Don't Tase Me Bro (and Other Random Thoughts)

In this week's truncated edition of Don't Tase Me Bro (I'm still on hiatus), Ottawa Police were called last Thursday to Rideau High School after a 17-year-old grade 11 student entered traffic on St. Laurent Boulevard and called for cars to run him over because he was upset over a breakup with his girlfriend. According to the teen, he put his hands up when police approached him and he was out of traffic when police tased him (while he most likely shouted "DON'T TASE ME BRO!").

First off, I'm neither defending the kid or the police. Both parties in this case are in the wrong in some way. The kid for one needs some friends; don't run to strangers in fast moving cars on a busy street attempting to tell them your girlfriend broke up with you! That's just not smart. Even if they weren't in cars, they wouldn't listen to you. Also, guys who threaten to kill themselves just because their girlfriends break up with them: SO cliché. What ever happened to writing emo songs to try and win her back? Better yet, just stop bothering her and let her move on. Preferably to me.

The police didn't handle the situation any better. If what this kid says is true, the police in this instance (and in many previous instances) got a little taser happy. What ever happened to good ole' police brutality? Undue force is the way to go people! My favourite quote to come out of this whole thing has to be from Staff Sgt. Peter Couillard who says that if the Ottawa police issued a news release every time a Taser was used, "we'd be writing them 10 times a day." TEN TIMES A DAY!? That must be comforting to the drunks, crazy hobos, and erratic boyfriends of the world.

On an unrelated note, today is Boxing Day. a day where if your phobia is large crowds, you might wanna stay in and keep playing that Guitar Hero III you got yesterday. Is it just me or do stores open earlier and earlier each year? Last year I could have sworn that the "line up before a certain time and have a chance to win a $500 gift card from Best Buy" was at 6:00AM. This year? 5:30AM. Luckily for you, I hacked the Best Buy site and found the advertisement for next year's line up and win contest.

That's right. They're gonna make them line up on the 22nd, at 3:30AM. That's just not right.

See you in Chicago.