[voxpopulicosmicum]

Does he really have down syndrome, or was that just the best piece of satire I've read in quite some time?

If I'm wrong and LeDrew's Down Syndrome is all just an act, then both of the following are true:

• I'm more disgusted with LeDrew for exploiting/faking Down Syndrome than I am with the people whom I have mistakenly castigated for making fun of Stephen LeDrew's Down Syndrome, as well as those whom I have criticized for using LeDrew as a convenient scapegoat for various disasters (e.g. his manager, the Liberal Party of Canada, Jean Chretien, the 98.7% of voters who rejected his mayoral candidacy, the Receiver General for Canada and the Federal Tax Court, to name just a few); and
• Stephen LeDrew is the greatest actor of his generation.

 

[W. K. Lis]

A monorail through a hotel? Who's going to build the monorail, Walt Disney Productions?

 

[Electrify]

If I'm wrong and LeDrew's Down Syndrome is all just an act, then both of the following are true:

• I'm more disgusted with LeDrew for exploiting/faking Down Syndrome than I am with the people whom I have mistakenly castigated for making fun of Stephen LeDrew's Down Syndrome, as well as those whom I have criticized for using LeDrew as a convenient scapegoat for various disasters (e.g. his manager, the Liberal Party of Canada, Jean Chretien, the 98.7% of voters who rejected his mayoral candidacy, the Receiver General for Canada and the Federal Tax Court, to name just a few); and
• Stephen LeDrew is the greatest actor of his generation.

I just did a Google search for 'Stephen LeDrew downs syndrome' and nothing came up. You sir, just made my day.

+1

 

[voxpopulicosmicum]

I just did a Google search for 'Stephen LeDrew downs syndrome' and nothing came up. You sir, just made my day.

+1

I just did the same search and am astounded to learn the same thing. I apologize for any confusion or hurt feelings that may have resulted from my own misapprehension of the facts. When I was told (years ago) that LeDrew had Down Syndrome, I guess I just looked at all of the other evidence (i.e. the thick-tongued speech, vacant/open-mouthed facial expression, odd choice of attire, serial failures of advanced cognition) through a "confirmation-biased" lens. But the google search tells me that LeDrew doesn't have Down Syndrome, so there it is.

 

[GraphicMatt]

I think he's more like a Forest Gump figure, who has overcome some personal challenges and gone on to live a life filled with crazy madcap adventures filled with cameos from politicians and other celebrities. In the end, he'll retire on the money he made in the shrimping business.

 

[Bogtrotter]

LOL. But yikes, why on earth would anybody think he has downs syndrome? I just wiki'd him out of curiousity and it did not mention any personal challenges. However, I did see that in another year he will be allowed to again own a credit card- yay!

 

[Marko]

A monorail that goes from the CNE/Ontario Place in the west, through to Skydome/CN Tower/MTCC, Union/ACC, to Distillery/PanAm and into the eventually developed Portlands actually makes some sense. It ties a lot of the tourist and southern hotspots together nicely, and the link through Union fully integrates it with other transit.

It's the kind of thing that an Olympic bid would want and ties all of our event and sporting facilities together in terms of moving large crowds of people around.

If they can actually find private money to make it happen, it's worth supporting - though what gets put into the Portlands is up for debate, once the 'new plan' is released next week. I won't hold my breath that it will be accepted as shown, but it might be a starting point to actually get things happening sooner than later.

 

[andrewpmk]

There are two problems with this proposal:

- Monorail technology makes no sense. The last thing we need in this city is yet another nonstandard proprietary technology like the SRT. In any case, most of this line would have to be built underground anyway (elevated might make sense when going through the Portlands area).
- The line needs to continue north on Pape at least as far as Danforth, and possibly further, following the downtown relief line proposal. Without this segment an Exhibition to Union to Portlands line does nothing to relieve Yonge line overcrowding.

 

[ssiguy2]

What "new plan" to be released next week? Has Ford actually even mentioned the idea of a monorail to the Portlands?

 

[nfitz]

Has Ford actually even mentioned the idea of a monorail to the Portlands?

No ... he wants everything underground, remember?

 

[ssiguy2]

Are you kidding me? He wants to build a Monorail to bury it.......now I have truly heard thing.
Is he really considering a Monorail and if so is this going to be a tonka-toy are the possible beginning od a DRL?

 

[tkip]

I don't understand the monorail proposal.

Is Ford suggesting that the monorail be built only in the portlands or connect with the subway in some manner? Either way, his plan for the monorail is truly baffling. It's outdated technology. If Ford wants some transportation down there then just build a bloody streetcar line and connect with the rest of waterfront.

Ford is getting some truly idiotic advice from someone on transit. He just doesn't understand transit at all.

 

[tkip]

A monorail that goes from the CNE/Ontario Place in the west, through to Skydome/CN Tower/MTCC, Union/ACC, to Distillery/PanAm and into the eventually developed Portlands actually makes some sense. It ties a lot of the tourist and southern hotspots together nicely, and the link through Union fully integrates it with other transit.

It's the kind of thing that an Olympic bid would want and ties all of our event and sporting facilities together in terms of moving large crowds of people around.

If they can actually find private money to make it happen, it's worth supporting - though what gets put into the Portlands is up for debate, once the 'new plan' is released next week. I won't hold my breath that it will be accepted as shown, but it might be a starting point to actually get things happening sooner than later.

It's dumb. Just build a LRT line down there to connect with the rest of the other lines and the waterfront. Why is this so difficult for Ford and his people to understand? It's not rocket science.

 

[syn]

The Ford's vision of the Portlands is a complete farce. It's almost like they took that Simpson's episode seriously (at least the 'a monorail will fix everything' part of it).

A ferris wheel, monorail and mall...it's like we're back in the 60s.

I think someone pointed out in another thread that a monorail is actually quite costly and inefficient...why integrate that as a part of the local transit plan??

 

[Paleo]

A monorail that goes from the CNE/Ontario Place in the west, through to Skydome/CN Tower/MTCC, Union/ACC, to Distillery/PanAm and into the eventually developed Portlands actually makes some sense. It ties a lot of the tourist and southern hotspots together nicely, and the link through Union fully integrates it with other transit.

It's the kind of thing that an Olympic bid would want and ties all of our event and sporting facilities together in terms of moving large crowds of people around.

If they can actually find private money to make it happen, it's worth supporting - though what gets put into the Portlands is up for debate, once the 'new plan' is released next week. I won't hold my breath that it will be accepted as shown, but it might be a starting point to actually get things happening sooner than later.

We've already destroyed large portions of the past in the name of urban renewal, do we need a monorail buzzing by Union station or the flat iron building to destroy the last bits of the charm left in old Toronto?