Media

Run, Larry, Run!

By Mahesh P. Butani
Published June 14, 2010

It is difficult to ascertain whether the latest bold call for Larry to run is a quick dash for the mayoral seat, a call to register for the race, or a plea to run from the racetrack as quickly as he can.

The problem is, as it stands today, the race for mayor is boiling down to a thoroughbred versus a pack of 100-1 underdogs.

This very personal call with a touching show of regard for the fine - emanates once again from the crypt. It is all the more puzzling, for it is backed up with a liberally splashed blue-bleeding, endorsement of the highly astute printing press.

I just cannot seem to shake away the very humorous image of Larry galloping fast, chased by a pack of snarky 100-1 underdogs and a diligent book-keeper from the valley - down the grid locked Red Hill Creek Expressway, past the blighted industrial base across the lower city, to the very core of the higher-than-market-rate Lister deal; and onward to the forecourt of the brand spanking new city hall - which silently stares back in bewilderment and slight embarrassment at the financially damaged mind-scape of an entire community.

A kind of victory run that Kevin Werner once poignantly called "Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory". I'm reminded of the story of Gallant Man:

One of the great blunders in sports history took place on this blindingly fast Irish stallion's back, when, in his three-year-old racing season, jockey Bill Shoemaker gave up a near-certain Kentucky Derby win by standing up a moment too early in his stirrups. (He thought he'd already won the race.) Gallant Man slowed just enough to let Iron Liege, ridden by legendary jockey Bill Hartack, to nose past him to a win.

With coronation-by-media-fiat in effect, the road to city hall from Iron Liege's perspective may look like this:


For Gallant Man, from Bill's perspective the same road above, may well appear like this:


[Jockey Bill's] pride-goeth-before-a-fall moment is often cited among racing fans as one of the worst tactical mistakes in the history of Thoroughbred horse racing...

Will my dear friend Larry learn from Bill's need to stand up a moment too early in his stirrups? Or is he merely reacting to my call for the real Larry to stand up?

What do you think my new dear friends, Howard and his men, are making of this jockeying blunder?

Mahesh P. Butani is a non-architect, and a developer by default. He is involved in re-developing properties in downtown Hamilton; and has an MA in Arts Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, NYC (1986), and bachelors in Architecture from Bombay, India (1982). Currently he is not an architect in Ontario on account of not having enough Canadian Experience; and does not qualify to teach as he carries too much baggage to fit into the Canadian education system. He refuses to be re-trained to fit in, on a matter of principle, and is a passionate disbeliever of icons and self-regulation of professions in Canada - but still maintains his belief in collective self-organizing behavior; and feels that the large swath of intellectual brownfields across Ontario are far more harmful to the economy than the brownfields left over from deindustrialization - and in response has set up a social network called Metropolitan Hamilton. http://metrohamilton.ning.com/

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By Democratic Fatigue (anonymous) | Posted June 14, 2010 at 09:35:10

The blogging equivalent of laying down donuts in the parking lot?

Considering how much is at stake in the 2010 election cycle, I never imagined I'd be so sick of electioneering before Canada Day. More of this kind of self-pitying froth (still holding out for a variation on the Hodgman "I'm a PC" spots) and I'll end up spoiling my ballot. Although I was gratified to see Brother Michael Baldasaro working the crowd at Friday's Art Crawl.

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By jason (registered) | Posted June 15, 2010 at 22:13:05

The blogging equivalent of laying down donuts in the parking lot?

I laughed for 10 minutes after reading this line. Classic.

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By Henry and Joe (anonymous) | Posted June 16, 2010 at 00:17:45

^ I must be getting dumber, because I sat there for 10 minutes thinking about actual dounuts from Grandad's...mmmmmmmmm...

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By Tybalt (registered) | Posted June 16, 2010 at 06:58:51

I'm going to come back here later when I have a better chance of understanding a word of Mahesh's column. While I meditate on what a "financially damaged mind-scape" might consist in, let me leave you with two things:

  1. A picture of a fish: <><

  2. A thought - have we perhaps found ourselves a mayoral candidate who can deliver more unintentional comedy than Baldasaro? I have to count that as a victory.

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By M_P_B (anonymous) | Posted June 16, 2010 at 18:29:47

Tybalt >>> ..."While I meditate on what a --financially damaged mindscape-- might [mean]..."

BTW is this <>

:-))

Let me try to explain: Electronic Arts (EA) stocks are currently below its 50-day moving average of $18.0, and projected to decline further confirming the company's downward momentum. EA bought over the company - Mindscape, who are ironically the makers of the games: Law & Order/Criminal Intent, Horse Racing Tycoon and Lego Island!

[i.e "financially damaged mindscape"]- quite literally, where there is criminal intent, horse racing and Lego construction...there is bound to be financial damage!

Only kidding!! but a very interesting fact indeed. :-)

When you have a un-affordable reno job, subterfuge, with a very lego'ish end result --which is being packaged by the media as a major achievement of the person they are jockeying publicly, the issue of the resulting financial damage to the community is bound to creep up, even if the community is trying very hard to forget the whole episode.

Besides, the building knows the horrors it went through, and it does retain in all fairness, its rights to express its bewilderment and slight embarrassment... no?

Now... you are really going to be mad at me for this :-))

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By Hasheesh (anonymous) | Posted June 17, 2010 at 06:49:00

What are you smoking Mahesh? It isn't good for you whatever it is!

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By Tempus Fugit (anonymous) | Posted June 17, 2010 at 09:13:04

My math is a little shaky, but aren't we six weeks into a six-month campaign?


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By Cityjoe (anonymous) | Posted June 19, 2010 at 14:16:08

I re-printed that editorial on another thread.

Never has so much local press been given to somebody who Still claims that he will never run for public office again.
Mark Cripps, in this editorial also claims that the happenstances that lead to Larry D's departure where a 'Mistake'. (I wonder how Joanna Chapman would describe that mistake?)

My vote will go to a horse that knows how to count.

"How many, Trigger?"

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By Woody10 (registered) | Posted June 19, 2010 at 22:54:06

How about you Bob, you could handle being mayor again, right?? Pretty please, lol.

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By Get Real (anonymous) | Posted June 21, 2010 at 21:19:03

And I hear Larry also eats babies. Any truth to that?

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By Cityjoe (anonymous) | Posted June 25, 2010 at 01:39:59

G.R. says, "And I hear Larry also eats babies. Any truth to that?"
I have no idea, but do you mean jelly babies, or veal?

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