It was mae public today that some 250 Canadian Dr.'s have deemed MMA to be too violent, and voted to have a governmental ban on the sport throughout Canada, saying that unlike baseball, basketball, hockey, skiing, etc the main goal of MMA is to leave one's opponent incapacitated. I have a problem with this. When a hard skating power forward in the CHL takes an opponent into the end boards head first, and the kid leaves the rink on a stretcher, is he not incapacitated? When Todd Bertuzzi tackled Steve Moore, breaking his neck, was Mr. Moore not incapacitated? In a boxing match, the goal is to throw and land more punches to your opponents head than he lands on yours, ultimately trying for a knockout. Is that not incapacitating?
My problem with this is that, I was very active in Tae Kwon Do as a teenager. Tae Kwon Do is a full contact fighting sport, in which you score points by cleanly striking your opponent to the chest or head. A head shot is worth 2 points, and a shot to the chest is worth one. Does the point system itself not lead one to believe that if you can hit your opponent in the head, your chances of winning are greater? Oh and by the way, if you can knock your opponent out you win automatically. Your average boxing match lasts 12 rounds, with an average of 9 punches being landed per round. Now I've been watching boxing for a long time, and I love the sport, saying that I can tell you that 90% of punches thrown in a boxing match are thrown to the head. That leads me to believe tha the goal in a boxing match is to incapacitate one's opponent.
The issue (and I can't speak for the DR's) I think the doctors have is with the fact that once an opponent is down in MMA you can continue to strike them until the official stops the contest. But look at it this way: Boxing has what is called the "Standing 8 count" in which an opponent is knocked to the ground (most often by a series of blows to the head) and is given a count of 8 seconds to get to his feet and resume his fighting stance. Now anyone who's ever been punched in the head hard enough to be knocked down knows that it takes longer than 8 seconds to clear the cobwebs. And more often than not, when a combatant receives a standing 8 count they go on to be knocked out later in the fight, thus enduring countless more rounds of punishment. So you tell me which is more brutal, getting knocked down and hit 2 or 3 times more before a fight is stopped. Or getting knocked down, and being hit anywhere from 10 to 50 times more?
You can't ban MMA in this country without banning all other combat sports, maybe hockey, and definitely football.
But what do I know, I'm just a blue collar slob. A blue collar slob who lives and breathes sports, and you're an old relic with an overpriced education and an undertaxed bank acount.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Work For Welfare
Warning: The following blog will be political in nature. Those who aren't smart enough to be reading this, go watch a soap opera or something.
The social assistance program in this province needs some serious reform. There is a perfect example on a certain street in my hometown. On this street, coloufully labeled "No Daddy Ave" social parasites suck the life blood from every tax paying member of the workforce. And rather than force those receiving social assistance to work through programs like job placement, or education, the system seems to condone the laziness of my generation. Pumping out welfare cheques to drug addicts, drug dealers and alcoholics.
There are a growing number of people in my generation who feel a sense of entitlement to the finer things in life. Who don't want to work to achieve what they want. They'd rather feel instant gratification, and not have to work to achieve their desired goals. And when opportunities fail to present themselves, these people retire into their rent controlled homes like a frightened turtle in a shell, refusing to settle for "lesser" forms of employment in the name of paying the rent.
But whose fault is it? Can you blame these people for wanting a free paycheck (as small as it is)? Is it fair to people who work 40+ hrs. Per week only to lose a 3rd of their hard earned money to taxes to facilitate carrying the welfare addicts along? I'll tell you who's to blame, the government. I know it sounds cliché to blame the government for this, because you can blame the government for everything. But hear me out.
My solution sounds like this. 3 words. Work for welfare. Have the people receiving welfare, who are physically/mentally capable of being in the workforce, join the work force. The average amount of a welfare payment to a single parent is approximately $1005/month. Broken down to 40 hrs/week, 160hrs/month, which works out to $6.28/hr. (I made more than that at Burger King when I was 16.) So have them clean up garbage on the side of the highway for 30 hrs/week. Have them push a mop and broom around at a retirement home for 30 hrs/week. And dock their payments for missing work (Just like in real life). Have them attend programs to help them attain the jobs they want for 30 hrs/week. But save the other 10 hrs/week for actual job searching. Because I'd rather see my tax dollars go to daycare for these parents if it means that they'll be off welfare faster. Because say whatever you like, I would much rather flip burgers for minimum wage ($10.25/hr), than pick up garbage on the side of the highway for $6.28. And that will almost assuredly force people out of their homes and into the workforce.
But what do I know. I'm just a blue collar Joe shmoe. But I'm proud to say that I've worked hard for everything I have.
The social assistance program in this province needs some serious reform. There is a perfect example on a certain street in my hometown. On this street, coloufully labeled "No Daddy Ave" social parasites suck the life blood from every tax paying member of the workforce. And rather than force those receiving social assistance to work through programs like job placement, or education, the system seems to condone the laziness of my generation. Pumping out welfare cheques to drug addicts, drug dealers and alcoholics.
There are a growing number of people in my generation who feel a sense of entitlement to the finer things in life. Who don't want to work to achieve what they want. They'd rather feel instant gratification, and not have to work to achieve their desired goals. And when opportunities fail to present themselves, these people retire into their rent controlled homes like a frightened turtle in a shell, refusing to settle for "lesser" forms of employment in the name of paying the rent.
But whose fault is it? Can you blame these people for wanting a free paycheck (as small as it is)? Is it fair to people who work 40+ hrs. Per week only to lose a 3rd of their hard earned money to taxes to facilitate carrying the welfare addicts along? I'll tell you who's to blame, the government. I know it sounds cliché to blame the government for this, because you can blame the government for everything. But hear me out.
My solution sounds like this. 3 words. Work for welfare. Have the people receiving welfare, who are physically/mentally capable of being in the workforce, join the work force. The average amount of a welfare payment to a single parent is approximately $1005/month. Broken down to 40 hrs/week, 160hrs/month, which works out to $6.28/hr. (I made more than that at Burger King when I was 16.) So have them clean up garbage on the side of the highway for 30 hrs/week. Have them push a mop and broom around at a retirement home for 30 hrs/week. And dock their payments for missing work (Just like in real life). Have them attend programs to help them attain the jobs they want for 30 hrs/week. But save the other 10 hrs/week for actual job searching. Because I'd rather see my tax dollars go to daycare for these parents if it means that they'll be off welfare faster. Because say whatever you like, I would much rather flip burgers for minimum wage ($10.25/hr), than pick up garbage on the side of the highway for $6.28. And that will almost assuredly force people out of their homes and into the workforce.
But what do I know. I'm just a blue collar Joe shmoe. But I'm proud to say that I've worked hard for everything I have.
Monday, August 16, 2010
McGuinty Taps-out?
This past Saturday it was announced that the Ontario Government, after years of turning up their noses, had finally agreed to begin sanctioning MMA eventsin 2011. After yearsof hearing that it was a "barbaric sport", or that it was "human cock-fighting", and that it wasn't a priority for Ontarioans, MMA fans can finally enjoy their sport without having to drive to Montreal, Buffalo, or farther.
But to me, this begs the question, why? Why now? Is it a coincidence that the Liberal Government has decided to allow a sport that people have been screaming for for years barely a month after integrating the controversial new HST tax? A tax that has every working class citizen of this province crawling on their hands and knees trying to find money wherever they can. A tax that, in the mind of many voters will be the end of a government long out of touch with the citizens it serves.
In my mind, as a MMA fan,and a critic of the current provincial government, this is nothing more than a feable attempt to save face with young voters. This is a chance for Mr McGuinty to say "Vote for me, I brought you MMA" like some sort of modern day roman emperor. The difference, Mr. McGuinty, is that you are no Caesar. You are a lying snake, who hypnotized the people of Ontario during the last election with promises of no new taxes and no cuts to health-care. Both of which ended up as lies and I for one would rather vote Conservative and see the devil I know in power over a devil in disguise.
I suppose its only a matter of time before the government passes a MMA tax to reap the benefits from training schools and minor tournaments and small club cards.
But what do I know? I'm just a blue-collar slob. But blue-collar slobs are the back-bone of this country. And your days, Mr. McGuinty (as premier) are numbered.
But to me, this begs the question, why? Why now? Is it a coincidence that the Liberal Government has decided to allow a sport that people have been screaming for for years barely a month after integrating the controversial new HST tax? A tax that has every working class citizen of this province crawling on their hands and knees trying to find money wherever they can. A tax that, in the mind of many voters will be the end of a government long out of touch with the citizens it serves.
In my mind, as a MMA fan,and a critic of the current provincial government, this is nothing more than a feable attempt to save face with young voters. This is a chance for Mr McGuinty to say "Vote for me, I brought you MMA" like some sort of modern day roman emperor. The difference, Mr. McGuinty, is that you are no Caesar. You are a lying snake, who hypnotized the people of Ontario during the last election with promises of no new taxes and no cuts to health-care. Both of which ended up as lies and I for one would rather vote Conservative and see the devil I know in power over a devil in disguise.
I suppose its only a matter of time before the government passes a MMA tax to reap the benefits from training schools and minor tournaments and small club cards.
But what do I know? I'm just a blue-collar slob. But blue-collar slobs are the back-bone of this country. And your days, Mr. McGuinty (as premier) are numbered.
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