The politics of disaster relief...or who can be more petty?

After the Boxing Day Tsunami disaster/tragedy/act of God/act of nature/etc., relief is being delivered to the various affected areas. It is very comforting to see so many countries willing to donate money, goods and volunteers to people who had little to begin with and now have nothing because it was washed away by the raging waters.

However, it would seem that even in disaster relief, we need to play games of one-upmanship, as seen HERE. I guess if this is what it takes to persuade countries to provide more relief than they were willing to originally, then I guess there's nothing really bad in and of itself. But at the same time, it's so petty to see these exchanges between the French and US representatives. Therefore, they win the no-prize of the week.

On a sidenote, as all these countries are pouring in to help Southeast Asia, it makes me wonder why there hasn't been the same outpouring for the crisis in Darfur. An act of nature brings out the best in people. An act of human politics brings out....hand-wringing and hesitation. I realize the complexities of the Darfur situation, but I still one can't help but wonder the vast difference in response. Maybe I've become one of those "but people are dying" people in this situation...

Well, so ends the year of 2004. I hope that in the year 2005, human society will be a bit better: a bit more compassionate, a bit more tolerant, a bit less violent. I know we can't make leaps and bounds. So let's take those few steps that we can. Peace and happiness to you all.

Storytelling...or a recommended holiday reading

'Twas the night before Christmas...and I finished a book (not what you were expecting, were you?)

For those of you looking for a good non-fiction read that isn't heavy (like Romeo Dallaire's "Shake Hands with The Devil"...I haven't read it and I'm sure it's good, but I'm confident that the material is quite serious), I recommend "The Truth About Stories" by Thomas King. It was part of the 2003 Massey Lectures.

I will probably think and reflect about it some more, but I enjoyed it mainly for two things. One, it gave me a better understanding of the importance of stories in the Native tradition but also how stories are important in everyone's life in general as well.

We are writing the story of our life right now. It is almost a post-modern take on how we view history without the baggage of post-modernism. It reminds me of a line from Dogma. Rufus, Chris Rock's character, talks about ideas and belief. Ideas can be changed, he says, but not beliefs. People fight, die, etc. for their beliefs.

In the same way, I think that's what Dr. King's getting at with history. Stories can be changed (as you'll read in the book). But history, as the general public sees it, becomes cemented into a linear progression of events. If not for post-modernist thinking and the expansion of history as different narratives (Mr. King's subtitle is "A Native Narrative"), we would not hear about all the other stories out there that exist. In a sense (and trying very hard not to fall into the romanticizing of the Native traditions), storytelling is the realization of post-modern thought, of the existence of different narratives; only it doesn't seem to be as rationalized as post-modern thinking. The history of the world is a story of many stories and it always has been.

The second lesson I learned was how the perception of First Nations Canadians and Americans has become so regimented in such a variety of ways. It's a very big Catch-22. I don't think I'm up to the task of explaining it, needless to say, it seems that a First Nations person can't live his/her life as they see fit without either giving up their past or their future. But according to Dr. King, society's been lamenting their demise and surprise, surprise, the First Nations are still here.

But in a way, I've just told you a very bland story. Go read the book. Dr. King's a much better storyteller.

I woke up to this?!

Now that my exams are over, I'm able to resume my daily purview of the news by going to Bourque's website. This is what I found:

"Back to drawing board on Kyoto"

"Another spill at Terra Nova"

"Iraq Explosion at U.S. Base in Mosul Causes Many Casualties"

"New jail abuse allegations hit US"

And it gets better from there. So, to me, it seems like the world's been having a good morning.

Now, as an environmental science student, the first two articles drew me in (the other two just highlights the ongoing tragedy that is the US involvement in Iraq).

The first, by columnist Stephen Handelman, basically describes another meeting to meet by governments about setting new targets and such for the Kyoto Accord. Why, you ask? well, you see, Kyoto comes into effect, wait for it, February 16, 2005. And while the Europeans are the only ones who seem to give a damn, the Martin minority government isn't going to lift a finger as our emission rises, the US (who aren't in the treaty) continue to obfuscate their responsibilities by calling for 'better research and technology,' Japan's emissions rose by 12%, and China and India (who also aren't involved) sit on the sidelines pumping out carbon dioxide. The cynic in me is just depressed.

Several points. The US are right in wanting better research and technology and getting China and India involved. No question. However, we always want better info and technology. We'll never have perfect information. So what will it take for us to act? The lack of political will or our refusal to do something about it because we're too comfortable in our North American society's just frustrating. The information we have now suggests that there's a good chance something will happen. So why don't we act?

It seems if we put up and actually make the environmental technology a major part of our economy, isn't that a signal to China and India that it can be done, and that it's WORTH IT to be done? Can't we then export these technologies abroad and increase our influence? China's starting into the game. With economies of scale, they could just leapfrog us. How much dominance will we have then in the global economy if China's going to be productive AND clean?

There's a good chance that nothing'll happen. I don't dispute that possibility. But if the technology's going to benefit people anyways, isn't that worth pursuing? I'm not saying the ends justify the means, but if the journey's worth taking (since it'll reduce reliance on foreign oil, reduce our impacts on our environment, reduce health care costs, etc.), why don't we do it? History's shown us that some human tragedies could've been prevented. Why can't we, for once, be forward-thinking? Why must we fall back on "necessity" as the mother to get us out of this mess?

Now the second story tells us that Petro-Canada's floating platform Terra Nova spilled again. Now, it's not a major spill (compared to their previous spills or other companies' spills), but any spill is not a good spill (that's a lot of spills). This may, in some quarter, renew the call for privatization of this quasi-Crown Corporation. While there are many arguments for or against, I do not want to see these people use these spills as one of them, since they seem to think private businesses are so much better at running these operations. Need I remind them that in this instance, their track record is not so hot. So I better not find privatization and these oil spills in the same article.

Finally, the CFL is looking to expand a franchise in Halifax. The site is a call for support. Now, here's the killer thing. The name of the proposed team? The Halifax Explosion. Yes, you read it right. Now, maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it seems to me the name lacks a certain, oh, I don't know, tact. It's like the Montreal Alouettes being called the Montreal Massacre. C'mon people, what is wrong with you? Halifax has such a great history and culture and the Explosion's the best you can come up with?

Man, if my sheets weren't packed away, I'd want to go back to bed and hibernate until this is all over.

I am truly blessed

I know this already, but I need to emphasize it yet again.

My life is rich and full of joy because of the company I keep. I am truly blessed with friends like these. I can not emphasize that my friends are the funniest, brilliant, and just all-around nice people that I will ever know. Because, in the end, it's not what you know, but who you know.

And I know that these bonds will not be broken, that they will all achieve great things. And with each passing year, I will remember that these are the pillars of my life, and they create the magnificient temple that is friendship.

Now, I'm going to bed, because I'm a little tipsy.

Cheers to the world, may everyone be blessed by friendship as I have been.

First snowball fight

It's the simple joys in life.

Like finding out that Ocean's Twelve is sold out from Andria and Matt and ending up having an impromptu snowball fight outside my apartment building for a good 10 minutes with them. Kingston had the worst weather ever today (cold, wind, and freezing rain) but redeemed itself by providing enough packing snow for a good ol' fight. This is why I love Canada

May the rest of the school year be filled with more snowballs!

Missing the Pierre Berton Train

Tons of stories have flooded the airwaves commemmorating the life and works of Pierre Berton, the author and commentator who died recently. While this has affected many people around me, I am not so moved.

This is because I have never to date read any of his works. It's not that I hate the man or anything, but I've just never been exposed to him. And from what I gather, he seems to write alot about the Canadian experience, a topic that I find fascinating. And yet, here I am, completely ignorant about his influence on our view of Canadian history. Well, I guess that goes on my list of things to do as a Canadian.

#875: Read Pierre Berton

Ok. right. good thing I've worked so hard at whittling that list down.

Hi, let's insult Christianity today

nativity
Originally uploaded by blackhole.

So, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in London released their nativity scene to the public and guess who's filling the roles:

Joseph and Mary: the Beckhams

the Wise Men: Tony Blair, George W. Bush, and the Duke of Edinburgh

Shepherds: Samuel L. Jackson, Hugh Grant, etc.

Angel: Kylie Minogue

So my question is, were they intentionally trying to offend Christians or did they not realize that they maybe, just maybe not like the idea of having the extravagant Beckhams representing the Holy Mother and her husband?

Hell, I'm not a Christian and I'm offended. It may not be a big deal considering it's in a wax museum (which is kitschy enough as it is), but the fact that they could use some of the biggest symbols of material wealth as the cast of this scene just seems preposterous.

And Blair, Bush and the Duke of Edinburgh may be smart people, but they're not wise.

This whole thing just makes me wonder, is this the culture we're living in? Really, is it? Because I want out.

Dreams

There are definitely interesting news I want to blog about, but frankly, I need to keep my posts nice and short. So my peanut-gallery analysis will have to wait until after exams and papers are due (unless something utterly incredible drops on my lap).

I'm typing in a what appears to be blustery day and I couldn't care one bit. The last few days feels like it's been a dream, and not the ones where I'm being chased in an underground parking lot by vampires and the people running beside me are Matt and Lou Diamond Phillips. No, this is one of those dreams that I just don't want to wake up from because it feels too damn nice and that pile of work on my desk just doesn't want to get done. oh well. Here's to the joys of December and the winters of Canada.

Taking it for granted

I stumbled upon this news story in Metafilter. One of Google's top exec was INTERVIEWED about the technology behind Google.

Now, I know very little about computer architecture and computer science in general, but I'd never thought about the actual amount of technology required to bring about a web engine so powerful and yet so ubiquitous and easy to use. We take Google's ease of use for granted so much. I remember the days fo yahoo and altavista searches and how lacking they were. Google was the light out of the cave. As Matt Loney says,

"When Arthur C. Clarke said that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, he was alluding to the trick of hiding the complexity of the job from the audience, or the user. Nobody hides the complexity of the job better than Google does..."

Later on in the article they discuss the actual "Googling" process and the petabytes (PETABYTES!) of information stored in the hundreds of everyday hard disks located and mirrored everywhere. What intrigued me was the discussion about redundancies in the system, easily replaceable parts, parallel processing, and teaching the system about recognizing different strings of texts. Now, anyone who knows AI, in comp sci, psych, etc., please help me. Does this not sound like the foundation of an electronic brain? You know, hard disks as neurons, parallel processing, teachability? And if that's not the case, what's lacking in it being a foundation? I really would like to know.

Otherwise, why wouldn't I be surprised if Google's system somehow generates the first AI through their web engine?


On a side note, MSN released its own blogging pages...HEY MSN, you're a bit late to the party on this one. With Blogger and LiveJournal, you shouldn't have gotten into the game at all. Their page templates are better and frankly will work way better than yours ever will. You tried to compete with Google and embarrassed yourself and if it wasn't for metafilter, I wouldn't have known about this at all. Stick to something you're good at, like charging an arm and a leg for software...

Wait, is that the Sun?

Today was a good day mainly because I didn't allow myself to think about the tasks to come for the next few weeks so I enjoyed a fully stress-free day. Went grocery shopping, browsed through CDs, go mindless in class, plan to go see a movie that may be good or bad...it was that kind of day.

You know what, I can't believe how good that feels? It's been a while since I've had a day like this. Granted, I probably won't have one for the next little while, but that's ok. I wonder though, does it take months of being stressed out to make me appreciate the times when I'm not?

Tonight was a lot of fun too, being with someone who just makes you feel so good and comfortable and relaxed. I hope I was able to do the same...

But the sun set, the day came to an end, and soon the sun will rise and work will have to get done. And for the first time in a while, I can accept that.

The Greatest Canadian: Grandfather to Kiefer Sutherland?!

Yes, the Greatest Canadian series on CBC wrapped up tonight with the announcement of the winner. And the tiara and flowers go to...

Tommy Douglas!

The former premier of Saskatchewan, leader of the CCF, and the 'father' of medicare, held on to his lead (despite surges from Terry Fox and Pierre Trudeau) from the very first episode to capture the crown.

Now, according to my post HERE, I thought the emotional appeal of Terry Fox would've won it for him at the end. I guess I underestimated the now almost-scary fascination with the medicare system that Canadians have. That, or George Stroumboulopoulos was very convincing (I'm not so sure). People in some quarters (not naming names) will probably argue that the NDP wasted its time by mass e-mailing their supporters to vote for their hero instead of attacking the PM (oh wait, they did both...) Over at Armchair Garbageman, the theory there is the population over 50 that put Douglas over the top. Seems like the boomers just have to control EVERYTHING, don't they?

But if people were convinced just because of health care, I'm going to be pissed. As much as i support public health-care, we need to define Canadian society by more than just that. Seriously, if public health-care is the only jewel in our public policy arsenal that we can be proud of, well, we're in a lot of trouble here, fellas. But that's a debate for another late night.

For some consolation, I was able to predict the Top Three (Terry Fox was runner up while Pierre Trudeau took the bronze). But then, anyone could've done that, so really, after everything's said and done, I've nothing to show for it, because I didn't pick the right horse.

Congratulations, Tommy Douglas, wherever you are (Probably in the great Parliament in the sky)...

It was extra-ordinary, extraordinary

So I spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday holed up in my room writing a paper (yes, god forbid, I know) that just fuelled my silent rage as I tried in vain to reduce the terribleness within it as much as possible. Then, only waking up this morning because Matt woke me up, I got to prepare for a day where I was given the privilege to give a presentation finished at 1am the night before. The only hope I had was that nobody poke so many holes in it that the Swiss would have to sue me for copyright infringement.

But it doesn't matter now. Because once again, the Joel Plaskett Emergency rocked the grad club tonight while I just absorbed his energy, surrounded by die-hard fans and the newly initiated. It's now 2:37am and I'm blogging about it. Tonight made everything all worthwhile.

The only thing that could've made this night extra-ordinary (extraordinary, as it were) was if she was there with me...

How am I so out of practice?

It's Sunday morning and I'm writing a 20 page paper with a partner (who's in Montreal right now, so I've been doing a lot of the writing, but that's besides the point) and I've noticed how it's been difficult to sit still for several hours and just write.

I hadn't written anything of substance since, well, in a hell of a long time. I don't think anything I've written in my university career have been mediocre, let alone decent. So having established a fantastic track record and not having written something in a year (my thesis doesn't count, since it was the spawn of the Lake That Shall Not Be Named), how am I supposed to pull off a well-written, thoughtful analysis of a transboundary ecosystem conservation intiative when I'm this rusty at well, composing a sentence? The simple answer I guess is I don't. The longer answer might be to continually write so that I can regain the routine of focusing on the screen and putting finger to key. Yeah, maybe afterwards, I'll build myself a brand new engine to replace the internal combustion engine. Funny how so many things in our lives are about creating routines. Guess our brain just doesn't like to think when we don't need to.

And even if by some chain of events we somehow manage to pull something respectable out of this, I've another 20-page paper with a partner due and a 15-page solo effort. Make no mistake, I'm not complaining about my workload. Hell, I'm blogging right now to AVOID my work.

Yeah, I definitely like where this is going. I'm just sayin'.

Proportional Representation (Part deux)

It's funny the things one thinks about in the shower. I just happen to be thinking about PR. Go figure.

It's been a while since I've made a half-decent argument, so here's the late-night Wendy's version. As I had discussed previously HERE, pundits have voiced concern about proportional representation because it allows the chance for fringe parties to be elected in.

So my question is, why not let them in? We advocate free speech for all in the hopes that in the ensuing discourse, the hateful, extremist views are reasoned away by the moderate, tolerant majority. To pull the extreme views out of the shadows and into the spotlight, revealing that there really isn't anything there worth listening to is free speech's strength.

In the case of PR, yes, there is a chance that a few extremist candidates are elected. So let them try to pass their outrageous bills. The majority of MPs representing the tolerant majority will overwhelmingly defeat them, thus proving the lack of worth of those views. If their bills pass, well, then it's not the problem of those candidates, but the radical shift in societal values (or the MPs aren't representing their constituents, which also becomes the larger problem).

So we shouldn't let the fear of extremists being elected restrain even the discussion of electoral reform, let alone actual reform. As an open, pluralistic, democratic society, we should always be ready to defend our values every step of the way, from the coffee shop to the House of Commons.

We should be saying, "Bring'em On!"

Apologies

Apologies to non-Blogger readers out there. I don't know who you are. I could swear on my laptop that comment settings were set such that anyone could comment, registered users or no. Apparently, I've been had by...well, myself. I've since reverted back to intended settings and hopefully this will stay permanent. Love to hear what you have to say about what I have to say.

mediascapes

THIS is one possible glimpse into the future of media. The production on its own was quite enjoyable. I'll have to think about it more before I comment

Update 1:35 AM

On an unrelated link, check out Keyhole. This kind of detailed digital mapping solution just gets the nerd in me all excited. And as Matt points out, it makes me wonder about the true capabilities of the CIA and other intelligence agencies.

the next X-Prize

A strange thing happened on today's Daily Show.

Jon Stewart was interviewing Richard Branson, owner of Virgin Records, about his new show when Jon suggested that Richard sponsor a X-Prize type contest. The goal: Develop a replacement for the internal combustion engine.

Branson obviously agreed to nothing, but it was a brilliant idea. Of course, there are alternatives already out there. One is run on compressed air. I don't know how viable that is. But an X-Prize is the type of contest that would give many innovators incentive to pursue this goal.

Although, if some obscure engineering firm comes up with a solution, you have to wonder, where the hell were the automotive industry on this one?

I also realize that this design competition is different from the X-Prize in that the race to space is a oligopoly of state run agencies (NASA, ESA), so there was no incentive to push for the commercialization of space (I question the safety of it too, but that's another story). Whereas, everyone knows how to build an internal combustion engine and it's easy to reproduce, so there's no incentive to innovate radically (which I guess also explains the auto industry). So maybe a couple million isn't enough of an incentive

Anyways, I hope some billionaire does do it. Soros, Branson, Gates, Buffett. I'm looking at you.

Proportional Representation (PR)

The last few weeks talk of electoral reform have been on the lips of the media, with an upcoming vote by BC citizens to switch to STV (Single Transferable Vote) from first-past-the-post (FPTP) and McGuinty's upcoming Citizen's forum (or whatever it's called) to discuss Ontario's foray into this issue.

Various pundits have warned about the negatives about STV and other methods of PR as a possible tyranny of the minority. Some even advocate maintaining the status quo (what a surprise) or implementing Australia's mandatory voting. While that would certainly increase the voter turnout in practical terms, it dismays me that the right to be heard through a voting ballot has to be legislated and enforced by law doesn't appeal to my higher ideals about participatory democracy. To have to force people to vote, to me, seems kind of backward (removing the right and freedom to NOT vote) and kind of diminishes the ideals of the process of participatory democracy. The next argument I guess would be whether we should be concerned with ideals or practicality when speaking about increasing voter turnout, so I await the words to fly.

Now, I agree that there are different drawbacks to different forms of PR and that we should take our time in evaluating possible replacements, but I do believe that we need to look at alternatives. There are many minority voices out there that aren't being heard that deserve to be. While other countries have fractured into multiparty coalition governments, that does not necessarily mean it'll happen here. Looking at votes cast, most people vote for the 5 biggest parties anyways, and the easiest solution to ensure that no extreme fringe parties hold a lot of power is to require a minimum percentage of the popular vote to hold a seat in Parliament. 5 or 10%, whatever. That ensures that a decent amount of Canadians actually do want a particular party to represent them.

I think that a mixed PR and FPTP would work well in Canada as it provides minority voices and retains local representation to a degree (yes, it makes it a bit harder on the MPs, but at least people could go to a preferred MP about a problem). It is also better in that because our population is so spread out, local representation is very necessary to ensure local issues are dealt with. It's a compromise, which is probably what politicians will have to do more often if electoral reform happens as I think it should. Besides, this Martin government will give my generation of how minority government work well and doesn't work well. We and future politicians can learn from that

Do I think it'll solve the 'democratic deficit.' No. But that's a buzzword anyways. I think a mixed form of PR will give voices to innovative ideas, left or right, that may not be heard. With the way we're politicking, we're gonna need some innovative ideas soon. So take the time to shop around. I think in the end, we'll all be better for it.

All roads lead to...

WARNING: cryptic post ahead. enter at your own risk.

It's funny how life can be a straight road, then a winding road around some mountain chains and then somehow, for whatever reason, you end up in a traffic circle. Don't know how it got there, it's not on a map, but there you are, going around and around and around. The only difference is, there are no definite exits. They only appear when they appear.

And that's where I am. stuck in a traffic circle without a map. Of course, no one gives you a map. Otherwise, the journey's kinda dull. I kind of have an idea about where I want to go, but I'm not sure which exit will take me there. I don't even know if the right exit will even appear or whether I'll get off on the right one or whether I've missed it, am missing it or will miss it. Someone said something about having to pick up a passenger too, but I couldn't hear over the din of that crowd at the last pit-stop.

So I'm stuck wiping the condensation off my windshield as I drive around and around, looking for that elusive off-ramp that'll lead me to my destination. I just hope I don't run out of gas.

I'm thinking I should've made that left turn at Albuquerque.

Water, water everywhere

In the last few weeks, discussion has arisen over the state of the Canadian Arctic, from reports of threats due to climate change to the future of Canadian sovereignty over the Arctic in the current Dec/Jan '05 issue of the Walrus.

Not only are there concerns about the threat of the Arctic ecosystems due to Climate Change, but also the additional threat of melting sea ice resulting in the year-round opening of the Northwest Passage and thus a demand for turning it into an international shipping route.

Now, Canada's budget is supposedly stretched to the bone as it is (even with our 9 bajillion dollar surplus, apparently) so allocating resources to ensure the protection of the environment and sovereign claim to the Arctic waters will be difficult. It also doesn't help that we don't have a permanent arctic research program or that we are relying on aboriginal rangers carrying WWII rifles to patrol the vast Arctic border (that they have poor equipment, not their unreliability).

So what is the solution? While it seems beneficial to allow for shipping in the Arctic to cut down on distance and thus fuel consumption, the inherent increased risk of an environmental disaster seems provident and I'm very hesitant in agreeing to the opening of the Northwest Passage. The arctic ecosystem is already fragile as it is. Increased traffic can only spell trouble, esp since we're still learning about how it relates to the global environment. One solution is to get our asses into gear and reduce climate change, thus reducing the pace of ice retreat. But I'm cynical andi don't see that happening.

Our coastline is way too damn big and I don't think the Canadian government's willing to allocate the resources to adequately defend and patrol these waters. In the Walrus, they suggested that it be controlled under an international regime. While I'm big on maintaining Canadian sovereignty, it seems like a reasonable compromise in order to reduce our burden. What I would like to see is that the regime be composed mainly of countries from the Arctic Council and for now (and maybe forever), be restricted to research and rescue vessels only. Not the ideal situation, but at least there is someone watching over the water, ensuring no one's pulling a Titanic in the Arctic.

As for our actual coastline, we're going to have to pony up some cash for the Inuit rangers and additional forces. Their jobs deserve adequate funding for all their needs. The longest undefended border is known to be the Can/US border, but I'm sure those who are patrolling the north would give 'em a good run for their money.

Finally, the Inuit has to be involved in the decision-making. They live there and their welfare's at stake. If you live in such a harsh climate year-round, you deserve a spot at the table. Spy submarines scaring seals and such is only an indicator of things to come and we should be ready to deal with the Inuit as partners.

Unfortunately, the Canadian government's plate is getting pretty full, what with same-sex marriage, decriminalization of pot, assisted suicide and George Bush's first vist to Ottawa all on the agenda in the coming months. My crystal ball tells me that this issue will fade faster than my martial arts uniform. Unless it gets wrapped up with Missile Defense talks, in which case, well, I hope the Canadians put it on the agenda and put up a good fight.

I can only hope.

It's the little things...

On my theme of social interaction, let me say I had a fantastic night tonight all because of the little things:

1) Dairy Queen and CSI with a friend who needed cheering up
2) QP and the trials and tribulations of a friend's Apple computer that, on this rare occasion, crapped out completely.
3) Randomly being chased down by friend and housemate who just happened to be having coffee at Common Ground
4) A hilarious John Stewart episode completely upstaged by penis jokes, Tom DeLay and Woody Harrelson.

And now, onto serious reading...or more blogging, I haven't decided which.

For your amusement

I'm on a blogging binge. Forgive me. I don't know how Mader does this on a daily basis with a quality that I can only dream of...

My friend admonished me in good jest for a lack of posting for the last seven days. So Farron, THIS is for you and all those youths 16 and above who've had disputes over the front seat of a friend's car. Those were the days of the Altima, the Camry and the MPV. Chris, Matt, Cam, Nick, you know what I'm talking about.

Where am I going?

That's the question I've been grappling at for the last few weeks, in between schoolwork and episodes of the West Wing. It feels like I've lost my moral compass. Having entered university to experience new perspectives, I feel as if I'm starting to fall into the quagmire that is relativism.

It feels stranger considering my current studies in Urban Planning, a most practical of pursuits. It has been an interesting few months as my classes have been split between the practical and the philosophical. Recently, we've slowly nudged ourselves into modern and post-modern architecture and more broadly, into modernism and post-modernism itself.

My profs have asked us to question our most basic assumptions and beliefs in our classes as planning, like everything else in the post-modern era, has become much more complicated when dealing with different actors, narratives, viewpoints, etc. That's fine. I welcome this challenge. However, it seems to leave me with no answers as I try to consider every position from different viewpoints. It leaves me nowhere near a fence, but on the side of a dirt road without an answer driving by. It seems like many issues I've encountered thus far have left me in a stalemate when trying to articulate a position.

Perhaps I haven't fully understood where I stand on my principles, thus causing my confused state of affairs. I've learned in planning, like in everyday life, that nothing else matters except for the choices you make and the judgments you stand by. And eventually, you will have to make that choice. Maybe that is why I've left myself in such a state. Maybe I've yet to involve myself in a situation where my judgment, based on my principles, actually matters. Thus, it became very easy to run on the auto-pilot that is the mid-20s liberal mindset.

I think I need to get back to first principles and rebuild my beliefs and ethics. I need to take a day and just talk and see where it leads me. Because I don't want to feel this...morally empty anymore. It's a terrible feeling.



To truly be a unique individual is to be alone ~Hok-Lin Leung

These are a few of my favourite things

What does Calvin and Hobbes and Fight Club have in common? Apparently a lot, according to Metaphilm. I guess even blowing up credit-card company offices build character.

Talking

It's funny how much I enjoy being interrupted by people I know walking down the street or sitting in the JDUC and end up talking to them for any amount of time.

For the most part, it can be nothing more than a greeting and a few brief words about the most current events of one's life to a long drawn out conversation about life, the universe and everything. But this is the best part of my life, this social interaction with friends. For those moments, the world outside doesn't matter. I'm not focused on my schoolwork, my marking or what I'm having for dinner tonight. Jon Stewart's not on my mind, nor the latest in Canadian politics.

I just sit back and absorb their life stories, and laugh and cry and empathize with them. I enjoy watching their facial expressions change with each passing moment, that this is me living my life. And it feels good.

Havin been immersed with the barest of post-modern thought and theory, I can say for certain that at right now, this makes me feel good.

I would write more except I'm being sent electrical signals that it's dinner time. And I'm thoroughly enjoying the new Green Day album, but that's neither here nor there.

Remembrance Day

On the 11th hour of the 11 day of the 11 month of 2004, I was unfortunately in class and my prof did not end his lecture on time for me to solemnly reflect on the lives of those given so we may live ours as we can now. I thought about how the world moves as it does, stops for one minute as everyone reflects and pays respects, and then starts again. It just seems so odd that we can drop everything and pick them up again so quickly. I am not disparaging anyone by that remark, but it just doesn't seem right for some reason. I don't know.

The other thing I was thinking about was a Star piece that ran over last weekend concerning the last 8 surviving veterans from WWI. And I wondered when all our veterans are gone, whether we will be able to continue to reflect and remember with such vigour without these anchors to history. I hope so. I really do.

Since he beat me to it, I'll just link to Matt and thank him for providing "In Flanders Field" on his blog. And I agree with him. Remembrance Day should always be cold, windy and rainy. If our veterans can endure so much for our future, we can endure a little bit of rain.

Reality TV needs to go...NOW

This is why I don't watch TV.

Reality TV's just mean and degrading nowadays. Not that it wasn't before, but it's too prevalent now for me not just to ignore them but to outright hate them: The Swan, The Biggest Loser, He's A Lady (I know that's not what it's called, but that's the gist of the show), the "I'm lying to my family about my groom...", and now, the $25 million Hoax.

Seriously, is this what people watch? Humiliation and Deception? This is why people buy TVs for? Has the bottom of the barrel not been scraped thoroughly? Are you not hitting oak splinters by now? Are we so unimaginative that we're relegated to picking on people on live television?

Will Reality TV please just eat itself so we can all move on to something just as inane and trivial but at least it doesn't ask people to live like the middle ages and be subjected to tomatoes and rotten vegetables being thrown at them for money?

Dignity, restore some semblance of dignity on TV, Please!

Terry Fox: The Canadian Dream

I just finished watching CBC's Greatest Canadian piece on Terry Fox and although in a previous post I merely predicted a top three, I believe that Terry Fox will and should win this 'popularity' contest.

His story on its own deserves accolades. A simple story of courage and perseverence, mimicking the origins of the marathon so well, especially with the 'hero' dying at the end of the journey. All for a cause and the cure that he himself can't benifit from.

But to me, it's much more than that. Terry Fox and his story is the personification of the Canadian Dream. It is everything that Canadians want Canada to be in one story: It is a selfless act that brings results. He and his Merathon of Hope had no political or corporate undertones. It had the support of ALL Canadians. The Terry Fox Run has spread to over 50 countries around the world.

Isn't that the ideal of all Canadian policy? Supported by all of Canada, altruistic in its benefits, and has international influence. Don't we wish every government bill and policy statements had those kind of ideals imbued in them?

I think so. But maybe I'm buying into that Canadian Myth. And that's fine. That's a myth I want to buy into.

bedtime thoughts

Before I head off to bed, I just wanted to make these few comments:

-Our house has been amused by CNN's overly cautious projections for the presidential race, not wanting to make the same mistakes as 2000. Wolf Blitzer consistently reminded their analysts that "the race isn't over"...even though it looks like Bush is going to take Ohio and thereby the electoral college.

-CNN analysts also stated that the Republicans will retain control of the House of Representatives and the Senate. That means they hold the legislative and barring some twist in events over the night, the executive branch. They will also have the opportunity to appoint several more conservative judges onto the Supreme Court. That means the Republicans have a good hold on all three arms of the US government and will have an easier time pushing through their agenda, i.e. abortion, stem-cell research, tax-cuts, ANWR and their energy bill, etc. As someone who follows social and environmental issues, the thought of this next Republican government makes me cringe.

-Voting increased significantly this election. What'll be disappointing to Democrats and any left-leaning person anywhere in the world is that not only did the Democrats lose the lead they had in popular vote, Bush is winning by more than 3 million votes. No ambiguity there.

-Daimler Chrysler are now calling their SUVs "Safety Utility Vehicles." That's right, they're no longer for sport, but for safety...looks like someone's learning how to spin like the Bush administration.

-I'm not sure whether I should be depressed or ambivalent by these results. I have no idea how the next four years will turn out. I've been disappointed with the whole damn human race lately so maybe it's just that. I'll have to mull over what this represents for the near future (because my policy analysis skills are just so in demand)...

-I've decided that Wolf Blitzer and the rest of the CNN team will not be sleeping tonight, as Ohio is "too close to call" and they will be following it all the way through to the end of the provisional and military vote counts until they're so sleep deprived that caution be damned, they call it for somebody before they pass out on masse.

In the stands

Goodbye attack ads featuring wolves and eagles and ostriches! Goodbye campaign speeches! Goodbye televised debates! Goodbye deception lane and un-truth squads!

It will be quieter in the US as the commentators and the spin doctors are silenced by the electorate waking up on Nov. 2nd to perform one of their civic duties as a proud American. I do hope the everyday citizen will enjoy this brief respite from the cacophany of information and spin and contemplate carefully the choice they are making, regardless of whether they vote for Bush, Kerry or Nader. During these hours before polls close, remember that no one's opinion matter now but your own. Not Fox News, not Air America, not the French, the British, or the Canadians. No one.

So, as the umpteenth voice from the peanut gallery, I wish every American citizen all the best, that they vote with their heart and their conscience. The rest of us will be sitting in our living room awaiting your decision, knowing full well that, regardless of the outcome, Jon Stewart will sadly be more insightful than most of the talking heads that emerge from their time of silence...

NO recount, NO recount, NO recount, NO recount, NO recount, NO recount.

Requiem for a Fourteen-Year-Old

My only connection to the Steven Truscott case is that we studied his case in OAC Law. And for whatever reason, it still resonates with me. Ever since his attempt to clear his name has resurfaced, I've been following it closely. In Thursday's Toronto Star, Pierre Berton republished a poem he wrote to the Star back when Mr. Truscott was convicted. I wish to share this with those who may not have had a chance to read it:

Requiem for a Fourteen-Year-Old -By Pierre Berton

In Goderich town
The sun abates
December is coming
And everyone waits;
In a small, stark room
On a small, hard bed
Lies a small, pale boy
Who is not quite dead.
The cell is lonely
The cell is cold
October is young
But the boy is old;
Too old to cringe
And too old to cry
Though young —
But never too young to die.
It's true enough
That we cannot brag
Of a national anthem
Or national flag
And though our Vision
Is still in doubt
At last we've something
To boast about:
We've a national law
In the name of the Queen
To hang a child
Who is just fourteen.
The law is clear:
It says we must
And in this country
The law is just.
Sing heigh! Sing ho!
For justice blind
Makes no distinction
Of any kind;
Makes no allowance for sex or years,
A judge's feelings, a mother's tears;
Makes no allowance for age or youth
Just eye for eye and tooth for tooth —
Tooth for tooth and eye for eye:
If a child does murder
The child must die.
Don't fret ... don't worry ...
No need to cry
We'll only pretend he's going to die;
We're going to reprieve him
Bye and bye.
We're going to reprieve him
(We always do).
But it wouldn't be fair
If we told him, too
So we'll keep the secret
As long as we can
And hope that he'll take it
Like a man.
And when we've told him
It's just "pretend"
And he won't be strung
At a noose's end,
We'll send him away
And, as like as not,
Put him in prison
And let him rot.
The jury said "mercy"
And we agree —
O, merciful jury;
You and me.
Oh death can come
And death can go
Some deaths are sudden
And some are slow;
In a small, cold cell
In October mild
Death comes each day
To a frightened child
So muffle the drums and beat them slow,
Mute the strings and play them low,
Sing a lament and sing it well,
But not for the boy in the cold, dark cell,
Not for the parents, trembling-lipped,
Not for the judge, who followed the script;
Save your prayers for the righteous ghouls
In that Higher Court who write the rules
For the judge and jury and hangman, too;
The Court composed of me and you.
In Goderich town
The trees turn red
The limbs go bare
As the leaves are bled
And the days tick by
As the sky turns lead
For the small, scared boy
On a small, stark bed
A fourteen-year-old
Who is not quite dead.

On the wrong side of victory

So my intermural ultimate season ended tonight, with a dismal loss, something around 9-2, 10-2. It also didn't feel good at all. We ended our season 1-3 without any defaults, which I guess is an improvement over my previous seasons.

As much as I enjoy being destroyed in games as the next person...I really don't. It seems like there are fewer and fewer teams composed of people hoping to play a couple of intermural games with friends. The teams were tougher competition than I faced in previous seasons. Though I lost games in those too, at least they were tight games and there was actual competition between teams. It's possible my team just got a bad draw and played against three really good teams. I don't dispute that possibility, but there's 20-30 teams and to just happen to draw all these teams, I'd have bought some lottery tickets at the same time.

Now, I'm glad there're so many good players at Queen's. It's little wonder that our school team were recent national champions at a tournament out west. However, I'd like to have one season again where we could actually put up a good fight instead of being smothered within the first 20 minutes. To me, it's just been too demoralizing.

Maybe what we need for the intermural league is to split up the teams into 'recreational' and 'competitive' sections because there is definitely a visible difference in skill.

Caveat (October 31, 2004): This is a reproduction of the original post because Blogger, in its infinite wisdom as I tried to update this post, decided to delete the entire thing instead...21st technology is fabulous these days.

Sunbeam

I've noticed that since the start of my masters program (or possibly since the start of my adult life, I'm not sure which) I've been drifting around in a state of confusion, lacking a certain focus, if you will. While I am concerned about this state of...aimlessness, it does certainly provide a good contrast to moments of clarity when I am exposed to them.

And this afternoon, I was given one such moment of clarity. And it felt refreshing during that time. So I do have to thank that little ray of sunshine that pierced through those clouds ever so briefly.

It's good to see the Sun every once in a while.

Victory is Mine!

In the thick of things
Originally uploaded by blackhole.

Well, actually, victory is theirs. Over the weekend, Canada participated in the Dragonboat World Championships in Shanghai and despite China's home advantage, the teams are coming home with 2 golds, 3 silvers and 1 bronze, earning them the Nation's Cup and bragging rights as the world's best (not that we would EVER brag about anything except hockey and health care...)

It is a dream, a goal if you will, to one day participate in said championships, so keep up the hard work, congratulation, and one day, I will peel my lazy butt away from my blog long enough to start training to your level!

Quotes of the night

Here are two very blog-worthy quotes for two completely different reasons:

First off, we have, courtesy of maderblog, a story about Taiwanese legistators in a heated debate that spills over into a massive food fight, all the while being shown live on local television. As one legislator remarked,

"My whole body smells like a lunch box!"


Secondly, we have the ending clips of the Daily Show's "Moment of Zen," depicting an exchange between the Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Jerry Falwell. In discussing terrorism and Bush's policy to go after terrorists, Jerry Falwell enthusiastically endorsed the President to hunt them down and,

"chase them all over the globe...blow'em all away, in the name of the Lord."

Now, I may not be a practicing Catholic anymore, or, well, a practicing anything, but last I checked the Bible, Jesus wasn't such a fan of the killings and the bloodshed. Something about cheeks and forgiveness, I can't quite remember what. You'll have to excuse me, I'm a little rusty. If the J-man's up there right now, I wonder how pleased he is of Falwell to use his name like that?


I'm going back to work, like the heathen that I am.

Queen's Homecoming RULES

This is my 5th year at Queen's. I've participated in several homecoming weekends and they have been quite fun. This year, however, tops them all. It's all about having old friends sleep on your couch and on your floor, watching Matlock at 3 in the morning just so we're rested for Saturday's debauchery. This is Queen's homecoming at its best. It truly is all about the Queen's community and comraderie and finding an Arts '79 in a keg party with undergrads. So to all those who are reading and having a great time all around Kingston, I say:

Oil thigh na Banrighinn a'Banrighinn gu brath

Cha-Gheill!

Cheers to all!

The greatest Canadian

When I first heard about this series (rip-off of a British series) by the CBC, I thought it was lame. But it's fun every once in a while to entertain oneself with a big Canadian ego-stroking exercise. Tonight was the first show that introduced the top 50 great Canadians as suggested by everyone to the CBC. Here's the top 10 that can now be voted for again to claim the top prize:

Dr. Frederick Banting
Alexander Graham Bell
Don Cherry
Tommy Douglas
Terry Fox
Wayne Gretzky
Sir John A. McDonald
Lester B. Pearson
David Suzuki
Pierre Trudeau

An impressive list. Now, I've nothing against this next person, because he's entertaining and very popular with many Canadians. But DON CHERRY? Are you freakin' kidding me? Canada, seriously, what is wrong with you? You put him above Dr. Norman Bethune, Nellie McClung, Emily Murphy, Dr. Stephen Lewis? As much as I like Don Cherry and he deserves to be recognized, he does not deserve to be in the top 10. There are many other Canadians more deserving. I'm also surprised by David Suzuki's prominence. As a biologist, I'm quite pleased but as a Canadian I'm not quite sure of his stature within Canadian history.

In any case, I can't pick the number one choice because there are many deserving up there. However, here's my top 3 out of the 10 on the list, in no particular order, in my mind of their importance to Canada:

Tommy Douglas
Terry Fox
Pierre Trudeau

Now a word from Jon Stewart

My friend Wesley alerted me to the appearance of Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, on CNN's Crossfire last night and boy were feathers ruffled. You can also go to HERE to try to find a video file in bittorent format or otherwise.

In any case, Jon Stewart went to town with these guys. They expected their guest to toe the line and bring a little Daily Show humour onto their set. Instead, Stewart took them to task on their failing as journalists for not raising the level of political discourse in the country.

Most people responding to the story on Metafilter had an obviously good time watching Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala, get blindsided by the Jon Stewart express. Carlson and people on MeFi raised the point that Stewart had an opportunity to grill Senator Kerry when he appeared on TDS and didn't, and some on MeFi and on MSN thought that Stewart often used "I'm a comedian" as a cop-out to criticism about his 'soft' approach to some guests.

I wholeheartedly disagree. What I find troubling is not the criticisms against Stewart, but the fact that they're being leveled at him at all. That was part of the point that he was trying to raise on this show. In a democratic society with a healthy media, people SHOULD NOT be turning to a comedian for thoughtful, political analysis. The fact that The Daily Show is successful only highlights the problem of media reporting in America and in a lesser extent, Canada. That was his point. That was why he was so surprised when Carlson used Stewart's questions to Kerry against him. Carlson was actually expecting Stewart to be tough on Kerry, requiring Jon to remind him that it's a satirical talk-show ON COMEDY CENTRAL! Mainstream media should NEVER be looking at The Daily Show and admonishing it for not asking the right questions. That's their job, their responsibility.

And I don't think Jon has ever thought he was anymore than a comedian. He doesn't have to ask hard-hitting questions to his political guests is because of the fact that he IS a comedian, NOT a journalist. People see him incorrectly as a journalist so their expectations of him are unfulfilled when supposed "important" questions aren't asked. I don't expect him to ask those questions. I expect him to be funny and witty. If it happens his jokes are politically insightful, then so much the better. But that's not his job, nor his perogative.

Again, that's the job of a journalist. He had an interview with Bill Moyer on PBS where he was saying how it was frustrating to hear journalists wishing they could be looking at things critically when that's EXACTLY the type of thing that journalists should be doing. So let's not put the onus on Jon. Rather, the onus is on journalists to do a better job.

So Jon, keep on fighting the good fight. Even though it's unlikely you'll be on Crossfire ever again, maybe sometime on your junket for your book you'll be lucky enough to wake up a few journalists or pundits to the irony of the popularity of your fake news show so that there will be some changes within the mainstream media.

What the FUCK is wrong with you?

I'm writing this to release some anger so bear with me.

My prof was hit by a car this afternoon at the end of our field trip in the entrance to the Wolfe Island Ferry. This was a tragic and very avoidable accident because the driver (who had a son in the passenger seat no less) was driving way too fast into the lanes and by the time she started braking, my prof had no chance of avoiding the car. Although I'm unaware of his condition right now, there were no external injuries when he was taken away by ambulance so hopefully injuries will be minor and I hope he will make a speedy recovery.

What makes me sick is the fact that the driver told us she was just going to park her car and instead fucking took off away from the scene of the crime. Yes, it's no longer an accident now, it's a crime scene and she is now a criminal.

These next few lines are to you the driver, even though you'll never read this: I feel sorry for your son, but I hope you are prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Not only are you teaching your son a terrible lesson in avoiding your fucking responsibility as a person living in a society, but you left the scene of an accident and you lied to 30 witnesses. We know the make of your car and the license plate, so be responsible, give yourself up and face the consequences that reflect your actions.

The worst thing is the helplessness that set in at the time of the accident. Several students were very responsive to the situation and quickly took action. For that, I commend them because their actions reflect the best that humanity has to offer. I can't help but feel that I should've taken more decisive action in this affair. I know everyone will agree that it happens, but I feel that way nonetheless. I am fortunate to be TAing a class of bright and wonderful students who knows what to do if something arises.

And to all those people who make fun of cops and such, screw you. You have no idea how important the police become when you get into a situation such as this. Even though they have been unable to catch the driver (as far as I know) and could only take statements from us, the symbol of their authority at the time was reassuring nonetheless. That is why I will never make derogatory comments about them. At this point, all I have is the belief that justice will prevail and the cops will catch her.


UPDATE: Oct. 17, 2:29 AM
My other prof sent us an email tonight and it seems that the most serious injury my prof suffered is a serious bump in the head and the driver came forward to the police. I do not know if any criminal charges will be laid and although she is now more contrite (she left a note for my prof in the hospital), I still feel she needs have her license taken away from her, minimum.

It's under Oak Island, I swear

Warning: This is just a rant, I expect no answers for this post.

In my classes and in the media with the US election and Canadian Parliament back in session, stories are swirling around on money, in terms of how to pay for programs, who's hiding it where, etc. In a recent class we discussed municipal infrastructure and how there's a deficit of it, requiring billions of dollars to not improve our infrastructure, but merely to provide it to people who don't have it. Meanwhile, Ralph Goodale just happened to come upon 9.1 Billion dollars from between his mattresses to pay down our debt and there's the ever constant bickering over health costs and how to pay for it. In the US, election promises abound in terms of social security, medicare, deficits, blah blah blah blah blah.

Lowballing budget estimates and US politicking aside, it's got me wondering about where the hell our money's going? I'm not advocating for lower taxes or any of that nonsense, I'm just baffled. Western nations are the richest in the world and yet we can't even take care of our own citizens or provide for their welfare (no, not the payment, but life, liberty, pursuit of happiness and all that jazz).

Are our expectations of our government (and conversely, their promises) that out of touch with the fiscal and financial realities of our society? In the pension issue, if I believe my public policy prof, then yes, we are WAY OUT OF TOUCH. In that case, we've promised too much to too many (baby boomers, I'm looking at you) and NO ONE has any idea how to pay for it. Lots of talk and sitting of hands, no politician coming out and telling the awful truth.

But for everything else, where's the money at? Corporate profits and the wealthy elite? Seems like an easy way out to blame them (though they may share in a part of it perhaps). Is there some sort of financial black hole in the global market that aren't being taught in Economics? Or is it just illusory, our wealth just 1s and 0s that financial geeks just toss around because they can and if they wanted, could provide all the wealth anyone would need?

The money's out there, and if you have it, let me know, we'll go make a few people happy.

With Friends Like These...

I just spent the evening catching up with two really good friends and it made me realize how important they are to me and how much I appreciate their friendship. Not that I don't appreciate any of the new friends I've made in the last 4 years, because I do immensely, but being able to pick up a conversation with people I hadn't seen in 4 months or a year (whichever the case it may be) like it was old hat (old cliche, I know) just raises the comfort level that much more and gives me a great big bushel of joy...

In a related story during one of those conversations, we discussed a housemate whose expectations of student living far exceeds any I could imagine (or she has a giant stick up her ass, but I can't confirm or deny). In any case, this has caused me to reflect on how lucky I've been the last three years and this year in terms of picking awesome housemates who can get along and are of like mind in terms of house responsibility. No fights, fuss, or arguments. We all have a good time and keep the health inspectors away. It also makes me think about my situation next year, whether I will live with people I know or complete strangers, which would throw off my comfrot level completely. But that's months away and frankly not worth my time right now to ponder seriously.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all

Wangari Maathai: woman of peace

This year's Nobel Peace Prize took everyone by surprise when the head of the IAEA didn't win.

Wangari Maathai is many things: deputy minister to the environment, Kenyan Green Party member, professor, founder of the Green Belt Movement, defender of women's rights and green space in Kenya. Now, she can add the first African woman Nobel peace prize winner to that category.

Some have wondered why an environmentalist was chosen for this prestigious award when past winners have included such people as Jimmy Carter, the Dalai Lama and Kofi Annan.

The Nobel committee chose her for her role in promoting biodiversity, job creation and empowering women in society by helping them out of poverty through her programs of forest stewardship and management (thousands employed in the Green Belt Movement), family planning and nutriiton (This is one of the most concrete examples of sustainability in action if I ever saw one, and that's definitely a rarity). She and her grassroots movement have stood up to Kenyan government corruption and advocated for others' behalf, even if it got her in harm's way.

Some have criticized the Nobel committee for expanding the criteria in which recepients are eligible, most notably Carl Hagen of the far right Progress Party in Norway, "A peace prize should honor peace, not environment."

What Mr. Hagen has failed to understand is that poverty and scarcity of resources are always factors in inciting violence and war (umm...*cough* Oil *cough* Water *cough*). The Nobel committee are among the first to recognize the link between global security and the state of our natural environment (I'm not saying the factor to global security, but one of). Ms. Maathai's programs instead help reforest Africa (rehabilitation) while lifting people out of poverty (prevention). Plus, she's been fighting her own government's corruption and for her fellow citizens' rights before being elected. I would say she's trying to promote peace, even if it is on a smaller scale than one would expect.

As much as the environmental movement latches on to her win to milk it for its publicity value, this prize goes to her and her organization alone. Her work should be lauded as an example how sustainability principles can work, not should work. Although, I would be really interested to see if she received any help from any western organizations (besides the universities she attended, of course).

Two more points of interest. One, some have said that previous peace prize winners (Carter, Annan, etc.) have provoked criticism against Bush and his politics and that it was reasonable to take a 'break.' Now, I find that insulting and would diminish the prize given to Maathai if that was the case. But in a sense, it is still a backhanded criticism at Bush (for me anyways) because Maathai's rehabilitating the environment AND promoting job growth at the same time (hint, hint).

Second, Maathai is deputy environment minister on the Green Party ticket in Kenya. What the hell is going on in Canada? How many reps do we have in a cabinet position? Wait, zero? What about in legislature? Wait, zero? Anywhere in Canada? What, zero again? What the deuce? 6% popularity? Are you kidding me? It looks like the Kenyans can teach us a few tricks. Or maybe this is another backhanded way for me to push for proportional representation some more?

In any case, congratulations to Ms. Maathai. I hope her work continues to lift the country of Kenya into a greener, brighter future.

All signs point to No

All signs point to No...No you're Fucking wrong.

It's kind of comforting to think those who responded to my previous post was thinking of a meteorological phenomenon. How quaint.

No, this phenomenon hits a little closer to home. It's funny how hindsight works, or blindsight, as Jon Stewart put it humourously last night. How looking back, when you think maybe, just maybe, everything will turn out right, that you can gamble with the house and come out on top just once. And then, the sudden realization that the shit just hit the fan and every decision was the wrong one. The house wins, the house always win.

I'd go for a drink, but I think my stomach's queasy enough as it is.

Jeff says, "the truth and the lies combine to form a new sort of reality." I like that. Welcome to the new reality.

Is it chilly in here?

So maybe I'm imagining things. It's quite possible since whenever I get some free time (and these are rare occasions indeed), the creative side of my brain takes over and is drunk with power, running amok in the cerebrum and sometimes vomiting all over the medulla oblongata.

But I'm starting to feel a chill in the air, a cold shoulder, you might say. Where is it coming from? I'm not sure, because I'm uncertain which direction it's emanating from. Maybe no direction. Maybe it's the creative side's hangover.

In any case, September went by quickly and October's reaching top speed. I don't think it's good to head into Thanksgiving with this feeling. I hope she can make it go away before I head home. I really do.

This one's for the Gipper!

Actually, no. This one's for my housemates at 390A Alfred Street and the ultimate team of Morris2!

We did it. The SURP (School of Urban and Regional Planning) ultimate team won our first intermural game by the score of 6-5. This is my first outright win (my old team had only won through defaults) and had lost many close games. I've sworn to dedicate every win to my old team, who've honed my skills to the semi-competent player that I've become. Standing on the shoulders of giants...well, shoulders of tall people anyways.

Now for some post-game analysis.
We played better, connected more short passes, but had trouble converting in the end zone, especially at the beginning. We need to learn to take our time to look for open players and catchers (me included) need to cut towards the disc more. This may require some scrimmaging.

I was also uncomfortable with the win because many fouls were called. Not that it's a problem in itself, but I know from my gameplay today that the other team let a lot of fouls go while we did not. I know what it's like to play teams who are more adherent to and knowledgeable of the rules and I find it's usually better to let it go or on a contentious point, to redo the play. It is intermurals and it should be for fun. Hopefully we'll find a better balance in terms of how and when we call our fouls.

Next game, I will need to find a way to be more visible. I was quite the Invisible Man today.

Apropos, no?

This all began when I signed up for Journalists for Human Rights at Clubs Night (which, unfortunately, forgot to attend the first meeting...). Anyways, Of course, Matt and I are joking about the fact I joined the club, casually mocking me, "but you're not a journalist, nor do you believe in human rights!" Ha Ha, I bet you're all laughing now. But it was funny to us.

Then we took the joke further and said, "We should come up with a club ourselves, something that's the complete antithesis of the Journalists for Human Rights." We began with "Club for censorship and Totalitarians" but that didn't quite fit. We talked a bit on the street and ended up with "Club for Censorship and Cruelty." In a moment of clarity, I quipped, "No, it should totally be the 'Club for Censorship, Cruelty and Punishment!"

For those who still aren't sure where I'm going with this, Our 'club' acronym becomes CCCP. It's funny how that worked out. I wonder if Khruschev will be our club's secretary?

In the afterglow

The Paralympics in Athens have recently come to an end and Canadian athletes have walked away with...70 Medals?! Did I write that correctly?

Indeed, I did. Our athletes ended fourth overall in the standings (70 medals), with a total of 27 golds, 10 of which are held by TWO athletes (Kirby Cote and Chantal Petitclerc with five each). I congratulate all the athletes there, regardless of where they placed in the standings.

While the scant coverage is regrettable, the IOC could've done a better job of promoting the Paralympics by allowing these athletes to enter the stadium with all the other athletes in the main opening ceremonies. Regardless of disabilities or not, they are athletes and deserve to enter the games cheered on by the thousands of people in the stands and millions watching at home.

While the Canadian public and our talking heads lament our poor medal showing and spend tons of newsprint and TV coverage on how to improve that number, let's not forget those returning home soon who'll be weighing down their flights with a lot of precious metals.

So here's my little bit of recognition to the athletes who are on their way home. Congratulations on a job well done!

World's Biggest Snowball Fight....LET'S GET IT ON!!!

For those of you who were at Queen's last year and knew me, you may have heard of our plan to host a mini-golf tournament in our house (9 holes running through most of the rooms, the backyard and the porch) to go out with the biggest bang as Queen's undergrads. You will have also heard because of landlord issues (i.e. them doing their jobs) it never came to fruition.

Like Hugh Dillon, Here's my chance for redemption.

My friend Matt was telling me how this American university held the record for the world's biggest snowball fight and how we as Canadians should be the ones with that title (not Anti-American, just the fact that we are more of a "snow culture" than they are, whatever that means...anyways, besides the point).

With a little research, we found out the actual Guinness Record is held by 2472 Swiss. As Matt says, "the Swiss of all people do not deserve a record that involves any type of fighting of any sort."

So, we figure, we could organize a campus-wide event at Queen's that will surpass the Swiss record. This will take a lot of work and a lot of cooperation and a lot of coordination. But we are willing to work our butts off to make this work. Imagine the picture of 3000 students facing off against each other. At a set time, all 3000 snowballs will be in the air towards a particular victim...err, target. What an epic battle would this be? Think of the campus legend this event could become? We could get a lot of media exposure and it would just be a fun event for all the students. We could even turn it into a charitable event. If it works this year, we could expand it and have cross-institution event (say, Queen's vs. RMC).

The Possibilities are Limitless. Give me this chance!

cool school

After hearing about school closings in the GTA for many years throughout high school and university, The Toronto District School Board's actually going to build a new elementary school for residents.

The best part for me was the inclusion of, in my view, common sense approaches to its design, though they've billed it as the most "technologically advanced school in Canada." A little hyperbole, I think.

What it means is the school is designed to provide generous natural lighting and ventilation. They will have windows that open (What a revolutionary idea!), radiant floor heating, harvest solar energy, recycle rainwater and other features.

This is a great step towards more environmentally sound building practices. Truly, I believe that it's just common sense to rely on natural light and air as much as you can.

Kudos to the TDSB. Let's see if other school boards will follow their lead if and when they build their next schools.

The Next Great Leap

A really interesting article appeared in the Toronto Star yesterday (I'd link it, but there's a shelf-life of 14 days anyways) by @Biz writer Tyler Hamilton discussing the credibility of the Hydrogen economy.

Geoffrey Ballard, father of Ballard Power, spoke at Queen's last year about how it would be economically unfeasible to set up the infrastructure required for the automobile industry to really get on board to mass produce hydrogen-fuelled cars and sell it to the public. Instead, his idea was to sell it to industry first (forklifts, etc.) and use existing node points (like a Walmart) to spread the infrastructure out. Really fascinating talk.

What really drew me to this article was the focus on China as the potential leader in the Hydrogen Economy for several reasons:

1) It's still facing an energy shortage even after the construction of the environmentally and culturally disastrous Three Gorges Dam. Therefore, the government's looking into various energy sources to make up that shortfall.

2) The size of the population itself is enough to cause the hydrogen industry to salivate all over each other. "If you can get mass adoption in China, you have economies of scale for selling elsewhere," was one person quoted. My concern would be how the labour used in setting this up would be treated

3) The most important point I found in the article: "China isn't tied down to an extensive, long-established fuelling infrastructure that oil incumbents in the West are determined to protect". That's right, no Ralph Klein, no Oil Lobby, none of that bullshit. Since they can build from scratch, they can leapfrog over our methodology/mistake (depending on how you look at it) and go straight into a cleaner driving environment (to make up for the current, absolutely lung scratching one).

Finally, the central government can dictate how fast this is adopted. Apparently, it took them three years to convert Beijing's taxis to use natural gas. Again, No G.W. Bush, no Chretien/Martin dithering, none of that political hand-sitting. Plus, if they start an energy race, maybe they could finally spur us North Americans to finally get our act together.

The ball's in the air. The question is, who's going to get to it first.

Ad this!

The first of many posts.

Coming soon to a subway tunnel near you: advertisements!

That's right, even in the deep bowels of the TTC subway system, companies have now devised a way to market their products to you as you glaze over your commuting ride to and from work. Awarded to Viacom Outdoor Canada, this multi-million dollar project is premised on the old idea of drawing static images and then flipping them to show motion. There will be static images all along the tunnels so while the subway goes by, the images will produce a full-motion ad. Another project will include installing flat screen monitors in subway cars to show ads and silent news, ala ones found on elevators in downtown Toronto.

Don't get me wrong. I understand the need to make up for revenue shortfall due to lack of government funding and it's better than hammering commuters with another fare hike. But is there no public space left where I won't be inundated with commercials or ads? Granted, I'd usually ignore the tunnels anyways, but it seems this is another step towards covering any blank space with ads. Next thing you know, there'll be permanent ads along the CN Tower for Viagra, or the Futurama scenario, where they beam ads directly into your dreams!

Meanwhile, Kingston's trying to uphold a ban on postering on telephone poles and such on University Ave. because it "detracts" from the aesthetics of the city," preventing local clubs and bands from advertising to the university audience the cheapest way they can. Instead, they've now forced these groups to change the way they budget for advertising and possibly contracting the audience they could've attracted otherwise.

As I write this, I've realized the disconnect between allowing small groups on campus to advertise on public space while railing against commercial ads in the subway tunnels. Is it my belief that cultural and local bands would enhance the culture of the city that makes it ok to put up ads in public space while viacom's just another company trying to market a product? Are all ads equal, or some more equal than others?

Further down the spiral

My friend Wesley first broke this story to me and I didn't believe it until I read through the story myself.

As a recent environmental studies graduate, I'm not a fan of the SUV, particularly the so-called "luxury SUV" since its intended purpose is to go off-road into the country but now that is no longer used for that purpose, I'll admit that I don't know what an SUV's purpose is.

Environmental problems aside (gas consumption, air pollution, the actual amount of material used to build one), and the safety and the traffic it adds, etc, etc ad nauseum, THIS to me is an indication of how unimaginative we've become and the lack of willingness to tackle the important issues.

I mean, what the FUCK? an SUV built from the platform of a truck cab? Are you kidding me? Does anyone actually need to drive something that size? It just looks like a truck cab with an added bed on the back and better interior. Have automobile designers run out of ideas that they've resorted to turning EVERYTHING into an SUV? What next, SUV motorcycles? golf carts? wheelchairs?

A spokesperson for Navistar, the maker, said, "We can see it as a vehicle for business people who want to make a distinct impression. For personal use, it's for people who want to make a statement." A statement of what? That I'm rich and I have a closet 18-wheeler fetish? I would make a compensation joke, but that's frankly too easy. As for business people driving it, I doubt I'll see Donald Trump driving such a garish vehicle. I'd like to think that business people have better tastes than that.

And I thought Americans were trying to reduce reliance on foreign oil? Or was that just a sound bite for the public? Isn't this type of vehicle a step backwards? What will it take for not only Americans, but the rest of western society as well to wake up to the cognitive dissonance between our comfortable living and our excessive resource consumption?

I've told some of my friends my theory that society won't learn to curb our excesses until some major freak environmental disaster force us to make those lifestyle changes. I don't want to be right, I really don't, but I've yet to see evidence that indicates otherwise.

"Monkeys. This world is run by monkeys."

End of week one

Thank god for the weekend!

The end of week one as a grad student has finally arrived and I'm much relieved. Information and reading overload was definitely the theme of the week. But it's over so I can regroup and form a new plan of attack. I also have much of next week to catch up on my readings so that will be handy (note to self: procrastination= BAD!).

Lots of events this week, with the re-opening of Alfie's as a classy lounge (which I hope to be patroning tonight) and the Terry Fox Run on Sunday, my weekend's filling up. Hopefully I'll be able to intersperse those moments with readings (though I think the way it's supposed to work effectively is have it the other way around...)

I've started to find connections with some of my classmates (some more than others) which is a good thing. It just means I've to work harder with all the rest.

It's also strange to be a TA. I've now to set up office hours and such and answering students' requests (look at me, students. I'm still one!)

All in all. A jam-packed week. Now to see what week 2 has in store...

Canadian culture, eh?

Matt wrote a post the other day about the Across the Causeway benefit concert and how it showcased Canadian culture that didn't involve Hockey, Health Care and Anti-Americanism (this last one's not so much relevant to my point).

I completely agree with him. Canadian culture is composed of many more facets than those three things.

But what did we do tonight (or last night, depending on how you look at it)? We sat on the couch, watched Team Canada defeat Finland in the World Cup of Hockey, watched CBC National news recap the Health Care summit, and to top it off, find out that the Prime Minister and Premiers had all gathered together tonight to watch the hockey game and discuss how they can finangle some sort of face-saving deal on Health Care that they can sell to their constituents.

Yeah, we may be more multi-faceted, but not tonight.

"We live to survive our paradoxes"

Lickin' them poles again

So...

Do you ever remember a time in your childhood, it was winter, you're playing with your friends and at one point they dare you to lick the metal pole in your schoolyard. Then a voice of reason pops into your head, usually your mom's, and reminds you not to do that, but never actually telling you why. Your friends are getting impatient, and bolder, as they begin taunting you and calling you chicken. Still that voice of reason is holding its own, warning you that no good could come of this. But you're a kid and you're not that strong. Your friends have now used the "I won't be your friend anymore" argument. Being a kid and completely naive, you believe them and you start licking that cold, cold aluminum. And your tongue's stuck. And your friend's laughing at you. And the recess bell just rang. And everyone's ran back inside.

You're left out in the cold waiting for someone to realize that you're still outside in your winter gear with your tongue firmly planted not in cheek, but on some basketball pole in some suburban school because you're a child who just didn't listen to that little voice inside your head.

So I've just licked a mighty big pole tonight. My tongue's stuck and it's in September. Welcome 2004-2005.

Oh well, at least the Hip's got it right: "We live to survive our paradoxes..."

I declare the blog open

Having slept the good sleep last night I feel slightly better enough to add a post this morning before having to figure out the rest of my courses and such.

The View From In Here is an experiment of sorts. Some who know me may not actually know me that well mainly because I'm a pretty private person even when I don't act like it (particularly when I've been drinking...). I've kept many thoughts to myself and while a lot of times that is probably a good thing, I've felt that may have narrowed my perspective more than it should be and stagnated my debating and critical thinking skills.

Thus, this is my outlet. It is time to expand the vantage point from where I'm standing. There is no particularly format I will be adhering to. I will post about anything of interest or controversy. At times, I will make my feeling about a topic plain, and it is up to you, the reader, to call me on it if I'm wrong (Matt, this is assumed with you).

While the Health care summit is currently under way, I've unfortunately been unable to keep up to speed on recent events. Some humourous analysis, though, is provided HERE and HERE

If I end up reading a lot on it, I may comment; otherwise, I may just jump over this hurdle and onto the next major political event: The Race for the American Presidency.

Now that I've used up too much time writing this blog, it's time to get down to some serious work.

Review from the Peanut Gallery

Kudos and thanks to the Hip for putting on a very fulfilling mini-festival for me. I’ve been looking forward to this event since I heard the rumours and I am quite satisfied. The weather could not have been better, with cool temperatures and a mix of sun and clouds. Everything ran very smoothly, though by the end of the show, too many pedestrians had clogged up the causeway to allow buses through. All in all, it was a fine way to end the summer and start off my first year in grad studies. Now, on to my non-professional comments on the set

Chris Koster: in transit. Therefore, no comment.

James McKenty and the Spades: Only caught the last two songs, but they seemed half decent so I wouldn’t mind checking out any show they play in Kingston.

The Sadies: what can I say, they played like the Sadies. A competent set, but I think their type of country/rock/surfing-esque music seemed ill suited for an outdoor venue. A smaller club where people can actually dance to their music seems more fitting.

The Trews: The first band to get most of their people on their feet with their hits. Having played in Sackville, N.B. the night before and having to travel to play in the afternoon, they get much respect for their willingness to drop everything to play this charity gig.

Hugh Dillon Redemption Choir: Hugh with a sunny disposition? What gives? True to the name, it seems a makeup-less Hugh in a nice suit has been redeemed in some way and is in a much more positive mood, ending each song with a “Nice!” or “Beautiful!” Although only eliciting modest applause, some of it probably had to do with the fact that the songs were new to everyone and probably should have gone before the Trews. I did enjoy the electric keyboard that sounded like an organ at times, which reminded me of being in a church. This was definitely not church music, though. When a fan suggested Hugh play Tweeter and the Monkeyman from his Headstone days, there was an immediate “no,” preferring to rip into the new material. Though most of my friends were a little disappointed, I’m eager to actually listen to the new material that’s been more appropriately mixed.

Matt Good: Matt was more accommodating, mixing in some songs from his solo effort (Weapon) with those of the Matt Good Band days (Everybody’s Automatic, Apparitions). Unsure of whether he meant it or not, he commended the Kingstonians for making out to the charity gig, saying that Vancouverites would never come out in such numbers. Really? In such an urban city? I’m really surprised. I particularly enjoyed his dedication of Alert Status Red to Tom Ridge and John Ashcroft, who in his mind were "two dicks." Nothing extraordinary, a good set with good response since most people came to see him and the Hip.

Das Hips: Again, The Hip I don’t think are known for their innovative musical skills but rather the ability to put out consistently solid records. Their concerts go much the same. This one was particularly more enjoyable because I was able to hear instrument and vocals, a first for me at one of their concerts. The acoustics for me were great for all the bands, but particularly the Hip. My friends and I tried to get closer to the stage to feed off the vibe of the compact crowd, but I don’t know whether it’s the fans themselves around me or the fact that there was so many of us, they didn’t seem alive and engaged (also possible they were stoned). Another thing I noticed was that nobody knew the lyrics to any song post-Fully Completely. What’s up with that? Do people not realize that they’ve since put out six albums? The only songs I heard people singing along to were Courage, New Orleans is Sinking, Blow at High Dough and finally Ahead by a Century. Even blistering renditions of Fireworks and At the Hundredth Meridian didn’t elicit the response I expected. Maybe I just have higher expectations from Hip fans but I definitely expected more people to know the lyrics to more songs.

At one point, Gord Downie got ahead of himself and started introducing Gus, the Polar Bear… when they were actually planning to play Mean Streak. The only regret I have was not having my lighter for Wheat Kings…there were definitely not enough lighters being waved around for that song. All in all, it was fantastic, but of course, my opinion’s biased on this matter…

Crossing the Causeway and other thoughts

The Hip concert's today! I can't wait, I'm so stoked. Semi-full review will be forthcoming, because I'm meeting people at 2pm so we'll likely miss Chris Koster and James McKenty and the Spades, which is too bad because I hear they're pretty good. I hope that I'll be able to make it before the Sadies start because I know they and the rest of the lineup will be very very good. The most anticipated band for me besides the Hip will be the Hugh Dillon Redemption Choir. I'm excited to see what kind of sound this band will put out and the quality of the music compared to his previous offering, the Headstones. As long as the rain gods hold off their party, this will be really fun.

Speaking of which, though this post would've sounded better had blogger not lost the original, but as I'm sitting comfortably in Kingston typing this, those in Kingston, Jamaica are reeling from the onslaught of Ivan and its category 4 to category 5 winds of up to 155mph. They're not the only ones though, as it's already passed through Grenada, on its way to the Caymans, Cuba and probably Florida, just they're picking up the pieces from Frances. So I think I need to help assist these people in some way.

Which also got me thinking this morning as I was originally typing this half-awake. I wondered about my motives behind this act insofar as why these people are more deserving of my help than any others? And are they? Is it just because of its timing with the Hip concert? Does it make the act any less worthwhile? I know where it begins but where does it end? Not a complaint but a question? I would trot out standard philosophical rebuttals, but I'm a bit rusty on those and who said it.

In any case, this way to help those being battered by
IVAN.

Me, a TA? That's unpossible!

So I got the call from Dr. Hodson and I'm officially a TA for ENSC 410. Part of me is relieved because I will be making enough to cover most of my expenses now and possibly have some saved over for my potential trip to BC. On the other hand, I've never TAed before so I could be one of the worst TAs EVER! The worry I have is that the TA is expected to ask questions and I'm not known for asking good questions. Silence will not be an asset in this case. Only time will tell how this pans out...or until I hear whispers behind my back from the 4th yrs...

Blogging and eloquence

It's 2:56 AM right now and I should be reading. Instead I find myself distracted by the blogs of my friends. I'm starting to notice a trend. The eloquence of those blogs is really something to behold. It seems to me that I'm out of practice such that blogging may improve my vocabulary. Let's not get too nerdy here. It is a blog after all.

And yes, I do realize I've just made several posts within an hour. Surprising the amount of discussion I can generate in the middle of the night when I'm bored.

Does Truth Matter?

An article on Truth and why it matters. Do you agree? That may be the point.

What The Deuce?

Were my first impressions being mislead? Did I just shift into some alternate universe. Here I thought, I was getting along fine with people the other night and now all of a sudden tonight...nothing! zilch. No vibe whatsoever. Did I miss something? Do I have verbal constipation? What's going on here?

If this keeps up for the rest of the year, I forecast trouble, with a capital "O" for, "Oh, Christ, this is gonna be a long year..."

Maybe it's just a phase. Maybe I just need some time. I'm not freaking out, but it's always good to watch for signs of danger.

zzzzzz........

If I stop yawning just long enough to attend my friend's BBQ and my school's potluck, that would be good. Also if it'll stop goddman raining so the window'll stop dripping water into my room would also be appreciated. Frances, or whatever's left of you...i'm looking in your direction.

Orientation, Day One

Today I met the rest of the students in my Planning program. Haven't met all of them yet so I've no complete impressions of them, though I'm sure they're all nice. I'm definitely still not ready to go back to school yet. I thought I was, but I realized I needed another week where I can just sit on my ass and read or go out and run or whatever without having to worry about my courses or meeting ppl, etc.

Me whining about it won't change things. So be it. Also, I need a job. stat.

5 more days until the Hip concert. The countdown begins.

Labour Day

Labour Day. A day to recognize the efforts of workers around the world. A day to allow said workers one days' reprieve from their arduous tasks, whatever they may be. For those who are unable to enjoy this day off, This post is to you. That your efforts do not go unnoticed and that your work is appreciated by someone out there.

What Can I Say?

So my friend is telling me about this personal situation she's going through and trying to be a good friend I try to console and comfort her and basically ending up with nothing to say. I tried, but there was nothing I could come up with that would make her feel at all better. I mean, I don't know what she's feeling and I can do my damndest, but it won't be good enough. I want to say it'll be alright and that everything will work out, but I don't know that. That's bordering on bullshit and I don't want to do that to a friend. So what do I say? Is there anything to say? I want to take all that she's feeling and shoot it out of a bottle rocket but I obviously can't. I want to help her get through this but it doesn't involve me at all. Where do I stand so I can move her Earth?