[evvabeing]

did we know this already? greenestone's rehab program is known as well-hab...

We provide an all-inclusive facility offering Well-Hab executive health and wellness education retreats. Our Well-Hab programs are designed to provide participants with awareness and education in a variety of health and wellness interests.

http://www.hotfrog.ca/Companies/Greenestone or http://www.akama.com/company/GreeneStone_acc0d2902305.html etc.

 

[evvabeing]

My money is on RoFo sightings in Toronto this weekend. How many rehab programs wrap up on a Monday morning? Today is the last day of school. It's a kinda-sorta long weekend (always one for RoFo but YKWIM.) JimmiT and Kevin Donovan are on twitter. My spidey senses are tingling with upcoming Ford follies.

wouldn't he be at the cottage this weekend? like he is ever year on this weekend.

 

[evvabeing]

Lots of mileage from one little public park...

BenSpurr 10:37am via TweetDeck
Cllr Doug Ford to attend reopening of playground in park named after his father tomorrow.

BenSpurr 10:39am via TweetDeck
Douglas B. Ford Park is of course where police saw Rob Ford and Sandro Lisi hanging out. They recovered a vodka and juice bottle afterward.

(correction: event is on Sunday)

Davie Bidini has been visiting and writing about the city's parks and parkettes. he recently got kicked out of ford park (while drinking) by construction workers that must have been working on the playground that's about to be unveiled. it's a fairly fun read...

Dave Bidini: Going home to Etobicoke, the land of strip malls and Douglas Ford, with a bottle in hand

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/0...malls-and-douglas-ford-with-a-bottle-in-hand/

 

[evvabeing]

I think that the versions really come down to the same thing. The main goal is to try to get 'the past' off the table by trying to position himself so that attempts to bring it up after Monday are seen by Ford Nation as a mean-spirited witch hunt. (I of course did not expect him actually to claim that he is cured - hence the single quotes on 'cured' - but he will try to say that he has supposedly done enough to deserve to be treated as if he is not going to repeat 'the past'.)

when it comes to his "personal life", he says the past is the past, i.e. not relevant now. but he also says he's running on his "political record", i.e. the past is very relevant (truth discrepancies aside). you can't have both!!

 

[evvabeing]

Rob Ford and Margaret Atwood Free Paper Toys Download

http://www.papercraftsquare.com/rob-ford-margaret-atwood-free-paper-toys-download.html

 

[Long Island Mike]

Toronto: Much more then the antics of one Mayor Rob Ford...

Just in case anyone needs a reminder...
Maybe the snubbed media will print their own opinion pieces on Monday skewering RoFo.

http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/t.../+Media&utm_campaign=Shared+Web+Article+Links

Civic pride
Toronto isn’t Rob Ford. Toronto is more than that
MARCUS GEE
The Globe and Mail
Published Friday, Jun. 27 2014, 5:30 PM EDT

When the mayor returns from his rehab break on Monday, the attention of the city, the country and even the world will be drawn once again to our infamous civic leader. His notoriety is so great that the first thing many outsiders think of when they hear the word Toronto is Rob Ford.

Well, here is a message to the world: Toronto is not Rob Ford. Toronto is more than that.

Toronto is the soaring glass and steel of a downtown reaching for the clouds. Toronto is the Royal Bank towers gleaming gold in the sunshine. Toronto is the skyline after dark seen from the Island ferry on a soft summer night. Toronto is the cool modernist majesty of the Toronto-Dominion Centre. Toronto is the spire of the CN Tower, a symbol of urban ambition calling us to aim higher. Toronto is the stone staircases circling weathered totem poles at the ROM.

Toronto is festivals of beer, fringe theatre, documentaries, dance, jazz, Japanese film. Toronto is 99 public libraries, soon to be 100. Toronto is 1,600 parks and 51 artificial ice rinks. Toronto is skating circles at City Hall under the lights as the bells of Old City Hall toll the hour.

Toronto isn’t Rob Ford. Toronto is more than that.

Toronto is the glow of the poplars on the Islands in the slanting late-afternoon light. Toronto is the sound of the Rouge River as it hurries down to the lake. Toronto is a group of cormorants skimming like black wraiths over the flat water of the outer harbour. Toronto is the Don Valley in its autumn colours.

Toronto is a trio of teenaged girls linking arms as they dodge in and out of stores in the Eaton Centre. Toronto is a Chinese-speaking man cooling his bare feet in the reflecting pool at Nathan Phillips Square as his small daughter playfully loops her frilly red purse over his shoulder. Toronto is the café in Kensington Market advertising “vegan mocha.â€

Toronto isn’t Rob Ford. Toronto is more than that.

Toronto is more than 100 same-sex couples getting married in the sun at Casa Loma. Toronto is the woman waiting at the streetcar stop in black head scarf and wrap-around sunglasses, Mountain Equipment Co-op backpack slung over her shoulder.

Toronto is the young woman with a yoga mat, hiking boots and ukelele rushing to the bus station bound for who knows where. Toronto is the old woman pushing her bundle-buggy full of bok choy through old Chinatown. Toronto is the hipsters sprawled drinking beer on the weedy lawn at Trinity-Bellwoods Park, cheerfully breaking the law.

Toronto is the guy picking his screaming, laughing girlfriend off her feet and threatening to douse her in the fountains at Yonge-Dundas Square. Toronto is the women on impossible heels ruling the night in Clubland. Toronto is the smell that comes off the asphalt when it rains.

Toronto isn’t Rob Ford. Toronto is more than that.

Toronto is the rush that comes from whizzing along the Gardiner Expressway, skyscrapers to one side, sparkling harbour to the other (when the traffic is moving). Toronto is the agony of a million traffic jams now and the ecstasy of knowing something is finally getting built in this town. Toronto is the vertigo that comes from sitting in the gods for a Jays game or the unnatural quiet in the stands at a Leafs game. Toronto is the big-city buzz of the crowd as it streams out of the downtown stadiums toward the subway.

Toronto isn’t Rob Ford. Toronto is more than that.

Toronto is the electric hum of a streetcar as it accelerates along Queen Street West – and the hiss of brakes as it slows for some guy turning left in an old Buick. Toronto is the young Samaritan on the rush-hour subway who mildly urges everyone to “scoot along†the car a bit so those on the platform can get on board. Toronto is the echoing vault of that cathedral of transport, the Great Hall at Union Station.

No, Toronto isn’t Rob Ford. Toronto is more than that – much more than that.

Follow Marcus Gee on Twitter: @marcusbgee

Everyone: After a absence from this subject of about a month I noted these thoughts and I have to agree with many of them -
Toronto to me is a fascinating city and it is way more then one notorious Mayor could ever be...I feel that Toronto will get through
and then past the RF fiasco in due time and that I also feel that Toronto is much more resilient then some detractors give it credit
for with its diversity and variety of its citizens just for starters...I can picture Marcus Gee's Toronto thoughts in my mind and it only
reminds me of why I like Toronto as much as I do...

This next week here at the beginning of Summer is going to be quite interesting - Canada Day,The 4th of July and Rob Ford's return
to Toronto - I am hoping for the best here and he is getting his life together...In any case I think that the month of July will show
all of Toronto's citizens if this time spent in rehab has helped or hurt RF...He has to remember that in his case he will again be in
a fishbowl and this time the whole world is going to be watching...

Thoughts from Long Island Mike

 

[pattycakes]

From this morning's Star, it looks like the councillors aren't rushing to meet with Ford. All that were contacted by the Star said they didn't plan on meeting with him. Josh Matlow is quoted as saying" I don't make time to meet with bigots, sexists, or homophobes".
I love Josh Matlow.

 

[zang]

I think that's an old photo. Still, to drop 8 pant size in 60 days is simply unbelievable.

That's because it is.

I've being working to lose weight since the first week of March. I've dropped 50lbs. Comparatively, I was about Ford's weight (310lbs) when I started, and I'm 6' tall. Though I've always pictured Ford as being an average height of 5'9". In that the four months since March have gone from a 44 waist to a 40. I *look* dramatically thinner. Mind you, I have a stronger frame and have always lacked the alcoholic pant busting belly that Ford has, but an 8" difference in waist would be incredibly dramatic. Even during the cut the waist challenge, Ford *looked* slimmer, even only having lost about 20lbs.

Recent pictures if Ford don't seem much slimmer at all.

 

[Pickles]

Met up with an old friend last evening whose sister lives in Bracebridge. She tells my friend that Rofo has been seen on many occasions in Bracebridge bars and that lots of patrons are taking selfies with him. These don't get posted because people there (a Conservative riding) like Ford and aren't out to get him.

 

[DeathSilver]

Met up with an old friend last evening whose sister lives in Bracebridge. She tells my friend that Rofo has been seen on many occasions in Bracebridge bars and that lots of patrons are taking selfies with him. These don't get posted because people there (a Conservative riding) like Ford and aren't out to get him.

Somehow I think if this was the case a few pics would have leaked. I also can't imagine journalists are not looking into this, so conservative or not, some kids would have posted stuff. If it is true though, get ready for a drunken stupor in the very near future.

 

[newearthling]

Somehow I think if this was the case a few pics would have leaked. I also can't imagine journalists are not looking into this, so conservative or not, some kids would have posted stuff. If it is true though, get ready for a drunken stupor in the very near future.

i also don't think that people who post selfies with Ford are 'out to get him'. They are just oblivious.
People who don't like him wouldn't take photos with him at all.

 

[casita]

Davie Bidini has been visiting and writing about the city's parks and parkettes. he recently got kicked out of ford park (while drinking) by construction workers that must have been working on the playground that's about to be unveiled. it's a fairly fun read...

Dave Bidini: Going home to Etobicoke, the land of strip malls and Douglas Ford, with a bottle in hand

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/0...malls-and-douglas-ford-with-a-bottle-in-hand/

Nice post, Evvabeing. I lived the first 25 years of my life in the Martin Grove Gardens community ( it has a park, school and plaza by the same name ) in Etobicoke. It was a good neighbourhood.

From there, I moved to where I am now, so I have never been far away.

Interesting comments about DoRoFo.

I'm glad they never changed the name of MGG Park. It remains non-political. It represents the community, rather than an individual or organization. Likewise, I hope they never decide to re-name High Park.

 

[VTB]

Davie Bidini has been visiting and writing about the city's parks and parkettes. he recently got kicked out of ford park (while drinking) by construction workers that must have been working on the playground that's about to be unveiled. it's a fairly fun read...

Dave Bidini: Going home to Etobicoke, the land of strip malls and Douglas Ford, with a bottle in hand

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/0...malls-and-douglas-ford-with-a-bottle-in-hand/

I wonder about this reconstruction work. Did it jump the queue somehow? Did the Ford bros summoned top bureaucrats for a "park tour"?

 

[Oriana]

Oh? What is your source for that, please? I recall Doug claiming that Renata brought their kids to the restaurant on his birthday, but not him claiming that was the sole 'visitation'. (Not that it is an important point - as Dale said recently on "The Twitter", Doug often "exaggerates, misspeaks or lies".)

Like the quote about wife and kids at bday, the statement about Robbie seeing his wife only once while in rehab struck a chord, because of the photo of her on the first public outing to the bank. It stood out, and so I remembered it. I read it somewhere and didn't keep track of where. Tried to find it again, however so far no success. I AM LEARNING MY LESSON! From now on I'm going to keep better track of these seemingly unimportant statements in the press.

I did however finally find the article where Rob, not Doug, says he was with his wife and kids at Crabby Joe's:
http://www.torontosun.com/2014/06/02/rob-ford-wants-to-jump-back-in-to-mayoral-race-on-canada-day

 

[Kat_YYZ]

Somehow I think if this was the case a few pics would have leaked. I also can't imagine journalists are not looking into this, so conservative or not, some kids would have posted stuff. If it is true though, get ready for a drunken stupor in the very near future.

why do they have to be "kids"? They may be closer to Rob's age, so they may not even have social media accounts to publish it on! Thirty years ago people had the same wish to be photographed with famous and semi-famous people, even though there was no quick way to show that photo to the whole world. They showed the photo to friends and acquaintances, maybe taped it to their fridge, and that was it. A lot of people over 35 don't have that impulse to publish every detail of their lives on the internet.

Rob goes to 'young people' places like Muzik and the Foggy Dew, but also to Sullie Gorman's, where I doubt there's anyone under 40.