Civic, Provincial and Federal Policies, Spartacus Season 2 Finale and More....

Disagree with his policies, sure, but don't attack him because of his weight...that's not classy

I think I have figured out what it is that drives people to severely dislike Mayor Rob Ford so much. It's actually quite clear the more jokes you hear made by radio and TV stations: Its easy to make fun of a fat man. You don't have to like his politics, his leadership style or how he does his job but we need to show some respect to the person who was elected Mayor and not constantly focus on the fact that he has a weight issue in your attempts to dismiss him offhand. It almost appears to me that there is some kind of bias against the man simply because he is overweight.

He was elected on the basis of a platform that everyone could understand (and was and IS still true, unfortunately) that there is overspending at Toronto city hall and spending cuts need to be made. Instead of jumping on board with his policies, he has had a fight on his hands in just about every department with the other city counselors, including some he wrongfully believed were his allies, over his budget. The fact is David Miller was a wasteful mayor who put the City into a severe financial hole in his time as Mayor. Yet, almost to a man, the Toronto media seem to revel in glossing over Miller's tenure focusing instead on making Rob Ford look like a bumbling idiot (and yes, he has certainly contributed to that with some bone head decisions of his own).

Even his determination in wanting a subway line across Sheppard and across Eglinton to connect all the way to Scarborough (which makes sense economically, and ecologically) is lost on people who can't seem to accept any of his ideas simply because they come from him. At a time when we need more jobs to kick start a flailing economy, Toronto City Council is still at odds with the Mayor and his Subway concept, wanting instead to create another ridiculous LRT system on the city when the first one on St.Clair proved to be a financial nightmare that caused chaos with long and costly delays, forcing businesses to close down and snarling traffic for years along St. Clair.

I just wish the media would stop looking at the messenger and focus on the veracity of the message instead. But that would not be "news" today now would it....

Kind of says it all, doesn't it....

On a similar note, Gas prices are about to skyrocket tonight by as much as 5 cents a liter (all over the city and yet there is no collusion on prices??? Really???), primarily because......because....no one seems to really know why other then corporate greed. There is no acute shortage of oil right now (in fact there is a ton of overstock right now because of the warmer then expected winter), there are no issues with any refineries in terms of shut downs or fires, storms, etc., there is no war currently ongoing with an oil-producing nation and, on top of it all, we have the largest deposits of oilsand in the world (which should make our own cost of gas much cheaper then they are.

So why, with all of these things currently the norm, are we seeing the price of gas go up over 10 cents in the last 2 months? I wish I could point to a real reason but there just isn't other then Oil companies and OPEC are looking to boost their profits even more then ever. I generally tend to follow along with the Prime Minister on most things but I would like to see a little more leadership in this area when it comes to the way Canadians are being pinched at the pumps over the last few years. We need to see an actual hard cap on how much gas should cost in this country. It may sound "socialist" or even communist in a way but when you have the largest supply of a product, why are you being forced to export the profits of that product to the Middle East and OPEC? Why are Canadians not among the lowest in terms of how much we pay for gas? It's illogical.

 Look guys, get your heads together and fix the auto insurance industry in Ontario and you will both be hailed as heroes

Also along the idea of capping something, Auto Insurance in Ontario needs to be capped. Insurers are starting to gauge people mercilessly, making it almost impossible for some people to even afford being able to drive their cars legally on the streets of Ontario. If you are going to mandate that all vehicles have to be insured to legally be on the road, then you also, in turn, need to cap the amount an insurance company can charge for said insurance or else you are pushing your citizens to the brink of bankruptcy in terms of not only fueling their cars but also covering their asses with Province mandated insurance. And you wonder why Ontario is slipping further and further down in terms of wealthiest provinces.Well there are 2 very easy examples of where the average citizens is being nickel and dimed into submission because of Government inaction.

And now for some entertainment news.

What a great Season Finale...

<SPOILER ALERT: Spartacus Season Finale Re-Cap>

I almost missed the season Finale Sunday night of Spartacus: Vengeance but I was fortunate that Rogers actually did something right when it comes to their On Demand service for once: Episode 10 was ALREADY available Sunday night at midnight!!!

So even though I had to work the next morning, and I had just watched Game Of Thrones Season 2 premier, I was pumped to watch this episode and, as expected, it was awesome. Now, it wasn't the all out blood bath that the first season finale was when the gladiators were able to destroy the House of Batiatus and earn their freedom, but heading into the finale, Spartacus and his troops were stuck on Mount Vesuvius surrounded by Praetor Glaba's army. With dwindling food supplies and unsure of what to do, Spartacus was left grasping at what course of action he should take.

An attempt was made by a small band of Agron's men to break through Glaba's guards and force a route of  escape through their one and only way down from the mountain. Spartacus and Crixus (among others) were forced to intervene to save their lives but their actions resulted in the death of Mira, the slave girl who had fallen in love with Spartacus. She was only the first of many to die in this episode. Her death, eventually, gave Spartacus an idea that would lead to some of the most brilliant tactics I have ever seen later on in the episode, but first Ilythia and Lucretia made their way to the Temple that the Rebels had been using as their base until Glaba had overrun them in Episode 9. Her sole mission: Force Glaba to action and end the life of Spartacus ASAP so she can get back to Rome and away from Capua forever.

Despite the fact that Spartacus had the high ground, Glaba was going to act and attack Spartacus. He had agreed on the condition that Ilythia kill Lucretia after she had made it seem as if Ashur had told Seppia about killing her brother (at Glaba's command). Still with me? So Ashur and Lucretia are looking doomed. Ashur has his little gang turn on him (when Glaba offered them land and coin). Instead of killing Ashur himself, he sent him on a mission up the mountain (knowing full well that he wouldn't return).

 Starting Season 3, we know one thing....Spartacus ain't dead yet!!!

Ashur ended up being an envoy with an offer of peace to the rebels on behalf of Glaba. They would all be allowed to return to being slaves and not be killed (right away at least, which was clearly a lie). The only catch was that they would have to turn over Spartacus. Clearly that wasn't going to happen. After telling Ashur to stick Glaba's offer where the sun don't shine, Crixus wanted to challenge Ashur but was stopped by Naevia who was determined to challenge him herself. She was outmatched from the start and there were several moments where you felt as if her time had come to an end but Ashur's overconfidence (his biggest flaw) showed itself again and she was able to kill him, but not before he got in yet another great final line. So Ashur and Mira are dead already and the episode is about half done. An ominous sign to say the least.

Spartacus and his men responded to Glaba's offer by sending Ashur's head down the path to Glaba's guard troops. He wasn't surprised by their response to his offer and moved to prepare for his final attack in the morning except that Spartacus had other ideas. Using the vines that they had on the mountain (long ass vines??? On a mountain??? Ok), the rebels fastened 4 long ropes that allowed Spartacus, Crixus, Agron and Gannacus to propel straight down the sheer face of the mountain. The 4 of them then routed several sleeping troops and made their way to the catapults which they then aimed directly at Glaba's sleeping troops, sending numerous fireballs at them, scattering them, killing many of them and forcing chaos on them as they slept.

The troops that were left over were re-assembled by Glaba and ordered to attack the catapults. At this point Glaba had no idea how many of Spartacus' men were there but he was going to wipe them all out regardless. This was where HIS biggest flaw began to show as he decided to send all his remaining men charging towards the catapults leaving no one to guard the mountain (you can see what's going to happen next can't you?).

Seeing only 4 men at the Catapults, Glaba failed to realize it was a distraction and again ordered a head on charge of his men to charge as the rest of the rebels attacked his unprepared men from the side. Outflanked, and losing the battle, Glaba retreated his men back to the Temple but not before we lost yet another main character; Aeonemeus. Gannacus had saved him from death in Episode 9 at the hands of one of Ashur's men (but not before he lost an eye). The two of them seemed to have finally started to mend their relationship before the battle that cost him his life. He repaid his debt to Gannacus as the same ogre that had taken his eye in battle was close to killing Gannacus until Aeonemeus stepped in and took a spear through the gut for his trouble. This set Gannacus off as he pulled a Hulk Hogan-esque power up, and was able to finally kill Ashur's killing machine with a cleave to the head.

The two men then shared a truly heart wrenching emotional reunion before Aeonemeus finally died of his wound. In the middle of all of that mayhem, there was still time enough for them to say goodbye to each other.

Meanwhile, Glaba was guarding the temple thinking that Spartacus wouldn't continue to press the attack only to see him and his men coming ferociously over the wall, killing everything (and every one) in site. With everyone else fighting it out, Glaba and Spartacus had their one on one and we all know who was destined to win this one. With Glaba already mortally wounded and forced to his knees in front of the only men left alive around him (the Rebels), Spartacus was about to kill Glaba but there was more afoot at the same time that I have to bring you up to speed on that before the death blow was delivered.

Ilythia and Lucretia had gone back to Batiatus' home where Ilythia was going to kill Lucretia. She was going to push her over the balcony and off the ledge of the compound when her water broke. As she lay in bed worried about her child, Lucretia went to get some help (or so we thought). Screams were heard and Lucretia appears with blood all over her dress and a long knife in her hand. She kills Ilythia's body slave (brutally) and then proceeds (it would appear) to cut the baby out of Ilythia (we don't see that part but it's vividly implied a few moments later).

With baby in hand and Ilythia screaming, Lucretia walks towards the edge of the ground level of the compound (remember that it's got an open area that leads to an unprotected edge of a huge cliff. Ilythia is still screaming as she somehow crawls he way all the way down to Lucretia who basically falls backward (intentionally) off the edge of the cliff with the baby in her arms as Ilythia screams. Just crazy.  

As Spartacus shoves his sword down Glaba's throat (very homo-erotic there), he has visions of his wife and how she was ripped from his arms and killed, seeming to put an end to his "quest for vengeance" as it was. His line to end the season was perfect...."Now, we build an army"

I can't wait for Season 3!

<End of Spoiler Alert>

Sorry if i went overboard there but it was a great episode, some of the best sequences you will ever see on any show, PERIOD!

Some little tidbits (annoyances)...

--Can drivers please get it through your heads that just because you signal does not mean you have a "right" to change lanes?!?! Signalling just means you are demonstrating your intent to go there "WHEN SAFE" not "WHENEVER YOU FEEL LIKE IT"

 Lawrie is the key to a breakthrough season for the Blue Jays this year....

--When will Toronto Sports teams ever get some respect in the States? Charles Barkley makes a crack that Kentucky (a college team) could beat the Raptors and the Blue Jays, despite being raved about by men who run the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays, are considered an afterthought in the division (this despite the fact that they have a very deep and talented bullpen, a solid if unspectacular starting lineup that can hurt you in a variety of ways, and a talented and maturing starting rotation that is as good as any in the American League). The Yankees and Red Sox are D-U-N, DONE! They are old and getting older. They have injuries mounting already and I just don't see what everyone else seems to think is there. This will be a 2 team race between the Jays and the Rays for the division, mark my word!

--Have you seen this kid on Britain's got Talent? 17 years old, he seems like a dough boy, has the look of a slob (Simon Cowell sure was judging that book by its' cover) but when he sings, he seems to be the reincarnation of Pavorotti. Just an incredible operatic voice. If he and his female partner (he is part of a duo and she is pretty and can sing very well as well) don't win, then they clearly did not pick songs that best show their talent properly. He should become a star with that voice.

Don' feel like talking much any more eh?

--Where, oh where has Brian Burke gone? Ever since he fired Ron Wilson, he has sequestered himself away, hiding in the shadows of the ACC, almost embarrassed by the team he painstakingly put together. When they were riding high and in 6th place in the conference, you could not shut his ass up as he would go off on reporters, on the state of the game, declare that the Leafs would consider imposing their own "trade deadline" because the NHL one is "murder" on Leaf players, and he even tried to get Ron MacLean and Don Cherry fired. If you were proud of them when they were good, you should be there, front and center when they suck. Yet another reason why they should get rid of the man as their GM.

Until next time....