I'm on the tube. I'm reading a subway ad for what at first glance seems to be a charity, called Children First. It's written in a childish crayon script (which set off all sorts of red flags and whistles).Turns out it's run by the ultra-right-wing Fraser Institute. It covers up to half the tuition for private school education for "low income families".
With an average tuition of $3500 for the grant receivers, that means these "low income" families ponied up an average of $1750 of their own money for this.
What exactly do they mean by "low income"? Turns out that families with annual incomes as high as $66,000 may be eligible. It strikes me that this may be more of a "charity" for the middle class, or a way of funding private schools, than something to help the truly poor. How many impoverished families can find a couple of thousand of their own money to send their kid to private school?
Next:
I'm reading the free dailies, and notice a tiny story in Toronto Metro that matte is the new gloss in the auto industry. This is the auto show season, and several notable manufacturers, including Audi, Lamborghini and GM are featuring cars with very dull paintjobs. Interesting. My two year old Fondriest trackbike is matte. Matte or semi-gloss finishes have been around the cycling industry for years - not exactly abundant, but hardly rare either. Nice to see that the auto industry is finally catching on.
Next:
I was fortunate that I saw pretty much the whole Super Bowl on Sunday. In other words, I watched the last two and a half minutes. I was reading a column by Jodi Vance in the daily 24 Hours (owned by the Toronto Sun, so she probably writes for that rag as well). She called the game "one for the ages".
Geez, do sports reporters still use that hackneyed phrase? One for the Ages? In my recollection, that was first used in a sporting context by Howard Cosell some thirty years ago. It was overblown hyperbole back then, but that's what Howard did. He could get away with it. He pretty much invented that style of sports telejournalism; it's been mimicked by many over the years, some successfully some not.
But Jody Vance? Jody, I remember Howard Cosell, and you're no Howard Cosell. Cut the "For the Ages" crap...
6 comments:
That's a great escalator photo Knarf-ito. When I think of the crap images that result from the crap digital I ply with, I am sunk into a clot of hideous dispair.
Solace: Knarf has been doing this for decades (centuries?), so it's different.
" ... called Children First. It's written in a childish crayon script (which set off all sorts of red flags and whistles)." No kidding. Were any of the letters backwards too? Like a backwards R? R's work really well. Nothing like ingraining stupidity & illiteracy - like Toys R Us - in the young.
I don't get this ultra right wing stuff.
It's like chicken wings, yes? Mild, medium, hot?
So that means ultra right is like hot? And should I wear a brown shirt when I order ultra right chicken wings?
What do I wear when I order medium? Mild? And really, who eats mild?
And most importantly -- do I get fries with that?
Ya got the brown shirt stuff right...
It's too complicated. I'm ordering the veggie burger.
Good plan. The chicken industry is incredibly cruel, and none of us should be supporting it. I bet the Fraser Institute supports murdering animals for meat.
Vegetables want us to eat them - it's how they spread their seeds. It's their destiny.
Yes to veggie burgers, no to chicken wings...
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