Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, an unstoppable force powered entirely by crack and the disdain of the rest of North America, just knocked over Toronto City Councillor Pam McConnell. "Oh my god, he's attacked somebody," the TV commentators say, but really the vibe is less "violent madman" and more "big excited dog chasing a ball."

Brady Harrington, who last November was elected to his second term as mayor of Sodaville, Oregon, isn't mayor anymore, because his city council peers were tired of him never showing up for meetings and replaced him. Available job alert!

The city council of Gould, Arkansas just passed an ordinance that forbids "new organizations" from forming without their permission. This applies to any organization, from book groups to Justin Beiber Fan Club chapters—but especially applies to groups that like to talk local politics.

The mayor and city council have devised an ingenious (albeit inadvertent) way to reduce the number of hillbilly tourists flowing into the city. The city council approved a ban on flavored tobacco products yesterday, making NYC the first major city to do so. [WNYC, VV]

Were you aware that an eleventh-grader is running for New York City Council? It's not a joke nor is it part of an elaborate reality TV prank (although the eleventh-grader in question did catch an early break when he appeared on Ice-T's Rap School back when he was an eighth-grader.) Dodge Landesman really is hoping to win, and he's already lined up support from restaurateur Danny Meyer and actress Julianne Moore, according to The New Yorker's Ben McGrath. (This is probably a good moment to mention that his dad is mega-producer Rocco Landesman, one of the most powerful men on Broadway, and, as of last week, President Obama's choice to lead the NEA.) Dodge will only be on the ballot for voters who live in the second district, which encompasses Kips Bay, Gramercy, and part of the Lower East Side. (Until he moves on to higher office, at least.) But even if you can't vote for him, you should still head over to The New Yorker website to see this video of him in action. Words alone cannot begin to explain. [New Yorker]

Michael Bloomberg has prevailed in his quest to run for the third term. By a vote of 29 to 22, the New York City Council voted to extend term limits a little while ago, overturning two voter referendums that had imposed a limit of two four-year terms. The vote wasn't without some excitement: After Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum announced the tally at 4:35 p.m., the balcony "erupted in shouts of 'The city's for sale!' and 'Shame on you!'" [NYT, NYDN, NYP]

You know all those stores that leave their doors open and release big gusts of cold air into the sweltering streets of Manhattan? Consider them a thing of the past. "The City Council is expected to pass legislation on Thursday that would impose fines on stores that leave their doors wide open with the air-conditioning on." [NYT]

These guys are totally worth the hundred grand a year.

Bad news for overly affectionate City Council members: A unanimous vote yesterday requires victims of ass-grabby legislators "to formally report sexual harassment incidents by their superiors."

With a new City Council session started, the council members have of course buckled down to take care of the people's business. And what exactly is our business? The Observer's plucky Politicker reports on some of the very important legislation that has been introduced: