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| My Condo above the glass |
Sunday, 7 February 2016
Saturday, 6 February 2016
Name the Affluent School
I have vaguely heard of Dave Bidini a local writer and musician.
He has written an article for a publication I have never heard of, the National Observer. Maybe it is just me and I should know more about Bidini and the National Observer. I'm taking a chance that it not like The Onion and the articles are not fake.
Bidini writes an opinion piece with the premise that the Toronto Raptors lack of Canadian press is due to racism. That he has to search on page six of the sports section to read about the Raptors recent win streak. No doubt NHL hockey is the lead every night but it is easy to find Raptor articles.
What really got my attention was a story that Bidini leads off with about a"sports event" which he refuses to identify, at his kid's school. Bidini claims that a school from an affluent Toronto neighbourhood demanded that the gym be cleared of fans. That the fans were primarily black. He claims that the fans were not removed from the stands, as no good reason was given.
Why would you not name the affluent school? That would be the lead story in the Toronto Star if true and would be a huge scandal. If that story is not an outright lie than there has to be more to it and Bidini should give us the full story. If that happened in my city I want to hear about it.
I agree with Bidini that the Raptors do not have a national following like the Blue Jays. It is cultural and is reflected in the TV ratings for their games. I'm a big Raptors fan and I live in downtown Toronto. I would watch a Raptors game over the Leafs. By and large people in Saskatchewan do not follow the Raptors. That should not bother anyone. Sports in primarily local and while some teams have broader appeal, most don't. I don't care for curling and won't be watching The Brier. That should not offend people on The Prairies.
The Raptors sell out every game. In the playoffs they have thousands of young people watching them on the big screen outside of the ACC arena. They have a big, diverse following in the GTA. Be content with that, don't wish for people in Medicine Hat to follow your team.
Bidini's comment that the Raptors have been around for decades is an exaggeration if not factually incorrect. This is their 20th season.
If you look closely you will find the Raptors on the first page of most sports sections in Toronto. They play second fiddle to their owners, the Leafs, because this is Canada and hockey always leads.
I would not sit in a sold out arena, surrounded by thousands of screaming fans, worried that some fisherfolk in The Maritimes doesn't care if my team wins or loses.
He has written an article for a publication I have never heard of, the National Observer. Maybe it is just me and I should know more about Bidini and the National Observer. I'm taking a chance that it not like The Onion and the articles are not fake.
Bidini writes an opinion piece with the premise that the Toronto Raptors lack of Canadian press is due to racism. That he has to search on page six of the sports section to read about the Raptors recent win streak. No doubt NHL hockey is the lead every night but it is easy to find Raptor articles.
What really got my attention was a story that Bidini leads off with about a"sports event" which he refuses to identify, at his kid's school. Bidini claims that a school from an affluent Toronto neighbourhood demanded that the gym be cleared of fans. That the fans were primarily black. He claims that the fans were not removed from the stands, as no good reason was given.
Why would you not name the affluent school? That would be the lead story in the Toronto Star if true and would be a huge scandal. If that story is not an outright lie than there has to be more to it and Bidini should give us the full story. If that happened in my city I want to hear about it.
I agree with Bidini that the Raptors do not have a national following like the Blue Jays. It is cultural and is reflected in the TV ratings for their games. I'm a big Raptors fan and I live in downtown Toronto. I would watch a Raptors game over the Leafs. By and large people in Saskatchewan do not follow the Raptors. That should not bother anyone. Sports in primarily local and while some teams have broader appeal, most don't. I don't care for curling and won't be watching The Brier. That should not offend people on The Prairies.
The Raptors sell out every game. In the playoffs they have thousands of young people watching them on the big screen outside of the ACC arena. They have a big, diverse following in the GTA. Be content with that, don't wish for people in Medicine Hat to follow your team.
Bidini's comment that the Raptors have been around for decades is an exaggeration if not factually incorrect. This is their 20th season.
If you look closely you will find the Raptors on the first page of most sports sections in Toronto. They play second fiddle to their owners, the Leafs, because this is Canada and hockey always leads.
I would not sit in a sold out arena, surrounded by thousands of screaming fans, worried that some fisherfolk in The Maritimes doesn't care if my team wins or loses.
Wednesday, 6 January 2016
A new daily step record
I decided earlier today I was going to finish off this 400,00 step challenge on Friday of this week. That meant that I would have to have back to back 25k step days. Today I set a record for this cycle at 25,622 steps which is 21.19 KM or nearly 13 miles. I have now completed 362,824 steps in 20-days.
Tuesday, 5 January 2016
Dog Owners It's Time To Pay the Piper
The tiny strip of grass outside my condo continues to be used by local dog owners as a free doggy toilet. The presence of a taxpayer funded off-leash enclosure is of no interest to dog owners that march Fido up and down the strip of grass until he shits on my lawn.
I read where it costs the city $400,000 to construct an off-leash enclosure for dogs. Stanley Park in my area of King St. West has an off-leash enclosure. Dog owners will not be restricted by off-leash enclosures They own the entire park. Non-dog owners be damned. You get nothing. Parks are for dog lovers and their pets not "others". You can stay on the sidewalk.
It is time to charge licence fees to all dog owners. The fees should pay the extra costs of off-leash park enclosures as well as for use of the entire park. I would think that $500 a dog per year is a fair price. Dog owners do not care about off-leash enclosures. Their dogs can roam unencumbered anywhere in the city. If there is green grass it belongs to their dog. Private property or a public park it does not matter to them.
I read where it costs the city $400,000 to construct an off-leash enclosure for dogs. Stanley Park in my area of King St. West has an off-leash enclosure. Dog owners will not be restricted by off-leash enclosures They own the entire park. Non-dog owners be damned. You get nothing. Parks are for dog lovers and their pets not "others". You can stay on the sidewalk.
It is time to charge licence fees to all dog owners. The fees should pay the extra costs of off-leash park enclosures as well as for use of the entire park. I would think that $500 a dog per year is a fair price. Dog owners do not care about off-leash enclosures. Their dogs can roam unencumbered anywhere in the city. If there is green grass it belongs to their dog. Private property or a public park it does not matter to them.
Pick & Pay Cable
Good news for Canadian cable subscribers, we will be able to pick which TV stations we want to watch in 2016,
Not surprisingly the Canadian TV unions and producers are upset that they will be losing their cable subsidies. Producing horrific, awful television shows subsidised by cable viewers is their God given right. Allowing Canadians to pick the channels they actually watch will result in job losses.
Canadian TV is a horror show of bad art. Unwatchable garbage produced, written and acted by talentless people. It may be unfair to compare Canadian TV with US productions but Australia with far less people than Canada produces better TV and movies.
Just because you call yourself an artist doesn't make you one. Canadian TV is embarrassingly bad. They actually have an awards show that takes 2-days to pass out awards every year to unwatchable Canadian TV programming.
Years ago I handled a claim for a producer that made money collecting government subsidies to produce films that no one watched. He made $millions for producing garbage subsidised by taxpayers.
In Canada where it is possible to work 10 weeks a year and collect 42 weeks of Employment Insurance each and every year, artists demand that we hand over our tax money and cable fees so they can produce shit TV shows and movies with no artistic merit, or even minute traces of talent.
If you are a starving artist it is because you have no talent. I don't want to pay so that you can pursue your dreams. I wanted to be a male model, but I lack the poise and rugged good looks, so I work in an office. You should do the same. Teachers lounges are full of want to be artists that figured out that they were not going to make a living pursuing their dreams. That is why a if you attend a house party with teachers there is always some guy with a guitar and a broken dream.
Pick & pay is here to stay. Go work in an office or apply to teacher's college. Or better yet pick up a shovel or broom.
Not surprisingly the Canadian TV unions and producers are upset that they will be losing their cable subsidies. Producing horrific, awful television shows subsidised by cable viewers is their God given right. Allowing Canadians to pick the channels they actually watch will result in job losses.
Canadian TV is a horror show of bad art. Unwatchable garbage produced, written and acted by talentless people. It may be unfair to compare Canadian TV with US productions but Australia with far less people than Canada produces better TV and movies.
Just because you call yourself an artist doesn't make you one. Canadian TV is embarrassingly bad. They actually have an awards show that takes 2-days to pass out awards every year to unwatchable Canadian TV programming.
Years ago I handled a claim for a producer that made money collecting government subsidies to produce films that no one watched. He made $millions for producing garbage subsidised by taxpayers.
In Canada where it is possible to work 10 weeks a year and collect 42 weeks of Employment Insurance each and every year, artists demand that we hand over our tax money and cable fees so they can produce shit TV shows and movies with no artistic merit, or even minute traces of talent.
If you are a starving artist it is because you have no talent. I don't want to pay so that you can pursue your dreams. I wanted to be a male model, but I lack the poise and rugged good looks, so I work in an office. You should do the same. Teachers lounges are full of want to be artists that figured out that they were not going to make a living pursuing their dreams. That is why a if you attend a house party with teachers there is always some guy with a guitar and a broken dream.
Pick & pay is here to stay. Go work in an office or apply to teacher's college. Or better yet pick up a shovel or broom.
Almost finished my goal
I have completed 337,202 steps an average of 17,747 a day.
I will be finished my 400k steps by Saturday.
As in the past I will attempt to keep up with the exercise and eating well after completing the goal. I will not immediately start drinking alcohol.
I will be finished my 400k steps by Saturday.
As in the past I will attempt to keep up with the exercise and eating well after completing the goal. I will not immediately start drinking alcohol.
Friday, 1 January 2016
New Year
I'm still participating in my challenge.
I'm exactly halfway through the 28-day challenge.
I have completed 251,000 steps well ahead of my 400,000 goal.
I was talking to lawyer yesterday that told me he goes through a similar cleanse starting January 1st. He called it an Irish Holiday. A lot of people will be starting their January booze break today. I told him that while I do not participate in New Years eve celebrations, it is right now that I'm feeling the best about my challenge. He will be hungover and starting a month long fast, while I will be feeling fresh and halfway through.
I'm continuing my study of the Hare Krishna movement and in particular the Krishna West controversy. I'm also studying videos on how to train a parrot. I have no intention of ever getting a parrot and I'm likely too old now to get one as they can live 70-years. I just want to be an expert on training parrots.
What I should be doing is studying Spanish for when I retire to warmer climes. That is my goal this year to improve my language skills.
I'm exactly halfway through the 28-day challenge.
I have completed 251,000 steps well ahead of my 400,000 goal.
I was talking to lawyer yesterday that told me he goes through a similar cleanse starting January 1st. He called it an Irish Holiday. A lot of people will be starting their January booze break today. I told him that while I do not participate in New Years eve celebrations, it is right now that I'm feeling the best about my challenge. He will be hungover and starting a month long fast, while I will be feeling fresh and halfway through.
I'm continuing my study of the Hare Krishna movement and in particular the Krishna West controversy. I'm also studying videos on how to train a parrot. I have no intention of ever getting a parrot and I'm likely too old now to get one as they can live 70-years. I just want to be an expert on training parrots.
What I should be doing is studying Spanish for when I retire to warmer climes. That is my goal this year to improve my language skills.
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