Christ the King School to Give Credit for Being a Jerk

Oh good GAWD! Now what's going on.

I have little respect for people who stand outside of places that offer abortions with their "vigils" and such to show how much they care about fetuses and wish to show women who they do not know that they are awful for choosing to have an abortion, something that SHOULD be a woman's choice.

And, I have even less respect for Christ the King School of Winnipeg, Manitoba and their principal David Hood's brilliant idea of giving extra credit to school kids who attend anti-choice vigils like the Campaign Life Coalition's 40 Days for Life one being held in front of the Women's Hospital here in the city right now. Isn't this called bribery? "Hey, kid, if you go out there and make women feel guilty for having an abortion without bothering to find out the circumstances or the tough choices the women have had to make to get there, we'll give you extra credit! Whaddya say?"

You know what I say? Let's start holding vigils outside of Catholic Churches to recognize the thousands upon thousands of children globally who have been sexually abused by the Catholic Church. Or a vigil to people in Africa who have become HIV positive because the Pope, the good man he is, has condemned the use of condoms. We should also hold a vigil for aboriginal children who were beat, molested and died in boarding schools in Canada, some run by the Catholic Church. We should hold a vigil for members of the LGBT community who have taken their own lives partly because of a feeling of lack of acceptance, understanding and support, and the often extreme feelings of guilt and self loathing partly kept alive in our society because of wonderful organizations like the Catholic Church.

In other words, people of the Catholic Church, shut up. As long as you are involved with an organization that has brought so much horror and evil to the world, you have lost all legitimacy to speak out on practically any ethical issue. Go ahead with your little prayer vigils. You've already made your pact with the devil. You must get your own house in order. Otherwise, your theatrics are nothing more than that. And please, involving your children? Giving them school credit for taking part in these prayer vigils and saying that it is a community service? Talk about pushing the line ethically. And, to make things all that much more fun, although the school is a private school it does get public funding. I wonder what would happen if a secular school gave credit to students who attended pro-choice rallies? Hmmmmm.

Colour me unimpressed.

#occupywallstreet According to Pastor Bill

So, I made a comment on twitter basically asking why the #occupywallstreet hashtag was not "trending". Oh how I hate that term, but it seems to be the term to use. At that particular moment, twitter was telling me that Hockey Night in Canada's Don Cherry was "trending". I couldn't figure out how Don Cherry could be "trending", but not #occupwallstreet who had far more tweets. And then, poof, from out in the twitterverse, I got a response! It just said "Because people don't follow morons." It was a small statement that could easily be written off, until I saw who it came from. It was sent by Dr. William Livermore, pastor at Center Road Baptist Church. in West Seneca, New York, who goes with @pastorbill45. on twitter, and apparently is a HUGE fan of White Castle. In fact, one of my favourite posts on the wall of the Center Road Baptist Church Facebook page is this beauty from March 1st:

It has been 3 months since this page has been updated so i figured i should jump on and say something. White Castle sunday went very well with 4 visitors coming and 2 geting saved!! Whoever says Center Road is a loser church obviously doesnt like souls getting saved. We had 6 more visitors this past sunday as well. Keep going strong Center Road!!

They even have a White Castle Sunday where people can be saved...at White Castle! Wow, talk about convenient. Show up, order a big wack of tiny burgers and get saved all at the same time! Fantastic! It is fair to say that any church that caters to their fast food indulging flock so attentively could not possibly be a "loser church". Damn those people who don't like to see souls getting saved.

But, the more telling post from August 28th is what really got me:

A very thought provoking sermon by Pastor Livermore this morning. He asked the question ,"Can the world see Jesus in you?" Your testimony to the world can lead souls to Christ. Let Jesus shine in your life.

Well, that is very interesting and thought provoking Pastor Livermore. Now, tell me, what part of calling people morons helps people see the Jesus in you? As a man of the cloth (or White Castle napkin in this case), and the leader of the Center Road Baptist Church flock, I would assume that you would take the idea of having people see Jesus in you very seriously. Did Jesus go around calling people he disagreed with "morons"? Is this the Jesus in you, Pastor Livermore? Is this the Jesus we should all know? Is Jesus against Occupy Wall Street protesters? Does he see them as morons as well? Do you honestly think that calling people morons will help lead souls to Christ?? I hope that you revisit this very thought provoking sermon of yours and then take a close look at your own words and actions and see how you stack up. You wouldn't want people to think that Center Road Baptist Church is a loser church because of you now, would you?

Clark Stevenson and the "Where are the Parents?!" Question

It’s a pretty normal after something goes wrong in the world of kids and young adults to ask “Where are the parents!?” Is it a fair question to ask in the case of Clark “Clarky” Stevenson, the 15 year old boy who was stabbed so severely at 2:30am out in the streets of Winnipeg that he later died? Is it fair to ask why a 15 year old kid, and his young attackers were out roaming the streets of Winnipeg at such an ungodly hour? Where exactly were the parents? Did the parents know these kids were out, and what kind of mischief they were up to? Something has gone terribly wrong here, but what is it?

 According to an interview with the CBC “Jenna Wirch, a friend of Clark Stevenson's, said she believes a lack of funding for youth programs has failed him and other troubled young people.”? Sniff, sniff. Do you smell that? You’re right. It does appear to be the smell of a scape goat! It is fair to say that Clarke lived in a rough ‘hood. Are community programs important? Yes. Is a 15 year old kid not being out on the streets at night important? Yes! Can a program keep a kid at home late at night so he isn’t roaming the streets getting stabbed? Good question, no? So, how much responsibility should be on the parent’s shoulders and how much goes to the community? It seems that the job of keeping a kid at home falls squarely on the shoulders of the parents. If they don’t take responsibility, what can be done? Does the city have to step in with curfews for young kids to prevent them being out on the streets stabbing one another at 2:30am? If so, won’t that further move funds away from programs and into policing? And, then does it not, by default, put the responsibility of parenting on to the shoulders of the city?

Now, let’s rewind for a moment to earlier in the summer when riots broke out in London. Although initially being sparked by the shooting of young man by police, before long areas of that city were torn apart by what appeared to be absolute senseless violence, looting and vandalism. The same story was used to explain what had happened there as in the Clarke case, when some said that the riots are the result of drastic cutbacks to community programing in low income areas which have left a generation disenfranchised, living without direction and, in many cases, bored. But, the question was raised over and over again, by the media, police and the community, “Where were the parents?” Why were kids, some of them very young, able to be out on the streets at late hours taking part in such serious crimes? Who is in charge of keeping kids in, where they will be safe? Were there no parents wondering “Where is my son tonight, and why does he suddenly have a large screen TV in his room?”? Police took to the airwaves, asking parents to step in and keep their kids at home. And it seemed like a reasonable request.

So, here we have what seems to be senseless violence happening in two parts of the world with the same reasoning given for both. Lack of community programming is being blamed and the “Where are the parents?” question is being asked. Is it fair to say that both have validity? Yes. The community as a whole does have to look at what it can do to help areas of the city where there are issues with poverty, gangs, violence and drugs. But, ultimately, a community and community programs can only do so much. Family and friends are in mourning, and it’s a tough time to be asking questions, but, it really does have to be asked. Could this tragedy have been prevented simply by someone, a parent, a guardian, an aunt and uncle, or whoever, making sure that 15 year old Clarke Stevenson was in his bed at 2:30am instead of out in the streets fighting?

UPDATE: So, today, it appears that an arrest has been made. They have charged a 14 year old boy with the 2^nd degree murder of Clark Stevenson. How on earth does this happen? Where the heck are the parents of THIS kid?! How is a 14 year old kid able to be out on the streets of Winnipeg at 2:30 in the morning, with a knife, stabbing another kid?? It makes no sense to me. Something needs to change. But what?

Islamicism??

Our main man in Ottawa, crack criminal expert, PM Stephen Harper has come out in an interview stating that "Islamicism" is the biggest security threat to Canada.

First off, what is Islamicism? Is Harper starting to make up his own words, possibly inspired by legendary orator Sarah Palin? Unfortunately, it almost sounds like the problem is Islam by looking at this odd word. Did Harper mean Islamification? It almost seems like it, but who knows. I guess that is the beauty of being able to make up your own words when you are the leader of a country. It keeps people guessing. Is Harper afraid of Muslims? This word, which seems to encompass all of Islam without distinguishing between radical Islam and Islam, seems to imply that this is the case. I'm sure Harper realizes the difference, right?

Regardless, I would like to take a moment to call BS on this. Islamic extremism is a threat. Yes. However, as I sit here in Winnipeg, I have seen in the papers a daily barrage of news stories about murders, stabbings and shootings. There is a biker war going on in the city, gangs are very active and there appears to be a arsonist or several on the loose who seem intent on burning down Winnipeg. Thus far, I have not seen or heard about ANY problems from Muslims. So, organized and unorganized crime is tearing apart this city, just as it is other cities across Canada, but the major threat is Islam? I'm thinking not. Remember the riots in Vancouver, which was essentially a large act of terrorism? Who was responsible for that? Moronic, rampaging hockey fans. So far, it appears that radical hockey fans cause much more harm and damage to Canada than Islamic extremism. I think it's time we start targeting hockey fans, doing more security checks on them, putting them on no fly lists and sending them off to Syria to be pummeled. It seems to make far more sense than targeting Muslims, no?

I am saddened to see that once again Stephen Harper appears to have no grasp on reality. Is Islamic extremism an issue? Yes. Always. Extremism of any kind is an issue. Thus far, Canada has had little issue with Islamic extremism, while it has had more than it's fair share of issue with extremist criminals in the biker and non-biker classes of gangs. We've had more damage and fear caused by hockey hooligans than Islamic extremists. No, Harper, it would appear that there are far greater issues that threaten national security than Islamicism, whatever that is.

Inspired by Fluid Hair Salon, Edmonton, Canada!

Last night, I wrote a blog post about Edmonton, Alberta's Fluid Hair Salon and an ad campaign that they had run showing a woman who appeared to have been beaten and a man who appeared to have beaten her. I was harsh. I didn't like the ad. But, then I thought about it, and I realized that Sarah Cameron, the owner of the salon, had a point when she said:

"Is it cutting edge advertising? Yes. Is it intended to be a satirical look at real-life situations that ignites conversation and debate? Of course. Is it to everyone’s taste? Probably not."

So, I did a little cutting edge, satirical art of my own! Thanks for the inspiration Sarah Cameron! I owe you one! It may be a little crude, and there are some kinks to work out, but it's a start. I hope you like my creations.

Fluid Hair Fuck Up

Holy GEEZ! Have you seen this ad for Fluid Hair Salon in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada? Okay, let me just say straight out, this ad idea is messed up beyond all belief. How on earth did someone think that this could possibly be a good ad idea!

The owner of Fluid Salon, Sarah Cameron says, "Is it cutting edge advertising? Yes. Is it intended to be a satirical look at real-life situations that ignites conversation and debate? Of course. Is it to everyone’s taste? Probably not."

Um, what?? Is it cutting edge advertising? No. Other than showing up a beat up women and a mean looking dude, this looks like your typical crappy Vogue magazine ad. Blah. Satirical look at real life situations?? Huh? If by satire you mean "Ha! This woman with a black eye is hilarious! You should not look at her black eye though, you should be looking at her hair, which we did! Isn't that hair great?! We are such a great salon! She looks great even when beaten black and blue! We are awesome!" Is it to everyone's taste? I would seriously question anyone who likes this ad, or who decides to go to this frickin' salon based on this ad.

Sarah Cameron seems to believe this is art. Well, whatever. If she believes that, that is her view. Art, advertising, any way you cut it is a bad, bad idea for a campaign to promote a salon. Essentially it is a glorification of violence that make hip-hop videos look tame, selling a crap salon run by an arrogant women who seems to think her salon is adding to the artistic edginess of the world through a crappy paid advertising campaign. It is nothing more or nothing less. She got a New York ad agency to do this up for her. She has to justify spending those big bucks I suppose. "Abuse? No, no, no...ART! It's art! Controversy? Oh, THAT. Well, if it sells my salon, then I'm all for it! Look at me! Look at me! Look at my salon! You will love us and become life long customers because we spent all of this cash on an ad campaign from...NEW YORK CITY! Aren't we cutting edge?"

Ad agencies in New York don't make art. They make campaigns. They sell junk and ideas. They aren't interested in the viewer in anyway other than seeing them as a target audience who will buy stuff from their clients. That's what puts money in their pockets and what puts money in the pockets of the clients. Can they be artistic? Yes. Are they art? That's up for debate. Is this art? In the eyes of Sarah Cameron it is. So, ladies, be sure that after your man has beat you to a pulp that you go to Fluid Hair Salon! You will be so glad that you did because even though your man treats you like scum, Fluid Hair will make you feel alright, and you will look good even after a thorough beating!

Royal Boredom

Back in Canada now for a spell, and the main news here? Will and Kate! Yes, they came to Canada for a Royal tour. And there was no escaping the news coverage. Wall to wall, ceiling to ceiling, coast to coast, all Will and Kate, all the time. Oh it was a royal bombardment. It started out with Will and Kate are coming. Then, Will and Kate are here. Then Will and Kate did this. Will and Kate did that. Will and Kate, Will and Kate, Will and Kate.

Now, I do find the English Monarchy interesting. I have enjoyed watching them over the years. I once met Sarah Ferguson, you know, back when she was still part of the Royal Family. I saw Prince Charles and Camilla on their wedding day. I like to do a bit of Royal watching.

But, I have to be honest with you. I am not a fan of Will and Kate. Why, you say? They are so frickin' BORING! Their squeaky clean, perfectly pressed, always smiling, always waving, always gentile ways are just plain DULL! There is nothing exciting about these two. They are being billed as the great saviours of the English Monarchy. They are loved, people are showing up in droves to see them, they are the apple of so many people's eye. But, they are so painfully generic and blah that even watching them on TV makes me want to wretch at their ultra-sugary sweetness.

I want Prince Harry to get married. Now that guy is exciting. He's constantly making gaffs like his dad and his grandfather. He's more rough around the edges. He's interesting! Charles? Oh, he's such a unique old fuddy, duddy, with his organic gardening and his wacky ideas. Phillip? Oh man, he is gold! If his mouth is open, he is generally putting his foot into it. Will and Kate? Dull as the dullest dull thing there could possibly be.

These do-gooder, friendly, warm, smiling, thoughtful, considerate, clean, well spoken, poker straight, perfectly groomed Will and Kate people? BLAND as stale oatmeal with no added sweeteners or preservatives. Thanks a lot Will and Kate for sucking out all of the fun of watching the Royal family. Now please, start having some affairs or developing some addictions, and don't come back until you do!

Persians, Oh How I Missed You So!

Oh goodness me. I made it home to Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada for a few days this month and I got to sink my teeth into some of Thunder Bay's famed PERSIANS! It was heavenly. Let me tell you, I have dreams about these things. And for whatever reason, they are exclusive to Thunder Bay. Why? I don't know, but I'm sure glad they exist somewhere. Here is a short video of the memorable experience of being reunited with my favourite dessert item after too long apart.

The Not So Suprising Vancouver Riots

It's not like there are hasn't already been plenty written about it, but I may as well put my two cents in on the topic of the Vancouver riots.

So, last night, I thought I would turn on the final game of the Stanley Cup playoffs to see who would wind being champions and subsequently heroes to legions of hockey loving people. I haven't watched hockey in at least two years, and I can't say I am a huge fan of the sport. But, because Vancouver was involved and seemingly every other Canadian was watching the game, I thought I should as well just in case the subject came up in the future while talking to fellow Canadians and I wanted to participate in the conversation.

I watched hockey for one hour. It wasn't a great game as far as I am concerned, though I admit I don't really know how to judge a good game. Anyway, it didn't really matter. The long and the short of it is that Vancouver lost and the other guys won and then all hell broke loose and I ended up watching one hour of bad hockey and three hours of top notch rioting.

You may have seen the images and the videos and the reams of analysis that have already blanketed television sets, newspapers and computers across the country. If not, then you probably don't have television, newspapers or a computer. Here is a nice little summary of events from the CBC.

Okay, with all of that out of the way, let's get to the opinion part of this. Did people really expect this not to happen? I wasn't even in the city and I expected there to be a riot, or at least some disturbances, win or lose. Why? It's hockey. Now, that may sound unfair to say. It's not like there haven't been other Stanley Cup wins and loses that haven't ended in complete anarchy. What gives? Well, sure, all out riots like this one don't happen everyday which is good. But, I don't think it is far off to say that what happened is partly related to the culture of violence associated with hockey.

We got an arrogant, big mouth, redneck on the national TV (one, Mr. Don Cherry) glorifying violence on the rink and calling those who don't fight "pansies" while hundreds of thousands lap his moronic alpha-male BS up like milk in a....I don't know...thing that milk is in. When a fight happens on the ice, the crowd goes WILD and of course it's shown on the highlight reel during the sportscast with slack jawed, gelled up, fake tanned sports announcers commenting on the "nice left shots" or whatever being used by the buffoons beating the snot out of one another. After a fight, the players head to their penalty boxes, which are more like King's throwns, where people worship at the foot of the tough, brave heroes that end up in there after trying to knock what's left of the opposing teams teeth out for whatever the frick reason.

Then, THEN, you add alcohol into the mix. Who sponsors all of this? Beer companies. Who makes millions off of this? Beer companies. What do these fans do while watching hockey? Drink beer. Drink beer and go WOOOOOO! There is a lot of of WOOOOOOing and high fiving among drunk hockey fans I have come to notice. Oh the alcohol that flows. What was the first thing that happened to trigger the riots? Beer bottles were thrown at the giant screens put in downtown Vancouver so people could watch the game. That's rather telling, isn't it?

So, then comes the finals in Vancouver, with big screen TV's and thousands upon thousands of people flooding into the city to watch the game on them. It's a beautiful night, the beer is flowing, the WOOOOOOOing is at a fever pitch and the hockey is on. And it's not JUST hockey. It's THE event of the year...the final game of the playoffs and the local team can win it all, or lose it all. And they lost it all. And that completed the creation of the perfect storm.

BOOM. The rest is history. Fans riot, burn cars, burn jerseys, burn themselves, burn others, break stuff, steal stuff, jump on stuff, drink more stuff, do a whole lot more WOOOOOOOOOOOOing, fight each other, fight police, fight dogs, fight whatever gets in their way,  drink some more, throw around some porta-potties, some newspaper boxes, some construction material, some other rioters. Oh it was a joyous night, wasn't it?

It has happened before, it happened last night, and it will happen again. Next time, try not to look so surprised.

Our Children's Future VS. Sanity and Reality: Challenging the Edmonton Public School Board

Well, you know, I've been a wee bit busy and stuff, and it's distracted me somewhat from becoming enraged enough by something to write a blog about it. But, I just read something that changed that, and here is my blog about it.

What has me so enraged that I actually stopped being so lazy and took to the keyboard? Well, that damn Edmonton Public School Board (EPSB) in Alberta, Canada wishes to create a safe and inclusive environment for all of their students. What BEASTS! What ANIMALS! How could the Edmonton Public School Board wish to create a school system where a diverse range of children can study together and create a bright and better future for all?? Someone REALLY should protest this.

And, alas, thankfully, someone has! Apparently all of this talk of inclusion was far too much for whoever the frick is behind a weird little, seemingly anonymous website titled "Our Children's Future-Standing Up for Moral Standards in Edmonton".The first red flag is always the "moral standards". When this phrase is used, especially in conjunction with anything to do with children, you know bigotry and hatred is what is to follow.

Apparently, the problem this person/these people have is that under a proposal by the Edmonton Public School Board in a policy on sexual orientation and gender identity, sexual "minority" students and same sex parented families will be (among other things, such as being accepted and protected from discrimination) AFFIRMED by the EPSB. Now, this lovely group or person or entity or whatever that is behind this site states:

We agree that all people regardless of sexual orientation have to be treated lovingly and not subjected to bullying however we will not affirm their unique identities, families, cultures or communities.  Affirming this type of sexual orientation violates the basic tenet of our belief systems, which is not a series of man-made rules and evolving human ethical standards, but the Holy Bible which clearly prohibits this type of sexual behaviour in both the Old and New Testaments.

Gotcha. And your narrow minded beliefs should come first and foremost, is that correct? That appears to be the belief, and they are calling on other like (narrow) minded people to do their duty and write to school board members to tell them that they shouldn't be treating these gays and lesbians and such with the dignity and respect they deserve because it goes against their beliefs. Look, telling people that your beliefs (religious) trump THEIR reality (sexual orientation) is NOT treating them lovingly. It is discriminatory. Telling someone that you will not accept them based on their sexual orientation is pretty mean and low. I always question the moral standards of someone who says something like that. We clearly do NOT share the same morals, and for that I am very glad.

So, here is what the proposal by the Edmonton Public School Board looks like and I think it looks not too bad at all:
http://www.epsb.ca/policy/aaadraft_ifa.bp.shtml

If you go to http://www.ourchildrensfuture.ca/ you will see that the site's creator(s) have done a fine job of listing all of the school board members which they are asking other bigots to write to and explain why the school board members should listen to bigots and not give GLBT (etc) students and their families the support and recognition they deserve.You may wish to contact them regarding the issue as well, what the heck. There is also a survey you can take, apparently, to give your views on the EPSB's proposal at this survey link. May as well plug in your answers there, too!

I hope that if you are reading my blog, you feel the same way as I do. I think this is a positive inititative by the Edmonton Public School Board and I want to see it put in place, not only in Edmonton, but across the country. I want to see kids feel at home at school, not as outcasts, and definitely not as being immoral just because of their sexual orientation. And I don't want to see people that believe discrimination and bigotry constitute "moral standards" from hijacking public school systems.

Walking Sluts and BBC Facebook Commenters

Why oh why do I read things on the internet. If I was smart, I would stay clear of the thing. But, NO, what do I do? I go ahead and read stuff. What am I thinking??

What am I outraged about this time? Well, have you heard of this "SlutWalk" thing? Here's the deal. A Toronto cop, Michael Sanguinetti, goes to York University to give safety tips to students in a Personal Security class. One of his pieces of advice? "Women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not be victimized". How did this go down? Not very well, as you can imagine, and the comment has help start a new protest movement based around the idea of a "SlutWalk". Protesters can dress up, get out, hit the pavement, and basically say a big F.U. to the idea of asking to be a victim by wearing certain clothes. Here is the website for the first "Slutwalk" event held in Toronto for some information on what it's all about. It's more complex and interesting than I have presented it. Anyway, inspired by this, similar events have either been held or are to be held in places all over the world!



So, the BBC picks up this story. They decide to discuss it on their World Have Your Say program. To get input for the show, they post the story premise on Facebook and people can make comments. And this is what I started to read when I, once again, lost faith in humanity. What were some saying, you might ask? Well, here we go:

Nii Adumuah Nortey the policemam is right. Ladies must b decent or be seen as different. It is time someone voiced out his opinion

Suldan Tippu Tip Hw cn u use the term slutwalk to send ur voice and b offended by it....its sily 2 show ur assests as a tool of ur beauty plus dea z a gud reason y its called private part of ur bdy.

 Touseef Dar i do agree wd ploice. IT iz also an lSLAMIC advice.

Ibrahim Meddie i agree with the police lady because she is doing her moral duty of advising citizens before falling into the hands of the victims. And God is very happy when He sees people dressed appropriately and are modesty.

Azd Warfare The police guy said the same thing what islam says hes 100% right.If u dnt wanna get raped dnt mk sm1 horny by dressing like sluts

Kipkemoi Korir I agree with policeman,women sometimes dressed half naked.we are humanbeings.our feelings high.women dress properly to avoid men temptations .

Kellc Kalombo

The Police Man is totally right... Women tend to advertise themselves like products... They should not dress like Prostitutes If they don't want to be taken like such...Their outrageousness only shows how right the Policeman is and also just how stupid those women protesting are. Real women take care of themselves like Gold (Jealously) not like cheap cloth. These women protesting should be taken and arrested because they are the ones proving to be a bad influence to the youths of today who are mostly raped because of the same dressing and behavior. We need Mothers not Holes.

 

Ismail Adefemi Allimson I do agree wit d Police.
D ladis dont kno dat dey do assault we MEN Psykologicaly by arousin sme uncontrolable emotions.

Nasiru Suwaid If a lady advertises as an invitation to treat, why should she mind the resulting harassment, after all nobody prevents examination on a super market shelf, thus how could ladies put it out & prevents examination from goers, that is cruel.

Rodney Lungani I have always argued this women empowerment issue had a motive behind lol - at times free speech has its curse, we need to draw the line somewhere

Is it just me, or are these people INSANE? Yes, these are REAL comments by what I presume to be real people, and I still can't believe what I have read. And there are more! There are LOT'S more where these came from, sadly and scarily enough.So, there are actually people out there who do believe that a woman dressing in a certain way does allow people to think they are open to be raped? Apparently. 


One of the BIG problems with this whole discussion is the definition of "slut". At what point, based on how a woman is dressed, is she considered a "slut"? The idea of dressing "slutty" is completely subjective. So, women are being told to dress accordingly to prevent rape, but no two people will be able to agree on where exactly the line is that shouldn't be crossed. This puts women in a pretty tough position. Some think that nothing short of completely covering a woman in black cloth is acceptable. Others see a woman wearing makeup and heels and it means she is trolling for sex. No, no, no. The message from the police MUST be that "no is no" and rape will not be tolerated. As long as the message continues to be that part of the issue is in how a woman dresses, then it continues to create an atmosphere where blame is still put on the woman.

At the moment, the message appears to be that if you are like one of "THOSE" women, well you're headed for trouble. One of "those" women? Can someone please define this whole "slut" term a little clearer so that women can know exactly how people want them to dress so they that when she is raped they will feel adequately satisfied that she did not provoke the situation by being dresses like a "slut"? And then, when you do define that, can you kindly take that definition and stuff it up your....


If each of those posting with attitudes like those above changed THEIR views as opposed to telling women to change the way they dress, the world would probably be a whole lot safer. Women could live in freedom and wear whatever the hell they wanted to and not feel as though they were the problem! Wouldn't that be great?

Michael Sona vs Democracy

Oh Michael Sona, you are indeed an idiot.

Have you heard this story? It's a good one, showing just how much democracy appears to be eroding in Canada at the hands of the Conservatives. Sad and scary. It seems that there was a special ballot station set up at the University of Guelph to entice more students to take part in the voting process. Yes, it's a bit early, but this has been done before (for a wide variety of groups) and appears to be perfectly legit and fine with Elections Canada. However, the Conservative Party doesn't seem to agree and wants these votes discounted as expressed in a letter sent to Elections Canada. 

To make matters worse, one Mr. Micheal Sona, the communications director for Guelph Conservative candidate Marty Burke, decides to show up, declare that what was going on was illegal, and apparently even reach for the ballot box (what he was planning to do with it, I am not sure)! Oh may, oh my, oh MY! What can I say about that? What can anyone say about that? To get your slimy, no good, democracy hating lawyer (I shouldn't say that, I don't know the guy, I am only speculating) to send a letter to Elections Canada is one thing, but then to take matters into your own slimy, no good, democracy hating hands? What kind of an idiot must you be?? If these allegations are as true as they appear to be, this is just the latest sign that the Conservative Party would appear to be enemy of democracy. Disrupting voting is a disgrace. Canada sends observers to other countries to monitor elections to PREVENT these kinds of things from happening. Michael Sona was not only out of line, but seemingly out of his mind. This is just another black mark on the Conservatives who have already been kicking people out of their party rallies, stifling the media, and just generally being Conservative morons. These guys must go!

I not only urge Elections Canada to make sure that each of these votes count (and I hope each one of them is against the Conservatives) but whoever has the authority to deal with this situation must take action against the Conservatives for this complete and utter display of jerkititude. Does Canada need any more proof that the Conservatives aren't fit to be running the country? I sure know I don't!

Jean Wharf, "Fuck Yoga" pins and Shaw Pet Homes

William Shaw, owner of Shaw Pet Homes of Calgary, you have WRONGED ME!

Okay, I'm just kidding (That's Shaw Pet Homes, Calgary, Manufacturer of Alberta's BEST cat furniture! Visit them today at CrossRoads Market in Calgary! It is Calgary's LARGEST Indoor/Outdoor Market!) I don't really have that big of a beef against William Shaw. Or do I? Well, YES I DO, darn it all.

I love it when business owners make me mad. The thing is, when you are representing your business along side of your own personal conversations in social media, it does open you and your business up to being discussed. And, right now, William Shaw, owner of Shaw Pet Homes of Calgary, is on my mind. We just had a lovely interaction on Facebook where he was a complete and total jerk to me! Oooooh, that burns me. Actually, I really shouldn't get into debates on-line anyway. It never really seems to work out. Do they ever? They usually end in everyone telling each other off and everyone walking away mad. At least this is my experience.

Anyway, the topic at hand? According to a short, not very in-depth article posted by the CBC (you can read the article here!), apparently, a girl by the name of Jean Wharf, who was riding (or attempting to ride) a SkyTrain in Vancouver was kicked off because she didn't pay the fare (fair enough if that is true), but then a comment was made that she couldn't ride the train again while wearing her pin that read "Fuck Yoga". Now as the owner of shirts that say "Fuck Homophobia" and "Fuck Your Fascist Beauty Standards", I have to say that I defend wearing items of clothing or accessories that contain the word Fuck. I don't really like to say the word. I try not to use it on a regular basis. About the only time I use it is when I am really angry. Anyway, this was my first comment about the story:

It's pretty hard to make an assessment based on such a short article. If she indeed was kicked off the train because she had a button with the f-word, then that is ridiculous. If she was kicked off for not having a ticket, well, that's different. I have many pins and several shirts with the f-word on them. I haven't had any trouble wearing them and I would be very angry if I did get into trouble for wearing them...in a free country anyway. I don't wear them wear I am living now. I would end up in jail...:)

I didn't think that was too bad, was it? Now this was Mr. William Shaw's first response to the article:

Too bad!! She is a theif and theif is a criminal and criminals don't deserve fredom of speach. Besides, her button was one that was meant to insult and insite dissension toward a system that promotes well being. What is she, an emo goth, neo nazi squatter?

Well, okay then. That seemed a little intense. But, that is just my opinion. His response to ME!

Suck it up, Chris! She was probably lippy to the transit cop and she got what she deserved. As well, she steals from tax payers by not paying fair, but now she is costing tax payers more money because of this stupid inquiry. People like you and her have no positive purpose for society as a whole.

Because I don't think being told that someone can not wear a "Fuck Yoga" pin on the subway is right, I have no positive purpose for society?? Wait a minute here. That seems a little intense. Why oh why would you take this approach Mr. Shaw (owner of Shaw Pet Homes in Calgary)? Why? Look, the girl did nothing wrong with her pin. She did wrong by not paying to ride the train, but she did nothing wrong with her pin. Yes, I defend her. I think it would be a shame if we started to clamp down on things like this. Freedom of expression, freedom of thought, freedom of ideas is very important in our society (meaning Canada). Today it is that pin, tomorrow it is blasphemy laws! Well, maybe not tomorrow, but using the slippery slope idea, well, ya, it could happen. There are many (too many if you ask me) who would like to see that happen.

In previous blog posts, I have expressed anger about other people's opinions, especially when it comes to homophobia. Well, I stand by those. I have not called for business boycotts, I have not called for anyone to be arrested. I have spoken out against ideas that I feel are wrong and destructive. I have expressed outrage and concern. But, I have not called for freedom of speech to be curtailed. The hope is that in the future, discrimination based on sexual orientation is squeezed out of society. And, the hope is also that a person wearing a pin that says "Fuck Yoga" is not being told they can't ride the train because of it. Yes, it may offend people. I have seen those pins. My interpretation is that these pins are criticizing the excess commercialization of yoga and the turning of it into merely a fitness craze (Power Yoga? Come ON!). I think that is a fair assessment really. Again, this is how I interpret the pin and if I were to wear it that is the spirit I would wear it in. And that is why I support her. Maybe if someone had asked her, "Why do you wear that pin?", people might find out for themselves what her reasons are.

Most of the posts on that article revolved around the use of vulgar language and how unacceptable it is that someone would have the word Fuck on a button. Well, ya, it is a vulgar word, but it isn't illegal. Also, if that is the worst her button has to say, well, that's not too bad, really. If that is the biggest complaint people can have, then Canadian society is doing pretty darn good, if you ask me!

Now, remember to visit William Shaw at Shaw Pet Homes in Calgary and pick yourself up one of his UGLY as SIN cat houses and lizard dens or whatever the heck those those things are. I think he has a few little spider homes and stuff too.

:)

Terry Jones: Legally a Jerk

Do I really have to go into the background of this story? Probably not. This has been a fairly well publicized one. As many know by now, a Pastor of a tiny church in Florida by the name of Terry Jones burned a copy of the Qur'an. You may be familiar with this book? In the last few days, Afghanistan has been rocked by violent protests over this. On the day they began, 11 people were killed, 7 of them being UN workers, two of them being beheaded. As I write this, protests are in their third day, and seem to be spreading.

Now, I don't know Terry Jones personally. I've never met him. But based on what I have read about him, I can't say I am overly fond of the guy. I don't think he did a very nice to thing when he burned a Qur'an. However, I have to be quite frank in saying that killing people over this action is incredibly ridiculous. Some have come out saying that Terry Jones has blood on his hands and is responsible for what is going on in Afghanistan. He is not. He has been roundly criticized throughout the world for his actions, but what he did was not illegal where he is from. Terry Jones is guilty of being a jerk. That is it. How people have responded is up to them personally, and they are responsible for their actions. What is most ridiculous about this is that it was one man in a tiny church in Florida who burned the Qur'an. That's it. That's all. Nothing more. To say the least, I think it is fair to say that the violent backlash has been disproportionate at best, completely idiotic at worst. He has been roundly criticized. I agree with the criticism. That's about as far as things should go. But, NO, people's heads rolled (literally!). And, TODAY, Hamid Karzai, the fearless leader of Afghanistan is calling on the US Congress to do something about this guy. What?? What should they do about a man in Florida legally being a jerk? 

Look, there are no blasphemy laws in the US. Although I believe burning a Qur'an could be considered inciting hate, it was done on private property and therefore he was not doing anything against the law. Besides, there are plenty of hate groups in the US who are protected by freedom of speech laws. That is the way it works in the US. Freedom of speech is alive and pretty important. Does Mr. Karzai want the US to adopt blasphemy laws so that the people in his country don't go completely berzerk and start cutting off peoples heads?? That doesn't seem like a good idea at all. Should Terry Jones be punished? Well, he didn't actually break any laws, did he? No, he didn't. So, no, he shouldn't be punished, other than what is dished out in the court of public opinion. He has pissed off a lot of people. Fine. But, nothing he has done should be resulting in beheadings and riots. It can be met with anger and frustration, with speaking out against him, by making one's feelings known. But, when it get's to the point where people are dying, things have gotten way too out of hand, and it isn't the fault of Terry Jones.

 

Let's Talk About Kim Evans of Riverview, New Brunswick, Shall We?

Oh Kim Evans of Petals and Promises in Riverview, New Brunswick, what the hell were you thinking??

Have you heard about this lovely story? (You can read about it here if you wish) It seems that Kim Evans, a self proclaimed "born-again Christian" (I still can't for the life of me figure out what that is, but, whatever) decided that she did not wish to sell flowers to a same sex couple who were getting married. Well, first she said that she would provide flowers for the couple's wedding, and then she found out that the couple in question shared the same kind of genitalia and she sent them an email saying (I love this) "I am choosing to decline your business. As a born-again Christian, I must respect my conscience before God and have no part in this matter,"

Oh, isn't that lovely. That's like sending an email to a mixed-race couple saying "I am choosing to decline your business. As I have recently joined the Klan, I must respect my Grand Wizard and have no part in this matter." Yikes. Come on lady! You not only refused their business because they are a same-sex couple, but you did so in a terribly rude and horrible way. That doesn't help your case at all, not that you had one in the first place.What other acts of bigotry does your "born-again Christian" status allow you to indulge in? Who else are you refusing business to? Are you getting a detailed CV from each potential client now to make sure you approve of everything they have ever said, done or will do to make sure it fits into your new Christian lifestyle?

I have no patience for this kind of stuff. There is no way that this kind of discrimination should be taking place, in CANADA, in 2011. I feel personally insulted by what she has done, as a human being and a fellow Canadian. This is not what Canada is about. This is not what being a human is about. Treat people with some decency, would you Kim Evans of Petals and Promises in Riverview, New Brunswick, Canada! And get a better name for your business, would ya! Petals and Promises??? What the hell kind of name is THAT! Bahhhhh. See how angry I am? It's the Promises part of the name that erks me. You PROMISED them flowers. You gave them homophobia. What a rotten deal.

No Foreign Intervention

I believe someone has spoken. I have no clue who. If this voice represents those in Libya fighting for democracy and their wacko of a leader to fall, then I would say what they want is pretty clear.

Why The West Must Stay Out of Libya (And The Whole Middle East)

Face it. No matter what the US and "The West" does when it comes to Libya, it will get criticized harshly. Libya is in a difficult region where people are already pretty pissed off with "The West" for support of Israel and, of course, colonialism. Anti-Western sentiment runs very high, justifiably or not. The US/West getting further involved in the region would be, frankly, quite stupid. And there is no reason to.

What is happening right now in Libya is bloody, horrific and brutal. But, it is what Libya needs. It is a true, grassroots uprising. It is change from within. Many lives have been lost, and many more will be lost. But, with defections happening amongst Gaddafi's regime, more and more areas of the country falling out of his control, and a more determined than ever population, it is fair to say that those who want freedom and democracy are winning. This is good. If outside forces get involved militarily, even more lives or going to get lost and there will be a distraction from the real cause. Those who oppose Gaddafi but are equally defiant against The West will be stuck in the middle, those who are sitting on the fence not sure who to support could be emboldened to jump in with the pro-Gaddafi side to try and oust the "occupiers" and pro-Gaddafi fighters could get a new lease on life with a new reason to fight. It will, once again, be perceived in the same way as colonialism, an invasion of sovereignty, a spit in the eye of proud Arab people, and as an expansion of the great American empire (as it is seen). All around, it doesn't sound like a good scenario. There have been talk of sanctions already, and the concern is that the people being affected by them are going to be the population of Libya, not Gaddafi and his friends. So, even this attempt at action has the potential to backfire tremendously.

US President Obama has been hammered for not coming out quick enough with condemnation of Gaddafi or the violence. I think that Obama has made a number of very wise moves with this approach. Throughout the change in the Middle East, he and his government have not been quick to jump in. Good! That's exactly the way it should be. Revolution is happening. The people are taking to the streets and demanding change, and it is coming, slowly but surely, from within. This is the way it should have been in Iraq, and the way it would be optimal to have happened in Afghanistan. There is no doubt that those two wars have been pretty disastrous. The US became further hated around the world, hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost, and trillions of dollars have been spent. Already, there is so much anger because the regimes that are falling are seen as being "US backed" (a point that Al Jazeera LOVES to point out over and over again, but I digress). So, any new regimes will be dealt with pretty suspiciously if the US endorses them, or shows too much of a preference. The US will be seen as interfering if, on the surface, it appears to have too much of an opinion on how these revolutions should transpire.

So, like I said off the top, no matter WHAT the US, and it's Western friends do, it's going to get blasted from someone, somewhere. So stay out, let the revolutions unfold and hope for a much better future for the citizens of those countries and a better, more trusting and solid relationships with "The West" in the years to come.

TV is a Powerful Tool!

COME ON Al Jazeera Arabic! What the heck kind of "reporting" was THAT! What am I speaking of? I was just at the barber's, got a haircut from a nice Turkish gentleman. The whole time I waited and the whole time I had my haircut, about 45 minutes in total, the SAME loop of images kept rolling over and over and over on the TV they had hanging in the shop. It was like A Clockwork Orange! Police beating on protesters, protesters beating on other protesters, police torturing subjects, a dead and mutilated body, simulated torture scenes, a police truck running over protesters. Over and over and over the same images kept going and going. And, in the background, an "interviewee" screaming at the top of his lungs (there may have been a couple over the span of time, but it was hard to tell because it was just plain screaming!) The only break was when three promos for Al Jazeera ran which were all filled with MORE images of unrest in Egypt. This wasn't reporting! This was sheer incitement and provocation! I wanted to go break stuff after watching 45 minutes solid of these brutal images played over and over...and over...and OVER. Man, that was brutally horrible and terribly irresponsible. Thank goodness Al Jazeera English is not quite like that, although I have had my complaints about them, and my list is growing. I will probably write about that tomorrow.

Back Off, Al Jazeera.

I am growing increasingly frustrated with Al Jazeera's coverage of what is going on in Egypt. They have gained a lot of viewers and attention over the last 11 days and have a new found power. I generally like Al Jazeera, and am pleased to see that they have done well, BUT, I am also disappointed with a number of issues, particularly when it comes to how it reports on US/Israeli involvement. Face it, Al Jazeera is hardly unbiased when it comes to these countries. It continually rails against them. That isn't saying there aren't legitimate grievances. There are. But, when watching Al Jazeera, I can't help but get the sense that the US and Israel are the most evil, horrible countries on the planet. They wait with bated breath on what the US and Israel are going to say about what is going on, and then slam them when they do make a comment. They seem obsessed with the US and Israel, while getting angry because American media is not reporting the situation from the same vantage point as Al Jazeera. Bizarre, really.

I have been watching CNN quite a bit during this crisis and am finding them to be a bit better in their coverage. They have been looking at the crisis from a broader perspective, I find. They have been accused of looking at the crisis from and American perspective, which I have not found to be completely true. They are an American based channel, so of COURSE they will often look at the situation from an American perspective to a good degree.  However, they have also looked at the greater reality of what is going on in Egypt and how it is being seen in the rest of the world and what the impact of this revolution will be, something Al Jazeera is less concerned with. Egypt is a very important country in the region. The uprising there has MASSIVE consequences for the rest of the Middle East and the world. But, for trying to report this, Al Jazeera slams them. Why? I don't live in Egypt. Most of us watching do not. We see what is happening and wonder how it will affect us all. It is an uprising among Egyptians, and that is being acknowledged and reported on. BUT, there is uncertainty and plenty of it. There doesn't seem to be a clear leader ready to step in if Mubarak steps down now. That is concerning for both Egypt and the world. Al Jazeera doesn't seem to get that point. The Muslim Brotherhood? A lot of people have a lot of questions about them. CNN is giving a range of opinions on that group. And, although those in Tahrir Square is made up of people from all walks of Egyptian life, the Muslim Brotherhood is the largest opposition group involved in politics. Of COURSE people want to know about them. I don't think they should be feared, but I understand people's desire to know about them, and to get to understand them.

This isn't to say that Al Jazeera is not doing a good job. In many ways, they are. They are providing a great service. So, I am not anti-Al Jazeera. I suppose I became far more frustrated after I saw this report, which I felt was particularly low:



After watching this, I wanted to stick up for American networks, which is not something I usually rush to do. But, in this case, I think the US is getting a bad rap. Their main target, of course, is Fox News, which is a given. I can't say they are a reliable voice for much, so they deserve their fair share of criticism. However, other networks are doing their very best, as far as I am concerned, just as Al Jazeera is. By taking a Fox News approach to reporting on American media, they have stooped to a Fox News level, which is pretty low. I expect more from Al Jazeera, and hope they focus on the news and stories, and focus less on beating up their peers, and lay off a bit more on the US and Israel (again, something I never imagined myself saying).

Asian Cup Ridiculousness: The Story Continues

My third post on the same subject. Sorry, I just can't let this one go. It is on my mind. It makes me furious. I am particularily frustrated by the response of organizers. Get a load of this one:

"We said to the spectators, 'come early'. Unfortunately, yesterday we had to close the gates for security reasons," he said, adding that around 3,000 fans were locked out.

"Most of the people outside were without tickets, which was causing a problem. We feel sorry for the people not having a ticket. I hope this will not give a bad impression about the tournament. We were hoping we would not have anything like this happen, but it happened, and you can't satisfy everybody."

From: http://mwcnews.net/news/sports/8321-officials-defend-asian-cup-lockout.html

What? Huh? Run that by me again? Did you just blame the fans who weren't there on time, or at least your version of on time?? Since when is anyone in Qatar on time for anything?? When, exactly, did you guys tell people to get there early? I certainly never heard anything like that. Most of the people outside were without tickets?? Uh uh. Most of the people outside HAD tickets because you fuckers gave their seats away! Bad impression of the tournament?? Do I have a bad impression? DAMN RIGHT I do! Lies, lies and other crap used to justify pathetic behaviour. How arrogant and utterly unprofessional. There were people locked out that had flown to Qatar just for this event. There were people out there who had bought tickets at full price months ago. What were you idiots thinking?? Shame on the organizers. Shame on the AFC. Shame on FIFA. Shame on Qatar. Stop with the lies. Stop with the alternate reality you are trying to create. Own up to the screw up. Refund all those who did not get it, and all of those who actually paid for tickets. Repay flight and hotel costs for those who came from out of town to watch the game. And then forfeit the World Cup and give it to a country that wouldn't pull this shit.

Asian Cup Ridiculousness #2

Okay, so, I bought a ticket to go see the Asian Cup final in Doha, Qatar about a month before the game, which was held last night. I paid 35QR for said ticket. Fair enough, not a bad price, really. Last night, I go to the game between Australia and Japan at Khalifa Stadium. I get in only to find that they were letting everyone and anyone in free, without a ticket. No one cared about my ticket. Why did I pay 35QR for this ticket again? Why were people who paid nothing getting better seats? Made no sense. When I got into the stadium, it was just stupid. I went to find my seat and was just told to sit anywhere, to go in any gate and just get a seat. Okay, well, fine, I got in, I got a seat, and I watched the game. Well, apparently, not long after I had gotten in, they shut the gates, leaving about 3000 fans, many of them holding a ticket for the game, locking them out. This included people who had traveled from Australia and Japan for said game. Needless to say, they were unhappy, and, according to reports, there was some roughness between some fans and the police. No explanation was given as to why they were not allowed in. The gates were just shut. At the end of the game? If you were still there when the award ceremony started, you were in until the gates reopened. I left before the final goal. But others were locked into the stadium at the end of the game to watch an awards ceremony and fireworks. Of course, people were told that gates would be closed until 15 minutes AFTER the end of the fireworks "for your safety". So, why did all of this take place? Well, Sepp Blatter and the Emir were in attendance for starters. It's clear that they wanted as many people in seats as possible before the game got under way to show that they could get the fans. Unfortunately, that meant that anyone deemed late was left outside. When has anyone in Qatar been on time for anything? Apparently, for this one event, everyone was supposed to be there and in their seats well before kick off. They closed the gate 45 minutes before the game started. What? Why?? That makes no sense. Then, the fans locked out are blamed by the organizers for not being on time? What? Huh?? It was the fans fault that you gave away the seats they paid for to other people for FREE in order to look good in front of the FIFA president, the Emir and TV cameras?? Yes, that, once again, is the way things are done here. Window dressing. They don't care about the fans. They care about looking good. They care about looking like they can host a World Cup while clearly showing that they can't. Why did I pay for a ticket I shouldn't have paid for? Why did people pay for tickets and hotels and then be shut out of the game? Then, THEN, to add insult to injury, they showed the number of fans in attendance on the big screen. It was something like 37,500 people. How did they come up with this number? Whose butt was this pulled out of?? No one was checking tickets. Everyone was just being shuffled in as fast as possible into seats. How they could have possibly got some exact count of the number of people were in the stadium is beyond me. And, another question comes up. Estimates were that 3000 people were locked out. The stadium holds about 40,000. That means 2,500 seats were empty. That isn't all that far off of the number of people stuck outside of the stadium. Does this make sense? Of course not! Why would it make sense? Overall, it was a disgusting display. What is going to happen when the World Cup comes?? I can't imagine 3000 England fans being told they can't attend a game when they have tickets in their hands, can you? This was a disgrace and Qatar and the organizers should be ashamed.

Here are some news stories on the whole affair for your reading enjoyment.

http://english.aljazeera.net/sport/football/2011/01/201112921940597529.html

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5gvg0XsC-9XQLl7tY2f6OAd_JHcSw?docId=5798760

http://www.goal.com/en/news/3550/asian-cup/2011/01/30/2329566/asian-cup-2011-exclusive-fans-vent-anger-at-being-locked-out

Asian Cup Ridiculousness #1

I wrote this a while ago, but never posted it. Here it is, in all it's outdated glory:

 

The AFC Asian Cup is being hosted this year by Qatar. On July 14th, I took in a great game where Australia and South Korea played an intense match to a 1-1 tie. It was a joy to experience. It’s just too bad that all who wanted to attend were not allowed in. My friend and I took our two kids to see their first football game. We had no problem getting tickets. Then, five young Nepalese labourers attempted to get tickets. They were told that only “family and ladies” tickets were left. They asked me what to do. I didn’t have an answer. They looked confused. I figured that the stadium must be pretty packed if they were just down to one section reserved for families. When we entered the stadium, I saw the reality. It wasn’t packed at all. There were all kinds of empty seats. Then, it was announced that attendance was 15,000 people in a stadium with capacity for 25,000. My friend and I were in the “family” section, where there were several groups of Arab and Western men. Our supposed “family section” was not a family section at all.  It was a general seating area. So, why on earth would five workers be denied entry into a stadium with 10,000 empty seats? That is the way it is in malls, in parks and anywhere else that labourers are not wanted. These young men are the very ones who will be building the stadiums, the roads, the infrastructure needed to put on the World Cup when Qatar hosts it in 2022. But, how many of these workers be allowed into the stadiums? They work long hours in brutal conditions, live in squalid conditions and tend to earn very low wages. Often, their passports are taken away, and they are subject to a system that essentially makes them slaves to their employers. The very people who are building Qatar are outcasts and discriminated against.  And when they try to go to malls, parks and tourist areas they are turned away. Apparently, the same goes for some of these foreign workers who try to go to Asian Cup football matches. The Asian Federation Cup is proving to be a games where only select fans are permitted to attend, despite the fact organizers would like to have full stadiums. It makes no sense. What will happen when the World Cup arrives in 2022?