Rob Ford's Toronto

[vic]

Backwards as in it should be 14.11.30 (which no one uses outside of bureaucracies) or as in it should be month first (US format)?

2014-11-30

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_8601

It's really the only numerical date format that's unambiguous, especially when the day of month is less than 13 (fortunately, it's not in this case).

Other than bureaucrats, computer nerds prefer this format too.

Since this is probably a worse tangent than "a" vs. "an" I will stop now.

-Vic

 

[pud99]

Ford… allegedly is currently at an undisclosed rehabilitation facility for his alcohol abuse.

Even better perhaps?

 

[AlbertHWagstaff]

Ugh. Horrible date format. It's backwards. Otherwise I like the idea.

Now look what you've started. We just finished the grammar debate and just launched into date formats.

We need DoFo to make some update on how RoFo is doing in Robhab.

 

[ThoughtArcade]

CHALLENGE: start making calls right now and find just ONE rehab in-patient facility in Canada (as Rob did not enter the US) that you can be admitted to today.

Admittedly, I've never had to deal with this myself, but from my basic internet research, I've noted one common theme in the admissions process for rehab facilities: they all refer to a START DATE in their discussion of the admissions process leading me to believe that it's not a "Hi I'm here" kind of process.

Someone prove me wrong.

I totally get that we have been lied to so many times that it's difficult to believe anything, but the idea that a rehab wouldn't under strange circumstances take someone in immediately is incorrect.

Hell, even at Caritas (which is a non-profit and cost MUCH less than most rehabs) when we had a waiting list we sometimes made exceptions and took people in immediately. If we felt their life was in danger, or if we knew them and the relapsed and needed a tune up, or... sometimes just because they begged us to, and we're human and couldn't say no. I've picked people up from their house and brought them straight to the program after a phone call.

Now, all of that is on humanitarian grounds, but it's a non-profit. It is absolutely no stretch to believe that a private, for-profit would IMMEDIATELY say yes if the Ford Family called. They are businesses. Businesses are not in the habit of NOT selling you a product or service. There would be much for them to gain. On the very, very, very, very slight chance that Rofo stayed sober (the chance is almost nonexistent, I know) they could take credit. If he did not, they could take his money and publicly say "he wasn't ready" which everyone would believe, because it's true.

Even some non-profit rehabs, sad to say, would probably do it for a sizable donation. I'm not sure I blame them. NOBODY, and I mean NOBODY unless they have been touched by the problem donates to rehabs.

NOBODY

Caritas' telethon is mainly just the same families donating over and over and over, in addition to a few corporate sponsors that come out here and there. It's the same people all the time. And that base gets smaller and smaller and smaller.

So someone rich comes along and says "I need to come in today, I've got a 50k donation"... well, you've got some hard thinking to do. That's a lot of money that you don't have to beg borrow and steal for that year.

 

[DD13]

The guy seemed to have some reliable sources at one point, but that was quite awhile ago. He lost the sources but gained a following. He's been clearly loving the attention, but grasping at straws and speculating to keep his audience ever since. I can't remember the last time it seemed like he had a legitimate inside track on anything.

He did break that recent story about dogs not being allowed into the Apple store.

 

[newearthling]

Even some non-profit rehabs, sad to say, would probably do it for a sizable donation. I'm not sure I blame them. NOBODY, and I mean NOBODY unless they have been touched by the problem donates to rehabs.

NOBODY

Maybe that is one positive take away from this surreal rofo saga: the heightened public recognition that rehab facilities are needed.

I am surprised, to be honest, that rehabs don't get donations. CAMh seems to have a sizable donor base.

 

[ROFOMOFO]

He did break that recent story about dogs not being allowed into the Apple store.

LOL, oh how the mighty have fallen!

I too agree it was the word "imminent" that burned the bridge with me.

 

[ThoughtArcade]

Maybe that is one positive take away from this surreal rofo saga: the heightened public recognition that rehab facilities are needed.

I am surprised, to be honest, that rehabs don't get donations. CAMh seems to have a sizable donor base.

See, that's the thing. The Alpha gets the food. The smaller dogs hunt for scraps.

Also, a good deal of what CAMh does (in terms of addiction) is research. Their recovery programs do not have a higher success rate than other programs and they are MUCH more weighted towards Mental Health than strict addiction work.

And given the LHIN restrictions, camh takes a lot away from smaller service providers.

Caritas was never popular because public money has always favored things that look fast and efficient on paper. 30 day programs, regardless of efficacy. Being a long term program, Caritas was largely ignored despite the above average success rate.

 

[newearthling]

Finally, someone is talking tough!
http://linkis.com/nowtoronto.com/news/noEkC
Media buy Fords’ pity plea
Cockeyed PR construct casts Rob Ford as a sympathetic figure and uncooperative media as jackals gleefully picking at his political carcass
By Andrew Mitrovica

This choreographed pity plea had the intended effect of changing the media narrative from “Mayor goes on a ‘fag’ and ‘dago’ rant while smoking what appears to be crack in older sister’s basement” to “Older brother bids tearful adieu to troubled kid brother who’s finally seen the light.’

It worked, incredibly, with the co-operation and tacit approval of the usual media suspects – and, lately, the CBC.

Much of the media was indeed “respectful,” and refrained from asking Doug uncomfortable questions about Rob’s aforementioned racist and misogynistic comments and about jamming Karen Stintz or what he was smoking in his sibling’s basement.

Once again for the Fords, it was PR mission accomplished.

That the Fords are treating the serious matter of drug and alcohol rehabilitation involving the mayor of the largest city in Canada like a version of peek-a-boo does away with their so-called right to privacy.

But this didn’t prevent CBC TV from brokering and trumpeting an ephemeral “exclusive” about Rob’s supposed whereabouts in rehab, with the help of the elusive mayor’s suddenly media-friendly campaign manager brother.

The CBC joined Doug in playing a pair of tiny fiddles, claiming it was keeping the location hush-hush to shield Rob and other families, presumably from being hounded by much less considerate media jackals.

What a convenient bit of exculpatory nonsense.

If the CBC knows where the mayor is, it has an obligation and duty to inform its audience. Otherwise, it has effectively become part of the Fords’ public relations apparatus. It’s the Fords who bear responsibility for converting a stint in rehab into a circus – not the media.

 

[SFO]

LOL, oh how the mighty have fallen!

I too agree it was the word "imminent" that burned the bridge with me.

I gave him the benefit of the doubt on "imminent" lots of times, figuring that maybe his sources wrongly told him "imminent" and he was just passing the "intel" along. The thing that bugged me was how he never changed his tone after being way off base so many times. Even his more recent tweets maintain this authoritative "I definitely know insider-y stuff you don't know" stance. That's what made it seem, after awhile, like he was just enamoured of his own secret agent man persona.

 

[ThoughtArcade]

I gave him the benefit of the doubt on "imminent" lots of times, figuring that maybe his sources wrongly told him "imminent" and he was just passing the "intel" along. The thing that bugged me was how he never changed his tone after being way off base so many times. Even his more recent tweets maintain this authoritative "I definitely know insider-y stuff you don't know" stance. That's what made it seem, after awhile, like he was just enamoured of his own secret agent man persona.

Yeah. And what I am seeing almost looks like a re-branding. Originally it was info tweets, now it's generic #TOpoli/ONpoli commentary (with a touch of the personal Apple store stuff).

I can't honestly think of a single thing that has really come to fruition. I suppose he said arrests were being held up because they were political, and the the whole OPP vs TPS thing happened. But there's no evidence that it was actually political (though it very well might be). Taken at face value, it just looked like a different interpretation of evidence (again, face value is not be trusted, I know).

And the recent rehab/shrink/in Toronto/Broke out of rehab just seem WAY off base.

On the opposite end, when Jimmi T said there was a story about Bruno, Sandro, etc... and then like, 6 hours later I was reading it, I think I actually said "holy shit!" out loud.

 

[animatronic]

On the opposite end, when Jimmi T said there was a story about Bruno, Sandro, etc... and then like, 6 hours later I was reading it, I think I actually said "holy shit!" out loud.

Part of the difference is that a lot of Jimmy's contacts come from the press, so he has shorter lead times and a higher hit rate. MetroMan was getting his info from further up the food chain, so it's less immediate and more likely to be inaccurate or change before it goes public. He correctly called a lot of what was going on (surveillance, investigations etc...) but the arrest part hasn't panned out (yet). Now that his sources are quieter, his name is public and there is less need for a "leaker" he's not as relevant.

 

[ThoughtArcade]

Part of the difference is that a lot of Jimmy's contacts come from the press, so he has shorter lead times and a higher hit rate. MetroMan was getting his info from further up the food chain, so it's less immediate and more likely to be inaccurate or change before it goes public. He correctly called a lot of what was going on (surveillance, investigations etc...) but the arrest part hasn't panned out (yet). Now that his sources are quieter, his name is public and there is less need for a "leaker" he's not as relevant.

Yeah, may be, may be. I asked the question because I was honestly uncertain about how I felt. Still am. I have to give allowances for my own personal wish to see things happen, and reading too much specificity into things, and I've always given him the benefit of the doubt.

But recently it just felt way off the mark, and I started to doubt.

 

[animatronic]

Yeah, may be, may be. I asked the question because I was honestly uncertain about how I felt. Still am. I have to give allowances for my own personal wish to see things happen, and reading too much specificity into things, and I've always given him the benefit of the doubt.

But recently it just felt way off the mark, and I started to doubt.

Part of the problem is a questionable hit rate. To whit:

2013-05-06

There's been an eerie lull in Ford scandals but a source tells me that something is about to hit. I'm kind of sick of it to be honest. I'd rather Ford just fell into the shadows until the election which is just 6 months from beginning in ernest.

That's some solid foreshadowing. On the other hand, just a few days later he posts this:

In the word's of Joe Biden: "This is a big fucking deal". The video won't need to be purchased. The police have already seen it. There will be charges according to my source. There is evidence of Rob Ford and Doug Ford buying crack cocaine, more than enough for Rob to be arrested. Somebody send a crew of reporters to Ford's house because the cops are going to drag him kicking and screaming in his underwear with his hands behind his back.

That post was published a few hours after the Gawker story broke. We now know that the police had not seen the video, the RoFo crack purchase evidence has not come to light (yet), the Doug purchase is almost certainly wrong and Rob has not been arrested. However, we have been spared the sight of Rob's stained tighty whiteys so we can let that one pass.

 

[pud99]

A bit more from the Now piece