Sharon, Lois and Bram event in Rowlands Park

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Saturday, May 10, 2014 should be a lot of fun, weather permitting, on Mt. Pleasant Rd. The City will officially name the playground in June Rowlands Park in honour of children’s entertainers Sharon, Lois and Bram. As part of the event, the much-loved trio will perform some of their favorites in the park. The ceremony is scheduled for 1 p.m. Also this day, the Mt. Pleasant BIA will hold its Kid’s Fun Day all along the street. Sounds like a must-attend. Previous posts with video of Skinnamarinky dinky dink 

Globe paid drug dealer $10,000 for 3 pictures

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The Globe and Mail is said to have paid $10,000 for three still pictures of Mayor Ford allegedly smoking crack cocaine in the basement of his sister’s home early Saturday morning. Greg McArthur,  a Globe reporter, told CP24 that the video was sourced through connections of the newly-hired Robyn Doolittle. Ms. Doolittle was previously a reporter at the Toronto Star where she worked on the first Ford crack video revelation. It appears that, as at the Star, Ms. Doolittle is working in a team, as efficiency and security might suggest is sensible. McArthur spoke of how his partner obtained a phone call from a drug dealer to say there were videos for sale. She and McArthur arranged a meeting. Ms. Doolittle, said McArthur, had to sit in his child’s car seat as they drove to the meeting. At the meeting there was much discussion, a viewing of sorts and a transactional back and forth about a sale price of “six figures” for  the tapes. In  the end, it was agreed that the newspaper would pay $10,000 for three still shots and in a subsequent meeting this amount was exchanged. Presumably it was in cash but McArthur did not say that nor was he asked. He seemed to suggest that there are many leads in this field being pursued by he and Ms. Doolittle.  Photos: Greg McArthur, Robyn Doolittle

Chow, Tory see critical 3-way split in October

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It’s a cheeky thing to say, but The South Bayview Bulldog is ready to say it again. John Tory and Rob Ford together are the most important men in Olivia Chow’s bid to become the mayor of Toronto. Residents saw that today (Thursday, May 1, 2014) as Ms. Chow refused to call on Rob Ford to resign immediately. It is a consummation that most voters would certainly say is devoutly to be wished. Time for this utterly unfit man to go. John Parker (Ward 26) had it right when he said the mayor should call it a career. Last night, Mr. Tory served the best purposes of his campaign by saying Ford should quit immediately. Tory should be so lucky. The polls all show that there is more than enough support among right and centre right voters to put Mr. Tory in the mayor”s office if Mr. Ford gets out of the race. Similarly, it seems necessary for Ms. Chow (the front runner) to keep Mr. Ford in the race as the ultimate spoiler for John Tory. Chow was asked four times during a news conference Thursday morning if the mayor should resign. On all occasions she said only that the voters should decide.

“Exploding whales” are pure media woo woo

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It is a comment about scary media more than anything else. Will three decomposing whales explode in  the small Newfoundland town  of Trout River and splatter whale stuff all over everything? It is a tale told in fearsome headlines on CNN’s site and in the National Post. “Dead whales on verge of exploding” is a typical U.S. screamer. But wait. Four paragraphs down in the CNN story is the most authoritative voice that might be heard on this alarming topic. It belongs to Jack Lawson, a scientist with Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans. He says a whale explosion is unlikely. Unlikely. Now rotting whales are a problem. But common sense advice for most people is to stay away from them, and keep your kids away. Last and best defense is a good wash. But we say again, this story is more about media woo who than whales. 

Ford conduct “pantomime to itself” says Parker

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John Parker (Ward 26) has called Mayor Ford’s behavior a “pantomime all to itself” and suggested that the mayor should “call it a career” and resign. Mr. Parker said he had no idea how long a suitable period of rehabilitation might be but he said he doubted that a month was enough. He said the mayor has not been relevant to the city administration for “three years”. 

Star Ed says he thinks there is a Ford “sex tape”

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Michael Cooke, the managing editor of the Toronto Star, said on CP24 this evening  that editorial employees of the Star think that one of the three tapes in the possession of a drug dealer is a “sex tape.” The drug dealer is alleged to be trying to sell the tapes for “six figures.”  Mr. Cooke said that “if this is true” it would be the end of the mayor. Being in a sex tape however does not appear to be a legal basis for removing a mayor from office.  

CP24: “Video may show mayor with drug”

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This link has the Globe’s version of the “mayor to take a break” story being discussed Wednesday night  But beyond this, reporter Katie Simpson appeared tonight to be referencing a story that the mayor is in or has been placed in a “compromising position.” As the evening goes on, other reporters have described “video and well as audio” recordings which place the mayor in a situation of some type. Simpson said later that the video “may show the mayor with some sort sort of drug.” No other explanation was given for the use of these words. Globe and Mail