There are two lessons we can take from behind-the-scenes accounts of Rob Ford's campaign that were published last weekend: first, strangers who suddenly warm up to you on Twitter should be regarded with a healthy dose of skepticism (and if you're in possession of a potentially game-changing audio file that features the leading candidate promising to score you drugs, you should be extra vigilant); and, second, anything written about our new mayor by a certain "friendly" Toronto Sun columnist will be about as objective as campaign brochure copy.

The accounts are heavy on revelations, including a damning bit about Smitherman's campaign team using a provincial Liberal voters' list that Ford’s intel said would be voting for him and not Smitherman. But the most intriguing item involves a member of Ford’s campaign creating a Twitter pseudonym, “@QueensQuayKaren‚” —  posing as a George Smitherman supporter (appropriately twibboned)‚ ”who likes politics, my cat Mittens, and a good book" —  in a bid to deceive another Tweeter. It had come to the Ford campaign's attention that the target, Dieter Doneit-Henderson, had surreptitiously recorded a conversation wherein Ford promised a frantic Doneit-Henderson he would "fucking try to find" OxyContin for him, to alleviate the pain of his fibromyalgia (listen to the recording on Xtra.ca here). Worried that a media outlet might release this recording a week before the election, the Ford camp charged Fraser Macdonald, their 24-year old deputy communications director, with the task of retrieving the recording by any means necessary. 

Thus Macdonald contrived the fake twitter account: @QueensQuayKaren. Using this account, Macdonald slowly earned Doneit-Henderson's trust, through public tweets of support for Smitherman and private messages sent to Doneit-Henderson over the network. Finally, after continued prodding from “Karen,” Doneit-Henderson sent Macdonald the audio file.

But even with the recording in their possession, they still had to figure out how to handle the release of it. While Twitter had proved useful in deceiving a single, naive individual, the campaign needed a way to manipulate on a larger scale; enter the Toronto Sun and columnist Sue-Ann Levy.

"...the team decided to get out in front of the story and leak the recording to a friendly columnist at a local tabloid. A June 17 front-page headline blared that he'd been set up."

Thus, Levy contrived a Ford-friendly spin: “Ford feels 'set up' by drug tape.” Following publication of the Sun piece, Ford held a press conference and spun the story in his favour. 

He even chimed in on QuAIA and Pride Toronto (note: Rob Ford did not participate in the parade):

  For the entire list of the fake tweets, check out this Torontoist post.

Barack Obama is the 44th -- and arguably most historic -- US president. He'll inherit a White House presiding over a divided populace, two international wars and a devastated economy. No Messiah here, people.

But we'll talk about all these things tomorrow -- the anti-gay votes, the awkward next steps, the inevitable disappointments. For now, let's bask in the moment:

And if you're still one of the people who think such cheerleading is over-the-top silly, just look back at the last eight years (if you've got the stomach for it):

C'mon everybody -- the future begins today!  Yes we can...

Call it propaganda if you must but damn, Obama knows how to work a campaign video!  This, our American friends, is what it's all about today: 

Of the many, many reasons for Americans not to vote Republican today, the most bizarre is that they can't spell!  Then again, CNN political writer Hilary Rosen points out that John McCain actually lost the election two years ago while this video looks to the future as McCain rekindles his grudge match with Sarah Palin!

The LA Times this weekend had a masterful editoral on why the California vote to revoke 'Will & Grace' creator Max Mutchnick's disturbingly perfect marriage is a "rare and terrible" thing.

Here in Canada, a counter-intuitive new study in the Canadian Journal of Economics says that straight men and women make slightly less money than lesbians and more money than gay men.  Really?  How are gay guys paying for all those iPhones?

On the set of Guy Ritchie's "Sherlock Holmes" movie, Jude Law suddenly leapt at Robert Downey Jr.'s hot, hot crotch!  Okay, he was actually helping to put out a fire caused by Downey's pipe but the image should start a couple of pants-fires of its own.

Meanwhile, the director himself was attacked by a knife-wielding 16-year-old shouting, "I love Madonna, where's Guy? I am going to kill him! I'm Madonna's biggest fan! I'm going to kill Guy." This divorce is going to be even messier than we thought!

Hopefully, such ugliness will be a thing of the past after Obama wins and ushers in a new Xanadu era of brotherhood and healing, like watching adorable dancing nerd Corey Vidal profess his heterosexual love for his pal Brent:

Seriously, it's not even funny anymore! This weekend, the US Republican Vice-Presidential nominee declared war on Iran, all-but-announced her own bid for president in 2012 already and insisted that the First Amendment right to free speech is in jeopardy because the press is criticizing her. She has gone through the looking glass, people.

Most astonishing of all Palin's slip-ups is this prank phone call from Canadian comedy duo The Masked Avengers pretending to be French president Nicolas Sarkozy. Despite the caller's goofy accent, weird comments and admission that he's calling from Montreal, Palin still didn't realize she was being had. No, I'm wrong and I take it back: it is still funny!

Gay singer/songwriter James Collins has found his inner Tina Fey, cowriting a cute anti-Palin ditty, but the real surprise was watching John McCain join Fey in making fun of his running mate on SNL this weekend. By tomorrow's election, the only person taking her seriously will be Trig!

At least the gays in her home state are done with her: a new poll says that 87 percent of LGBT Alaskans are voting for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. By this point, I'd ask what the hell the other 13 percent are smoking but oh yeah...Palin's hometown has been called "the meth capital of Alaska."

I laugh at the phrase "the gays" but Rachel Maddow laughs more at "the gay."

One typically classy Ayn Rand reader suggests that conservatives protest an Obama presidency by not tipping waitresses. The thought of these people winning again has a great number of Canadians wishing we could vote in this election too. This poll shows who for and this video shows why (won't someone think of the hogs?):

Journalist Rex Wockner bravely went to the giant Christian anti-gay-marriage rally in San Diego this weekend and, despite being surrounded by 15,000 people praying for homosexuals to be cured, came away from it still gay! That is one unredeemable heathen! 

Meanwhile, in LA, "Borat" star Sasha Baron Cohen infiltrated a right-wing rally and caused his usual trouble.  Very niiice!

One conservative Christian writer suggests it's time the homophobes rethink their marriage stance but I don't see it happening, especially when the deep-pocketed Mormons have come to help:

Fortunately, not everyone in these faith groups hates us: some Mormon moms staged a vigil for gay rights while more and more research is showing that evangelical Christian attitudes towards sex are more complicated than they seem.

A Catholic priest in New York has been suspended for having an affair with a woman he picked up when she was in his confessional booth! The story has shocked the public -- the priest had sex with a woman?

And finally, the 22nd annual Fashion Cares benefit for the AIDS Committee of Toronto was held this weekend and it was a terrific return to form, summed up in three words: Dame! Shirley! Bassey!

Oh no! Those damn Hollywood liberals are back, bugging everyone to vote (You're not my dad, Harrison Ford!!!). Aww but wait -- there's Borat!  And Neil Patrick Harris, being extra-adorable! Okay fine, I'll watch it -- just please stop Jason Segal yelling at me:

So sure, I love a good left-wing, pro-environment public service announcement as much as the next organic food store shopper but someone seriously needs to take Greenpeace aside and say, "What the fuck were you thinking?" Their new ad, with its just-in-time-for-Halloween zombie JFK, is beyond creepy:

But, in the interest of fairness, it's important to note that there are Republican celebrities too (at least I think they're celebrities). They've joined forces against Minnesota candidate and former "Saturday Night Live" writer Al Franken, creator of nelly advice guru Stuart Smalley. Franken's good enough, he's smart enough, but doggone it, they really don't like him:

And while anything can happen with the US election next Tuesday, I have to admit to feeling a little sorry for John McCain: he got shafted today, not just in this drop-the-hammer ad from Barack Obama but by his own running mate Sarah Palin! It's like they say in Alaska: "Never trust a pitbull in lipstick with your moose from Neiman Marcus." Or something like that.

But since we're talking politics just before Halloween, check out this ad for anti-gay-marriage rally in San Diego -- I find the voiceover hilarious even as the content chills me down to my bones:

Fortunately, the LA Times has an excellent point/counterpoint on the whole ugly debate and, whatever happens in California on Tuesday, blogger Brian Frank gives us "Five Reasons Why the Opponents of Gay Marriage Will Ultimately Fail."

Suitably reassured, I can turn to more fictional Halloween terrors. I'm thinking of digging up an old favourite: "A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge" is the Gayest. Movie. Ever. (Yes, I'm including "Showgirls") Here's just one example: