Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Random Thoughts:

  • As much as I have political issues with the Olympics, I hope they succeed. It'll be worse for the province financially if they are a failure. And as one of my more cynical friends pointed out, as much as we'd like to think there are better places the money invested in the Olympics could go to (more social housing, more support to public education, income assistance rates that a person can actually survive on, health care.... I could go on, but I won't) in reality, it wouldn't change anything. The money would just stay in the pockets of big business
  • I haven't been watching the Bachelor this season. Between being out a few Mondays and having heard a spoiler re: who he ends up with, I am just not interested.
  • I think I'm going to like Ellen on American Idol.
  • It hit me recently that too often the phrase "Life isn't fair," is used by people to justify a status quo that allows systemic inequality to continue. When I look at some of the things that are wrong in our world, simply saying 'Life isn't fair' and leaving it at that doesn't seem right.
  • I am so far behind in my hockey pools this year that is officially pointless for me to try to catch up. I have NEVER given up on my Yahoo! hockey pools before, but there is a first time for everything.
  • I am happy for the New Orleans Saints that they won the Super Bowl. I truly am. I don't, however, believe that somehow the victory has some grand cosmic meaning in relation to Hurricane Katrina. I'm sure the people who had their lives torn apart by the disaster and the terrible way it was managed by FEMA et al. aren't taking a whole lot of solace from the outcome of a football game, and it somehow strikes me as the height of arrogance to think they would.
  • On a similar vein, was I the only one annoyed by the whole 'win it for Burkie' theme on Hockey Night In Canada as the Leafs faced the Senators the day after the tragic death Leafs GM Brian Burke's son Brendan in an auto accident? And I love hockey. I mean I really LOVE hockey. Any kid I have ever coached can tell you all about Coach Tania's "Hockey Is A Metaphor For Life' speeches prior to a big game. But really people...
Ok. We need to lighten the mood a bit.
  • Don Waddell needs to go as GM of the Thrashers. He didn't get enough for Kovalchuk. And it pains me to say that, because it puts me in the terrible position of agreeing with Mike Milbury, one of the worst GMs of all time.
  • I think the Leafs won both their trades (with Anaheim, in getting Gigeure, and with Calgary getting Phaneuf) and that Calgary won the trade with the Rangers. Just getting rid of Jokkinen makes them a better team imo. I'd have taken a pack of pucks just to get him out of there. But Higgins should start to show his skills again under this team.
  • I really like Taylor Swift. I think she seems like a decent, level headed young woman. I don't like all the backlash people are giving her, although I do understand it. The whole point of building people up is to take perverse pleasure in knocking 'em down. I don't have to like it though. I will, however, concede that I am not sure I could've voted for Fearless as Album of the Year over the likes of Lady Gaga or Beyonce.
  • Having said that, much as I like Taylor Swift if she is truly the most intriguing person of 2009, that says something about our society. And what it says isn't all that good, people.

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