model for trapping Rob Ford:
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Even the hack journalists at the Toronto Star are beginning to concede they may have to deal with Rob Ford for a long time.
A Toronto Star article today by one of the viewers of the alleged "crack video":
The Toronto Star, being The Toronto Star, had to include a few smears of Rob Ford in the process.
But notice how, in true al Starzeera fashion, the people they quote supporting Ford are named and on-the-record, while the ones they use to smear him are their usual anonymous, unnamed sources.
I wonder if those unnamed sources are actually Star Editors?
h/t BCF
“His support is rock solid. He’s absolutely rock solid,” said Bruce Davis. “He’ll be very strong going into the election… The people who hated him before still hate him. The people who love him still love him. I haven’t met a single person who has changed their mind (because of the latest controversy).”
Davis says back in 2010, the Smitherman campaign did focus group testing where they asked voters about previous Ford controversies and political gaffes.
“One woman said – and I’m not suggesting he does this, but this is what she said — ‘If I have to choose between someone who wastes our money and someone who (breaks the law), I’ll choose the person who (breaks the law.)’”
Now, poll results released Saturday would only appear to back Davis’s view to a point.
The Ipsos Reid survey found that 34 per cent of Torontonians said they’d vote to re-elect Ford if an election were held tomorrow.
The Toronto Star, being The Toronto Star, had to include a few smears of Rob Ford in the process.
But notice how, in true al Starzeera fashion, the people they quote supporting Ford are named and on-the-record, while the ones they use to smear him are their usual anonymous, unnamed sources.
I wonder if those unnamed sources are actually Star Editors?
h/t BCF
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