Toronto Star Investigation into First Nations Poverty: Broken peoples, broken policy

Canada's shame: why do we have people living in 3rd world conditions in a (supposedly) 1st world country?

Series: Investigation: Broken peoples, broken policy

Mallick, commenting in the Toronto Star on Linda Polman's recent book, "The Crisis Caravan: What’s Wrong with Humanitarian Aid"

"Polman, for all her faults, makes a good case that humanitarian aid can hurt more than it helps. Worse, no one will acknowledge this or say this must change."

Full article: Mallick: In ‘aid’ of corruption?:

Khadr to serve eight years (reported in the Toronto Star)

"'Make no mistake. The world is watching,' Pentagon Prosecutor Jeffrey Groharing told the uniformed panel Saturday morning. 'Your sentence will send a message.'"

They certainly sent a strong message, and that is that they have absolutely no concept of justice - only vengeance. This is a travesty of justice - given all the 1000's of Americans killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, why should the only captive the U.S. has charged with murder in connection with these deaths be someone who was a child soldier at the time of capture, supposedly protected by international norms? See Omar Khadr as Child Soldier - University of Toronto Law Dept.

Full article: Khadr to serve eight years - thestar.com

Richard Cohen of the Washington Post: "Obama swings wildly at Tea Party ghosts"

Richard Cohen: "[economic issues] and a general distrust of government are what motivate most Tea Party members, the Post discovered. Their allegiance to any political party is minimal.

"Obama, with almost no political record, might have made inroads with these people."

Full article: Obama swings wildly at Tea Party ghosts - thestar.com

China lashes out at “noisy boys” (remarks by the new consul general for China in Toronto)

China lashes out at “noisy boys” - Chen Ligang to the Toronto Star

Surely this is disingenuous - China and the US are locked in a mutual, catch-22, situation: China is worried about social unrest, while the US hemorrhages jobs.

A death in China triggers disgust, derision (reported in the Toronto Star)

A death in China triggers disgust, derision: "My father is Li Gang!"

Happy Creation Day! : Pharyngula

And now for some light relief! Thanks to Professor PZ Myers for this view - especially the remarks about cephalopods!
Happy Creation Day! : Pharyngula

Jim Travers in the Toronto Star: Obama gets blame while Harper takes credit

As Jim Travers says, "Two conclusions flow from the illusions roaming free north and south of the 49th parallel. One is that in the ruins of the financial collapse, hope is no match for fear. The other is that in the fanciful new political order, perception is reality.perception is reality"!

Full article: Jim Travers: Obama gets blame while Harper takes credit

Toronto Star: Science confirms the Neanderthal in Ozzy Osbourne

Science confirms the Neanderthal in Ozzy Osbourne - the Toronto Star

Leaving aside jokes about Ozzy - and let's not even touch the bat story - it wasn't that long ago that Prof. Dr. Svante Pääbo was saying that humans had no Neanderthal genes, which was a disappointment to those of us who believe in making love not war! He (and Ozzy's genome) now tell a different, and happier, story!

Tyler Hamilton in the Toronto Star: The next climate vote you should care about

Full article: "The next climate vote you should care about"

"Provincially [Ontario] there are even greater uncertainties on the greenhouse-gas file, and it’s directly related to the outcome of an election to take place next Tuesday in California.... [V]oters on Nov. 2 will also be asked whether California should accept or reject Proposition 23, which would suspend the state’s 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act.

"A 'yes' vote would essentially bring to a halt all of the emission-reduction initiatives related to the act until the unemployment rate in America’s largest economy drops to below 5.5 per cent for four quarters in a row – an unlikely event given California’s history.

"One initiative that a 'yes' vote would likely kill is the Western Climate Initiative (WCI), a regional carbon cap-and-trade market being set up by four Canadian provinces, including Ontario, and seven U.S. states. WCI’s stated mandate is to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions to 15 per cent below 2005 levels by 2020.

"The WCI carbon trading system is set to launch at the beginning of 2012. This first phase would affect power generators and large industrial emitters (cement plants, refineries, steel makers, etc.) of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases.

"But of the 11 WCI members only five jurisdictions—California, New Mexico, Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia – have passed the legislation required to begin carbon trading in 2012.

If California bows out the dominoes are likely to fall and WCI’s future will be in doubt. "

Toronto Star: Bill to crack down on mining operations in poor countries defeated

Bill to crack down on mining operations in poor countries defeated - thestar.com: "In 2009, the Harper government announced voluntary guidelines for corporate behaviour in the mining sector along with the creation of a federal counsellor to assist companies with these issues. But the counsellor, who can investigate a complaint only if the accused company agrees to cooperate, is seen by mining industry critics as a toothless figure who will accomplish little."

What I can't understand is why about a dozen Liberals, including Iggy, did not show up for the vote, thus ensuring the defeat of this bill, proposed by one of their own party. NDP MP Bruce Heyer says that he would have voted for it if some proposed amendments had been accepted - but these useful amendments were allowed to drop through the cracks too. You can draw your own conclusions.

Nathalie des Rosiers: "G20 security response worrying for democracy"

G20 security response worrying for democracy: Rights group - thestar.com

“The moment that our international leaders can meet in Toronto and there are no members of the public to say, ‘Yes, we agree with you’ or ‘No, we don’t agree,’ we will have lost democracy,” -- Nathalie des Rosiers, general counsel for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

"Economyths: Ten Ways Economics Gets It Wrong", by David Orrell

Amazon.com: Economyths: Ten Ways Economics Gets It Wrong (9780470677933): David Orrell: Books: Reviews, Prices & more

But then read David Orrell's book to get an idea of many of the things that are wrong with economics as it is currently taught.

Quotes:

• "For a theory to last 150 years is a triumph, of sorts. For it to last one more decade will be a disaster."
  
• "We have a line of credit with the rest of the planet, and it's flashing red. Soon it's going to get called in. We can't grow our way out, or work more hours. We can't hand back the keys and walk away. It's our home."

Gerald Caplan in the Globe and Mail: If Stephen Harper’s an economist, I’m the Queen of Sheba

If Stephen Harper’s an economist, I’m the Queen of Sheba - The Globe and Mail

"Eaarth", by Bill McKibben

Eaarth, by Bill McKibben: "'What I have to say about this book is very simple: Read it, please. Straight through to the end. Whatever else you were planning to do next, nothing could be more important.' —Barbara Kingsolver, author of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle"

Why is it called "Eaarth"? Because it is essentially a new planet - it's no longer the one we evolved on. Read the book!

ScienceBlogs: "Khadr Pleads Guilty : Dispatches from the Culture Wars"

Khadr Pleads Guilty : Dispatches from the Culture Wars: "Daphne Eviatar was in the 'courtroom' when it happened and she reports that there is far more here than meets the eye."

Interesting comments as well...

The Disaffected Lib: "Using America to Thwart Action on Climate Change"

The Disaffected Lib: Using America to Thwart Action on Climate Change: "Guess who is pouring money into the election coffers of U.S. candidates opposed to climate change initiatives? Major European polluters, that's who."

Collateral damage (reported in Toronto Star)

230 birds dead after landing on toxic oilsands pond - thestar.com: "EDMONTON—More than 200 birds died after they landed on a gooey, toxic Syncrude tailings pond just days after the oilsands giant agreed to pay more than $3 million in a similar image-soiling case where 1,600 ducks died."

The Disaffected Lib: "Monsanto Succumbs to Evolution"

The Disaffected Lib: Monsanto Succumbs to Evolution: "The idea was farmers would plant Monsanto genetically modified crops, spray their fields with Roundup to kill off everything else, and - voila - big harvests of Roundup Ready produce.

Except that Mother Nature had other plans. Let's just call it Evolution. For a while Roundup worked as advertised but then the awful weeds evolved and developed their own Roundup immunity. Oopsie!"

Thomas Walkom in the Toronto Star: "Global currency war catches Canada in the crossfire"

Walkom: Global currency war catches Canada in the crossfire - thestar.com

Omar Khadr Project ... The Canadian Teenager in Guantanamo Bay

This whole mess has got to be an incredible embarrassment for the Obama administration - and for Canada. And Harper refuses to take any action to help resolve it.

Omar Khadr Project | Omar Khadr Project: Help Omar Khadr, The Canadian Teenager in Guantanamo Bay

The Disaffected Lib: "Wanna See What the 2nd Half of the Century Looks Like?"

And if the moon turns out to be wetter than Earth in a few decades, see my previous blog...

The Disaffected Lib: Wanna See What the 2nd Half of the Century Looks Like?

NASA spacecraft finds lunar oasis (reported in Toronto Star)

Good news for a change! How soon can we plant a colony up there?!

NASA spacecraft finds lunar oasis - thestar.com

The Disaffected Lib: "It's the End of the Line - Act Immediately or Face Mass Extinctions"

Read this! And there is a good discussion in the comments as well...

The Disaffected Lib: It's the End of the Line - Act Immediately or Face Mass Extinctions

Economies Of Scale ($1B for G8/G20 security)

Seems to me that, for $1B, they could have built literally hundreds of new buildings on the grounds of Deerhurst Resort, where they held the G8. Lots of land, and much easier to protect - and no pesky Torontonians asking to be allowed to go about their daily activities...

NEW MEDIA AND POLITICS CANADA: Economies Of Scale

The Disaffected Lib: "And Who Do We Think We Are - Nero?"

The Disaffected Lib: And Who Do We Think We Are - Nero?

Quote from The Disaffected Lib: "If you believe the escalation in frequency and severity of severe weather events such as droughts, floods, and storm surges is tied to global warming, anthropogenic or man-made global warming, then we, the rich neighbours and the major emitters of greenhouse gases, are giving our poor neighbours a real shitkicking."

Heather Mallick in the Star: "There’ll always be an England. Well, maybe not"

If half of what Heather says about England is true, I feel sorry for my ex-countrymen!

Heather Mallick in the Star: There’ll always be an England. Well, maybe not

John Le Carré being interviewed on Democracy Now!

John Le Carré being interviewed on Democracy Now!

Michael Mann in The Washington Post: "Get the anti-science bent out of politics"

Michael Mann in The Washington Post: Get the anti-science bent out of politics

The Disaffected Lib: "Maude Barlow is Warning Us - Will You Listen?"

Disaffected Lib: Warning about world water shortage

Linda McQuaig in The Toronto Star: " UN snub could haunt Conservatives"

"[Canadians] ... might consider getting some Portuguese flags for our luggage." 

Linda McQuaig in The Toronto Star: UN snub could haunt Conservatives

Newbie Blogger

Up until now, I have been using del.icio.us as a sort of blog, but have decided to stick a big toe into the blogosphere.  Hopefully I will become more sophisticated as time goes on...  I will add a few entries, recently added to del.icio.us, to get a feeling for how it works...

By the way, in case you are wondering about the rather unoriginal blog name, my interests are rather diverse, and I couldn't come up with a catchy name that covered all of them!  Anyway, I am already known by that name - to at least a few dozen people on the planet - so I thought I would stick with it!