The Mike Powell Fanclub

Change of Venue

2006-12-19T23:09:00.000-05:00

I've gotten all ambitious, and this blog has now been relocated to www.mikepowell.ca, so new updates can be found there. This location will continue as an archive. Please bear with me as a I get the kinks worked out of the new site, and be sure to look forward to my ventures into multimedia, podcasting some of the segments from my radio show.

Radio Topics, December 19

2006-12-18T23:27:00.000-05:00

As always, we are on the air from 7-930 on 93.1fm for those in Ottawa, CKCUfm.com for all the rest.

On December 26th, we'll resurrect the annual least-important news item list, so be sure to tune into that while queuing outside of Futureshop.

Onto topics:

"So-called" global warming leading to another really hot year.

Government decides that the Canadian Space Agency, a world leader in robotics, shouldn't be doing world leading things .

Bye Bye Otrain.

A fresh-water dolphin goes extinct.

The Dismanteling of the unnecessary parts of Mirabel. Or atleast some of the lands around it.

Every year we have a holiday tree, every year someone complains when it is removed.

What to do about Iraq? Send more troops ?

Free speech, Islam and Europe: the Opera round.

Virginia Parishes desert the Anglican Church over the role of Gay Bishops.

Are the Liberals preparing for an other election. Ask their new deputy leader Michael Ignatief.

Mirabel

2006-12-18T19:45:00.000-05:00

Today's announcement to sell back much of the Mirabel Airport reserve lands to farmers is another nail in the coffin of the optimism of the 1960s. A quick skim of Mirabel's article at wikipedia will give a pretty quick summary of the airports ambitions and principle failures- too big, too far, and designed for growth that was never to happen as economics and technology made Montreal less of a hub.

But in the end, hindsight like this is what happens once reality tarnishes optimism and desire. When Mirabel was conceived, Montreal was a necessary stop-over before or after heading to Europe, in part because government licencing forced Europe-bound flights to choose Montreal, but also because 707s and their brethren needed to stop for gas. But the history of technology, especially aviation in the post war period, was one where range and speed were always increased with each new generation, and industry regulation slowly but surely gave way to much broader market-based route planning. It is impossible now to concieve that something bigger was not around the corner, but clearly at the time the powers that be did not.

I also am not totally sure that we can fault them for that. I think that it is always reasonable to assume that range and flight capacity will increase, but in the 1970s, technology had developed at what would almost certainly would have seemed an unsustainable rate. But what is more, Dorval was in a location that limited much further development, and at the very least could be better used for other purposes. Had proper infrastructure been built to support Mirabel, and the number of passengers going through Montreal stayed the same, Mirabel today might not be a ghost airport, just one that was hoped to be a lot more.

In the end, however, white elephants like this are a sign of failed ambition. Expo, the Olympics, all with the Quiet Revolution in the background, had made Montreal an even more happening place then today, and Mirabel is part of that thinking. Mirabel turned out to be a waste of money, and perhaps needn't have been, but I think that what is more frustrating about it is not that a billion dollars was lost, though that hurts, but it reminds us of what we have not become.

So, is this all a lament that things aren't as good as they used to be? Nope. Nor do I mean to fall into the same sky is falling routine that I lament. But I do think that if, as a country, we do plan on being more than we seem, we need to keep thinking that we are. That doesn't mean building airports in the middle of nowhere, or even deepwater harbours where mostly there is ice. But it does mean that we have to think a little ahead, and believe that there is more to the country that low taxes and the "fiscal imbalance".

Horserace Politics alert: As much as the sale mostly makes sense, its an odd announcement a week before christmas, just as Harper's I thought it odd that he would choose to make a very public speech about the ills of an un-elected senate the week before MPs took a 6-week vacation. So, just for fun, I thought that I'd take a look at the results of the last election in the area. Poking around adjacent ridings produces similar results- tories in a very, very distant second. That said, if there is going to be Conservative growth in Quebec, pigs may fly, but it'll be areas like this.

The right question

2006-12-18T15:02:00.000-05:00

Is not whether the new set of Ontario reduced wait times ads are accurate, though that is a good one, it's when the Liberals decided that they were no longer opposed to taxpayer-funded political ads.

Vision or lack of Ambition

2006-12-15T12:27:00.000-05:00

I'm ripping off Slate and posting my latest response in an ongoing conversation with my friend josh, who posted this in response to my critique of Rafe Mair's recent foray into Chicken Littleism. Forgive the use of the second person.

I thought the response interesting. I think that you are right in that we don't have national dreams anymore, and haven't really tried to achieve anything since the 60s.

What always bothers me is that on the one hand, we want to do big and important things- be a player on the international stage, be a city on the hill domestically, and all that good stuff- but on the other we have captured the Reagan/neo-liberal mentality that the state and taxes are sins, and not the fun kind.

Bliss is particularly guilty of this. He pushes for us to have a national direction, yet writes shit like we could have been richer if the state did less. In the 50s, we build the trans canada highway and the seaway, in the 60s healthcare, a flag, expo, and all the rest. What have we done, charter a side, on the nation building front since.

In a lot of ways, I get tired of nationalism pretty quickly, thinking that too often it reeks of jingoism and cheap appeals to emotion which tend to limit debate, not add to it. The contest to prove that you are more Canadian (or I suppose less French) than someone else is a stupid pissing contest. Does that make me a post-nationalist? But at the same time, I do think that Canada should be important, and that we should make ourselves a city on the hill. That requires a bit of vision, not rhetoric. No one has been particularly good at that for a long time. It might be that politics limits it, as rhetoric wins elections, and ambitions can easily be polarizing. The Charlottetown Accord (which I don't like), suffered that fate. Locally, the O-train seems to have gone down those tracks as well, pardon the pun.

Bye-bye O-Train

2006-12-15T00:20:00.000-05:00

So, City Council killed the O-train today. Here is the important paragraph:

City lawyers have estimated that the decision could also cost the city between $250 million and $300 million in claims from Siemens-PCL/Dufferin, the group of companies contracted to design, build and maintain the rail line through an agreement worth $778.2-million. The city has already spent $65 million on the project.

Now, the city was only going to have to pay 380 million to build the actual train, the rest coming from the feds and the provinces. Instead, we'll get to pay the Siemens group, get no train now, and get to pay more should we ever decide to build one (which we should).

During the election, Larry O'Brian promised to scrap the current proposal, unless it would be fiscal suicide to do so. I'm not an expert in the matter, but I suspect that if this situation isn't that, it sure is grazing your pocketbook with a bullet. Then again, he also promised to spend 6 months pondering the issue, and ended up making the craziest possible decision during the first council meeting.

But this isn't just his fault- it's all of Council's. Its the majority of council that approved that half-baked modification, its the majority of council that seems to want to pay penalties and get no train. In general, this is not exactly a day where you get a ringing endorsement for municipal decisionmaking.

CUSA, then and now

2006-12-11T22:18:00.000-05:00

In the Charlatan, CUSA Prez' Sean Menard tells the charlatan:

“We’re a student union,” he said. “We represent the interests of the students in regards to issues like rises in tuition fees. It is our job, as elected by our peers, to represent the majority of the students at Carleton.”

In regards to the pamphlets circulated by CUSA on campus last week calling itself a political organization, Menard said the words were taken out of context. He said students did not understand the issue entirely, which led to rumours and confusion.

“CUSA is inherently a political organization because it represents the students in regards to [student] issues,” he said.

That pamphlet writes (sorry, no link):

It is important to understand that CUSA is not a “student government” as some people incorrectly call it. It is a political organisation that takes political positions on all sorts of issues. What is being proposed is that CUSA doesn’t support anti-choice actions if asked to do so. This is in line with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and is our right as an organization to decide.

I don't have a degree in political science, but don't governments also represent the issues of constituents? The confusion that erupted over CUSA's decision to declare itself a non-government was not because we didn't understand that they can take political stances, but that their declaration just didn't make any sense in the real world. It's nice to see though, that there is no academic cutting-and-running for them.

Rafe Mair's Sky is Falling

2006-12-11T14:47:00.000-05:00

The Tyee is consistently interesting, insightful, and careful to look to isses that don't always dominate the national agenda. It's there that you can read about the decline of the Salmon fishery off of BC's coast, and their book on the ills of the Cambell government from a few years ago was solid reading.

So, it is more than a bit upsetting that Rafe Mair's column descends into the usual end-is-nigh craziness that I like talking about so much. It's even worse that it just doesn't make any sense.

In Quotes:

The opening line:

The Liberals take credit for national unity. It never seems to occur to them that the disunity of this country can be laid at their doorstep.

Not 6 sentences later:

Though I hate to say it, I must, through clenched teeth, acknowledge that Pierre Trudeau was the only Canadian leader to understand what could and what could not be conceded to Quebec in order to (in the best meaning of the word) appease them.

There is some blaming of PET for not having Quebec on the constitutional ship in 1982, followed immediately by a tacit admission that Levesque's claims didn't make a whole lot of sense, and that Mulroney went and made the issue a whole lot worse (I'd say that he created it, but we'll play nice).

So, here's the question: Can anyone else find where the Liberals have caused the nation's disunity? Shouldn't, as written, this be a warning against more mulroney-esque constitutional meddling?

So, remember when the ivory tower was about ideas?

2006-12-05T13:37:00.000-05:00

Tonight, the Carleton University Students Association will debate a motion as to whether or not pro-life groups should be restricted from forming clubs. While I loathe their movement, I am a big fan of letting all ideas get the test of open air. Bad ones tend to rot quickly, and to be sure the pro-life cause is filled with rotten ideas.

So, I am going to link to the document I put up on the relevant facebook group, which I started, opposing the motion. You can find some more background stuff out here, and there have also been a number of traditional press stories on it.

I suspect tonight's meeting will end up a shouting match, which is unfortunate, but hope that it does not. Similarly, I suspect that the motion will pass easily, even if opposition is entirely eloquent and rational, which is also unfortunate. I'll update more as I get it, and to be sure this will become a bit of a cause celebre on this blog over the next few months.

The Failures of Nationalism

2006-12-04T13:00:00.000-05:00

At some point, I am going to write a book called "Why those claiming the end of Canada as we know it are always wrong." An example, from a book proposal about the Columbia River Treaty:

"At the same time there is such a flurry of activity to produce symbols of nationhood such as the flag, and all the while these symbols are being drained of significance before their form can be agreed upon."

What will Dion do on Monday Morning?

2006-12-02T19:02:00.000-05:00

Buy a cat and name it "Majority Government."

Liberal Deathmatch, Day 4: The Final Countdown

2006-12-02T15:12:00.000-05:00

There is no place better to be, and be liberal, than on this convention floor. A pin dropping could have been heard as the results were announced, and just as the Dion results were read the place went wild. The floor, more that I thought it would be, was absolutely awesome.

Anyhow, the Rae crowd seemed understandably saddened and, yet despite having been officially released to do as they see fit, there was a whole lot of green scarfs starting to show up on the neck's of people wearing Rae's red tshirts. Iggy's people immediately began handing out a page with all of the polls on electability from the last few months, comparing Dion and Iggy. They are, the Iggy person said, just information and free from spin. Right. It says a lot, I think, that right away the Iggy people started offering negative information about Dion, and the legions in green were more than happy to chant and party while waiting to go and vote.

Dion, as will be discussed at length in the papers over the coming days, has over come a lot to be one round of voting away from being leader of the Liberal party of Canada. Not a whole lot of caucus support, not a whole lot of money, criticisms of his english, his record in Quebec, and all of that good stuff. I criticized the idea of momentum a couple of days ago, but boy do you learn to know when to feel it.

Wayne and I talked with a bunch of people after the fact. We'll try to get it up shortly, but no guarantees.

Liberal Deathmatch, Day 4: Update

2006-12-02T11:38:00.000-05:00

More at progblog.

Liberal Deathmatch: Day 4

2006-12-02T10:13:00.000-05:00

Below, a spontaneous Dryden demonstration

The results have been up for a while now, and its really interesting to see just how close the race for third was- 2 votes is insane, and it'll be interesting to see what happens this afternoon. More shocking, I think, was that Martha Hall Findlay apparently picked up more than 90 ex-officio delegates. What'll be more interesting is to see how much of that support follows her to Dion.

The Buzz is pretty cool on the floor right now, and the hospitality suites last night were absolutely electric. There was a real sense at both of the Rae parties I went to had a real positive sense that they were on the way to the top of the ticket. I'm not sure how useful the Volpe pickup was, but it is another endorsement, even if much of the delegates go elsewhere. Kennedy stopped by one hotel party just before it got shut down, and Dion stopped by another at the Delta.

Now, off to the floor!

Rumour Mill: Dryden to Iggy. If true, so much for the nice speech on the Nation motion last week.

UPDATE: Or maybe Dryden to Dion. Do you know what the best thing about crazy rumours is? They're Craaaa-zy.

Updated Update: Dryden to Rae.

Leadership Deathmatch Day 3: Queuing for Voting begins

2006-12-01T16:23:00.000-05:00

Apparently voting on the first ballot has yet to begin, not getting started for another 30 minutes.

It's going to be a long Saturday.

Liberal Deathmatch Day 3: Get ready for delegate speculation

2006-12-01T15:50:00.000-05:00

Using Cerberus' Numbers and the elected delegate list on the LPC website, we get the following:

candidate	attending
iggy	1060.29
rae	688.39
kennedy	623.2
dion	549.69
Dryden	161.84
Brison	155.94
Volpe	85.07
Hall Findlay	15.18

Note that none of this includes ex-officio support.

(After I do this, I discover that Stephen Taylor has done the same. Meh)

Now, the caveats on accuracy. Rumours are rumours, so take them with a grain of salt. However, Martha Hall Findlay's camp has helpfully put out a list of delegates at the convention, and a quick count indicates that there are 14. So, I think that it is reasonable to treat them within the realm of the possible.

Some thoughts on this: Really, the order is the same as on the DSM weekend, though Kennedy has moved closer to Rae. Kennedy seems to be really well organized on the floor, so that strength will probably play out pretty well. Talking to a lot of people, there seems to be a strong feeling of Dion momentum, though I never really know what that actually means. It'll be important to see if it can keep up after the first ballot results are announced later this evening. Expect it to be very later, as voting seems to be taking forever.

Liberal Deathmatch, Day 2: An update with the perspective of time.

2006-12-01T13:47:00.000-05:00

Last nights tribute to Paul Martin was in keeping with the previous night's festivities: overly long, leading into a nice speech. The actual acts were a bit nicer, with a acceptable-for-my-mom racy opera singer, a nice set by Colin James, and an absolutely, albeit unintentionally, hilarious MC who's French managed to be worse than mine. That is, as they say in la belle province, a feat.

Martin's speech was actually pretty good, and its unfortunate that he didn't deliver more of those during the last election. At times, pumping up the tenure as Prime Minister felt like a bit of a stretch, but the focus on his tenure as Finance Minister was pretty good.

The crowd was

Liberal Deathmatch, Day 2: One Member, One Vote?

2006-11-30T15:48:00.000-05:00

Or maybe not.

It's really kind of odd that all of our passes have our pictures on them, yet votes on the constitution involve people holding cards up and little old ladies counting. It's all very grade school.

Liberal Deathmatch, Day 2: The Kids are alright

2006-11-30T15:09:00.000-05:00

The one member, one vote motion is currently being discussed, with specific reference to whether there should be special consideration for youth vote.

Here, without comment (or, for that matter, specific permission to post this. Sorry ;)), is a conversation Josh and I had this morning:

Josh: I'd like to hear about them in your blog: more minutae!

because we'll all hear so much about leadership anyways ...

an: Yeah. I'll be going to the one member one vote thing for sure.

Josh: do you think that the Liberals woud lose something if they did away with such conventions?

an: They would lose the media bump, maybe, but thats about it.

It would be a change of sorts, but not a bad one I think.

And there would still be a convention, it would just be smaller.

Josh: yeah, the Conservatives have a good model, I suppose.

as long as the youth continue to get 1/4 of the votes under OMOV

an: I actually don't know if I like that.

Josh: youth get 1/3 right now, eh?

an: yeah.

Josh: I think that youth have different positions on policy than older people do. Generally they're more liberal. And with the state of Canadian politics today, the alternative is a party controlled by geriatrics.

Sent at 12:25 PM on Thursday

an: Perhaps, but that's not the reason why I think that the youth currently have so much suport.

I think it has more to do with them being keen and willing to work really hard for tshirts.

Josh: absolutely.

and it's a culture within the Liberal party that is working to groom the next generation of Cabinet Ministers

because this is a party that knows it's going to be in power in 60 years, and wants to be ready

Update: There was just a challenge to the chair, and a subsequent challenge to that challenge. I love rules of order.

Liberal Deathmatch, Day 2: Very Important Policy is Happening Here.

2006-11-30T13:46:00.000-05:00

Kamp Krusty Moment: Apparently, Paul Martin was the keynote at the Young Liberals forum. He was announced, and the crowd got up to applaud- something they are doing a lot of this weekend. Anyway, apparently they cheered for a half minute or so, yet still there was no Martin. I guess he was late, and it somehow didn't get articulated to whoever was introducing him.

Next best story: In tribute to outgoing Liberal Party president Mike Eizenga, they had a reasonably decent folk band on the stage playing Stan Roger's Mary Ellen Carter, which is a fine song. But you really have to wonder about the logic behind playing a song about a ship that sinks because of poor leadership right after the (soon to be) Former President sinks.

On stage now: the constitutional debate. Much discussion will ensue over all sorts of things, one member-one-vote, omnibus vs not, and so on. We'll see what happens.

Liberal Deathmatch, Day 1:

2006-11-30T11:22:00.000-05:00

Most shocking thing of the convention so far was that Atlas Hugged and I were able to get into Schwartz's without having to wait, which was good. The downside is that I didn't get to wax philosophical about whether or not it is worth waiting in line for a sandwich, no matter how good.

But the actual convention? God damn, there is a lot of chanting going on here. Just now, a legion of people in the lobby below started screaming "We don't know". Or maybe it was "we like pop". I'm not totally sure. Wayne says more over at Progressive Bloggers- but needless to say, it is all a bit annoying. Things are looking up though, as you can see off to the right, the Crystalline Entity has taken care of at least one of the rallies. Rumour is that iggy has a giant tuning fork, so who knows how long the rallies will abate.

Anyway, last night was the opening night celebration, which is accurate only in as much as people were there looking to celebrate. Sadly, it was mostly very lame. Dean was late, but spoke well, though apparently he has some sort of inside information as he was making allusions to "our spring elections".

Liberal Deathmatch Ho!

2006-11-29T12:57:00.000-05:00

I've gotten myself a press pass via CKCU for this weekends convention in Montreal- so I'll be there and talking about what I see here. Stuff will be produced for next weeks Radio Show, and you can probably catch me in at least some stuff via Progressive Bloggers, as I'll be working with Wayne Chu.

Fun with Euphemisms

2006-11-24T12:09:00.000-05:00

From the Guardian, emphasis mine:

The cabinet is willing to back the more expensive option of replacing the Trident nuclear deterrent with a new system, rather than prolonging its life, the Guardian understands. The decision, expected to be finalised in a fortnight, is backed by Gordon Brown and Tony Blair.

It was a conservative Katimiviktim

2006-11-22T17:00:00.000-05:00

My friend Josh and I had a discussion over a couple of different forms of media about this weeks allegations of financial impropriety at everybody's favourite non-constitutional Trudeau legacy, Katimivik. He writes, which bears plagiarizing because it is really smart:

Wow, the Katimavik 'irregularities' are such a transparent hatchet job:

The federal government ordered a sweeping audit of Katimavik after financial irregularities and questionable spending were flagged at the government-funded youth-service organization. Some of the "anomalies" discovered were excessive meal claims, expensed Christmas gifts to staff and costs for a conference trip for two to Ghana.

Executive director Jean-Guy Bigeau says a $270,000 bank-balance discrepancy between what the government calculated Katimavik should have on hand and the corporation's actual balance was due to a serious accounting error by a rookie officer who was fired two weeks after the mistake came to light.

We're talking about a $20-million programme.

To put that in perspective, the Auditor-General is criticizing National Defence for more than $65 million in overpayments for pilot training with the "National Defence—NATO Flying Training in Canada" Programme - DND is paying a private contractor to deliver this program, but doesn't have as many people enrolled as projected, so the private contractor pockets the difference.

I cite that program to show that the Conservative cuts are ideological: programs they don't like are cut on efficiency grounds, while programs they do like continue to waste money.

Now, it looked like Katimivik was going to get axed beforehand, now we see the "justification". Someone should keep a list.

Maybe they should also vote to revisit female suffrage

2006-11-22T00:41:00.000-05:00

So, Vic Toews announced today that the government will fulfill its promise to have an awkwardly worded commons motion about gay marriage- before Christmas no, less. I'm sort of curious what other pieces of legislation that, having already been decided by both the courts and most provinces need to be revisited in the weeks before parliament's month long Christmas break.

It's nice to know that this government is getting the things that didn't need fixing done.

Radio Topics, November 21

2006-11-20T22:17:00.000-05:00

As always, tuesday morning, 7-9 am on 93.1fm in Ottawa, CKCUfm.com for all the rest.

Looking for a new job? One is available at Carleton.

But, in Honour of Atkinson now joining the ranks of ex-presidents, what about Athletic scholarships?

Time for the draft?

US to change financial rules?

Banning stuff can be fun too:

Nicaragua bans all abortions, Coathangers.

Dutch ban Burqas.

EU ban on Cat and Dog fur?

Radio Topics, November 14th

2006-11-13T22:50:00.000-05:00

It's Municipal Roundup Time! Do your own googling:

So, we have a new Mayor, but mostly the same council. What does this bode?

They must be getting desperate in London and Washington. They are going to talk with Syria and Iran

Garth Turner says he isn't angry...but then why the news conference?

Harper is talking constitutional change... and its not about Senate reform.

State funeral for our last WW1 vet?

Canada gets called an environmental fossil in Kenya.

Kasechewan gets a plan. Now, let's expand it.

Election Day Musings

2006-11-10T07:23:00.000-05:00

<a href="http://toothpastefordinner.com/"><img src="http://toothpastefordinner.com/110706/disenfranchisement.gif " border=0></a><br /><a href="http://toothpastefordinner.com/">toothpastefordinner.com</a>

Radio Topics, November 7

2006-11-09T21:06:00.000-05:00

We return to our normal format this week, after a very successful drive. Our show raised about 650 dollars as of sunday night, and the station raised a little more than $108,000. This is really awesome, and will mean that CKCU, as well as Adam and I, are around for another year. Pledge payment forms will go out in the coming weeks, so you'll have the chance to honour your pledges soon enough. Similarly, if you haven't pledged yet you can still do so as listed below.

Just after the BBC news we'll be continuing our Council Candidate series with a short talk with Ian Boyd, candidate for Capital ward.

Immediately following, we'll (finally!) have Padraic, as promised, scale Duntown Tower 1 floor for every $50 dollars that our show had donated during funding drive. That's a lucky 13 floors. Maybe, just maybe, we'll have him talk about the Saddam Hussein verdict at the same time.

In hour two, following Azmik's segment, we'll have a chat with John English, author of Citizen of the World, his biography of Pierre Trudeau.

We'll also look at some of the following:

Iggy: Getting Desperate.
Also: Dion a good second choice for many?

Midterm Election Day in the US! (Do your own googling):
-Will Karl Rove pull it off?
-Will The Democrats blow it, like they always do?
-What does this mean for the 2008 presidency?

The global fishery could be gone in our lifetime? There was a fishery? Loyola Hearn says we still do.
Also, Iceland goes back whaling!

End of the rope for Saddam.

Radio Topics, November 7

2006-11-06T22:52:00.000-05:00

Feelings in our Guts

2006-11-01T13:27:00.000-05:00

From today's Citizen, concerning difficulties in getting around US arms export restrictions amongst Canadian manufactuters:

Greg Suchan, the senior State Department official leading the current negotiations, said he hoped a solution could be found, but stressed his government controls access to its military technology because "we have a feeling in our gut" about the link between nationality and possible threats.
"I understand there is concern here in Canada about the treatment of nationality," Mr. Suchan told a symposium on Canada-U.S. military co-operation. "If somebody is a citizen of a country that is very, very problematic for export-control purposes, we need to take that into account."

That policy worked so well with the Japanese-Americans during the second world war, didn't it?

Fair is Fair

2006-11-01T09:59:00.000-05:00

This is the right move.

Radio Topics, Halloween Edition

2006-10-30T22:12:00.000-05:00

As always, we are on air from 7-9am on 93.1fm in Ottawa, ckcufm.com for all the rest.

A reminder: funding drive started on the 20th of October. CKCU receives a third of its budget from funding drive and is looking to raise 101 000 dollars this year. You can pledge online through ckcu's website or by calling in during our show. We will be talking with former guests on the show and having Padraic Ryan climb Dunton tower. For every fifty bucks raised Padraic goes up a floor. We raised a little more than 300 dollars last week, so Paddy already has 6 floors ahead of him from the outset- let's keep him walking.

In the first hour, we will talk with Kanata South council candidate Alan Hubley.

Other stuff that we'll touch on:

Costing Carbon: key to the future?

Tulip festival goes bankrupt.

UK General suggests Afghan mission "cuckoo".

Apparently, the internet lead to a decline in rape rates. Wha?

Australian government to fund chaplains in schools. All schools.

Its the idiocy, Stupid

2006-10-24T16:33:00.000-04:00

First off- thanks to all those that contributed to CKCU's funding drive so far. There's still another week and a half to go, and every bit helps. My last post has all the details with regards to donating.

Twice this morning I was forced to ponder the Mackay "scandal", once while listening to Radio 1 on the way into the studio, then first question my good friend asked me at work this morning ("You're a guy: stupid or sexist?"). Both times, I expressed utter dismay that this is still an issue a weekend later.

By now we all know the details: David McGuinty asked a question with a not-so clever jab at McKay, McKay shouted a not so clever heckle back. Was it in poor taste? Obviously, but then again so is pretty much every question in question period, save for those softballs from the back of the government benches ("What is Canada's new Government doing to make things more awesome?"). Is it sexist? Only in as much as it suggests larger societal biases against women, especially those in prominent positions. What of the good man from Central Nova? He may be a jerk, I don't know, but this, in isolation, does not demonstrate it.

But what of women in politics? We see an entrenched problem. No derision is nice, and all derision based on demographics is productive. But even beyond that, evem how we lable prominent individuals differs markedly in a lot of the implied respect or stature given: think of a prominent male politician, and you probably refer to them in passing by their last name, be it Martin, Harper, Broadbent or whomever. Female MPs? Belinda, Rona, Alexa. First name only, more often than not, and with it less of an autmoatic deference of respect. And that's just language, ignoring social pressures and a 1000 other small things that add up to a lot.

So, Peter MacKay isn't sexist, or atleast that remark wasn't, but how we think of gender in politics still has issues. But mostly, what really annoys me, is that this isn't the big deal that we should be fighting for. It took till yesterday for me to find out the tories axed the funding for the Fulbright scholarship program, meaning that there is now less money going to Canada's best and brightest. They cut literacy funding in a country where 40% of adults can't read well enough to get by. They want to create a reverse onus in parts of the judiciary, yet haven't articulated why there is a real policy need. Those should be three first question in QP, not further stupidity on a forgettable, if regrettable, comment in the house.

Radio Topics for October 24th: Funding Drive Time!

2006-10-23T23:04:00.000-04:00

As always, we are on air from 7-9am on 93.1fm in Ottawa, ckcufm.com for all the rest.

We will be speaking with Peggy Feltmate who is running for re-election in Kanata South.

If you are New York State and want to get rid of a criminal the send him to Canada
Link

If you are in the navy, you won't be on the ground in Afghanistan.
Link

Miller supports immigrants voting in Municipal elections.
Link

By-election fun in Ontario and Quebec
Link

Democrats appear to like Net neutrality much to the chagrin of big business.
Link

Iceland starts whaling again by killing endangered species.

Link

Radio Topics, October 16th

2006-10-16T22:49:00.000-04:00

As always, we are on air from 7-9am on 93.1fm in Ottawa, ckcufm.com for all the rest.

A reminder: Funding drive starts October 20th, but it's not too soon to pledge. You can pledge online through CKCU's website. Be sure to list "Tuesday Morning Special Blend" as the show you are pledging too. If you don't like the online thing feel free to email hourtwo@gmail.com and we can sort something out. This week Adam and I will talk a little bit about what we are planning on doing for

This tuesday we will see the start of a new segment in Hour 2 that looks at the experiences of newcomers to Canada. It'll air just after the 8am BBC news.

At 8:30 we will continue our look into council races with a chat with Capital Ward candidate Jay Nordenstrom.

Other things that we'll talk about include:

Court Decisions, Double Feature:
- Court Strikes down the threshold of election financing law.

-Gag Law goes to the SCC

You mean, they haven't done it already update.
- Ontario to change laws to limit Date Rape opportunities

You don't say...
-Prison System discriminatory to Aboriginals

The Hidden Homelessness
-Is not where you think. The Times looks at Rural Homelessness, and so will we.

More fun with my RSS feed:
-The times also looks at Religious tax breaks in the US.

Because I didn't talk about it on Sunday...
I'd like to take a look at equalization and whether or not we should factor in resource revenues. No link, do your own googling.

Radio Topics, October 10

2006-10-09T22:46:00.000-04:00

As always, we are on air from 7-9am on 93.1fm in Ottawa, ckcufm.com for all the rest.

A reminder: Funding drive starts October 20th, but it's not too soon to pledge. You can pledge online through CKCU's website. Be sure to list "Tuesday Morning Special Blend" as the show you are pledging too. If you don't like the online thing feel free to email hourtwo@gmail.com and we can sort something out.

In Hour 2 around 8:30, we'll talk with Capital Ward Council Candidate Clive Doucet about his campaign, where Ottawa should go, and other things.

Member of the Axis of Evil tests a nuclear bomb. Guess who we invaded in 2003 to prevent the development of WMDs?

Nobel Prize Week. Americans sweep the science prizes. But, who will take the Prize for Literature and Peace?

Morning Danish: Another Cartoon Scandal. Also, Jack Straw causes a row.

Canada Slams NATO's role in Afghanistan.

Rona goes to Environment committee. Pulls a Mike Powell and promises to show them a proposal really soon.

Saskatchewan sets up a Offendor website. That could not possible go badly.

The Enduring Myth of the Avro Arrow .

Youtube joins the googleplex.

Glass Houses

2006-10-04T17:15:00.000-04:00

No, not the Billy Joel Album.

So, following this weekends Delegate Selection Meetings, the Tories put out the requisite press release on their website. They argue that having 85 or so percent of the vote go four ways is a bad thing. Whatever.

But, in their snippy quips about the failures of the big four, they include the following:

Gerard Kennedy - an un-tested provincial MPP with no federal experience.

Now, I didn't support Kennedy, but this is a bit rich. People should probably remind those producing negative material of the previous experience of the President of the Treasury Board, The Minister of Health, and that guy that runs Finance.

Also: Finally.

Radio Topics, October 3rd

2006-10-02T21:05:00.000-04:00

As always, we air tuesday from 7 to 9 am on 93.1fm in Ottawa, and online at www.ckcufm.com for all the rest.

In the second hour, we will start our council candidate interview series with Amrik Dhami (Kanata South) at 8:10 and Jay Nordenstrom (Capital) at 8:30. This should take most of hour two, and we'll fill the rest with overflow conversation.

In other news:

Iggy calls for civility as he takes the lead. We'll also take a look at the results and what they may mean. Plus, does a live broadcast of results affect subsequent DSMs?

Do the theo-cons want your pills?

TorStar take on Ontario's doctor shortage and MedEmerge taking over the Cambridge emergency department.

Large majority of Canadians think the army is engaged in a war they can't win. Also think Bush is dangerous to the world.

Chris Hitchens takes on overtly religious chaplains.

President Lula of Brazil doesn't get the first ballot win. Must face a run-off.

The US House republicans get their own sex scandal, except this one is (if true) really, really disturbing.

ICANN goes (more) independant.

Ambiguous Birthday Musings

2006-09-28T01:17:00.001-04:00

So, today is my birthday. I'm like, really old. At least if "really old" meant "I am not old enough to have seen Walter Cronkite read the news" or, perhaps, "Born after the USSR finally introduced daylight savings time". Take that Saskatchewan.

But, this is sort of an odd birthday. Happy, to be sure: I'll be boozing it up on the weekend. But at the same time, this year's happenings have made today a little bittersweet, and it's hard not thinking about that today.

Incidentally, "bittersweet" is also the best kind of chocolate to put in cakes. Just sayin'.

Ambiguous Birthday Musings

2006-09-28T01:17:00.000-04:00

So, today is my birthday. I'm like, really old. At least if "really old" meant "I am not old enough to have seen Walter Cronkite read the news" or, perhaps, "Born after the USSR finally introduced daylight savings time". Take that Saskatchewan.

But, this is sort of an odd birthday. Happy, to be sure: I'll be boozing it up on the weekend. But at the same time, this year's happenings have made today a little bittersweet, and it's hard not thinking about that today.

Funnily enough, "bittersweet" is also the best kind of chocolate to put in cakes. Just sayin'.

Market Affecting Leaks, Redux

2006-09-27T09:31:00.000-04:00

From Yesterday's Citizen:

Meanwhile, news of the cuts, which was leaked to one newspaper and posted online an hour or so prior to the announcement, fuelled a rally in federal government bonds.

Mr. Flaherty said the leak of the market-sensitive information was of concern and would be looked into by his department.

Radio Topics, September 26th

2006-09-25T22:24:00.000-04:00

As always, we air tomorrow from 7-9am. Those in Ottawa can tune into 93.1fm, all the rest can listen online at www.ckcufm.com.

Shameless Plug

We usually read community announcements in the second hour, but this one bears repeating. The Carleton University Debating Society will be hosting a public debate about poverty issues from 6 to 7pm in room 409 of the Southam Building at Carleton University. It will feature a show debate, including myself and some of the Tuesday Blend's usual suspects, to be followed by a talk from John Anderson, Senior Researcher at the National Council of Welfare.

Mandatory Funding Drive Plug

Two weeks a year, CKCU switches holds its annual funding drive. It's coming up again, running from October 20th to November 5th. If you like this show, or even just the station, I'd encourage you to consider helping the station out a little bit. You can pledge online at the link above, and be sure to list "Tuesday Blend- Hour two" in the show you support.

Messy Week in Ottawa
A number of murders and nastiness in the city last week, including this one. As always, its useful to take a step back and talk about the relative safety of the city, but also to look at what ways events such as this might be avoided.

The Jan Wong Affair
No snippy comment needed, really: This was pretty nuts. For the record, I really like Andrew Potter's take.

Tories Nickle and Dime their way to an extra $1billion in savings
Some good stuff, some bad. Frankly, I was never sure why I had to pay the GST but those visiting the country didn't. That said, $20 million into medicinal marijuana research probably is useful. But apparently it didn't "meet the needs of Canadians", except perhaps those with glaucoma.

The Ongoing Leadership Race
No, not that one. This one.

Okay, Maybe That one too.
But we'll do it shotgun style:

Say it ain't so, Joe.
Alfonso Gagliano throws his public credibility around.
Fry to Rae. Just so everyone is keeping out, three candidates have left, three have gone to Bob.

US doesn't have money to fight the war
So says his Army Chief. Read here how Bush ruined the army.

Feminization of Poverty?
She may not have declared her candidacy for the big job yet, but this is a really good issue to focus on.

FDA faulted for drug safety process
That's not good.

Avast! Radio Topics for September 19th!

2006-09-18T21:30:00.000-04:00

As always, we air from 7am to 9am on 93.1fm in Ottawa, and online at CKCUFM.com for everyone else.

In Hour 2, we will talk to a pirate that is upset with the rise in popularity of International Talk Like A Pirate Day.
Madrid Restricts the Super-Skinny from Fashion Week.

Fear of Science Update: "Intelligent Design" goes global.

WHO Authorizes use of DDT against Malaria. The pesticide, not the wrestling move.

The Pope speaks, causes even more controversy

Mexico brings back its strong tradition of electoral problems.

Harper to create "effective" laws in wake of last week's tragedy.

Economy in for a bumpy ride, says TD

The New Brunswick Tories get the most votes, but get to be opposition.

Chavez, who apparently also thinks geography is a CIA plot, pledges to defend Iran from attack.

For profit Philanthropy?

GoogleNews gets hit with a copyright defeat, pulls beligain links.

Pill worse than the poisin: Acne medication can cause depression

I'm no white wizard...

2006-09-14T23:23:00.000-04:00

... but it would be really helpful if we could see some of the margins of error in this survey. Or much more of the raw data. The graphs are nice though.

Sigh.

2006-09-14T09:19:00.000-04:00

This Peter McKay-Condi Rice thing is getting to be pretty silly. Some questions:

What the hell is a verbal-PDA?
Belinda split with Mckay (and the tories) something like a year and a half ago, almost as long as they were supposed to have been dating. How is that still recent?
Did they talk about anything important, like passports or softwood?
Shouldn't we all be profoundly dissapointed that the biggest story coming out of a meeting of our two foreign ministers, remembering that we have the single largest trading relationship in the world, is about a non-romance?
I'm sure that there are also lots of gender bias issues here.

A Fun Game

2006-09-13T13:27:00.000-04:00

Let's play a fun game. There is an issue relevant to a local community to which a candidate for council is raising awareness, partly on her blog. When the press picks up the story, how do you think that they will refer to her?

Local residents have also written to their local MPP, Richard Patten, and 17 met with Barry O'Brien, the LCBO's director of corporate affairs, over the issue, according to local blogger Vicky (Miss Vicky) Smallman.

Smallman, who is running for city council in the ward of Kitchissippi and says she is an active member of the Hintonburg Community Association, has generated some discussion on her site.

Now, I won't speak to whether or not the store should open or close, and I had discovered the Miss Vicky Blog some time ago. If you're interested, and you should be because it is well written, you can check out the relevant post here. But, again, isn't it a teensy bit more relevant that someone is an active member of the community and running for council then who also happens to have a blog, rather than the other way around?

Activist Parliamentarians?

2006-09-13T00:17:00.000-04:00

Most Canadians have probably never heard of the CCP. And it's budget
is only a little under $3-million a year. Yet no other federal
program or law has done more damage to Canadian democracy. No other
has so fundamentally altered Canadian society without recourse to
Parliament. -Lorne Gunter, National Post, September 8th 2006, page A16

You know, I'd have a lot more sympathy for this sort of position if, even after Parliament passed a law expanding rights to include a previously disenfranchised group, conservatives didn't then push to reopen that same debate in the hopes that this time the answer might be different.

Apparently Parliamentarians can be just as activist as judges and interest groups can be, if you disagree with them.

Radio Topics, September 12

2006-09-11T17:31:00.000-04:00

As always, I am on air from 7-9am on tuesday mornings. Those in the Ottawa area can catch us live on 93.1fm. All the rest can listen live on the internet at www.ckcufm.com.

Tuition, redux!

As promised last week, we'll spend a bit of time talking a little bit about tuition and the university life in the first hour. Good starts to the discussion would be a look at Statscan's look at tuition numbers (h/t to JennB). CFS always has something to say, and for different perspective it is always worth skimming what Paul Wells has blogged on the matter. Do your own googling.

9/11, 5 years later.

Here's a bit on the official memorials. Apparently the US now remembers the help Canada gave that day. The re-writing of history is already underway. Has Canada's thoughts to the US changed? More importantly, are we safer?

9/11 and blogs

The only thing more ubiquitous than the phrase "in the post 9/11 environment" in the post 9/11 environment is blogs. Wired takes the chance to look at their rise.

Piracy

Wired also starts a look at the folks behind The Pirate Bay, a bittorrent site, and their legal struggles.

Bye-Bye Ralph Klein

But, beyond a massive surplus and looming environmental catastrophe, is he also leaving Alberta with a little less democracy?

Bye-Bye Tony Blair

Well, in a few months. They continue their British version of the Chretien-Martin feud, and the Guardian takes a look.

The Pope

Apparently has decided to start throwing stones in glass houses.

The LCBO

May start charging deposits on bottles, but not actually taking bottles back. (Previously posted here.)

Larry O'Brian

Has sent the first volley in his campaign out. Some thoughts:

1) Chiarelli/Ottawa Police have been encouraging youth crime?
2) I know that it is the needle exchange program that has been driving people to shoot junk into their veins.
2a) Does this mean that he is pro-AIDS and pro-little kids stepping on needles in Dundonald Park?
3) Why wouldn't police already be using all their legal options to make streets safer?
4) As I asked earlier, since there isn't actually a significant crime problem in Ottawa, does he saying that there is make people feel unsafe?

Afghanistan

The NDP want us out, but the Tanks want in.

Campaigning Cabinet Ministers

Is it right for Ontario Cabinet Ministers to be on the hustings in a by-election? In other news, this is what John Tory is going to use to get in the news?

News of the Odd:

It is now illegal to take too many free newspapers in California.

Let the bells of Freedom ring; Afghanistan is now producing Coke. (the canned kind).

Nanny State Redux

2006-09-11T01:43:00.000-04:00

Ontario is going to add a deposit for liquor and wine bottles, starting in February of next year. Except that you won't return them to the LCBO, where you bought them, but to the beer store.

Some Questions:

Why do I need to go to two places to complete my Canadian Club transaction?
Apparently the LCBO already pays 5 million a year to the blue box program to offset their lack of deposit program. Perhaps that is more useful than what is proposed?
Now, I am hardly a teatotaller, and even I go through less than a bottle of whiskey a month and a few bottles of wine a month. I doubt I am going to keep those aside until I venture to the beer store. So the system keeps that quarter I paid, and I put the bottle in the blue bin anyway.
The financial incentive to beer bottles is that you tend to return dozens of them at a time. Ditto for popcans in Nova Scotia. That just doesn't happen with wine/liquor bottles. Maybe the answer is a higher deposit?

Fun with the Charlatan

2006-09-09T22:45:00.000-04:00

Carleton's student newspaper brings out the best in early year Student Union frustrations. Some inside-carleton venting.

- Shawn Menard, CUSA (the student union) president favours restricting smoking on campus, but still manages to find fault with Admin's good idea. It's kind of like he started to see that they were agreeing with administration, and then backed away.

- Gone are the days, apparently, where the Charlatan ran screaming headlines about how our student pub lost more than 100,000 dollars. This might be the most confusing thing ever written, but here, with more than a half decade of straight losses, is the sign of the manager drinking the oliver's koolaid:

But Portt remains optimistic that despite setbacks, Oliver's is going to have an amazing year.
"It's going to be so different that people are going to say 'wow,' " he said, referring to the bar's renovations, which include a new 30-foot bar, a patio, two flat-screen televisions, a fully-functional kitchen and more.

Apparently they also may look into the advent of some "wireless" technology for the "internet." Only in student politics would it be acceptable to run a "business" that has lost significant chunks of change over the last years that I have been here. Losing money at a bar? On Campus? You figure it out.

- But they (kind of sort of) trim costs and the other campus business?

- That said, I know when I anticipate greater losses, I increase spending on existing priorities and create new ones.

- Admin has withdrawn from the proposed student building plan. Apparently, he took the defeated referendum on the matter last year as a sign that people didn't want to pay for a building. CUSA seems to disagree. Maybe CUSA wants to do the Quebec thing, having lost this past time only on having no clear plan and asking students to spend a fortune. That's how I like to build my mandates for construction. The real shame? I liked the idea of a building.

Fighting the man, whatever way possible

2006-09-07T12:20:00.000-04:00

The Rideau Canal's bid to get UNESCO world heritage site designation seems to be getting towards the final stages, with inspectors coming to evaluate the site in the coming months and other interested groups using the bid as a spectre to fight other ills. From the Citizen:

Wendy Hassard of the Citizens' Mining Advisory Group points to UNESCO's concern about possible threats to Nahanni and Rocky Mountain national parks caused by "various mining, mineral, oil and gas exploration activities." Those activities "could have major adverse cumulative impacts on the integrity of the property," a recently released summary from UNESCO stated. (...)
The Citizens' Mining Advisory Group says graphite exploration threatens thousands of rural properties. Ms. Hassard said the graphite search has already damaged the landscape and cut some property values by 50 per cent.
"Mineral exploration could completely close down Canada's bid for World Heritage designation for the Rideau Canal," she said. "We have been waiting for three years for the Ontario government to do something about mineral exploration in this area, but it has done nothing.
"If there is a problem with Canada's bid, Premier Dalton McGuinty should do something about it. The government could give us back the mineral rights, which would protect our rights and the Rideau Lakes themselves."
Many people who found mining claims on their properties have discovered that their mineral rights reverted to the Crown during the 1950s because previous owners had failed to pay mineral taxes.

It's important to note that the Federal government owns both the land and the mineral rights for the canal, so Parks Canada spokespeople have said that alot of this is speculation. What is pretty clear, at least to me, is that this is not so much about being worried about the Canal not getting UNESCO heritage status (which it may not anyway), but to make sure that property owners on pricey peices of real estate don't have to deal with invasive mineral exploration.

Now, I really like the canal, and I really like No. 2 HB pencils, but it is pretty ridiculous that the system allows such disregard for people's property above ground, especially given that there was probably little communication with the then-owners when the mineral rights went up for sale. To be clear, this is also a problem elsewhere in the country. These are all reasonable issues that we should be talking about, and indeed it would be pretty tragic if one of the nicest parts of the country was ruined by an unsightly pencil-lead mine, but do we really need to cloud the issue with the UNESCO designation worries?

Osheaga daydreams

2006-09-06T10:44:00.000-04:00

Andrew Potter writes of Sunday's Flaming Lips show in Montreal:

One of the best shows I’ve ever seen, period, at the coolest venue in New York. A close second, concert-wise, was the Flaming Lips two days ago, closing out Montreal’s Osheaga Festival. No one brings the pure joy like Wayne Coyne. A gorgeous end to the summer.

This is the understantement of the year. Ben Harper followed right away, but it is pretty much impossible to match the energy and fun that had just been on stage 100 feet away.

Some other Highlights:

1) Wolf Parade lives up to the hype, even after spending the first ten very frustrating minutes of their set trying to get the monitor levels right.

2) Final Fantasy shows just how much one can do with a pedal and a violin.

3) Bedouin Soundclash wisely deciding to let a Montreal Reggae artist, whose name I tragically forget, take over singing for a third of their set. He sounded way better than a Zeller's Ad.

4) Kid Koala. I missed most of his full set, but he took the mainstage before the flaming lips played. I never really appreciated DJing before, but I sure do now. Best was when he remixed an old piece- I'm guessing the title would be something like "Heartbreaker". Quiet, understated, and really, really awesome.

Dissapointments:

1) Ben Lee, who sounded good as background music on Grey's Anatomy, came off as bland but nice.

2) I've always complained about the food options at bluesfest, but atleast they are standard and the lines move quickly. Waiting in line for 25 minutes to pay 3.25 for a boiled hotdog is beyond outrageous.

I took some pictures, which I may add to this post later.

Asshats With Podiums Make Demands, More at 11.

2006-09-05T11:33:00.000-04:00

The cool cats at ProgressiveBloggers have started to rally the troops behind Status of Women Canada, a crown agency that, shockingly, Real Women Canada thinks the tories should axe.

The real issue, though, is not that a socially conservative organization is trying to get a mildly socially conservative government to restrict an organization designed to improve the lot of Women, its that this is yet another situation where the news is focusing on what Bloggers are writing about something rather than focusing on the actual matter.

From the story:

The campaign was kickstarted by REAL Women of Canada, one of Canada's most vocal organizations of social conservatives. It has long urged the federal government to axe Status of Women - but this time its message is being widely discussed and supported among some in the Conservative Internet community.

So, that REAL Women is forwarding the notion is not really news, but I will grant that it is relevant now that they are likely making a renewed push given the change in government. It is not news that a bunch of people on the Internet are agreeing with them. Even if it was, it should not be at the top of the story, before you actually have a comment from the organization behind the initiative.

So, in true idiotsphere fashion, I snidely offer the Canadian Press potential other issues to follow up on:

Apparently, Toronto Sports Talk Radio still thinks that the Senators "don't have enough heart".
Lunchroom conversation at the local high school seems to think that the new girl is "trying too hard to be popular."
Macleans really seems to want to get HBO.
Posters on Pitchfork think that the music you listen to sucks.

(I am aware of the profound irony of blogging about the overemphasis placed on blogging.)

Radio Topics, September 5th

2006-09-04T23:28:00.000-04:00

As always, we air from 7-9am on CKCUfm, 93.1fm in Ottawa, ckcufm.com for everyone else.

It's Back to School, we will talk to two students that are heading back to school. In the first hour, we'll chat with one of the Co-presidents of Merivale High; in the second we'll talk with someone heading into Junior high.

One down!

Can the greens get the parties to work together? May-be not
(I apologize for the pub. Really. But this won't be the first.)

Fed committee calls for 7 arctic harbours.

Expanding airport security to include behaviour?

Michael Caine accuses today's films of being "banal", apparently forgetting that he was part of "Jaws: The Revenge".

Coke says fizzy drinks not responsible for obesity. Apparently with straight face.

Sadness: Bye-Bye Crocodile Hunter

radio topics, august 29

2006-08-28T22:04:00.000-04:00

As always, these are some of the things that we will talk about this week. Catch me live from 7-9 am on CKCU, 93.1fm in Ottawa, and online for all the rest.

Katrina, a year later: Finally everything is getting back to normal in New Orleans, right?

Elizabeth May Victorious, but can she bring success to the Greens?.

The Tories Godwin themselves.

For real legal downloads in France?

Culture Wars Shotgun:
- Ted Morton fights pitched battle to protect the "rights" of employees that refuse to protect those of others.
- US family planning clinics see 1800 fold increase in pill prices, what to do next? (previously posted)
- Ohio School district discovers 13% of girls at one high school are pregnant, revises abstinence only sex-ed policy
- Pope may move to teach more pseudo-science

NCAA is forcing teams to change names that may offend Natives. Discuss.

Shock of shocks: Pope may make moves to encourage teaching pseudoscience

2006-08-27T21:53:00.000-04:00

Sigh.

The Pope also raised the issue in the inaugural sermon of his pontificate, saying: "We are not the accidental product, without meaning, of evolution."
A few months later, Cardinal Schönborn, who is regarded as being close to Benedict, wrote an article for the New York Times backing moves to teach ID.

And Darwin was starting to feel vindicated.

Schadenfreude: Baby bump edition

2006-08-25T13:37:00.000-04:00

So it seems that at least 13% of female students at one Ohio High School didn't get the school's Abstinence only sex-ed message.

Even more troubling:

According to the Canton Health Department, statistics through July 2005 showed that 104 of the 586 babies born to Canton residents in Aultman Hospital and Mercy Medical Center had mothers between the ages of 11 and 19.

Emphasis mine. That's almost 20%

Apparently the schoolboard is now expanding the teaching of sex-ed beyond just say no. Shocked, I am.

(h/t: Savagelove)

Culture Wars (sort of): Pricing edition

2006-08-24T12:56:00.000-04:00

Slate looks into a popular birth-control pill maker's recent decision to increase what it charges family-planning clinics across the country from 1 penny to 18 dollars.

The change, which was unannounced and all at once, means that there is a shortage of pills in most of the federally-funded clinics across the US, and the rise in price will mean that other services will need to be cut, or alternatively that selection will be cut down.

Apparently, the price that companies can charge such clinics is set by the government, and this falls within the restrictions set out by the policy. It still seems a bit draconian, to say the least, and is exactly the sort of thing that government is supposed to be working to protect. I'm not suggesting that we obligate companies to sell pills for less than the cost of the cardboard packaging, but instead that it may be in government's interests to come to some sort of middle ground in pricing, as well as boosting the appropriate funding for clinics. What is worse, in the long run- spending a little more money on contraception options for those that need it, or having an increase of unwanted pregnancies amognst those that really can't afford it?

Straightforward truths

2006-08-23T14:31:00.000-04:00

“Political history in Canada is often little more than the history of federal-provincial relations writ large.” - Jeremy Mouat, The Business of Power: Hydroelectricity in Southeastern British Columbia, 1897-1997, pp 142.

Radio Topics, August 22

2006-08-21T23:14:00.000-04:00

These are some of the topics we'll touch on tomorrow on air. As always, you can catch us between 7 and 9am on 93.1 CKCUfm in Ottawa, or online at www.ckcufm.com

Getting Tougher on Crime by getting tougher on 10 year olds

Also, who needs preliminary trials anyway?

If at first you don't succeed, challenge the constitutionality of the decision making body. (previously posted)

Time to drop Hezbollah from the terror list?

Nothing like a clean, ecoli-free glass of water. Unless you are an Ontario Landowners Association member.

Garth Turner fights off a nomination challenge from the forces of even-greater evil. (You can catch the full, and very interesting details, at his blog)

AND Charities can play politics?

Wither the Vancouver Safe Injection Site

I like Ceres fine, but a planet it is not.

Tories Downloading their Wait-times promise to the Provinces?

"New" hobbit-like species downgraded to "disabled caveman"

Universe down to 4/5s of a tank, going to fill up and get a cofee ASAP

Surfers vs. Wave Power stations: Turbines up, Dude

Conventional Wisdom

2006-08-20T09:18:00.000-04:00

Paul Wells comments on the ongoing "Could have been a contender" contest at Calgary Grit. I think that much of McKenna's current woes owes more to the the Tories have a stronger and more concerted effort at clicking on web polls, but the exercise is interesting in further showing about the dangers of living by conventional wisdom.

If at first you don't succeed, challenge the constitutionality of the decision making body

2006-08-15T17:48:00.000-04:00

Slate has a neat piece on the US softwood lobby's latest fight with what is readily apparent to everybody else. Here, they argue that NATO's dispute resolution mechanisms - neat little panels of 5 - interfere's with the American judicial system's ability to interpret American law. Or something like that. Some thoughts:

1) If this is the case, then isn't like every bi- or multi-lateral decision making body, be it the IJC or whatever, also problematic?
2) I wish I got this many do-overs when I play chess.

“Anyone can miss Canada, all tucked away down there.”

2006-08-15T16:16:00.000-04:00

I usually hate when blogs do this, but I've been reading a lot about Canada-US relations lately, the writings below are just an example of the usual sort, and they all seem pretty shallow to me. So, bear with me.

Davie Fulton says, in an address to a conference on Canada-US relations in 1960:

"We in Canada find a strange conflict emerging. We have found that economically and socially we are tied closely to the United States and yet at the same time there is in Canada a new spirit of unity of purpose which has been for the past few years breaking down the barriers of region and language. This new spirit of Canadianism is bound in some respects to create stresses and strains by reason of the very proximity of our two nations.
"...they [the US] would remember that there has been an independent nation to their North for many generations and one who, no matter how close and cordial the relations are between these two nations, desires to stay that way and be recognized as such."

He goes on to say:

"Between us, we share lakes the size of seas, great rivers, watersheds and prairies, which unite us; we have no Pyrenees, no Urals, no channels which divide us. This very geographical fact necessitates concord and discussion and it has been with great pleasure that I have seen such works as the St. Lawrence Seaway power project and more recently the Columbia River agreement achieved."

This sort of distinction bothers me. We are unique, it says, but at the same time so many of the distinctions between us and them are painted as artificial. What's missing, at any given time, is an explanation of those things that do make us different, that draw us together and form whatever national identity there is. To be sure, there are common threads to any national Canadian image, be they symbolic, commercial, or athletic. But those are common interests, and only a fraction of an identity. They also all seem pretty petty and small, and too often ring as little more thanplatitudesitiudes.

I suppose, though, that since the line that divides us is artificial, and since so many people have gone both ways across it since it was drawn, that it is only fitting that the distinctions seem similarly contrived.

Radio Topics, August 15

2006-08-14T22:22:00.000-04:00

As always, Radio is from 7-9 am, and can be heard in Ottawa on 93.1fm or online at ckcufm.com.

No more island prison camps for Asylum seekers:
Well, "detention" camps.

11 Universities back out of Maclean's Survey.
UofO? UofT?

Joe loses
But runs anyway

AIDS Conference.
Link
More link

But who skipped out?
You'll never guess...

Once a day cocktail to curb aids?
link

Court Costs to High for Average Folk?
an ideal, but not a reality.

Bye-Bye Bevilacqua
Apparently, you can also call him Bob.

New Terror threats, new security rules
link

But does it work?
link

Japanese PM to Visit WWII Shrine on Anniversary
Which in no way will offend those they invaded

Giddy Thrills

2006-08-10T16:57:00.000-04:00

You know that it has been a long day of reading when you are excited to stumble across a typo in an Archivianet entry that suggests that someone was called to the bar 17 years after their death.

That, or they did damn well on the test.

Air Conditioning

2006-08-08T13:13:00.000-04:00

It strikes me as remarkable that, less than a week after the province raised fears of rolling brownouts, I would have to warm my hands in an office building because they are numb from over-air conditioning.

Why bother conserving, when everyone else decides to waste?

radio topics, august 8

2006-08-07T18:03:00.000-04:00

Below are the topics that are short listed for tomorrows Radio show. For those that don't know, it airs in Ottawa between 7 and 9am on 93.1fm, and online at ckcufm.com.

big government watch.... shopping carts
Link
The Air conditioning Catch-22: Making the outside world hotter so we can feel cooler inside.
link

Wikiality?
link

AOL privacy leak?
link

MI: Which story is straight.
link

CPC ban on two-time losers?
well, not really a ban.
link

Watching pro-wrestling on TV may lead to violence and poor choice in entertainment among teens.
link

Join the EU carbon-market?
link

Fun with history: Best PM never had at www.calgarygrit.blogspot.com

Back from the dead

2006-08-03T14:26:00.000-04:00

I've decided to ressurect this blog, in part because I miss the outlet for a handful of people to read what I think, but mostly because I'm not cool enough to not have a blog.

A few important changes: Gone are the days of me detailing my misadventures in Western Canada, here are the days where I detail the adventures of writing my damn thesis (tm). Presumeably, someone will use this as an opportunity to steal all of my research and write their own. To them, I say good luck. What this really means is that I'll probably post a lot of the cool things that I find that aren't really relevant to my research, but still give an interesting comment on the past. Focus will obviously also be spent on more meta stuff as well. I will try to keep that to a minimum. Politics will probably also come up from time to time- I'll try to leave the horse race stuff to those that are best at it, and instead focus less on process and more on the issues and ideas I think are important. When something silly happens, I will make fun of it.

All this is to say that this will be a listing of things that interest or amuse me. Hopefully, it will amuse you as well.

My Secret's out!

2006-01-23T02:19:00.000-05:00

It has come to my attention that some people think that they may be getting super-secret strategy from this blog.

Well, I guess the jig is up. People managed to break my secret code of marginally funny observations about Saskatchewan, figuring out that the occasional nerdy science fiction reference was actually elaborate local campaign secrets. I don't want to spoil the fun for everyone else, so I won't break the code online. I'll leave the rest to tilt at windmills to figure out the elaborate algorithim: but be warned, it'll take more than just a basic understanding of Text Twist and easy access to a Crackerjack decoder ring. To be fair, since not everyone has several networked supercomputers like the local Conservative campaign seems to, I'll give a hint: when I write in palindrome, it is important. A toyota.

You see, up to now, I have written about how I was helping my candidate make contact with voters through a variety of means: pamphlets, newspaper ads, telepresence, you know, the usual. We've also tried to "identify" our vote through a combination of telephoning and door to door canvassing. These are remarkably innovative local strategies, and I probably should have guessed that I had been caught when I heard about other campaigns in entirely different regions using them. And here is an extra special tip: We are going to try to make sure that those identified voters get out to the polls and vote.

Anyway, to my mystery Conservative friend, thanks for the drink. I'm glad that I was able to provide you such useful information.

The Thrill of Victory! The Agony of Defeat!

2006-01-23T01:06:00.000-05:00

Well, maybe just the agony of defeat.

It is now technically election day, and I am barred from campaigning, which is more than fine by me.

Today offers an interesting mix of emotions: I am going to coordinate the efforts of about two dozen people to keep track of who has voted in more than 70 polls across the city of Regina. That is problematic, but doable. I think. It will probably be stressful, I will probably get some premature grey hairs, but it will soon enough be over.

But today is also when I find out how well our campaign has done. To be sure, the national campaign left a lot to be desired, so any increase in our vote will be a victory of sorts. To actually win would be even more fantastic, a first for me, and at present does not seem outside the realm of the possible. Campaigning for a Liberal in Western Canada is notoriously tough, and with the various gaffes, scandals, and newly-proposed gun bans, this one is even more difficult. Even though this is Saskatchewan, which does not have an Alberta-esque visceral hatred for all thing Liberal, it takes extra effort to get every single vote that we do.

I have probably worked harder over the past 8 weeks than I ever have in my life, just as I don't think that I've ever felt time go by as fast as it has. I really like my candidate, and hope that he gets elected not just because I have invested so much time, but because I genuinely think that he would bring a lot to Parliament. I've probably got candidate fever, it happens when you do nothing but talk about how great a guy is for 2 months, but I don't remember being quite as certain with previous candidates.

So all this is to say, that there is probably a good chance that I'll be dissapointed tomorrow night. If not locally, than almost certainly nationally. It'll suck, and my bottle of victory scotch will quickly become my defeat scotch, but I'll get over it. The great thing about electoral politics is that every few years you get to try to convince people that you are right. The awful thing about electoral politics is that too often people just don't seem to agree. But that's okay: the fun isn't just in winning, its trying to get there.

As a side note: It'll be nice to get back to a regular diet. 16 hour days produce a lot of fast food, and our options are mostly limited to Pita Pit and McDonalds. While the choice would initially seem obvious, Pita Pit actually gets kind of gross after 18 days, and McDonalds is pretty consistent in its mediocrity.

Adventures in AM radio

2006-01-13T23:04:00.000-05:00

We sent Gary on to one of the local AM radio stations today for an open-line forum with the other candidates. Once again, and I this in as non-blindingly partisan a way as possible, Gary more than out did himself.

But what is interesting about openline AM radio, regardless of the city you are in, is that it seems that the amount of bluster the host has is directly related to their timeslot. Case in point: in Ottawa, Lowell Green hosts from 8-noon; in Saskatoon you have John Gormley for a similar period. While I doubt that Gormley can ascend to the levels of idiocy that Lowell can reach, I suspect it has something to do with being in a smaller market, he is nonetheless filled with way more outrage than is allowed under Health Canada guidelines.

In contrast, the afternoon is hosted by a guy named Murray Wood who, much like CFRA's Michael Haris, is pretty dyed in the wool blue, but doesn't reach the same level of crazy.

Tonight: Gambling and Drinking with Ryan, not in that order. Apparently Regina turned its elegant old train station into a casino; its nice to see that some cities manage to do something with theirs other than let it sit mostly vacant.

We've all been thinking it...

2006-01-13T01:01:00.000-05:00

Scott Feschuk writes:

We've since moved on to Guelph, where the PM will soon tape a CBC Town Hall thingy with Peter Mansbridge, renowned newsman, the only man in Canada powerful enough to make Rex Murphy sit in front of a computer all night and read emails on national television for some reason.

Tonight was the televised debate on the local community cable station. Gary did absolutely fantastic, speaking as best as I have ever seen him speak, and handling himself well during a question and answer session, more than holding his own against a very slick Conservative incumbent.

The best thing about hanging around the studio of a community is the sense that Wayne's World was less SNL comedy and more documentary. There are the cheesy sets that would barely pass muster at a high school play, the snappy but low-tech graphics work in the riding info (I swear, the visuals were actually a camera zooming in on different parts of a riding map), amd a score card of where the parties stood at dissolution that makes the election feel like a bantam football game.

But most importantly, there is the music, which seems to have been aquired from some forom of disused late 1970s training video which may have been entitled "Discovering the art of Cabinet design".

Vote out Vellacott

2006-01-12T18:05:00.000-05:00

I know that I've been bad about blogging, but I offer two mostly lame excuses:

1) I've been pretty busy.
2) Given the choice between blogging and sleep, I'll usually choose watching Battlestar Galactica.

But while I have some really funny stories to tell, including me spending a day with a former Toronto Maple Leaf that has actually won the Stanley Cup and a reasonably clever story about me pretending to be Godzilla over the prairies, I give you the unauthorized biography of Maurice Vellacott.

Hat tip: Calgarygrit

You Can Never Go Home Again

2006-01-12T07:21:00.000-05:00

Another aphorism comes true.

(Big Update, including my totally unexciting flight to the flat and a reasonably exciting day with Frank "The Big M" Mahovlich coming soon. Possibly while I suffer from english-debate related ennui.)

Woo!

2006-01-01T05:02:00.000-05:00

Good friends of mine have just been told that they are (at least) the 29th best debaters in the world.

For the uninititated: this is hardly faint praise, and I couldn't be happier for them; but mostly I wish I was there to see them be told that they are of the top 16 in the world.

Christmas time

2005-12-25T22:08:00.000-05:00

I flew home last night on Air Canada, which went as well as any airline flight could have gone. The downside, ofcourse, was that I flew out of Regina, which seems to have shops open only at those times when people don't actually fly, foiling my plans to buy a copy of Collapse by Jared Diamond. What's worse is that there was no inflight entertainment, despite the sticker on the seat ahead of me helpfully informing me that soon I will have control of my own TV. Fortuneatly, I have an iPod, and it has solitaire.

Without going into great details, I've come to realize over the past couple of months that family is more important than you can possibly think, and I hope that everyone spent today with people that they care about, or, if not, that they spent today doing something that they wanted to do and will be happy about for the rest of their lives.

But this is all a round about, and probably way too bittersweet, way of wishing the dozen or so people that read this blog a merry christmas.

Giddy Thrills

2005-12-23T14:45:00.000-05:00

Who else booked a hotel room for a member of the hockey hall of fame today?

PM Tour Mania

2005-12-18T23:57:00.000-05:00

I spent the day helping out on the Regina stop of the PM tour. Highlights included getting to have a secret service style earpeice and microphone, being tasked with directing traffic, and having a discussion as to whether Mrs. Goodale's car would fit into the last parking spot in the lot (It didn't.) Also, we learned the lesson about how tempting fate will only lead to fate coming and biting you in the ass. Needless to say, I had a blast.

I'm exhausted and have some other stuff to deal with, but will provide a detailed breakdown of the goings on tomorrow. In the meantime, I give you the following picture, which happened in the last 5 minutes of the scheduled series of events, and will precede everything else said and done today:

Long, Long Week

2005-12-17T22:30:00.000-05:00

I'll give more details tomorrow, but it has been a long and hectic week, and I'm pretty exhausted. It'll be good to get back to Ottawa, provided I can actually do some Christmas shopping between then and now.

Computer Woes

2005-12-13T21:17:00.000-05:00

My computer seems to have decided to stop booting. My internet connectedness will be reduced for the time being.

I hate technology.

Six Weeks Left

2005-12-10T20:26:00.000-05:00

It's been a pretty hectic week, so I apologize for not getting a more elaborate update up sooner. But, late is better than never, I always say. That, and blogging less than you planned is the blogspot way.

So, a summarry of sorts:

Last sunday, Ryan, his PM tour people, and I drove from Saskatoon to Regina. It was actually a really nice day, in the negative teens for temperature, but clear skies and lots of sun. Because of the vagaries of our trip west, it was also the first time I got to see the prairies during the day. I get the sense that the flat gives Ryan the same sense of home that the Atlantic Ocean gets me. I actually think that the flat is quite beautiful, in an odd sort of way. There is something that is really neat about the lack of anything on the horizon, and the huge skies are really a site to see.

But enough romanticism. The railroad runs along much of the highway, and so grain elevators dot the path. I didn't actually get to see any trains, nor was there any wheat, it being November, after all, so I feel like I didn't get the real Saskatchewan experience. We passed by Saskatchewan's excuse for a ski hill, which is literally just a pile of garbage covered in dirt. It looks sort of like a pimple on the horizon, and I got the distinct sense that Ryan was actually kind of embarrassed to describe it as a ski hill. I feel less bad about Martock now.

We stopped for gas in Davidson, which is in the riding where I am working. It has a gas station and an elevator, as well as the lonliest looking A&W in the world.

Since sunday, I've mostly been focusing on getting things going in the Riding I am working. Joel, with whom I am staying, and I are working full-time on the campaign, in addition to a campaign manager that works in the law office upstairs, and (obviously) the candidate. We are coordinating much of the logistical and organizational side of things, coordinating volunteers, mailouts, signs, and all the rest. The week was spent getting all of these things going, and all the pieces are now more or less in place.

Having the pieces in place is one step, the next is actually doing it. Today we set up a 56 day calendar, with genuine 3m Post-it notes representing everything we need to do between now and January 23rd. And this is just the stuff that we could think of today. Needless to say, it seems pretty daunting.

Some other bits and pieces:

Mid week we went to the opening of John William's campaign office. It was really good. John spoke well, and CPAC was there to document the whole process, including some really good shots of the four local candidates. I got to meet a lot of the people that are running the other Regina campaigns, and some that are working on ours. There was also free campaign pizza, and free food is always good food.

I knew that Co-ops were big in the prairies, but I never really got the sense of how big. There's Co-op taxis, Co-op Gas, Co-op Grocery and hardware stores, and I'm pretty sure that I saw a co-op strip club. There is a co-op grocery store in the mall across the road from the campaign office, and while the prices seem to be less expensive than at home, I factor that being because I am at the edge of Regina, not in the heart of Centretown. Apparently they keep track of what you spend, and when you turn 69 you start getting payments representing some fraction of what you had spent. It seems almost like a loyalty program, a la HBC rewards, except that there is a good chance you will actually accumulate enough to get something back before you die. Joel says that there isn't really any cost advantage to shopping there, but its more of a "Western Canada thing". I should keep a track of when that is used as an explanation for something that doesn't seem to otherwise make sense.

I jaywalk across the road to get to the grocery store, hopping when traffic permits to the median, and then to the other side. I'm used to this in Ottawa, where it is a contact sport of sorts. In Regina, it seems, that drivers actually will stop for you as you break the law, actually giving you funny looks when you don't immediately dart across. I don't mind the deference, but shouldn't get used to it less I become another statistic at the Bronson entrance to Carleton.

It seems that everytown has its own quirky little local food institutions. Regina's seems to be a place called Nicky's, where I went for a breakfast meeting with the other Campaigns on friday. Unlike the Elgin Street Diner in Ottawa, which most of the time seems too cool for its own good, Nicky's is much more lowkey. The food was good and fast, and the owner came right out to cut a cinnamon bun for someone at the counter. It's going to places like these that makes visiting other cities really fun, and it's frustrating to think that because they are tough to discover without knowing locals, people default to the national chains that they are familiar with. To be fair, I am guilty of this.

I'm flying back into Ottawa on the evening of the 24th, though won't be arriving until after midnigt. I'm in town until the 3rd of January, so will be looking for something to do over New Years.

This week is going to be pretty hectic, but hectic usually means fun in campaigning. I'll post more as I can.

Fun with Regina Transit

2005-12-08T16:02:00.000-05:00

I'll post a more elaborate summarry of the past 5 days later tonight, but I just wanted to quickly mention my adventures on Regina Transit:

16 routes, none with better than 1/2 our service. It took an hour and 20 minutes to travel what would have taken me half that in Ottawa. All the routes are circular and all travel through the inner pits of Suburbia, which I suppose maximizes the amount of access without increasing the number of buses. I suppose this is no worse than in Halifax, but is a far cry from Ottawa.

The kicker? I have access to a car, which was all part of the guy I'm staying with's plan. I just, you know, don't actually have a license. Fortuneatly the transit adventure is only going to have to last a couple of days.

An Evening Out

2005-12-03T02:55:00.000-05:00

I went to see the Harry Potter movie tonight. It's nice to know that even in different provinces, even at a 10:30pm show, that 15 year-olds make me want to never have children. Or at least teenaged children. It's also nice to know that shitty mall theatres are shitty mall theatres anywhere in Canada.

The walk home was really nice. It was cold outside, maybe -15, but there was a light dusting of snow and and little breeze. The shuffle on my iPod produced a good set of songs, some Dylan and some Lou Reed, which made for a fun late night soundtrack. It sort of reminded me of walking home from the Baseline bus station after a night downtown, too cheap to take a 7 dollar cab ride home, but too late to actually catch a bus the rest of the way.

Tomorrow I go to a PM tour meeting and do some marking. Sunday I make my way for the Pile of Bones.

A Mostly Tedious Day

2005-12-02T14:48:00.000-05:00

Another day, another conservative policy announcement. I don't really want to talk a lot about politics on this blog, as I think that is being done more than adequately in the actual media and various partisan (and not-so-partisan) aggregators. However, I think that it is really interesting that the conservatives are making so many announcements now, whereas the other parties are virtually silent. I'm not particularly concerned about anything that has come up so far, as it seems that they are either internally contradicted by party members (such as the parliamentary prosecutor) or just different ways of implementing a similar liberal policy.

Anyway, as to my adventures. Yesterday was pretty quiet, as will today be. I finally got my phone taken care of (and those that want the number are welcome to email me), and went to lunch and at the aptly named "Saskatoon Asian" restaurant. The rest of the day was spent going over press reference for the incumbent conservative candidate, 300 pages worth of them, to see if anything juicey was said. While it is pretty clear that he is opposed to same sex marriage, and there is a whole lot of material that would annoy an electorage composed entirely of my ideological clones, it will be interesting to see what we can find that'll work in partly rural Saskatchewan.

I've also finally sorted out the details for my Regina sojourn, and it looks like I will be playing more or less the role that I wanted on the campaign, which is good. It also looks like I'll be heading back to Ottawa for about a week around Christmas, arriving around the 23rd and leaving about a week later. For those that are making their way west between then and now, be sure to drop me a line and perhaps we can get in touch.

Saskatoon Reflections

2005-11-30T21:51:00.000-05:00

I’m sitting in a Starbucks at downtown Saskatoon’s numerically alliterative corner of 2^nd and 22^nd. I’m actually typing this into Word, as it seems that Starbucks wants me to pay 7.50 for the privilege of an hours worth of wireless broadband. Needless to say, I am morally opposed to paying for the internet outside of my house, and so this is a sort of “live to tape” blog entry. Whatever.

Anyway- downtown Saskatoon is actually pretty interesting, and reminds me somewhat of Halifax, but without the history, hills, harbour and hominess. Its got the feel of a really nicely laid out city, where there are lots of nice, wide sidewalks with interesting and quirky local stores, while at the same time being mostly accessible to traffic. There are lots of historical plaques on the buildings, which is a sort of trivia wet dream for those with an affinity for local history and architecture. Some are interesting, such as a quote from Sir Wilfrid Laurier on meeting a young paperboy by the name of John Diefenbaker, others are the usual sort of local historical plaque that provides context on a building without really placing it in any larger historical narrative. It’s neat to know that the CBC building was designed by a prominent local architect and has been more or less restored to what it looked like 80 years ago, but it doesn’t really tell me much more about the city or the street. That said, there are lots of them, and that is pretty cool.

I had to come downtown to get a cell phone set up and my eyeglasses fixed. The glasses had spent the night on the ground in the Hotel parking lot in Thunder Bay, and the frames were pretty out of shape. Karma was probably telling me it’s time to get new glasses- mine are 8 years old- but cheapness overcame and I got them fixed for free. The cell phone was a no go for now, as the Sasktel people were unable to hack into the handset I had to activate it

Earlier in the day we drove through the U Sask campus, which is sort of reminiscent of Carleton in the sense that all the buildings seem to be spread out and it is next to a huge field. Apparently the research facilities adjacent (or affiliated, I can’t remember) are really, really cool and proficient. Or so I’m told by big Saskatoon pushers. I got to see the exterior of the Canadian Light Source Synchotron, and boy did my particles feel accelerated. I also drove by the Diefenbaker center, which is sort of a "Chief" Museum and library, and actually has him buried outside. I didn’t get a chance to stop and see the grave, but will be back later. Since the temperatures are of the usual bitter prairie winter sort, I’m not even going to bother trying to strike him off the list of Prime Ministerial graves slept on.

Its been pretty quiet on the election front. The campaign is starting slowly, with mostly logistical and organizational bitchwork being taken care of now. It’s one of those situations where two or three big pieces need to fall into place before we can really gear up and start the intensive electioneering. Realistically, this is probably for the best as, at eight weeks with a big intermission in the middle, the campaign is more of an ironman marathon than the usual hundred meter dash. So yesterday, I spent the afternoon doing the mind-numbingly dull task of merging 4 or 5 membership spreadsheets into one, making sure to avoid repetitions and keeping it simple enough to manage the information. Needless to say, my eyes hurt towards the end.

In the evening, Ryan, Holly and I went to the brand-spanking new Chris Axworthy Headquarters to do some cleaning and organizing. The office is a former bank, so comes complete with the concrete form of a vault and a functioning ATM. The ATM is handy, not least of all to get cash, but because it generates a lot of foot traffic near the front doors. The cleaning and set up task seemed daunting at first, but with a few solid hours of work between us and a handful of others, the office is in a usable shape. More work to be done before it can really be opened, but a good start. Once again, a Marathon, not a sprint.

It looks like I’ll be heading to Regina on Sunday morning. More info as it comes.

3600 Kilometers of Fun

2005-11-29T12:34:00.000-05:00

Well, I am in Saskatoon now. Outside of the window, honest to god, I can see a grain elevator. Sadly it is one of the modern ones, but it's a grain elevator nonetheless. We made it to Thunder Bay on the Sunday night, and then to a small town about 250 km from Saskatoon last night. Below is a more or less chronological list of thoughts on driving through 1/3 of Canada.

I had always known that Ontario was really wide, but don't think that I ever really understood it, but after taking more than 20 hours of driving to get to the edge of the province, it seems a whole lot more real. Northern Ontario is probably really, really pretty during the day, but at night is just a series of winding roads and trees. My friend Damien biked across this stretch of the country last summer, I beleive on the same highways we were on. I have a whole lot more appreciation for the feat now.

On the upside, the roads were pretty good throughout, though visibility was kind of shitty on the way to Thunder bay. A really thick fog got in the way whenever we were at the top of a hill. This slowed us down dramatically, as Ryan was pretty much restricted to navigating by staying within the lines.

General comments on towns that we drove through: Sudbury seemed as desolate as I thought it would be, but in fairness we didn't really go through the town proper. Or atleast I don't think that we did. I didn't see the giant nickel, but saw a sign pointing towards Science North, one of the many interesting things I didn't get to visit. Sault Ste. Marie actually seemed pretty nice, though its roadsign motto of "Naturally Beautiful" makes me think that it is more beautiful on the inside than on the out. We stopped in Thunder Bay for the night, where I had to go all Russell Crowe on the Hotel deskperson to get a working phone. They also offered free "dial-up" internet in the rooms, which seems to me to be a whole lot like offering black and white TVs.

Monday's drive was mostly uneventful until the end. We made it through the last stretch of Ontario to Kenora, and then easily across Manitoba. The Prairies really are as flat as I had thought. I'm actually thinking about buying a dog, just so I can watch it run away for a few days. What we hadn't factored, however, was that small town Saskatchewan shuts down after 9pm.

Ryan had forgotten to fill up in the last major town, and so by 11:30 we had been riding the E for about 40 kms. We pulled into Foam lake, where the gas station had shut down and the Motel had switched to self check in. We called CAA, who very helpfully told us that we should have filled up 40 minutes ago. None the less, they sent a guy over who was supposed to bring us some gas. The guy, who seemed to be really annoyed that he had to be doing his job, didn't actually bring gas with him, but brought us to a nearby pump which he couldn't actually get working. It is still not entirely clear to me what he would have done had we been totally out of gas and had we been unable to get into the motel. We should have paid better attention to our fuel situation; he should have actually been able to do something other than use up more of what is left of our gas.

So we stayed the night in what seems like the surliest town in the Prairies. We made way for Saskatoon, and here I sit, getting ready to go off and jumpstart an election campaign for someone I have yet to meet in a province that, apart from it being flat and mostly rectangular, I know nothing about. Good times ahead!

North Bay: Gateway to the Boring Parts of Ontario

2005-11-26T23:43:00.000-05:00

We left a bit late today, and so only made it as far as North Bay, population 56,000. A town, whose motto, as defined by their highway sign, is the "Gateway to Opportunity". I can only assume that Opportunity is somewhere between here and Sault Ste. Marie, possibly in Lake Superior.

Tomorrow we make for Thunder Bay. ab0ut 1100 kilometers from here. Google says it will take 18 hours, but I think that 12 hours (driving) is more realistic. I am not an expert on Northern Ontario, but I suspect that rocks and trees will be in abundance.

All Things Go

2005-11-26T02:12:00.000-05:00

My departure was bumped from Friday to Saturday, which works out for the best as it allowed me to take care of some things, like packing.

Anyway, tomorrow I head west for Regina in my friend Ryan's Toyota Matrix. I assume that at some point over the course of the next few days someone will make a joke about being "stuck in the matrix". Actually, that person will probably be me. I've done long road trips before, and have driven cross country at least once, if not twice (albeit I was less than 5 both times). None the less, the prospect of a a number of consecutive 12+ days of driving is a bit unsettling. I suppose that is what I have a 20 gig ipod for.

I hope to be able to check my email at least once over the weekend, but that is not guaranteed. Blogging will probably not happen, but I'll do a mega-post with as many stories from the trip as possible.

It has risen

2005-11-22T00:03:00.000-05:00

So, I've decided to head west, again.

Not again as in I've been west once already, but I've again made the decision to head west. So, barring any mass defections or a patented Jack Layton change of heart, I will be heading to Saskatchewan this friday to work on the election.

Hence, the blog resumes. Or atleast resumes in the sense that I am going to tell people I am posting to it again.

Sigh.

2005-05-19T23:18:00.000-04:00

Unlikely insights:

Kirk: My God, Bones, what have I done?
McCoy: What you had to do; what you always do: turn death into a fighting chance to live.

Pre-Trip Update

2005-05-18T17:16:00.000-04:00

I'm not actually sure if anyone is reading this yet, but will post anyway.

Stronach's defection obviously complicates matters somewhat, so I really won't know what is going on until tomorrow when the budget vote happens. I'm inclined to think that the government will fall, but that might just be wishfull thinking on my part. I've pretty much already committed my summer to the election, and so am not looking forward to being part of the collatoral damage from yesterday's move.

What I need right now

2005-04-03T22:36:00.000-04:00

From Here

1- Take the juice from one bottle of that Ol' Janx Spirit.

2- Pour into it one measure of water from the seas of Santraginus V.

3- Allow three cubes of Arcturan Mega-gin to melt into the mixture (it must be properly iced or the benzine is lost).

4- Allow four litres of Fallian marsh gas to bubble through it (in memory of all those happy Hikers who have died of pleasure in the Marshes of Fallia).

5- Over the back of a silver spoon float a measure of Qualactin Hypermint extract, redolent of all the heady odours of the dark Qualactin Zones; subtle sweet and mystic.

6- Drop in the tooth of an Algolian Suntiger. Watch it dissolve, spreading the fires of the Algolian Suns deep into the heart of the drink.

7- Sprinkle Zamphour.

8- Add an olive.

9- Drink... but... very carefully.

A Bicycle Adventure

2005-03-27T23:35:00.000-05:00

A while ago, a friend and I decided that this summer we should take a week and see Nova Scotia, or atleast as much of it as we can, by bike. I've never done a trip such as this, and neither has he, so the prospects seem to be against us. Planning, or at least pondering of what we might like to do, fell by the wayside for the past few months, but I've recently decided to focus on it again. I think that, at worst, it will be something to look forward to as I work my way through the hell that will be my March.

All this is to say, here is a place that I think that I would like to visit. The whole of the southern tip of the Province is really gorgeous, and also suffered tremendous economic distress in the early 90's because of the collapse of the fishery. I'm not sure what its like now, but its not like employment prospects beyond call centres have been very common in the province since then.

waydowntown

2005-03-25T21:44:00.000-05:00

Waydowntown is on tonight; I forgot how fucked up and detached this movie is, and I think that I understand it better now that i am a couple of years older.

It was really cool in first year, unable to even conceive of office life, now that I have a degree, and within a year and a half (with luck) will have another, the prospects of listless white-collar work seems all to real.

LCBO to hold strike vote?

2005-03-14T22:35:00.000-05:00

The LCBO held a strike vote. Thats not cool.

For What?

2005-03-04T00:57:00.000-05:00

Today, as most have you have probably read, 4 RCMP officers were shot and killed in Alberta at the site of a marijuana grow-op. Obviously, this is tremendously sad for both the families of those that were killed, the community, and the police force at large.

But I think that what disturbs me most about all this is that in a very real sense, the deaths were senseless. I mean, all murder's really are, and these were people that were effectively guarding, not storming, the facility. But I like looking at root causes, and like asking big questions, and I think that this requires that we should: the only reason that these people were killed today is because Canada maintains a prohibition on marijuana and forces its sale and distribution to criminal elements. Let's face it: lots of people smoke pot, and that the current laws against are notable only for how spectacularly they fail. This is why the government is looking to decriminalize possession, this is the same sort of thing that killed the prohibition of alcohol in the eariler part of the 20th century.

So there is going to be lot's of talk about drugs and the drug trade in Canada over the next couple of days. I'm going to make the extremely bold assertion that it will largely call for tougher penalties for those that deal in the trade. I actually don't mind punishing those invovled in organized crime (because that is who we are dealing with) harshly, but I also know that this hardly is stopping the people that make the big bucks. Wouldn't it be that much better if we didn't have to worry about pot grow-ops in the middle of no where? Wouldn't it be better if we could have firmer controls on how a product that is used by an indordinate amount of youg people is produced? Wouldn't it be better if the government could generate revenue on the sale of it all? The ban achieves none of this, and encourages real criminal endeavours like we have seen today.

Welcome!

2005-02-19T02:50:00.000-05:00

This is the brand new home of the Mike Powell fan club, previously located (and where old archives still remain) here. Future updates on what is going on will all be here.