Saturday, March 31, 2012
The Good, the Bad and the Meh on Monday Night Raw: March 26, 2012
So, I've finally got around to watching Raw from Monday. It was a busy week, but I wanted to watch and review this show since it is the last one before Wrestlemania on Sunday. Here we go:
The Good:
Daniel Bryan and Kane beat Sheamus and Randy Orton in a very good match to start Raw. There were hot tags, there was excitement and crowd interest and there was a fitting ending. AJ, Bryan's girlfriend, stepping in front of Sheamus to protect her man and a chokeslam from Kane helped Daniel Bryan score the pinfall, which is exactly how the World Heavyweight Champion rolls. He weasels his way to victories and relies on AJ to step in when Bryan is in harm's way. Good start to the show.
The Santino (captain of team Teddy Long) vs. David Otunga (captain of team John Laurinaitis) wasn't much of a wrestling match, but was entertaining and got several crowd pops. Otunga hit himself with his team flag after trying to hit Hornswaggle with it and then Santino hit Otunga with the Cobra to get the win. The really worthwhile moments happened after the match, though. Teddy got in Johnny's face and pushed him over, then Miz came out to take down Santino before he could give the Cobra to Mr. Laurinaitis. Finally, Miz was given a spot on Team Johnny for Mania after the save. The audience really enjoyed the comedy of it all and it was fun to watch.
Wow, 3 segments in a row in the "Good" column. WWE did a great job putting together a promo video for the Triple H vs. Undertaker match at Wrestlemania. It highlighted the rise and successes of both men and Metallica's "The Memory Remains" was a great song choice, especially since their epic battle at last year's big show precipitated this match.
The Rock/John Cena stare down and war of words at the end of the show was their best confrontation in months, even though it started out rough. The Rock took that silly grin off of his face at the end and Cena hit him with some good points (especially that he needs the win to cement his place among the immortals and that he will still be in the WWE the day after Mania). I wish they had ended the show with an intense stare-down instead of fading out whilst the verbal joust was still ongoing, though overall this was the kind of showdown people had been waiting for.
The Bad:
Another week, another Brodus Clay squash match and dance-a-thon. Getting bored over here. Yawn. Give him a real opponent and real match, already!!!
Big Show absolutely dominated Primo, one half of the tag champions in less than a minute. That is not good for Primo's career and shows WWE still doesn't care about the tag titles. This could have at least been a longer match that made Primo look at least worthy of carrying Big Show's jock strap. Cody Rhodes' promo taunting Big Show after the match was funny, but this whole segment could have been better.
The segment where Eve manipulated Zack Ryder is just plain stupid. Eve cheated on Zack with John Cena a few months back and admitted she was using Ryder, but Ryder is infatuated with her again. Eve is gorgeous, I admit, but WWE could at least TRY to include logic and realism in their storylines.
Mark Henry beat Great Khali in under a minute. Come on, guys. Really??? How can we take Khali seriously after this? He is hard to watch, what with those wonky legs, but he is part of Team Teddy for Wrestlemania and needs to be seen as someone who can keep up with the others. Utterly ridiculous. I did like the rumble between the teams after the match and the fact that Booker T is now part of Team Teddy, but there were missed opportunities with this segment.
The Meh:
Kelly Kelly defeated Eve in a proper 1-on-1 match, which the divas hardly ever get. Kelly worked the crowd a bit, leading the "hoeski" chant (don't ask). There are 3 reasons why I put this into the "Meh" pile, though. There were some choke holds, but not much of any real wrestling (except a helicoptor spin), for one. Secondly, the ladies only got two minutes to battle it out in the ring. That's not enough time to tell a good in-ring story. Last but not least, Kelly pinned Eve after Eve missed a move from the top rope. She didn't use a finishing move or anything before the pin and I'm not a fan of that. That wouldn't happen in a men's match - they would always take advantage of the miss and hit their finishing move before the cover.
I enjoyed the buildup of the CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho match at Mania. Jericho calling Punk a "bastard child" on the videotron because he was born before his parents were married caused Punk to snap and destroy Christian, Punk's opponent at that moment. They used Christian in that segment because he is legitimately hurt, which is fine, but I don't like that Jericho wasn't actually in the arena for that segment, thus the "Meh" score. Jericho and Punk need more face-to-face showdowns, especially just six days before Wrestlemania.
Overall: 71/100
The show started and ended well, but got lost a bit in the middle. It was a good show overall, but didn't have the heat and intensity the final RAW before Wrestlemania should have, especially when there are so many good matches on the card. Plenty of missed opportunities if you ask me.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Music Break
This week I am going to bring a voice from the underground to the surface. I'm speaking of the industrial/electronic/metal/punk band KMFDM. They have been around for more than 25 years and have a fanatical following. Wherever there is injustice and political intrigue, this band will be there to voice their opinions and lead the dissent. Without further adieu, the mighty KMFDM:
Megalomaniac
Krank
Juke Joint Jezebel
Money
Stars and Stripes
Son of a Gun
D.I.Y. (Live)
Missing Time (As MDFMK - almost the same band: most of the same members and same musical style)
Megalomaniac
Krank
Juke Joint Jezebel
Money
Stars and Stripes
Son of a Gun
D.I.Y. (Live)
Missing Time (As MDFMK - almost the same band: most of the same members and same musical style)
Friday, March 23, 2012
you Don't Say... March 23, 2012
I'm not saying that Mayor Ford needs a pacifier, but he sure is acting like a crybaby about this whole LRT vs. Subway thing. First, he threw together some 11th-hour parking fee proposal to try to generate revenue to build and sustain more subway stops. Then he postponed the vote on the Transit City LRT plan in council by a day and stormed out without talking to the media. Then after the vote to build above-ground trains and streets cars on Eglinton, Finch and Sheppard, killing Ford's subway wet dream, the mayor was angrily brooding and suggesting he was going to ask Premier Daulton McGuinty not to fund the public transit project that the majority of GTA residents and City Council support. Time to grow up and suck it up, Mr. Mayor. You didn't get what you wanted and one of your key election promises was just broken, but the decision was made after a thorough investigation of all options, consultations with experts and democratic votes and debates in the council chambers. The reality is that the Sheppard subway extension would cost over $3 billion to finish and a huge chunk of cash to sustain, while LRT trains and tracks will serve 3 neighbourhoods and cost less to maintain in the long run. The right choice was made. Now Rob Ford must live with it or risk alienating his allies even more and making himself completely irrelevant.
Here's a couple clips to see the mild mannered mayor in action:
Before the LRT vote
A CBC Report on the Council Vote and Aftermath
I'm not saying it's going to revive their playoff chances, but it will be fun to see Ryan Hamilton and Nazim Kadri in the lineup for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the New Jersey Devils tonight. Hamilton has battled through injuries for hundreds of minor league games and deserves a chance to make a name for himself in the NHL. Kadri, on the other hand, has a chance to show that he has a better all-around game and that his defence is good enough to keep him in the NHL now. These callups only have upside, as the Leafs are going nowhere this year and they may discover 2 NHL-ready forwards who can make a difference for the team in 2012-2013.
Ryan Hamilton scores a goal from his back
Here's a couple clips to see the mild mannered mayor in action:
Before the LRT vote
A CBC Report on the Council Vote and Aftermath
I'm not saying it's going to revive their playoff chances, but it will be fun to see Ryan Hamilton and Nazim Kadri in the lineup for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the New Jersey Devils tonight. Hamilton has battled through injuries for hundreds of minor league games and deserves a chance to make a name for himself in the NHL. Kadri, on the other hand, has a chance to show that he has a better all-around game and that his defence is good enough to keep him in the NHL now. These callups only have upside, as the Leafs are going nowhere this year and they may discover 2 NHL-ready forwards who can make a difference for the team in 2012-2013.
Ryan Hamilton scores a goal from his back
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
The Good, the Bad and the Meh on Monday Night Raw: March 19, 2012
WWE Raw: March 19, 2012
Apologies for not reviewing the last couple of Raws. Personal matters kept me tied up. Anyway, I'm trying to get this one done in a timely manner. By the way, a link to the entire show is at the top of this post so that you can check it out for yourself if you are interested in seeing it after reading my analysis. Right, let's get to it.
The Good...
I didn't mind the exchange between CM Punk and Chris Jericho to start the show, Punk's acting aside. Punk was hella fired up and Jericho's fake apology almost had me sold. I was expecting him to twist it around eventually, and boy did he ever by verbally assaulting Punk's sister. The rivalry is getting intense and personal. Now they just need an explosive showdown in the ring before Mania to finish hyping the match. I just wish that this rivalry had been building for more months to bring it to epic proportions. Maybe it will continue after April 1st.
Cody Rhodes delivered another good video package of Big Show's embarrassing Wrestlemania moments. He is embarrassing the world's largest wrestler to no end with his footage and is giving Show and the audience a lot of reason to boo the son of the American Dream.
The Rock's promo from the Rocky Balboa statue was much better than last week's "Rock Concert". He wasn't reading words off his sleeve or a screen and he was more charismatic and interesting. I liked his impressions of classic wrestlers like Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior. Only thing that irked me is that damn smile that pops up every 30 seconds. Can't take him seriously as a hard-ass, dangerous wrestler when he keeps flashing those pearly whites.
It was very brief, but I didn't mind the tag match between Kofi Kingston/R-Truth and Jack Swagger/Dolph Ziggler. Everyone got some ring time and I liked the brawl between Aksana and Vickie Guererro after Vickie helped Dolph and Jack win. It was a proper, entertaining wrestling segment.
The final segment featuring the HBK-HHH-Undertaker showdown worked enough for me. Seeds of doubt were planted when Undertaker said that Shawn Michaels is better than Triple H. Will Michaels screw over the Game to make that statement true and prevent HHH from beating the Undertaker at Wrestlemania, which is something Michaels could never do himself? Will HBK help his longtime friend end the Undertaker's streak? I am curious to know how this match will play out now, even though I am pretty certain Taker will end up winning at Mania.
The Bad...
I wasn't a fan of any of the matches on the show. They were all short and took a major back seat to the promos and in-ring verbal jousts.
The Kane-Big Show match lasted only 50 seconds and was interrupted by Cody Rhodes, who is facing Big Show at Wrestlemania. I liked that Cody got in Big Show's face and I thought having Rhodes handcuff Show to the ropes and punch him with boxing gloves on added heat to their war, but why not give Kane and the Giant more time in the ring to engage the audience in the contest?
The Santino Marella -David Otunga match, while it featured some fun showboating, phone-stomping and Santino-mocking spots, was exactly 1 minute long. Again, not long enough to make the crowd deeply care or tell any sort of story in the ring.
Furthermore, Daniel Bryan beat Zack Ryder in under 2 minutes. Really? 3 straight matches under 2 minutes? REALLY? Come on, man. And Ryder looked weak tapping out almost before Daneil Bryan put the 'Labelle Lock' on him. Oh, how Zack Ryder has fallen.
Miz got squashed by Sheamus in a quick match later in the show. ANOTHER short, one-sided match. Sheamus looks ready for Mania and Miz looks like he couldn't beat a cardboard box these days. At least the Miz got in a couple offensive moves this time. Either way, he ain't gonna be part of the main event at Wrestlemania again this year. He may not even be on the card.
The Meh...
The only match of any length on the show was Mark Henry vs. John Cena. It was the best match on the show, which isn't saying much. I liked that Mark Henry dominated and looked strong, but I didn't like how Cena pulled a Hulk Hogan - get beat up for 4 minutes, then suddenly hit your 3 or 4 moves of doom out of nowhere to pull off the victory. There is no way that a guy could realistically take the beating of his life, then act like nothing happened and take out his opponent after 30 seconds of offence. I know wrestling isn't real, but humour us a little, would ya?
As much as the Cena match had its failings, I did like how the Rock delivered a 'Rock Bottom' to Mark Henry and told Johnny boy that he was going to get one at Wrestlemania. I was calling for some sort of in-ring confrontation, and they delivered. Mediocre match plus quality Rock run-in gives the segment a 'Meh' overall.
The divas stuff was ok. They didn't actually wrestle or come to the ring. They just set up the rivalry between Maria Menounos/Kelly Kelly and Beth Phoenix/Eve so that they can have some "celebrity" involvement at Wrestlemania. Now, I don't have a problem with Maria, but she sure ain't Mike Tyson or Pete Rose. WWE isn't doing enough to make the audience care about this match.
Randy Orton gave a short, pointed interview to hype his Mania match with Kane. It was ok, but they still haven't adequately sold me on the reason behind this rivalry. It's very forced and I would have preferred an in-ring confrontation by these 2 competitors on the show.
Overall... 66/100
The matches were just not good or long enough. The promos were good, but the meat of the show must be the battles in the ring. Not a great show just 2 weeks before Wrestlemania. This should be when Raw is at its absolute best and most exciting. This show didn't measure up.
Apologies for not reviewing the last couple of Raws. Personal matters kept me tied up. Anyway, I'm trying to get this one done in a timely manner. By the way, a link to the entire show is at the top of this post so that you can check it out for yourself if you are interested in seeing it after reading my analysis. Right, let's get to it.
The Good...
I didn't mind the exchange between CM Punk and Chris Jericho to start the show, Punk's acting aside. Punk was hella fired up and Jericho's fake apology almost had me sold. I was expecting him to twist it around eventually, and boy did he ever by verbally assaulting Punk's sister. The rivalry is getting intense and personal. Now they just need an explosive showdown in the ring before Mania to finish hyping the match. I just wish that this rivalry had been building for more months to bring it to epic proportions. Maybe it will continue after April 1st.
Cody Rhodes delivered another good video package of Big Show's embarrassing Wrestlemania moments. He is embarrassing the world's largest wrestler to no end with his footage and is giving Show and the audience a lot of reason to boo the son of the American Dream.
The Rock's promo from the Rocky Balboa statue was much better than last week's "Rock Concert". He wasn't reading words off his sleeve or a screen and he was more charismatic and interesting. I liked his impressions of classic wrestlers like Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior. Only thing that irked me is that damn smile that pops up every 30 seconds. Can't take him seriously as a hard-ass, dangerous wrestler when he keeps flashing those pearly whites.
It was very brief, but I didn't mind the tag match between Kofi Kingston/R-Truth and Jack Swagger/Dolph Ziggler. Everyone got some ring time and I liked the brawl between Aksana and Vickie Guererro after Vickie helped Dolph and Jack win. It was a proper, entertaining wrestling segment.
The final segment featuring the HBK-HHH-Undertaker showdown worked enough for me. Seeds of doubt were planted when Undertaker said that Shawn Michaels is better than Triple H. Will Michaels screw over the Game to make that statement true and prevent HHH from beating the Undertaker at Wrestlemania, which is something Michaels could never do himself? Will HBK help his longtime friend end the Undertaker's streak? I am curious to know how this match will play out now, even though I am pretty certain Taker will end up winning at Mania.
The Bad...
I wasn't a fan of any of the matches on the show. They were all short and took a major back seat to the promos and in-ring verbal jousts.
The Kane-Big Show match lasted only 50 seconds and was interrupted by Cody Rhodes, who is facing Big Show at Wrestlemania. I liked that Cody got in Big Show's face and I thought having Rhodes handcuff Show to the ropes and punch him with boxing gloves on added heat to their war, but why not give Kane and the Giant more time in the ring to engage the audience in the contest?
The Santino Marella -David Otunga match, while it featured some fun showboating, phone-stomping and Santino-mocking spots, was exactly 1 minute long. Again, not long enough to make the crowd deeply care or tell any sort of story in the ring.
Furthermore, Daniel Bryan beat Zack Ryder in under 2 minutes. Really? 3 straight matches under 2 minutes? REALLY? Come on, man. And Ryder looked weak tapping out almost before Daneil Bryan put the 'Labelle Lock' on him. Oh, how Zack Ryder has fallen.
Miz got squashed by Sheamus in a quick match later in the show. ANOTHER short, one-sided match. Sheamus looks ready for Mania and Miz looks like he couldn't beat a cardboard box these days. At least the Miz got in a couple offensive moves this time. Either way, he ain't gonna be part of the main event at Wrestlemania again this year. He may not even be on the card.
The Meh...
The only match of any length on the show was Mark Henry vs. John Cena. It was the best match on the show, which isn't saying much. I liked that Mark Henry dominated and looked strong, but I didn't like how Cena pulled a Hulk Hogan - get beat up for 4 minutes, then suddenly hit your 3 or 4 moves of doom out of nowhere to pull off the victory. There is no way that a guy could realistically take the beating of his life, then act like nothing happened and take out his opponent after 30 seconds of offence. I know wrestling isn't real, but humour us a little, would ya?
As much as the Cena match had its failings, I did like how the Rock delivered a 'Rock Bottom' to Mark Henry and told Johnny boy that he was going to get one at Wrestlemania. I was calling for some sort of in-ring confrontation, and they delivered. Mediocre match plus quality Rock run-in gives the segment a 'Meh' overall.
The divas stuff was ok. They didn't actually wrestle or come to the ring. They just set up the rivalry between Maria Menounos/Kelly Kelly and Beth Phoenix/Eve so that they can have some "celebrity" involvement at Wrestlemania. Now, I don't have a problem with Maria, but she sure ain't Mike Tyson or Pete Rose. WWE isn't doing enough to make the audience care about this match.
Randy Orton gave a short, pointed interview to hype his Mania match with Kane. It was ok, but they still haven't adequately sold me on the reason behind this rivalry. It's very forced and I would have preferred an in-ring confrontation by these 2 competitors on the show.
Overall... 66/100
The matches were just not good or long enough. The promos were good, but the meat of the show must be the battles in the ring. Not a great show just 2 weeks before Wrestlemania. This should be when Raw is at its absolute best and most exciting. This show didn't measure up.
Monday, March 19, 2012
You Don't Say... March 19, 2012
I'm not saying my generation is all talk and a badge, but according to a study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology Generation Y (people born between 1982 and 2000) talk about politics ad nauseum without actually getting involved. Let this be a lesson to all you bloggers out there who never get off...oh wait...
Here's a link to a Toronto Star article about the study:
http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1148370--gen-y-s-reputation-takes-a-thumping-in-a-new-study?bn=1
I'm not saying that the same study, co-authored by Jean Twenge and others, is essential reading for young people today, but it does make a few more interesting points. It suggests that people are less likely to get involved in environmental causes than Generation X and there is a greater possibility of us being selfishly relativistic: we won't bother others about their race or sexuality like previous generations, but we won't go out of our way to help fellow our fellow person either. We are also more willing to bully people about their weight. I say time to prove these results wrong by being compassionate, involved, selfless people and getting off the couch to get involved out their in the real world.
I'm not saying France is becoming a more racist nation, but recent shootings around a Jewish school in Toulouse are not helping the country's reputation. 3 students and 1 teacher were killed at Ozar Hatorah school today, just days after 3 paratroopers of African decent were also shot down in France with the same type of gun. Again, time to stand up tell these criminals that racism just doesn't fly any more, especially in a country that has a history of revolution and fighting for individual rights and freedoms. Vive a peaceful, multicultural France. The video below is a Euro News report on the fatal attack. R.I.P. the victims of these and other horrible atrocities that have taken place in recent days.
I'm not saying that the proverbial feces is about to hit the turbine-driven-air-cooling-device in Toronto, but the growing labour unrest is definitely a ticking time bomb whose fuse is about to run out. Toronto library workers have begun a strike today and the union representing the mega-city's 23,000 inside workers has set a strike vote for tomorrow. The city, it seems, is not willing to offer any protection to part-time employees, who receive no benefits already and have very little protection against job cuts or privatization. Good for the unions for sticking up for what is fair and just for their members. Workers have a right to know that their job will be safe from outsourcing and shouldn't live in the fear that Rob Ford's union/pay/benefits busting axe could fall at any time. There is power in a union!
Here's a link to a Toronto Star article about the study:
http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1148370--gen-y-s-reputation-takes-a-thumping-in-a-new-study?bn=1
I'm not saying that the same study, co-authored by Jean Twenge and others, is essential reading for young people today, but it does make a few more interesting points. It suggests that people are less likely to get involved in environmental causes than Generation X and there is a greater possibility of us being selfishly relativistic: we won't bother others about their race or sexuality like previous generations, but we won't go out of our way to help fellow our fellow person either. We are also more willing to bully people about their weight. I say time to prove these results wrong by being compassionate, involved, selfless people and getting off the couch to get involved out their in the real world.
I'm not saying France is becoming a more racist nation, but recent shootings around a Jewish school in Toulouse are not helping the country's reputation. 3 students and 1 teacher were killed at Ozar Hatorah school today, just days after 3 paratroopers of African decent were also shot down in France with the same type of gun. Again, time to stand up tell these criminals that racism just doesn't fly any more, especially in a country that has a history of revolution and fighting for individual rights and freedoms. Vive a peaceful, multicultural France. The video below is a Euro News report on the fatal attack. R.I.P. the victims of these and other horrible atrocities that have taken place in recent days.
I'm not saying that the proverbial feces is about to hit the turbine-driven-air-cooling-device in Toronto, but the growing labour unrest is definitely a ticking time bomb whose fuse is about to run out. Toronto library workers have begun a strike today and the union representing the mega-city's 23,000 inside workers has set a strike vote for tomorrow. The city, it seems, is not willing to offer any protection to part-time employees, who receive no benefits already and have very little protection against job cuts or privatization. Good for the unions for sticking up for what is fair and just for their members. Workers have a right to know that their job will be safe from outsourcing and shouldn't live in the fear that Rob Ford's union/pay/benefits busting axe could fall at any time. There is power in a union!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Music Break
This week's music break features my favourite heavy metal band, Machine Head. They have been controversial for their whole career, but to me the important thing is that they make aggressive, inspiring, kick-ass music. Here are some videos to prove my point:
Old
Locust
Imperium
Halo
Aesthetics of Hate
From This Day (had to include 1 video from their nu metal/rap metal phase)
Davidian
Old
Locust
Imperium
Halo
Aesthetics of Hate
From This Day (had to include 1 video from their nu metal/rap metal phase)
You Don't Say... March 14, 2011
I'm not saying that St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto is the best healthcare facility in the world, but it is damn good! Special kudos to the cardiac surgery team and all the nurses on the 5th and 7th floors.
I'm not saying that Toronto mayor Rob Ford is going to be removed from office any time soon, but a lad can dream, can't he? And thanks to an application from Paul Magder that claims Ford broke the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, that dream is a step closer to reality. Our distinguished leader allegedly took part in a debate and vote to rescind an order to repay over $3,000 dollars he collected for his private football charity while a city councillor, which violates the Code of Conduct for Members of Council. It is quite clearly a conflict of interest to vote that you, yourself, doesn't have to pay back money owed and the maximum penalty is removal from council without the possibility of running for office for 7 years. All the powers-that-be have to do is accept the application for Ford's removal and...we...shall...have...peaaaaacceee. Check out the link below for more on this ongoing saga.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/03/12/toronto-rob-ford-application.html?cmp=rss
I'm not saying that I'm a gambling addict, but I think, if done properly, a casino in Toronto could be good for the city. If it's done properly. The casino has to be put in an isolated location away from houses and other businesses, because there are always crimes associated with gambling and they don't do anything to help land values in the neighbourhood. Ontario Place is not a bad option for the project. The legalizing of online gambling that is happening in conjunction with the casino project is more troubling to me, as people can sit at home all day with credit cards and watch their savings evaporate into thin air. Granted that can happen at casinos, too, but it's easier to lose control when you don't have to leave your couch and when you don't have to physically take out money to gamble.
I'm not saying that I want March Break travelers stranded, but I am alarmed at how fast governments are willing to pass legislation to send striking workers back to work. I understand this move in the case of the Air Canada employees who have just been ordered back on the job, as many people need a way home from holidays this week. On the other hand, it is a disturbing trend that almost any worker can be sent back to their jobs before receiving a new contract. Workers and unions are losing bargaining power and the ability to show their discontent with wages and working conditions. This is another reason why we need strong unions in this world.
I'm not saying that Toronto mayor Rob Ford is going to be removed from office any time soon, but a lad can dream, can't he? And thanks to an application from Paul Magder that claims Ford broke the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, that dream is a step closer to reality. Our distinguished leader allegedly took part in a debate and vote to rescind an order to repay over $3,000 dollars he collected for his private football charity while a city councillor, which violates the Code of Conduct for Members of Council. It is quite clearly a conflict of interest to vote that you, yourself, doesn't have to pay back money owed and the maximum penalty is removal from council without the possibility of running for office for 7 years. All the powers-that-be have to do is accept the application for Ford's removal and...we...shall...have...peaaaaacceee. Check out the link below for more on this ongoing saga.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/03/12/toronto-rob-ford-application.html?cmp=rss
I'm not saying that I'm a gambling addict, but I think, if done properly, a casino in Toronto could be good for the city. If it's done properly. The casino has to be put in an isolated location away from houses and other businesses, because there are always crimes associated with gambling and they don't do anything to help land values in the neighbourhood. Ontario Place is not a bad option for the project. The legalizing of online gambling that is happening in conjunction with the casino project is more troubling to me, as people can sit at home all day with credit cards and watch their savings evaporate into thin air. Granted that can happen at casinos, too, but it's easier to lose control when you don't have to leave your couch and when you don't have to physically take out money to gamble.
I'm not saying that I want March Break travelers stranded, but I am alarmed at how fast governments are willing to pass legislation to send striking workers back to work. I understand this move in the case of the Air Canada employees who have just been ordered back on the job, as many people need a way home from holidays this week. On the other hand, it is a disturbing trend that almost any worker can be sent back to their jobs before receiving a new contract. Workers and unions are losing bargaining power and the ability to show their discontent with wages and working conditions. This is another reason why we need strong unions in this world.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
On Teacher Austerity
I was watching The Agenda with Steve Paikin last night on TVO and was intrigued by the debate on the ongoing bargaining between the provincial government and Ontario's teacher's unions. As a teacher, I am well informed on the issues am going to weigh in with my 2 cents. Here goes:
*Students need to come first in all of this. Both sides of the bargaining table need to remember that in their negotiations. Teachers need to be given the tools they need to provide the best education to our children. That means that classrooms can't grow too large. I can live with a small growth to 23 students in a primary class, up from 20 or 21. But if they get bigger than that, students will suffer because teachers can only focus on so many students at any given time. At the same time, I have seen many junior (grade 4-6) classes that have between 29 and 33 classes, which is much too big as it is, so they need to be capped or lowered.
*I agree with an email that was shared on the show that teachers do indeed work in a "germ factory". There are hundreds of kids carrying a plethora of viruses, bacteria and parasites running around in every school, affecting pupils and educators alike. Some years teachers get lucky and they need to use hardly any of their 20 allotted sick days. Other years, like this one at one school I have worked at, a bad stomach flu causes a teacher to be sick for a whole week. This would be a massive problem for a lot of educators if the Liberals get their way and reduce sick days from 20 down to 6. Teachers legitimately need to have a number of sick days because they do get sick more employees at most jobs because of the environment they work in and their youthful clientele.
*On the other hand, I am willing to bite the bullet and accept the loss of accumulated sick days. This would save the government millions of dollars and it's better than raising class sizes or freezing wages. That being said, I don't think that accumulated sick days can be taken away without some kind of compensation, whether it be financial or whether it be paid in added benefits etc. You can't just take something away that has been fairly negotiated and in place for years without some sort of compensation.
*I would rather not see salaries get frozen, but I would prefer a salary freeze to taking away the ability of teachers to move up on the pay grid. Right now, teachers start at about $42,000 a year. That salary goes up every so often based on experience and the additional qualifications educators get by taking courses at night, on weekends and in the summer. If you freeze salaries, it wouldn't hurt students as much as taking away their motivation to receive more training and get better at their job. Why would anyone waste a thousand clams on getting an AQ if it won't help them move up the grid? In any other job, ANY other job, added experience, training and qualifications entitle an employee to a higher salary. And why shouldn't it? You are spending your time and hard-earned money to get better at your profession or job. Teachers, in my opinion, could survive with a salary of between 42 and 92 grand a year, which is reasonable pay for the stress and hard work they put in, but to say their experience and additional qualifications make no difference is total nonsense.
*I have some better ways to save money in education. First, as mentioned in an earlier blog, full-day kindergarten doesn't work and could be scrapped. The other biggie is killing the standardized testing. It costs a lot and isn't a realistic or fair indicator of student ability or teacher competence. These are the two places I would start.
This is an explosive issue and I would love people to weigh in on the issue.
*Students need to come first in all of this. Both sides of the bargaining table need to remember that in their negotiations. Teachers need to be given the tools they need to provide the best education to our children. That means that classrooms can't grow too large. I can live with a small growth to 23 students in a primary class, up from 20 or 21. But if they get bigger than that, students will suffer because teachers can only focus on so many students at any given time. At the same time, I have seen many junior (grade 4-6) classes that have between 29 and 33 classes, which is much too big as it is, so they need to be capped or lowered.
*I agree with an email that was shared on the show that teachers do indeed work in a "germ factory". There are hundreds of kids carrying a plethora of viruses, bacteria and parasites running around in every school, affecting pupils and educators alike. Some years teachers get lucky and they need to use hardly any of their 20 allotted sick days. Other years, like this one at one school I have worked at, a bad stomach flu causes a teacher to be sick for a whole week. This would be a massive problem for a lot of educators if the Liberals get their way and reduce sick days from 20 down to 6. Teachers legitimately need to have a number of sick days because they do get sick more employees at most jobs because of the environment they work in and their youthful clientele.
*On the other hand, I am willing to bite the bullet and accept the loss of accumulated sick days. This would save the government millions of dollars and it's better than raising class sizes or freezing wages. That being said, I don't think that accumulated sick days can be taken away without some kind of compensation, whether it be financial or whether it be paid in added benefits etc. You can't just take something away that has been fairly negotiated and in place for years without some sort of compensation.
*I would rather not see salaries get frozen, but I would prefer a salary freeze to taking away the ability of teachers to move up on the pay grid. Right now, teachers start at about $42,000 a year. That salary goes up every so often based on experience and the additional qualifications educators get by taking courses at night, on weekends and in the summer. If you freeze salaries, it wouldn't hurt students as much as taking away their motivation to receive more training and get better at their job. Why would anyone waste a thousand clams on getting an AQ if it won't help them move up the grid? In any other job, ANY other job, added experience, training and qualifications entitle an employee to a higher salary. And why shouldn't it? You are spending your time and hard-earned money to get better at your profession or job. Teachers, in my opinion, could survive with a salary of between 42 and 92 grand a year, which is reasonable pay for the stress and hard work they put in, but to say their experience and additional qualifications make no difference is total nonsense.
*I have some better ways to save money in education. First, as mentioned in an earlier blog, full-day kindergarten doesn't work and could be scrapped. The other biggie is killing the standardized testing. It costs a lot and isn't a realistic or fair indicator of student ability or teacher competence. These are the two places I would start.
This is an explosive issue and I would love people to weigh in on the issue.
Friday, March 09, 2012
Tuesday, March 06, 2012
Music Break
This time I am only going to provide 1 video. This is a video for Billy Bragg`s There is Power in a Union. Billy Bragg is a very important voice in today`s music, as he stands up for the rights of workers, unions and the middle/working class and stands up for freedom. His message is even more poignant in a time where unions are often villainized and wages and benefits are cut because companies/governments claim they can't afford them any more.
Enjoy and look up more of his stuff if you like this tune.
Enjoy and look up more of his stuff if you like this tune.
On Bill C-30 and Internet Surveillance
"You're either with us on this bill, or you're with the child pornographers."
That was essentially Vic Toews' sentiment in recent days following all the backlash over bill C-30, which he introduced in the House of Commons. How very Anakin Skywalker of you, Mr. Toews. It's this kind of absolutist, fear-mongering to quell dissent, along with a list of other fact/opposition silencing actions, that have enraged Canadians since the federal Conservatives won their majority government last year. Stephen Harper et. al. have shown that they don't like the truth or any naysayers to ruin their parade. Well, once again the people of this country are standing up and saying NO to tyrannical ways, Mr. Prime Minister, and it's a good thing, too.
There has been a huge cyber and public outcry since bill C-30 was first introduced in the legislature, and there is good reason for that. The bill, if passed, would give police the right to ask internet providers for your IP address and other information about the identities you use online without a warrant. It also forces internet service providers to re-work their systems to make wiretapping and surveillance possible. Police would need a warrant before they could spy on you, but who's to say others couldn't hack into this network and see which political or porn websites you like to frequent? And who's to say that police or politicians won't use this new option, secretly of course, for their own gains? The reality of having Big Brother lurking in the shadows not far off is enough to make me, and millions of other Canadians, leery of this Tory legislation. Below is a link by the Toronto Star`s Michael Geist that foreshadows such dire outcomes if bill C-30 passes.
http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1136406--bill-c-30-opens-canada-to-big-brother-inc-business-geist
I'm not saying I'm in favor of child porn in any way. In fact, I'm all for finding ways to catch child pornographers in order to protect our kids, but this isn't the way to go. Despite the fact that surveillance systems could be used by a cons...err draconian government bent on quelling opposition forces, or that corporations or clever individuals could hack into the system to gain valuable personal details, there is also the practical matter of costs for the proposed project. A CBC article is indicating that it would cost $80 million over 4 years to get things off the ground. In a time when governments can't find money to fund education, health care, homeless shelters or peoples' hard earned pensions, why are they willing to waste a ton of money to keep tabs on people online? The link to the CBC article is below.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2012/02/community-reaction-to-online-surveillance-bill-80m-setup-costs.html
Some authours are also concerned about what bill C-30 could do to the use of pseudonyms and anonymous commentary by individuals on the World Wide Web. The Globe and Mail`s Ivor Tossell mentions that in his article linked to below:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/digital-culture/ivor-tossell/toewss-child-pornographers-gaffe-aside-bill-c-30-has-real-dangers/article2344551/
I have to agree with Tossell on a number of points. I agree that it would be easy for the police to get a warrant to investigate those behind comments posted on the net that they, or the government, didn`t appreciate. And under the new law, ISPs would have to provide investigators with information that could reveal the faces behind certain pseudonyms. Now I`m not trying to argue that people should be allowed to just post anything on the internet without consequence, because that can be cowardly in some cases, especially when it involves bullying. But when those pseudonyms protect people involved in union building, political protests and actions and other moral and ethical actions that those in power might deem to be worrying.
So, what this boils down to is that bill C-30 can`t be passed by the House and Senate because it will cost too much, will allow police, governments, companies and hackers to spy on people and because it will take away the ability for people to find safety in psedonyms when rocking the establishment`s boat. Time to support those thousands who have already taken up the good fight against this nasty bill. Fight the power!
That was essentially Vic Toews' sentiment in recent days following all the backlash over bill C-30, which he introduced in the House of Commons. How very Anakin Skywalker of you, Mr. Toews. It's this kind of absolutist, fear-mongering to quell dissent, along with a list of other fact/opposition silencing actions, that have enraged Canadians since the federal Conservatives won their majority government last year. Stephen Harper et. al. have shown that they don't like the truth or any naysayers to ruin their parade. Well, once again the people of this country are standing up and saying NO to tyrannical ways, Mr. Prime Minister, and it's a good thing, too.
There has been a huge cyber and public outcry since bill C-30 was first introduced in the legislature, and there is good reason for that. The bill, if passed, would give police the right to ask internet providers for your IP address and other information about the identities you use online without a warrant. It also forces internet service providers to re-work their systems to make wiretapping and surveillance possible. Police would need a warrant before they could spy on you, but who's to say others couldn't hack into this network and see which political or porn websites you like to frequent? And who's to say that police or politicians won't use this new option, secretly of course, for their own gains? The reality of having Big Brother lurking in the shadows not far off is enough to make me, and millions of other Canadians, leery of this Tory legislation. Below is a link by the Toronto Star`s Michael Geist that foreshadows such dire outcomes if bill C-30 passes.
http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1136406--bill-c-30-opens-canada-to-big-brother-inc-business-geist
I'm not saying I'm in favor of child porn in any way. In fact, I'm all for finding ways to catch child pornographers in order to protect our kids, but this isn't the way to go. Despite the fact that surveillance systems could be used by a cons...err draconian government bent on quelling opposition forces, or that corporations or clever individuals could hack into the system to gain valuable personal details, there is also the practical matter of costs for the proposed project. A CBC article is indicating that it would cost $80 million over 4 years to get things off the ground. In a time when governments can't find money to fund education, health care, homeless shelters or peoples' hard earned pensions, why are they willing to waste a ton of money to keep tabs on people online? The link to the CBC article is below.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2012/02/community-reaction-to-online-surveillance-bill-80m-setup-costs.html
Some authours are also concerned about what bill C-30 could do to the use of pseudonyms and anonymous commentary by individuals on the World Wide Web. The Globe and Mail`s Ivor Tossell mentions that in his article linked to below:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/digital-culture/ivor-tossell/toewss-child-pornographers-gaffe-aside-bill-c-30-has-real-dangers/article2344551/
I have to agree with Tossell on a number of points. I agree that it would be easy for the police to get a warrant to investigate those behind comments posted on the net that they, or the government, didn`t appreciate. And under the new law, ISPs would have to provide investigators with information that could reveal the faces behind certain pseudonyms. Now I`m not trying to argue that people should be allowed to just post anything on the internet without consequence, because that can be cowardly in some cases, especially when it involves bullying. But when those pseudonyms protect people involved in union building, political protests and actions and other moral and ethical actions that those in power might deem to be worrying.
So, what this boils down to is that bill C-30 can`t be passed by the House and Senate because it will cost too much, will allow police, governments, companies and hackers to spy on people and because it will take away the ability for people to find safety in psedonyms when rocking the establishment`s boat. Time to support those thousands who have already taken up the good fight against this nasty bill. Fight the power!
Sunday, March 04, 2012
The Good, the Bad and the Meh on the February 27, 2012 edition of Monday Night Raw
As per usual these days, my Raw post is a few days late, but better late than never I suppose. Here we go:
The Good...
The opening standoff between CM Punk and Chris Jericho got the shot off to a sprinting start and, to me, stole the show. I love how their building the "No BS, no gimmicks, no pyro, just go out and put on a spectacular wrestling match" stance on things. The wonderful thing is that those 2 can pull off that kind of show-stealing performance. Some of the one-liners they exchanged in the kurfuffle were also quite amusing, especially Punk's "Did you invent Canada?" line. Hilarious.
The John Cena/Rock faceoff was also very good, but in a different way. Rock was all about chants, catch phrases twitter trends and reading speech notes off his arm. What made it better than just another promo was the fact that Cena called The Rock out for having his script on his arm and for hiding behind catch phrases. It is true that The Rock has more charisma than Cena and usually pulls off a better speech than his adversary, but ol' John Boy verbally kicked his ass on this night.
The CM Punk/Daniel Bryan match was a classic wrestling match. There were changes in momentum, patented moves, counter-moves, outside involvment and the crowd was emotionally invested in the contest. Add to that the fact that John Laurinitis and Teddy Long continued their feud and Jericho added fire to his WWE Title match vs. Punk by attacking him from behind and you have a hell of a powder keg on your hands. Granted this segment was a tad overbooked, but it furthered storylines and the crowd ate it up.
The Bad...
The Miz lost to John Cena in a 4-minute match. He had about 12 seconds of offence and has been reduced to the role of jobber for CM Punk and Cena. This matchup was the headlining match of Wrestlemania last year and thus it is criminal to give these guys just 4 minutes in the ring. Apparently Miz has fallen out of favour with Vince McMahon and people in the locker room , but he can still wrestle and the WWE could do themselves a favour by allowing him to have a proper match with John Cena, which he can still lose to put Cena over. This waste of talent killed the crowd and momentum of the show.
The tag-team match featuring Big Show and Sheamus vs. Cody Rhodes and Mark Henry featured a good promo by Cody Rhodes about Big Show's failings at Wrestlemanias past. As for wrestling, there was about 40 seconds of that, making it a terrible match. Big Show speared Mark Henry and then Sheamus hit him with a brogue kick for the win. That's it. Well, Mark Henry's career is now 6 feet under ground, which is consistent with the rumors that he is on his way out of WWE.
The Meh...
Kelly Kelly defeated Nikki Bella in an ok match that included 2 or 3 wrestling moves and lasted more than a minute at least. There wasn't brilliant execution on the moves and there wasn't much of a story told in the ring though. Not a bad match, but not much there to make it memorable. At least it wasn't a tag match and at least it went more than 90 seconds.
The crowd was hot for the triple-threat tag team title match and the match was ok, but nothing special stood out in it. As well, what's with the tag teams that are put together out of nowhere? Tag teams need months of practice and winning matches together before they should be put in a tag title match. R-Truth and Kofi Kingston haven't been teaming together long enough to be in a match like this. The tag team titles already have very little prestige or meaning left and just throwing tag teams together out of nowhere to compete for the championships makes them even less valuable. This is not a new problem, but time for me to start publicly rail against it.
Eve has generated a whole lot of heat for herself in a very short time for using sex to get what she wants, but her speech on Raw lacked punch. Props to her for the heat, but her mic skills need work.
Overall... 73/100
The promos between the top superstars were excellent and the CM Punk/Daniel Bryan match was very good; however, the rest of the wrestling on the show was short and lacking in storytelling or anything to get spectators emotionally involved in it.
The Good...
The opening standoff between CM Punk and Chris Jericho got the shot off to a sprinting start and, to me, stole the show. I love how their building the "No BS, no gimmicks, no pyro, just go out and put on a spectacular wrestling match" stance on things. The wonderful thing is that those 2 can pull off that kind of show-stealing performance. Some of the one-liners they exchanged in the kurfuffle were also quite amusing, especially Punk's "Did you invent Canada?" line. Hilarious.
The John Cena/Rock faceoff was also very good, but in a different way. Rock was all about chants, catch phrases twitter trends and reading speech notes off his arm. What made it better than just another promo was the fact that Cena called The Rock out for having his script on his arm and for hiding behind catch phrases. It is true that The Rock has more charisma than Cena and usually pulls off a better speech than his adversary, but ol' John Boy verbally kicked his ass on this night.
The CM Punk/Daniel Bryan match was a classic wrestling match. There were changes in momentum, patented moves, counter-moves, outside involvment and the crowd was emotionally invested in the contest. Add to that the fact that John Laurinitis and Teddy Long continued their feud and Jericho added fire to his WWE Title match vs. Punk by attacking him from behind and you have a hell of a powder keg on your hands. Granted this segment was a tad overbooked, but it furthered storylines and the crowd ate it up.
The Bad...
The Miz lost to John Cena in a 4-minute match. He had about 12 seconds of offence and has been reduced to the role of jobber for CM Punk and Cena. This matchup was the headlining match of Wrestlemania last year and thus it is criminal to give these guys just 4 minutes in the ring. Apparently Miz has fallen out of favour with Vince McMahon and people in the locker room , but he can still wrestle and the WWE could do themselves a favour by allowing him to have a proper match with John Cena, which he can still lose to put Cena over. This waste of talent killed the crowd and momentum of the show.
The tag-team match featuring Big Show and Sheamus vs. Cody Rhodes and Mark Henry featured a good promo by Cody Rhodes about Big Show's failings at Wrestlemanias past. As for wrestling, there was about 40 seconds of that, making it a terrible match. Big Show speared Mark Henry and then Sheamus hit him with a brogue kick for the win. That's it. Well, Mark Henry's career is now 6 feet under ground, which is consistent with the rumors that he is on his way out of WWE.
The Meh...
Kelly Kelly defeated Nikki Bella in an ok match that included 2 or 3 wrestling moves and lasted more than a minute at least. There wasn't brilliant execution on the moves and there wasn't much of a story told in the ring though. Not a bad match, but not much there to make it memorable. At least it wasn't a tag match and at least it went more than 90 seconds.
The crowd was hot for the triple-threat tag team title match and the match was ok, but nothing special stood out in it. As well, what's with the tag teams that are put together out of nowhere? Tag teams need months of practice and winning matches together before they should be put in a tag title match. R-Truth and Kofi Kingston haven't been teaming together long enough to be in a match like this. The tag team titles already have very little prestige or meaning left and just throwing tag teams together out of nowhere to compete for the championships makes them even less valuable. This is not a new problem, but time for me to start publicly rail against it.
Eve has generated a whole lot of heat for herself in a very short time for using sex to get what she wants, but her speech on Raw lacked punch. Props to her for the heat, but her mic skills need work.
Overall... 73/100
The promos between the top superstars were excellent and the CM Punk/Daniel Bryan match was very good; however, the rest of the wrestling on the show was short and lacking in storytelling or anything to get spectators emotionally involved in it.
Friday, March 02, 2012
On Robogate
This is an automated recording for... PRiME MiNiSTER STePHEN HaRper: today's debates won't take place in the House of Commons. They will be convened in a court of law and a court of public opinion.
A lot has already been made about "Robogate" in the media, so I'm not going to retread over all the opinions and information that has been shared already. I will say, though, that this election fraud is truly a supression of our democratic rights and freedoms. People were confused about which polling station to go to and were intimidated to vote for specific...cough conservative cough... candidates. That means that hundreds, if not thousands, of people didn't vote or failed to vote for who they truly wanted to.
There absolutely needs to be just punishment for such dirty election tricks. After all, we don't know the full scale of the fraud yet and can't fully fathom how it affected the outcome of last year's federal election, in which the Tories finally won a majority after years of minority rule. But, if you read election and criminal laws, you may be surprised at the maximum penalties for such tampering. $5,000 fines for individuals blah blah blah. $500,000 for the party yadda yadda yadda. Rubbish! There needs to be another election, at least in the ridings where it was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that these automated calls affected the election. People should have a fair and legitimate chance to vote for who they want to and also have a right to know the true location of their polling station. Since many were denied both of these things, they are very much owed another shot. And after this hullabaloo and the Bill C-30 insanity, results may be a little bit different this time around.
Stay tuned for my thoughts on Bill C-30.
A lot has already been made about "Robogate" in the media, so I'm not going to retread over all the opinions and information that has been shared already. I will say, though, that this election fraud is truly a supression of our democratic rights and freedoms. People were confused about which polling station to go to and were intimidated to vote for specific...cough conservative cough... candidates. That means that hundreds, if not thousands, of people didn't vote or failed to vote for who they truly wanted to.
There absolutely needs to be just punishment for such dirty election tricks. After all, we don't know the full scale of the fraud yet and can't fully fathom how it affected the outcome of last year's federal election, in which the Tories finally won a majority after years of minority rule. But, if you read election and criminal laws, you may be surprised at the maximum penalties for such tampering. $5,000 fines for individuals blah blah blah. $500,000 for the party yadda yadda yadda. Rubbish! There needs to be another election, at least in the ridings where it was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that these automated calls affected the election. People should have a fair and legitimate chance to vote for who they want to and also have a right to know the true location of their polling station. Since many were denied both of these things, they are very much owed another shot. And after this hullabaloo and the Bill C-30 insanity, results may be a little bit different this time around.
Stay tuned for my thoughts on Bill C-30.
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