Hey, about swapping mayors?

If politics weren't humourous we'd all be sporting long, morose faces. A recent Craigslist ad offered to swap Toronto mayor-elect Rob Ford for Calgary's new mayor, Naheed Nenshi.

Yes, you read it right, Nenshi is Canada's first Muslim mayor. The anti-Ford Craigslist advertiser obviously has an axe to grind against Toronto's newly minted mayor. The ad focuses on Nenshi's Harvard background and other qualifications that Ford doesn't have.

In any event, Nenshi, who was born in Toronto,and learned about the Craigslist ad expressed no interest in moving back to 'Hogtown'.

Uneasy rests the head that wears the crown, so they say, but Mayor-elect Rob Ford can breathe a sigh of relief that in spite of the embittered Craigslist advertiser, he'll fulfill his mandate as Toronto's duly elected head of the city.

Can we get on with our lives now?

Aung San Suu Kyi's release

I picked up a free copy of the Toronto Star outside the Eaton's Centre and made my way to Union Station. The first thing that caught my eye was the possible release of one of the most famous political prisoners of our time --- Aung San Suu Kyi --- and her much awaited release from house arrest.

Given the time difference between Myanmar and Toronto I hurried to Sheridan College to check the news online. Sure enough the online newssites were abuzz with news of the Nobel Peace Prize winner's release from more than seven years of house arrest.

The BBC called it Myanmar's 'Mandela moment'. Listen to it here.

Aung San Suu Kyi paid a heavy personal price in her fight for democracy in her homeland. She could not visit her British husband when he was dying of cancer fearful that the Burmese military junta would block her return. He died in the UK without seeing her. According to her brother-in-law, Adrian Phillips, he hasn't spoken to her in twenty years so the whole family is delighted at the news of her release.

What's next for Aung San Suu Kyi?

Her lawyer, Nyan Win, told reporters that she will resume active politics and 'make organizing tours throughout the country,'

Like Nelson Mandela before her, Myanmar's pro-democracy leader showed grace after her release and called for 'talks with all groups to achieve national reconciliation'.

French lessons and other expenses

Talk of learning French and billing the taxpayers for it! Retiring councilor Adam Giambrone has been criticized for learning the language of Voltaire and Toronto taxpayers are the poorer for it.

Not to be outdone is Sandra Bussin. She's Ms. Big Spender herself. Consider this: she has spent $43,000 of her $48,000+ annual allowance. Not many of us even make that kind of money in a year!!!

While Rob Ford clocked in at less than $70.00 ---$65.79 to be exact --- which he reimbursed out of his own pocket.

Perhaps Mr. Ford's mantra of 'stopping the gravy train' makes sense after all.

The Rob Ford era has begun

And so a new era has begun for the City of Toronto ... a new mayor, Rob Ford, will be sworn into office on December 1st. For an undecided voter like me, who hemmed and hawed about who to vote for especially when the field was narrowed down to three: Ford, Pantalone and Smitherman and who almost tossed a coin about my choices (ok, I'm kidding)I hesitated and went for the lesser evil. No, I'm not revealing who got my vote!

In any event, Toronto has four years of Rob Ford. But this might be the refreshing change that our City Hall needed. He says we --- yes, GTA residents --- can call him if we're not happy with his policies and he'll return our calls or even meet us at home. Not bad, eh? Personal service from His Worship, hey, I'll take that anytime.

So while his transition team preps City Hall for the Ford era and with Mr. Ford constantly talking about 'trimming the fat', a Toronto-based fitness company has offered free personal training to help His Worship shed those pounds.

His soon-to-be predecessor, David Miller, did it and now cuts a svelte figure. How about it, Mayor Ford? A healthy mayor for a healthy city!