South Bayview Bulldog Admin

Will voters hold their noses and elect Ford again?

Mayor Rob Ford has been ordered out of office but will be permitted to run again in the election in 2014.  Does he have a chance of making such a return? In 2010 Ford relied on the support of at least two groups of voters. There were those who loved him for his ordinary man approach to business and were at peace with his rather rough manner. But the Mayor also gained support from many who did not admire him for his odd unfinished behaviour. They were uneasy about him but they recognized in Mr. Ford someone who would take care of their money. It required these electors to overlook a lot but some will feel that their compromises were worth it. Now Ford is gone from office. But he can run again in 2014. As one of his colleagues has said, if the mayor is to save himself and achieve re-election he must stop leading with his chin. His prospective opponents at the next election include people like Olivia Chow. She is, no doubt, a very nice person. But there seems little doubt that her administration would return Toronto to the spineless days of previous mayors in which it was impossible to say no to any union demand or costly distraction.    

Bullying kids into being whistleblowers wrong

Bullying kids into being whistleblowers is wrong-headed

4 possible outcomes in Rob Ford’s conflict case

The decision of Judge Charles Hackland to be handed down this morning at approximately 10 a.m..  CBC

Argos smoke Stampeders for Grey Cup win

Satisfying 35-22 outcome in a game that honours the teams and the Grey Cup.  Rugged defense stops Stamps

LHS grad Mike Bradwell plays in 100th Grey Cup

Loyal fans will be rooting for Leaside High School graduate Mike Bradwell when he takes to the field with the Toronto Argonauts in the 100th edition of the Grey Cup Tournament. Bradwell is a 26 year old wide receiver  and three year veteran with the Argos.  He caught fire with the Lancers in his graduating year at LHS and then went on to McMaster University. A highly detailed 2009 profile of Mike is contained n the article linked below. Mike is a pretty well rounded guy who enjoys watching movies and golfing in his free time and is a strong supporter of the Sian Bradwell Fund For Children With Cancer. Mike has two older siblings, Dave, a PhD graduate from M.I.T., and Suzanne, an emergency room doctor in St. Catharines. He majored in civil engineering at McMaster and works as a field co-op student with PCL Constructors during the off-season.  2009 Profile 

Stubborn farmer won’t sell home no matter what

 A stubborn farmer from eastern China has become an online sensation after he refused to leave his home to make way for a new road, and ended up in the middle of it. Most of the over 1,000 residents of Xiayangzhang village in Zhejiang province moved out four years ago to allow construction of the new road. But 67-year-old farmer Luo Baogen refused to budge, saying the 260,000 yuan (£26,000) compensation offered would not afford him anything like his current five-story house, where he lives with his wife. Luo’s home has become what Chinese people call a ‘nail house,’ a building that stands on after others have been demolished, and is almost certainly hammered down in the end. Luo says he is prepared to hold his ground until the bitter end. Telegraph London

Grey Cup morning busy on South Bayview

Grey Cup morning on South Bayview is usually busy and this one was no exception as shoppers got their chores done early.  It was a case of having to wait for parking, with no readily available spots to be seen. In COBS, business was brisk and clerks said the buns served with Chili were going quickly. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. EST.   Go  you Argos! 

Patches of white on Bayview are known as snow

Good Sunday morning and yes those little patches of white on the lawn and the sidewalk are commonly known as snow.  It’s chilly out there too. We’re still keeping faith with the Environment Canada folks who are promising a milder winter. Toronto works people however are ready for snow if and when it comes. CBC

Tale of two homes — from Cleveland St. to China

On the left is 337 Cleveland Street as it stands today, all 20 feet across. It’s up on the market for $1.6 million and it’s Toronto Life’s Home of the Week. In the centre is 337 Cleveland before it became the minimalist structure it is today.   At the right, this is what happens in China when the government wants to buy your house to build a highway and you refuse. They build the highway around your place. See post above.

Police raid warehouse, find stolen Sally Ann toys

Police have swooped down on a Brampton warehouse to recover three tractor trailers full of toys and other goods that were stolen from a Toronto Salavation Army warehouse over a two-year period. The items, stored on 146 skids, included everything from toys to baby cribs, strollers and food and were seized from a commercial warehouse in the westerly Toronto  suburb.   “The items are currently in the possession of the Toronto police Service and are being inventoried,” a news release states. “When the inventory is complete the items will be returned to the Salvation Army.” 

Van driver will be best witness to cycling death

63-year-old Manuel Martins (right) saw cyclist Tom Samson, 35 (inset) struck by a van during this morning’s rush hour at Lansdowne Ave and Davenport Road. Then he saw Mr. Samson’s body flung through the air directly at his own van.  The cyclist bounced off Mr Manuel’s vehicle and fell to the roadway.  The brief horrifying accident is loaded with ill fortune. The driver of the first van, which was travelling in the opposite direction to Martins, kept right on going. Police are looking for a 1996-2000 Chrysler van with heavy damage to the front end. It seems certain they will find it. Mr. Samson was the father of two and a well-liked  teacher at Swansea Public School. Police say they have not determined exactly what happened but Mr. Martins will be an important witness. He says Mr Samson was riding his bike across Davenport in the pedestrian walkway. He says the vans had the green light.  

Unborn babies yawn endlessly waiting to be born

Note — video has no sound: A study at a British University using high resolution ultrasound has confirmed with fascinating evidence behind the belief that unborn babies yawn incessantly as they await birth. A writer at the BBC said hanging around in the limbo of the womb seems to be so dull it is little wonder that foetuses yawn. This video shows it for the first time. But it may not be because they are bored. The most likely explanation is that foetal yawning is an essential process linked to brain development. While it is well known that foetuses open and close their mouths, experts had disagreed over whether or not they were actually yawning. But this study carried out at Durham University, using high resolution ultrasound footage, has confirmed that babies really do yawn, and do it often.