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October 31 "Hey Paul....I'll take the money!" This is what happens when you're an egocentric, gold digging socialite...
Normally, I'm not one to comment on Hollywood-esque gossip. But I'm truly getting annoyed with seeing this woman's face splattered all over the media. The fact that she blames everyone but herself for her subsequent attention, just goes to further prove how clueless she truly is. She panders to the media when it serves her best interests, but then crucifies them for wanting to know the details regarding her situation. The fact that she has already turned down a ONE HUNDRED MILLION dollar divorce settlement (not including a yearly allowance for her child's welfare)....
....is completely infathomable. Especially when one takes into consideration the incalculable sum of "deadbeat dad's" the world over, who would rather serve prison time, that pay one dollar in support.
So remember this, the next time Ms. Mills loudly proclaims her actions, or lackthereof, are in the best interest of her daughter.
Hypocrisy at its finest.
Gh0sT "Entertainment District"? Behold! The brainchild of our former mayor Mel Lastman....
Flashback to the year 2000. City council decides, in their infinite wisdom, that it would be a smashing idea to place all nightlcubs with dancefloors, within a few square blocks of each other. Resulting in approximately 30-50 thousand habitually intoxicated, overly-testicular meatheads flocking there every weekend. Just itching to engage in bloodshed, that would make even the Roman empire blush with envy.
Fast forward to the year 2006. The city of Toronto, with its Entertainment District now a congested mess of broken bodies and gridlocked vehicles, the Province of Ontario offers up five million dollars to help combat the epidemic of violence and debauchery, in the glorified battleground created by the city's idiocy. Everything from paddy wagons, to police on horseback, and even closed circut cameras, became staples of District life.
Over a year later, we are still waiting to see the fruits of our labours. As the above story illustrates. And since it was the City of Toronto that got themselves into this mess, I'm questioning exactly WHY the Province of Ontario event felt obliged to help bail them out in the first place.
When this idea was originally be floated around, I'm curious to know how not one member of City Council dared to exercise the common sense God gave a rock, and speak up against this disaster in the making. Possibly because one of the biggest vices in the history of mankind, alcohol (especially in mass quantities) left them blinded by dollar signs. Leaving one magazine to list this now infamous Toronto stretch, as one of the "Top 20" most dangerous areas in North America.
At this point in time, all we can do, is root for the hair of the dog, and hope these nightclubs prosper. Tax them out their a$$, and hope to make back a fraction of the money we've wasted, babysitting and cleaning up after their unruly, adolescent clientele.
Gh0sT October 26 Recommended reading............... A while back, I did a small write-up about the esclating drug problem in rural communities. I came across this 5-part article while researching something else, and thought it would make a great addition to further prove previously-made point. This article is great, in that it clearly demonstates the longevity and severity of the issue at hand, with all of its specific complexities. How the drug problem thrived, long before the 1980's "Just Say NO" campaign, and how it continues to do so even today. What perpetuates the "revolving door" of abuse, and more.
Enjoy,
Gh0sT
October 21 "Wellness Policy", Part 2...... Some of the most damning evidence proving the inadequacy of the "Wellness Policy" came during a CNN interview with Larry King, when certain main event status wrestling performers could not even list off the basic fundamentals of the policy itself. To have your career governed by a supposed set of strict rules and regulations, yet have not even an elementary understanding of them, is inconceivable. Unless, of course, you never have to worry about the consequences of breaking said rules and regulations in the first place. As you know they will almost never been enforced.
And why wouldn't they, you ask?
One word: "MONEY".
In the world of pro wrestling, a performer's position in the food chain will determine whether he or she will be held liable, should their drug use suddenly become public knowledge. The more butts they put in seats, the less time they need to waste worrying about the consequences of their actions. This process has been repeated over and over again, and the "Wellness Policy" has already proven it will do little in the way of changing that mode of thinking or behaviors. In the defense of pro wrestling, they are only following the lead, of what so many other more mainstream sports have often done (i.e. basketball, football, etc.). But instead of involving "off court behaviors", it involves drug use. In an ironic twist, more and more pro wrestlers are coming out and openly admitting on camera they use, or at the very least advocate the use of performance enhancing drugs, now then before such policy came into effect. If that doesn't speak volumes to the average fan about the priorities of pro wrestling, then I don't know what will.
Mixed martial arts, on the other hand, is a relatively new sport. And as I stated previously, has literally fought over 15 years, only to recently gain a public sense of legitmacy. To have all their hard work taken down by something that could be easily regulated and enforced, is ludicrous. What I have seen, however, is the mixed martial arts bodies as a whole, take the issue of drug use FAR, MORE seriously, than their counterparts in the world of pro wrestling. As the link in the previous blog demonstrated. Hopefully, they will continue to do so. Only time will tell. Men like Randy Couture, Matt Serra, and Dan Severn are ambassadors to the sport.
I stopped watching pro wrestling altogether a while back. Not out of a sense of boredom (because I'd been a fan since age 6), but I did so out of sense of guilty. After watching performer and perfromer die of preventable deaths, many of whom I grew up watching, I suddenly realized I was inadvertantly contributing to them by just turning on the television, or purchasing a ticket. I don't want to be a consumer of a product that literally eats up people, and spits them out. Because before they are wrestlers, they are human beings. Someone's parent, or sibling. Not disposable by-product, that makes someone else rich.
That's the skinny, 'cause I trim the fat.
Ghost
October 19 The "Wellness Policy" at work..... This is by far, the all time worst, and most idiotic pop for drugs on an athlete I've ever witnessed..........
If you happen to be a fan of either pro wrestling or mixed martial arts (or both, as is often the case with fan cross over), you'll notice the ultra hip phrase circulating amongst both genres this year is "Wellness Policy". Exactly what IS a "Wellness Policy" you may ask? Well, to answer that question for you, I must first give you some insight into the events that bore the concept into existence.
Pro wrestling has THE highest, pre-50 mortality rate, of any sporting event on the planet (See "New England Journal of Medicine" for the actual stats). Undoubtably, 2007 has been the worst year for premature wrestling deaths, in its almost 100 year history. At one point this summer, it was literally one a week. It was THAT bad. Most of which could be traced back to either drug overdoses, and illnesses directly related to drug abuse (heart attacks, strokes, etc.). One of the most damning (albeit honest) quotes about the state of the buisness came from one of its 20-year veterans, when he explicitly said, "If you're not willing to take steroids and pain killers, you have no business being a professional wrestler.". That's about as frank and honest as someone can get, in an industry that seems hellbent on covering up the truth. Now, even the federal government has stepped in to investigate. And already heads are beginning to roll off the chopping block.
So the corporate wrestling bigwigs kicked their spin doctors into overdrive, and came up with a nifty, little red herring called the "Wellness Policy". Something that would not only look good on paper, but actually con the federal government and fans into believing they actually gave a s__t about the physical welfare of their talent. The Wellness Policy basically stated two key points. ONE: Unprescribed drug use is prohibited...and TWO: Positive test results for such, will result in heavy fines and lengthy suspensions.
It wasn't long before the time came for the policy to be enforced. Which occured when a certain, unnamed pharmaceutical company in the States was caught sending massive amounts of anabolic goodies, to a laundry list of professional wrestlers. All of which tested positive for the goodies in question.
So it's time to enforce the policy, right?
Wrong.
I guess something that WASN'T mentioned about the policy, was its subjective nature. Some of those wrestlers who popped positive were given a WHOPPING 3...That's right...3 week suspension, and were back on televison before you even knew they were absent. Some received absolutely NOTHING at all. Talk about throwing the book at 'em!
But it gets WORSE.
Now the problem has spilled out into the world of mixed martials arts (or commonly refered to as simply MMA). A sport which has literally crawled and fought its way to achieve a sense of legitimacy, since as far back as the early 1990's. As if taking their cue from pro wrestling, more and more fighters are testing positive for banned substances. Even lethal recreational party drugs like cocaine. And while some organizations are taking the issue VERY seriously (as is the one in the above link), many are still sitting on the fences regarding the issue. In fact, one current titleholder tested positive months ago. Yet somehow still maintains his champion status. Not to mention, taints all his previous victories.
So what are the root causes of all this? Why are some athletes so willing to risk both their lives and livelyhood, and their employers so willing to let them do so?
Stay tuned for my next blog, and I'll tell ya. :)
Until then,
Gh0sT October 17 Where exactly is the "Honor"? Very interesting indeed....
Being raised of the same faith, and of sound mind, I'm having a hard time wrapping myself around Captain Brown's thought process, and the vaildity of his religious beliefs. In all honesty, this sounds more like soldier no longer able to cope with the conditions of the battlefield, and needing an out at any cost.
Very true. It says very explicitly in the Ten Commandments, "Thou shalt not kill". Any devount fundamentalist taking this to heart, would never dream of entering into a profession which may require them do to just that. However, as someone raised and schooled from the book containing those same commandments, as was Captain Brown, I am fully aware of many instances where God himself made exceptions. As was the case when God himself drown thousands of Egyptians in the Red Sea, while they were pursuing the Israelites out of Egypt. Hoping to engage them in battle, and drag them back into enslavement. Or instances where he instructed his followers into battle against heathen foes, such as when David marched into battle against Goliath of the Philistines. Killing him, and cutting of his head as a trophy. So while it appears really good on paper to proclaim belief in the Bible's literal interpretations, it begs the question: Why would one purposely choose to ignore the multiple glaring exceptions offered throughout the same book? Unless, of course, it suits your purpose at that moment in time.
For a discharge to be "honorable", it feel it should require HONESTY. I could completely respect a soldier who says, "I can no longer deal with the conditions of war. I can no longer peform my duties to the best of my ability, or country.". But to suddenly change the rules, to suit one's fancy? I just can't respect that. Especially for the sake of the thousands of others, who swore the same oath to serve their country, and upheld it. Sorry. That's a copout.
October 11 The Liberal justice system at work... Hey kids....Remember this?
And this......
OH, but it gets BETTER!!! Now you have THIS......
Keep in mind. This is the same woman, that liberal newspapers painted as a sweet, unfortunate, innocent panhandler, with a caring, family network.
Let this be a lesson, kids. Better give the panhandler what they want, or they just might kill you for it. And be given a reward for their troubles.
"Spare change? SPARE CHANGE???"
Gh0sT October 08 Mexico critiques The United States? So Mexican President Felipe Calderon doesn't approve of the new fence seperating the U.S. from Mexico....
It's funny how Mexico's president displays the same selfish characteristics and values as many of his countrymen who've entered the United States illegally. In that, he's quick to critize the very country that is helping keep his corrupt stinkhole afloat. Much like the Mexican illegals rallying in Washington for the right to have a vaild driver's licence (You read that right, people: They don't want their income taxed, like every other law-abiding citizen with legal status. But they want the federal government to issue them a driver's licence. Making it easier for them to drive to and from their "off paper" employment. The proceeds of which, they send back to family in Mexico. ) , President Calderon just can't see past his own selfishness.
If Calderon seriously wants to promote economic growth in his country, and cut back the tide of illegal immigration north, then it would be in his best interest to get his own house in order FIRST before he critizes the actions of others. Because nobody wants to do business in a country that promotes an egocentric, "dog-eat-dog" mentality, in all facets of its existence. Where police are constantly on the take, and vacationers looking to put their hard-earned money into the Mexican economy, are routienely murdered without consequence.
Whether he approves of it or not, the United States has a right to place physical boundries along its border. The landscape around such has been ruined by litter and human waste, left behind by Mexican illegals sneaking across to U.S. soil. A problem for which Mexico is solely responsible. Yet I don't see President Calderon jumping to foot the bill for. In addition to taking responsibility for a host of other financial variables. Such is unpaid medical expenses for illegals, the skyrocketing cost for increased border patrol, and so on.
But then again, based on Mexico's subsequent history of passing the buck, and not taking responsibility for any of its social ills, what else would you expect from them?
Gh0sT
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