Bitter Lemon

Another reason not to trust alternative medicine...

2008-07-22T14:06:00.004-04:00

So Karadzic was living in Belgrade before he was arrested (quelle surprise!), and selling alternative medicines. It turns out the key to good health is regular exercise, gingko biloba and the slaughter of innocents.

13 years on, Karadzic does indeed look different than he did during the war. But then, I always assumed that those responsible for hunting war criminals relied on more than just hair colour and distinguishing birth marks or scars.

Hopefully, the arrest of Ratko Mladic won't be far behind. I hear he's leading the Balkan campaign to investigate the relationship between vaccines and autism.

Karadzic Arrested

2008-07-21T17:56:00.003-04:00

Radovan Karadzic has been arrested in Serbia.

The AP story points out that he used a number of "elaborate disguises" to evade capture, including disguising himself as a priest. How easy is it exactly to hide out in a monastery if you don't have the support of the clergy? Just asking...

What Lesson Should I Be Drawing Exactly?

2008-06-04T00:38:00.003-04:00

I have an informal rule that I don't discuss American politics on this blog because plenty of others already have it well covered and well, I'm Canadian. But I felt the need to acknowledge the defeat of Billary in the primaries.

There has been much said tonight about the historic nature of an African-American being selected as the presidential candidate for one of the major parties for the first time. And I have no quibble with this - it is an important moment in American history. But then somebody always feels the need to point out that it would also have been historic if Hillary had been chosen and that she has "given our daughters hope". Really? What exactly is the message? "If your husband becomes president then one day you could follow in his footsteps". Truly inspirational!

I've been saying for a long time that the Ontario NDP need a new leader... maybe John Tory is it!

2008-05-27T12:51:00.004-04:00

John Tory -- supposedly leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservatives -- is suggesting that the ban on plastic bags at the LCBO does not go far enough. Mr. "Tory" wants to ban all retailers in Ontario from using plastic bags.

I have nothing against conservation and have jumped on board the reusable bag at the grocery store bandwagon myself (though largely because they make stuff easier to carry... it's hard not living above a grocery store anymore). But in what universe is tree-hugging by decree a conservative philosophy? Every time any sort of environmentally-friendly trend catches on, there is John Tory proposing it be enacted into law. Why have any faith in the populace when you can just dictate their behaviour?

A party trying to out-Liberal the Liberals. That's just what we need!

They should have their own schools

2008-01-30T11:48:00.000-05:00

School segregation has been approved in Toronto. We are so progressive!

In other news, sky still blue

2007-12-18T13:37:00.000-05:00

A U.N. task force has found evidence of corruption that may have cost the institution upwards of $610 million. Shocking stuff indeed.

"U.N. officials privately acknowledge that some malfeasance is inevitable in an organization that processes 12,000 purchase orders in the field each year and buys enough energy to power a city larger than Washington, D.C."

That's the spirit! If you don't even try to be accountable, you can't be considered a failure. And that's a valuable take home lesson for all the member states.

(I know, I'm a horrible blogger and I'm not even going to apologize for the lack of posts.. as my mother always taught me, sorry means you won't do it again. I did however miss my baby's third birthday which is inexcusable... Happy Belated Birthday Bitter Lemon!)

This Land Is My Land, This Land is Your Land from Heart Lake to The City Centre...

2007-12-05T09:11:00.000-05:00

This may just be the saddest headline I've read in a long time.

Figure Skating on Christmas Day: Priceless

2007-10-12T13:39:00.001-04:00

It seems the mayor has accepted the offer from MasterCard. It seems the money is no strings attached, so no advertising.

Of course, we can't always rely on the goodwill of private business, I think it might be worth the money to hire a few fundraisers to find people who have always wanted a public park named in their honour.

MasterCard for Mayor

2007-10-12T10:25:00.001-04:00

Mastercard Canada has offered $160,000 to the city of Toronto to open the ice rinks on time. Mayor Miller had decided to keep the rinks closed to teach Torontonians what happens when they displease him.

It will be interesting to see whether the city accepts this offer, or if we instead get a lecture about corporate control of public space.

It strikes me that the city should be looking for lots of deals like this. It would seem that most of our recreational facilities could be financed by the private sector. Nike sponsored basketball courts, Wilson tennis courts, Canadian Tire park.

I am well aware that there are always objections to this kind of arrangements, but they always come from people who aren't offering a solution beyond "more taxes". And if we aren't going to get advertising for public facilities then it's time to start charging for their use. I see no reason to be subsidizing other people's recreation.

Shut Up CTV

2007-10-10T21:42:00.000-04:00

CTV has projected that the referendum will fail. They provided further analysis that it was just too darn difficult to explain to people. Which, I suppose is why they didn't even bother trying. If it can't fit into a 3o second sound bite it's too complex for CTV. The failure of the pro-MMP side was that they didn't go around the province sticking cats up trees with "Vote MMP" buttons. CTV would have been all over that!

Only In Canada

2007-10-03T23:44:00.000-04:00

One level of government is lobbying for another level of government to hand over funds to yet another level of government. And either way you slice it, it's our money. Now that's accountability!

More About MMP

2007-10-01T17:26:00.001-04:00

Reviewing my posts I realise that I have failed to address another positive of the proposed system: we will probably see higher turnout in "safe" ridings.

I would never not vote. I'd always go and at least spoil my ballot, because voting is fun. But many people do not share this nerdy passion of mine. Most people don't get the giddy excitement when the phone rings around election time that it might be a pollster asking who I'll be supporting or what issues matter to me most. They don't vote because they know their vote won't make a difference, this isn't cynicism on their part, it's an accurate assessment of our voting system. For those Conservatives who live in a comfortable NDP riding, or those NDPers who live in a safe Liberal riding, why bother going out of your way to cast a ballot when it will have no effect on the outcome? But if they knew their ballot would count for something -- as it would under MMP -- they'd probably get out to vote.

I grant you this probably isn't a huge segment of the non-voting population. Many people just aren't interested in politics at all, but this is a group we really should want to vote: the people who are well informed enough to know what's going on and that their vote really won't make a difference. The Elections Ontario ads telling us we must vote so that we can have our say simply aren't true for people in safe ridings. For their vote to count they'd have to move somewhere with a contested seat. That seems a lot to ask for a little bit of democracy.

Vote MMP

2007-10-01T11:19:00.000-04:00

So I've told you why the people who support FPTP (which apparently now includes the Toronto Star) are wrong. But why should you support MMP? In a nutshell because it is a fairer way of electing government that makes sure the votes of all Ontarians count. We will still have the local representation that we have now, but the amount of power that a party has will reflect their support across the whole province. More specifically:

We don't have a two party system. As much as the establishment Liberals and Conservatives would like to pretend that we live in a two-party system -- with the NDP and smaller groups acting as an uninvited guest to their party -- we don't. If we did, First Past the Post would do just fine because those who received the majority of the vote in a riding, and across the province would form a majority government. Instead, it is typically the case that those who receive the largest minority of the vote wins a majority government, or occasionally a minority government.Very occasionally, the party that does not win the largest number of votes still wins more seats and they form the government.

We don't have a system of independents. Those who support First Past the Post suggest that it isn't about who forms the government provincially but who is representing you locally. At one of the debates I attended, we were actually told (by a Liberal no less) that democracy is what happens in the constituency office in the days before an election when disabled people, minorities and women get together and stuff envelopes for the candidate of their choice (presumably while able-bodied white men are working to bring these people down). I'm not making this up. In reality of course, it's not about the local candidate. Most people cast their ballot for the party. Either because they are lifelong supporters of the party, because they support the platform this time around, or because they are trying to defeat another party. Certainly there are exceptions to this, some people really like or really hate their local candidate and voting for the individual, but on the whole this is rare. It is good that this is rare, because it is a stupid thing to do. When your candidate gets elected, he or she will have to follow the party's orders. We do not send ~~109~~ 107 MPPs to Queen's Park to deliberate on the issues of the day, we send 107 votes to Queen's Park, for or against the government's agenda. Some people with power within a party will have more say that others, but if your candidate is a backbencher it's basically their job to shut up and vote as they're told. I'm not suggesting that this will change with MMP but let's at least get the voting in line with the wishes of the people of Ontario.

Millions of votes are being wasted. Now the anti-MMP gang have done a pretty good job of making it seem like people who say this are being immature whiny brats. My point is not that if I don't get the government that I want that my vote is wasted. My point is rather that vast numbers of people may support a particular issue, but unless they all happen to live near one another it doesn't matter at all in this province. I'm perfectly willing to accept the idea that I am not always going to get exactly the government I want. But everyone should get a say in who forms government, not just the people who happen to support the successful candidate in an arbitrary geographical area.

Some issues are larger than your neighbourhood Although I have been told many times that all politics is local and the community is what matters, I simply don't believe it. We live in an age where I can communicate as easily with someone in Thunder Bay as I can with someone down the street. Toronto isn't only ethnically diverse, we have people of all political stripes as well, too bad that isn't reflected in government. If Sudbury and Oshawa are such vastly different places that local representation must trump province-wide support in all cases, why bother sharing a province at all? We could just have really powerful municipalities instead. Yes, from time to time, one region will need more attention and will need someone to stand up and represent it in the legislature, and MMP will still protect this. In fact, list candidates will be able to help when one region of the province is having troubles, in a way that local candidates from other regions cannot without taking time away from their own constituents. I am simply not willing to accept that the only thing that matters in 21st century Ontario is what city you happen to live in.

I don't believe that MMP will fix every problem we have in this province, but I do think it's a step in the right direction.

Update: The correct number of seats in the legislature is 107 not 109, as I originally stated.

Did you hear we're having a referendum?

2007-09-29T10:56:00.000-04:00

Ontarians are going to the polls on October 10^th and only about half of us know that we are going to be asked to also vote in a referendum on electoral reform. There’s some blame to go around here. Whoever it was that decided that the education campaign about the proposed new system – Mixed Member Proportional – would begin at the same time as the election campaign began is an idiot. People need time to understand the change and also decide whether or not it is a change that they favour. Then there is the fact that the media is barely talking about it. Sure, most of the big papers have small sections explaining the changes, but it is most definitely not being treated as a big deal. This is way more important than who becomes premier. The Liberal and Conservative platforms are basically interchangeable. But the group most responsible for our lack of knowledge about the referendum issue is the voting public. Seriously people, inform yourselves! Now, if you’re not planning on voting then don’t bother. That's your business. However, for those who are actually going to turn up at the polling station on October 10 and put your X in a box (or whatever they’re having us do this time around… do we have stickers yet?), find out what you’re voting about! (You can read about it here). It matters. Voting alone does not fulfill you civic responsibility, you’re actually required to know what you're voting for.

I have long been a fan of the proportional representation. I think ideas matter more than neighbourhoods and would much rather have my vote count than be able to call my MPP to help me get a job or whatever they supposedly do at the local level. The fact of the matter is that I live in a community whose politics don’t match mine. If I called my MP to say that I’d like her to make sure that not a penny of the federal surplus goes to city coffers because it is the taxes of the Canadian people, not city council, I don’t think she’d heed my concerns. And, at the end of the day, in our province and country, our politicians belong to parties, and these parties pretty strictly control how they behave, so the idea that you get representation from your MPP is pretty laughable. As Bitter Lime likes to point out, the parties could send Muppets to Queen’s Park and it wouldn’t make a difference. But, you crazy kids seem to like having an MPP you can call your own. And that’s what is on offer, a mixed system that will let you keep your MPP while also giving you an extra vote on the ballot: for the party. New "list" MPPs will make sure that the number of seats a party holds in the legislature will roughly equal the amount of support it received throughout the province.

I’ve now been to two debates on this issue and I’ve heard the arguments. I went into the first relatively convinced that I was going to support MMP, but with an open mind that I might not have heard all the facts. I went into the second convinced that I wanted to hear Andrew Coyne and Marilyn Churley-NDP debate on the same side of an issue (a recap of that debate can be read here).

The arguments that I have heard to support First Past the Post (FPTP, our current system) are as follows:

It’s much simpler. Let’s recap our current system: The province is divided arbitrarily into “ridings”; each riding has a campaign to elect an MPP who represents a party. At the same time there is a province-wide campaign for premier that most people will pay more attention to. You have no power to elect your premier unless he is also running as the MPP for your riding. People go into the polling station and either vote for the candidate who has appealed to them the most, the candidate that belongs to a party that has appealed to them the most, the candidate that has the best chance of defeating the candidate that they hate the most, or the candidate whose name they recognize. Then we tally up the votes for that riding and whoever has the most votes -- probably not a majority -- gets to go to Queen’s Park. The party that has the most people sent to Queen’s Park forms the government and their leader gets to be the premier. In the case that the party leader did not win his seat, another MPP will probably give up his seat and allow the party leader to run in his riding so that he can be premier. If the winning party has more than half the MPPs, they now get all the power. If you voted for your MPP because you thought they were a swell guy or gal it doesn’t matter because they now have to go along with the party on pretty much everything. Now is that really simple, or is it just what you know? There is a difference. You know what is really simple? Dictatorship. Do we have supporters for that system as well?

All politics is local. I’ve heard this a number of times and I have yet to hear a defense of why it is true. Is tax policy local? Are environmental issues local? Is the math curriculum local? Sure, there are regional issues that matter, but I remain unconvinced that they are more important than all the other issues. And if your riding ends up being represented by someone in the opposition in a majority government, how well are your regional concerns being heard?

The parties will become too powerful. Sure, this is a concern. The parties will be responsible for drawing up the lists, and there are no rules about how this will be done apart from the fact that they have to present the list before the election. But under the current system the parties are really powerful, and there are a million examples of star candidates running in ridings where the party is strong rather than their own neighbourhood so that they can be elected. So I don’t really understand how it will be a big shift. Yes, parties could put party hacks on the list but ultimately that will affect the amount of support they get, so it might not be very smart.

It would lead to minority governments and they are unstable. Do we live in Iraq? I think I can handle the threat of a little instability in my government if it better reflects the views of Ontarians. But ultimately, I don’t think the argument is true. It is based on the premise that a minority government under MMP would be the same as a minority government under FPTP. What we know of minority governments is that they can’t ever accomplish anything because the Liberals are trying to force the Tories out or the Tories are trying to force the Liberals out and no governing gets done. But if minority governments become the norm, how acceptable will it be to Ontarians that the parties spend all of their time trying to bring down the government? It doesn’t seem like a good plan to get you reelected. Rather, governments will form coalitions around issues and make policy. And, as Andrew Coyne pointed out last night, in our current system a slight shift in the vote from one election to the next results in a radically different government, which isn’t particularly stable. Again it is just what we happen to know.

There will be too many parties. The only people who seem to make this argument are Liberals or Conservatives who fear that they will lose support. I care about democracy, not big parties, so I am completely unsympathetic to this argument. Claims that we will have radical religious parties, or far right or far left parties doesn’t seem to match up with the Ontario I live in. The Greens will probably get some MPPs, which seems acceptable given the amount of support they get each election. Over time new parties will probably develop as well. But given that they need to get at least 3% of the support to win even one seat, it is not likely that these people will be on the radical fringe. And if they are, so be it. They will still be very weak and if they are that radical it would be political death to align with them. The fact remains that, even if a particular party is distasteful to you, if they represent the beliefs of a significant number of Ontarians, who are you to say they don’t deserve a seat? The Liberals are distasteful to me and nobody seems to want to strip them of their right to run for office.

So that’s my case on the case against MMP. Stay tuned for the next edition of referendum blogging: the case for MMP.

Good on ya!

2007-09-26T12:26:00.000-04:00

Two Saudi women pepper sprayed and "verbally abused" members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice when they were told that they were inappropriately dressed.

Considering these men make it their business to follow women around and comment on their appearance, I'd say they got off pretty light.

Maybe all that is needed to start a revolution in Saudi Arabia is to arm all the women with pepper spray. Or better yet, teeny tiny guillotines.

(Link via FP Passport)

Whereas dads will be voting for John Tory because he'll let them walk down to the corner store for a beer

2007-09-24T13:48:00.000-04:00

Why do these articles about women who have children pop up every election season? The point being, while you might expect mothers to vote en masse based on narrow self interest, some of them actually seem to have political opinions of their own. And after only about 90 years of enfranchisement. Good on ya gals! Next stop: the work force!

Not Bad

2007-09-24T11:26:00.000-04:00

John Tory has said he will consider allowing convenience stores to sell beer and wine if he becomes premier.

Of course, this being Ontario he has to wrap it up in supporting local industry rather than saying government monopolies are bad. But hey, you take what you can get. More personal responsibility and less public religious education and I could get behind a Tory government.

They can't tell journalists not to smoke, how could they ever stop a genocide?

2007-09-24T11:17:00.001-04:00

A sign in the U.N. Press Room

(via FP Passport)

D) None of the Above

2007-09-21T10:20:00.001-04:00

Didn't last night's debate make you excited about the future of our province?!

For a start Dalton McGuinty looks vaguely non-human. Could be an alien, could be a cyborg, but definitely not human. Plus there's his record. My favourite moment during the debate was when he said John Tory had been going around the province accusing him of being a liar in everything but name. I'm not sure what his point was there other than that John Tory has shown remarkable restraint.

As for John Tory, I'm sure he's a very good person. He does seem like he really cares. I think he would have been a good mayor for Toronto. Unfortunately, he's basically running on a Liberal platform. I mean, I assume there'd be less cricket grants in a Tory government, but Dalton's attempts to paint him as a right wing ideologue or compare him with Mike Harris are hilarious.

And then there's Howard Hampton. Can someone please explain Howard Hampton? I don't have any deep thoughts on the matter, we differ so much ideologically that I don't think it's worth putting too much energy into getting to know his platform. But how does a party lose official status (however briefly) and not get themselves a new leader?

I'll probably end up voting for the Freedom Party. It doesn't really matter anyway, since nobody but Rosario has a chance of winning in Trinity-Spadina (it's those eyes!). But, ya know, vote or die!

Oh well, at least there's the referendum (about which more later).

Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't

2007-09-20T09:13:00.000-04:00

This is the best response I've read so far to the whole HPV "controversy".

The Macleans article was a disgrace and a complete disservice to young women whose parents may have been swayed by an irresponsible writer who mixed arguments about the evils of capitalism, the effectiveness of the drug, typical fears about vaccines and then added in overblown claims about the side effects of Gardasil for good measure. A piece of advice Macleans readers: if your author is citing trial lawyers rather than doctors or scientists on medical issues, you should be suspicious. Another piece of advice: stop reading Macleans.

A cynical person might think it was just a political stunt

2007-09-20T08:56:00.000-04:00

The mayor is now saying that Toronto's community centres will be opened up again on Mondays. So basically, he thought he could force council to support him by pissing off Torontonians. His little tantrum hasn't worked and now he's backing down because he hates being unpopular. Now that's leadership!

The website didn't work... he should have tried a facebook group instead

2007-09-18T23:47:00.000-04:00

Broom boy isn't going to get his special meeting. The mayor couldn't get two thirds of city councillors to support a meeting to raise our taxes.

His supporters aren't pleased: '"It is shameful and very disappointing that people are using their own personal power to advance their own personal political agendas," [Glenn] De Baeremaeker said Tuesday.' According to the new City of TorontoAct, using power to advance a personal agenda is a special privilege granted to the mayor.

Jesus Thinks Your Slutty Daughter Deserves to Die

2007-09-18T23:03:00.000-04:00

To prove that we should be dismantling rather than extending public religious education in this province, school board trustees in Catholic boards are debating whether or not girls in their schools should receive the HPV vaccine.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops had the following to say: "Infection with HPV or other sexually transmitted diseases can occur only through sexual activity, which carries with it profound risks to a young person's spiritual, emotional, moral and physical health". This is particularly true if the young person happens to get cancer and die. (And not that I think people deserve to get sick for having sex, but what if it wasn't consensual? Surely these men are familiar with the concept of rape... I seem to recall the issue has come up in the church quite a bit lately... )

The province should refuse funding to any board that makes this decision on religious grounds. This is the 21st century and a bunch of hypocritical superstitious freaks should not have this kind of power. If you want state funds to support your religion, move to Saudi Arabia and get the hell out of my country.

C'est Formidable!

2007-09-18T10:16:00.000-04:00

The Liberals didn't win any of the three Quebec by-elections yesterday. I take it all back, I love Stéphane Dion!

Oh, there's a website?!

2007-09-17T16:34:00.001-04:00

So I sent the mayor's office a message to tell them that I opposed his tax plan and thought that the website fairtaxes.ca was undemocratic. The response I received from someone in his office...

"Mayor Miller believes that a land transfer tax and vehicle registration tax will provide the resources necessary to continue to provide the public service that Torontonians demand and deserve. Read more on line at www.fairtaxes.ca."

I understand the generic e-mail response, I don't really think that someone in the Mayor's office carefully crafts a reply to every inquiry, nor do I think they should. But read the text of the message, see what it is about and then respond. Don't just cut and paste the generic tax message. I don't know how much this woman earns, but I think I've just found the way for the city to save some cash.

Is This Even Legal?

2007-09-17T11:42:00.001-04:00

David Miller has mounted a website encouraging you to support his plan to raise taxes so that he can hire consultants to solve the global warming crisis (and perhaps bring back that lustrous sheen back to his hair).

Included on the site is all sorts of propaganda for Miller's proposal and provides the option to send the following message to your councillor:

"Dear Toronto City Council,

I support a fair tax plan for Toronto — one that will provide the funds we need to build our great city. On October 22, please vote in favour of the new taxes."

Why is this sort of thing allowed? The mayor is using city resources to not only get his political message across but also to make it easier for those who support his particular agenda to get in touch with their councillors. How democratic! The only good thing is that the site is so obviously one sided (despite the "Don't Take Our Word For It" section) that I imagine only those people who are already fully dedicated to the Miller message would participate.

I'll be contacting my city councillor to tell him I oppose it. But my city councillor is Kyle Rae so I'm sure my e-mail will go unread.

It's not election season in Canada without a Liberal leader lying straight to your face

2007-09-16T19:38:00.000-04:00

So Dalton's campaign has begun. What the hell is with the ads saying that regardless of what our "creed" is, our kids should all go to the same schools? I actually agree with this statement, but he doesn't. His kids go to Catholic school where they learn that Jesus is magic.

I think John Tory's idea of creating public religious schools for everyone is completely stupid, but only a Liberal would have the gall to claim that Catholics are deserving of special treatment because they were here before the Muslims, Jews or Scientologists and then say that "We're all in this together". The Premier is Catholic and he's defending a Catholic school system over any other. That is so progressive!

Maybe this time he could stitch the promise on a sampler

2007-09-13T17:49:00.000-04:00

Dalton says he won't raise your taxes. No really.

Mayor Miller Knows What You Want

2007-09-05T10:39:00.000-04:00

More taxes, right?

Why do I get the sense Mrs. Miller gets appliances as birthday presents?

Liberals to Cancel August long weekend

2007-09-04T12:29:00.000-04:00

The Ontario Liberals are promising that if they are re-elected, they will give Ontarians an extra holiday "Family Day" (I just threw up a little bit in my mouth) in February. With their track record on campaign promises, I can only imagine that they will review the situation and determine that Ontario families aren't working hard enough and will cancel the August long weekend instead.

Given the available options, my vote is for sale this time around. But a promise of future time off isn't going to cut it. I'm going to need hard currency. Unmarked bills delivered to the voting booth with an instruction as to where to put my mark will do just fine.

Ewww

2007-08-08T20:59:00.000-04:00

So approximately half the hits to my blog on an average day come through a link to Lucien Freud's 'Girl With a White Dog' that I posted last year during my trip to London. I've always found it a bit odd, thinking the image couldn't possibly be that popular. Unfortunately, unlike with text searches, Google didn't provide me with the query that was bringing everyone to my site.

Well today, a search for 'Girl Dog Sex' from Comcast led someone to my site and it occurred to me that perhaps it was a similar search that was directing people from Google. Sure enough, I queried those words in Google Images and I was the 2nd hit.

No I don't really have a point, other than to say people are really disgusting (and also stupid, since it seems pretty obvious from the thumbnail displayed that the image is probably not what they are looking for).

Raul Hilberg, 1926-2007

2007-08-08T19:45:00.000-04:00

The historian Raul Hilberg has died at the age of 81. His work "The Destruction of the European Jews" published in 1961 was one of the first major studies of the Holocaust. Despite all that has been written since, this book remains one of the most important and widely read histories on the subject.

Let's not forget the idiots at the top

2007-07-26T23:27:00.000-04:00

Since I've been directing much of my anger at our city and federal politicians of late, I wanted to spare a few moments to remember our federal bureaucracy.

I can only assume that the investigation into the Singh/Kaur issue will discover that radical Hindu nationalists have infiltrated the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi. Because even I am unable to believe that this kind of policy can be arrived at by incompetence alone. Hanlon's razor be damned.

However, I am extremely concerned that these are the same people who we rely on to keep criminals and terrorists out of the country. If you are unable to cope with the idea of multiple people with the same name, perhaps you'd be better suited to less administrative work. I hear Wal-Mart greeters love their work and find it quite stress free.

Maybe the CIC could get a grant from the Province of Ontario to improve their operations...

How Much Do Cricket Whites Cost Exactly?

2007-07-26T22:46:00.000-04:00

I'm not going to get all upset about the Liberal government in Ontario using grant money to buy support because complaining about Liberal corruption makes about as much sense as leaving your stash with Lindsay Lohan and then complaining when it disappears. We can't keep electing them and then complain about their behaviour not changing.

However, what does really bother me is that nobody seems to be up in arms that these grant programs exist at all. Ignoring the extra $850K that was thrown in to buy Dalton a few votes, why the hell should the Ontario Cricket Association have been eligible for a $150,000 grant in the first place?! I mean, why does Ontario even have a minister for Citizenship and Immigration? Isn't it a federal issue?!

Every time evil capitalists such as myself talk about spending cuts, we are accused of taking food out of the mouths of starving children or underfunding our ~~churches~~ schools. The reality is that we just let the government take our money and spend it on whatever frivolous pet projects they want. After all, they're smart enough to convince us to vote for them, they must know what's best.

I Think What This Province Needs Is More Bureaucracy and Bigger Cultural Divides. Who's with me?

2007-07-24T12:27:00.001-04:00

John Tory apparently.

The Conservative leader has promised to set up a commission to look into funding religious education in the province. Because the best use of our tax dollars in the 21st century is indoctrinating young children into the archaic beliefs of their families.

Golly gee, I do hope that when new immigrants come to the country, their ethnic and cultural communities encourage them to send their children to these religious schools. Then in a few years, people of different value systems won't be talking to each other at all. This is going to rock!

Just get rid of the Catholic system and let parents teach their kids whatever fairy tales they want to at home.

I'll be declining my ballot in October.

They Should Have Threatened To Shut Down the Yonge Line, At Least Then People Might Have Noticed

2007-07-20T20:40:00.001-04:00

Shockingly, despite threats yesterday, the city will not be closing down the Sheppard Subway line.

I have an idea as to how the city can save costs: starting in the fall we should switch from an overpaid elected city council to an unpaid appointed one. Each week, a different grade eight class from a local school could be selected to run the city. Not only would we save money, the students would have the opportunity to learn about government, and the maturity level of city councillors would increase significantly.

And since we're on the topic, I have a crazy money as to how the TTC could raise some funds: make the Metropass non-transferable again. I've never quite understood how a supposedly cash strapped system could get away with allowing people to basically ride for free. (Yes I get that it was all part of some plan to get higher levels of government to fork over cash because of the increased ridership). "We just don't understand, ridership is through the roof and we're broke!"

It won't last

2007-07-18T12:39:00.000-04:00

I did enjoy watching David Miller lose in his bid to create ever more taxes for the people of Toronto (when is the ceremonial breaking of the broomstick?). But it might actually be more fun watching city council playing at fiscal responsibility.

Sadly, of course, it won't last. I would like to think that they could start sensibly reducing their spending, but I have no doubt they'll cut in the areas that will have the biggest impact in order to teach us a lesson about what happens when ~~the mayor doesn't get what he wants~~ they have to actually work within a budget.

Of course, it's all our fault for electing them in the first place.

But you voted for Miller!

2007-07-13T22:30:00.000-04:00

"39 per cent of those who voted for Miller would have been less likely to support a candidate who favoured new taxes." Really? You voted for David Miller and you didn't think that at any point he might have raised taxes? This is truly shocking to me. To begin with he was, until very recently, a card carrying New Democrat and I have never met a NDPer who didn't believe that I should give more of my money for the 'public good'. Plus the broom just screams, "I'm going to sweep your money into city coffers".

Apparently 69% of Torontonians think that we should have another election before new taxes are discussed. 100% of Lemons think that there is no way this mayor should have the right to demand I pay the city for the right to see a movie while subsidizing other people's sports and rec.

Small Mercies?

2007-07-13T13:47:00.001-04:00

The economic destruction of Zimbabwe could be preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country. As men are no longer afford to keep mistresses or pay prostitutes, they are limited to one sexual partner -- their wife. Thus the spread of the disease is restricted.

Of course, I'm sure if asked Zimbabweans would rather have their economy back and rely on education and condoms to stop the disease.

Sadly, things are likely to continue to get worse before they get better in Zimbabwe. Especially since the African Union continues to treat Robert Mugabe like a hero rather than the thug that he is.

(first link via Foreign Policy Passport)

Let's Fight EOS Together

2007-07-11T23:34:00.000-04:00

Excessive ovation syndrome. It's true. I can't think of the last time I attended a performance in Toronto that didn't receive a standing ovation. I've always put it down to Torontonians' unusually high tolerance for mediocrity, but apparently it's a continent-wide phenomenon.

The problem is, what are you supposed to do when you are actually blown away by a performance? Rush the stage?

(Link via Marginal Revolution)

Librarian Humour

2007-07-11T22:24:00.001-04:00

This is actually how Martyloo got me to go to Paris.

Farewell Honest Ed

2007-07-11T12:21:00.000-04:00

Ed Mirvish died this morning at 92.

Toronto is a better place because of him. He will be missed.

Sorry NYT But Librarians Aren't Cool

2007-07-09T14:59:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure if the idea that librarians and library science students think they are hip is sad or funny. But this article isn't completely wrong. They do indeed tend to be very left wing!

Is it all just a hoax?

2007-07-08T22:28:00.000-04:00

I'm really starting to think that the modern environmental movement is just an elaborate art piece. Whoever's behind it just keeps signing up the most ridiculous people to participate to see how far the public will allow it to go before they clue in.

The latest installment is The Green Book which offers helpful tips for how to lead a greener lifestyle. They've signed up a number of celebrities to spread the word. Including Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, and of course Dale Earnhardt Jr! Are they making hybrid race cars now?

Clearly whoever's behind this is the first great artist of the 21st Century. I wonder if Al Gore is in on it...

Me and Live Free or Die Hard

2007-07-08T20:15:00.000-04:00

(Link via Virginia Postrel)

The Smokeathon for Cancer Awareness

2007-07-08T11:44:00.000-04:00

I realize this point is so obvious that it is perhaps unworthy of a post, but seriously, am I supposed to be taking Snoop Dogg as an inspiration for reducing my carbon footprint (or whatever the hell the Chevy-sponsored concert was supposed to be about)?

“Tell me, what achievements of Putin’s policy can you name?”

2007-07-08T11:26:00.000-04:00

This is totally normal in a democratic country, right?

Junk Calls

2007-07-07T12:03:00.001-04:00

Is anyone able to explain to me why, in 2007, we are not able to program "junk caller" numbers into our phones much like we do with e-mail? I'm not talking about an ineffectual 'no call' list whereby marketing companies that happen to belong to a certain organization supposedly won't call me. I don't want to go through the hassle of contacting people to get my name off lists. I also don't feel like I should have to release information about myself in order not to be bothered. I just want the functionality to say 'this phone number cannot call me' on the fly. Would this be hard. Does it already exist?

Watching Lou Dobbs Causes Leprosy!

2007-05-31T12:07:00.000-04:00

Viewership for Lou Dobbs has been increasing steadily over the past few years. According to the pretend experts Lou has on his show, in that time, rates of leprosy have skyrocketed. Coincidence? I think not.

And I don't care what "evidence" you present, I'm not publishing a retraction. There is an epidemic of leprosy among hard working middle class Americans, and I will not rest until the Lou Dobbs virus is taken off the air!

Headlines That Make You Do a Double Take

2007-05-25T14:56:00.000-04:00

Who knew Ottawa had it in them? Well done, it's nice to see not everyone in this ~~province~~ country has drank the Kool Aid (which is good, because Kool Aid contains harmful artificial colouring, I'm sure).

Déjà Vu

2007-05-10T10:03:00.000-04:00

Tony Blair has announced he will be stepping down on June 27th. Time to make room for HRH Paul Martin II.

It's Sarko-Sego!

2007-04-22T14:03:00.000-04:00

The first round of votes are being counted and Nicolas Sarkozy leads, with Segolene Royal in second place.

BBC World is doing a bad job of hiding their excitement that "socialism is not dead in France" just because Segolene didn't lose out to neo-Fascist Le Pen. But the fact that Segolene made it through to the second round will soon be nothing more than a historical footnote. 'Cos it's two weeks 'til President Sarko!

Just A Thought....

2007-04-19T23:08:00.000-04:00

If Ontarians can't be trusted to buy light bulbs and feed themselves without dire consequences, should we really have a say with the big stuff?

I would like to suggest that before the debate about electoral reform really gets underway, we consider the option of abandoning democracy altogether. After all, enlightened despotism has never really been given a fair shake.

The New and Improved Nanny State

2007-04-19T18:49:00.000-04:00

The province is moving forward with an arbitrary ban on incandescent bulbs. The ban will punish the dealers, not the users (i.e. stores will be banned from selling them, but I will apparently still be able to travel to Buffalo to buy them out of spite).

What amazes me is that those who supported the ban are now trying to convince us that the other bulbs are better: they last longer and will save you money over time. They need to stop. These people have made it perfectly clear that it doesn't matter what people's opinion of the bulbs are. Instead of trying to persuade us in the first place, they pressured the government to restrict our choices. You can't have it both ways. You won, now shut the hell up.

Kiva

2007-04-19T17:51:00.000-04:00

An article at TCS Daily highlights Kiva, the website that allows individuals to make microloans to entrepreneurs in the developing world. It points out exactly what appeals to me about the organisation:

Kiva offers a blueprint for development that Friedrich Hayek would have appreciated. First, the focus is squarely on the individual — at both ends of the lending process. Corrupt third-world governments are bypassed altogether, as money flows directly to the people who need it. Moreover, that money originates not from the "coerced charity" of taxation, but from the freely chosen generosity of informed citizens.

Second, the funds distributed by Kiva are not handouts, and therefore do not perpetuate dependency. Money is loaned in support of specific business ventures, with the ultimate goal of promoting financial self-reliance. The necessity of repaying these loans does much to foster personal responsibility, in sharp contrast to the message sent by aid shipments or debt relief. Finally, and perhaps most significantly, these small businesses empower Africans by giving them a direct stake in their societies and economies — a necessary condition for the emergence of a democratic polity.

The article also discusses the criticism that microlending has received: that it reduces the pressure on governments to reform and that there is no evidence that microlending aids development.

While I believe that extending credit to the poor actually will help in the quest to bring societies out of dire poverty, I also think that it is not the only measure of success. I don't believe welfare is a good solution to poverty in North America, why should it be a considered acceptable solution in Africa or South America?

I first began lending through Kiva last year, to a woman in Kenya. She has now nearly repaid her loan, which she used to build another room as part of a rental business. The additional income this generates will ensure that she can provide her children with a secondary education. Whether or not the loan will significantly help the Kenyan economy overall, it is helping one woman to better provide for her family. She is teaching her children the same values that my parents taught me: that hard work and education matter. But they can only matter if you have access to opportunity, which is what Kiva helps to provide.

I still believe in charity to help those most in need. But this woman didn't need charity. She needed short-term access to funds to expand her business. Yes, the Kenyan economy is in need of reform to enable small entrepreneurs to access credit through private lending institutions. But clearly some people in the developing world are unwilling to wait patiently until the rules are rewritten so that they have a chance at improving their lot in life.

There is no one solution to the problem of poverty. War, corruption, disease, a lack of access to basic education, the need for political reform and a host of other factors all are all part of a cycle that keep much of the world in dire poverty. The fact that microlending does not immediately solve all of these problems (although citizens not concerned with the immediate issue of making sure their children are fed are more likely to pressure their governments to reform) does not mean it does not have a role to play. We need to stop looking for a quick fix. It isn't coming.

There isn't always a reason

2007-04-18T14:45:00.000-04:00

"If you try to put it into some broader sociological framework, you just risk saying something totally Jan Wong."

Andrew Potter on the Virginia Tech murders.

It was a horrible tragedy, there is no meaning to be found.

Enlightened Repression

2007-04-18T11:52:00.000-04:00

The European Union plans to enshrine in law denial of the holocaust and "grossly trivializing crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes”, except in cases where the genocide denial is state sanctioned:

In an attempt to assuage Turkish fears, several EU diplomats said the provisions would not penalise the denial of mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman troops in the aftermath of the 1915 collapse of the Ottoman empire. Turkey strongly rejects claims that this episode amounted to genocide.

Yeah, Turkey and the mainstream media.

Special care has also been made to protect the right to belittle the horrors of the Holocaust if it results in a high grossing film:

...the wording was designed to avoid criminalising comical plays or films about the Holocaust such as the Italian comedian Roberto Benigni’s prize-winning Life is Beautiful .

It will also exclude Stalinist crimes, presumably because there are still Stalinists in a number of European parliaments.

So, basically this law empowers the European Union to dictate the facts of history and punish those who question the official truth. But that's okay because it's our truth.

(Link via Damian Penny)

I'm Not Getting My Hopes Up

2007-04-17T20:42:00.000-04:00

I have absolutely no faith that the Sudanese government plans to honour its promise to let a UN peacekeeping force into Darfur. But wouldn't it have been a great way to call their bluff to have had troops pledged for the mission even before they agreed to it? The world has been pressuring Sudan to allow the force for years now, and now the U.N. has to do the embarrassing scramble to find troops. It's as though it had all been carefully planned out to give Khartoum to find a reason to change their mind.

I'm not even going to comment on the confidential report that says the Sudanese government has been disguising military planes as U.N. planes and using them for bombardments of villages. We're talking about the same people who send militias to rape and murder little girls. It is no more and no less than what I would expect of them.

Why Stop There?

2007-04-17T19:43:00.000-04:00

Toronto is considering a ban on transfats because -- if we don't all boil alive in the next five years as a result of global warming -- they are going to kill us.

Well, that's all well and good, and of course we can all agree that the government should make all of our decisions (major and minor) for us. But I'm confused as to why this new proposal is so narrow in scope. Even though I accept that trans fats are the single greatest threat to human kind since chlorofluorocarbons, I'm not sure they can be blamed for all of our ill health. There are all sorts of lifestyle choices that we know are good for us, and yet so many people are not making them. If Mayor Miller really cares for the people of this city he will take their health into his hands immediately. I propose that the following should become law within the city of Toronto:

1) No smoking. Obviously. Not just in public. Not just in front of children. Anywhere at all times. The evidence is in. It's bad for you.
2) At least 8 hours sleep a night. A good night's sleep is known to have many health benefits. Busy students, working parents, people addicted to Facebook, so few of us are getting enough sleep. It would also help save energy. Lights out from 11-7. Sweet dreams!
3) 6-8 glasses of water a day. The evidence is in. It's in every women's magazine. Water is good for you. Drink it.
4) One-a-day vitamins for all. Because there would be a cost associated with this one, the city will demand new money from the feds to pay for it (Our Money, Our Micronutrients!)
5) Each citizen's caloric intake will be limited based on recommendations from Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Living. Obviously eventually Toronto will need it's own food guide to reflect our ethnic diversity, dietary restrictions and special needs, but building a food guide takes time and we need action now!
6) Daily cardio and weekend yoga/pilates. Toronto needs to get moving!

Sure, there are those that claim that the city does not have the right to enforce such laws. But a careful reading of the new City of Toronto Act shows that Mayor Miller does indeed have such authority (morally if not legally).

In no time at all Toronto will not only be the Greenest City in North America^TM, but the Healthiest Metropolis in the Galaxy ^TM. And that's a city I want to live in!

Magna wives, lock up your men...

2007-04-12T08:37:00.000-04:00

Belinda's coming back!

Belinda Stronach has announced she will not be running for re-election and instead will be taking on a role as executive vice-chairman of Magna. Apparently daddy can't find anyone who's more qualified for the job than a university drop out who has never shown any ability to carry a task through to completion.

You see, this is why women don't enter politics: the pressures of family life are just too great.

I Suppose It Was Too Much To Expect that Miller Wouldn't Let All That Extra Power Go To His Head?

2007-03-27T10:10:00.000-04:00

Well now I understand why the City is obnoxiously demanding all that extra money from the Feds:

City staff were asked to hold the line on costs, but budget documents show Miller is proposing a 29.7 per cent increase for his office costs.
The mayor's office had an approved budget of $1.886 million for 19 staff in 2006 but Miller wants to add four more staff – two administrative officials and special advisers on economic development and climate change. Budget officials said that will hike the mayor's spending to $2.447 million for 2007.

Keeping in mind that municipalities have responsibility for environmental issues according to the constitution (right?), I dare you to find evidence of waste in the city budget!

Empty out your pockets Harper!

Why I Support the Tories

2007-03-19T21:57:00.000-04:00

"The duty-free threshold for shoppers spending 48-hours out of the country will rise to $400 from $200."

No, it's not enough. But apparently it'll have to be.

God I love budget day. It's always fun to see how the government will be buying us with our own money.

104

2007-03-05T23:35:00.000-05:00

How many U.N. recognized states can you name in 10 minutes?

My recall is worse than I thought... I forgot half of South and nearly all of Central America.

Link via FP Passport.

Well That Didn't Take Long Did It?

2007-03-02T13:52:00.000-05:00

Okay, so until this point, I've basically disliked Stephane Dion in the same way that I dislike every other Liberal. They're power hungry whores who like to pretend that they are somehow morally superior to everybody else, despite all evidence to the contrary. You can name your dog whatever you want, but actions speak louder than words.

But words do have the power to annoy. And when the leader of the Liberal Party suggests that I need the protection of the state just because I have an inny and he has an outie, it makes me kind of mad. I am not vulnerable and I certainly don't need some pathetic man claiming to speak on my behalf. I can't explain why other women allow themselves to be spoken about as if they were helpless children, but it's not okay, it is condescending and it is profoundly insulting.

Watching this man lose is going to be fun.

I Know There Are Administrative Costs But Surely 17% of the GST Adds Up To More Than A Penny

2007-02-28T17:20:00.000-05:00

I'm loving the rhetoric surrounding the money that cities are demanding from the feds. "It's our money!" No, its our money. As in, the taxpayers. The people of Toronto may have paid a significant share of the federal sales tax, but the City of Toronto certainly didn't.

I hate the assumption that just because I live in Toronto I want to see federal tax dollars going to city coffers. And I think it is inappropriate that the city is using my money to fund a political lobby (when it is supposedly so cash strapped). I'd rather have that "penny" myself thanks -- I feel pretty confident that I won't waste it subsidizing other people's aquafit classes.

The campaign just so dishonest. "Only a penny". Well sure, one penny in six. We could all play that game. Let's give it a try: All I ask, is that you, for the privilege of reading this blog, give me one penny. For every three that you earn. Who's in? Come on, it's only a penny!

I can't speak for people in other municipalities in Canada, but as a Toronto resident, I am very nervous about extra cash being handed over to the morons at City Hall. It's not that I have particular faith in any level of government, but nobody is even paying attention at the municipal level. And when government demands money, I like to see some accountability. I'm old fashioned that way. How is a guy in Moose Jaw supposed to demand accountability from a Toronto city councillor? My god, it's hard enough getting your own MP to answer mail (man, I'm gonna miss Bill Graham).

If the federal government gives in now, we're never going to see the end of it. The city got a portion of the gas tax, and extra funding from the province. Meanwhile, they continue to waste ridiculous sums of money supporting programs that should be privately funded (plus there's all those brooms for Mayor Miller!). Apparently there is just no limit to how much this city can spend. After all, we are trying to become the Greenest City in North America^TM. Sure, public transit works for some. But what if you don't live near a transit route? Do I hear subsidized ~~Piouses~~ Priuses for everyone?...

The Case For Homeschooling*

2007-02-28T14:17:00.000-05:00

I hated a lot of my teachers growing up. Luckily, none of them went this far.

*Don't worry, I haven't lost my mind. My children will go to school. I would like them to grow up to have a personality.

Don't Let The Closet Door Hit You on The Way Out

2007-02-23T10:30:00.000-05:00

In other Liberal news, it seems my old MP Bill Graham will be retiring as of the next election. I'll miss you Billy!

Bob Rae -- acknowledging with the rest of the country that this whole Stephan Dion farce probably isn't going to last very long -- is expected to run in Toronto Centre-Rosedale so that he'll be poised for another failed bid at the next Liberal leadership convention.

Dynasty

2007-02-23T10:19:00.000-05:00

I take it we've now all had a chance to get over the complete and utter shock that baby Trudeau will be running in the next election. I for one wish him well. Any man who uses his own father's funeral as an opportunity to begin his unofficial campaign will make an exceptional Liberal.

How About Mandatory Lights Out After Midnight?

2007-02-21T19:08:00.000-05:00

John Tory is leading the charge to ban incandescent light bulbs in Ontario. Apparently, Ontarians want to be at the cutting edge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Which is why we have to ban the use of the bulbs. Because people want to stop using them.

Mr. Tory has looked at how Ontarians live and determined that the biggest problem is our light bulbs. It's just so arbitrary. There are so many ways that we waste energy: heating and cooling badly insulated megahomes, extra freezers to store food until it goes bad, minifridges to keep pop and beer in the basement....

I like incandescent bulbs. And since I live in an apartment building, walk everywhere and don't eat meat (I feel the need to emphasize here that none of these things have anything to do with a desire to reduce my carbon footprint), I have very little tolerance for John (not so) Tory telling me how I should be lighting my home.

Genocide May Be Spreading to Chad

2007-02-16T20:26:00.000-05:00

UN Officials are concerned that the genocide in Darfur may be spreading into Chad. It began with janjaweed militia crossing the border, but now it seems that Chadians are participating in the violence.

Genocide rarely stays neatly within national borders. Given the history of rebellion and civil war moving between Sudan and Chad, it is hardly surprising that this has occurred. The fact that there was not better planning to avoid exactly this situation further highlights the worlds failure to respond to Darfur.

TNR Slow To Catch Up

2007-02-10T18:24:00.000-05:00

The New Republic has an editorial this week with the header: It's becoming obvious: No one is going to save Darfur .

They have been one of the most reliable voices on the subject of Darfur, but timing suggests a certain naivety on their part. Referring to the genocidaires, they say: "By now, these sadists and their powerful patrons must have figured out the obvious: that no one is going to stop them." Well yes, from their actions, I think that sadly they figured it out long before the good folks at TNR.

Bad Blogger

2007-02-10T18:02:00.000-05:00

I apologise yet again for the light posting. And yet again, I will blame illness and French philosophy. This time it was Foucault (I'm now officially a grad student). I'm actually starting to think one may be causing the other. Either French thought makes me sick or on some subconscious level I know that I can only start to make sense of this stuff while high on cough syrup.

Disco Sarko!

2007-01-31T16:48:00.000-05:00

I love it!

Why is it that the politicians that you get excited about are never the ones you get to vote for?

(Link via Andrew Potter)

Makes You Want To Buy A Hummer or Two

2007-01-30T14:51:00.000-05:00

"Global Cool is very aware of how tiresome a bunch of rock stars and movie actors can appear when trying to tell the public how to run their lives. "... but they're going to do it anyway!

There's nothing quite like Sienna Miller advising you to "Try Not To Fly". Here's Ms. Miller in New York yesterday, and here she is at Sundance last week, and at the Golden Globes the week before. No wonder the girl manages to stay so slim, that's an awful lot of cycling!

(Link via WWTDD)

Sudan Not to Chair AU

2007-01-29T23:24:00.000-05:00

Sudan has been stopped from assuming the leadership of the African Union by other African nations.

This can hardly be seen as a victory as it was preposterous that it had ever been promised to them in the first place. Apparently the terms they were given last year was that they needed to make progress "progress in bringing peace to Darfur".

That's a pretty low standard for leadership. "Try not to kill anyone for a little while and we'll put you in charge."

Sudan to Chair AU

2007-01-28T23:23:00.000-05:00

Sudan is set to chair the African Union. Some are lobbying to prevent them taking the leadership of the AU, but the decision to give the genocidal regime the chairmanship was made only last year when the atrocities in Darfur were already well documented.

"Countries with peacekeeping contingents in Darfur, such as Senegal and South Africa, are among those opposed, said the diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks."

"Whatever you do, don't let anyone know my government opposes genocide!"

Huh?

2007-01-28T17:26:00.000-05:00

“We hope that today’s announcement brings a small amount of comfort to Mr. Arar and his family, however, the Official Opposition will continue to hold this government accountable for their actions with respect to Mr. Arar,” said Mr. Dion.

If the Liberals had been in power in 2002, they would never have let the Syrians torture a Canadian citizen!

Ryszard Kapuscinski, RIP

2007-01-25T20:35:00.000-05:00

Ryszard Kapuscinski died on Tuesday in Poland. Kapuscinski was among my favourite authors. It is rare to find a book about civil war or dictatorship that is hard to put down, and yet he managed time and time again.

Of course, not everyone is convinced of Kapuscinski's genius. Today in Slate, Jack Shafer accuses him of being a liar.

Another Good Reason to Support Sarko

2007-01-23T13:30:00.000-05:00

As if the fact that Jacques Chirac despises him (and my school girl crush) wasn't enough, Nicolas Sarkozy's main rival for president, Segolene Royal, has declared her support for Quebec separatism.

Then again, I suppose if a declared separatist is allowed to be the Viceregal Consort of Canada then it's hypocritical to demand higher standards from the potential heads of state of other countries.

The BBC is a "reputable news organisation"

2007-01-22T23:46:00.000-05:00

I was (belatedly) reading the obituary of Hrant Dink on the BBC's website. The article explains that the murdered journalist wrote about the "genocide" of the Armenian Turks. I am somewhat confused, as I was under the impression that he actually wrote about the Armenian genocide.

The obituary is sprinkled with "alleged" and "Armenians say" and ends with the line "Ankara denies the allegations, saying the death were a part of World War I in the dying days of the Ottoman empire." Which is another way of saying, "we feel obligated enough to honour the memory of a fellow journalist with a brief little article, but not nearly obligated enough to piss off the Turkish government."

I'm really starting to believe that there is a Zionist conspiracy. When Mahmoud Ahmadinejad doubts the Jewish genocide, the whole world erupts in outrage. And yet major news organisations regularly question the Turkish slaughter of the Armenians and nobody seems to care.

Then again, maybe they're just afraid of getting shot.

You have got to be kidding me

2007-01-16T12:46:00.000-05:00

Mayor Miller has a solution to the problem of crime in Scarborough: the media should stop making reference to Scarborough when reporting crime. Instead, a crime should be said to have occurred near the closest intersection to the event. After all, (thanks to David Miller's BFF Mike Harris) Toronto is one big city! As we all know, the second major cause of crime, after poverty, is low self esteem. In no time, the people of Scarborough are going to be feeling much better about themselves, and the need to hurt somebody just so that they can feel something (anything) will be gone.

Come on everyone, give ~~Scarberia~~ Scarborough a hug! Do they have a ribbon yet? They should get a ribbon! Everyone wear ecru for Scarborough!

Link via Torontoist

Not quite enough rope to hang him by

2007-01-16T00:45:00.000-05:00

It seems Saddam's half-brother's head fell off when they were hanging him. Ooops! Now, I know that I'm supposed to be morally outraged by this, but I will confess that my reaction was "I hope it hurt!". In general, I am opposed to the death penalty, but when it comes to disposing of remnants of a genocidal regime I can't seem summon the compassion to care.

Having said that -- and I realise that I am extremely late in commenting -- Saddam should have been made to stand trial for his other crimes, particularly the Anfal campaign, before he was put to death.

However, I don't buy the argument that the chaotic nature of his execution made Saddam into a victim or significantly increased sympathy for him across the Arab world. It certainly highlighted the sectarianism within Iraq which is a problem for reasons that extend far beyond bringing the Baathists to justice. However, if you are the sort of person who is capable of seeing a victim in a genocidal dictator, are you really going to be swayed by bureaucratic order at the gallows?

Of course both Saddam's trial and his execution could have gone much more smoothly, and I wish that they had. But then I remember that Ratko Mladic is still living as a free man in Europe, and given the choice between imperfect justice and no justice at all, I know which I will pick.

Video Surveillance

2007-01-14T13:42:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, it was decided that they would put video surveillance cameras in my neighbourhood to protect visiting suburbanites during the holiday season. The business community wants to continue with this practice because they have the idea that this will make the area seem safer to outsiders. While I personally love nothing more than filthy consumerism, I think that taking the "no really, it's safe here!!!" approach keeps the memory of the 2005 Boxing Day murder fresh in everyone's mind. Torontoist weighs in on both sides of the video surveillance debate here.

I am against public video surveillance, but I never seem to agree with the publicly stated arguments against it. Here in Canada, those that oppose it tend to focus on the fact that a certain class of society will be targeted (i.e. the types of people that commit crimes. Which may involve racial, gender, age and socioeconomic "profiling"). While, there is probably a partial truth in that claim, regular people aren't likely to be swayed by an argument that says "these cameras will only target people who are statistically most likely to commit violent crime". Sadly they also rely on the fact that video surveillance isn't effective. This approach is wrong for two reasons: 1st as technology (particularly facial recognition) improves, video surveillance will become more effective (as most people actually don't want to walk around wearing hoodies and baseball caps, that level of protection is only useful to a certain subset of the population) and the argument becomes invalid; 2nd it assumes that were it effective it would be worth doing and causes people to look for better ways to monitor the public.

For example, while prohibitively expensive, the state could hire someone to follow us around at all times whenever we go out in public, keeping track of what we do. At first this would seem strange and intrusive, but eventually we would get used to it and continue to act as we did before we were tracked by human monitors. We are not required to interact with these people, and they can't follow us into our homes so what's the big deal? It keeps all of us safe, and is far more effective than video cameras. Unless I'm doing something wrong, why do I have reason to be worried? Private companies do it all the time, hiring plainclothes security guards who follow suspicious lookin' folk as they walk through stores.

Now, most reasonable people would agree that human monitors are a decidedly bad idea. But why? If video cameras are allowed to record every move that we make when we are outside (and when people start making reference to how effective it has been in London, that is essentially what we are talking about), the state could have a person remotely watch everything we do in public at all times. Whether or not this is actually what would occur, they would have that ability. I suppose that you could argue that because the media of the lens and the screen intervene, it is not the same thing (what a good little McLuhanite you are, do go on....).

So yes, Walmart may choose to track every move I make while I am in their store, but this is very different than the state tracking me as I walk the streets to work. First of all, Walmart is private property and I don't actually have a right to be there. And, despite their everyday low prices, I don't actually need to go into a Walmart. As a Canadian, I am allowed to walk the streets at will. Since I have decided not to be a hermit, I am required to walk on public streets at least some of the time. Walmart allows me to enter their establishment with the understanding that I am likely there to buy things or at least browse what they have to offer. Should I have a reputation as a trouble causer, they would have every right to ask me to leave. Despite what the Naomi Kleins of the world think, the fact that we treat private establishments like public places does not actually make it so. Unless there is a warrant out for my arrest or I am breaking the law at that time, the fact that I am a known 'trouble causer' would not be a perfectly legitimate reason to ask me to leave Yonge St.

Furthermore, should I take something off the shelf at Walmart, they have every right to stop me from leaving their premises unless I pay for the item or put it back on the shelf. If I do not do so, they can call the police and have them look into the matter. Walmart cannot, however, get a description of me, investigate, take me from my home, put me on trial and lock me in a cage for a year until I learn my lesson. Because we give the state this right (and, like most people, I think that it is good that we do to maintain order in society), we have to limit the power that we give them in general.

When I hear that video cameras have helped to capture terrorists or people who raped and murdered small children, there is certainly part of me that feels that is temporarily swayed by the "surveillance = protection" argument. But the fact remains that installing video cameras on public streets means that we have given the police the power to monitor the movement of free people through society at all times. There are many ways that we could let the government intervene in our lives to make us safe, but that doesn't mean that we should (I'm looking at you New York City). Every time we give them more power, we deny ourselves rights. No, I don't have the right to go out in public unseen, but I should have the right to participate in public life without being under constant monitoring by the state.

Have We Learned Nothing in Over 40 Years?

2007-01-10T21:40:00.000-05:00

ABC's Primetime News has replicated the Milgram Obedience Experiments. The findings are quite troubling.

It seems that they were able to find 40 well educated people who, when asked to obey an authority figure and administer increasingly painful electrical shocks to another human being as part of a study on learning and memory, did not respond "hey, wait a minute, isn't this the Milgram experiment?".

Germany Backs Out of Worst Idea Ever

2007-01-04T11:52:00.000-05:00

Germany has come to its senses and pulled out of a research project to build a European search engine that will compete with Google (hee!). The French remain committed to the search engine that is to be named "Quaero", which apparently translates literally as "I seek" in Latin, but is better defined as "boondoggle".

The project which was initially expected to cost between 1 to 2 billion Euros, and therefore likely to cost between 10-12 billion Euros before it gets off the ground, will take an innovative approach to search. Like traditional search engines, it will allow users to type their query into a web based search box. However, rather than instantaneously returning a list web pages or "hits" (which we can all agree is a decidedly Anglo-America approach to search), a committee of French intellectuals and civil servants fresh out of ENA will determine the best source for a particular piece of information and send it to the user by mail.

Link via Passport

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T20:55:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not I didn't forget that I have a blog. I was in Paris for a week and have spent the time since I've been back relaxing. New Year's resolution: more frequent posts.

Happy Anniversary to Me and Mine!

2006-12-12T12:45:00.000-05:00

It was 20 years ago today that the Varley clan arrived in Canada.

This is the front page of the Toronto Star from that day.

Iran/U.S. relations, CSIS, concerns about Canadian identity. How times have changed....

My Blogroll Just Got a Little Shorter

2006-12-08T16:58:00.000-05:00

Andrew Sullivan comes dangerously close to a Bush/Hitler analogy today. It has been rather painful to read him of late, but this is intolerable.

I wonder if they'll let him blog on the way to the gas chamber...

Happy Anniversary to Me!

2006-12-08T12:15:00.000-05:00

Bitter Lemon turns 2 today! Two years may not seem like a long time, but 2004 was practically another era. If you recall, the big international news was that the Russian government may have had a hand in poisoning someone. It's really great to see that the Russians have used the past two years as a time of growth. I mean, do you know how hard it is to kill a man with Dioxin?!

Letter to Dean David Ellwood, Kennedy School of Government

2006-12-02T18:05:00.000-05:00

Dear Dean Ellwood,

Approximately one year ago, I resigned from my position at Harvard. At that time, it was my belief that I could better serve the world by seeking elected office in my native Canada. Since then, I have had time to carefully reconsider. I do not believe that my academic life is over, and feel that a position in Canadian government is not the best stage from which to fight for human rights around the world. As such, I respectfully request that you fire Sarah Sewall and return me to my position of Director of the Carr Center. While I applaud Professor Sewall's work and appreciate the commitment she has shown to the Center, I think you will agree with me that her intellectual celebrity does not compare to my own. Human Rights is one of the most important issues of our time, and the Carr Center needs a star such as myself to bring attention to its work.

I look forward to working with you again.

Yours Sincerely,
Michael Ignatieff
Director (?)
Carr Center for Human Rights
Kennedy School of Government
Harvard University

p.s. I understand the that timing may seem suspicious. I assure you that I made my decision prior to the delegates selection of Stephane "The New York Times Never Asks My Opinion" Dion as the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada

Yaaawwn

2006-12-02T18:00:00.000-05:00

It's Dion.

Huh? III

2006-12-02T16:56:00.000-05:00

Further incoherent rambling from our former PM. He is bragging about his close relationship with the Chinese. Apparently he challenged them on human rights when no one else did. I'm learning so much about the Chretien years today. He was a wonderful leader!

Anyway, apparently Hu Jintao or Jiang Zemin (I can't understand a damn word he says) told him that Canada is China's best friend. Under the conservatives this relationship is falling apart. Shame Stephen Harper, shame! How dare you upset the communist dictators?

Huh? II

2006-12-02T16:51:00.000-05:00

Chretien is whinging about the cuts the Conservatives have made to "social programs" despite the plentiful cash from taxpayers just waiting around to be spent. Among the programs he listed? "Women". I, for one, am glad I have been cut loose from the government.

(yes, I get that he meant Status of Women, but I don't think it is acceptable that one needs to decode what a man in his position means when he says something)

Huh?

2006-12-02T16:46:00.000-05:00

The Little Guy From Shawinigan is speaking to a rapt audience (don't get it, never will). He's going on about all the wonderful things that the Liberals have done: saved the environment, solved Africa's problems, made money fall from the sky and made time travel possible, etc, etc. Among the things he said is that they are the party that said "No" to the war in Iraq. The crowd goes wild!!!! Including, interestingly, Ignatieff's bitches. They do realize that he supported the war right?

Bob Rae is moving across the floor (but where to?)

2006-12-02T14:49:00.000-05:00

With him are Judy Sgro, Ralph Goodale, Joe Volpe and Greg Sorbara. It's a veritable who's who of Liberal scandal.

From gangsters to gansta -- the new Liberal Party

2006-12-02T13:49:00.000-05:00

Offering commentary on CBC from the Liberal Leadership Convention, Andrew Coyne just referred to the infighting among the Libs as being like "crips and bloods".

Biggie Ig better watch his back!

It's On

2006-11-29T14:08:00.000-05:00

Nicolas Sarkozy has announced his intention to run for the French presidency saying "I feel I have the strength, the energy and the desire to propose a different view of France..." I believe he does too, a view in which Bitter Lemon can be in love with the President of France.

I'm currently reading his autobiography, which is a bit of a challenge because it doesn't come out in English until next year. So far, the introduction has taught me that cheesiness knows no national or linguistic barriers.

Bonne chance Sarko!

Go Shopping!

2006-11-24T16:59:00.000-05:00

In honour of Buy Nothing Day (I'm leaving for the mall in a moment), there's an interesting interview with Andrew Potter, co-author of The Rebel Sell over at Torontoist.

I very much enjoyed reading The Rebel Sell, but since I've never had any sort of problem with consumerism, I didn't really need to be convinced that culture jamming doesn't work. But it's always fun to read about the hypocrisy in supposedly progressive movements.

... you respond to your critics regarding your argument against organic food. And while these issues might be trendy (or “cool”) in some ways, is it not better that people are somewhat aware and thinking critically about things?
No, I don’t think so. That’s not to say that I don’t think there’s anything worthwhile about various forms of ethical consumption. Joe and I both think that ethical consumption is a good thing. If you want to buy a [Toyota] Prius to save the environment, go for it. If you only want to invest in [particular] stocks- no military, no tobacco and that sort of thing- excellent. There’s all kinds of great things you can do. They’ll be minimally useful, but there’s nothing wrong with them.

There are a number of things where people say, “Well, isn’t it at least sort of good that we’re doing this?” Organic food is one of them. It’s not a good thing to do if what you have is a form of status competition masquerading as ethical consumption. And I think it’s fairly obvious that’s what’s going on with organic food. A lot of people disagree. I think that the best way to see this is to look at how advocates of organic food behave. And very recently Walmart announced that they were going to move in a big way into the organic food business. And if you genuinely believed that organic food was a good thing and that the more people who bought it the better, then you should’ve greeted Walmart’s announcement with unalloyed glee. Here was the major evil retailer in the world conceding that there was a mass market for this- it would be like the Canadian Pension Plan announcing it would only invest in ethical mutual funds. This is a major coup. Except that’s not how the organic food people reacted- they reacted with hostility. And the reason is because suddenly the masses have access to some ethical thing that had been a status good. So what they said was, ‘Walmart isn’t selling ‘real organic’, because the organic food they’re getting is going to be manufactured for use by industrial organic farming.’ [Now there’s] a battle between the organic movement and the local movement. The local people are saying, ‘The true spirit of organic food is found in the local movement. It’s not just only the inputs that matter, it’s where it’s made that matters.’
What you’re seeing here is a bald-faced moving of the goal posts. In the same way people moved the goal posts in music or in cool clothes or sneakers- a way of getting away from the masses. It’s a classic Rebel Sell moment. To me, the reaction of the organic food supporters on this has been disgraceful. In a way that has shown the entire world that their favourite organic food was entirely a function of the status it accorded them and not the benefits it has for the world.

I actively avoid organic foods, 'cos it doesn't seem like a very practical way to feed the over six billion people on Earth ~~and I like the way chemical pesticides make me glow in the dark~~ . Every once in a while I'll run into someone who claims I'm not a "real" vegetarian because of this. The trick is to ask them why they feel only the wealthy should be able to afford to eat, and then sneak away when they start their tirade against "the system".

First Lindsay, then Britney, now Belinda

2006-11-22T14:23:00.000-05:00

Got a bit of a reputation as a bad girl? Sick of people ignoring your talent and only talking about who you're sleeping with? Want people to take you seriously for a change? Have you considered dying your hair?

What Can He Say, He Enjoys Being A Pariah

2006-11-20T10:39:00.000-05:00

Everyone's favourite 80s dictator, Muammar Gaddafi is back in the news again. This time he is claiming that there is no genocide in Darfur and that it is just the West's attempt to get their hands on Sudanese oil. You know, because the Sudanese government has proven so reluctant to sell it.

Well, I suppose it is important for the nutjob pacifist left to have someone to rally around.