I'm not saying that I have any time for the gang warfare and shootings that have been going on in Scarborough this year, but I really don't think that kicking suspected criminals out of their homes is the answer...or legal for that matter. If someone commits a crime, last time I checked, they get arrested, have a trial and go to jail if found guilty. Rob Ford angrily telling them to leave the city or trying to figure out a way to craft a law to banish them from Toronto city limits will only draw cynical, sarcastic laughs from the aforementioned criminal element (and the majority of the public for that matter).
Now I'm not saying that Mayor Ford's heart is not in the right place and that something must be done, but it might be wise to start by having dialogues with politicians, police, educators and groups running social programs as well as the residents of the affected neighbourhoods about how best to deal with these problems. I think that, if asked, a large number of these people will suggest that spending money on social programs to re-direct young men and women away from gangs and into sports, hobbies and life skills would be much more effective than Ford's idea of asking businesses to set up shop in those areas to create more jobs. If only it were that simple...ol' Rob apparently thinks that it is easy to convince companies to open locations in working-class areas that have been plagued by violence this month. And how do you convince gang members that a McDonald's job is more lucrative or exciting than a life of crime? At least social programs can give young people legal activities that they enjoy doing and hopefully would provide some of the skills necessary for these people to go to post-secondary education so that they can chose jobs and profressions suited to them. Nothing will get everyone out of "the life", but our resources should be put into the most effective solution.
Too bad the Mayor voted to cut funding to a lot of groups that provide councelling and other programs, like the Boys and Girls Club of Scarborough. Is it coincidence that these programs get slashed over the past few years and suddenly gang violence errupts?
I'm not saying it's perfect, but I like some of John Tory's plan to revitalize Ontario Place. He wants to see the area become a free, four-seasons park that has a large Forum stage like in days gone by. He is also calling for low-rise residential buildings around the area and a better link to transit than the current Go and TTC stops at the CNE. The Forum stage and the idea of free shows and concerts intrigues me, as Ontario Place could become the Dundas Square of the Toronto waterfront. On the other hand, I am not sure about having residences and possibly a hotel on the site. They would seem to contradict the idea of a large, open, free park concept. We will see what happens as time goes on.
I'm not saying that The Dark Knight Rises had nothing to do with the movie theater shootings perpetrated by James Holmes last friday, but I think that the BBC, Huffington Post and other news outlets commited a great injustice when they branded this crime the "Batman shootings." I understand that the gun attack took place during the movie and I know the only truly important thing in all this is the victims and their families, but this was an isolated act commited by a mentally unstable individual that shouldn't prevent anyone from going to see a good film. The movie shouldn't get bad press for what happened, as Holmes could have easily chosen a Disney film to commit his heinous acts. What should happen is that this should be used by sensible politicians and activist groups as yet another reason to ban handguns and other dangerous weapons in American cities. Sure, if criminals really want guns they will find a way to get them, but making it illegal to own one would have made it much harder for James Holmes to do what he did. "Protection" and the oft abused "right to bear arms" are not good enough reasons to keep firearms legal any more. My condolences and best wishes go to the people close to the victims and I hope that society can find a way to prevent this tragedy and the recent gang killings in Scarborough from happening again. What's in a name? Everything apparently!
RIP
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Friday, July 06, 2012
Music Break...The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins were my favourite band in my late teens and early twenties. Their music was angst-ridden and full of aggressive, catchy instrumentation that included countless sizzling guitar solos. Lead singer Billy Corgan's voice wasn't pretty, but it and his lyrics were full of honesty and raw emotion. I haven't listened to them nearly as much since then, so I wanted to bring some of their top hits out of the attic for another spin. You and I can be the judge of how well their sound and songs have aged.
The Pumpkins are still going and are still relevant, with songs appearing on the Transformers soundtrack and a new album, Oceania, just released; however, the only founding member left is Billy Corgan (who was the megalomaniac band dictator in charge of all decisions anyway) and they don't get nearly the same mainstream attention as in the past. Maybe that is what Mr. Corgan was going for all along: a large cult following and building a fan base on his own terms using creative means.
Anyway, onto the videos. Here is a selection of videos for songs from all points in their career. Let me know if you think they have aged well or need to be put on the nostalgia shelf and kept there.
Cherub Rock
Today
Disarm
Tonight, Tonight
Bullet with Butterfly Wings
1979
Thirty-Three
Ava Adore
Perfect
The Everlasting Gaze
Stand Inside your Love
Untitled
And finally...a new song called Owata. It is from the concept album Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, which was released one track at a time on the band's website. As I said, a lot of the fire has gone out of the band, but they still produce interesting music and lyrics.
Owata
The Pumpkins are still going and are still relevant, with songs appearing on the Transformers soundtrack and a new album, Oceania, just released; however, the only founding member left is Billy Corgan (who was the megalomaniac band dictator in charge of all decisions anyway) and they don't get nearly the same mainstream attention as in the past. Maybe that is what Mr. Corgan was going for all along: a large cult following and building a fan base on his own terms using creative means.
Anyway, onto the videos. Here is a selection of videos for songs from all points in their career. Let me know if you think they have aged well or need to be put on the nostalgia shelf and kept there.
Cherub Rock
Today
Disarm
Tonight, Tonight
Bullet with Butterfly Wings
1979
Thirty-Three
Ava Adore
Perfect
The Everlasting Gaze
Stand Inside your Love
Untitled
And finally...a new song called Owata. It is from the concept album Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, which was released one track at a time on the band's website. As I said, a lot of the fire has gone out of the band, but they still produce interesting music and lyrics.
Owata
Wednesday, July 04, 2012
Making the Grade: Monday Night Raw, July 2, 2012
Monday Night Raw from Laredo, Texas
It's been waaaaaaaaay too long since I did one of these. Let's get right back into it. As always, you can watch the full show above to see the segments I am commenting on. Let's get it on:
Confrontation between John Cena (F), Daniel Bryan (H), CM Punk (F), Chris Jericho (H), Kane (H) and the Big Show (H)
Wow, the crowd was really popping. Every time a speaker paused or someone else came out from the back, they would errupt. Cena got a surprising amount of applause and Daniel Bryan got a good "YES" chant going. I like how Bryan generated a lot of heel heat and "NO" chants when he said he would beat CM Punk at the Money in the Bank PPV (MITB) and would make Cena the first MITB winner to fail to capture the WWE title. CM Punk also took advantage of the "Yes" when he came out third, and Daniel Bryan called him out for it. Nice. Then Punk got in Bryan and Cena's faces before Chris Jericho came out and called Punk a "wannabe" for using his catch phrase. Punk's Bon Jovi retort was pretty funny, but the best part of the segment was Jericho's catch phrase lesson. Man, I miss the "Welcome to Raw is Jericho!" Jericho's look when Kane came down to challenge him was priceless!!
The segment ended with the Big Show coming to the ring to start a brawl. I didn't like how he was able to lay out some of the top guys in the industry - Punk, Cena, Kane, Jericho and Bryan - in a matter of 15 seconds. I understand selling a guy as a focussed, evil, giant monster, but to take out all those guys that quickly is ridiculous!!
Rating: Good with side orders of "too long" and "poorly ended"
Kofi Kingston, Christian, Santino Marella and R-Truth (Faces) vs. Darren Young, Cody Rhodes, David Otunga and Titus O'Neil (Heels) in an 8-man tag-team match
The match featured some typical high flying by Kofi Kingston and some good mat wrestling by Cody Rhodes. The heels got more crowd reaction than the faces, highlighting the excellent job Cody is doing in his role as a top bad guy. Later in the match, Santino got to hit his normal moves (drop-down splits et. al.), which was fine, but I didn't like how all the heels save David Otunga walked out of the match. It doesn't help fans take them seriously as wrestlers; instead, it turned into an Otunga sqaushing, as Santino pinned him after hitting the Cobra, then Brodus Clay hit a big Splash on top of his prone body. The segment ended with Brodus, the Funkettes and little Funketeers dancing in the ring. Bleh. The end made this whole segment more about feeling good and dancing than actual wrestling.
Rating: a Terribly booked, poor excuse for a match
Alberta Del Rio (H) vs. Sin Cara (F)
The match never got going, as Del Rio went on the attack before the bell could even be rung. Then Del Rio continued to devastate Sin Cara, as he applied his cross arm-breaker outside on the floor. The whole point was to send a message to Sheamus - the current World Heavyweight Champion - that the Mexican aristocrat is vicious and a major threat to the Celtic Warrior. I have stated before and will say it again: I like it when wrestlers look brutal and aggressive, but I hate when it comes at the expense of a potentially good match. I understand that Del Rio is the #1 contender for the heavyweight title and needs to be built up so fans believe he could actually beat Sheamus, but why not have him beat Sin Cara brutally in a good match, where both men can come out looking somewhat strong? I understand what the booking team was doing here, but think it could have been done better.
Rating: Meh
AJ Eats a Rose
After Del Rio beat up Sin Cara, the show cut to Daniel Bryan and AJ talking backstage. Daniel Bryan tried to apologize to AJ for being a jerk in the past few months, but AJ saw through it and called Bryan out for trying to butter her up before AJ gets to be special referee in Daniel's WWE Title match with CM Punk at the Money in the Bank PPV. Then the diminuitive Diva bit the petals off the rose the two-faced Superstar gave her and spat them on the floor, showing the audience that she is still a bit bananas. I liked this segment, as it made sense storyline-wise and AJ has the crazy chick routine mastered.
Rating: Very Gooooooooood
Paul Heymen Addresses HHH's Challenge to Brock Lesnar for a match at Summerslam
After the commercial break, Paul Heyman popped up on the Titantron to address the challenge that WWE COO Triple H made to Heyman's client, Brock Lesnar, for a match at Summerslam. Heyman said that HHH is only doing this because he needs a way to retire a hero, and getting destroyed by Brock would allow him to leave courageously and would certainly be the final match of his career. This is good: they are teasing that HHH wants to retire and Heyman is a master at selling his clients as barbarous behemoths. There is certainly interest in, and heat on, this match now and Heyman increased the hype for the 1000th episode of Raw in 3 weeks by saying Lesnar will appear and decide on that show. This is a typical wrestling ploy: delay the decision until a special show in order to make viewers tune in to find out what his big decision will be.
Rating: Greeeaaatttt
Sheamus and AJ (Faces) vs. Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero (Heels) in a Mixed-Tag Match
This short match was designed to highlight Sheamus, who will meet Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Title at MITB in a couple of weeks, and AJ, who is in the middle of a love triangle with CM Punk and Daniel Bryan. It accomplished it's mission, as Sheamus hit his Brogue Kick on Dolph Ziggler and AJ pinned Vickie to gain the victory, but it came at the expense of Vickie and Dolph. Now, I have no problem with Vickie being used as a jobber and losing this match, but Ziggler's credibility and chances at future stardom take a nose dive every time he gets outmatched and takes a big bump like he did here. Ziggler, I will say it again, needs to start being more competitive in matches and needs to actually win once in a while to elevate himself, as he has the makings of a brilliant heel champion. As an aside, I do like how AJ is developing quickly and learning how to work the crowd already.
Rating: OK except for the burying of Dolph Ziggler, which is beyond curious
Punk and AJ backstage segment
This was a short segment designed to create discord between Punk and AJ, who is all over the show this week. Punk apologizes to being on the phone during AJ's match and lithe lady sells being very disappointed by the fact that her "man" missed her triumph. It made sense and served it's purpose fine, as it foreshadows a bumpy road for the two "lovebirds(?)" down the road.
Rating: Gooood
Heath Slater (H) vs. Doink the Clown in a Legend's Match
This was a fun short match and let fans re-live the heyday of Doink the Clown one more time. Slater sells these matches very well and takes good bumps when he needs to. This match did its job and it was nice to see Heath actually defeat a legend in the ring. It was a huge bonus for me to have Diamond Dallas Page come in after and drop the One-Man Rock Band with a Diamond Cutter after, though, as DDP was always one of my favourite wrestlers. He was totally underutilized when he came to WWE and should have been champ there at least once.
Rating: Excellent on the strength of the DDP cameo
Big show (H) vs. Kane (H) in a No Disqualifications Match
Another short match in a night of short matches. Maybe the new 3-hour format will alleviate the need for contests averaging under 5 minutes. Anyway, this was a typical monsters match: lots of power moves and little-to-no technical mat wrestling. It looked very awkward when Big Show sent Kane into the steel steps legs-first. I will give both performers credit for telling a bit of a story in the ring, as there were some near-falls and a bit of back-and-forth action. The predictable winner, the giant Big Show, came out on top after spearing a metal chair into Kane's midsection, followed by a massive choke slam. Big Show needed to win to keep his momentum going before MITB, and beating the evil Kane shows he can fight with the top dogs.
Rating: Ordinary with a slice of "that was awkward looking"
Eve confronts AJ Backstage
Another AJ segment, but that's ok. She's pulling off her character really well and she is cute to boot. AJ riffed on Eve for trying to brown nose Teddy Long and then told her she would show the much taller Eve that she would show her how to get attention. Another foreshadow of things to come?
Rating: Gooood
Tyson Kidd (F) vs. Tensai (H)
On paper this should have been a squash match, with Tensai literally squashing Kidd, but I am shocked to report the much smaller pugilist pulled off the upset. It all happened so quickly (less than 20 seconds), fitting with the current trend on the show. There is just one thing I don't understand, though. Are they trying to sell me the fact that Tensai, billed as a monster of a man who could take John Cena to the limit, could get beat by a small man via rollup after missing a splash in a corner? There were no kicks, punches, finishing moves or offense of any kind for that matter from Tyson Kidd, and yet he was able to pin Tensai? Come on!! That wasn't catching the bald beast by surprise, that was more like pinning a tranquilized elephant. Only, Tensai wasn't tranquilized. My intelligence has just been insulted. And are they really going to push Tyson Kidd as the next big thing? Really? He is now in the World Heavyweight Title MITB Ladder Match at the next PPV and now he beat Tensai clean? Talk about pushing someone outta nowhere. Where has Kidd been the last few months and are his mic and in-ring skills really good enough to warrant this push?
Rating: Awful
Chris Jericho and Daniel Bryan Strategize Backstage
This was a funny vignette. Bryan annoyed Jericho by repeating his "Yes" phrase over and over and Jericho tried to retaliate with his own catch phrases. Humourous and short. Well done. Then the camera showed CM Punk tell John Cena he was going to take the lead in their upcoming tag-team match, forshadowing some dissent in the ranks? Could be. Lots of predictions of foreshadow this week.
Rating: Good for what it was
CM Punk and John Cena (F) vs. Daniel Bryan and Chris Jericho (H)
This was the main event of the evening and John Cena got another huge crowd pop when his music hit. Jericho did a fantastic job showing off, working the crowd and building heat for his team. He has been the best at those actions for years now. The match incorporated some classic tag-team maneuvers, like isolating one of the faces for most of the match until he miraculously makes a tag and 2 of the 4 combatants taking their battle outside the ring and arena. When Cena and Jericho left ringside to battle each other, Punk and Bryan put on another wrestling clinic. There was a giant Superplex from Punk and a near fall before AJ came out to wreak havoc. She certainly managed to do that, as she set up a table at ringside, gave the champ a massive kiss and then pushed him off the top turnbuckle. Punk then fell onto Daniel Bryan and the two of them crashed through the table. AJ did this seemingly because she doesn't like Daniel Bryan and because Punk ignored her twice: during her match and when she came out during the main event. Then she led the crowd in yet another "Yes" chant. She definately managed to get attention and has perfected the resident psycho character.
I don't know where Cena and Jericho ended up in all of this and would have liked to have seen more of them, but I did like how the foreshadowing amounted to something: AJ causing bodily harm to CM Punk and Daniel Bryan for "ignoring" her earlier in the night. Hell hath no fury...I like how this triangle has been built so far and am anxious to see how it comes to a climax at MITB, which is a sign that WWE is actually telling an interesting story for once.
Rating: Excellent
Overall Rating: Goooooood, as the storylines are coming together nicely and the crowd in Laredo was red hot, but I can't rate this show great or excellent because the matches themselves were short and secondary to storyline advancement. There needs to be a better balance of in-ring and out-of-ring action on Raw, but at least I am excited to see where the Punk/Bryan/AJ story is going and I am interested to see what happens when Brock Lesnar shows up on the 1000th episode celebration of Raw in 3 weeks.
It's been waaaaaaaaay too long since I did one of these. Let's get right back into it. As always, you can watch the full show above to see the segments I am commenting on. Let's get it on:
Confrontation between John Cena (F), Daniel Bryan (H), CM Punk (F), Chris Jericho (H), Kane (H) and the Big Show (H)
Wow, the crowd was really popping. Every time a speaker paused or someone else came out from the back, they would errupt. Cena got a surprising amount of applause and Daniel Bryan got a good "YES" chant going. I like how Bryan generated a lot of heel heat and "NO" chants when he said he would beat CM Punk at the Money in the Bank PPV (MITB) and would make Cena the first MITB winner to fail to capture the WWE title. CM Punk also took advantage of the "Yes" when he came out third, and Daniel Bryan called him out for it. Nice. Then Punk got in Bryan and Cena's faces before Chris Jericho came out and called Punk a "wannabe" for using his catch phrase. Punk's Bon Jovi retort was pretty funny, but the best part of the segment was Jericho's catch phrase lesson. Man, I miss the "Welcome to Raw is Jericho!" Jericho's look when Kane came down to challenge him was priceless!!
The segment ended with the Big Show coming to the ring to start a brawl. I didn't like how he was able to lay out some of the top guys in the industry - Punk, Cena, Kane, Jericho and Bryan - in a matter of 15 seconds. I understand selling a guy as a focussed, evil, giant monster, but to take out all those guys that quickly is ridiculous!!
Rating: Good with side orders of "too long" and "poorly ended"
Kofi Kingston, Christian, Santino Marella and R-Truth (Faces) vs. Darren Young, Cody Rhodes, David Otunga and Titus O'Neil (Heels) in an 8-man tag-team match
The match featured some typical high flying by Kofi Kingston and some good mat wrestling by Cody Rhodes. The heels got more crowd reaction than the faces, highlighting the excellent job Cody is doing in his role as a top bad guy. Later in the match, Santino got to hit his normal moves (drop-down splits et. al.), which was fine, but I didn't like how all the heels save David Otunga walked out of the match. It doesn't help fans take them seriously as wrestlers; instead, it turned into an Otunga sqaushing, as Santino pinned him after hitting the Cobra, then Brodus Clay hit a big Splash on top of his prone body. The segment ended with Brodus, the Funkettes and little Funketeers dancing in the ring. Bleh. The end made this whole segment more about feeling good and dancing than actual wrestling.
Rating: a Terribly booked, poor excuse for a match
Alberta Del Rio (H) vs. Sin Cara (F)
The match never got going, as Del Rio went on the attack before the bell could even be rung. Then Del Rio continued to devastate Sin Cara, as he applied his cross arm-breaker outside on the floor. The whole point was to send a message to Sheamus - the current World Heavyweight Champion - that the Mexican aristocrat is vicious and a major threat to the Celtic Warrior. I have stated before and will say it again: I like it when wrestlers look brutal and aggressive, but I hate when it comes at the expense of a potentially good match. I understand that Del Rio is the #1 contender for the heavyweight title and needs to be built up so fans believe he could actually beat Sheamus, but why not have him beat Sin Cara brutally in a good match, where both men can come out looking somewhat strong? I understand what the booking team was doing here, but think it could have been done better.
Rating: Meh
AJ Eats a Rose
After Del Rio beat up Sin Cara, the show cut to Daniel Bryan and AJ talking backstage. Daniel Bryan tried to apologize to AJ for being a jerk in the past few months, but AJ saw through it and called Bryan out for trying to butter her up before AJ gets to be special referee in Daniel's WWE Title match with CM Punk at the Money in the Bank PPV. Then the diminuitive Diva bit the petals off the rose the two-faced Superstar gave her and spat them on the floor, showing the audience that she is still a bit bananas. I liked this segment, as it made sense storyline-wise and AJ has the crazy chick routine mastered.
Rating: Very Gooooooooood
Paul Heymen Addresses HHH's Challenge to Brock Lesnar for a match at Summerslam
After the commercial break, Paul Heyman popped up on the Titantron to address the challenge that WWE COO Triple H made to Heyman's client, Brock Lesnar, for a match at Summerslam. Heyman said that HHH is only doing this because he needs a way to retire a hero, and getting destroyed by Brock would allow him to leave courageously and would certainly be the final match of his career. This is good: they are teasing that HHH wants to retire and Heyman is a master at selling his clients as barbarous behemoths. There is certainly interest in, and heat on, this match now and Heyman increased the hype for the 1000th episode of Raw in 3 weeks by saying Lesnar will appear and decide on that show. This is a typical wrestling ploy: delay the decision until a special show in order to make viewers tune in to find out what his big decision will be.
Rating: Greeeaaatttt
Sheamus and AJ (Faces) vs. Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero (Heels) in a Mixed-Tag Match
This short match was designed to highlight Sheamus, who will meet Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Title at MITB in a couple of weeks, and AJ, who is in the middle of a love triangle with CM Punk and Daniel Bryan. It accomplished it's mission, as Sheamus hit his Brogue Kick on Dolph Ziggler and AJ pinned Vickie to gain the victory, but it came at the expense of Vickie and Dolph. Now, I have no problem with Vickie being used as a jobber and losing this match, but Ziggler's credibility and chances at future stardom take a nose dive every time he gets outmatched and takes a big bump like he did here. Ziggler, I will say it again, needs to start being more competitive in matches and needs to actually win once in a while to elevate himself, as he has the makings of a brilliant heel champion. As an aside, I do like how AJ is developing quickly and learning how to work the crowd already.
Rating: OK except for the burying of Dolph Ziggler, which is beyond curious
Punk and AJ backstage segment
This was a short segment designed to create discord between Punk and AJ, who is all over the show this week. Punk apologizes to being on the phone during AJ's match and lithe lady sells being very disappointed by the fact that her "man" missed her triumph. It made sense and served it's purpose fine, as it foreshadows a bumpy road for the two "lovebirds(?)" down the road.
Rating: Gooood
Heath Slater (H) vs. Doink the Clown in a Legend's Match
This was a fun short match and let fans re-live the heyday of Doink the Clown one more time. Slater sells these matches very well and takes good bumps when he needs to. This match did its job and it was nice to see Heath actually defeat a legend in the ring. It was a huge bonus for me to have Diamond Dallas Page come in after and drop the One-Man Rock Band with a Diamond Cutter after, though, as DDP was always one of my favourite wrestlers. He was totally underutilized when he came to WWE and should have been champ there at least once.
Rating: Excellent on the strength of the DDP cameo
Big show (H) vs. Kane (H) in a No Disqualifications Match
Another short match in a night of short matches. Maybe the new 3-hour format will alleviate the need for contests averaging under 5 minutes. Anyway, this was a typical monsters match: lots of power moves and little-to-no technical mat wrestling. It looked very awkward when Big Show sent Kane into the steel steps legs-first. I will give both performers credit for telling a bit of a story in the ring, as there were some near-falls and a bit of back-and-forth action. The predictable winner, the giant Big Show, came out on top after spearing a metal chair into Kane's midsection, followed by a massive choke slam. Big Show needed to win to keep his momentum going before MITB, and beating the evil Kane shows he can fight with the top dogs.
Rating: Ordinary with a slice of "that was awkward looking"
Eve confronts AJ Backstage
Another AJ segment, but that's ok. She's pulling off her character really well and she is cute to boot. AJ riffed on Eve for trying to brown nose Teddy Long and then told her she would show the much taller Eve that she would show her how to get attention. Another foreshadow of things to come?
Rating: Gooood
Tyson Kidd (F) vs. Tensai (H)
On paper this should have been a squash match, with Tensai literally squashing Kidd, but I am shocked to report the much smaller pugilist pulled off the upset. It all happened so quickly (less than 20 seconds), fitting with the current trend on the show. There is just one thing I don't understand, though. Are they trying to sell me the fact that Tensai, billed as a monster of a man who could take John Cena to the limit, could get beat by a small man via rollup after missing a splash in a corner? There were no kicks, punches, finishing moves or offense of any kind for that matter from Tyson Kidd, and yet he was able to pin Tensai? Come on!! That wasn't catching the bald beast by surprise, that was more like pinning a tranquilized elephant. Only, Tensai wasn't tranquilized. My intelligence has just been insulted. And are they really going to push Tyson Kidd as the next big thing? Really? He is now in the World Heavyweight Title MITB Ladder Match at the next PPV and now he beat Tensai clean? Talk about pushing someone outta nowhere. Where has Kidd been the last few months and are his mic and in-ring skills really good enough to warrant this push?
Rating: Awful
Chris Jericho and Daniel Bryan Strategize Backstage
This was a funny vignette. Bryan annoyed Jericho by repeating his "Yes" phrase over and over and Jericho tried to retaliate with his own catch phrases. Humourous and short. Well done. Then the camera showed CM Punk tell John Cena he was going to take the lead in their upcoming tag-team match, forshadowing some dissent in the ranks? Could be. Lots of predictions of foreshadow this week.
Rating: Good for what it was
CM Punk and John Cena (F) vs. Daniel Bryan and Chris Jericho (H)
This was the main event of the evening and John Cena got another huge crowd pop when his music hit. Jericho did a fantastic job showing off, working the crowd and building heat for his team. He has been the best at those actions for years now. The match incorporated some classic tag-team maneuvers, like isolating one of the faces for most of the match until he miraculously makes a tag and 2 of the 4 combatants taking their battle outside the ring and arena. When Cena and Jericho left ringside to battle each other, Punk and Bryan put on another wrestling clinic. There was a giant Superplex from Punk and a near fall before AJ came out to wreak havoc. She certainly managed to do that, as she set up a table at ringside, gave the champ a massive kiss and then pushed him off the top turnbuckle. Punk then fell onto Daniel Bryan and the two of them crashed through the table. AJ did this seemingly because she doesn't like Daniel Bryan and because Punk ignored her twice: during her match and when she came out during the main event. Then she led the crowd in yet another "Yes" chant. She definately managed to get attention and has perfected the resident psycho character.
I don't know where Cena and Jericho ended up in all of this and would have liked to have seen more of them, but I did like how the foreshadowing amounted to something: AJ causing bodily harm to CM Punk and Daniel Bryan for "ignoring" her earlier in the night. Hell hath no fury...I like how this triangle has been built so far and am anxious to see how it comes to a climax at MITB, which is a sign that WWE is actually telling an interesting story for once.
Rating: Excellent
Overall Rating: Goooooood, as the storylines are coming together nicely and the crowd in Laredo was red hot, but I can't rate this show great or excellent because the matches themselves were short and secondary to storyline advancement. There needs to be a better balance of in-ring and out-of-ring action on Raw, but at least I am excited to see where the Punk/Bryan/AJ story is going and I am interested to see what happens when Brock Lesnar shows up on the 1000th episode celebration of Raw in 3 weeks.
Monday, June 18, 2012
You Don't Say...Monday June 18, 2012
I'm not saying I'm completely in favour of a religious-based party running the show in Egypt, but I am happy that they had free and democratic elections. I am also cautiously optimistic that the military will truly hand power over to the new parliament by the end of the month, which they have pledged to do. Mohamed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood party appears to have won the vote with approximately 52% of the vote and, as I said, I am a bit wary of a relious party running a nation and what that means for freedom and progress, but a mostly well-run election is a big step forward for the large African nation, considering insidious dictator Hosni Mubarak had been running the show until last year.
Here is a news story from Al Jazeera on the election, the military's stance on giving up power and Ahmed Shafik's claim to have not lost the election yet (at least in his own mind).
I'm not saying I don't understand why the conservative New Democracy Party won the Greek federal election yesterday, but I am surprised that a country that has played host to major protests against austerity measures has voted for the politicians that will stay the course more than the others. new Democracy played on peoples' fears, claiming that the nation would be in shambles if they renogiated bailouts and risked being kicked out of the Eurozone. I would argue, however, that the nation hasn't actually been doing peachy keen with the Euro and going back to the Drachma might give them some economic control again: the chance to devalue their currency to attract manufacturing jobs, tourists and other outsiders that will slowly but surely boost the Greek economy. Oh well, fear is a powerful emotion to fight against and some days I just don't understand human behaviour.
Check out the video below for the Wall Street Journal's perspective on the election. They, like so many others (I really don't get why!!!) are relieved by the election results.
I'm not saying that I don't appreciate the government and border agents keeping undesirables (criminals and dangerous people) out of the country, but their new monitoring technology crosses the line from protecting people to infringing on our rights and freedoms. HD cameras and microphones are being installed at all border crossings and will soon be online. They will have the capability of picking up and monitoring every conversation that takes place in every car at the border: everything from serious debates to offhand jokes about bombs, drugs and other controlled substances that can't be taken across the border. Many of these light-hearted comments may be misconstrued as factual, which could lead to many innocent people being harassed and searched. The government has no right to spy on people in their cars like this and I have a feeling this new surveillance technology will be challenged in a supreme court and will be deemed in violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Below is a link to the Toronto Star story on the issue:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1213052--ottawa-to-eavesdrop-on-travellers-entering-exiting-canada?bn=1
I'm not saying I am a week late, but I still wanted to say congratulations to the Los Angeles Kings for winning the 2012 Stanley Cup finals over the New Jersey Devils. It is the first time in my life that the team I was cheering for since the start of the year has hoisted the cup in June. Now all I need to see is the Leafs win the big prize and my life will be complete...could be waiting a while.
Here is a clip of the last minute of the last game of the final.
I'm not saying I knew him, but my heart goes out to the drum tech who was killed while crews were setting up the stage for a RadioHead concert at Downsview Park yesterday. Scott Johnson was only 33 years old. RIP man!
Here is a news story from Al Jazeera on the election, the military's stance on giving up power and Ahmed Shafik's claim to have not lost the election yet (at least in his own mind).
I'm not saying I don't understand why the conservative New Democracy Party won the Greek federal election yesterday, but I am surprised that a country that has played host to major protests against austerity measures has voted for the politicians that will stay the course more than the others. new Democracy played on peoples' fears, claiming that the nation would be in shambles if they renogiated bailouts and risked being kicked out of the Eurozone. I would argue, however, that the nation hasn't actually been doing peachy keen with the Euro and going back to the Drachma might give them some economic control again: the chance to devalue their currency to attract manufacturing jobs, tourists and other outsiders that will slowly but surely boost the Greek economy. Oh well, fear is a powerful emotion to fight against and some days I just don't understand human behaviour.
Check out the video below for the Wall Street Journal's perspective on the election. They, like so many others (I really don't get why!!!) are relieved by the election results.
I'm not saying that I don't appreciate the government and border agents keeping undesirables (criminals and dangerous people) out of the country, but their new monitoring technology crosses the line from protecting people to infringing on our rights and freedoms. HD cameras and microphones are being installed at all border crossings and will soon be online. They will have the capability of picking up and monitoring every conversation that takes place in every car at the border: everything from serious debates to offhand jokes about bombs, drugs and other controlled substances that can't be taken across the border. Many of these light-hearted comments may be misconstrued as factual, which could lead to many innocent people being harassed and searched. The government has no right to spy on people in their cars like this and I have a feeling this new surveillance technology will be challenged in a supreme court and will be deemed in violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Below is a link to the Toronto Star story on the issue:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1213052--ottawa-to-eavesdrop-on-travellers-entering-exiting-canada?bn=1
I'm not saying I am a week late, but I still wanted to say congratulations to the Los Angeles Kings for winning the 2012 Stanley Cup finals over the New Jersey Devils. It is the first time in my life that the team I was cheering for since the start of the year has hoisted the cup in June. Now all I need to see is the Leafs win the big prize and my life will be complete...could be waiting a while.
Here is a clip of the last minute of the last game of the final.
I'm not saying I knew him, but my heart goes out to the drum tech who was killed while crews were setting up the stage for a RadioHead concert at Downsview Park yesterday. Scott Johnson was only 33 years old. RIP man!
Friday, June 08, 2012
Music Break...Social Distortion
Today on Music Break I am featuring one of my favourite and one of the longest surviving punk bands of all time: Social Distortion. They are fronted by Mike Ness on lead vocals and guitar, a man who is a little bit country, a little bit punk rock and 100% attitude. Their sound was influenced by legends like Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, the Sex Pistols and the Clash. Their music is catchy, yet the lyrics are poignant and are often tales that many can empathize with and relate to. Social Distortion has had success on indie labels and mainstream ones and have built a massive following since their formation way back in 1978.
If anyone is interested, Social Distortion is playing the Sound Academny in Toronto on October 20th. I will be there if I can afford it.
Without further adieu, here are videos of some of Social D's biggest hits:
Story of My Life
When the Angels Sing
Ball and Chain
Machine Gun Blues
Bad Luck
I Was Wrong
Mommy's Little Monster (Live)
If anyone is interested, Social Distortion is playing the Sound Academny in Toronto on October 20th. I will be there if I can afford it.
Without further adieu, here are videos of some of Social D's biggest hits:
Story of My Life
When the Angels Sing
Ball and Chain
Machine Gun Blues
Bad Luck
I Was Wrong
Mommy's Little Monster (Live)
Friday, June 01, 2012
On "The Great Euro Crash" BBC Documentary
The Great Euro Crash with Robert Peston (2012)
The BBC has been showing an insightful documentary on the current recession called The Great Euro Crash over the last couple weeks. It made some very valid and interesting points I hadn't considered before and I wanted to share my thoughts on some of them. Above is the doc in it's entirety and below are my comments.
*Germany seems to be an example of what used to work and what could work again. They became a European power again by bringing manufacturing and exporting jobs back to the country and by paying those workers very healthy wages. The exports are much higher than German imports now, thus allowing the country to make a ton of money off trade, and the workers receiving good wages further helps strengthen the German economy because it gives them spending power. That is an edge ze Deutch have over, say, the Chinese these days. Canada is trying to do something similar with the oil sands, but unfortunately that comes with a mighty environmental price. Other countries should follow Germany's lead and, instead of slashing wages and jobs and social programs, spend money to re-invigorate export sectors as well as pay healthy wages to employees so they can stimulate the economy by spending.
*This documentary and other commentators have suggested that many of the powerful nations in Europe, like Germany and France, have forgotten one of the fundamental compromises that was agreed upon when the European Union was formed. That was that Europe economically was to become almost like 1 ginormous nation, with the "haves" and areas with money and resources helping the "have nots" and areas with few resources. This is clearly not what is happening in reality, as France and Germany are demanding massive and devastating austerity measures and cuts from Greece, Ireland, Hungary and the other countries that are struggling most. Austerity, while it may cut the deficits of these nations for one year, will have tremendous negative effects down the line: widespread unemployment, a lack of an educated work force and a majorly slumping economy.
These effects have already begun to be felt in Greece and others, showing that austerity is cleary not the way to go. Part of the problem was that EU leaders decided to go for an economic union before a political union, where 1 finance minister or a small group could make decisions for the entire group and where agreements as to how economic support to struggling nations would be undertaken.
*I didn't know that the seeds of the EU were planted shortly after World War II, as France and Germany were looking for ways to prevent the continent (and the world) from being engulfed in another catastrophe. Unfortunately, they had no economic backgrounds and didn't fully appreciate the long-term economic effects that this union would have. Modern leaders made the same mistake to a degree, allowing countries like Italy and Greece to lie their way into the Eurozone without considering what the consequences might be. EU rules state that a country's debt to GDP ratio must be 60% to gain entry, but Italy and Greece were allowed in with higher ratios because they "were lowering their ratios to get closer to that number" (on falsified papers anyway). Also, it would have been difficult to have an EU without Italy and Greece, as they are the heart of Europe. Sadly, no one has figured out how to support and stabilize the these economies without having to consistently bail them out.
*I thought it was very interesting to hear that the German government and population have always been better at saving and controlling spending, while Greece and Italy have been the exact opposite. The immediate surge in their economies led the Greek and Italian parliaments and citizens to spend miles above their means, as they traditionally like to spend. People were buying Porsches and houses like they were going out of style, for example. When they fell back to earth and subsequently fell into a recession, a lot of people lost everything and the government was buried in an incredible hole.
*It's not surprising that soon after the economic rules were relaxed, the whole continent suffered several major crises. Host Robert Peston pointed out that the EU had a rule that said "annual deficits should never exceed 3% of GDP," but in 2003 France and Germany fought for that rule to be taken out of the Stability and Growth Pact of the EU and countries started borrowing and spending way more than they could afford or ever dream of paying back. Then in 2008, just 5 years after the rule change, the outrageous spending caught up with Europe and the whole thing went tits up. It was also made cheaper and easier to borrow money in the United States around the same time, so governments and citizens went crazy borrowing money for things like houses. When interest rates went up in Europe and America, people and governments could no longer afford their debts, leading millions to abandon/be thrown out of their homes and caused governments to lose their shirts. Thus, the great housing crisis and recession of 2008/9 was born! I can't believe that all the world's brilliant and well educated bankers and economists didn't see this coming and couldn't have warned the world about what was coming.
*The fact that taxpayers had to pay for bank bailouts has always been impossible to accept for me. The quote of the documentary was by Irish property developer-turned activist Mick Wallace, "The notion that the taxpayers should actually be taking care of the problems of badly run, failed, useless banks has been a bitter pill." Amen. Banks played games and tried to make more well than I can imagine by keeping interest rates low and relaxing borrowing limits and it came back to bite them in the arse. We shouldn't pay for their greed and we certainly shouldn't have allowed any of them to keep their golden parachutes on the way down!
*I was unaware that EU rules actually prohibit bailouts, as many nations have had to find ways around that agreement and have asked for hundreds of billions in support.
*There is no doubt, as Robert Peston points out, that major economic reform is needed to save the EU and economies of most countries in the world and make those economies competitive again. On the other hand, I'm not sure that slashing prices and wages to be competitive is the way to go. Governments and households can live within their means, granted, and spend a bit less on things they can't afford. But how about stimulating your economy by targeted job growth and putting more money in peoples' pockets through creating more and better jobs? And how about protesting and refusing to buy products from countries who pay their workers embarrassingly low wages (eg. China) and make them work in unfair conditions (Again, China, I'm looking at you)? Then, at least, every country would start with an equal playing field.
*If countries can't get back on their feet within the EU, then maybe the huge organization needs to be disbanded until someone comes up with a way to prevent these major economic problems from happening again.
The BBC has been showing an insightful documentary on the current recession called The Great Euro Crash over the last couple weeks. It made some very valid and interesting points I hadn't considered before and I wanted to share my thoughts on some of them. Above is the doc in it's entirety and below are my comments.
*Germany seems to be an example of what used to work and what could work again. They became a European power again by bringing manufacturing and exporting jobs back to the country and by paying those workers very healthy wages. The exports are much higher than German imports now, thus allowing the country to make a ton of money off trade, and the workers receiving good wages further helps strengthen the German economy because it gives them spending power. That is an edge ze Deutch have over, say, the Chinese these days. Canada is trying to do something similar with the oil sands, but unfortunately that comes with a mighty environmental price. Other countries should follow Germany's lead and, instead of slashing wages and jobs and social programs, spend money to re-invigorate export sectors as well as pay healthy wages to employees so they can stimulate the economy by spending.
*This documentary and other commentators have suggested that many of the powerful nations in Europe, like Germany and France, have forgotten one of the fundamental compromises that was agreed upon when the European Union was formed. That was that Europe economically was to become almost like 1 ginormous nation, with the "haves" and areas with money and resources helping the "have nots" and areas with few resources. This is clearly not what is happening in reality, as France and Germany are demanding massive and devastating austerity measures and cuts from Greece, Ireland, Hungary and the other countries that are struggling most. Austerity, while it may cut the deficits of these nations for one year, will have tremendous negative effects down the line: widespread unemployment, a lack of an educated work force and a majorly slumping economy.
These effects have already begun to be felt in Greece and others, showing that austerity is cleary not the way to go. Part of the problem was that EU leaders decided to go for an economic union before a political union, where 1 finance minister or a small group could make decisions for the entire group and where agreements as to how economic support to struggling nations would be undertaken.
*I didn't know that the seeds of the EU were planted shortly after World War II, as France and Germany were looking for ways to prevent the continent (and the world) from being engulfed in another catastrophe. Unfortunately, they had no economic backgrounds and didn't fully appreciate the long-term economic effects that this union would have. Modern leaders made the same mistake to a degree, allowing countries like Italy and Greece to lie their way into the Eurozone without considering what the consequences might be. EU rules state that a country's debt to GDP ratio must be 60% to gain entry, but Italy and Greece were allowed in with higher ratios because they "were lowering their ratios to get closer to that number" (on falsified papers anyway). Also, it would have been difficult to have an EU without Italy and Greece, as they are the heart of Europe. Sadly, no one has figured out how to support and stabilize the these economies without having to consistently bail them out.
*I thought it was very interesting to hear that the German government and population have always been better at saving and controlling spending, while Greece and Italy have been the exact opposite. The immediate surge in their economies led the Greek and Italian parliaments and citizens to spend miles above their means, as they traditionally like to spend. People were buying Porsches and houses like they were going out of style, for example. When they fell back to earth and subsequently fell into a recession, a lot of people lost everything and the government was buried in an incredible hole.
*It's not surprising that soon after the economic rules were relaxed, the whole continent suffered several major crises. Host Robert Peston pointed out that the EU had a rule that said "annual deficits should never exceed 3% of GDP," but in 2003 France and Germany fought for that rule to be taken out of the Stability and Growth Pact of the EU and countries started borrowing and spending way more than they could afford or ever dream of paying back. Then in 2008, just 5 years after the rule change, the outrageous spending caught up with Europe and the whole thing went tits up. It was also made cheaper and easier to borrow money in the United States around the same time, so governments and citizens went crazy borrowing money for things like houses. When interest rates went up in Europe and America, people and governments could no longer afford their debts, leading millions to abandon/be thrown out of their homes and caused governments to lose their shirts. Thus, the great housing crisis and recession of 2008/9 was born! I can't believe that all the world's brilliant and well educated bankers and economists didn't see this coming and couldn't have warned the world about what was coming.
*The fact that taxpayers had to pay for bank bailouts has always been impossible to accept for me. The quote of the documentary was by Irish property developer-turned activist Mick Wallace, "The notion that the taxpayers should actually be taking care of the problems of badly run, failed, useless banks has been a bitter pill." Amen. Banks played games and tried to make more well than I can imagine by keeping interest rates low and relaxing borrowing limits and it came back to bite them in the arse. We shouldn't pay for their greed and we certainly shouldn't have allowed any of them to keep their golden parachutes on the way down!
*I was unaware that EU rules actually prohibit bailouts, as many nations have had to find ways around that agreement and have asked for hundreds of billions in support.
*There is no doubt, as Robert Peston points out, that major economic reform is needed to save the EU and economies of most countries in the world and make those economies competitive again. On the other hand, I'm not sure that slashing prices and wages to be competitive is the way to go. Governments and households can live within their means, granted, and spend a bit less on things they can't afford. But how about stimulating your economy by targeted job growth and putting more money in peoples' pockets through creating more and better jobs? And how about protesting and refusing to buy products from countries who pay their workers embarrassingly low wages (eg. China) and make them work in unfair conditions (Again, China, I'm looking at you)? Then, at least, every country would start with an equal playing field.
*If countries can't get back on their feet within the EU, then maybe the huge organization needs to be disbanded until someone comes up with a way to prevent these major economic problems from happening again.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Dustin Brown on Michal Rozsival: Dirty Hit or Incidental Contact?
Dustin Brown Knees Michal Rozsival
I felt a huge adrenaline surge and a level of ecstacy I haven't felt since... when I woke up and found out the Los Angeles Kings had won their Western Conference Final series against the Phoenix Coyotes the night previous. I was proud of a team who had, for the most part, stayed away from cheap shots, dirty hits and diving in these playoffs. In other words, they were winning the right way.
Then I turned on SportsCentre and heard all the chatter about Dustin Brown's knee-on-knee collision with Michal Rozsival literally one play before the end of the game and couldn't help but feel a bit let down because my team had lost some honour by taking out an opponent with a dirty play.
But then I watched the replay of the hit. And watched it again and again. And listened to commentary from a multitude of sources on this incident: TSN, Sportsnet, NBC. And I can't help but have mixed feelings about this whole affair.
Dustin Brown, I will concede, is at fault for two things on this play. There is no doubt that the Kings captain hit Rozsival after the whistle had blown, as the Coyotes were offside at L.A.'s blueline. Brown only hit him a fraction of a second after the referee stopped play, yes, but Brown is fully responsible for his own body and not hitting players late. I will also admit that Dustin Brown left his leg out on the check. It was sticking out at an angle where it could and did do damage to an opponent in a collision. I'm not sure if that was deliberate or if it was just out because of how he was skating towards the Coyotes' forward, but it was out there.
On the other hand, there are a couple points I'd like to make in Dustin Brown's defence. First of all, he did hit Michal Rozsival's arm and shoulder, too, making it seem to me like Brown was aiming high and not at Rozsival's knee. The other is that the Kings' captain didn't move his leg towards the Phoenix forward's knee before or during the collision, so perhaps the contact was incidental. Brown did have his leg way out in a dangerous spot the whole time, but it didn't look like he did anything to target Rozsival's leg.
Do I think Dustin Brown plays on the edge and can cross the line sometimes? Yes? Do I think that elements of the hit on Michal Rozsival were cheap and dirty? Absolutely. Do I think Brown targeted Rozsival's knee deliberately and tried to put him out? No. Do I think Brown should have gotten a penalty or suspension? A minor penalty, maybe, but certainly not a suspension.
Either way, this happened on the very next play...
and the Los Angeles Kings are off to the Stanley Cup Final for the first and only time since 1993. I have loved this team since 1989 and am proud of their accomplishments this post season. What a great underdog story and no amount of bitterness from Shane Doan is going to change the fact that LA was the better team against Phoenix, or Vancouver or St. Louis for that matter.
Go Kings Go! Bring your first Cup home to California this year!
I felt a huge adrenaline surge and a level of ecstacy I haven't felt since... when I woke up and found out the Los Angeles Kings had won their Western Conference Final series against the Phoenix Coyotes the night previous. I was proud of a team who had, for the most part, stayed away from cheap shots, dirty hits and diving in these playoffs. In other words, they were winning the right way.
Then I turned on SportsCentre and heard all the chatter about Dustin Brown's knee-on-knee collision with Michal Rozsival literally one play before the end of the game and couldn't help but feel a bit let down because my team had lost some honour by taking out an opponent with a dirty play.
But then I watched the replay of the hit. And watched it again and again. And listened to commentary from a multitude of sources on this incident: TSN, Sportsnet, NBC. And I can't help but have mixed feelings about this whole affair.
Dustin Brown, I will concede, is at fault for two things on this play. There is no doubt that the Kings captain hit Rozsival after the whistle had blown, as the Coyotes were offside at L.A.'s blueline. Brown only hit him a fraction of a second after the referee stopped play, yes, but Brown is fully responsible for his own body and not hitting players late. I will also admit that Dustin Brown left his leg out on the check. It was sticking out at an angle where it could and did do damage to an opponent in a collision. I'm not sure if that was deliberate or if it was just out because of how he was skating towards the Coyotes' forward, but it was out there.
On the other hand, there are a couple points I'd like to make in Dustin Brown's defence. First of all, he did hit Michal Rozsival's arm and shoulder, too, making it seem to me like Brown was aiming high and not at Rozsival's knee. The other is that the Kings' captain didn't move his leg towards the Phoenix forward's knee before or during the collision, so perhaps the contact was incidental. Brown did have his leg way out in a dangerous spot the whole time, but it didn't look like he did anything to target Rozsival's leg.
Do I think Dustin Brown plays on the edge and can cross the line sometimes? Yes? Do I think that elements of the hit on Michal Rozsival were cheap and dirty? Absolutely. Do I think Brown targeted Rozsival's knee deliberately and tried to put him out? No. Do I think Brown should have gotten a penalty or suspension? A minor penalty, maybe, but certainly not a suspension.
Either way, this happened on the very next play...
and the Los Angeles Kings are off to the Stanley Cup Final for the first and only time since 1993. I have loved this team since 1989 and am proud of their accomplishments this post season. What a great underdog story and no amount of bitterness from Shane Doan is going to change the fact that LA was the better team against Phoenix, or Vancouver or St. Louis for that matter.
Go Kings Go! Bring your first Cup home to California this year!
Saturday, May 12, 2012
France and Greece Reject Austerity
I am breathing a breath of fresh air after the French and Greek elections last Sunday. I'm not saying that the results were completely positive, but it is clear that the people of both countries unequivocally rejected austerity and making the middle and lower classes pay so that the rich can hang on to their wealth. I am especially happy that Hollande and the left-wing socialist party won in France.
The news in Greece is more mixed unfortunately. The vote was split between a few parties, who will now try to form a coalition. A lefty block ruling the country wouldn't be bad, but it's scare that the far right is gaining in popularity. The Neo-Nazi party New Dawn scares the bejeezus out of me and it's even more frightening that they got 7% of the vote. How anyone can vote for a nazi party in the modern world is beyond me, even during a severe economic depression.
It's scary, but this whole thing is reminding me of the 1930's, as struggling countries are becoming more nationalist and xenophobic and are electing insane right-wing parties who promise to fight back against the world. They are playing on the fear of people and appealing to the worst instincts of humanity!! This led to World War II last time, which was the only thing that got the world out of the depression: SPENDING on war machines. Let's hope it doesn't come to that again and governments realize that smart spending and tax reform now will end the problem without the need of bloodshed.
Below is more coverage on the French and Greek elections in video format.
French Election Results
Greek Election Results
The news in Greece is more mixed unfortunately. The vote was split between a few parties, who will now try to form a coalition. A lefty block ruling the country wouldn't be bad, but it's scare that the far right is gaining in popularity. The Neo-Nazi party New Dawn scares the bejeezus out of me and it's even more frightening that they got 7% of the vote. How anyone can vote for a nazi party in the modern world is beyond me, even during a severe economic depression.
It's scary, but this whole thing is reminding me of the 1930's, as struggling countries are becoming more nationalist and xenophobic and are electing insane right-wing parties who promise to fight back against the world. They are playing on the fear of people and appealing to the worst instincts of humanity!! This led to World War II last time, which was the only thing that got the world out of the depression: SPENDING on war machines. Let's hope it doesn't come to that again and governments realize that smart spending and tax reform now will end the problem without the need of bloodshed.
Below is more coverage on the French and Greek elections in video format.
French Election Results
Greek Election Results
Friday, May 04, 2012
You Don't Say... May 4, 2012
I'm not saying I listened to the Beastie Boys every second of every day, but their music is important to the history of rock and rap and Adam Yauch (MCA) will be missed. Rest in peace. Hopefully he is continuing the fight for his right to party in heaven now.
Beastie Boys - Fight For Your Right (To Party)
I'm not saying that Toronto Star reporter Daniel Dale had the right to snoop around the Mayor's home on Wednesday night, but Rob Ford needs to chill out and pick on people his own size. Daniel Dale says he was just checking out the property next to Ford's house that the Mayor wants to buy and Ford says Dale was standing on cinder blocks, jumping over his fence and peering into his house. We will never know the whole, unadulterated truth and both men could have acted differently, but it is especially unbecoming of the Mayor of Toronto to be cornering a small, meek man and threatening to hand him his ass on a silver platter. His tantrums and brutish behaviour are getting him international attention. A CBC News video on the story is below.
And here is a link to a BBC story on Toronto's Mayor and his love of bicycles:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17914504
The man is managing to make Silvio Berlusconi look good!!
I'm not saying that a lot of money should be spent to save Captain John's floating restaurant on Toronto' waterfront, but it will be a shame to see the iconic ship disappear from the city's landscape. It has been there since 1975, but doesn't seem to fit into the city's vision of the waterfront of tomorrow.
I'm not saying I would spit in his face if I saw him, but I am not really happy having Conrad Black back in the country. Is anybody happy about this? Canada's own Rupert Murdoch-esque disgraced media mogul was given a 1-year temporary residence permit to come back to Canada after serving his sentence for fraud and obstruction of justice. He gave up his Canadian citizenship long ago and would not have been allowed back in the country without the permit, as he now has quite the criminal record.
Beastie Boys - Fight For Your Right (To Party)
I'm not saying that Toronto Star reporter Daniel Dale had the right to snoop around the Mayor's home on Wednesday night, but Rob Ford needs to chill out and pick on people his own size. Daniel Dale says he was just checking out the property next to Ford's house that the Mayor wants to buy and Ford says Dale was standing on cinder blocks, jumping over his fence and peering into his house. We will never know the whole, unadulterated truth and both men could have acted differently, but it is especially unbecoming of the Mayor of Toronto to be cornering a small, meek man and threatening to hand him his ass on a silver platter. His tantrums and brutish behaviour are getting him international attention. A CBC News video on the story is below.
And here is a link to a BBC story on Toronto's Mayor and his love of bicycles:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17914504
The man is managing to make Silvio Berlusconi look good!!
I'm not saying that a lot of money should be spent to save Captain John's floating restaurant on Toronto' waterfront, but it will be a shame to see the iconic ship disappear from the city's landscape. It has been there since 1975, but doesn't seem to fit into the city's vision of the waterfront of tomorrow.
I'm not saying I would spit in his face if I saw him, but I am not really happy having Conrad Black back in the country. Is anybody happy about this? Canada's own Rupert Murdoch-esque disgraced media mogul was given a 1-year temporary residence permit to come back to Canada after serving his sentence for fraud and obstruction of justice. He gave up his Canadian citizenship long ago and would not have been allowed back in the country without the permit, as he now has quite the criminal record.
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