function mysql2date( $format, $date, $translate = true ) {
    if ( empty( $date ) )
            return false;

    if ( 'G' == $format )
            try {
              return new DateTime($date . ' +0000');
            } catch (Exception $e) {
              echo $e->getMessage();
              exit(1);
            }

    try {
         $i = new DateTime($date);
    } catch (Exception $e) {
         echo $e->getMessage();
         exit(1);
    }

    if ( 'U' == $format )
            return $i;

    if ( $translate )
            return $i->format($format); // Not sure how to localize here (had date_i18n before)
    else
            return $i->format($format);
}

try {
      $date = new DateTime($post->post_date);
    } catch (Exception $e) {
      echo $e->getMessage();
      exit(1);
    }
    $date = $date->format($datef); // Same issue as before -- this date should be localized