Crammertics 101

mlab

mlab

The Globe and Mail (5 Dec 06, page B7) printed this article written by Jonathan Saul in Jerusalem (through Reuters). I have no idea what his particular background, beliefs or motives are, but he wrote about the Institute for Science and Halacha, and all the solutions their scholars have found for observant Jews to use today's technology without disrespecting the Torah. Examples range from using disappearing ink for doctors to write prescriptions on the Sabbath (forbidden to make permanent markings) to doorbells that work on air pressure rather than electricity (forbidden to make a fire), to wrapping coffins in thick corrugated cardboard prior to takeoff so they can be considered "enclosed" and therefore "unable to spread impurity" during a flight (the Kohanim (members of Judaism's priestly caste) are banned by ritual law from coming in close proximity to the dead).

"The Torah was given to us 3,500 years ago in the desert," says 73-year-old Rabbi Levi Yitzchack Halperin, the institute's executive director and chief theological scholar. "Each generation takes up the challenge to apply it."
[...]
Rabbi Halperin dismisses any notion of theological cheating in the workarounds. "If there are loopholes in the Torah they are there for a reason," he says, stroking his flowing white beard.

Now I'm far from being a scholar, but I've always believed these religious laws originated as practical sense: basic rules to protect public health and thus ensure strength and survival, even under the harshest of conditions. So I can't help but wonder if Rabbi Halperin and others at the institute have somehow profoundly missed the point?
Another thing I can't help but wonder, aren't the Kohanim one of the groups in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings?

mlab

thanks to Treck for bringing this shameful (if true) interview transcript to my attention.

mlab

There's a glove sizing chart on top of a filing cabinet in the hall near my cube. As I walked past it for the nth time today, resisting the temptation to see if my hand size changed, I began contemplating the number of people that must have done the same, and how it could be an amusing webcam project. I'm just not sure that anybody would perceive that as valuable...

mlab

Expanding on the "what gets measured gets done" idea, one of the inherent weaknesses with the current economic system is the reward system (since the only things that ever get measured are those that get rewarded, because they are perceived to be valuable):

I just don't see how anybody can think this is sustainable.

mlab

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Avoid_weasel_words#Improving_weasel-worded_statements

Consider the sentence "The Yankees are the greatest baseball team in history."
[...] There are millions of Yankees fans and hundreds of baseball experts who would pick the Yankees as the best team in history. Instead, it would be better to eliminate the middleman of mentioning this opinion entirely, in favor of the facts that support the assertion: "The New York Yankees have won 26 World Series championships -- almost three times as many as any other team." This fact suggests that the Yankees are a superlative baseball franchise, rather than simply the greatest baseball team in history.
The idea is to let the reader draw their own conclusion about the Yankees' greatness based on the number of World Series the Yankees have won.
Objectivity over subjectivity. Dispassion, not bias.

(contented sigh)

mlab

The conservative trend in society is nothing short of driving in the rear-view mirror: distorted views of where you've been with no idea of where you're heading.
To me, this indicates people have either (a) lost their faith in their ability to collectively control where they're going (a failure of our "democratic" system) and/or (b) become aware of something terribly awful, given up hope, and chosen to revel in media-romanticized memories on their way to the equivalent of an elephant graveyard.

As usual, I am in neither of these camps. I firmly believe it is in our power to influence where we are going - and how we get there. (I just don't know how or where to start.)

mlab

I sent the following comment to this excellent editor's year-end review earlier today (with minor edits): http://www.cbc.ca/news/about/burman/letters/2006/12/the_five_big_media_moments_of.html

My interest in straight unbiased facts is the reason I keep coming back to CBC for news. Kudos for continuing to push facts (despite the rising trend of tugging emotions) and recognizing how important it is to enable the electorate to make its own informed decisions in order to maintain a healthy democracy.

mlab

WARNING: The following story involves some inexplicable human behaviour.

From The Ottawa Citizen, 2006.12.21, page A6
SOURCE: The Associated Press

Monks battle with crowbars, sledgehammers: 7 injured in Greece
THESSALONIKI, Greece - Rival groups of monks wielding crowbars and sledgehammers clashed yesterday over control of a 1,000-year-old monastery in a community regarded as the cradle of Orthodox Christianity, police said.
Seven monks were injured and transported by boat to hospital to receive treatment. They were released after several hours, police said.
No one was arrested, but three monks were banned from re-entering the Orthodox sanctuary Mount Athos, located on a self-governing peninsula in northern Greece.
Esphigmenou monastery is the scene of a long-running dispute between Orthodox authorities and rebel monks who occupy the facility. Both Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, leader of the Orthodox Christian church, and Greece's highest administrative court have ordered their eviction, but the monks have refused to budge.
The rebel monks vehemently oppose efforts to improve relations between the Orthodox church and the Vatican.
The fighting yesterday broke out between the rebel monks and a group of legally recognized monks who were outside. The outsiders attempted to force their way into the monastery's offices in Karyes, the administrative centre of the monastic community, to begin construction of a new building.
Occupying monks attacked those outside with crowbars and fire extinguishers.
Esphigmenou's rebel abbot, Methodius, said his monks had been provoked.
"We were attacked and had to respond," he said. "They should be ashamed to call themselves men of the cloth."
In October, a court in the nearby city Thessaloniki handed down two-year suspended sentences against nine monks and former monastery members for illegally occupying Esphigmenou's offices.

Evolutionists would expect the religious gene to be extinct in humans by now, with all the wars and such that have been fought over millenia... Darwin must be rolling in his grave!

mlab

According to accounting folk, there is a very important difference between investing for "cost avoidance" and investing for "pursuit of potential profits." (I'm sure it's a tax thing.) So, since hearing that lottery/casino paybacks hover around 40% (give or take 20% given local competition etc), I decided that I could afford the "social" cost of bowing out of the office lotto pool and avoid the two dollar cost every week. Nonetheless, I heartily encouraged them to continue subsidizing my taxes. :)

mlab

Something (well, one of the things) I have to remember to keep in mind:
The absence of information is information, in and of itself.

mlab

Children Of Men, the latest film from Oscar-nominated director Alfonso Cuarón (Y Tu Mama Tambien, Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban) and set in a semi-totalitarian Britain in the year 2027, examines a world where mankind has become infertile and the extinction of the human race is imminent.
I can't wait! :)

mlab

I must now see this movie for myself:

-----Original Message-----
Two of my favorite scenes in any recent movie comes from "Kingdom of Heaven" (Director's Cut), in which Orlando Bloom (as the knight defending Jerusalem) and the older English actor playing the patriarch of Jerusalem look out over the plains and see the enormous army of Salah-ud-Din preparing to assault the city. The knight (who was NOT a religious firebrand) starts making practical decisions for the defense of the city (as he did in reality); the patriarch counsels that the defenders should convert to Islam to save themselves, and then convert back later on the grounds that the conversion to Islam was done under duress and therefore invalid. Orlando Bloom's character looks at the patriarch, says "You have taught me much about religion," and then proceeds to continue planning the defense of the city. Simple, and priceless.
Toward the end of the movie, after the Crusaders surrender to Salah-ud-Din on the promise that the inhabitants would be spared (which they were), Orlando Bloom's character asks Salah-ud-Din, "What is it about this city that drives men crazy? What does Jerusalem mean?" Salah-ud-Din's character (an incredibly authentic Arab actor) smiles, looks at the ruined walls, and says "Nothing." He walks away, turns around, smiles again, crosses his arms. "And everything."
To me, that captures the lunacy of it all very well.

mlab

WRT yesterday's post about the Mirabel airport land being sold back to private hands amid first nations land claims: apparently there are wetlands there too that also need to be protected somehow... I agree it might have been excessive, but gee, do you think these might have been contributing factors the Trudeau government considered to go ahead and expropriate all this land, supposedly (or at least primarily) for an airport?

Regardless, how many people think the government will actually set an accessible price for the farmers to buy back their land? Or will it be so expensive only (Tory-friendly?) big developers will be able to afford it, so they can lease it to the farmers for twice the price until the construction permits are approved? Government has not shown itself to be a cost-effective custodian, but at least it has ethics and answers (more or less) to the public for its custodial duties.

(emphasis mine)

PROMISE MADE, PROMISE KEPT: CANADA'S NEW GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES SALES PROGRAM FOR THE 11,000 ACRES OF LAND IN MIRABEL, QUEBEC
December 18, 2006, Mirabel
Prime Minister Stephen Harper fulfilled a longstanding commitment today by announcing the establishment of a sales program for the 11,000 acres of farmland in Mirabel. In November 2004, while in opposition, Prime Minister Harper tabled a motion in the House of Commons calling on the government to sell these acres, which were "needlessly" expropriated in 1969. "I'm pleased to announce today that our new government is going to allow Mirabel farmers to buy back the land they are currently leasing," said Prime Minister Harper. "We made a promise and we kept our word."
"Today's announcement finally gives Mirabel farmers the chance to own the land they have worked for so many years," added Minister of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Communities Lawrence Cannon. "For some, this means a chance to reclaim the land that has been in their family for generations, as well as an opportunity to close one chapter and open a new one."
A transition committee made up of representatives of the Union des producteurs agricoles, tenants, Transport Canada, and Public Works and Government Services Canada will be set up within the next few weeks to develop the details of this sales program.
The transition committee will be responsible for recommending the terms of the program implementation for selling land to farmers and for proposing solutions to any issues that may arise. Daniel Picotte, a lawyer with a thorough knowledge of issues related to the airport's transactions and acquisitions, will serve as chair of the body.
In accordance with the government's commitment to the environment, a management partnership between Transport Canada and Environment Canada will also be created to protect wetlands located within the 11,000 acres.
The 11,000 acres of land are now part of a lease between Aéroports de Montréal and Transport Canada. Discussions between the department and Aéroports de Montréal to remove these lands from the lease are already underway.

mlab

Here is what Dion said in the Commons on November 27, 2006 speaking to the motion: "That this House recognize that the Québécois form a nation within a united Canada":

Mr. Speaker, the motion that the Prime Minister has put before us reads as follows: Que cette Chambre reconnaisse que les Québécoises et les Québécois forment une nation au sein d'un Canada uni.

In English, that this House recognize that the Québécois form a nation within a united Canada.

Before voting on a text that some of our fellow citizens believe will be of great significance, we have a duty to tell them clearly what that text means. In French, according to Le Petit Robert, “nation” has at least three meanings.

First, “Group of men presumed to have a common origin”, the ethnic sense of the word nation; second, “Group of people constituting a political unit, established in a defined territory …, and personified by a sovereign authority”, the state sense of the word nation; and third, “Group of people, generally large, characterized by awareness of its unity and a desire to live together”, the sociological sense of the word nation.

The sociological sense of the word “nation” is also found in Webster's Dictionary. In the first sense, the ethnic sense, Quebec and Canada are not nations, but French-Canadians are a nation, one that is concentrated primarily in Quebec but is present everywhere in Canada.

There are several other groups of people in our country that can also be considered to be nations in ethnic terms. I would therefore vote in favour of a motion that said: In Canada, including in the province of Quebec, there are several nations in the ethnic sense of the word.

In the second sense of the word “nation”, the state sense, the only sense that confers legal existence in international law, Canada and Canada alone is a nation. I would therefore vote for a motion that said: Canada forms a single nation which holds a seat at the United Nations.

In the third sense of the word “nation”, the sociological sense, we, the Québécois, are a nation, because we form a large group—nearly a quarter of the population—and we have an awareness of our unity and a desire to live together. In that sense, it is correct to say that the Québécois form a nation within a united Canada. I will therefore vote for the motion that is before us.

However I add that the entire Canadian population is also a nation in the sociological sense of the term. As Canadians, we have the sense of our unity and the will to live together, and there is nothing that prevents the same individual to be part of different nations in the sociological sense of the term.

So I say, in this House, that I am a proud member of the Quebec nation and a proud member of the Canadian nation. I say that these identities are cumulative and indivisible, and that I will fight with every resource that democracy gives me against anyone who wants to make me choose between these two wonderful identities: Québécois and Canadian.

I know all too well the game that the independentist leaders want to play. They want to persuade us that we cannot be part of the Canadian nation because we, the Québécois, form a nation. In other words, they want to slide from the sociological to the state sense of the word “nation” : from the “community” sense to the “country” sense. As usual, they want to conflate the meaning of words in order to sow confusion in people’s minds.

Well, as usual, my country and my 33 million fellow citizens can count on me to counter confusion with clarity.

I know all too well that in the politics pursued by some people there is little regard for dictionary definitions.

Facing this motion, two quotations come to mind.

The first one is from the great Lebanese poet, Kahlil Gibran:Pity the nation divided into fragment, each fragment deeming itself a nation.

This is why the Bloc will vote for this motion. They hopes that it will help them to fragment Canada, but there is another interpretation of this motion, which is not only in accordance with the definition of the dictionary, but also noble and generous. It comes from José Carreras:

[Member spoke in Spanish as follows:] Cuanto màs catalàn me dejan ser, màs espanol me siento.

In other words, in proclaiming my identity as a proud Quebecker today, I am proclaiming my identity as a proud Canadian. Let us work together to make sure that this noble and generous interpretation of the motion that we will vote on today will prevail.

Thanks to New Quebec for posting this and bringing it to my attention.

mlab

Victoria's Secret Catalog Goes Green
Finally, hairy treehuggers everywhere can order their catalogs with a clear conscience! :)

mlab

Five Halifax women have started a campaign to decry funding cuts to a program important to them. "We don't want our government making decisions that reverse strides that have been made over the last 20 and 30 years" one of the founders states.
The most surprising thing about this story is that it appeared at the top of page A2 of the 20061204 edition of the Medicine Hat News (from the CP wire). Whodathunk this would've been printed in an Albertan paper, and not in the funnies section?

mlab

The PM announced today that "Canada's New Government" (cringe) is initiating the transfer of land expropriated for the construction of Mirabel airport some 35 years ago back to the affected families (despite some Mohawk land claims still pending for the same land). I was impressed at how politically correct he was during the official announcement, but he let loose and generously derided Trudeau and Liberals in general during the ensuing Q&A.
One of the questions he was asked was to confirm if this meant that the government was closing the door on Mirabel airport for good. Harper replied (paraphrased): "Some think that in 40 years we will need to expand this airport again. The only thing I know for sure is that in 40 years, I'll be dead" to which the audience chuckled.

His self-deprecating humour resonates with his audience and is a respectable trait. However, I am not much of a fan of his brazen desire to rub every single genie-bottle (that the Liberals managed to cork despite the PR cost of the occasional scandal required to get it accomplished) that he can get his cold little fingers on.

mlab

If for every truth there is an equal and opposite marketing spin, does every PR campaign indicate inherent weakness?

mlab

Hockey player fired for not signing flag for troops

I'm sure the troops are pleased to learn that the people back home are being forced to show their support. Where will this fascism end?

mlab

In a Canadian Press article on Harper's Senate reform announcement last week, they quote him as saying "Senators will campaign like every other politician."

mlab

CANADA'S NEW GOVERNMENT DELIVERS ON TEN PIECES OF LEGISLATION IN TWO WEEKS
December 14, 2006
[...]
The Government has delivered on its promise to establish additional measures to battle crime and terrorism. Bill C-25 amends Canada's Proceeds of Crime and Terrorist Financing Act, which significantly strengthens Canada's ability to monitor and act on money laundering whether it's for terrorist activities or other illegal activities in Canada.
"Canada's New Government will continue to be relentless in its battle against money laundering and terrorism financing," said Prime Minister Harper. "One of the best ways of putting these criminals out of business is to starve them of the funds they need to finance their activities. Our amendments will improve our ability to act decisively."

If ever the day comes when an extremist organization takes control of Canadian government, these are great tools to prevent us from trying to re-establish the traditional "Canadian" way of life as I we/I know it.

[...]
The Federal Accountability Act was one of the Government's top five priorities since taking office. The Act, which makes substantive changes to 45 statutes and amends over 100 others, delivers on the Government's promise to put in place a five year lobbying ban, to eliminate corporate and union donations, and to protect whistleblowers, among other reforms.

One of the things that provides social and economic stability in this country is the system that allows/fosters/encourages individuals and organizations with a strong vested interest in preserving said stability a strong say in how this country is run. ~~Eliminating~~ Making corporate and union donations illegal will (a) shift the governing focus from corporate/economic stability to social stability, transferring power to religious, ethnic, cultural special interest groups, and (b) drive these monies underground, reducing lobbying transparency and precluding any requirement to make use of the famed new accountability act; we can hold them accountable for things we don't know they're doing, can we?
In the end, I'm concerned that this government, enthused with southern sales pitches, is making subtle yet dangerous seismic shifts in the name of peace, order and good government; giving Canadians a good warm and fuzzy while critically undermining the foundations of the socio-economic stability that made our quality of life one of the best in the world. Even the sponsorship scandal, though morally repulsive as it was, pales in comparison to the long-term damage that may occur from the Conservatives "fixing" what really ain't broke.

mlab

According to StatsCan, the gap between rich and poor in Canada (yes, right here at home) is increasing. That surely isn't a surprise, many probably even think it is a long-overdue relief.

Wealth is a relative measure, but, like energy, cannot be created nor destroyed; merely redistributed. It also tends to gravitate toward itself, and therefore requires effort (leftist intervention) to keep the balance sustainable. If left unchecked, this gravitation will accelerate and the social comforts and stability that we currently enjoy will deteriorate, as the increasingly-rich have to protect themselves from the increasingly-exploited-and-pissed-off.

People bitch against taxes. ANY kind of tax. But seriously, how else can we fight these forces of social polarization? The rich didn't get rich by being charitable, after all...

mlab

Well it seems you can kill people and get fair treatment, but heaven help you if you steal someone's Playstation.

"Come see the violence inherent in the system! Help help, we're being repressed!"

mlab

it would seem that my yahoo email address - in fact my entire yahoo ID and everything associated with it - was completely deleted. It's almost as if I never existed uh I mean had one. Assuming I am not going senile, it was either a glitch in the matrix or Yahoo is starting to suffer from Alzheimer's, because I only recreated my account a few minutes ago and already I have 12 spam messages in my bulk folder, and I highly doubt spammers are that quick to find new addresses...

I wonder, if I was the administrator of two yahoo groups, did they get nuked as well? If not, who will approve me as a new member?

Recreating myself, uh I mean my account, is all very surreal...

mlab

I believe that it's just as important to curb the abuse of our
environment as it is to pay down the national debt.

If you care about the future of our society (especially our own kids)
as much as I do, please follow this link to Environmental Defence and
tell the top 10 greenhouse gas polluters what you think:

http://www.environmentaldefence.ca/action/ecard.asp

mlab

Submitted the following via Environmental Defence Canada

The Honourable Rona Ambrose
Les Terrasses de la Chaudière
10 Wellington St., 28th Floor
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 0H3
Tel.: (819) 997-1441
Fax: (819) 953-3457
E-mail: Rona.Ambrose@ec.gc.ca

Dear Minister Ambrose,

As a Canadian concerned about the environment, I am writing to express my support for increased government action to promote the reduction of pollution in our communities and to take action to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Using the PollutionWatch web site (www.PollutionWatch.org), I noticed that the pollution levels in Canada are very high. I also noticed that some facilities are reducing the amount of pollutants released to the air, water and land while other facilities continue to increase the amount of pollutants released to the environment or transferred. Across Canada, each and every year, large amounts of pollutants known to be carcinogens, suspected of being reproductive/developmental toxins and suspected respiratory toxins are released from facilities to our air, water and land. This is unacceptable.

In addition, the PollutionWatch web site also shows that many facilities are releasing greenhouse gases, which cause global climate change. I am very concerned about the amount of greenhouse gases that are being emitted into the environment and the amounts reported by Canadian facilities. What are the government’s plans to reduce these greenhouse gas levels? I believe that, as a minimum, Canada should live up to its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, and reduce greenhouse gases to meet the international targets.

I also firmly believe that the issue of pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in Canada should be a priority for all levels of government. The federal government must lead this effort and engage with its provincial and territorial counterparts to take action.

The federal government’s role in tracking and managing pollution in Canada should not diminish. The federal government programs that collect data on pollutant releases and transfers and emissions of greenhouse gases through the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) and the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program are of utmost importance to Canadians who want to see a cleaner and healthier environment for all of us. If Canadians are to promote a healthier environment, the NPRI and Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program must be expanded. Strengthening these programs is an essential element of Canada’s efforts to reduce pollution.

As matter of priority, Environment Canada should:

1. Ensure Canada takes immediate action to reduce greenhouse gas levels and fulfill its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol. It is critical that Canada continues its long-standing practice of working with the international community to protect and improve the global environment, THROUGH, FOR EXAMPLE, A CARBON CREDIT PROGRAM.

2. Increase its activities to eliminate toxic substances from use, release, generation, disposal or recycling in Canada with defined timelines. Attention should be given to those pollutants that are persistent, bioaccumulative and inherently toxic, toxic under CEPA, carcinogens, respiratory toxicants and those pollutants suspected of being reproductive toxicants.

3. Strengthen and expand pollution prevention strategies through effective regulations and programs.

4. Strengthen and expand the NPRI and GHG programs through an effective multi-stakeholder consultation process.

5. FIX THE SHORTCOMING OF THE CANADIAN ECONOMIC SYSTEM BY ADDRESSING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. "ECONOMIC" DERIVES FROM L. oeconomia AND Gk. oikonomia, MEANING "HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT" - AND CLEARLY IT (THE AIR WE BREATHE, THE LAND WE CULTIVATE, THE WATER WE DRINK, AND THE RESOURCES WE EXPLOIT) ARE PART OF THE CANADIAN "HOUSEHOLD" AND MUST NOT BE IGNORED NOR OMITTED FROM THE CALCULATIONS. ONE POSSIBLE SOLUTION WOULD BE TO TAX THE PRODUCTS AT TIME OF ACQUISITION FOR THE COST OF THEIR EVENTUAL DISPOSAL (INCLUDING ANY PACKAGING). SIMILARLY, FOSSIL FUELS SHOULD BE TAXED FOR THE COST OF SEQUESTERING CORRESPONDING AMOUNTS OF CARBON AND OTHER POLLUTANTS. THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD EXPLOIT MARKET FORCES TO PROMPT MANUFACTURERS OF GOODS TO REDUCE THE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT OF THEIR PRODUCTS AND PROCESSES, AND GIVE CANADIAN MANUFACTURING AND RECUPERATION INDUSTRIES AN OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME WORLD LEADERS WHILE CONTRIBUTING TO THE PRESERVATION OF OUR ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR CHILDREN.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL RAMPAGE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY IS A TRAIN WRECK IN THE MAKING. FIXING THE ECONOMIC (HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT) IMBALANCE AT THE SOURCE IS JUST AS IMPORTANT TO THE FUTURE OF OUR SOCIETY AS PAYING DOWN THE DEBT.

Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely yours,

I really do look forward to the reply.

mlab

Excerpt from an article by The Endocrine Society:

[...]Atrogin-1, also known as MAFbx, is a member of the SCF (Skp-cullin-F box protein complex) subfamily of E3 ligases; MuRF1 belongs to the RING (really interesting new gene) finger E3 ligase subfamily. [...]

Seriously, this is what it says.

mlab

Looks like Stephane Dion won the liberal leadership race. Interesting.
I couldn't help but notice a lack of enthusiasm in the crowd. Interesting.

I just hope the liberal delegates actually wanted Dion rather than being struck with the "anybody but him" panic against Ignatieff.

mlab

This is a good read - funny how it took someone in England to put it into words...
-RK
So much of it so true, and yet my favorite line is the one about Celine Dion.
-RW

Sunday Telegraph Article
From today's UK wires: Salute to a brave and modest nation
Kevin Myers, The Sunday Telegraph

LONDON - Until the deaths last week of four Canadian soldiers accidentally killed by a U.S. warplane in Afghanistan, probably almost no one outside their home country had been aware that Canadian troops were deployed in the region. And as always, Canada will now bury its dead, just as the rest of the world as always will forget its sacrifice, just as it always forgets nearly everything Canada ever does.
It seems that Canada's historic mission is to come to the selfless aid both of its friends and of complete strangers, and then, once the crisis is over, to be well and truly ignored. Canada is the perpetual wallflower that stands on the edge of the hall, waiting for someone to come and ask her for a dance. A fire breaks out, she risks life and limb to rescue her fellow dance-goers, and suffers serious injuries. But when the hall is repaired and the dancing resumes, there is Canada, the wallflower still, while those she once helped glamorously cavort across the floor, blithely neglecting her yet again.

That is the price Canada pays for sharing the North American continent with the United States, and for being a selfless friend of Britain in two global conflicts. For much of the 20th century, Canada was torn in two different directions: It seemed to be a part of the old world, yet had an address in the new one, and that divided identity ensured that it never fully got the gratitude it deserved.

Yet its purely voluntary contribution to the cause of freedom in two world wars was perhaps the greatest of any democracy. Almost 10% of Canada's entire population of seven million people served in the armed forces during the First World War, and nearly 60,000 died. The great Allied victories of 1918 were spearheaded by Canadian troops, perhaps the most capable soldiers in the entire British order of battle.

Canada was repaid for its enormous sacrifice by downright neglect, its unique contribution to victory being absorbed into the popular Memory as somehow or other the work of the "British." The Second World War provided a re-run. The Canadian navy began the war with a half dozen vessels, and ended up policing nearly half of the Atlantic against U-boat attack. More than 120 Canadian warships participated in the Normandy landings, during which 15,000 Canadian soldiers went ashore on D-Day alone. Canada finished the war with the third-largest navy and the fourth-largest air force in the world.
The world thanked Canada with the same sublime indifference as it had the previous time. Canadian participation in the war was acknowledged in film only if it was necessary to give an American actor a part in a campaign in which the United States had clearly not participated - a touching scrupulousness which, of ourse, Hollywood has since abandoned, as it has any notion of a separate Canadian identity.
So it is a general rule that actors and filmmakers arriving in Hollywood keep their nationality - unless, that is, they are Canadian. Thus Mary Pickford, Walter Huston, Donald Sutherland, Michael J. Fox, William Shatner, Norman Jewison, David Cronenberg, Alex Trebek, Art Linkletter and Dan Aykroyd have in the popular perception become American, and Christopher Plummer, British. It is as if, in the very act of becoming famous, a Canadian ceases to be Canadian, unless she is Margaret Atwood, who is as unshakably Canadian as a moose, or Celine Dion, for whom Canada has proved quite unable to find any takers.
Moreover, Canada is every bit as querulously alert to the achievements of its sons and daughters as the rest of the world is completely unaware of them. The Canadians proudly say of themselves - and are unheard by anyone else - that 1% of the world's population has provided 10% of the world's peacekeeping forces. Canadian soldiers in the past half century have been the greatest peacekeepers on Earth - in 39 missions on UN mandates, and six on non-UN peacekeeping duties, from Vietnam to East Timor, from Sinai to Bosnia.
Yet the only foreign engagement that has entered the popular on-Canadian imagination was the sorry affair in Somalia, in which out-of-control paratroopers murdered two Somali infiltrators. Their regiment was then disbanded in disgrace - a uniquely Canadian act of self-abasement for which, naturally, the Canadians received no international credit.
So who today in the United States knows about the stoic and selfless friendship its northern neighbour has given it in Afghanistan? Rather like Cyrano de Bergerac, Canada repeatedly does honourable things for honourable motives, but instead of being thanked for it, it remains something of a figure of fun.

It is the Canadian way, for which Canadians should be proud, yet such honour comes at a high cost. Recently four more grieving Canadian families knew that cost all too tragically well.

**** ****

mlab

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

JOHN LENNON

mlab

I love it when a municipal government gets legacy ideas in its head that go against the interest of the locals (and common practical sense), even if there are 42,000 of them against it.

mlab

Isn't it a little presumptuous of harper to attend another country's presidential inauguration?

Notice / Avis
From the Prime Minister's Web Site
Public events for December 1st, 2006
November 24, 2006, Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will travel to Mexico to attend the inauguration of President-Elect, Felipe Calderon.
When: December 1, 2006
Where: Mexico City, Mexico
Note: Media are welcome to attend but will have to make their own arrangements. More details to follow.

It just seems to smack of favoritism and meddling with another country's choices. I don't know, maybe it's the custom, but I just don't find it appropriate for him to pay an international visit to another head of state until he's had a chance to form a comfy ass-groove in his presidential chair, you know?

mlab

It would seem that a 33% raise over 10 years isn't enough for the association/federation/whatever representing Quebec's 8000 specialist doctors who are refusing to negotiate and are applying pressure tactics until the ministry gives them a 44% pay increase to "catch up to the Canadian average."

Kudos both to the increasingly exasperated Quebec Minister of Health for telling them "This [our society] is not a buffet where you can pick what you like and skip what you don't like." Kudos also to the team at Radio-Canada (french CBC) for using and reusing this truthful soundbite in their lead-up to the news segment.

Hopefully enough of these specialist doctors will get the message so that they go back to work and get people off their waiting lists so everybody can get back on with their lives as happy productive citizens, respectful of one another.

mlab

Four things I very much appreciated on tonight's Tout le monde en parle:
1. There are still many people committed to protecting the natural heritage of Mount Orford Park (a parcel of which is being sold by the Quebec government to build condos);
2. There will be a single, common, mandatory course on all the world's major religions scheduled to replace catechism and other such religion-of-belonging courses, and the Quebec minister of Education was able to strongly refute the suggestion that any teaching on religion be eliminated altogether from the curriculum until CEGEP, saying that education, awareness, and understanding are fundamental enablers for integration and social harmony;
3. At least one of the GG's literary award recipients has a beautiful way with spoken words, not just written, and that such talent is well recognized and rewarded (doubly pleasing in that it also reflects well upon the institution awarding the prize); and
4. There is a song "Dégénération" (play on words with des générations) that speaks about how people today seem to be shirking their responsibilities (even toward their own kids) and taking it easy on the backs of all our ancestors who worked so hard to provide for their families and communities, and that this song is currently on the top of the pop charts in Quebec.

These are the kinds of things that make me proud - and it's lot deeper than any feeling of vindication or validation - I'm glad to see there are so many people (with actual talent) investing themselves in fighting injustice and promoting what they too know deep down is the right thing.

mlab

Kissing couple arrested under the Patriot Act

Social order at the expense of liberty is hardly a bargain.
~Marquis de Sade

mlab

mlab

I think part of the confusion and resistance to the motion tabled that recognizes the Quebecois as a nation within a united Canada stems from the different meanings the word "nation" has in English and in French. Most anglos would define it in terms of a country (in the historical and geographical sense), whereas the Quebecois understand it to mean "a self-empowered people with a common destiny." I suspect these radically different views originated in the French Revolution, when the people of France disposed of their aristocracy. Meanwhile, the English continued to peck away at their own aristocracy crumb by crumb, never wholly confident that they could do without. If that is at least partially true, it could explain the very close relationship Quebeckers have with their government while English Canada continues to mistrust and work in spite of it. If that were at least partially true, Quebec should recognize that it is not that distinct from certain other provinces!

PS. Note he distinct(ahem)ly referred to the people (the Québecois) as a nation, not the province!

mlab

I wonder how much snow it takes to not sprain your ankle when jumping out of a plane...

-----Original Message-----
FW: Ottawa on Days of Our Lives.. Portrayed as wilderness...according to Sandy Sharkey

I’ve never been a soap opera fan, but I have been hooked on ‘Days of Our Lives’ this week. Why? Because the city of Ottawa has been part of the plot line! Here’s this week’s ‘Days of Our Lives’ Ottawa story-line, and I am not embellishing in any way: a woman by the name of Kayla was exposed to poison gas in a hospital, and the only doctor with the serum to save her life lives in Ottawa, BUT WAIT, there’s a huge blizzard in the lower provinces of Canada, so all commercial planes have been grounded, including all planes in Ottawa, which of course is located in the lower provinces of Canada. So a pilot named John volunteers to fly his private jet to Ottawa to get the serum to save Kayla’s life, snow storm or not!!! Away he goes, with his girlfriend Marlena along for the ride, flying through the blizzard until, ENGINE FAILURE!!! The plane is going down!!!! Marlena thinks that the plane will be OK if the load is lightened, so she JUMPS from the plane on the way to Ottawa, and lands on the snow somewhere near Ottawa!! A distraught John the pilot continues on, lands safely in Ottawa, and gets the serum! Meanwhile, his girlfriend Marlena is lost in the wilds of Ottawa!! Back home, Marlena’s daughter is horrified that her mother is missing! How can her mother survive the ‘THIRTY FEET OF SNOW and temperatures below zero’, she exclaims!! John the pilot flies back home with the serum, saves Kayla’s life, but still no sign of Marlena. As luck would have it, a man in a big parka stumbles across an unconscious Marlena in thirty feet of snow in the wilds around Ottawa, and takes her back to his cabin!! Marlena awakes, make-up and hair perfect! As luck would have it, the man in the parka is none other than ‘Smokey Robinson’! One of Marlena’s favourite singers! He gives her food, bandages up her sprained ankle (after all, she did jump from a plane) and then he sings a couple of songs! Saved by Smokey Robinson, who happens to have a cabin in the wild near Ottawa! Wow. ‘Days of Our Lives’ just became my favourite show of all time.

mlab

One of the very real dangers of "exporting peace" is that it actually generates conflict at home.

The state has, in order to control us, introduced division into our thinking, so that we come to distrust others and look to the state for protection.
~Butler Shaffer

The seeds of ill-will sown in war all too often trump any hope for peace.

mlab

In an article by Spencer Callaghan, The News-EMC (one of the local papers), mayor-elect Larry O'Brien was quoted as saying:

I think the city has a huge appetite for change and they wanted to get away from the politics of the same old, same old, and I think they saw in me someone who is focused on bringing a business-like approach to the management of city affairs.

That appears rather disrespectful toward the outgoing mayor, and awfully presumptuous toward the runner-up, who campaigned actively and hard to make this a greener, nicer, more effective city, with tax increases at or below inflation. (O'Brien, at the opposite end of the spectrum, touted zero tax increases for his entire mandate, while adding more police officers on the streets and without cutting services...)

We have to get back to basics in the city, we have to get the decision making right and we have to get the economic sustainability of this city right, and then we can afford the luxury of examining what our options are in mass transit.

As if we really needed yet another politician who believes mass transit is a "luxury" that should be sacrificed in favour of "economic sustainability."

What saddens me further is that he garnered 47% of the vote, while the runner-up only got 36%; the consolation prize being that this was one of the highest voter turnouts in recent history.

I just hope there is enough influence among all the incumbent city councillors to actually do the right things for our city, not just say the right things for his new political career.

mlab

in a newsletter dated 10 Nov 06:

In London North Centre, popular food bank director and firefighter, Glen Pearson is already running a strong campaign -- While the Conservative Party has parachuted a candidate into the riding (From Washington D.C. where she worked as a Republican strategist), Glen lives and works in the city. [...] When accepting the nomination, Glen made reference to his Conservative opponent who was dispatched by Stephen Harper from Washington D.C. by saying, “Mr. Harper was brazen enough to bring up an operative from Washington. This isn't Bush Lite, this is Bush Regular, or Bush on tap."

Could this possibly be true? Why haven't I heard any noise about this?

mlab

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20061119/CPSOLEIL/61119124/5803/CPSOLEIL

« Nos comportements de consommation favorisent le grand nombre de déchets que l'on produit. Il faudrait s'en préoccuper », dit Manon Lambert, secrétaire générale de l'Ordre des pharmaciens du Québec.

I couldn't agree more.

mlab

I just got my house audited for energy efficiency.
It is "surprisingly airtight for a home of its age (32years) in this neighborhood."
There were a few obvious air leaks (around attic hatches) and some surprising air leaks (like through the electical outlets and between the quarter-round and the floor below the patio door). Despite these easily addressed leaks, total air leakage is only the equivalent of a single 150sq.in. opening. Below 100sq.in is considered too airtight, and if you don't have a Heat-Recovery Ventilator, Health Canada recommends running bathroom fans and opening windows, even in winter.
I'll be getting an EnerGuide rating for the house and access to an online summary that I can project new ratings after various home improvements. Pretty neat stuff. People usually put their EnerGuide ratings in their furnace room but I think I'll be posting it on my lawn to spur a little competition with the neighbors. :)

No.1 on the energy-efficiency hit list: FURNACE
Currently have mid-efficiency (approx 80%), while high-efficiency furnaces are rated at 94%.
New furnaces are also direct-vented so they don't require a fresh air intake (obvious source of air-leakage).

Number 2 on the hit list: HOT WATER TANK.
Tanks with a pilot light have a constant flow of air to the chimney, actually drawing a lot of heat out of the water when the burner is not on! Better tanks have electronic ignition and exhaust blowers so air doesn't flow through the core unless the burner is on. This could also be direct-vented so the fresh-air intake could be eliminated altogether.

Cherry picking: weather-stripping the attic hatches and using childproof plugs to cap all the outlets on the outside walls.

Other interesting things I learned:

76% of all energy consumption in a house is due to heating, while appliances and lighting only account for 12% each (in the average home, according to StatsCan).
Adding plastic wrap over windows only increases the R value from R2 to R3, iff installed properly, and can improve air-tightness (again, iff installed properly).
Changing exterior doors only improves overall energy efficiency by ~1%.
Refinishing hardwood floors also does a great job of sealing them and the baseboards.
Gas hot water heaters are approx 65% efficient when operating, but only approx 50% efficient overall since cool air flows steadily through the core the rest of the time, drawing the heat out.
Furnace efficiency is rated at steady-state, and there is a lot of energy lost when the burners first come on. For this reason, dual-stage furnaces are more efficient since they only use half the burners, at peak efficiency, for much longer periods of time, and only fire up the other two when it can't keep up.
Traditional AC blower motors (forced air systems) consume approx 250W while their DC equivalent only consume 75W. This can make a significant difference especially if the blower operates continuously all day long.

I asked tons of questions throughout, and he wasn't afraid to tell me like it is (unlike house inspectors who fear any liability). I highly recommend doing this audit before starting any home improvements!

mlab

Warren Buffet reportedly said that "wealth is the transfer of money from the impatient to the patient."

I prefer to think that wealth is the transfer of money from the stupid and optimistic to the scrupleless and the lucky.

Note: by "luck" I refer to the association of the entire set of conditions that one did not create for him/herself, such as inherited fortune or empire (corporate or otherwise), and having had fertile conditions (timing, location and connections) to cultivate one's ideas, because dedication, perseverance and effort alone are not reliable indicators of success.

mlab

The following are some of my favorite anti-war quotes (the original list goes on and on):

Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.
~George Washington
Those who give up essential liberties for temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
~Benjamin Franklin
It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
~Voltaire
It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so...
~Robert A. Heinlein
Violence as a way of gaining power...is being camouflaged under the guise of tradition, national honor [and] national security...
~Alfred Adler
Our enemies...never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.
~George W. Bush
talk about irony
The evils of government are directly proportional to the tolerance of the people.
~Frank Kent
I've often said I believe we deserve better but have no one to blame but ourselves!
The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home.
~James Madison
The state has, in order to control us, introduced division into our thinking, so that we come to distrust others and look to the state for protection.
~Butler Shaffer
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.
~James Madison
wow - how appropriate and timely is that?

You'd think that we'd eventually learn to listen, rather than shut out?

mlab

That is my public transit realization of the day. This is why:
I'm standing in the middle of the bus. There are a few people standing sparsely behind me, blissfully unaware of all the passengers packed so tightly at the front of the bus that they are probably concerned for their lives should the doors and/or windshield of the bus fail.
The people at the back are too short and cannot see the predicament of the people at the front. They are happy in their ignorance. The people at the front (including the driver) do not know there is lots of room in the back and assume the people at the back are just as crowded so don't say anything, despite being uncomfortable (at least they were able to squeeze on board unlike the others that got left behind). I am the only one NOT happy, because I can see the solution and feel compelled to intervene, but choose not to because I'm clearly not an authority figure and how dare I tell them what they should do, least of all because they feel they have to defend their now obviously wrong choice?

So in the end, what is the right thing to do: Stand by quietly, enjoying my anonymity, while others suffer unnecessarily due to the actions (and inactions) of others, or should I ask the comfortable few at the back to snuggle up and risk disturbing their happy little views of the world?

The assumed/experienced perspectives from all three of the above subjects (front, back and observer) indicates to me that ignorance IS bliss, trying to intervene is often too much trouble, and not intervening leaves a residue of guilt. I think you need to be either shortsighted/blind so as not to have to think about these things, or sufficiently thickskinned that you do not worry about stepping on others' toes.
Unfortunately I am neither.

mlab

I'm very pleased with today's announcement (well, their official position anyway) against drug-impaired driving.
One of the nice things about not being ideologically driven is that I get to agree with things the Conservatives are doing that actually are good for the country.

mlab

I'm very pleased with today's announcement (well, their official position anyway) against drug-impaired driving.
That's one of the nice things about not being ideologically driven: I get to agree with things the Conservatives are doing that actually are good for the country.

mlab

Change can be good, especially when it comes with a strong vision and an authoritative platform to implement it.
Here is a little tribute to Grace Hopper, coiner of the computer "bug" phrase:
http://www.hopper.navy.mil/grace/grace.htm

mlab

Had to address the misconception that I have "complicated rules" for prioritizing things, because the only priority system being applied by the trustee was "guessing and doing whatever he usually complains about most." That clearly wasn't effective nor to anyone's satisfaction.
So, I tried to explain there aren't any "complicated priority lists" or guessing required; rather, I have a basic approach that assesses the following variables:

severity (of consequences and level of effort or inconvenience required to undo or repair)
probably of occurrence
safety/degree of urgency

with consideration for the following:

effort involved (quick fixes or "low hanging fruit")
if it's not something you don't feel like doing (converse does not apply)

and

a healthy dose of "while you're at it" (which regularly trumps the law of diminishing returns)

That's not overly complicated, is it? Effectively delegating this kind of decision-making seems a whole lot harder (without making the other person feel I think they're wrong).
Anyway, part of me (the part that is being assimilated by the work-environment bureaucracy and becoming paranoid) feels that by explaining these heuristics, I am effectively identifying the kinds of excuses that I will usually accept, but I think the expected tradeoff in predictability should be to everyone's advantage.

mlab

Found this section of the Wikipedia article on Common Sense Revolution (CSR) particularly interesting:

The central foci of the CSR were tax reduction, balancing the budget, reducing the size and role of government, and an emphasis on individual economic responsibility (often summarized by an opposition to government "hand-outs"). Among other things Harris promised to reduce personal income tax rates by 30% and balance the provincial budget at the same time (which had reached a record $10 Billion deficit under the NDP).
The CSR was specifically tailored as a reform document. It was presented as a radical change to the status quo of provincial government business, which was widely seen to be poorly managed and inefficient. Indeed, the opening words of the document were "The people of Ontario have a message for their politicians -- government isn't working anymore. The system is broken."

Hmmm... why does that sound familiar?

mlab

This story is going to be interesting: Blogger On Trial
particularly if and how the media chooses to portray this incident and its outcome, because they may perceive bloggers as a threat to their established rights and priviledges...

mlab

leaked conservative "persuasion" memo from the conservative campaign manager:
http://www.garth.ca/weblog/2006/10/30/memo-to-doug-finley-2/
I'm speechless!

mlab

I wonder if anybody else made the association between the poppies being sold by the Legion (in commemoration of WWI), and the primary industry in Afghanistan...

mlab

Just what we needed - another secret forum for the government to get in bed with industry!

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA FELLOWS PROGRAM
From the Prime Minister's Web Site (061027)
Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced today the launch of the Government of Canada Fellows Program to allow the exchange of senior executives in the public service of Canada with other sectors such as business, academia, not-for-profit organizations and other levels of government.
The program will support renewal of the public service through the exchange of knowledge, skills, expertise and best practices between the Canadian public service and other sectors of Canadian society. These exchanges will be mutually beneficial in key areas such as improved service delivery, the use of technology and enhanced governance, accountability, and management practices.

mlab

tee hee - I think the PM's panties shrunk in the wash.
From the Prime Minister's Web Site (061027)

In a speech to the Oakville Chamber of Commerce, Prime Minister Stephen Harper today laid out the government's agenda and called upon the opposition to stop blocking change. "This is not what Canadians voted for and it's not what Canadians want," said the Prime Minister.

...other than offering a soapbox, what does he think the Oakville Chamber of Commerce can do for him?

However, the Prime Minister added that the opposition parties are using the unelected Senate and committee meetings to undermine the government's accountability and anti-crime measures.

... as if he needed anybody's help undermining his authority...
... anyway, maybe it's just bad legislation? I doubt the liberals (as greasy as they can be sometimes) would be stalling good legislation, unless they are just waiting to return to power so they can claim it as their own (and give the neo-cons a taste of their own medicine)!

"If the opposition disagrees with us, they should do it in the open, not in some committee meeting, not in the unelected Senate, and not by endlessly stalling a democratic vote," concluded Prime Minister Harper. "It's time for the opposition to be straight up with Canadians - why are you opposing accountability and tough measures against crime?"

... and he's leading by example?
... right, who needs to read the fine print, anyway? just sign the damn contract and buy that lemon!
...according to liberal MPs and committee members (granted, not necessarily the most unbiased group), the neo-cons are all "too busy" to attend these meetings, and I've yet to hear anything but grandstanding and aggressive question-avoidance from Baird and the rest of Harper's crew during the house of commons' spectacle known as Question Period.
... "they should do it in the open" - look how great that worked for Garth Turner!

mlab

wow - were they listening? haha

From the Prime Minister's Web Site (061024)
PRIME MINISTER HARPER ANNOUNCES STATE VISIT OF GOVERNOR GENERAL TO AFRICA
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced that Governor General Michaëlle Jean will represent Canada on a five-country State visit to Africa.
At the request of the Prime Minister, the Governor General will lead a delegation of distinguished Canadians from civil society to Algeria, Mali, Ghana and South Africa, with a final brief stop in Morocco. The visit will take place between November 19 and December 11, 2006.
The visit will demonstrate how Canadian and African partners are working together to achieve results in Africa. This forthcoming State visit to countries of the African continent will further reinforce the image and understanding of Canada abroad. Canadian State visits play an important role in promoting Canada's interests and in projecting a positive image of contemporary Canada and Canadian values. Information on the history of Canadian State visits abroad and on those undertaken by other Governors General can be seen at http://www.gg.ca.

mlab

Goose Bay: political hot potato
Obviously the goverment-imposed veil of secrecy doesn't apply to the Senate, and they're not afraid to tell it like it is. No wonder Harper wants to eliminate it!

mlab

Canada retains a Korean War legacy: a pledge to defend South Korea
This article by John Ward provides a relevant historical analogy of the war in Afghanistan. It is a welcome antidote to the heartburn-inducing ideological consommé of bumper stickers, propaganda and slogans.

mlab

It looks like "canada's new government" is sparing no effort at erasing the past and making room for more "new" stuff in our lives.
From the Globe and Mail (061012):

During its wide-ranging purge of "wasteful programs," Ottawa discontinued the $30-million [Commercial Heritage Properties Incentive Fund].
The CHPIF was the only federal program designed to help save [the pre-1920 heritage] buildings [from demolition].

This fund offered "developers financial incentives to rehabilitate commercial buildings so deteriorated they might otherwise be torn down, it rescued traditional streetscapes across the land." Examples listed include a $300k grant to restore an 1846 flour mill into a residential and commercial complex in Thorold, ON; a $500k grant to help convert the King George V Building in St.John's to a boutique hotel; and $1million aid package to restore the Dickensian Distillery District in Toronto.
The fate of these heritage buildings is now solely in the hands of their cities and the developers that dictate their agendas. And we all know how well the private sector cares for the environment (both natural and emotional)...

mlab

Perhaps it is only the prospect of a nice cool white winter approaching, but after reading through some of MP Garth Turner's blog and watching some MPTV he has produced, I feel thoroughly refreshed. What is spewing from the PMO and the PM's website is indeed more of an election campaign than anything else. Silly me, after all Harper's rhetoric about "issues that matter to real canadians", I actually expected it to show real issues that mattered to people (rather than propaganda aimed at voters who matter).

Back to the point: Garth's website and comments that people have posted there indicate that beyond the propaganda (that I liken to barnacles on a hull), there really are a lot of concerned Canadians that care for the state of our democracy, our institutions, and our citizenry. Hats off to Garth and the constituents of Halton, and even the conservative party for raising our awareness.

mlab

The local MP's constituency response just called me back. Without confirming nor denying the presence of a lawn sign, the gist of his response was:

[The MP] believe it is his personal decision to support any candidate, or not, at any government level, and whether he chooses any means to show his support (or not) at a given juncture does not have to justified to everybody or anybody.

Now I might be allocating a tone of arrogance or evasiveness, but I tried making sure I understook correctly what was being said when the poor guy said "Look stop trying to pick apart what I said so that you can turn it around to your advantage."

Anyway, this is a strange notion of accountability.

mlab

Latest visit announcement from the Prime Minister's Web Site:

PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER AND MRS. LAUREEN HARPER TO MEET WITH THEIR MAJESTIES KING CARL XVI GUSTAF AND QUEEN SILVIA OF SWEDEN

You know, with all these foreign dignitaries visiting, you get the impression it's the thing statesmen do. If so, why don't we ever hear of Canada sending similar dignitaries (I dare propose the GG) to maintain good relations with other countries? Or are we too critical of such "frivolous" spending? (Or, yet again, is it because it would infringe on the PM's ~~election campaign~~ photo ops?)

mlab

PMO bumped photographer from job at 24 Sussex (Toronto Star, 061023):

[Ottawa photographer Dave Chan] was hired, then un-hired to work with TV comedian Rick Mercer in a sketch at Prime Minister Stephen Harper's residence. [...]Chan got another call from Mercer's producer, John Marshall, and was told that Dimitri Soudas, Harper's press secretary, had vetoed his presence on the assignment. Chan was told the Prime Minister's Office flatly objected to him as a critic of Harper.
[...]
Soudas would neither confirm nor deny on the record that he'd passed that message along to the Mercer show. Instead, Soudas sent an email on Saturday evening, simply saying: "The Prime Minister had a great time with Rick today. We agreed to provide many pictures to the Rick Mercer Report and we'll be doing so on Monday (today)."

The inference, apparently, is that Chan's photos weren't needed because the PMO would supply its own. This issue, in fact, was at the root of an earlier dispute with the press gallery — the PMO's bid to supply its own photos for use in the media rather than allowing photojournalists to take them.
[...]
"As a photographer my job is to document, not provide the spin," Chan said.
Chan does work for all the major national papers and is a member of the press gallery, says he is not a member of the Liberal party and has never been blacklisted for participation in an assignment in his 20 years as a photojournalist.

Also, with the recent ousting of renegade MP Garth Turner (Globe and Mail, 061018):

The Globe and Mail has learned that at a caucus meeting last month, Mr. Harper informed MPs that cuts were coming to various government programs. He said that spokespeople would be assigned on the issue and that MPs should not comment, even if the cuts affected their ridings.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, some MPs said they had no problem with the order and described the comments as consistent with the Prime Minister's disciplined approach to public policy announcements. Others interpreted Mr. Harper's remarks as threatening.
Some Tories have quietly expressed concern with restrictions on their ability to speak out. One caucus source said recently that despite personal admiration for Mr. Harper's successes, the Prime Minister's Office does not use MPs enough.

One can't help but wonder, if he doesn't trust his own ministers and other party members to do their own thing, there must be some real dark secrets is he afraid Canadians will find out!

mlab

My earlier post about the behavioural motivation of low-income tax exempt status is fairly accurately paralleled in a paper titled '"Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" - An Attempt to Boost Self-Esteem Through Art' by Lori R. Cohen and Dr. Camillo Zacchia, February 16, 1995. Here is a particularly pertinent exerpt:

Coupled with their own findings, Rosenberg et. al. believe [there is] a countervailing relationship between self-esteem and delinquency: low self-esteem leads a person towards delinquent behaviour, and the delinquent behaviour in turn boosts that person's self-esteem. This is especially true with boys of lower socio-economic status (Rosenberg & Rosenberg, 1978; Rosenberg et. al. 1989).
The turn to delinquency is attributed to the self-esteem motive and a need for the approval of others; adolescents turn to delinquency in order to gain peer approval and to excel at something, even if that "something" is angering their teachers (Rosenberg et. al., 1989). In their article about "parental mattering", Rosenberg & McCullogh (1981) write:
The angry reaction of [the delinquent's] teachers, his parents, and the police are all vivid testimony to the fact that he makes a difference, that he counts; and this sense of significance is intensified by the support of his delinquent peers who value his contribution to the group's collective purpose.... Thus, one reason for delinquency may be that it makes unimportant people feel important (p. 173).
The self-esteem motive drives adolescents with low self-esteem to find a way to feel good about themselves; they justify whatever they do as "right". If they drop out of school it is because they are "too cool" for school. They will derive their self-esteem from whatever earns them praise or whatever they find they excel at, even if it is not "socially acceptable".
If low academic achievement can be used as a predictor of low self-esteem and potential delinquency, it would be expedient to enhance student's academic self-esteem in order to avoid future problems of delinquency and drop-out. Schools could try to step in at the crucial time of grades 7 and 8 and try to boost self-esteem in a positive way.

The author reports an earlier finding that "self-esteem does not bring success, rather, successes develop self-esteem." With that in mind, I believe paying income taxes is a definite indicator of social success (though nobody wants to admit it), and that being exempt unconsciously indicates social failure, affecting one's self-esteem. The exempt individual then seeks to rebuild self-esteem within his/her new social group, likely resorting to some socially delinquent behaviour. This in turn will affect the climate inside the home, and the cultural differences will be amplified with each new generation.
My vision is that everybody in our society earns what they can and must contribute accordingly. We should not discard nor discount the willingness and abilities of any group; labelling them as "low-income canadians" and giving them special treatment and hand-outs on that basis merely insults their pride, increases their feeling of dependence and reduces their feeling of control. Their only anchor for self-esteem becomes retaliation.

Hmm. That's all very similar to my views on world peace...

mlab

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I agreed with nearly all of Harper's speech to B'nai Brith (Ottawa, 061018)

We are restoring Canada to its traditional and true role: principled leadership in world affairs.
A country that knows where it stands.
Speaks up for what’s right.
And invests in the tools of diplomacy: foreign aid, intelligence and military capability.
Friends, this is a role we have played countless times in our history.
A role we as Canadians should be proud of.
A role we will continue to pursue.

Hear hear!

I just wish I knew exactly which "principles" guide us. Oh and uhm, where exactly do we "stand" on things, and how do we determine exactly what's "right?"

mlab

The income tax reductions in Budget 2006 will remove over 650,000 low-income Canadians from the tax rolls altogether.
I do believe "low-income Canadians" need every cent they can get to get by, and that taking them off the rolls may reduce the administrative workload somewhat. But part of me isn't comfortable with the behaviour it is likely to motivate among those labeled as low-income canadians.
Raising the tax-free threshold increases the accessibility of the incentive for people to falsify their earnings to change their status, and I suspect there would be some (not likely a majority) that would perceive not paying taxes as an "acquired right." Their behaviour would shift toward that of a "dependent on society" rather than a "full member of society proudly contributing his/her fair share" with a stake in the success of Canada as a whole.
It also inches us closer to a tiered society, with haves, uber-haves, and have-nots, and that's not a vision of Canada that I care to encourage.

mlab

One of the local council candidates I was talking with boasted that he has the support of the local MP (who happens to be a senior cabinet minister) and the MP even put up a lawn sign endorsing him.
That doesn't sit right with me.
Yes we have freedom of speech.
We must exercise it responsibly, as we also have a civic duty toward fairness and respect amongst one another.
Especially when it can affect the climate of negotiations at other levels of government.

I have asked my MP's office if the MP was publically endorsing one municipal candidate over another. The answer (approximately): "He might very well be, but I don't know for sure whether he has a sign or not. [...] I am not aware of anything that would prevent him from displaying his support, just as the 200,000 other public servants in the country probably also display their support for one candidate or another." When I mentioned I believe it violates a the principle of intergovernmental neutrality, especially at such senior levels, he suggested I contact the city of Ottawa elections officer and find out. I asked him how could I know for sure whether the sign exists or not, and he offered to look into it and call me back.

Stay tuned. I feel there will be more on this soon enough.

Update 1: City elections office confirmed "there are no rules [in the provincial Municipal Elections Act] concerning other government levels; any registered voter is free to express his/her support." It wouldn't be up to a provincial law to dictate what individuals can/cannot do because of their federal status (or stature) anyway, to which she agreed.
I really don't expect to find any official rule anywhere, rather this would be in the misty yet fundamental realm of ethics and integrity.

mlab

Ref. cbc.ca Kyoto Protocol Backgrounder updated october 2006
I sent the following feedback to the CBC:
How can the editor have approved this article? There are two significant lapses in professional judgment:
1- the perpetuation of the "myth" that there is still discord in the scientific community over the relationship between GHGs and global warming. If it were true, which according to many recent articles isn't, then the sources of the "vocal minority" should be identified.
2- printing Ms Ambrose's statement ("the Liberal party failed Kyoto") is a cheap, divisive partisan slur that is left unbalanced in the article.
These two elements indicate a strong bias for the Conservative government and critically undermines your credibility. I caution you to restore the professionalism that you once had and which had earned my respect.

mlab

Prime Minister Harper launches
Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative
- versus -
Government of Canada announces
Pacific Gateway Strategy

If can't see the difference, don't blame youself. Let me point out some of the subtler differences:

then: David Emerson Minister of Industry

now: David Emerson Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway

then: nice three-word title

now: long complicated name

then: 590 million

now: 591 million

then: liberals

now: neo-cons

then: seems the news was released by "the government" on the Transport Canada website. looks like the previous government let the team that actually did the work take the credit, and in such a way as to suggest it was for the benefit of all Canadians.

now: "Canada's New Government" made the announcement in such a way as to suggest they saved the world all by themselves, once again.

Good thing for BC (and rest of Canada) that Emerson is still around. But after recognizing Harper recently, I can't help but wonder, would the Woodrow Wilson people even qualify for their own award?

mlab

"Though I accept the responsibility to cast myself in a good light, you must acknowledge that I have no control over the color of your glasses."
-me

mlab

It all seems so absurd that this should have occurred
My very only secret and I had to go and leak it
My secret garden's not so secret anymore
-Depeche Mode

I saw an "inspirational quote" this morning that suggested you should hold on to an idea, and revelling in that secret will give you strength.
That's as pointless as a schoolyard crush. I say git on with yer ideas boy, and let's have at 'em so we can all git on with'em and mebbe git somewhere for a change.

mlab

Like Ignatieff criticizing Isreal as a friend (because a friend who only tells you what you want to hear isn't looking out for your best interest), I believe it is always good to be questioned on the purpose of something, whatever that may be and however unpleasant it may be.

So, why this blog? Because observations lead to discussions, discussions lead to questions and increased awareness, increased awareness leads to self-enforcement and self-regulation.

I was inspired by an article in the Ottawa Citizen, on yet another Russian journalist critical of the government was assassinated just recently, and apparently she's the 20th or so to be shot and killed there in the last 6 years. Closer to home, Harper has clamped down on party communications and media access, and has even dismissed an MP from his caucus because he was overly critical of the party on his personal blog. I'm not saying that there is any causal or deliberate link between the two, but both are symptomatic of organizations increasingly desperate to gain or maintain control (and preserve for themselves all the associated benefits to which they have become accustomed).

That behaviour is NOT a sound basis for democracy. I've blogged before how education is a fundamental pillar (a quote probably attributed to somebody else), and we all have a responsibility (and the power) to keep the forum for intelligent debate open (a la woodrow wilson, except to recipients deserving in fact rather than doublespeak).

I believe we collectively have tremendous knowledge, creativity and enthusiasm, and that our potential should be tapped rather than suppressed. When shown horses on a ranch, a butcher sees their meat, while a farmer visualizes their strength; I'd rather see Canadians harnessed and pulling the carts of intelligentsia than herded into the intellectual slaughterhouse of creature comforts and entitlements.

mlab

The Ottawa Citizen 2006.10.16 by Don Sawyer (edited for brevity)

Bumper sticker wars: A U.S. tradition that polarizes debate and reduces complex issues to simplistic slogans has made its way to Canada
When I was returning from the United States a few weeks ago, I boarded a connecting flight in Las Vegas and noticed a big red decal on the side of the plane: "We Support our Troops in the Middle East." Even after being in the U.S. for two weeks, I was taken aback by this crass mix of patriotism and hucksterism. I was also taken back -- to the '60s and the Vietnam War.
As that conflict dragged on, the level of discourse deteriorated badly. While thousands of Americans and millions of Vietnamese were dying, debate at home was largely limited to what could fit on a bumper sticker. Besides the always popular appeal to mindless jingoism, "Support Our Troops in Vietnam," the Republican Pontiac bumper could sport "America: Love it Or Leave It," "Jane Fonda: America's Traitor Bitch," or (my favourite for unabashed commitment to ignorance) "America: My Country, Right or Wrong."
And then the bumper stickers stopped. I was in Canada. The stresses of living in a country locked in an immoral and disastrous war began to melt away like "the morning frost under the rising sun." The few bumper stickers I did see advocated support for the newly created Vancouver Canucks or suggested that the driver ahead of me stopped for animals, hallucinations or leprechauns.
Now fast-forward to 2006. Americans are again embroiled in a war of arrogance and deception and fighting their ideological battles on their bumpers. The victims have changed, but not much else. For the more Neanderthal, there is "These Colours Don't Run!" and (with a NRA emblem) "When In Doubt, Empty the Magazine." For old-school hawks there's "Get Behind our Troops or Get in Front of 'em!" and "If You can Read This Thank a Teacher; If You Can Read It in English, Thank a Vet." And, as an example (I think) of Republican humour, how about "Fat People Are Harder to Kidnap"?
As always the left is cleverer -- and more trenchant. Two of my current favourites are "Be Nice to America or We'll Bring Democracy to Your Country," and "I Love my Country, but I Think we Should Start Seeing Other People." Then there's "Regime Change Starts at Home" and "We're Making Enemies Faster than We Can Kill Them."
This new spate of bumper stickers that polarizes and reduces complex issues to slogans is no longer confined south of the border. As Canada edges into a deepening war in Afghanistan and the casualties mount, we are beginning to see the same appeals to patriotism and stupidity pop up in Canadian papers and on Albertan bumper stickers. Meaningless slogans such as "Canada Doesn't Cut and Run" are showing up in the media from Halifax to Toronto to Winnipeg.
Canadian chief of defence staff Gen. Rick Hillier tells us we are in Afghanistan because we have a responsibility "as the rich and luxurious caring nation that we are to help other places around the world where the populations don't have any of those benefits or advantages or rights." This despite the fact that the situation in a hundred other countries, from Algeria to Zimbabwe, is as bad or worse.
Writing in the London Review of Books, Anatol Lieven remarks, "Historians of the future will perhaps see preaching 'freedom' at the point of an American rifle no less morally and intellectually absurd than 'voluntary' conversion to Christianity at the point of a Spanish harquebus." And now we can, sadly, insert "Canadian" for American.
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety -- Ben Franklin."

PS. This is symptomatic of a larger phenomenon that I and a highly knowledgeable friend of mine have oft discussed: the reluctant but passive and certain erosion of a true Canadian identity.

mlab

First, as always, my sympathies are with Tedford and Williamson's loved ones.

Excerpt from the Prime Minister's Web Site, October 15, 2006

"Sergeant Darcy Tedford and Private Blake Williamson were killed on October 14 when their unit was attacked by insurgents near the new roadway project in the Panjwayi area of Afghanistan. This road is being built by the Canadian Provincial Reconstruction Team and other Canadian units in partnership with Afghan officials, and is part of the ongoing development and reconstruction process that Canada is engaged in."

Looks like Paul Martin managed to force Harper to emphasize the
reconstruction efforts, and play the political game despite his obvious disdain
for it.

mlab

A talk with one of the candidates for ward councillor who was trolling for votes today reinforced my dislike for the "accountability" bandwagon. His material stressed accountability while slamming the incumbent (or her record; was it deliberately unclear?). Apparently I'm the first of 5500 people he's talked to that mentioned that.
If there's one quality I'm looking for in a city councillor, it's integrity.
The ability to influence decisions and groups to get things accomplished is the second thing I look for. Too many people ignore the first to reach the second.
Then again, there is merit to the expression "I'd rather be wrong alive, than dead right."
Tough choice.

mlab

"having a career requires work - it needs nurturing, planning, grooming, constant attention... it's a full time job."
maybe that's why the rest of us minions are doing two jobs while they are busy getting ahead?

I've got to start slacking off.

mlab

Last night's episode of Grey's Anatomy taught a the following "life lesson:" Sometimes the only way to learn is to make mistakes, because that's when we find out who we really are.
Immediately after, CSI:WHEREVER ended with a staff locker-room discussion over why kids nowadayss are acting so violently. One said they needed a gramma to kick them in the ass when they got out of line (negative reinforcement), another said all they needed was proper guidance, love and encouragement to develop their moral compass (positive reinforcement). Bossguy disagrees with both and says neither is the real problem ("a moral compass can only point you in the right direction, not make you go there"), rather our society and our culture encourage us not to feel guilty about anything, that it isn't their fault and isn't their problem. [comment: sure, blame it on "society" and violate your own moral why don't you!]
Interesting, eh? Anyway, although these messages resonate with me, and I accept their premise that TV is a kind of surrogate parent for "today's kids," but are these shows really targeting the right demographic to make a change?

mlab

re: Harper's gaffe earlier today accusing all liberal leadership candidates of being anti-israel.

perhaps this is why he's implemented such tight-lip policies? heaven forbid anybody should say what they actually think... people might find them out!

mlab

Another term I tried to explain to a friend recently is "americanization:"
A term generally used by canadian leftists to decry the situation when governments forget who they are supposed to represent (citizens) and get in bed with businesses instead. A conflict of interest and a violation of their core purpose, which is to do for the residents what businesses won't because it simply isn't profitable. Canadian rightists, on the other hand, idealize the Americans, because, well just look how rich and powerful they are.
I guess it depends what you want to measure, doesn't it?

mlab

I gave the following explanation to a friend who wasn't familiar with public-private partnerships (PPPs):
PPPs are basically like leasing a car, typically over a long time (15y) during which time the private partner (a for-profit business) rents it to the city and other users and runs concession stands to recoup his investment (with a healthy ROI, of course), after which the city takes it over (sometimes just in time for the building to fall apart). They're very convenient politically, because the city gets quick access to facilities for little cash down.
I am partially opposed to them on that same principle: I believe you shouldn't buy with money you don't have. However, the only usual alternative is for the city to raise money on the financial market by issuing bonds and/or debentures (effectively borrowing the money from investors who also seek a profit, but at least it is competitive), then having city staffers (already spread too thin) manage the construction, which is also far from ideal.

mlab

The recent election campaign in Ottawa is bringing about some interesting discussion. Some cynics may say its all irrelevant (empty promises blabla) but I believe it is important because it sets the tone for relationships between the city, municipal services, corporate communications, local business and the residents.

At a recent mayoral candidate debate, one of the candidates recognized the need to involve people. What a novel concept! "We need to create a mechanism to empower local people to make decisions locally. I support the borough model."
I agree. A borough model would be excellent way to give people a sense of purpose and control over their environment, and would recreate the sense of identity in the community that was lost during amalgamation.
Montreal attempted that, with partial success. Some municipalities turned out to be more "responsible" than others. Some municipalities felt so strongly about their community that they were willing to de-amalgamate, even if it meant slightly higher taxes.
Anyway, I envision boroughs with their own budgets to offer services and activities that positively impact the local quality of life (=Herzberg's "motivating factors"): issues that are particularly important to local residents like sports, local planning, zoning, parks, etc. Meanwhile, the city council would be responsible for major projects, large scale planning, infrastructure, corporate and shared services like trash, libraries, water, electricity, taxation, administration, etc, whose would negatively affect the quality of life of residents if removed (=Herzberg's "hygiene factors"). It would be a hybrid system with its own zits and warts, but would be more balanced and, more importantly, would involve the communities and respond to their needs. Further, done properly, the greater overall public satisfaction would improve productivity at work (though imperceptively) and reduce the drain on city resources, thereby offsetting any additional costs that may be required.
Heck, it may even generate more prosperity. Too bad most candidates are too obsessed with running the city with the current-quarter focus so prevalent in the business world.

mlab

The news today are all over the story about CO2 emissions by province. In the fine print, they say the study only included numbers reported by industrial sources for 2004 and that the transportation sector wasn't included.
As reported, the bad boys are: AB (39%), ON (28%) and QC (8%).

On an industrial-tonnes per capita basis (statscan 2005), this changes slightly. The bad boys are: AB (33k), SK (23k), and NB (17k).

Further, based on the following assumptions/unconfirmed facts:
1. the industrial sector accounts for 65% of all CO2 emissions in canada;
2. the transportation sector accounts for the remaining 35%;
3. transportation CO2 emissions are the same for all provinces on a per capita basis;
4. i entered all numbers and formulae correctly in my spreadsheet;
we can conclude that the bad boys, based on total tonnes per capita, are: AB (3.8million tonnes), SK (2.7), NB (2.2).

With Alberta consistently the worst offender and Saskatchewan almost as guilty, not to mention so much electoral ground to gain in rather Liberal New-Brunswick, it's no wonder the Conservatives are trying to downplay the importance of CO2 and global warming on the lives of "ordinary Canadians"...

mlab

Apparently I'm not the first person to ponder the merits of a proportionally-elected senate. I may not have blogged about that before, but it is the only (partial) solution I can find that might restore the public faith (damaged by the conservative party, incidentally) in the legitimacy of the upper house.

mlab

This concept/notion/whatever is taking stronger shape in my mind as each day goes by:
If God is all-being, all-knowing, all-seeing, omnipresent and omnipotent, we can conclude that God is in us and all around us. Organized religion's greatest transgression would then be denying His part in us (i.e., not recognizing us as deitful components of Him), externalizing our responsibility toward Him (ourselves - as in body is a temple), and making us worship Him as something separate from us that (conveniently) requires an intermediary (and a chain of command). This conveniently absolves us of our responsibilities toward ourselves and everybody and everything, which are by definition, also part of God.

mlab

Prime Minister Harper lauded contribution of Chinese Canadians to national development
Prime Minister Harper offers full apology for the Chinese Head Tax
It's about time.
However, I can't help but doubt their true intentions since the Conservatives had voted against addressing this grievance while in opposition, and only changed their song during the 2005 election campaign. They seem prone to attempting to modify history.
Conservatives wrong on head tax
So I wonder, is it only a coincidence, given that that the majority of Chinese Canadians are concentrated in our biggest cities, where the Conservatives didn't get any votes? Because if they truly wanted to right past wrongs (or at least the appeance of addressing measures even if they were lawful at the time), they might want to say something about the deportation of Acadiens too...
Further, if the government accepts liability for past acts that are illegal under today's laws, what impact will that have on the judicial system, where you can only be tried and punished according to the laws that were in effect at the time of the crime?
Anyway, for a more detailed and unbiased account of the historial and global context and purpose of the head tax.

mlab

Informative. See various impacts of our activity on the planet.

mlab

From The Globe and Mail, 061005, page A5:

"To undertake discriminatory employment practices based on nationality is contrary to Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms. [...] Complying with [State Department] requirements to identify dual nationals and using that information for discriminatory purposes is contrary to the Canadian Charter," said a document prepared by Dan Ross, the senior bureaucrat in charge of procurement at the Department of National Defence.
Apparently this is hindering Ottawa's negotiations with the U.S. company Boeing Co. to purchase four giant C-17 cargo planes (at a cost of $3.7-billion) and 16 heavy-lift Chinook helicopters (for $4.7-billion).
The Harper government plans to buy another $9-billion in military equipment, including smaller cargo planes, ships and trucks. Those purchases will also be affected if they are made in the United States.
The document adds that the U.S. government has been enforcing its restrictions more stringently in recent months, hence the current predicament.

No kidding?! Unless an exemption is obtained, the only way to get this equipment is to buy it from the US Government directly, with a 400M USD brokerage fee no less. The Canadian government wants the equipment badly, the American government wants to bolster the appearance of national security (and lining their own pockets is a nice bonus), and there is no incentive for the States to play nice at all: we want this equipment to assert our independence from them (currently we rely on them a lot to move our troops and military equipment around the world), and because our inability to patrol the arctic with their continued presence there gives them a legitimate claim over that territory.
Personally, I believe the American insistence to enforce the "dual-citizenship with proscribed countries" rule is entirely reasonable, and it will come up again and again, especially as Canada seems to want to beef up its sovereignty. After ignoring it during the Israel-Lebanon-Hezbollah conflict, perhaps we could use this situation to revisit the dual-citizenship concept now, in a less culturally-tangled context?
Side note: interesting how Harper speaks nicely to the Americans while beefing up our military to allow us to distance ourselves from them, while attacking the Liberals for bringing up such topics in political circles yet doing nothing to strengthen our military. Doesn't that make Harper look a little hypocritical, or at least expose his american-style attitude? I'm not a gambling man, but I'd put my money on winning a debate rather than a battle...

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