Rob Ford's Toronto

[jusbokeh]

What is up with the distrust of anyone with a degree?

Is critical thinking too dangerous?

Ford Nation is very much like an organized religion, as seen in the above video.

Almost everything that can be described about Ford Nation can be used to describe an organized religion.

all extreme political leanings behave like religion/cults, not just fordism(rob)

there is no distrust in people with degrees as many of Rob Fords base consists of immigrants whom hold degrees themselves. they dont see Rob Ford as the 'white man' telling them what to do and speaking down to them.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

His statement from yesterday:
I campaigned on extending the Bloor-Danforth Subway Line to the Scarborough Town Centre. I want to thank the Province for helping me deliver on that promise.
Over the last four years, I have fought against the LRT for a subway to Scarborough - because that is what Scarborough residents asked me to do.
I said we were going to build subways to Scarborough and that is exactly what we are doing.
The City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario are now ready to build transit.
This is great news and a huge victory for all of us. Scarborough will finally get its subway.
I look forward to continuing a strong working relationship with the Premier and the Province of Ontario.
Moving forward, my administration will keep working with the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada to continue expanding Toronto’s transit system.

He will keep working with the Province of Ontario when Council rejects this proposal, which Murray knows they can't legally accept as per their vote and amendments. Back to LRT they go.

 

[freshcutgrass]

If you make use of this new technology instead of being all grandpappy you can find a great diversity of music being made today

I'm not a luddite when it comes to technology....I use it to the full extent...that's why I know what I'm talking about. But all it does it make things more convenient. Sometimes it makes things less convenient, as I have to wade through endless amounts of garbage to find anything resembling talent. We had the Biebers and Gagas back then too (identical to Donny Osmond including the hair do).

The only difference is Donny Osmond did not represent the pinnacle of musical stardon at the time...there were a few bands like Led Zep, Pink Floyd, Stones, Eagles (insert endless list of musical talent you couldn't begin to compare to the piddly amount of what would constitute talent today). And Gaga is just mimicking what Grace Jones invented over 30 years ago, and can still do better at 64 years old (seriously...look at her recent live Slave to the Rhythm on Youtube).

So don't hand me this bullsh*t about how I'm just a geezer.

Yeah, I was in high school in the late 70's. Unfortunately (getting old sucks).

I'm gonna have to call BS...either you had a miserable closeted childhood or you weren't there. It wasn't "unfortunate" at all. Music wise, the late 70's - early 80's was probably the most exciting time...especially if you were in Toronto and especially if you were in your late teens & twenties. And getting old doesn't suck. Would you honestly want to be a teenager right now? I can't think of a worse fate.

Adults can do whatever they like to their own bodies. When they're harming their kids, it's child abuse.

Lying to children is abuse as well, which is why religious schools should be outlawed, rather than supported with tax dollars.

 

[Gavin]

The only difference is Donny Osmond did not represent the pinnacle of musical stardon at the time...there were a few bands like Led Zep, Pink Floyd, Stones, Eagles (insert endless list of musical talent you couldn't begin to compare to the piddly amount of what would constitute talent today). And Gaga is just mimicking what Grace Jones invented over 30 years ago, and can still do better at 64 years old (seriously...look at her recent live Slave to the Rhythm on Youtube).

Wait, did you just use Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones as examples of the "new" and non-derivative music of the 60s and 70s? Because I mean, fuck, they were both just (Rhythm and) Blues cover bands. The only difference was that at least the Stones credited who they were stealing from. If I wanted to listen to Willie Dixon, Bukka White, Sonny Boy Williamson, or Blind Willie Johnson...well, I'd just listen to them.

 

[guitarchitect]

The only difference is Donny Osmond did not represent the pinnacle of musical stardon at the time... Gaga is just mimicking what Grace Jones invented over 30 years ago, and can still do better at 64 years old (seriously...look at her recent live Slave to the Rhythm on Youtube).

So don't hand me this bullsh*t about how I'm just a geezer.

If your best critique is that Lady Gaga isn't as good as Grace Jones, I'm afraid you aren't "with it". There's a hell of a lot more to today's music than Lady Gaga and whatever else shows up on the MTV video music awards, and a lot of it is just as good as what was being done 30 years ago. The recording industry has taken over mainstream popular music, but that doesn't mean there aren't a hell of a lot of musicians out there creating brilliant music. And Gavin's note about the Stones and Zeppelin is dead-on - they were re-inventing what had already been done! Unlike, say, The Beatles who were breaking new ground (not to mention The Beach Boys) - either one would support your argument (Pink Floyd is a good call). Personally, I still love the Stones and Led Zeppelin, and I don't think re-invention is a bad thing ("standards" are a foundation of blues/jazz music)... but we can't kid ourselves about what they were doing.

Would you honestly want to be a teenager right now? I can't think of a worse fate.

Sure, why the hell not? It's a hell of a time to be alive. You're not helping your "I'm not a geezer!" position when you say stuff like this... "Kids these days!" shakes fist

But all of this is so horribly off topic that it really needs to end at some point...

 

[dforthandbview]

Music wise, the late 70's - early 80's was probably the most exciting time...especially if you were in Toronto and especially if you were in your late teens & twenties. And getting old doesn't suck. Would you honestly want to be a teenager right now? I can't think of a worse fate.

Music comes in cycles. The older you get, the more you don't "get" what the youngsters are listening to. That's how it is. The Beatles appeared, kids loved it, parents didn't understand, they liked their Perry Como and Rosemary Clooney. Then the kids grow up and same thing happens with them and their children. I'm 34 and I don't understand why some of the popular artists of today are popular. I was a teenager in the early 90s and I feel lucky that I grew up with good music around me. I'm sure teenagers today feel the same about their generation. It's the cycle.

And personally, I would have loved to have been in Toronto in the mid to late Sixties with the Yonge Street strip and the Yorkville scene. It seems like that was a great time here. I would kill for a time machine to go back and see Ronnie Hawkins and Mandala in the early days.

 

[Johnny Au]

...and I wonder what was the formula that made Mozart popular over the centuries (given that during his time, he was quite unpopular (note the turnout to his funeral), though he has his fans). I hear Eine kleine Nachtmusik all the time (yes, I know that it is in the public domain).

 

[dforthandbview]

According to a couple of people on Twitter, Rob Ford intentionally hit a cyclist today with his car. Could be a case of blowing things out of proportion, but knowing Rob Ford....

 

[Johnny Au]

According to a couple of people on Twitter, Rob Ford intentionally hit a cyclist today with his car. Could be a case of blowing things out of proportion, but knowing Rob Ford....

Anyone can say anything on Twitter. There is no verifiability there. However, it would be unsurprising that Rob Ford injured a cyclist while driving. Classic Ford indeed.

 

[dforthandbview]

True. The original tweet about it has since been deleted. I guess it was a case of "nothing to see here, folks". He did mention that the cyclist laughed it off and wasn't injured. Ford needs to try harder next time.

 

[CalgarianExOntarian]

OMG, Rob Ford, if you're reading this, please assemble the national media to get video of you mainlining heroin so this thread can end.

I am sure I am not the only one who can't take this anymore, neither the discussion of whether 70's music was or was not the coolest ever, nor the idea that RoFo could hit a cyclist without getting any media attention at all ...

Just to date myself: "I'm tired of waking up tired, waking up tired, yeah, waking up tired ..."

 

[Gavin]

And Gavin's note about the Stones and Zeppelin is dead-on - they were re-inventing what had already been done! Unlike, say, The Beatles who were breaking new ground (not to mention The Beach Boys) - either one would support your argument (Pink Floyd is a good call). Personally, I still love the Stones and Led Zeppelin, and I don't think re-invention is a bad thing ("standards" are a foundation of blues/jazz music)... but we can't kid ourselves about what they were doing.

Yeah, I say that as a big Stones fan too. Zeppelin I can do without and Floyd bores me to tears, but I won't deny their technical talents. Zeppelin's outright plagiarism just irks me, though.

But the Beach Boys? Oh my god, the Beach Boys. Pet Sounds is the greatest pop/rock album of all time, IMO. It still blows me away with every listen.

 

[ShonTron]

According to a couple of people on Twitter, Rob Ford intentionally hit a cyclist today with his car. Could be a case of blowing things out of proportion, but knowing Rob Ford....

It looks like that fizzled out. Doug Ford almost hit me last year as I was getting off a streetcar, but he didn't though either. I wouldn't put it past the mayor to intimidate a cyclist (and Dundas is his regular commuting route), but to hit a cyclist? I doubt it, it would have been more than a few tweets and a few dozen retweets saying something like that if it was.

 

[dforthandbview]

CalgarianExOntarian, nobody is forcing you to click on this thread and read it. Unless you are being held captive and forced to do so. In that case, call the police.

 

[dforthandbview]

Yeah, I say that as a big Stones fan too. Zeppelin I can do without and Floyd bores me to tears, but I won't deny their technical talents. Zeppelin's outright plagiarism just irks me, though.

But the Beach Boys? Oh my god, the Beach Boys. Pet Sounds is the greatest pop/rock album of all time, IMO. It still blows me away with every listen.

I don't blame Zeppelin as a whole for the plagiarism, I blame Jimmy Page. Even when he was in The Yardbirds they did their own version of Dazed And Confused which completely ripped off Jake Holmes' original.

And I LOVE The Beach Boys. While Pet Sounds is a masterpiece, I much prefer Smile. They released some great albums later on, as well.
I like this music chat. It's a good way to pass time before the big news starts trickling out next week.