Entry #6 - February 10th 2014

Mayor Rob Ford launches YouTube series, admits he lied about drug use

February 10th 2014 

By: Tim Alamenciak 

Thestar.com 

Mayor Rob Ford is at again with his his newly launched YouTube channel. He launched his first video and openly admitted to lying about his drug use. He said that he lied about the usage because he was "embarrassed" and “didn't want to tell the truth.” Ford isn't alone is these videos. Him and his brother, Councillor Doug Ford, appear together in 4 videos that we launched this morning on their YouTube channel. One of the videos was titled "Rob Ford comes clean” this video features a question from a girl named Sandra who lived in Bangkok Thailand. She asked why he lied about his substance abuse problem in the first place. he answered with - “A) I do not have a substance abuse problem,” Ford says. “Did I experiment with drugs? Yes I have. Why did I lie? I think everybody in the world has lied. Because I was embarrassed. I didn't want to tell the truth." He goes into a rant on why he had lied. He says he was embarrassed, that everyone lies to cover this up that they don't want to reveal to others. "When they ask me, it’s very, very humiliating" In the first video, entitled “Ford Nation begins …” the brothers introduce themselves and the mayor once again repeats his widely-disputed claim that his administration has saved Toronto’s taxpayers $1 billion. 

I guess this YouTube channel is a good idea for Ford. Him and his brother can talk to the people and tell them what they want whenever they want. It's is good way to get messages across to people and fill them in on information. 

Entry #4 February 3rd 2014

Libya’s Cache of Toxic Arms All Destroyed

February 3rd 2014

Eric Schmitt

The New York Times 

As the international effort to destroy Syria's chemical weapons stock pile falls behind schedule, a similar American backed campaign carried out under secrecy has ended in another strife-torn country - Libya. The United States and Libya in the past few months have quietly destroyed what both sides say were the last remains of Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi's lethal stock of chemical arms. They used a transportable oven technology device to destroy hundreds of bombs and artillery shells filled with deadly mustard gas. American's had feared that these deadly weapons would fall into the hands of terrorists. The last weapon shell was reportedly destroyed on January 26th. “It’s a big breakthrough,” said Paul F. Walker, an arms control expert with the environmental group Green Cross International who has helped in efforts to demilitarize the American and Russian chemical weapons stockpiles since the 1990s. “Even though Libya’s chemical stockpile was relatively small, the effort to destroy it was very difficult because of weather, geography and because it’s a dangerous area with warring tribes, increasing the risks of theft and diversion,” he said. Libya’s last two tons of chemical weapons were dwarfed by the 1,300 tons that Syria has agreed to destroy.

Now I know that i do not want chemical weapons in the hands of terrorists. That goodness the weapons have been destroyed. Who knows that terrorists would have done with them. I know i do not want to find out. This mission was complicated, but they completed it very well and I know many people are very happy they have.

Entry #3 February 3rd 2014

Castaway wants to return to Mexico after Pacific ordeal

February 3rd 2014

BBC News 

"I want to go back to Mexico" Jose Salvador Albarengo. A castaway who says he spent more than a year adrift in the pacific ocean. Jose left mexico with a friend in a fiber glass boat, in December 2012. He apparently survived the 8,000 km (5,000-mile) ordeal by catching fish, birds and turtles with his bare hands. He also told reporters that his travelling companion died sat sea many months ago. There hasn't been any reports on how his 24ft boat ran into trouble or how his companion died. The castaway told the local deputy US ambassador Norman Barth, who was acting as an interpreter for Marshall Islands authorities, that he was originally from El Salvador, but had been living in Mexico for 15 years before his voyage. His boat had many different sea animals growing on the bottom of it, with many turtle shells and fish leftovers inside. Castaways from Kiribati, to the south, frequently find land in the Marshall islands after ordeals of weeks or months at sea in small boats. 

How did this guy survive for this long at sea? I don't get how some people could survive with absolutely nothing for 14 months at sea. You can't drink the sea water, so you'd have to wait and wait for it to rain just so you can get a little sip of water. Catching fish must have been awfully hard. I couldn't imagine how many times he'd have to try and try again to get some food. But I guess when you're in a life or death situation, you know its what you need to do to survive and you keep trying. When Jose was found he must have been over joyed. He had been alone for months, and without real food for over a year. He did what he had to do and he survived. 

Entry #2 - January 28th 2014

Police played ‘wheel of torture’ game to punish Philippines criminal suspects

January 24th 2014 

By: Jim Gomez

Thestar.com 

Manila Philippines - During interrogations, Philippine officers played a "wheel of torture" game that they had recently made. They used and played this game to have fun while punishing their suspects. “They do it for fun, it’s like a game for entertainment. We’re trying to correct this mindset based on a human rights approach to policing but obviously it may take a lot of time.”  Loretta Ann Rosales said this while she was interviewed and questioned about the "torture wheel"  Torture has been around in the Philippines in the past. They emerged in a brutal era of dictatorship nearly 3 decades ago. Since then, the human rights policies have taken over. But clearly they haven't completely taken over. A report by the rights commission cited victims as saying they were beaten up, electrocuted or hit by steel bars, baseball bats, a chair or helmet. One victim said a police officer pointed an assault rifle at him, another accused the police of threatening his relatives. In 2010, all 11 officers in a Manila city police station were all fired after a television station showed a video showing police hitting a naked robbery suspect. The video showed the suspect screaming on the floor as a man pulled a string bound around his private parts.

Now if you ask anyone what they think of this "torture wheel" they'll all give you the same answer. People will think this is disgusting, and ridiculous. There's no need to have a torture wheel for interrogations. These Philippine officers, to me, should be fired from their jobs and charged for anything they can be found guilty for. 11 officers were fired before, these officers should be fired as well. It's not right to torture anyone. 

Entry #1 - January 24th 2014

Ford's canned comments weren't worth the wait

January 24th 2014

Rosie DiManno

The Star 

This article is about an Economic Club speech given by Mayor Rob Ford. Ford did not start off on the right foot before this speech even began. He came an hour late due to some elevator malfunctions. He was stuck inside the elevator for around 45 minutes before even getting to the Club. This long wait caused many reporters to leave. Ford does not shy away from pumping his own tires. He like to throw around numbers of accomplishments and boast about how he has done nothing but positive things to the city of Toronto. “Folks, let’s face the facts. Toronto is booming like it’s never boomed before. Today, we’re an economic powerhouse." He says that since becoming mayor in 2011, he has saved Toronto approximately 1 billion dollars. But really he has saved around 750 million. Still a very large, impressive number. The article talks about the promises he has made. like how he says he will be putting a three stop subway into Scarborough. Ford has made promises and kept many. He has fixed sidewalks, sewers, roads, bridges and expressways. while saving money. 

I know that many people don't like Rob Ford, especially after the whole crack cocaine incident. But after reading this article I liked the fact that Ford has saved a lot of money for Toronto and he believes in what he's doing. Although he has indulged in some illegal activity which we all know about. He is still completing tasks while again, saving money. Everyone can agree that we wouldn't want some Mayor to be spending huge amounts of money, when they could be saving it and being put to better use.