Blackflash;951758 wrote: I have nothing against the dealers themselves. It's the donators and how desperate they are to remove an elected official. History will not only remember a crack addict in office, but also a group of people willing to establish what is essentially a charity coke dealers to finally oust an oaf who is unlikely to return as mayor in next year's elections. Various news agencies have already offered to buy the tape, but not at a price acceptable to the guys who own the footage. This is Gawker's effort to raise the necessary funds. It's not unusual practice for journalists to pay shady individuals and organizations to acquire material like this, it happens. I have no issue with purchasing the footage to properly examine it and determine whether the mayor indeed smoked crack -- the fact he did points to a great contradiction, that many folks deal with crack/cocaine but only certain people (like these Somali kids) deal with the consequences for doing so (death, jail time, etc).

Your outrage seems empty. There is a lot at stake here, particularly in how race and class collide in story, so if some Somali kids want to run with this, let it be. I think it's powerful.

Blackflash;951750 wrote: Wait a minute. Are people actually fundraising money to meet the demands of a drug dealer? Yup, and I was glad to contribute. Good on them for breaking this story and engaging with political and media institutions in their quest to find a buyer. They pay with their lives every day in the drug market, and the man who owns the video has said that he wants the money so he can get out of that world and move to Alberta to start over.

Gawker's Rob Ford Crackstarter campaign is almost at $40,000, everyone donate! The people need to see this tape!

SomaliPhilosopher;951737 wrote: Through one of my Canadian parents:D Nice! I'm still keeping you as my backup path to American citizenship if my plan to get a job in the US falls through

I doubt you would have, SP I didn't get to vote since I'm technically not a resident of Toronto (I lived in a bordering suburb). Horta how are you a Canadian citizen?

Faarax-Brawn;951666 wrote: anyway is this the block who ran into a pillar or a wall or something like that?-

God natt oba

oba hiloowlow;951726 wrote: omar is coming :eek: :D They have an undergraduate class on the Wire at my university, I might apply to be the teaching assistant for it lol

Forget the Sopranos, it's all about the Wire.

D.O.C;951694 wrote: Saffz, plz don't trust a white man as he is a silent killer, just smile and move off. But at least this one is out of his shell. The mayor? I've never trusted him lol, I was stunned when he won the election.

Thanks, I'll check the links out when I'm at my computer.

He ran into a camera, I posted a vid on the first page lol. PSA -- Gawker is fundraising to buy and publish the tape, you can donate here: http://gawker.com/we-are-raising-200-000-to-buy-and-publish-the-rob-ford-508230073 They already have 28k, and it was half of that when I last checked lol. I just donated.

^^ it's plausible when you consider that census figures rely on national origins (Somalia) but miss all the Somalis who come from or through other countries as immigrants to Canada. I'm sure all the TO folks here would agree that the number is awfully low.

Blackflash;951646 wrote: Wouldn't it be better if they just refrained from constantly referring to the alleged ethnicities of those involved? If the optics are an issue, having a related column mentioning Somalis would only serve to further ingrain the drug dealer's ethnicities in to the readers' minds. It should have never been mentioned (the original Gawker story, for example, simply said the men were speaking a language other than English between each other), but it happened and I believe the story that went to print had 11 mentions of Somali, almost as many times as they mentioned crack in the article (12 times). So responsible journalism means addressing and admitting their mistake in that same forum.

Update -- my brother spoke to the Toronto Star's public editor today, and she and the editor in chief agree that the article went too far, and they've made the reporters and the rest of the newsroom aware that the unnecessary use of "Somali" is insensitive and socially irresponsible. She's considering putting out a column this weekend about it, so will keep you guys posted if that appears.

lol this is messed up

I heard this song on the radio about 20 times during my drive today, it's also sweet:

Blackflash;951481 wrote: Why can't his some of his detractors seem to understand that regardless of his embarrassing theatrics, he's an elected official with one year left on his term? I've never liked the guy's politics, especially when considering his terrible transit policies. Also Safferz, if you'd known of his rapport with the Etobicoke-North community (specifically Rexdale) you would not have accused him of being a racist for saying something that many Torontonians, of all ethnicities, have voiced their concerns over. He's a terrible orator and lacks to ability to think before speaking, but a racist he is not. His rapport with certain neighbourhoods is irrelevant, he's a politician. He's made many racist comments, and it doesn't matter how many people in Toronto agree with them, the fact remains that it is racism.

D.O.C;951467 wrote: Saffz, ^this guy is well know sing songwriter but i forgot his name (what is his name plz?). I am into cud or guitar songs. I can play guitar ever since i left school but i don't have the voice to go with. But i love to listen to the old skool. Cumar Shooli!

SomaliPhilosopher;951515 wrote: I have mixed feelings about this. There was a certain allure to driving on the bumpy roads of Hargeisa blasting ghetto American hip hop in a 4x4 I have fond memories of this too.

Thanks D.O.C I'm in love with the cud, I can play some guitar so I'd love to get an cud and learn to play it too.

Finally lol. Is this just one or two roads or is this city wide construction?

This is one of my favourites:

Apophis;951433 wrote: I see nothing but egotism and the encouragement of it. White people will fund all kinds of new-age-feel-goodery nonsense. What are you talking about? There are few things more Somali than oral history.