The Federal Liberals and Their (Spineless, Milquetoast) 2021 Budget

An overwhelming majority of MPs and other political cretins happened to vote for Universal Basic Income. 491-85 in favour. They even talked about it in their recent conferences. People are clamoring for a chance at a higher standard of living. A safety net that can keep people from going into abject poverty. A chance to do what they REALLY want to do rather than work dead-end fucking shit jobs, or keep afloat while various job markets fluctuate as they always do under (mostly) unfettered capitalism.

So frustrated, but here goes... 

 

The budget is being doled out today  and UBI is nowhere to be found. Yeah, a no-strings-attached basic income would cost somewhere around $85 billion annually. That's a lot. But think of all the people spending money in this country. Think of all the people lifted out of homelessness. Think of people being able to leverage their employment situations to their benefit by holding out for a better opportunity instead of going for whatever happens to be available because of desperation. Based on a 2013 study (it has definitely gone up since then but I can't find more recent information), poverty costs the country up to 89$ billion a year. With the pandemic and several provinces hurting economically (particularly Alberta, regardless of the pandemic), that figure would have to be considerably higher). Just going by the 2013 number (found here: https://evidencenetwork.ca/poverty-costs-canada-billions-of-dollars-every-year/), implementing an annual UBI would cost less than not doing it at all. 

 

Look at the findings found here (https://cwp-csp.ca/poverty/the-cost-of-poverty/): - "For example, a recent report from Ontario states that poverty costs the government (in collaboration with the federal government) between $10.4 billion and $13.1 billion a year." - "Nova Scotia recently declared that poverty costs the province (including governmental, societal, and individual costs) $2.4 billion per year." - "Saskatchewan pays up to $3.8 billion per year on poverty as a whole, including $2.6 billion in absent taxes and contributions to the GDP." - "In British Columbia, the government spends between $8.1 and $9.2 billion on poverty." UBI can dramatically decrease ALL OF THIS! WHY IS THIS SUCH A FUCKING ISSUE!? 

 

 Oh and no increase to the GST is on the horizon. Oh no, Garrett is advocating for a tax increase! Well, those are for Goods & Services; you know, sales taxes and the like. You buy something, and a tax is added. Buy a cup of coffee at (god forbid) Timmy's, and GST goes back to our public offices. Even a 1-3% increase would produce much more money that would go toward the programs that money is meant to fund. Or at the very least, they should, right? Oh and a slightly increased GST cheque for low-income Canadians would occur, too. It would offset a bit more of the losses from funding UBI. But it would also pay for itself over time (not the same fiscal year as implementation, mind). 

 

To quote:

 

"Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had previously signalled his lack of enthusiasm for UBI, stating that the costly program is not at the top of his list amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 

“Obviously COVID has exposed weaknesses in our country where vulnerable people are continuing to slip through the cracks,” he told reporters when pressed about the program in recent weeks. 

 

“We will have conversations about next steps as well but our focus is very much on what we need to do to control COVID-19.” 

 

Trudeau’s sentiment transferred into the budget document, which makes no mention of the program."

For more of that, read the following: https://globalnews.ca/news/7770067/canada-budget-2021-whats-missing-liberal-federal/

 

Yeah, yeah, I know it's Global, but they're the only ones RIGHT NOW that have an article about this half-rate budget that's being released TODAY. 

 

Nothing on pharmacare, either. Yes, the NDP tried to push a federal solution rather than a provincial one, and that one crashed and burned. They still harp on that loss, but they're just being obtuse as to why it failed to pass. No wealth tax. Yeah, the fucking rich have gotten OBSCENELY RICHER through this damned pandemic, and the Liberals won't take advantage of that goldmine? Holy shit man, and people probably wonder why I don't really like the Liberals, either. They're just a less ruthless flavour of Neoliberal as far as I am concerned. 

 

Back to the subject, the only thing the Liberals are willing to do is implement a tax on the sales of superfluous goodies like yachts, personal jets, and other crazy shit the rich sometimes buy (and then sell or default on when they lose their precious bounty). Oh boy, that's not going to be exploitable at all...

 

I'll give it to them this, and only this: even though there's no mention of any of these things in the budget, particularly UBI, doesn't mean it won't see further discussion or even consideration. It has such overwhelming support that the Liberals would be committing political suicide to not even consider implementing it at all. Another instance of the Liberals reneging on a promise. The Conservatives are even worse than that, but that's a given because that's always the case. With the Liberals, it's far more frustrating.

 

I won't vote for a fucking party that seems to have their heads up their asses. They think they're invincible. THIS IS WHY I DON'T LIKE MAJORITY GOVERNMENTS! 

 

Feckless...milquetoast...inconsistent...smug... Now does anyone understand why I don't like BOTH the Liberals AND the treacherous CON(job)servatives? Such a missed opportunity. Such a bold-faced example of "playing it safe." Shitty priorities! To think that neither of the alternatives are viable (or in the case of the pathetic "People's Party of Canada", not even worth a vote). So frustrating and disappointing. Fucking DOLTS!!!

You Can't Parody This...

Oh hey, I have an overnight sleep study tonight at one of the hospitals. I'll have cathodes and all that attached to my head and whatnot. And I'll sleep on a really crappy hospital bed while I'm at it!

On to the actual subject at hand: The following example, which played out yesterday at a press conference held by the current premiere and his closest confidantes (who play a role in managing the pandemic and the economy), is not the first one to blur the line between real life & parody. Far from it, even. Same goes for it being the last, unfortunately enough. But what can we expect from a government which was only voted in due to rampant cynicism and shitty politics in general. What can we expect from the Conservative party of Canada, which has been doing its level best in at least three provinces to out-stupid the other ones. Kenney, Moe, and Ford have all been vying for some kind of recognition and/or infamy, competing like its a bloodsport. Without the blood, of course, at least not yet.

What happened yesterday in that press conference (all twenty-seven and a half of it) was the stuff of comedy, only it was unintentional I think. Without further ado: Doug Ford, the PM who outlives his drug dealing brother Rob Ford (previous mayor of Toronto), at the end of the conference, plugged not only Tim Horton's (a Brazilian-owned company), but shilled for their "real egg" sandwiches as well. You can't make this shit up if you tried. He actually segued from talking about a Peterborough, ON woman who apparently would hand out $10 gift cards for the (shitty) restaurant brand, even placing them on public benches.

Sure, this isn't a travesty or anything. It's not even despicable or evil or anything like that. It's just complete idiocy is all. And a possible ethics violation if you were to ask me. But I'm not an expert of how laws apply to this instance of shameless corporate shilling, but I'm still sure that there's something that could be done about it. One of the primary subjects brought forward in that presser was that of the province's plan to re-open the economy. Another bit of comedy to come from the presser was that as he was contradicted the safety orders put in place by HIS cabinet, in order to stem the tide of the virus for a bit. Oh and he also took no responsibility for his part in the growing pandemic and just blamed (almost) everyone under the sun.

People are laughing at us right now. They're laugh at Ontarians. They're laughing at Ford. Canada's politics sinks further into a hole and it has left wanting some kind of return to sanity again.  

BlogTO has lots of details on this if you want to read on it: Doug Ford gives weird shoutout to Tim Horton's egg sandwich in press conference

You can see it for yourself, in action, at the following (starts at 26:49):
https://youtu.be/RhqZ1DFC0-I?t=1609

Societal Pressure to "Feel Happy"

We face so much pressure to feel happy. So much so, in fact, that it gets depressing. Because when you can't, you somehow feel like you've made a mistake, or you're not like other people, or something is "wrong with you." When the nuances of your life make it difficult to feel "happy", but people and advertising and entertainment and seemingly everything else tells you that you should think positively or "be happy", it can all get overwhelming. Can't society, and those around us, accept that we're not always going to be happy? Maybe we have barriers to overcome? Maybe we have some other reason or obstacle getting in the way of happiness?

 

"Be happy"

"Happiness is a virtue"

"Let go of your woes and be happy"

"Think positive thoughts!"

"Don't get mad, get glad"

"Positive thoughts attract positive effects"

 

Maybe I just want to feel content, okay? 

 

Oh and go to some war-torn, impoverished country with little to no electricity and genocidal warlords paid by first-world countries and unchecked capitalists running around hurting people. Where people have to hide from virtually everyone else for fear of getting killed. Tell them to "think positive thoughts" and see how far that gets you.

 

Or where people have no food, the environment around them is either polluted beyond repair or seemingly everything is out to at least cause pain, and peoples' children are so malnourished that they get what's called Kwashiorkor, which are bloated bellies from LACK of nutritional intake (read: eating) https://borgenproject.org/malnourished-people-bloated.../. Tell these children and their parents (and some of these children don't, or vice-versa) to "think positively" and see what that does for them.

 

Go and ask people in these adverse situations, among just a few, about 'happiness'. "Why not think happy thoughts? Like attracts like don't you know?!" Compare their everyday struggles to ours, which are enabled by the shit that props us up unfairly at the cost of people living in these nations. We've been allowed cushy lives in comparison because of exploitation, and we often don't realize we feed into it -- myself included. These people have a reason to not be happy; how could they be? But they fight to survive.

 

Depression runs rampant in first-world countries. Why do you think that is? Because they just "can't be happy but they should"? They're ungrateful? 

 

Or maybe our lives have little meaning beyond being enslaved to certain systems that exploit the likes of people who have absolutely no power, and plunder our environment with wastefulness and recklessness, often in these very countries mind you. This adversity applies to many of our own living situations, our countries and states and municipalities. They're often right in our own backyards, too. Don't forget that.

Maybe we deal with health issues, sometimes terminal, often debilitating, or even occasionally those that fall between. 

 

How can I feel happy knowing that I have my own obstacles to overcome in order to get my health back in order? Not only is my obstructive sleep apnea quite extreme (when I was last tested I would stop breathing every minute to two minutes), but because I have a smaller airway than most and that I experience microsleep often during my "sleep" (I'm not convinced I even manage to most of the time), using a CPAP/APAP barely helps. Keep in mind that those machines have a 90%+ success rate in treating sleep apnea. I won the shitty lottery, then. And my surgery, not covered by insurance at all, will require $9,000 or the operation won't even move forward beyond the initial consultation I've already done. If I don't get this treatment then I will be susceptible to stroke, heart attack, sinking further into depression, further weight gain, and other problems. I've already gone through a seizure this past week so it's only a matter of time before other aberrations occur, and I am awash in depression so often that I often feel like I'm in a mind prison.

 

How can this help with the depression that people go through knowing that at least 1-2 billion people around the world are virtually ghosts to the rest of the us? Ask them to be "happy", try it. 

 

--

 

I try sometimes, I do, but I really don't want to see, hear, and feel so much pressure from others about feeling this way. Let me come to this state of mind on my own terms, if ever at all. 

 

This "euphoria" that we're pressured to feel is a form of conditioning that is meant to placate us so that we don't question the system we are part of. It's to keep us docile and comfortable. I don't feel the need to "feel happy" because Wal-Mart features a happy face in their advertising, or because virtually every commercial with people in it have them smiling from ear to ear. Fake crap telling me to feel fake feelings.

 

Be happy because you've earned it, because you actually managed to overcome your 'demons', because you did something good or wholesome or pleasing (not at the expense of others, too). 

 

Not because someone posts memes on social media, telling you to "think positive thoughts" or "happiness is a virtue" or other sappy, emotionally dishonest crap. Not because of rampant commercialism. Not because of the things that we own, which only end up owning us all. And certainly not because some celebrity or two distracts us with their frivolous and enabled lifestyles that are sometimes built on the exploitation of others. If any of these things work for you and make you "happy" then that's your own thing, but it ain't mine. I have stuff to deal with first before I can effectively "feel happy."

If anything, it's okay to feel "okay", if only with how YOUR life is going. Come to a state of neutrality, no highs or lows. That should be a virtue. Shouldn't a sort of "balance" be sought after instead?

/rant

When Not to be Proud: Canada Proud, Canada Strong and Proud, and the Hatred They Stand For

 

One of my mantras in life goes as follows:

 

Any group or person who waves "pride" or "proud" of where they live (such as "NB Proud" or "Ontario Proud" or "Alberta Proud", just to name a few) are not to be trusted. There's always an underbelly of sometimes sinister intent and belief behind these groups. Indeed, looking further into these groups and the networks behind them have revealed some shady shit, which you can find for yourself in the links provided below.

 

I believe in reserving pride for things you've actually accomplished, not for things that were afforded to you by accident of birth (being born Caucasian, born in Canada, born in British Columbia, born with brown hair, born into a wealthy family, etc., are just some things that I think people don't need to feel proud of). Feel glad about these things if you like, but proud? That's a bit much. 

 

One example of acceptable pride: immigrants who go through the process of achieving Canadian citizenship can, however, feel proud because they accomplished citizenship through effort.

What about movements like gay pride and the like? Well, on that specific movement, it's not so much about feeling "proud" of being homosexual but more about standing up to the hate and exclusion that homosexuals have come up against, and continue to face, when dealing with unfair and undeserved opposition from bigoted politicians, as well as religious/social leaders who oppose them. In this case, "proud" could be a stand-in for "strong" and it wouldn't, unlike "Canada Proud", infer a superiority complex and an attitude that is defined by bigotry. After all, gay pride celebrations do not exclude heterosexual participation under any circumstances as far as I am aware. Unless there is harmful intent to any heterosexual participation, then reasonable action is taken to minimize/neutralize the threat they may pose to the activities of the gay pride movement.

 

Anyway...

 

The aforementioned groups, not all connected (there are two somewhat distinct groups; Canada Proud & Canada Strong and Proud, headed by Jeff Ballingall & Chris Russell, respectively), are boosters for the Conservatives (they're not affiliated, though) and are very far-right, pro-business, anti-union, and, in-spite of some of their advertising, bigoted. They get a lot of money from corporations AND they like to canvas on behalf of the Conservative party. Since corporations cannot donate to political parties, this whole scheme of Tory-boosting skirts the line between legality and illegality, especially during election cycles.

 

Primary targets include the current Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau; current leader of the NDP-Ontario party, Andrea Horwath; Jagmeet Singh, leader of the Federal NDP; and former leaders Rachel Notley of the Alberta NDP & Kathleen Wynne of the Ontario Liberals. That's not all of their targets, but they're among the most prominent, with Trudeau so heavily targeted (he's their enemy #1, pretty much) it borders on the murderous & psychotic.

Some links for further reading:

 

• A general look at these far-right "proud" groups and their rise to prominence: https://www.nationalobserver.com/.../explainer-rise...

 

• Jeff Ballingall, the founder of Ontario Proud (and sister groups for other provinces): https://nowtoronto.com/.../2a95fc72-abbc-11e9-a02a.../

 

• A look at who funds "Ontario Proud", with most of them coming from the GTA: https://medium.com/.../who-funds-ontario-proud-76a56ca92de1

 

• The Manning Centre, started by the Reform Party of Canada's first and only leader (thank goodness), provides funding for groups like "Canada Proud" and "Canada Strong and Proud": https://www.cbc.ca/.../pol.../manning-centre-proud-1.5307111

 

• A Twitter thread about some of the more questionable donors to Jeff Ballingall's "Canada Proud" network, and the seedier, sinister implications behind them (the Manning Centre is mentioned): https://twitter.com/TheJasonPugh/status/1086013022273822720

 

It's okay to be happy about where you're from, but being proud is something reserved for achievements, in my opinion. And it's often a veil for hate, exclusion, criminality and deceit of its followers and virtually everyone else. These groups know the power and reach of Social Media and that's how they've grown to be incredible threats to our political process as we know it, by appealing to the "folks" and trying their hardest to appear as astroturf-y as possible. They've crossed the line by getting directly involved in electing members of a certain political affiliation: the Conservative/United Conservative Party. This "Proud" movement must be challenged.

A Repost of a Critical Response to Jason Kenney (from Facebook)

Disclaimer: This was originally posted, in a cleaner format no less, on Jason Kenney's actual Facebook page. The post I responded to can be found here. Since he has a legion of loyal, sometimes rabid supporters, some of whom would be deranged enough to respond to me with idiocy, vitriol and perhaps even bodily harm, and lastly could probably just silence myself and my post, I thought of sharing it here. If people were so driven to call for harm to my person or even for my death, then all I would say is, "Wow! I actually had an impact on someone's life!" Without further ado, the following body, without emphasis, makes up the entirety of said post.

Hey, whomever runs Jason Kenney's FB page (because I highly doubt that Kenney has the gumption to actually interface with others on this platform), here's a thought:

 

Jason Kenney claimed, from before the beginning of his tenure, to be the guy who'd bring back jobs. He claimed that he'd restore Alberta's former glory. That he wouldn't cut education, healthcare, and jobs. What a nice catch-all; it's no wonder people tend to vote for those who make such empty promises that they truly don't have any intent to keep. I don't trust politicians who reel people in with promises that they, based on track records and character traits that are easy to perceive, fail or don't intend to deliver on. 

 

Here's a long, partially-comprehensive list that based on recollection and easily-conducted research, I have compiled of the transgressions of the Kenney government. It's not fair that someone had to do this, and it's not exactly an exercise in brevity, but someone had to do it and that's me:

 

- Lowered the corporate tax rate at the expense of raising your personal income tax.

 

- Made sure that AISH, a lifeline for people struggling to even find or keep work because of disability and illness, would be de-indexed. His government also changed the payment date that has since caused a lot of headaches for renters, and has "changed the criterion" in a way that, as my sleep therapist who has patients on AISH, told me is rejecting cases all over the place. In short: Kenney doesn't like disabled people like me, like those who have far worse disabilities than myself.

 

- Not only killed the oil-by-rail expansion project that Notley kinda threw together at the last minute, but cost US the taxpayers $1.5 billion ON TOP of the cost to initiate the whole project. A complete and total loss of not just what was paid, not just of the labour that would have went into the expansion, and not just of revenue from increased transportation of crude, but a loss of money to cover the contract terms itself. I'd grant that Harper himself wouldn't be so foolish to do this.

 

- The parks fiasco. Everyone knows about it now. I don't need to mention it again. The idea of private organizations running them worries me (a scant few parks would be run well I imagine, but I can guarantee that most of them will be run with minimum effort).

 

- In re-negotiating terms with the AUPE (Alberta Union of Provincial Employees), they've ordered DURING A PANDEMIC NO LESS that approximately 11,000 healthcare workers be laid off. They also messed with clinic scheduling rules, among other problems.

 

- Expanding from the above, in late October they ordered that a number of departments be "abolished" as per the language in the UCP's Public Service Commission letter to AUPE dated October 19th this year, which immediately impacted 930 jobs based on that date. A few departments impacted: Alberta Job Corps, Direct Operations, Justice & Solicitor General, and many others. You can read more on from the following link as I shouldn't publicly share the contents of the aforementioned letter: https://www.aupe.org/.../goa-pushes-ahead-job-cuts...

 

- Privatized disability support services and homes, which would and has caused such impacts including forcing registrants and their caretakers to vacate premises, and to accept service from private "service providers."

 

- Established a $30 million a year "energy war room" that, immediately into its operations, disseminated nothing but propaganda and fear mongering. Among some of the egregious offenses this office carried out: lying about how much money environmentalist protestors received from foreign sources (not to mention even, without a lick of public self-awareness, vilifying foreign support).

 

- Made protests against their fossil-fuel overlords for said-same industry's transgressions against sovereign, indigenous peoples of western Canada, against the law and punishable by arrest. Our PM isn't any better, given his track record.

 

- Got rid of a discretionary measure in the education department regarding extra-curricular group affiliations. In other words, if a student tries to affiliate themselves with a group that accepts and provides supports for closeted individuals, then because of the removal of Notley's discretionary measure to protect such youth, should an educator/administrative staff contact their guardians/parents with regards to their extra-curricular affiliation, it could lead to the previously-protected student facing repercussions from their own families and even close-knit communities. See the fiasco regarding Bill 24, which rolled back protections for Gay/Straight alliances in schools.

 

- Gutted workers' compensation and job safety protections.

 

- Made cuts to iOAT, a program meant to help people going through opioid addictions and crises. (https://calgaryherald.com/.../it-is-a-death-sentence-ioat...)

 

- Cut some 20,000 jobs of support staff dedicated to students with special needs, and they did this at a time that forced many parents of such students to make last-minute decisions. Single-mom with a child in the autistic spectrum? TOO BAD! See a pattern regarding disabled Albertans, yet? Autism isn't necessarily a disability, but I digress.

 

- Introduced a bill that would repeal a ban on the sale of donated blood to the Canadian Blood Services to private, profit-driven buyers worldwide. See here:

 

“If passed, this bill will divert donations away from Canadian Blood Services to private buyers, who can then sell them to the highest bidder on world markets,” said NDP Health Critic David Shepherd.

 

“This is very bad for Albertans. It flies directly in the face of the Krever Inquiry.”

 

The Krever Inquiry investigated Canada’s tainted blood scandal, in which tens of thousands of people were infected with hepatitis C or HIV through tainted blood products.

 

The inquiry’s report led to the creation of a single national agency, Canadian Blood Services.

 

(source: https://www.westernstandardonline.com/.../ucp-to-allow.../)

 

And I can go on and on.

 

Notley may have failed to allow for long-term, consistent recovery but at least she didn't betray so many Albertans, many of whom are vulnerable and hurting. ESPECIALLY DURING A PANDEMIC!

My Rankings for the MCU (First Three Phases)

I'll explain the rankings below. I won't go into much detail beyond ranks S & A.

S Tier: 

1) Captain America: The Winter Soldier

I feel like this is the most distinct film in the entire MCU. It plays out more like an action thriller espionage film than a comic book film. It has incredible pacing, some of the best fight choreography in the entire MCU (that scene where Steve and the WS duke it out on the freeway is bliss; it was also done entirely by the cast if I'm not mistaken), and there's few holes in the plot. Batroc the leaper was kinda thrown in and Johannsen's very noticeable tan in the film is kind of off-putting, but those are minor flaws in an otherwise paramount film.

2) Iron Man

It started the whole thing. It was done really well. Only one problem: the anachronism regarding the casting of James "Rhodey" Rhodes. Both guys sold it but the unfortunate events that resulted in the change of actors can't be ignored. And in 'Endgame' we get a really weird meta joke from Tony himself where he calls Thor "Big Lebowski", and considering who plays the name-dropped character, and considering who played the villain in the very first MCU film, it's just messed up. Enjoyable film to watch no matter how much time has passed.

3) Guardians of the Galaxy

It shouldn't have been as good as it was, but it ended up knocking my expectations to the ground and pounded them into dust. The soundtrack was killer, the pacing worked really well, there were a lot of funny lines, characters (for the most part at least) were likeable, it gave us a strong outlook into the MCU beyond Earth, and few other movies in the MCU incentivized me to watch it more than once in the theatre like this one did. Considering the price we have to pay in Canada for each movie, that's a big feat. Honestly, the fact that the whole film was akin to a space opera, a la Star Wars, makes the film that much better.

A Tier:

1) Thor: Ragnarok

I was about to give up on the Thor franchise within the MCU. I had little hope after watching the dumpster fire that was The Dark World. I figured that Chris Hemsworth would find no more reason to ever want to return to the role in potential sequels. But then this film happened. It was a blast to watch. Seeing my boy, the Hulk, make a solid return to the big screen was a bonus. I didn't care too much for the plotline on 'Sakaar' and was hoping the film would be a closer adaptation to the "Planet Hulk" storyline than the acid-fueled dross that was cooked up for the film, but it was a fun watch nonetheless. This gave Thor some actual character, finally.

2) Spiderman: Homecoming

Likely my favorite live-action movie with our beloved web-head. It's the most down-to-earth take on our hero yet. And it didn't waste our time with the origin story because that would have made it the third fucking time within a 13-year timespan where we had to watch his beloved Uncle Ben get shot and killed to spur him on the path to true heroics. Michael Keaton as the Vulture made this otherwise (kinda) lame character better; the chemistry between characters was organic and believable; Marisa Tomei, always sexy, was likeable as Aunt May; the father-figure/mentor relationship between Tony Stark and Peter Parker/Spiderman was effective. It was kind of a fresh take on an already-established and incredibly popular character to begin with, and it all worked really well.

3) The Avengers

I had low expectations going into this one. I didn't think I'd like it. But then I saw it and I had a good time. It's hard to like it as much the more the MCU grows, but because this film established that the MCU was very much a bonafide, all-encompassing franchise with a rich menagerie of characters and story possibilities, it was a valuable film in the MCU to come.

4) The Avengers: Infinity War & Endgame

The culmination of everything that came before it. The conflict we were all waiting for. The arrival of the biggest of the MCU's big bad characters, Thanos. The opening of Infinity War firmly establishes that the characters are in for a tough battle with aforementioned villain. While I didn't like the treatment that my boy, the Hulk, received in this film and the next, both of these jaunts in the cinemas worked pretty damn well. It didn't live up to my expectations, given that it wasted a lot of opportunities for character interaction (one of the richest aspects of the MCU overall) and I wasn't all that pleased with how they rewrote Thanos, chiefly in how they reduced his abilities to "super strength and super toughness" (I was really looking forward to seeing some of his powers make their live-action debut here and I got none of it). The "children of Thanos" were kind of disappointing, too. Lots of characters got sidelined (Hulk really comes to mind), too. The whole idea behind the Soul Stone, while unique among the stones for its vaguely mystical nature, was ripe for plot discrepancies. I could go on and on.

5) Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2

Still funny. Still has a solid soundtrack. Colourful and full of action. But it's hampered by some parts the drag on a little too long, and Star-Lord suddenly having superpowers and then losing them almost as suddenly (he has them for like five to ten minutes?) comes off as contrived, if however cool it is to watch (if he had these powers in Infinity War & Endgame I think he'd likely have done a lot of damage to Thanos and his forces). Mantis was kind of irritating. I fucking loved the sequence with Yondu slaughtering all of the mutinous ravagers like it was child's play. 

6) Captain America: Civil War

Team Cap. Even more nonsensical than the comic-based storyline it's adapted from, but somehow more poignant in a few places anyway. Did a better job overall in handling the character of Black Panther than his own film, but I won't pretend his film didn't handle the character properly, either. Has some good fight choreography just like the previous movie, but it gets a bit crowded and not in the best of ways. Still enjoyable overall. Spiderman's introduction also nails it. Wish someone would have called General Ross out as the asshole who caused some of the shit that he's so righteous about. I mean, he practically made the Hulk, and the Abomination too, as if he didn't learn a damn thing the first time.

B Rank:

Doctor Strange was alright; Benedict Cumberbatch is good as Doctor Strange, but the film is just serviceable at best. Ant-Man was funny and is one of the more unique films in the MCU so far (for being more of a caper movie than a straight action movie), but it had more potential which sadly was not explored enough. Age of Ultron was overstuffed and a bit too frenetic for its own good and I honestly felt it should have been divided into two movies to better utilize the (somewhat wasted) title character, but it was still really fun to watch and the introduction sequence still gets me every time. Black Panther was overrated but still has one of the strongest messages in the entire MCU, although I won't go into further detail here. The original Thor is another serviceable film, not really all that special and is kind of anachronistic the more the MCU grows (what's with those extra-bushy eyebrows?). 

C Rank:

Eh, Captain America: The First Avenger was not my cup of tea, really. Iron Man 3 is a love-it/hate-it film for me; on one hand it has some solid action sequences, but on the other it squanders what could have been a significantly better plotline (the Mandarin, anyone) to give us the action it ended up with. Incredible Hulk had some obviously fun times in it, like any sequence with the Hulk (my boy) doing what he's best at, but it gets a bit dragged down by the melodrama and isn't much of an improvement over the flaws of the previous film, Hulk, at all.

Shoot Paul, He's a Mime:

Iron Man 2 wasted so much time and also wasted what could have been a monumentally better character, played by Sam fucking Rockwell no less! What a fiasco that turned out to be. Thor: The Dark World was a snooze fest with a one-dimensional villain, and the film is just shy of being redeemed by the plotline where Thor seeks to avenge his mother, who fell while battling against the the bad guy. Loki dies but doesn't because he's Loki, but he's dead in Infinity War I think?

Doom Eternal Review (2020, PC/XBONE/PS4, FPS/Action, Id Software/Bethesda)

Rip & Tear!

More of the same, kind of? 

Nah, this is an evolution of the franchise in mostly every way possible. Eternal kind of raises the stakes both thematically and mechanically; Earth, in the story proper, is being ravaged by the forces of Hell; new gameplay mechanics, enemy and weapon types, and a huge change in pacing take center stage. You won't miss a thing that Id Software has added to the mix for this round.

Does it all add up, though? Does it blow 2016 out of the water, or merely do its own thing well enough that you can't quite compare the two?

Well, both are kind of true here.

Like its predecessor, when you deal with enemies, the game takes on a sort of presentation that we've seen in the likes of Serious Sam and PainKiller. Exits close off and the hordes of Hell pour in over time, trying to slay your ass. You are often contending with such a varied minutiae of hellspawn at any given time that there`s actually a level of depth to the gameplay: never stop moving (if you can help it), keep shooting, but mind that some monsters are weaker and stronger against certain weapons than others. And each monster has different ways of trying to kill you and keep you moving. It`s just like before (minus the gore nests, which only show up to trigger `special encounters`, new to this title), only now it`s even more hectic.

One thing you`ll notice, visually, is that enemies look different this time around. Shy of the newcomers, such as the Arachnotron, Marauder, Dread Knight, Pain Elemental and plenty others, the ones who are returning may invoke feelings such as, "I've seen this before, but where was it?" Well, that's because this time around, the imp, zombie soldier, legendary Cacodemon, and even Mancubus (to name a few) have designs that hark back to the classic games of the early nineties. One or two enemies didn't really seem to fit in with this new visual theme, for some reason or another, but overall the developers pulled that off.

You have new means of dispatching demons at your disposal, whereas most of the arsenal from before make a return as well. The super shotgun, for instance, comes pre-packaged with a meathook, which allows you to rappel right toward your foes by anchoring the hook into their flesh. Neat. The chainsaw as well plays a more prominent role, too. You have a grenade launcher, with two grenade types, instead of having to use your hand as before; the reliable fragmentation grenade for the simple task of slaughter, and the ice grenade for slowing and freezing enemies. You can upgrade these two in the Praetor Suit upgrade menu, which also returns.

Some weapons have their methods of attack slightly changed, or in a few cases, their alternative modes changed entirely. The assault rifle, for instance, has a slower semi-automatic mode that deals greater damage at the expense of using more ammo; the super shotgun eschews the mastery that allowed for firing two barrels before reloading; the chaingun is an energy weapon that replaces the mode that keeps the firing mechanism winding in favor of an energy shield, and more. As mentioned before, you don't throw grenades, but rather you fire them with a new attachment to your suit. They are the frag grenade, the ice grenade, and then the "flame belch." The latter of these attacks is crucial to keeping armor drops coming during the heat of battle. 

The gauss cannon has been replaced by the ballista, which is a magic-based weapon (that uses cells, for some reason). You now have a blade attachment on your left arm which is used during some of the glory kills, but never has an active presence in real-time combat. The chaingun, like before (but more crucial than before given how little ammunition you can stock up on) serves to replenish your reserves when used on the forces of evil. The way you slice and dice with this bad boy is always fun to watch.

Glory kills make a return as well, which makes sense given how they helped 2016 achieve such popularity.

The new enemies really liven up the pacing of combat. Arachnotrons, highly mobile unlike in the good old days, like to pelt you with plasma from afar. Gargoyles, more or less flying imps, force you to keep on eye on the sky. Pain elementals like to throw lost souls at you, literally, and "walk" while floating in the air right towards you. Arch-viles, introduced in Doom II, make a triumphant return as one of the toughest foes in the game. A throwback monster in the Tyrant shows up here and there, to remind you that the infamous Cyber-Demon of old is still very much in the minds of the masters of hell. The Dread Knight is basically a cyborg Hell Knight which comes with an area-denial ability. The Baron now has blades of argent energy on their forearms which they use to gut you like an armored swine. The Cacodemon is more aggressive and really wants to take a bite out of you.

Then we get one of the most impressive enemies in the game: the Marauder. He's the foil to the Doomguy, basically. He's smart, highly defensive, very fast on his feet, toys with the player (fires his own shotgun if you're too close, or throws argent energy beams at you if you're too far), can summon evil wolf spirits, and leaves you with few opportunities to actually hurt it. In fact, you can't even nuke him with the BFG 9000. When you have to deal with him, make sure you take care of other demons first, because he's the one who'll give you the most stress of them all.

There are multiple bosses this time around: the cybernetic Doom Hunter, which has a shield and (at first) flies on a robotic platform; the first time you meet a marauder; the Gladiator, which resembles an even bigger "hell noble" demon that uses a shield offensively; the Icon of Sin, and then its master, Khan Makyr. Pretty impressive, compared to the previous game anyway. 

Rather than present the game in an entirely linear fashion, you now kind of "hop" between levels using portals in your newly-introduced hub area, lovingly called the "Fortress of Doom." The hub is impressive, as you can upgrade your suit and abilities here (with the help of various rewards you find in gameplay), gain a couple of important new tools, can play around with enemies in the "prison" area, and even attend to a room that showcase your collectibles and progress. There's even plenty of Easter eggs and nods to not only the older entries in the franchise, but pretty much anything that falls under the Zenimax Media/Bethesda family of games. Yes, you can find a reference or two to games like Fallout and Wolfenstein, to name a few. Talk about welcome fanservice.

Like before, the game encourages exploration between your bouts of slaughter. You also have new means of getting around: Doomguy can cling to climbable walls, and you can gain the ability to dash up to two times whether on foot or in the air. The meathook, as mentioned before, can also help you get around, too. Doomguy can smash in walls that have cracks in them. Much of this is meant to facilitate rummaging through the levels to find various secrets and collectibles. One new kind of artifact, if you collect 6 of them, can allow you to wield the "Unmakyr", which is basically Doom 64's "Unmaker" once again. Oh and there are now secret encounters, which if finished before the clock runs out, award you with weapon points. 

The story is a bit more serious, and goes kind of like this: Doomguy, at some point after the previous game, took over the Fortress of Doom and uses it to get to Earth, as the latter is being ravaged by Hell. Humanity is on the brink, only barely surviving thanks to a resistance movement, and Doomguy is the anti-hero that the (non-brainwashed) humans are leaning on to save the world. In order to stop this invasion for good, he has to find and kill three Hell Priests. However, as he moves from one to another, he gets stifled by a much more powerful entity that has basically orchestrated humanity's downfall. The motivation for this big bad wanting to kill humanity is cliche and uninteresting, but we still get to enjoy watching as the Doomguy shows everyone and everything that he's sick of all of this bullshit. You can almost feel his glare through his visor. Did I mention that we can see his eyes through his visor? Also, as the game nears completion, we get to see flashbacks that show that not only is this Doomguy the same one we loved from the classic games, but how he became the veritable force of nature that he's been since 2016. Let's just say that if you've read the infamous Doom Comic, then you'll notice the obvious call-out to that same devilishly hilarious piece of limited print.

It's not all rosy, though. Your mileage may vary on this, but at times, the game becomes borderline unfair. You get less ammo, even with upgrades, and often find yourself scrambling to murder a demon that is chasing your armored ass before he murders you. While you have several different ways of replenishing your health, armor, and ammunition (arguably most important), you're sometimes so overwhelmed by the proceedings that you might just forget to use these tools on hand to keep the fight going in your favor. Also, there were a few areas in the game (not including Slayer Gates, which can throw enemies often above your level right at you) that were downright aggravating to get through. An annoying new addition to the game, which thankfully only happens a few times, is this thing (or enemy, such as the Arch-vile) that provides buffs to enemies. Said buff makes enemies ridiculously fast, which can outpace YOU in the worst of times. Also, they keep coming and coming until you destroy the source of their buff. The worst thing about these sequences is the matter of finding those sources, which, in the case of the Arch-vile, can be a huge hassle to do while you're avoiding the bloodthirsty demons zipping your way.

It also gets a bit tedious at times. You feel like you're doing the same thing over and over, and it doesn't really mix things up much. We played this in 2016, and aside from the new additions to the formula, we're doing the same thing again. Only, this time for a good 15 or so hours. That's not a terrible thing, but depending on how you take the experience, you may grow weary of it or appreciate it. I kind of found myself slightly leaning toward the former, unfortunately. Especially in areas where I constantly get killed. A slight reprieve from getting killed over and over is that you can sometimes find (and eventually hoard) "extra lives", which simply revive you immediately when you'd otherwise die. If you don't have these, though, you have to reload the game. And while reloading the game doesn't take a painful amount of time, it's still time wasted, which can take you out of the frantic mood of the game, especially if it happens too often.

But at least it's more Doom. That, to me, is a welcome thing. Overall, this is a great purchase and we've all been promised additional single-player content in the coming months, unlike last time. I haven't tried the multiplayer mode, which has been flipped on its head this time around, but it seems to be a mixed-bag anyway. There's a lot of unlockable rewards that allow you to customize the Doomguy, the way monsters and weapons appear, and even trivial crap like character poses and introduction music. With new challenges and tasks to complete as time goes on, rewarding new skins and the like, the game will remain active for a while to come. Good on Bethesda and Id to listen to the fans this time around, and give us a more rewarding experience.

B+

The Good:

+ Same great gameplay

+ Lots of new enemies to eviscerate

+ As you pick your enemies apart, their skin and hide gets sloughed off. You'll even see the bones of your prey.

+ Great placement of secrets

+ Very rewarding to find upgrade points and the like

+ Funny and reverent Easter eggs to find, including the Dope Fish!

+ Looks fantastic, and runs smoothly as before, too.

+ Enjoyable soundtrack, with many more throwbacks to the old games than 2016 had. Even the main menu music is recognizable to fans of the series

 + The Doomguy is cooler than ever, and will go down as one of the most badass player characters in gaming

+ More single-player content is forthcoming, as of this writing

+ Customizable, thanks to revolving gameplay challenges and the rewards they grant

The Bad:

- Sometimes feels tedious

- Some areas are borderline unfair, even if you've been upgrading your weapons and character

- A few monster designs don't look as stunning or monstrous as they did before, taking away the 'wow' factor they presented in 2016

- The story is just an excuse to drive the game along, more or less. That's fine, though

- You often find yourself devoid of ammo, before you even realize it. It can be replenished fairly easily most of the time, but you're often too distracted by constant combat to notice before it is too late

- Rather lackluster multiplayer. While you do get to attack the Doomguy as a demon, this is basically the formula you always use: attack the Doomguy as a mook. 

- Platforming, while nothing like a dedicated 2D platformer in terms of difficulty, seems a bit tacked-on, to serve as an excuse to add extra mobility functions.