Yes it is!
Learned that first hand today.
I wrote an editorial in my school's newspaper concerning our intramural dodgeball tournament, which was extremely disorganized. I did not name names, but made one mention to our Athletic Council, which I was a part of. Though I felt some guilt in make a criticism of the tournament, I felt it was necessary to voice what many of the students and teachers thought about it. Besides, it was my honest opinion that the tournament was a disaster.
Well, the paper came out today and let's just say some people weren't too happy with the article. First off, our head of Physical Education Department yelled at me at 8:30 in the morning. Then, he kicked me off the Athletic Council.
The news of this controversy spread fast, even I was surprised about how many people knew the story by lunch time. The paper was getting immense readership by this time.
Even teachers were kept in the loop, and I talked to many people, most of whom supported the article. I have to admit, the things I wrote were not too harsh. I understand why certain people are upset, but I think they wre massively over reacting.
The best thing to do, I think, is just to talk to some of the editors in the paper and teachers too. And if things calm down enough, I will approach the head of the Phys Ed department once again to discuss this issue.
One thing I found somewhat ironic was the fact that the paper was proofread by a staff advisor and the principal. Neither of them had any problems with it yet the Phys Ed department is going beserk over the opinion of one student.
Somebody said to me two weeks ago: "Journalism is a risky business...".
Yes it is.
-D
Friday 28 November 2008
Sunday 23 November 2008
AL MVP-Dustin Pedroia??!!
The first thing I whispered to myself when I saw the small headline "Pedroia wins AL MVP" can be shortened into three letters: WTF??!!I'll admit this-I haven't been the most informed person when it comes to the baseball offseason. But the choice of Dustin Pedroia for AL MVP came as a huge shock. He's a fantastic player, for sure, and that'll probably be true for a long time to come. However, is he the most valuable player in the entire American League? A definite no!
First off, Dustin Pedoia plays on the Boston Red Sox, a team that has quite a few valuable players. Had he been the second baseman for a team like the Florida Marlins, Pedroia's impact would have been much, much greater. If you take away Pedroia's contributions to a mediocre team, it would make an insurmountable difference. The Red Sox are not a mediocre team. In fact, there are few batting line ups as relentless as Boston's. Simply put, Dustin Pedroia's contributions to the Red Sox, a team that also employs Kevin Youkilis, Mike Lowell, and Jonathan Papelbon, were far less than that of a true leader on a less mainstream team.
In all due respect, Pedroia is an amazing hitter, who sprays the ball, hits for average, possesses some pop, and makes the pitcher work. His D is also quite impressive. But that can be said for a lot of players. On a team like the Red Sox, he is just not a stand out. In order to be the MVP, a player must be outstanding, dazzling fans on the field, but also an irreplaceable figure in the clubhouse. In the AL, it's not Dustin Pedroia that does those two things the best.
Now that the criteria has been set. Here's a list of players who deserve the award more than the Red Sox second baseman.
1. Justin Morneau
Morneau came in a distant second. The margin of victory (60 points) for Pedroia was also quite shocking. At the end of the regular season, I honestly thought that the AL MVP race was going to be a toughie for the writers. Perhaps, it'd be a very close vote. But as it turned out, that was not the case.
Morneau's power numbers and RBI stats were much more impressive than Pedroia's. In fact, Morneau drove in 50 more runs than Pedroia, a margin that could have easily won a dozen more games for any ballclub.
As well, Morneau plays for the Minnesota Twins, a city where baseball sellouts don't occur on a nightly basis. He is the undisputed leader in the clubhouse there and has a slickly deft glove as well.
2. Carlos Quentin
Ask yourself a simple question. Where would the Chicago White Sox be without Carlos Quentin? They probably would not have had the opportunity to play some October baseball without Carlos' help. He was solid on offense all season long, providing timely hits when the White Sox needed them
He dazzled and shined on the field and was a fan favourite. Quentin really helped to carry the White Sox through much of the season. He is undoubtedly a recognized face in Chicago and definitely of insurmountable value to his club.
3. Cliff Lee
I know Lee won the Cy Young, but there is no rule that says a player can't win two awards in one season. The stats Lee posted on the mound were just as impressive as any hitter in the league. His contributions and his value simply came from doing a different job.
The Cleveland Indians won a total of 81 games during the regular season. Cliff Lee posted 22 individual victories. If you can't do the math, Cliff Lee was credited with over 25% of all Cleveland wins. Can you say that for Dustin Pedroia?
His dazzle-razzle ERA of 2.54 was also best in the majors. Again, the main question is, where would the Cleveland Indians be without Cliff Lee? He was the focus of their team, the ace, the fan fave, all of which qualify him for this prestigious award.
While the selection of Dustin Pedroia was somewhat ridiculous in my opinion, the winners of other major end of season awards were deserving of their honours. For the most part, the writers voted for the most meriting candidate.
On that note, this Pedroia mistake is forgivable.
-D
Busy Weekend
It sure is a crazy weekend in Canadian sports!Last night, at the ACC, Wendell Clark's #17 was lifted to the rafters, the highest honour for any Leaf. Not to be outdone, the Montreal Canadiens, the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup, invited Patrick Roy to the Bell Centre for his jersey raising ceremony. I'm not a big hockey guy anymore, but I know enough about the sport to respect what those two guys did for the sport. Clark had his own era in Maple Leafs hockey while Patrick Roy won the most games ever for a goaltender. Congrats to both of 'em!
And did anyone notice that the music played during Wendell Clark's raising was the same as the music played after Obama's victory speech in Chicago on Election Night??
Also happening in Montreal today...the Grey Cup! Remember the days when Toronto Argos used to dominate?? Nothing seems to be going right in Toronto sports these days...not even the Argos. Not a big football fan anyway, but I do notice an increase in football's popularity with Canadians recently.
The Raptors are in the last minutes of their game against the Boston Celtics. A slaghter right from the getgo. At one point, there were down by only 4 points, but that optimism didn't last long. At last check, there were down 114-99. A record of 6-7 definitely does not do justice as to what this team is capable of.
Not much else to say other than that.
Article coming later tonight or tomorrow...stay tuned!
-D
Sunday 16 November 2008
Jot 'Em Down
There's been a lot of movement going on in baseball. Big names being tossed around. Trades being negotiated. It's what the sport does when everyone's bored and cold. The AL Cy Young came out earlier this week. Can't say I was surprised-Cliff Lee-22-5 with an ERA around 2.50ish...totally deserves it. On the other hand, woulda been nice to see Doc Halladay net another one.
Jake Peavy, AJ Burnett, and CC Sabathia are all on the Yankees' radar. It could be a scary division if New York and Boston both flex their money muscles. The Jays, of course, would like to have AJ back, but I just don't see it working out. And I highly doubt we'll be able to persuade Manny Ramirez to come here...besides, the guy's a tool.
Trevor Hoffman won the Roberto Clemente award. Congrats.
They're working hard on getting baseball back in the Olympics. A US delegation made the pitch to 20 IOC members earlier this week. These are all efforts for 2016-an Olympics I hope will take place in Chicago. MLB said they might be willing to let the best pro players participate if baseball is reassured a spot on the Olympic programme. The final decision will be made next October in Denmark. Can't wait.
Raptors hosting the Miami Heats today at the ACC.
Leafs lost last night in Vancouver 4-2...when's Brian Burke gonna get here?!
-D
Wednesday 12 November 2008
Good Volunteering Opportunity
Last week was ridiculously crazy.
On Wednesday evening, I had the opportunity to go down to the Air Canada Centre and sell 50/50 tickets for the Toronto Raptors. Awesome experience! And it counts as volunteering hours, how sweet is that?!
My salesman skills were not bad, but there is obviously room for improvement. I got this volunteering opportunity with CICS-a community organization aimed at helping new immigrants. It was just real cool to get inside the ACC on a staff pass and we even got to catch the fourth quarter after we were finished selling.
The view was nothing like I've ever seen. We were herded up to the 6th floor, where the media sits and where the NHL Replay Room is located. Super cool. I even got to sit by a phone which was labeled "Associated Press". Just that label alone was enough to satisfy my aspirational little heart. :) (Toronto lost the game 100-93, but that's not important)
Otherwise, life is good. I just got promoted to Junior Editor in my high school's newspaper. Yay me!
Evan Longoria and Geovany Soto won RoY. Tim Lincecum won the NL Cy. Joe Maddon and Lou Pinella won Managers of the Year. Good stuff. Good voting by the writers.
Matt Holliday has been traded to the A's!
-D
On Wednesday evening, I had the opportunity to go down to the Air Canada Centre and sell 50/50 tickets for the Toronto Raptors. Awesome experience! And it counts as volunteering hours, how sweet is that?!
My salesman skills were not bad, but there is obviously room for improvement. I got this volunteering opportunity with CICS-a community organization aimed at helping new immigrants. It was just real cool to get inside the ACC on a staff pass and we even got to catch the fourth quarter after we were finished selling.
The view was nothing like I've ever seen. We were herded up to the 6th floor, where the media sits and where the NHL Replay Room is located. Super cool. I even got to sit by a phone which was labeled "Associated Press". Just that label alone was enough to satisfy my aspirational little heart. :) (Toronto lost the game 100-93, but that's not important)
Otherwise, life is good. I just got promoted to Junior Editor in my high school's newspaper. Yay me!
Evan Longoria and Geovany Soto won RoY. Tim Lincecum won the NL Cy. Joe Maddon and Lou Pinella won Managers of the Year. Good stuff. Good voting by the writers.
Matt Holliday has been traded to the A's!
-D
Tuesday 4 November 2008
Election Night 2008
12:21 AM: I am actually tearing up as I watch the first and second families take to the stage. Just look at that crowd-the emotions-what a journey we've travelled. The buildings around Grant Park have "USA" formed by light patterns. All those American flags. All those screams. All those drops of sweat. All those smiles. 21 months-50 states-49 debates-Barack Obama is now the President-Elect of the most powerful nation on Earth.This is simply wonderful...simply wonderful.
11:59 PM: At one minute til midnight-Barack Obama takes the stage at Grant Park to deliver his victory speech.
11:38 PM: McCain is gracious a loser. Some of his supporters are not. Anyway, we are waiting for Obama's victory speech in that electric Grant Park.
11:17 PM: Here we go-Florida has voted for Obama! That's my first miss of the night-40 for 41. Jesse Jackson is crying as so many others are tonight. John McCain has begun his concession speech-he does not look happy at all.
11:14 PM: I can't wait for the speech by Barack Obama. I'm looking for a different tone from his tonight, though I think he will stick to his message of change. Colorado has been called for Obama right now-bringing his total to 306.
11:07 PM: No words for this moment! Barack Obama has been elected President of the United States. He has won Virginia as well. Look at them party in Chicago and Atlanta and Harlem!!!! A historical moment!!
11:00 PM: THERE'S THE CALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BARACK OBAMA WILL BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BARACK OBAMA WILL BE THE 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!!!!!!!!!!
10:57 PM: Three minutes to go before California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho close. This might be it. The moment we have waited for many many years. Just a couple minutes away. Obama has all but got it!
10:39 PM: I am 34 for 34 in state projections so far!! Yay!
10:19 PM: The scene in Grant Park is absolutely unbelievable. It is just filled with people, flags, and a party atmosphere! Gives me goosebumps. This is an election that will be talked about for decades to come!
10:05 PM: Iowa goes for Obama. Arizona is still too close to call. This is an incredible night. Getting closer now to 270. The McCain headquarters looks like a funeral compared to Grant Park. This map is as blue as it's gotten in a long time. Obama's jumped into the lead in Virginia and closed the gap significantly in Indiana. This might be a massive blowout for Obama tonight. And I still haven't missed a state yet in my projection.
9:58 PM: Not that it matters, McCain has won Texas. At the top of the hour, a bunch of states will close their polls and we may get an official call for the Presidency in just over an hour!
9:42 PM: That's it. Break out the champagne and celebrate in Grant Park!! Obama CAN'T lose this now. He's got 200 with California, Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii yet to come, which will easily put him over 270! This is it! History has been made in America!
9:22 PM: BIG NEWS! Barack Obama takes Ohio!!!! This is very significant! Before this thing began, I thought that if he won either Florida or Ohio, he's over the top with the help of the West Coast. Huge development! It's 195-76 Obama.
9:15 PM: Obama has closed the gap to 1% in Virginia, now trailing McCain by 30 000 votes. Ohio, Pennsylvania are so slow in reporting their results. Indian's not changing much, McCain leads by 40 000 votes and Florida is still looking pretty solid for Obama.
9:04 PM: Another slew of results are in. Blue states and red states distributed onto the map. John McCain now with 70 electoral votes. Barack Obama has 175. No big surprises yet. Texas and Louisiana are too early to call. New York goes for Obama (suprise! surprise!). Missouri is real tight. We're in for a fight!
8:49 PM: It's a slower night than I imagined. Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana are all too close to call. McCain is leading by 10% in Virginia and 4% in Indiana. Otherwise, Obama is pulling ahead in the "battleground" states. In 10 minutes, we'll go out west of the Mississippi with 156 new electoral college votes up for grabs.
8:34 PM: About 14 million votes have been counted. Barack Obama leades by approx 58 000 votes. Alabama has been projected for McCain.
8:31 PM: Look at this! Kay Hagan has been declared the winner in North Carolina. So for the first time since 1952, no Bushes or Doles are elected to public office. This was an extremely nasty campaign in NC with Dole calling Hagan an atheist at one point. I didn't think Democrats would win 60 seats in the Senate, but it looks like they might just pull it off!
8:29 PM: New Hampshire's hotly contested Senate seat has gone Democrat. Senator McConnell has not be projected the winner yet. Grant Park is filling up fast. They're singing the Anthem at McCain's HQs. Democracy is at work in America!
8:17 PM: Wow! Look at these vote totals. Just a quarter of Florida's votes are in, but there has already been 3 500 000 votes counted. This is just incredible. In North Carolina, Obama is up by 150 000 votes with just 4% in precincts reporting.
8:02 PM: A slew of calls for Obama brings him to 103. McCain stands at 34. Pennsylvania is blue-despite McCain's hopes. The Southern states are too early to call. Obama's still leading by 320 000 votes in Florida. To be frank, I expected Florida to be a lot closer.
7:57 PM: At the top of the hour, 171 new electoral college votes will be up for grabs. Polls in 15 states set to close. Get ready, folks! It's crunch time!
7:46 PM: South Carolina has been put into the column of Senator McCain. Make that 16 for McCain and 3 for Obama. Forty-seven states left!
7:33 PM: A string of Too Early to Calls and Too Close to Calls does nothing to change the electoral map. It's still Obama 3, McCain 8. Good news though-Obama is up by 112 000 in Florida.
7:27 PM: Three minutes to go before the very interesting Ohio and West Virginia close their polls.
7:17 PM: Indiana is shifting between Obama and McCain like the Dow Jones going up and down. McCain leads by about 500 votes. Two minutes ago, Obama was up by about 1 800. This is what tonight is all about!!
7:11 PM: I'm on the nail in terms of House projection. NBC predicts 261 for the Dems and 174 for the Republicans, within 2 of my own projection. Supporters are now just being let into Grant Park in Chicago for Obama's victory party.
7:01 PM: Get this!! Indiana is separated by 38 VOTES!! 38 VOTES!! This is incredible. Kentucky is projected for McCain. Vermont is in the Obama column. Mark Warner, the keynote speaker at the DNC, is expected to pick up a Senate seat in Virginia and Lindsey Graham will keep his Senate seat in South Carolina.
6:55 PM: The Kentucky hard numbers just jumped like a rocket. McCain is up by just 5000 votes in Kentucky, or just 3 %. In just 5 minutes, 58 electoral votes will be up for grabs in Virginia, South Carolina, Indiana, Kentucky, Vermont and Georgia.
6:47 PM: Here we go! Just 13 minutes til a block of states shut their polls. Early results in from Indiana-OBAMA is leading by 711 votes. It is a tight race already, as we expected. In Kentucky, McCain is doubling up on Obama. It's early and we are expected to see 140 million votes counted after the dust is settled.
-D
11:59 PM: At one minute til midnight-Barack Obama takes the stage at Grant Park to deliver his victory speech.
11:38 PM: McCain is gracious a loser. Some of his supporters are not. Anyway, we are waiting for Obama's victory speech in that electric Grant Park.
11:17 PM: Here we go-Florida has voted for Obama! That's my first miss of the night-40 for 41. Jesse Jackson is crying as so many others are tonight. John McCain has begun his concession speech-he does not look happy at all.
11:14 PM: I can't wait for the speech by Barack Obama. I'm looking for a different tone from his tonight, though I think he will stick to his message of change. Colorado has been called for Obama right now-bringing his total to 306.
11:07 PM: No words for this moment! Barack Obama has been elected President of the United States. He has won Virginia as well. Look at them party in Chicago and Atlanta and Harlem!!!! A historical moment!!
11:00 PM: THERE'S THE CALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BARACK OBAMA WILL BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BARACK OBAMA WILL BE THE 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!!!!!!!!!!
10:57 PM: Three minutes to go before California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho close. This might be it. The moment we have waited for many many years. Just a couple minutes away. Obama has all but got it!
10:39 PM: I am 34 for 34 in state projections so far!! Yay!
10:19 PM: The scene in Grant Park is absolutely unbelievable. It is just filled with people, flags, and a party atmosphere! Gives me goosebumps. This is an election that will be talked about for decades to come!
10:05 PM: Iowa goes for Obama. Arizona is still too close to call. This is an incredible night. Getting closer now to 270. The McCain headquarters looks like a funeral compared to Grant Park. This map is as blue as it's gotten in a long time. Obama's jumped into the lead in Virginia and closed the gap significantly in Indiana. This might be a massive blowout for Obama tonight. And I still haven't missed a state yet in my projection.
9:58 PM: Not that it matters, McCain has won Texas. At the top of the hour, a bunch of states will close their polls and we may get an official call for the Presidency in just over an hour!
9:42 PM: That's it. Break out the champagne and celebrate in Grant Park!! Obama CAN'T lose this now. He's got 200 with California, Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii yet to come, which will easily put him over 270! This is it! History has been made in America!
9:22 PM: BIG NEWS! Barack Obama takes Ohio!!!! This is very significant! Before this thing began, I thought that if he won either Florida or Ohio, he's over the top with the help of the West Coast. Huge development! It's 195-76 Obama.
9:15 PM: Obama has closed the gap to 1% in Virginia, now trailing McCain by 30 000 votes. Ohio, Pennsylvania are so slow in reporting their results. Indian's not changing much, McCain leads by 40 000 votes and Florida is still looking pretty solid for Obama.
9:04 PM: Another slew of results are in. Blue states and red states distributed onto the map. John McCain now with 70 electoral votes. Barack Obama has 175. No big surprises yet. Texas and Louisiana are too early to call. New York goes for Obama (suprise! surprise!). Missouri is real tight. We're in for a fight!
8:49 PM: It's a slower night than I imagined. Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana are all too close to call. McCain is leading by 10% in Virginia and 4% in Indiana. Otherwise, Obama is pulling ahead in the "battleground" states. In 10 minutes, we'll go out west of the Mississippi with 156 new electoral college votes up for grabs.
8:34 PM: About 14 million votes have been counted. Barack Obama leades by approx 58 000 votes. Alabama has been projected for McCain.
8:31 PM: Look at this! Kay Hagan has been declared the winner in North Carolina. So for the first time since 1952, no Bushes or Doles are elected to public office. This was an extremely nasty campaign in NC with Dole calling Hagan an atheist at one point. I didn't think Democrats would win 60 seats in the Senate, but it looks like they might just pull it off!
8:29 PM: New Hampshire's hotly contested Senate seat has gone Democrat. Senator McConnell has not be projected the winner yet. Grant Park is filling up fast. They're singing the Anthem at McCain's HQs. Democracy is at work in America!
8:17 PM: Wow! Look at these vote totals. Just a quarter of Florida's votes are in, but there has already been 3 500 000 votes counted. This is just incredible. In North Carolina, Obama is up by 150 000 votes with just 4% in precincts reporting.
8:02 PM: A slew of calls for Obama brings him to 103. McCain stands at 34. Pennsylvania is blue-despite McCain's hopes. The Southern states are too early to call. Obama's still leading by 320 000 votes in Florida. To be frank, I expected Florida to be a lot closer.
7:57 PM: At the top of the hour, 171 new electoral college votes will be up for grabs. Polls in 15 states set to close. Get ready, folks! It's crunch time!
7:46 PM: South Carolina has been put into the column of Senator McCain. Make that 16 for McCain and 3 for Obama. Forty-seven states left!
7:33 PM: A string of Too Early to Calls and Too Close to Calls does nothing to change the electoral map. It's still Obama 3, McCain 8. Good news though-Obama is up by 112 000 in Florida.
7:27 PM: Three minutes to go before the very interesting Ohio and West Virginia close their polls.
7:17 PM: Indiana is shifting between Obama and McCain like the Dow Jones going up and down. McCain leads by about 500 votes. Two minutes ago, Obama was up by about 1 800. This is what tonight is all about!!
7:11 PM: I'm on the nail in terms of House projection. NBC predicts 261 for the Dems and 174 for the Republicans, within 2 of my own projection. Supporters are now just being let into Grant Park in Chicago for Obama's victory party.
7:01 PM: Get this!! Indiana is separated by 38 VOTES!! 38 VOTES!! This is incredible. Kentucky is projected for McCain. Vermont is in the Obama column. Mark Warner, the keynote speaker at the DNC, is expected to pick up a Senate seat in Virginia and Lindsey Graham will keep his Senate seat in South Carolina.
6:55 PM: The Kentucky hard numbers just jumped like a rocket. McCain is up by just 5000 votes in Kentucky, or just 3 %. In just 5 minutes, 58 electoral votes will be up for grabs in Virginia, South Carolina, Indiana, Kentucky, Vermont and Georgia.
6:47 PM: Here we go! Just 13 minutes til a block of states shut their polls. Early results in from Indiana-OBAMA is leading by 711 votes. It is a tight race already, as we expected. In Kentucky, McCain is doubling up on Obama. It's early and we are expected to see 140 million votes counted after the dust is settled.
-D
Monday 3 November 2008
On the Verge of History
In just over 24 hours, the first polls will close in the 2008 General Election!Here are my projections:
PRESIDENCY:
D-Barack Obama 337
R-John McCain 201
SENATE:
Democrats-58
Republicans-40
Independents-2
HOUSE:
Democrats-263
Republicans-172
And here's my own electoral college map:
Tomorrow starting at 5 PM, I will be live blogging on Election Night!
I've never been so excited in my life. The campaign's been going on for so long, I just never want it to end. It's become part of my life, talking about it, watching the speeches...but America will have a new President-Elect (hopefully) in less than 30 hours!
-D
PS: RIP Madelyn Dunham-Obama's maternal grandmother died today at the age of 86. It's truly sad that she will not get to see the outcome of this election.
Sunday 2 November 2008
Down the Stretch They Come
The World Series is over. So, let's switch to the POLITICAL GEAR!
Election Day is just ONE DAY AWAY!!
I'll be live blogging on election night. Keep it right here for all the updated, unfiltered information.
This is AMAZINGLY exciting! The process of democracy is about to unfold just 43 hours ago!
More to come, including my projections for the Presidency, House and Senate!
-D
Election Day is just ONE DAY AWAY!!
I'll be live blogging on election night. Keep it right here for all the updated, unfiltered information.
This is AMAZINGLY exciting! The process of democracy is about to unfold just 43 hours ago!
More to come, including my projections for the Presidency, House and Senate!
-D
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