cooker

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toront...utes-1.3502262

We've often discussed him here, so I thought I would update you all. I will post a bit more when I am next free.

cooker

Once upon a time the Borough of Etobicoke, now part of the City of Toronto, held a two week summer football camp for its best high school players, to prepare for an all-star tournament against the City and the other boroughs. At the start of each practice was a mile run, but students who did it in 6 minutes were exempt from doing it for the rest of the camp.

After a day or two, all but one of these elite student athletes met the standard, and for the remaining two weeks there was only one hefty kid out there at the start of practice every day, doggedly trying to run a mile in 6 minutes.

Rob Ford.

Anyway despite his demons and his flaws, he was a determined person doggedly pursuing what he thought was the right agenda for the city of Toronto, and nobody wanted to see him die tragically of cancer at 46 years of age.

Keep running Rob, you'll make the 6 minutes.

joeyduck

I am sorry to hear that passed. I wish his family and friends all the best during this tough time. And I agree no one deserves the end of life he faced.

Despite my dislike of his antics and political views I was thinking at the gym this morning he lived life pretty well. In many ways he succeeded and didn't give a crap what others thought; he pursued and said what he thought was right or what he wanted. No matter what people are always an arse to critics and a beacon of hope to supporters.

Seattle Forrest

I'm pretty sure he won't. But I admire you for eulogizing a man who's been demonized in the public eye and trying to remind everybody that he was human like the rest of us.

Dahon.Steve

I thought Ford was a lot older. He looked in his late 50's early 60's. He was a fairly young man.

DMC707

The extra weight seems to add years to stocky fireplug type guys (i am one of those type guys ) --- he would have looked much better if he was merely chubby and not obese

badger1

@cooker, I'll add a +1 to @Seattle Forrest.

gerv 

+ We disagree with his ideas, but nice to remember what we do have in common... our precious human lives. RIP.

Ekdog

He was a heavy drinker and cocaine abuser, wasn't he?

DMC707

By all reports, but then again, - he would have to be an exceptionally high functioning alcoholic to be mayor of a city like Toronto. Just to get elected even.
Being from Oklahoma, i dont know the gent's politics, - like many others, i've just seen highlights of his antics and hi-jinks. One video circulating shows the man dancing in a convulsive fashion, covered in sweat, which made me wonder how an old school party man got elected in the first place

then again, Winston Churchill and Franklin delano Roosevelt were both heavy drinkers reportedly-----they didnt have 100% camera saturation then though
la

Roody

Churchill, yes, but FDR not so much. Pres. Grant, OTOH...

Ekdog

Don't forget Nixon.

Drinking with Nixon | Human Events

I-Like-To-Bike

Don't forget the mass murdering fascist teetotaler from Europe.

wolfchild

You just fail to realize some of the very positive things and acts of kindness which he did to many different people while he was a mayor.

wolfchild

Not only was he a teetotaler but also a vegan who cared about environment and animal rights.

Ekdog

Based on some of the posts in this thread, it sounds like he was a saint, but my comments were made in response to speculation about why he looked years older than he actually was. Do you understand that substance abuse might have played a role in that?

wolfchild

It could of been substance abuse combined with a lot of stress and unhealthy diet, lack of exercise and maybe genetics. I really think that genetics played the major role in his early death. We just can't be sure...There are a lot of celebrities and rock stars who abuse alcohol and drugs and they are still rocking hard when they're in their 60's and 70's.

Ekdog

Musicians die younger than everyone else even if they don't fall victim to the '27 club' | Daily Mail Online

DMC707

I think it was the weight issues - weight issues combined with a fair complexion . But weight issues can be fueled by manic, obsessive compulsive tendencies , and a lack of self control (i am saying this as a Super-Clydesdale who is pushing 300 myself )

That same lack of self control and OCD tendencies and a "Go Big or Go Home" mentality can foster drug /alcohol problems that also contribute to poor complexion, tired eyes, lack of quality sleep and things like that that also contribute to folks looking older IMO also

wolfchild

Robs large size was mostly the result of genetics. His entire family is supersized and more heavyweight then the average person. I've noticed that even after he went through a lot of chemotherapy and radiation treatments combined with lack of eating he was still very big and heavy man. The average person would look like an anorexic skeleton if they went through the same things which Rob went through.

DMC707

Very true --- but just speaking of appearance -- There's a big difference between being a big framed man at 225 pounds but in good health , -- or being the same guy at 300 lbs -- jowelly cheeks , a puffy face and eyes that look smaller and smaller which are all pretty common traits of fat guys -make guys look older (and which are traits that made Ford look older too)

cooker

I wanted to say something nice out of respect when he died, but he shouldn't be whitewashed. He did his best to help people and tried to improve the city according to his model of how he thought it should be, but he could also bad-tempered, foul-mouthed, and a liar and a bully some of the time.

Seattle Forrest

I'm not sure I can agree with this. Look, recipes and fortunes both run in families, and neither of them are made of genes. Weight is mostly the result of calories (burned vs consumed) and having a hefty family can set a person's expectations about things like what a healthy meal is.