I am delighted to publicize my close friend Tani Kallamata in his quest to be Canada's Next Great Prime Minister. He is a great guy through and through, and certainly committed to promoting the best (and best-researched) policies for Canada.
I embed his contest video and tax policy video for your convenience. I highly encourage all to rate his video very positively (5-star) on the CBC website. It is refreshing to see people my age promote the noble values of hard work, equality, investment in people, skill building and reward of a job well done.
Tani also has a campaign blog and Facebook group which you are welcome to read and join.
Dr Roy posted about another close friend of mine, Tim Mak, who is too promoting policies we can share.
Monday, 24 November 2008
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Does anyone like election spoofs?
Campaign signs and slogans are so bland there's barely anything to spoof. But this one was begging for it!
Populist ADQ
Despite being the only party to advocate some decent free market policies (although selling 7% of Hydro Quebec hardly counts), if I were a Quebecker I'd think twice before ticking the ADQ box on the ballot.
First and foremost the ADQ seems to jump most bandwagons they can get a grip on. Today they jump on the "identity" one, while the PQ endorses the school course that teaches children about different religions. I have qualms with the way it being fed to children with no option for parents to opt out. However it is a valuable addition to the curriculum, and may avoid embarrassments when the ignorance of certain members of the general populace is exposed for all to see and hear (Bouchard-Taylor commission, anyone?). If one's a true libertarian or Tory one advocates choice (i.e. opt-outs). Dumont waving the history and identity flags is just the caricature of a party desperate for support, appealing to all fringes ending up appealing to no-one.
Besides, this isn't the first instance of Dumont's erratic judgment. A few months ago he sought to bring down the Quebec government over the low turnout in school board elections, presumably because people cared. Had they really, turnout would've been higher.
The ADQ election posters decorating (note: sarcasm) Montreal's streets in their befuddling triviality deliver one message: the campaign team should think twice on their slogans. "Donnez-vous le pouvoir" is as redundant as some of Dumont's rhetoric. Quebeckers already have the power, and I fear they're going to use it against him in a few weeks' time.
And not a moment too soon, if you ask me. With the current economic situation a Quebec version of Berlusconi would be a disaster. His populist tendencies, combined with an evident one-man show party and a mercurial character make him unfit as Premier. Right now, at least.
First and foremost the ADQ seems to jump most bandwagons they can get a grip on. Today they jump on the "identity" one, while the PQ endorses the school course that teaches children about different religions. I have qualms with the way it being fed to children with no option for parents to opt out. However it is a valuable addition to the curriculum, and may avoid embarrassments when the ignorance of certain members of the general populace is exposed for all to see and hear (Bouchard-Taylor commission, anyone?). If one's a true libertarian or Tory one advocates choice (i.e. opt-outs). Dumont waving the history and identity flags is just the caricature of a party desperate for support, appealing to all fringes ending up appealing to no-one.
Besides, this isn't the first instance of Dumont's erratic judgment. A few months ago he sought to bring down the Quebec government over the low turnout in school board elections, presumably because people cared. Had they really, turnout would've been higher.
The ADQ election posters decorating (note: sarcasm) Montreal's streets in their befuddling triviality deliver one message: the campaign team should think twice on their slogans. "Donnez-vous le pouvoir" is as redundant as some of Dumont's rhetoric. Quebeckers already have the power, and I fear they're going to use it against him in a few weeks' time.
And not a moment too soon, if you ask me. With the current economic situation a Quebec version of Berlusconi would be a disaster. His populist tendencies, combined with an evident one-man show party and a mercurial character make him unfit as Premier. Right now, at least.
Monday, 10 November 2008
Entitled to fail
The pervasive culture of entitlement that teaches us mantras about the world owing us something has gained momentum in Canada's universities. (Jarret (KerPlonka) also comments on this story) A study of 400 undergraduate students revealed that about a third of students believe they deserve a grade B if they attended most classes and/or completed most of the reading, or feel short-changed on the grades they get on assignments. Between a sixth and a quarter have been led to believe professors have to fir their own commitments and business around students' schedules and plans. Seriously, what the fuzz is this?
Education is not about sitting on one's backside listening to the prof. Being educated means accumulating knowledge, understanding it and knowing how to use it. Just being present and having read the stuff doesn't mean you should get a passing grade, let alone a B. These attitudes drag down the standards of any educational institution's graduates, plunging the entire degree course and degree category into irrelevance.
When grades are too easy an A stops meaning "outstanding". When no-one can fail everyone gets a Bachelor's, thus the value of a B.Sc. or a B.A. asymptotically approaches zero. Entitlement leads to mediocrity, particularly in areas where human beings are naturally prone to competing and excelling.
A message to all entitled student princesses out there. I've had my fair share of outstanding profs and mediocre ones. I saw profs who were geniuses with decades-long experiences be completely out-of-touch with a class, while newly-hired fresh-out-of-PhD lecturers energized the audience and taught almost perfectly. I know of profs in Italy who are proud of being unreachable except by paper mail and profs who check e-mails ten times a day.
But I never for one moment believed to be entitled to a pass just for being there. If I ever asked for extenuating circumstances I made sure my motives were bomb-proof, and yet I still felt a slight guilt for inconveniencing the prof. I studied hard for my exams and cried over some assignments. I showed effort by submitting the best possible work and attempting many solutions for a question I didn't understand. And I ultimately loved my uni experience and what I learned.
My father had to fight leftard slackers during his time, who advocated "common grades" for the entire class (everyone is awarded the average grade) and the "political 18" which meant everyone passed, no matter what. Today's entitlement princesses are no different.
It saddens me that more and more people of my age would rather weasel their way into merit rather than earn it by getting off their backsides and looking up the true meaning of the word "effort" in the dictionary.
Education is not about sitting on one's backside listening to the prof. Being educated means accumulating knowledge, understanding it and knowing how to use it. Just being present and having read the stuff doesn't mean you should get a passing grade, let alone a B. These attitudes drag down the standards of any educational institution's graduates, plunging the entire degree course and degree category into irrelevance.
When grades are too easy an A stops meaning "outstanding". When no-one can fail everyone gets a Bachelor's, thus the value of a B.Sc. or a B.A. asymptotically approaches zero. Entitlement leads to mediocrity, particularly in areas where human beings are naturally prone to competing and excelling.
A message to all entitled student princesses out there. I've had my fair share of outstanding profs and mediocre ones. I saw profs who were geniuses with decades-long experiences be completely out-of-touch with a class, while newly-hired fresh-out-of-PhD lecturers energized the audience and taught almost perfectly. I know of profs in Italy who are proud of being unreachable except by paper mail and profs who check e-mails ten times a day.
But I never for one moment believed to be entitled to a pass just for being there. If I ever asked for extenuating circumstances I made sure my motives were bomb-proof, and yet I still felt a slight guilt for inconveniencing the prof. I studied hard for my exams and cried over some assignments. I showed effort by submitting the best possible work and attempting many solutions for a question I didn't understand. And I ultimately loved my uni experience and what I learned.
My father had to fight leftard slackers during his time, who advocated "common grades" for the entire class (everyone is awarded the average grade) and the "political 18" which meant everyone passed, no matter what. Today's entitlement princesses are no different.
It saddens me that more and more people of my age would rather weasel their way into merit rather than earn it by getting off their backsides and looking up the true meaning of the word "effort" in the dictionary.
Maldives save up for the future
The newly-elected President of the Maldives has announced that part of the country's tourism revenues will be saved up for buying up land somewhere else in case the ocean floods the sandy cays that make up the archipelago. Properly administered, this savings account might turn out to be a great investment, but not for the reasons its founders envision.
Since global warming and oceans rising have something in common with the Armageddon, Nessie, the Yeti and Elvis being alive Maldivians will find themselves in a few years time with either a massive gold pot or some potentially profitable developed land.
The Maldives will NOT be flooded. It would be a giant pity for the whole world (the islands are GORGEOUS). The new President is pragmatic enough to realize that Maldivians abandoning inter-island air transport for fighting climate change will do next to nothing for their islands, except probably annoy tourists facing long rocky transfers. Nevertheless, it is always good to save up for a rainy day. With the current economic downturn comparisons to the islands' monsoon season are more than appropriate.
Since global warming and oceans rising have something in common with the Armageddon, Nessie, the Yeti and Elvis being alive Maldivians will find themselves in a few years time with either a massive gold pot or some potentially profitable developed land.
The Maldives will NOT be flooded. It would be a giant pity for the whole world (the islands are GORGEOUS). The new President is pragmatic enough to realize that Maldivians abandoning inter-island air transport for fighting climate change will do next to nothing for their islands, except probably annoy tourists facing long rocky transfers. Nevertheless, it is always good to save up for a rainy day. With the current economic downturn comparisons to the islands' monsoon season are more than appropriate.
Sunday, 9 November 2008
An anniversary of freedom
We may be approaching Remembrance Day, but today marks the 19th year since the world took a deep breath of newly-found freedom, and began unshackling itself from the bounds of socialist oppression. The quintessential symbol of Socialism - grey, unwelcoming, secretive, oppressive and downright deadly - the Berlin Wall, fell on this day in 1989. I was barely four at the time. I wish, however, to express my gratitude to all those who helped bring the horror to an end in Europe.
As we remember our parents and grandparents who fought in the trenches, let us also spare a thought for all those who suffered at the hand of a murderous and deceiving ideology, and the brave ones who dared challenge it, often paying the price of life for their courage. Let us also give thanks for the free-er world we live in today, a world where some could actually call Obama a socialist without being laughed at. With a bit of luck the innate human drive for freedom will help eradicate Marxism from planet Earth.
Before we continue on the path, let's not forget how far we've come and how many we have to thank for it.
As we remember our parents and grandparents who fought in the trenches, let us also spare a thought for all those who suffered at the hand of a murderous and deceiving ideology, and the brave ones who dared challenge it, often paying the price of life for their courage. Let us also give thanks for the free-er world we live in today, a world where some could actually call Obama a socialist without being laughed at. With a bit of luck the innate human drive for freedom will help eradicate Marxism from planet Earth.
Before we continue on the path, let's not forget how far we've come and how many we have to thank for it.
Thursday, 6 November 2008
CJ's truth about President Obama
A beautiful post by Paul at Celestial Junk on Obama's presidency and how it will not be the revolution only the ignorant could really hope for. One sole comment: my thoughts exactly! Excellent analysis. Keep it up!
Monday, 3 November 2008
No safe haven for the scum of the earth
Pervert Troy Greenbank first arranges a threesome with a woman and her 10-year old daughter, goes as far as buying sexual props for the girl and, when busted, flees to Canada begging for asylum because he'd be killed in jail back at home.
We've got news for this sicko: Canada has no use for his ilk, and I hope he gets his perverted backside hauled back to Missouri. Where he will face an all-too-lenient punishment for his sickening intentions.
One thought stands out, though. How are the American authorities dealing with the mother?
We've got news for this sicko: Canada has no use for his ilk, and I hope he gets his perverted backside hauled back to Missouri. Where he will face an all-too-lenient punishment for his sickening intentions.
One thought stands out, though. How are the American authorities dealing with the mother?
Liberals have no place to hold convention
If they want to anger no-one and rake in a few votes from boosting local businesses that is. Their earlier plan to hold the convention in Vancouver is apparently under re-consideration as Ottawa and Quebec City are rumored to be throwing their hats in. If the rule of bad news coming in packs needed proving, the Liberals leave no room for doubts.
Their decision, whatever it may be, will result in losses or at least in no improvement for the party's standing. Sticking with Vancouver will upset Quebeckers and at most result in some lifting of Liberal fortunes, gains which time and pre-election campaigning will weather away. The root of Liberal problems is not in Quebec, thus holding the conference in Quebec City would do the party no good either east or west of the Outaouais. Ottawa is, for obvious reasons, saturated with politics and politicians' business. Furthermore the town's political connotation may lend a Liberal convention the perceived aloofness and absence of touch with the rest of the country that is confining the "natural party of power" to the opposition benches for the foreseeable future.
By all means the convention should be held in Vancouver: a change of plans is exactly what the Tories are waiting for to demonstrate that Liberals don't care. The LPC needs, however, to address the deeply rooted malaise that is rotting the party from the inside. Where to undego this surgery should be the Liberals' least concern.
Their decision, whatever it may be, will result in losses or at least in no improvement for the party's standing. Sticking with Vancouver will upset Quebeckers and at most result in some lifting of Liberal fortunes, gains which time and pre-election campaigning will weather away. The root of Liberal problems is not in Quebec, thus holding the conference in Quebec City would do the party no good either east or west of the Outaouais. Ottawa is, for obvious reasons, saturated with politics and politicians' business. Furthermore the town's political connotation may lend a Liberal convention the perceived aloofness and absence of touch with the rest of the country that is confining the "natural party of power" to the opposition benches for the foreseeable future.
By all means the convention should be held in Vancouver: a change of plans is exactly what the Tories are waiting for to demonstrate that Liberals don't care. The LPC needs, however, to address the deeply rooted malaise that is rotting the party from the inside. Where to undego this surgery should be the Liberals' least concern.
Prestigious think-tank says - Blame It On TV
RAND corporation identifies a correlation between teen exposure to televised sexual content and teenage pregnancy. My Baloney-O-Meter immediately rings an alarm bell. While disapproving of excessive sexualization of any media production aimed at adolescents I believe the root of the problem at hand is not in TV or any other factor external to the family.
If parents aren't present and prepared to tackle the important issues with their children before they arise trouble is around the corner. I don't know whether RAND included parental education about human sexuality in their calculations, but I'd bet my money this factor would potentially outweigh TV content as an influence on teenage pregnancy rates.
So why does RAND seem to want to spread the blame so widely that no-one's guilty in the end? Here's a probable explanation:
The take-home message, therefore, is take all research with a pinch of salt and before blaming TV and the entire world one should look at one's own reflection
If parents aren't present and prepared to tackle the important issues with their children before they arise trouble is around the corner. I don't know whether RAND included parental education about human sexuality in their calculations, but I'd bet my money this factor would potentially outweigh TV content as an influence on teenage pregnancy rates.
So why does RAND seem to want to spread the blame so widely that no-one's guilty in the end? Here's a probable explanation:
While RAND strives to be middle-of-the-road ideologically, the more conservative scholars at RAND tend to work on military studies, while the more liberal scholars tend to work on domestic studies. Because the military studies are sometimes classified and often more mundane than the domestic studies, the media and members of Congress tend to cite the domestic studies disproportionately. As a consequence, RAND appears liberal when judged by these citations. [...] think of RAND as two think tanks: RAND I, the left-leaning think tank which produces the research that the media and members of Congress like to cite, and RAND II, the conservative think tank which produces the research that they do not like to cite.
The take-home message, therefore, is take all research with a pinch of salt and before blaming TV and the entire world one should look at one's own reflection
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