Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Big of '08 (for realz)
I have to call bullshit on your Big of '08 list, Mike.
Sub-Prime Mortgages in '08, yes.
But... Iran is soo last year. Weirdo cat and doc pics in fish-eye lens photography on little stickers had its day in Japan in 2004. And arugula? Come on...Get with the '90s!
I say 2008 is the year of
- BLACK PEOPLE (very in vogue these days)
- BLACK AS THE ACTUAL NEW BLACK (weird coincidence, eh?)
- HAIR AS A FONT
Sub-Prime Mortgages in '08, yes.
But... Iran is soo last year. Weirdo cat and doc pics in fish-eye lens photography on little stickers had its day in Japan in 2004. And arugula? Come on...Get with the '90s!
I say 2008 is the year of
- BLACK PEOPLE (very in vogue these days)
- BLACK AS THE ACTUAL NEW BLACK (weird coincidence, eh?)
- HAIR AS A FONT
Big in '08
You know what I just remembered today? Those shows that VH1 used to produce (maybe they still do?) at the end of each year called "Big in [whatever year it is]". It was the funniest and best shit on TV. There was no coherence to it whatsoever....they just gave out "awards" to people, places, things, and abstract concepts that were popular or newsworthy that year. For example, the year that March Of The Penguins came out, They declared "Penguins" to be big and backed up their claim with a montage of penguins in popular culture. Then some dudes dressed up as penguins accepted the award on behalf of penguins in general. Awesome.
Other past winners of this prestigious award include Trucker Hats, the time when Clay Aiken beat Ruben Stoddard on American Idol, and the Environment.
This got me thinking about what might be considered "big in '08", or maybe the last half of '07. Some ideas:
-Subprime Mortgages
-Iran
-Those pictures of funny-looking cats with captions written in text-message language
-Arugula
Any additions?
Other past winners of this prestigious award include Trucker Hats, the time when Clay Aiken beat Ruben Stoddard on American Idol, and the Environment.
This got me thinking about what might be considered "big in '08", or maybe the last half of '07. Some ideas:
-Subprime Mortgages
-Iran
-Those pictures of funny-looking cats with captions written in text-message language
-Arugula
Any additions?
Smokestack, BASc, LLB
I just finished law school and I'm pretty happy about it... so I thought I'd blog it out. Word.
The Strike
Those of you who don't live in Toronto may have not heard that the TTC went on strike this weekend. Here's basically what happened: The union was threatening a strike for weeks, and the deadline was last Sunday (April 20). They promised to give at least 48 hours notice if they were going to walk off the job, but at the last minute they reached a deal and a strike was averted. However, when it came time to vote on the new agreement, 65% of the union members rejected it. So on this past Friday night at 11 PM, they announced that they were going on strike at Midnight.
Obviously, this pissed a lot of people off - especially all the people who were stranded somewhere in Toronto on Friday night (luckily I wasn't one of them). David Miller looked like a red-headed fourth grader who just got picked on....He was one TV camera away from a full-blown fistfight with Bob Kinnear. A lot of people respect the union's right to strike, but everyone seems to agree that they had no reason to not give the 48 hours notice (or at least finish service for that night) and screwed over a lot of people by refusing to do so.
Back-to-work legislation was easily passed by all 3 parties on Sunday, and the TTC was back in service well in time for the morning rush today.
The debate now around here is whether or not to declare public transit an essential service. But I think another debate should be had: Whether or not we should be open to private mass transit. I'm inherently skeptical about privatizing any important service that is normally public, but I can't really think of any good reason why we shouldn't have private transit. (Ok, there are a few, but I don't think they outweigh the benefits). If a private company can provide mass transit of equal or superior quality for an equal or lesser fare than the TTC, then why not? Of course there would be problems with 100% private ownership (unprofitable routes not being covered, etc.) but surely there is some sort of two-tiered structure that could work. It has before....up until the 1930s mass transit was predominantly private and it really only failed because those companies were all built before people actually drove cars. But maybe it's a terrible idea and I'm just being extra unsympathetic to the TTC union today. Thoughts?
Obviously, this pissed a lot of people off - especially all the people who were stranded somewhere in Toronto on Friday night (luckily I wasn't one of them). David Miller looked like a red-headed fourth grader who just got picked on....He was one TV camera away from a full-blown fistfight with Bob Kinnear. A lot of people respect the union's right to strike, but everyone seems to agree that they had no reason to not give the 48 hours notice (or at least finish service for that night) and screwed over a lot of people by refusing to do so.
Back-to-work legislation was easily passed by all 3 parties on Sunday, and the TTC was back in service well in time for the morning rush today.
The debate now around here is whether or not to declare public transit an essential service. But I think another debate should be had: Whether or not we should be open to private mass transit. I'm inherently skeptical about privatizing any important service that is normally public, but I can't really think of any good reason why we shouldn't have private transit. (Ok, there are a few, but I don't think they outweigh the benefits). If a private company can provide mass transit of equal or superior quality for an equal or lesser fare than the TTC, then why not? Of course there would be problems with 100% private ownership (unprofitable routes not being covered, etc.) but surely there is some sort of two-tiered structure that could work. It has before....up until the 1930s mass transit was predominantly private and it really only failed because those companies were all built before people actually drove cars. But maybe it's a terrible idea and I'm just being extra unsympathetic to the TTC union today. Thoughts?
Saturday, April 26, 2008
The World Hates Us
Yet another instance of a world observer calling bullshit on the Harper government for being unproductive, arrogant and un-Canadian. Climate change, bill C-10, and now the global food crisis, and all this on top of Afghanistan. It seems to me that Canadians want to appear more level-headed about badmouthing their (minority) government than critics of the Bush administration have been, but it's about time to realize that Harper is continuing to damage our international reputation as badly as Bush has that of the U.S. I don't purport to understand the full implications or complexities of the food crisis, but as a dude who likes to travel, I don't appreciate our Prime Minister making people everywhere more inclined to think I'm an asshole right off the bat.
Friday, April 25, 2008
How many times does this have to happen?
Three detectives were found not guilty Friday on all charges in the shooting death of Sean Bell, who died in a hail of 50 police bullets outside a club in Jamaica, Queens, in November 2006. The verdict prompted calls for calm from the mayor, angry promises of protests by those speaking for the Bell family and expressions of relief by the detectives.
Here's a break down of the case.
A similar case went through the courts when I was living in New York. That time, a recent, unarmed immigrant was attempting to get his keys to unlock his front door when officers called out from the street for him to put his hands up; he didn't and continued to search for his keys out of his jacket pocket, which the cops interpreted as him reaching for his gun. They shot him 41 times.
Privacy
Good decision on privacy rights from the Supreme Court this morning. They ruled that searches of bags in public places based only on police being alerted by drug sniffing dogs are unconstitutional. The searches in question breached the protection from unreasonable search and seizure under s. 8 of the Charter. The actual decisions (there were two decisions released together) are here and here.
Recycling Expanded in B.C.
B.C. EXPANDS LIST OF REGULATED RECYCLABLE PRODUCTS
VICTORIA – The government of British Columbia intends to add mercury-containing products such as light bulbs and thermostats to the provincial Recycling Regulation, Environment Minister Barry Penner announced today.
“Recycling waste and other discarded items protects both public health and the environment,” Penner said. “After extensive consultations with industry and stakeholders, we have identified priority products to add to the Recycling Regulation, enhancing B.C.’s role as a leader in recycling initiatives.”
In addition to adding mercury-containing items, an expansion to the existing list of recyclable electronic products is also being planned. This will allow the current list of recyclable electronics to go beyond televisions, computers, laptops, monitors, keyboards, printers and computer periphery, and cover products such as stereos, cellphones and other hand-held devices.
“We welcome this measure, which will divert mercury from landfills and keep it out of our rivers, lakes and fish,” said Kathryn Molloy, executive director of Sierra Club B.C. “It is encouraging that the ministry is also considering solutions for a range of non-computer electronics that would address the impact of their cancer-causing compounds such as fire-retardants.”
Some electronic devices contain toxic metals like mercury, lead and cadmium. If improperly disposed of, these potential pollutants, as well as the mercury contained in products such as light bulbs and thermostats, may end up in surface and ground water. Recycling items containing these harmful pollutants will substantially curb their negative impact on the environment.
“This is a welcome and needed development,” said Brock MacDonald, executive director of the Recycling Council of British Columbia. “Extended producer responsibility programs such as this one not only divert waste from landfills, they also shift the cost and the burden of managing the materials from municipal taxpayers to industry and consumers, where it belongs.”
Under B.C.’s Recycling Regulation, industry is responsible for collecting and recycling any regulated products it manufactures or sells. It is expected that manufacturers will develop and implement their own product stewardship plans to comply with the latest additions to the regulation. These plans should be ready for public consultation and further development in 2009.
“B.C. residents have embraced our electronics recycling program,” said Alda Nicmans, executive director of the Electronics Stewardship Association of B.C., a non-profit association comprising the major producers, wholesalers and retailers of electronic products in the province. “Since the program’s launch in August 2007, over 4,200 metric tonnes of electronic waste have been safely recycled through reputable industries at depots and collection events throughout the province – meaning that these electronic products are no longer going to landfills or being illegally exported. We are looking forward to working with the ministry on the expansion of our successful program.”
“Retail Council members are involved in more than 40 recycling programs across Canada, including electronics, oil, tires and paint here in B.C.,” said Max Logan, British Columbia director of government relations for the Retail Council of Canada. “As the sellers of these products and the touch point for consumers and manufacturers, we look forward to working with the B.C. government to develop new and expanded recycling programs, and to help reduce our province’s collective environmental footprint.”
Industry-led stewardship programs facilitate material recovery and reuse, supporting the secondary processing industry and eventually eliminating these reusable/recyclable materials from municipal landfills. There are currently nine industry groups in B.C. operating recycling programs for electronics, paint, oil, beverage containers, tires, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, gasoline, solvents and flammable liquids.
Visit www.recycling.gov.bc.ca to learn more about product stewardship in B.C.
VICTORIA – The government of British Columbia intends to add mercury-containing products such as light bulbs and thermostats to the provincial Recycling Regulation, Environment Minister Barry Penner announced today.
“Recycling waste and other discarded items protects both public health and the environment,” Penner said. “After extensive consultations with industry and stakeholders, we have identified priority products to add to the Recycling Regulation, enhancing B.C.’s role as a leader in recycling initiatives.”
In addition to adding mercury-containing items, an expansion to the existing list of recyclable electronic products is also being planned. This will allow the current list of recyclable electronics to go beyond televisions, computers, laptops, monitors, keyboards, printers and computer periphery, and cover products such as stereos, cellphones and other hand-held devices.
“We welcome this measure, which will divert mercury from landfills and keep it out of our rivers, lakes and fish,” said Kathryn Molloy, executive director of Sierra Club B.C. “It is encouraging that the ministry is also considering solutions for a range of non-computer electronics that would address the impact of their cancer-causing compounds such as fire-retardants.”
Some electronic devices contain toxic metals like mercury, lead and cadmium. If improperly disposed of, these potential pollutants, as well as the mercury contained in products such as light bulbs and thermostats, may end up in surface and ground water. Recycling items containing these harmful pollutants will substantially curb their negative impact on the environment.
“This is a welcome and needed development,” said Brock MacDonald, executive director of the Recycling Council of British Columbia. “Extended producer responsibility programs such as this one not only divert waste from landfills, they also shift the cost and the burden of managing the materials from municipal taxpayers to industry and consumers, where it belongs.”
Under B.C.’s Recycling Regulation, industry is responsible for collecting and recycling any regulated products it manufactures or sells. It is expected that manufacturers will develop and implement their own product stewardship plans to comply with the latest additions to the regulation. These plans should be ready for public consultation and further development in 2009.
“B.C. residents have embraced our electronics recycling program,” said Alda Nicmans, executive director of the Electronics Stewardship Association of B.C., a non-profit association comprising the major producers, wholesalers and retailers of electronic products in the province. “Since the program’s launch in August 2007, over 4,200 metric tonnes of electronic waste have been safely recycled through reputable industries at depots and collection events throughout the province – meaning that these electronic products are no longer going to landfills or being illegally exported. We are looking forward to working with the ministry on the expansion of our successful program.”
“Retail Council members are involved in more than 40 recycling programs across Canada, including electronics, oil, tires and paint here in B.C.,” said Max Logan, British Columbia director of government relations for the Retail Council of Canada. “As the sellers of these products and the touch point for consumers and manufacturers, we look forward to working with the B.C. government to develop new and expanded recycling programs, and to help reduce our province’s collective environmental footprint.”
Industry-led stewardship programs facilitate material recovery and reuse, supporting the secondary processing industry and eventually eliminating these reusable/recyclable materials from municipal landfills. There are currently nine industry groups in B.C. operating recycling programs for electronics, paint, oil, beverage containers, tires, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, gasoline, solvents and flammable liquids.
Visit www.recycling.gov.bc.ca to learn more about product stewardship in B.C.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Why Adam Porter's predictions are wrong
Matt Yglesias tells it like it is.
This whole argument about "who can win" is ridiculous. John McCain is at his absolute peak right now because he doesn't have an opponent, and he'll be down 10 points as soon as the Democrats actually pick someone. There's no reason that either of the candidates couldn't easily win so it's time for the superdelegates to cut the bullshit and just choose. The news cycles are getting very tiresome and annoying. I'm way more interested in penis theft.
"What voters "know" about the three candidates right now is that John McCain is a war hero maverick, Hillary Clinton is a castrating harpy, and Barack Obama is a radical black Muslim and given that...the race is about tied."
This whole argument about "who can win" is ridiculous. John McCain is at his absolute peak right now because he doesn't have an opponent, and he'll be down 10 points as soon as the Democrats actually pick someone. There's no reason that either of the candidates couldn't easily win so it's time for the superdelegates to cut the bullshit and just choose. The news cycles are getting very tiresome and annoying. I'm way more interested in penis theft.
WINNER!!! - Most Terrifying Headline Ever Award
Ready for it.....
"Lynchings in Congo as penis theft panic hits capital"
Now try to imagine if this headline described where you live.
"Lynchings in Congo as penis theft panic hits capital"
Now try to imagine if this headline described where you live.
I Declare A Winner In The Democratic Primaries
And the winner is... me. Why, you ask? Because even though I sometimes try to contribute to the political discussions on this blog, they mostly go way beyond my basic opinions about politics, which have pretty much been consistent since I realized that the slobbering douchebags in my university classes who were members of partisan youth groups were also the ones who would end up running for office. They go roughly as follows: as much as we are told that, as we grow older, politics should matter to us because knowing about them is what gives us power, they are in actuality about nothing more than vicious self-interest, grabbing at as much power and money as you can convince a bunch of idiots to throw at you, wearing ties, getting your teeth whitened and trying to craft plausible sounding justifications for being a complete and total asshole.
As much as it pains me to condemn such a great TV drama, I officially posit that it doesn't matter who wins the White House, because this primary fiasco has proven me right: all of these people are hot turd sandwiches with processed cheese and corn relish. As such, I win. And I pledge to henceforth post only about more important stuff, like cool audio products and panagrams and cat sharks.
As much as it pains me to condemn such a great TV drama, I officially posit that it doesn't matter who wins the White House, because this primary fiasco has proven me right: all of these people are hot turd sandwiches with processed cheese and corn relish. As such, I win. And I pledge to henceforth post only about more important stuff, like cool audio products and panagrams and cat sharks.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Neoconservative Jack Bauer
Seems as though "24" has directly influenced torture policies in the US. Yikes.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
The Pentagon's TV Warriors
Big story in the New York Times today about how, in 2006, so-called military analysts working for major news networks were fed talking points by Donald Rumsfeld, in an attempt to deflect attention from criticisms made by a group of generals suggesting Rumsfeld should step down.
The notion that media is a mouthpiece for government is well-known. I like to argue that it's also unhelpful, in that it provides that same government with an easy way to foster a general distrust and disillusionment with media in cases where it's actually making important points.
The Times story is an incredibly damning indictment of American news. It shows exactly how media can be made into a propaganda machine -- the shadows of suspicion, paranoia and conspiracy are removed, and you can see the direct approach the Bush administration has taken to controlling coverage of its policies.
However, I think a key thing to keep in mind while reading this is that the Times is news media, too. This is certainly an important piece of reporting, done by a major American news outlet -- a good instance of the media monster checking itself and, through exposing a massive flaw, also reaffirming why, when it works, it is an absolutely essential element of a functional democracy. A blogger can make as much noise as he wants about corruption in mainstream media, but it takes a source with the reach and influence of the Times to make these kinds of stories catalysts for change.
The notion that media is a mouthpiece for government is well-known. I like to argue that it's also unhelpful, in that it provides that same government with an easy way to foster a general distrust and disillusionment with media in cases where it's actually making important points.
The Times story is an incredibly damning indictment of American news. It shows exactly how media can be made into a propaganda machine -- the shadows of suspicion, paranoia and conspiracy are removed, and you can see the direct approach the Bush administration has taken to controlling coverage of its policies.
However, I think a key thing to keep in mind while reading this is that the Times is news media, too. This is certainly an important piece of reporting, done by a major American news outlet -- a good instance of the media monster checking itself and, through exposing a massive flaw, also reaffirming why, when it works, it is an absolutely essential element of a functional democracy. A blogger can make as much noise as he wants about corruption in mainstream media, but it takes a source with the reach and influence of the Times to make these kinds of stories catalysts for change.
South Africans
The South Africans people seem a lot more concerned about the political repression in Zimbabwe than President Mbeki. This story is about how the South African dock workers union refused to unload a cargo ship full of Chinese arms destined for Zimbabwe. The ship ended up leaving the port at Durban and is currently headed for Maputo in Mozambique. Lets hope we see the same level of solidarity among Mozambican dock workers.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
The Saddest Songs Ever
It's not exactly stirring political commentary, but since there are some music buffs who read this, I'm curious to know what your votes are.
It ain't no thang
Remember how we were talking about political code words a while back, when Huckabee was talking about his new "vertical" form of politics and shit? Well check out this video at about 2:25 in, and witness Obama engaging in some code that is, shall we say, gangsta-ass.
Ben Smith calls it a "great little generational dogwhistle".
what what?
Ben Smith calls it a "great little generational dogwhistle".
what what?
World Famous McConvey
I decided to wander over to Joel's blog at The Walrus, and very much enjoyed this post about stuff Korean people like.
While fan death is (and will always be) the best thing ever about Korea, I also appreciated Joel's defense of eating dogs. Seriously, I did! People who happily eat cows and pigs and wear fur but will go blow up the home of anyone who's ever eaten a dog really bug me. If you're gonna eat meat, get behind it! Eat cats too! (I hope that my tone isn't being misunderstood. I really do believe this.)
Anyways, speaking of dogs, I read a really good article about those dudes today and will post about it soon.
While fan death is (and will always be) the best thing ever about Korea, I also appreciated Joel's defense of eating dogs. Seriously, I did! People who happily eat cows and pigs and wear fur but will go blow up the home of anyone who's ever eaten a dog really bug me. If you're gonna eat meat, get behind it! Eat cats too! (I hope that my tone isn't being misunderstood. I really do believe this.)
Anyways, speaking of dogs, I read a really good article about those dudes today and will post about it soon.
Gotcha!
I only watched the first 10 minutes or so of the Obama/Clinton debate last night, but I still had a hunch that it was going to be a new lowpoint for these things. It's quite remarkable that the main media story about the debate today is the disgusting way Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos conducted themselves, instead of anything a candidate actually said.
The reaction among the mainstream media is amusing. Kinda reminds me of when a bunch of inmates in a prison - all criminals themselves - decide to punish the inmate who just arrived to serve time for a particularly heinous crime. They know they're all guilty, but there are still lines that can be crossed.
There's an article (open letter, actually) in the Philadelphia Daily News that does a good job of summing up why last night's debate and campaign coverage in general has gotten so offensive.
I won't get into it more, because I'm not even really sure if we should be blaming the media, the policians, or ourselves for this garbage. But I do envy certain people who will be able to spend coming months in far away places where the most offensive media looks like this, this, this, or my personal favourite as always, this.
The reaction among the mainstream media is amusing. Kinda reminds me of when a bunch of inmates in a prison - all criminals themselves - decide to punish the inmate who just arrived to serve time for a particularly heinous crime. They know they're all guilty, but there are still lines that can be crossed.
There's an article (open letter, actually) in the Philadelphia Daily News that does a good job of summing up why last night's debate and campaign coverage in general has gotten so offensive.
I won't get into it more, because I'm not even really sure if we should be blaming the media, the policians, or ourselves for this garbage. But I do envy certain people who will be able to spend coming months in far away places where the most offensive media looks like this, this, this, or my personal favourite as always, this.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Raining McCain
Turns out that Raining McCain video was a parody. Brilliant. It was a perfect combination of making me want to believe it was real, and giving it that homemade authenticity that let me believe what I wanted to.
Smart Tactics
Forcing builders of coal power plants to incorporate litigation costs into their budgeting.
Out of touch.
I'm really surprised that this whole "bitter" thing with Obama has actually caught some steam. All he said was that when blue collar people lose their jobs and are fucked and no one in the government - despite election year promises - does anything to help them, they stop voting economically (since it doesn't seem to make a difference) and instead turn into values voters. What is remotely controversial about that?! Does anyone even really argue that it's not true?
When it's revealed that your pastor/spiritual advisor hates the country that you want to be the president of, that is a good juicy scandal. But this one, I don't get.
I hope that there are Democrats out there reasonable enough to step up and tell Hillary Clinton to just stop talking. She's undermining a credible defense against what will now be a republican attack line. It's not going to save her candidacy, because no one can go back in time and change the numbers. So all she's doing is prolonging the inevitable and continuing to tear her own party apart.
When it's revealed that your pastor/spiritual advisor hates the country that you want to be the president of, that is a good juicy scandal. But this one, I don't get.
I hope that there are Democrats out there reasonable enough to step up and tell Hillary Clinton to just stop talking. She's undermining a credible defense against what will now be a republican attack line. It's not going to save her candidacy, because no one can go back in time and change the numbers. So all she's doing is prolonging the inevitable and continuing to tear her own party apart.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Nothing to See Here
South African President Thabo Mbeki: Blatant vote-rigging, refusal to publish election results, mass arrests, beatings of political opposition, starvation of the populace, 100,000% inflation, martial law and de facto coup in Zimbabwe are all "normal".
Friday, April 11, 2008
Tenure and Torture
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Secession
Should New York City secede from New York State? My answer: yes. But check out this op-ed in the Atlantic for the argument. It's in reaction to Albany's rejection of congestion pricing in NYC.
I think it's generally a good idea for dense urban areas to govern themselves independently of vast rural areas with distinctly different problems and politics. How much does the lower mainland really have in common with Fort St. John and Fort Nelson? Or the golden horseshoe with Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie? This all goes back to my suggestions earlier that we need more debate on constitutional amendment in western democracies. The division of powers between federal and provincial governments (and lack of constitutional power for municipalities) was established in 1867. We have a very different country now, with much higher rates of urbanization and an entirely different set of challenges for governments to address. It would be much easier to address underlying structural problems of governance with respect to the proper division of powers if we had a political culture that was more introspective of our institutions and more open to public discourse on constitutional change.
I think it's generally a good idea for dense urban areas to govern themselves independently of vast rural areas with distinctly different problems and politics. How much does the lower mainland really have in common with Fort St. John and Fort Nelson? Or the golden horseshoe with Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie? This all goes back to my suggestions earlier that we need more debate on constitutional amendment in western democracies. The division of powers between federal and provincial governments (and lack of constitutional power for municipalities) was established in 1867. We have a very different country now, with much higher rates of urbanization and an entirely different set of challenges for governments to address. It would be much easier to address underlying structural problems of governance with respect to the proper division of powers if we had a political culture that was more introspective of our institutions and more open to public discourse on constitutional change.
Cable News
Just read the long but good piece on Chris Matthews that will be in the magazine of this Sunday's New York Times (c'mon, click on that one). I have to say, Chris Matthews is pretty entertaining to watch....not his show, but HIM. While the article does a great job of conveying what Chris Matthews is like in person, all of the qualities written about are easily apparent after watching him for only 5 minutes. And I definitely recommend the Daily Show interview where Jon Stewart ripped him a new one (if you can find it).
A few months ago I decided I was really, really sick of CNN. So I ordered the "news specialty pack" from Rogers. Best $2.99/month I've ever spent. Among other things, I get BBC World News, Fox News, MSNBC and CNBC. I've now realized that CNN is by far the worst of all the American cable news channels. Fox News is still laughable (and therefore entertaining), but it's actually mellowed out a bit. Even Bill O'Reilly seems more interested in waxing nostalgic about music from the 60's then yelling at people who lost family members in 9/11. And at least it's watchable. CNN just makes my brain numb. Do they really think that being "balanced" means presenting an issue, then finding a hack on each "side" of said issue and giving them each 30 seconds to scream about why their side is right? (There's never more than 2 sides, and 1 side is never more right....see evolution, etc.)
It's very apparent, as mentioned in that Chris Matthews article, that MSNBC is slowly trying to become the "cool liberal news channel". They still have a long way to go, but if the Democrats win the White House then I'm predicting MSNBC cable news dominance in a couple years. And Chris Matthews will be replaced by David Gregory...or dare I say Anderson Cooper? Or George Stephanopoulis?? Or George STROMbolopoulos??
I wonder if Strombo and Stephano have ever met.
A few months ago I decided I was really, really sick of CNN. So I ordered the "news specialty pack" from Rogers. Best $2.99/month I've ever spent. Among other things, I get BBC World News, Fox News, MSNBC and CNBC. I've now realized that CNN is by far the worst of all the American cable news channels. Fox News is still laughable (and therefore entertaining), but it's actually mellowed out a bit. Even Bill O'Reilly seems more interested in waxing nostalgic about music from the 60's then yelling at people who lost family members in 9/11. And at least it's watchable. CNN just makes my brain numb. Do they really think that being "balanced" means presenting an issue, then finding a hack on each "side" of said issue and giving them each 30 seconds to scream about why their side is right? (There's never more than 2 sides, and 1 side is never more right....see evolution, etc.)
It's very apparent, as mentioned in that Chris Matthews article, that MSNBC is slowly trying to become the "cool liberal news channel". They still have a long way to go, but if the Democrats win the White House then I'm predicting MSNBC cable news dominance in a couple years. And Chris Matthews will be replaced by David Gregory...or dare I say Anderson Cooper? Or George Stephanopoulis?? Or George STROMbolopoulos??
I wonder if Strombo and Stephano have ever met.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Bastarache J.
Supreme Court Justice Michel Bastarache is retiring at the end of the spring session. This is the kind of time we can all let out a big sigh of relief that there is a broad consensus on the Supreme Court of Canada in a fundamentally liberal approach to constitutional interpretation. As opposed to the division on the US Supreme Court between the originalists (Scalia, Thomas, etc) and liberals (Breyer, Ginsberg, etc). So hopefully we will see less politics in the decision on Bastarache's successor. The Supreme Court is regionally balance. Bastarache was from New Brunswick, so the next justice will come from Atlantic Canada. Usually it rotates between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Likely an appellate court judge or academic, like a law school dean or constitutional scholar or someone like that.
Some interesting cases authored by Bastarache J.:
Harper v. Canada (Attorney General) - Upheld constitutionality of law that limited election advertising spending by third parties. And yes, that's Stephen Harper.
Lavoie v. Canada - Upheld constitutionality of giving hiring preference to citizens for public service jobs.
Pushpanathan v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) - Leading case in Canada on the standard of review of administrative decisions by appellate courts.
Some interesting cases authored by Bastarache J.:
Harper v. Canada (Attorney General) - Upheld constitutionality of law that limited election advertising spending by third parties. And yes, that's Stephen Harper.
Lavoie v. Canada - Upheld constitutionality of giving hiring preference to citizens for public service jobs.
Pushpanathan v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) - Leading case in Canada on the standard of review of administrative decisions by appellate courts.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Score 1 for Germany
There have been plenty of good sex scandals on this side of the Atlantic, from Spitzer to Larry Craig, and needless to say, good ole' Bill Clinton. But - as you would intuitively expect - we got nothin' on the Germans.
In a move that can only be thought of as significantly raising the bar for sex scandals, Max Mosler, who is the head of the organization that governs Grand Prix and Formula One racing, has been busted for having a Nazi-themed sadomasochistic roll-playing orgy with 5 prostitutes in a dungeon.
The German car companies, with their histories, are not impressed.
Says Mosley: "Eins! Zwei! Drei! Vier! Funf!"
Ich bin ein schmutziger, schmutziger Mann!
In a move that can only be thought of as significantly raising the bar for sex scandals, Max Mosler, who is the head of the organization that governs Grand Prix and Formula One racing, has been busted for having a Nazi-themed sadomasochistic roll-playing orgy with 5 prostitutes in a dungeon.
The German car companies, with their histories, are not impressed.
Says Mosley: "Eins! Zwei! Drei! Vier! Funf!"
Ich bin ein schmutziger, schmutziger Mann!
Monday, April 7, 2008
CBSNN
In another nail in the coffin of American journalism, CBS News is in talks with CNN to outsource part of their news gathering functions. In part, to pay the bloated $15 million salary of entertainer Katie Couric. So maybe instead of getting to watch Steve Kroft grill Doug Feith over the incompetent "planning" of the Iraq war, we will get more of Glenn Beck demanding proof from Muslim congressmen that they are not terrorists. Lucky us.
Chart of the Day
Check out these stats on high school graduation rates in major US cities:
Pretty crazy stuff. It doesn't bode well for the future of urban areas in America to be creating a permanent under-class of uneducated city dwellers. Especially since decent paying (read: unionized) jobs in unskilled labour will likely continue to decrease for the foreseeable future. It's all especially crazy coming from a school that (I once heard) has the highest percentage of students going on to university in the country. I can't think of a single high school classmate who didn't continue in their schooling in some respect, let alone not graduate.
Hat tip to Pandagon.
Pretty crazy stuff. It doesn't bode well for the future of urban areas in America to be creating a permanent under-class of uneducated city dwellers. Especially since decent paying (read: unionized) jobs in unskilled labour will likely continue to decrease for the foreseeable future. It's all especially crazy coming from a school that (I once heard) has the highest percentage of students going on to university in the country. I can't think of a single high school classmate who didn't continue in their schooling in some respect, let alone not graduate.
Hat tip to Pandagon.
True Olympic Spirit
Cue the David Foster music:
"Officers with machine guarded sensitive Metro exits along the 17 mile route."
Nice work, Olympic Games! Quoth the official Olympic website: "The Games have always brought people together in peace to respect universal moral principles." Apparently, by "universal moral principles," they actually mean "fully automatic weapons."
Sunday, April 6, 2008
More Animal-Displaying-Human-Traits Footage
Along the same vein as the Elephant as Artist posting, check out this footage:
He's like Arlo after a nap! Are affection, physical contact and cross-species loyalty complex traits of a species or are they fundamental? Or are they learned? Would this lion have the capacity to "love" a human if it weren't in a cage?
He's like Arlo after a nap! Are affection, physical contact and cross-species loyalty complex traits of a species or are they fundamental? Or are they learned? Would this lion have the capacity to "love" a human if it weren't in a cage?
Citizens In Action - Cool Project
This is a really cool project I read about in Western City. The Greater Seattle Climate Dialogues is a network of study groups throughout the city where residents learn about and discuss solutions to greenhouse gas emissions that balance the risks of climate change against the costs of addressing it.
Seems the best way to get people to care about something that has historically been somewhat of an abstract idea for people in most parts of the world is to engage them in finding solutions. Obviously, most solution ideas that come out of these dialogues will have likely been considered by professionals, but not all--and that's not the point anyway.
The point is to engage citizens in addressing something that can be otherworldly and too overwhelming to think about. The point is to make people understand that they are important agents of change, individually and as a group, and that they have the (direct) power to actually effect change.
If you put people in a position of control, their sense of fear about it diminishes and they start to take responsibility for a problem that requires them to.
Seems the best way to get people to care about something that has historically been somewhat of an abstract idea for people in most parts of the world is to engage them in finding solutions. Obviously, most solution ideas that come out of these dialogues will have likely been considered by professionals, but not all--and that's not the point anyway.
The point is to engage citizens in addressing something that can be otherworldly and too overwhelming to think about. The point is to make people understand that they are important agents of change, individually and as a group, and that they have the (direct) power to actually effect change.
If you put people in a position of control, their sense of fear about it diminishes and they start to take responsibility for a problem that requires them to.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Wow
An elephant paints a self-portrait.
I'm not even joking when I say that elephant is a better artist than me.
I'm not even joking when I say that elephant is a better artist than me.
Friday, April 4, 2008
The Clinton Tax Returns
Apparently they are going to be released "by the end of the week". Well, it's Friday now, and we're still waiting. Could it be that they're going employ the old media strategy of releasing news you really don't want any attention drawn to on a Friday night?
Can't wait!
Can't wait!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
this just in
I just heard a news update that 2 foreign journalists have been kicked out of Zimbabwe. I'll wait to hear more, but this could bode very badly.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Torture
Glenn Greenwald on the newly released John Yoo torture memo. Greenwald used to be a constitutional litigator and so is particular good to read on legal issues.
More:
Scott Horton from Harper's.
And from Balkinization here and here.
And a longer piece in Vanity Fair here.
More:
Scott Horton from Harper's.
And from Balkinization here and here.
And a longer piece in Vanity Fair here.
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