Satirical Blog — Stephen Harper

Stephen Harper is quoted as saying:

“I think in Atlantic Canada, because of what happened in the decades following Confederation, there is a culture of defeat that we have to overcome.”

Stephen Harper is right on here. This culture of defeat is especially true of Newfoundlanders. This attitude was going on even before Confederation. Before Confederation — for 500 years — year in and year out Newfoundlanders have gone out on the ocean just to catch a few fish. Why would they do that? They didn’t get anything for their efforts. You wouldn’t know but they were doing it to earn a living. We all know that wasn’t the case, most of them barely got enough fish to feed their families let alone get some extra income to buy clothes or winter boots for their children. Over the centuries many hundreds of fishermen drowned just because they gave up too easily.

Take, for example the loss of the Ocean Ranger in a raging winter storm on the 15 of February 1982. What did the Newfoundlanders on the Ocean Ranger do? They hopped off the rig into the ocean and then gave in to hypothermia or drowned. Not a survivor amongst the lot. Of course the British, and American rig workers also drowned and died of hypothermia. But that was just bad luck — wrong place wrong time for those people.

From time to time some Newfoundlanders fell into the water and did manage to save themselves but they were an exception. For example, five or six years ago a man from the South coast of Newfoundland found himself in the water after the tug boat he was working on sank — in just a couple of minutes — just before Christmas off the coast of Labrador. He was the only survivor. He managed to swim ashore in about an hour. The only reason he survived at all was because he found a trappers cabin near the shore. The cabin had a stove, wood, and some food. It was pure luck that he survived, he didn’t have a thing to do with it apart from his little December swim to land. And even then the only reason he managed to get to shore was because he was thinking about his little children and his wife. He said this himself in an interview. So he had a little incentive. Also he didn’t build the cabin, he didn’t gather the food, or put the matches in the cabin, all he had to do was light the stove and wait in comfort for someone to come and rescue him.

Yes, one thing is certain, Stephen Harper has it right; Newfoundlanders have a real culture of defeat.

Devil's Advocate — Team Sports Help Children Grow and Develop Into Better Citizens

            The opportunity to find a weakness in something always exists — it depends on the approach you take to identify a potential weakness. I have recognized a weakness in my research topic, “Team Sports Help Children Grow and Develop Into Better Citizens.” There is no doubt that team sports do help children grow and develop into better citizens, however, there is a very important variable that I failed to recognize at the beginning of my research. A team sport with a good coach produces a positive outcome — a good citizen — although, a team sport with a poor coach may not produce a positive outcome.

            There are many motives behind people’s actions. A coach with anything else in mind but the best interest of the team puts the players at a disadvantage. They do not get the same experience as players with good coaching. A biased coach, a coach with ulterior motives, a coach who concentrates on individual efforts as apposed to team efforts, a coach who encourages behavior simply to win, a coach who does not play all their players fairly, or a parent who is coaching only to promote their own child are all examples of poor coaching. In these cases players are not exposed to the experiences they need to become the best citizens they can be.

            Once we identify a potential weakness in something, we usually try to fix it. After I determined there are circumstances where sports do not always bring out the best in people, I worked to overcome this weakness. Instead of concentrating on team sports in a general way I narrowed my research, concentrating on team sports with positive coaching. 

A Review Of The Movie "The Vow"

“Life's all about moments of impact and how they changes our lives forever. But what if one day you could no longer remember any of them?” This is the powerful opening statement made by Leo (Channing Tatum) in the movie “The Vow.” This movie isn’t your typical sappy love story. In fact director Michael Sucsy does a brilliant job to show that it is a much more than that.

This movie is about a very young couple in love, who are put to an ultimate test extremely early in their marriage. After a severe car accident, Paige (Rachel McAdams) experiences memory loss and has no recollection of her husband or their life together.

This film appeals to me because while it has a happy ending, it also has its share of ups and downs (as life does). This movie demonstrates hope and inspiration to its viewers. Nevertheless I do recognize one weakness. It is based on a true story but they do not stick to the facts. I believe they should.

I would recommend this film because it appeals to a wide range of audiences, unlike most movies today. In my opinion a good film is well rounded and includes a couple of genres throughout. While “The Vow” is a powerful love story, it also has action. Screenwriters Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein do a great job of incorporating humor into the film. I believe “The Vow” has something for everyone.

Blog Post #1

Until my grade 11 year, I had made every boys and girls team I tried out for. That year I tried out for a volleyball team, I felt certain I had made the cut. I did not! I also tried out for a softball team, which again I felt certain I had made the cut for. But once again, I did not. As a result of my experience, I learned to persevere towards my goals, and I went on to play with four other team sports that year. It takes true courage to tryout for a team, to set themselves up for the possibility of failure. But it takes even more courage to keep coming back after failure. Looking back at that event, I am only beginning to realize the many learning and maturing experiences I been exposed to through team sports. Team sports bring out many qualities, flaws and personality traits that people may not otherwise discover. My research essay is, “Team Sports Help Children Grow and Mature into Better Citizens.” Teams often function in the same fashion as communities -- after all they are both groups of individuals striving for a goal. In my opinion there should be significant importance placed on team sports from a young age. Children that are exposed to teams sports have the potential to grow and mature into better citizens. This maturation comes from the countless life qualities that are taught through team sports; discipline, dedication, trust, confidence, respect and decency are just some of these qualities that come to mind. Additionally, team sports can also expose an individual to a variety of different people from a variety of different backgrounds.  Taken together, team sports can have a profound impact on the positive growth of a child’s personality.