Rob Ford's Toronto

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Or more laughable that an entire city is passing judgement based on something that may or may not exist.

This is ridiculous. I could say anything about anyone...because "I saw a type". I don't have the tape in my possession, but I saw it.

Just think for a second.

Half a second was enough to come to the conclusion that you aren't exactly someone whose musings could end up on the front page news, and that one would put more stock on I don't know, the two journalists who pretty much staked their own reputation on this?

AoD

 

[Johnny Au]

Of over 20,000 projects on Kickstarter, only one had failed to reach its goal after reaching 90% of its goal.

I don't know how many campaigns that went over 90% failed on Indiegogo.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Polls should never be trusted completely. Always campaign as if you're behind your opponent.

One does not have to look too far to see this. Just look at last weeks elections in BC. The NDP were 7+ points ahead in the polls on election day. Once the election results came in, the Liberals easily defeated them.

 

[tiffer24]

It is impossible to compare California's debt problems to Ontario, but it is important to note the number of California city bankruptcies that have occurred in the last few years, Stockton being the largest and most damaging to the state's fiscal outlook. Ontario cities are not anywhere near financial collapse--no matter what the right would have us believe.

 

[guitarchitect]

Or more laughable that an entire city is passing judgement based on something that may or may not exist.

This is ridiculous. I could say anything about anyone...because "I saw a type". I don't have the tape in my possession, but I saw it.

Just think for a second.

How about you think for a second, about how much sense it makes for two reporters for a reputable newspaper to completely fabricate a story like this when it could so easily be falsified. Add to that, the fact that the lead guy of one of the biggest gossip sites on the web - with a track record for being right about this kind of stuff - also has a fuckload to lose if this were to be completely fabricated. Tell me why it makes sense for these three people - with everything to lose including their reputations, for the rest of their lives - to go out and completely make up a story about a tape that doesn't exist. And why it even makes sense for them to work together to begin with.

 

[FutureBuilder]

Half a second was enough to come to the conclusion that you aren't exactly someone whose musings could end up on the front page news, and that one would put more stock on I don't know, the two journalists who pretty much staked their own reputation on this?

AoD

You sound like a Star reader.

If that video doesn't turn up, they have no reputation. In most of Europe they would face jail time if that video couldn't be produced and a slander/libel case proceeded.

Some of you are allowing your dislike of Rob Ford to get in the way of reason.

You cannot make such claims without proof. Saying "I saw it on video".... "but the somalian drug dealer with the video can't be found" doesn't cut it.

 

[jje1000]

You sound like a Star reader.

If that video doesn't turn up, they have no reputation. In most of Europe they would face jail time if that video couldn't be produced and a slander/libel case proceeded.

Some of you are allowing your dislike of Rob Ford to get in the way of reason.

You cannot make such claims without proof. Saying "I saw it on video".... "but the somalian drug dealer with the video can't be found" doesn't cut it.

But isn't that how many scandals, especially the Watergate scandal broke out? Media relies on anoynymous sources or "he said"/"she said" sources and the reader must trust in them enough to believe in it. Eventually, the cracks widen enough for the rest to come tumbling out, as we have been seeing throughout the last few days and possibly will see in the coming weeks.

Regardless, the tape is likely real, given Ford's history. What matters is whether or not it exists anymore.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

You sound like a Star reader.

And the Globe, and the Post. Your point?

Some of you are allowing your dislike of Rob Ford to get in the way of reason.

Since you mentioned "reason" - is there a reason for staying mute for 7 days, supposedly on the advice of a lawyer on this supposedly non-existent video and all of a sudden it is wise to provide a parsed statement of quasi-denial? What does your time-honed sense of "reason" tells you about this rather interesting state of affairs? Give that strange set of circumstances, coupled with a demonstrated history of denial and deceit, you will excuse me if my reasoning tells me there is more that that meets the eye.

AoD

 

[Tulse]

Do iPhones confuse you or something?

Gosh, I hope not, as I've owned one for several years. When one takes a video with the built-in iOS Camera app, the only default options to transfer a recorded file are "Email", "Message", and "YouTube". I think we'd know if the latter were used, and the other two options carry a fair bit of risk. There isn't a commonly-used way to move a video directly off an iPhone to some other physical media. There are some more geeky ways, but I'd classify those as involving mad IT skillz. Perhaps we're just using different criteria.

In any event, I think we will find out soon enough. There's no way Gawker will let it slip away if it's still out there, and we will be well within topping-up distance by this time tomorrow.

On this we can agree. I have a hard time imagining that Gawker, and especially the Star, won't move heaven and earth to get the video.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

It is impossible to compare California's debt problems to Ontario, but it is important to note the number of California city bankruptcies that have occurred in the last few years, Stockton being the largest and most damaging to the state's fiscal outlook. Ontario cities are not anywhere near financial collapse--no matter what the right would have us believe.

You must not have been listening to the Ford brothers lately.

 

[FutureBuilder]

And the Globe, and the Post. Your point?



Since you mentioned "reason" - is there a reason for staying mute for 7 days, supposedly on the advice of a lawyer on this supposedly non-existent video and all of a sudden it is wise to provide a parsed statement of quasi-denial? What does your time-honed sense of "reason" tells you about this rather interesting state of affairs? Give that strange set of circumstances, coupled with a demonstrated history of denial and deceit, you will excuse me if my reasoning tells me there is more that that meets the eye.

AoD

Well If it was me I would have gone out the next day. I wouldn't have waited 7 days. There are many scenarios: one of which might be he sent "people" to find the tape.

I'm not saying Rob Ford is a smart man, a good mayor or that I would vote for him.

I am simply saying I do not think a video will ever surface. I think he will come out of this stronger (the people that don't like him wouldn't vote for him no matter what). And I also think in the absence of hard evidence of him smoking crack, you cannot just toss out this allegation. Crack cocaine is serious stuff.

He has made enough screw ups that a good person running against him should beat him regardless of crack cocaine stories.

 

[freshcutgrass]

Some of you are allowing your dislike of Rob Ford to get in the way of reason.

Or could it be the other way around?

Yes...I dislike Rob Ford.
But I dislike Rob Ford for a reason(s).

This does not stop me from using reason in this scenario, and anyone with an ounce of reason would not come to the conclusion that the alleged video is a hoax or a total fabrication/conspiracy contrived by all those involved.

 

[FutureBuilder]

Or could it be the other way around?

Yes...I dislike Rob Ford.
But I dislike Rob Ford for a reason(s).

This does not stop me from using reason in this scenario, and anyone with an ounce of reason would not come to the conclusion that the alleged video is a hoax or a total fabrication.conspiracy contrived by all those involved.

Would this get a conviction in court? Of course not. You need evidence. In the absence of the video it is circumstantial, no matter who saw it, and what they claim.

I never said it was a hoax. Like I've repeated many times, I don't think a video will ever surface (trust me, if it exists I'd really like to see it).

 

[jje1000]

I am simply saying I do not think a video will ever surface. I think he will come out of this stronger (the people that don't like him wouldn't vote for him no matter what). And I also think in the absence of hard evidence of him smoking crack, you cannot just toss out this allegation. Crack cocaine is serious stuff.

In my opinion, the way he's acted in the last week has severely damaged his appeal outside his core support. First silence, then a fairly weak and non-sincere rebuttal does not acquit him from the allegations. On the other hand, I think Doug Ford will come out of this stronger. I've mentioned this earlier in the thread, but he's attacked the points early on and going around spreading his own ideas before the Globe's story can get out to all quarters of the population.

I feel a little bit sorry for Ford- it seems like he's the least bad of the three Ford siblings, and he seems to prefer coaching football rather than being a mayor. I hope he simply realizes this and pursues what makes him happy after his term ends. The king who really wants to be a sheppard.

 

[anonymoose]

Gosh, I hope not, as I've owned one for several years. When one takes a video with the built-in iOS Camera app, the only default options to transfer a recorded file are "Email", "Message", and "YouTube". I think we'd know if the latter were used, and the other two options carry a fair bit of risk. There isn't a commonly-used way to move a video directly off an iPhone to some other physical media. There are some more geeky ways, but I'd classify those as involving mad IT skillz. Perhaps we're just using different criteria.

I signed up just to reply to this. You must have never owned a digital camera in your life, because the procedure for directly transferring photos/videos from an iPhone to a Windows PC or Mac is exactly the same for doing so with a digital camera. If I'm not mistaken, you don't even need iTunes to be installed.

1) Connect USB sync/charge cable to iPhone.
2) Connect other end of cable to the Windows PC or Mac
3) In the case of Windows, a dialog box will pop up asking you if you want to import pictures and videos. In the case of Mac, iPhoto will automatically open if it is installed. Everything in your Camera Roll (photos/videos taken with Camera app and screenshots) will be available for import.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4083

I own an iPhone, and the first thing that happened when I plugged it in to my Windows PC: the dialog box asking whether I wanted to import pictures and videos came up.

I guess if you classify "connecting my iPhone to a computer using a cable" as "geeky" or "requiring mad IT skillz", you have a point.

Oh, and if you sync with iTunes (whether wirelessly or using a cable), your Camera Roll (photos and videos taken with Camera app, as well as screenshots) are automatically synced to your PC/Mac. To be fair, they are not easily accessible on the PC/Mac at this point (especially if you set a password on your backup.) However, if you were to lose your iPhone, for example, you could buy a new one, re-sync and get all your photos and videos back.

So here's a couple of craaazy scenarios for saving a video from your iphone that don't involve email, Message, or YouTube:
1) iPhone's owner connects iPhone to his computer, clicks on "import pictures and videos" and goes through a few simple steps. The video can now be burned to DVD or copied to a USB memory stick or external hard drive. They could even use dropbox or some other cloud service to backup the video, although this is admittedly risky.
2) iPhone's owner connects iPhone to his computer and syncs with iTunes. The video is now on that computer, in the sync'd backup, although it is admittedly not directly accessible (especially if a password is used on the backup).

Of course all of this assumes that the iPhone's owner has a computer. If they don't, yeah I agree there isn't a safe, non-nerdy way of getting the video off of the iPhone. But if you're talking about transferring to video to some other physical media, I think it's safe to assume a (traditional) computer (e.g. laptop) is in the mix somewhere.