An email from Mary Ito arrived last Tuesday. The subject line was :"Join us Saturday at Lula Lounge". A few Saturdays ago, I was up early as usual, working on the computer and listening to Mary host CBC radio's Fresh Air. She invited readers to submit stories about dates gone wrong. So, I took a few minutes, submitted a story and hoped that she would read it on the air. She did not and I either missed her saying or forgot that she had said that she would select 8 lucky winners to join her and other CBC staff at Lula Lounge for dinner and evening of Salsa dancing. I know more about Salsa dancing than I did before Saturday (which was virtually nothing) and I enjoyed meeting everyone but I can't see myself taking it up anytime soon. For those who do this, it's hard to imagine a better place for it that than Lula Lounge. There were couples whose dancing skills were good enough for a TV show and the band was fantastic. It was an interesting peek into a world I knew nothing about. And Mary Ito is delightful in every possible way.
Here's my take on the Rob Ford saga: assuming that he is successful on Wednesday in his application for a stay of last week's order and assuming that his appeal of the same order in not successful in January (big assumptions but probably the most likely scenarios), rather than go the $7 million expense of a by-election, I firmly believe that council should exercise their right to appoint someone to hold the position on an interim basis until the regularly scheduled election in 2014. An argument could be made that it be Doug Holloday, the current Deputy Mayor and former mayor of Etobicoke. His more tempered personality and right-of-centre leaning could be considered an acceptable replacement for and extension of the Ford mandate. I have a different view as to who should be appointed and it may not be what anyone who knows me would expect. I would support the appointment of Rob Ford as "interim" Mayor. He won the election in 2010 fair and square and has the right to hold the office until 2014. Despite the existing law (which should and I expect will be changed to allow for judicial discretion), his actions and/or omissions were not serious enough, in my view, for him to be removed from office. His ideology, policies and demeanor in office are different things entirely and clearly are going to be key considerations for voters in 2 years time. Plus, appointing Ford, as I suggest, would shut the Mayor and his brother up about the "left wing witch hunt" and make them run for re-election on their record alone. Speaking of judicial discretion, it was interesting to see the reaction from Ford supporters who could not understand why the judge had no discretion in the application of the penalty of removal from office after finding that the Mayor broke the conflict of interest law. "What do we pay these judges for anyway?", they asked. These are generally the same people who support more mandatory minimum sentences for certain criminal offences. Like we have now, thanks to the Harper government.
On to some football now..........Mike from Buffalo, whose seats are next to mine in section 113 at Ralph Wilson Stadium, bought my tickets to yesterday's game. He also texted me a photo of the stadium during the game and it looked pretty bleak. Rain, wind and tens of thousands of empty seats. It looked like there were less than 25,000 actually in the stadium. I saw none of the game but had John Murphy and Mark Kelso on the radio for much of it. The Bills are now 5-7 with a mathematical but unrealistic shot and at a wildcard spot. The best news? Mario Williams has really picked it up and is beginning to play like something approaching the player they hoped he would be when they signed him in March.
Up next: the St. Louis Rams come to Orchard Park after a thrilling OT win against the 49ers yesterday. Up next for me: finding a buyer for these tickets.
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