So sad news from the Pro Wrestling world.
Rowdy Roddy Piper (Roderick George Toombs, Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada ) Died from Cardiac Arrest at Age 61 in his sleep.
So this weeks Hero is the memory of the Rowdy one, Hot Rod, Rowdy Roddy Piper.
Just when you thought you had the answer, he would change the question.
Master of the very technical and delicate "EYE POKE"
Roddy Piper's Hall of Fame induction video
A more natural entertainer was never made.
Be it in the Pro Wrestling Ring where he routinely took opponents losing their draw and made them the hottest feud in town. Night after night after night.
Roddy was a master of his craft in the squared circle and there simply was no one better on the mic for a generation.
His most famous segment was his over the top Pipers Pit with the great Jimmy Snuka (warning, this is very politically incorrect and no wrestler could get away with something like this in today's environment. But back in the early 80s he was the villain and was trying to create a feud with sometime good guy Jimmy Snuka. After this segment Jimmy Snuka reached levels of crowd appreciation he had never encountered before) One of the most famous and hottest selling feuds of all time was created in this short 4 minute video segment.
Piper then transitioned into Hollywood movies.
He didn't have the national attention or fame of a Hulk Hogan but for my money Roddy was 10000000 times the wrestler or actor then Hogan could ever be. And you can be sure Hot Rod paved the way for future Pro Wrestling stars turned actors like The Rock. The doors Roddy opened in the 80s and 90s made it possible for pro wrestlers to get a chance.
The most famous movie Roddy ever appeared in was a low budget Sci Fi that became a world wide hit in the theaters called THEY LIVE. It is actually a very good movie with good pacing, great acting, and just keeps you interested from start to finish.
But my personal favorite movie of Roddy's was a LOW LOW LOW Budget sci fi called Hell Comes to Frogtown. This movie is sooooo bad that I just never stopped laughing. And as a pro wrestling fan I completely lost it when Piper "EYE POKED" a guy in a Rubber Frog Suit (hey I said it was low low low budget).
Here is the entire movie on Youtube, Hell Comes to Frogtownheh, don't say I didn't warn you
Just a great performer in and out of the ring and someone who could always get the crowd excited for his matches, or just for him talking. No matter if he was the good guy or the bad guy, he always got the reaction he was looking for. And because of that, you always got the experience you were looking for from the matches.
RIP Roddy,
You leave behind a legacy of excellence that will push the future would be stars to their limits to match.
Zero of the Week
So this weeks Zero of the Week is SOCIALISM! It just doesn't work
Allot of noise has been made these past couple years about minimum wage, pay equity, and other key left wing socialist calling cards.
And it just doesn't work
But that has not happened some people and political parties from pushing the Socialist agenda forward. Usually to disastrous results.
Remember Dan Price, Founder and CEO of Gravity Payments. He made world wide headlines by raising his companies minimum salary to $70,000 /year.
The socialist brigade cheered him loudly.
Everyone from the mail sorter to dept heads all make roughly the same money.
What could possibly go wrong with such a fair distribution of the wealth.
Surely the top people do not mind giving up their income potential so that the most entry level position could make close to same amount as them.
How could anyone possibly object to that?
Right?
Right?
Right?
Well, if you have even the most basic understanding of how business and industry works, you saw this coming from day one.
Yup, his brightest and best staff are leaving him.
Once the novelty of such a amazing socialist choice wore out,
The same people that cheered him suddenly realized they have no upward earning potential because Billy Bob Joe the busboy with a grade 7 education makes the same amount as they do despite them working harder, longer, and requiring much more skills and expertise.
Suddenly the socialists were not so socialist, when they realized it was their money paying these equalization salaries.
Here the story
Here a 2nd version of story
Or how about the Socialist movement of increasing minimum wage.
Seattle recently made headlines forcing through a $15.00/hour minimum wage.
The Socialists minds exploded in glee
FINALLY *they Bellowed* everyone can make a living wage (completely ignoring the reality of markets that when operating costs increase that cost is transferred over to the consumer in price increases, effectually meaning that those not affected by wage increase have LESS MONEY TO SPEND as they did not receive the bump the lower income earners did. Despite, in many cases, working harder and requiring greater education and training.
Well as predicted the wage increase did NOT result in less demand on public resources like Welfare and social aide. In fact numerous businesses are reporting that many of their workers now demanding LESS HOURS so they remain qualified to claim welfare subsidies and food bank access.
All $15.00/hour did was lower the actually earning power/spending power of the middle class earners and allow the freeloader to work even less hours then they were willing to before.
Source #1
Source #2
I'll not waste space on even more sources but there is hundreds of articles about this from all sides of the political spectrum.
Of course another concern about forced wage increases is technology replacing the workers.
In Alberta Canada the new NDP provincial government heard these claims and brushed them off as fiction, scare tactics, propaganda of the right wing to try and discredit her claims of how a $15.00/hour will magically solve all Alberta's low income problems.
Well here is McDonalds answer to the $15.00/hour minimum wage (as shown in Los Angles but coming to a McD's near you) Its COMPLETELY LEGAL and will result is massive firing and lay offs.
Which begs the question, whats better? A EMPLOYED $10.00/hour minimum wage worker or a UNEMPLOYED and on welfare worker who lives in a area with a $15.00/hour minimum wage.
I know what I think is more productive and better but then again, I'm not a socialist.
Socialism does not work in modern full sized Countries.
It just does not
Capitalism isn't much better, BUT IT IS BETTER.
Even political figures who claim to support a $15.00/hour minimum wage do not practice what they preach. Surely since they so in favor of it, they already pay their employees a minimum of $15.00/hours. After all, if its so good and needed then there is no reason at all to wait for it to become law. It you trust and believe in it so much you should willingly already pay to that level, right?
Well Democratic Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders doesn't see it that way. Doing the "right" thing only applies when you are forced to by law apparently. I can't help wondering how many Canadian socialist's (Liberals and NDP) would be guilty of the same hypocrisy if we were allowed that type of access into their business ventures.
In my world, if you believe in something and think its the right thing to do, you do it BECAUSE it's the right thing to do, not because it's mandated by law.
Let's face it, the whole $15.00/hour scam is a bribe and nothing but a bribe to get the lower income voters out to the polls.
I know in Alberta, with the new provincial tax laws coming into place by the NDP (and when they put in the PST/HST and carbon tax AFTER federal election done) the truth is those low income people will see little of that Wage increase and what they do see will quickly be eaten up by higher prices and costs. Effectually lowering their over all spending power and eliminating a great many jobs.
And that does not even begin to address the price it will have on businesses closing up operations and/or moving out of province/state for greener pastures.
Truth is, outside a very small market country like Norway (only 5 million people but the 2nd largest per capita petroleum developer in world), Socialism just does not work.
Comparing Norway to Canada (or USA) is like comparing a successful mom and pop Pizza Shop to Some massive chain of high quality restaurants. What works for the Mom and Pop Pizza shop only works because they are a 1 shop, family owned business. It does not translate to the giant chains.
So Socialism is the Zero of the Week.
Its a great concept and I do actually wish it worked and was viable
But it is not and that has been proven with out doubt or question time and time and time again through out history.
Capitalism isn't much better mind you (but it is BETTER for a country like Canada or USA)
Personally I prefer a moderation of both styles.
A give an take based on each individual issue and whats best for the country
NOT what promise will buy the most votes
Because in the end, all Socialism is, for a country like Canada, is vote buying
Empty promises that can not be held up or maintained for long periods of time.
They are just short term bribes to earn votes and nothing but.
Tech of the Week
Tech of the Week is sure to get some people in a panic because its right out of Sci Fi.
Brain to brain networking.
That's right, Star Treks "THE BORG" technology is being worked on and scientists have successfully connected 3 monkey brains together at one time.
Here is the full story