MacLean's Place

Imagined Communities: Greater than the sum of their parts?

2010-08-02T06:28:00.009-04:00

Benedict Anderson, a Marxist leaning political sociologist famously wrote that nations are "imagined communities" because "members will never know, meet or even hear of the majority their fellow-members, and yet, in the minds of each lives the image of their communion".

This concept describes the reality that all nation-states are modern political constructions that emerged as a tool for mass mobilization and economic organization. And yet, there is something inherently natural about feeling a part of something. Perhaps the potential for imagined communities is greater than the sum of its parts?

I think I have written about Anderson's social constructivist take on identity and nationalism on this blog before, and if I haven't then those of you who know me well, know that this is a concept that I not only am really fascinated by, but generally agree with. Anderson's book, "Imagined Communities" remains to this day, probably the most influential reading of my life.

Where is all this coming from?

The lady and I just finished setting up our apartment today. We've just moved into a large studio in central Bangkok, our third apartment in our third city. As I was putting photos up on the walls, I stopped to examine a beautiful photo of Montreal (taken by our good friend Mica) that we have put up in our kitchen corner.

It's a black and white photo, taken from the top of Mont Royal in the middle of winter. Despite the fact that there's a tropical monsoon showering the pavement outside my window here in Thailand, (I can hear the clap of the drops on the metallic roofs, and smell the muggy, humidity) gazing at that photo from Montreal sparked a feeling of familiarity inside.

Looking at the snow, I can almost feel the sleepy pulse of a city, whose gritty and flamboyant sounds are suddenly muffled under the blankets of snow in the winter. Looking at the lights in the buildings, I can imagine the people inside. I imagine how they feel, dreary and fatigued in the middle of the dark winter. They look forward to the weekend, when they can go skating in the park, or have dinner in the Old Port.

In reality, I probably have just as much in common with the imaginary people in those Montreal buildings in the photo, as I do with the leathery faced security guard at the bottom of my building, who smiles as I walk past him everyday, and loyally keeps his post, sitting on that plastic chair at the entrance.

But it is the potential of that feeling of communion that we should think about, and focus on, rather than the naivete of it.

For example, to this day I continue to feel a strong sense affinity with people in Moscow, Russia, where I lived for 3 years as a young teenager. The tough and cynical feel of the streets and the people have a way about them. I remember playing streetball that more closely resembled tackle football... scrapping with skinhead wannabe's... the biting, bitter wind that cut your face in the winter.. crowds of frustrated and angry young men who (tellingly) gathered to protest with Nazi flags under the statue of Lenin. I have and will always have a strong feeling of harmony with Moscovites and Russians in general, despite the fact that I will ALWAYS despise, from the bottom of my heart, the xenophobia that plagues those very streets.

The potential of that imagined community to create communion where there wouldn't ordinarily be, is an incredible thing. For humanity to advance for the better, we need to figure out harness that communion, without relying on targetting an "other".

For now, I'll enjoy my coffee-induced cozy memories while monsoon season continues to bring unabated tropical rains outside.

Reflections on Canada's passion: Ice Hockey

2010-03-01T08:38:00.006-05:00

Harry How/Getty Images

The ultimate release. Fists clenched, screams that painfully stretch ones vocal chords to the max. Furious and desperate hugs with old friends and strangers alike.

This is the description of the utter euphoria of 35-million strong. Yesterday, Canadians across the country and around the world, all held their breath for that single moment, before erupting in the most primal of all frenzies, as the puck, carooming off of Sidney Crosby's stick, made its way through the pads of US goalie Ryan Miller, and into the back of the net.

It's hard to explain to outsiders just what hockey means to Canadians. The passion, the longing, the hopes, the dreams, and worst of all, the EXPECTATION, has become so intrinsic in our identity, that it has moved beyond being simply being a game that we all collectively enjoy. Hockey success has become something that defines us, something that gives our country an identity.

IDENTITY

Like US exceptionalism or French culture, ice hockey success is such a self-proclaimed, intrinsic part of Canada's identity that if denied, the confusion and uncertainty that arise are almost unbearable.

Last year, I was sitting in a sauna in the YMCA in downtown Ottawa. Sweating alongside me were a number of new immigrants, one guy from India, another from China and yet another from Mozambique.

We all started talking about hockey. There was a big game that night between the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Canadiens. Ottawa-Gatineau, a city with two sides, one French, one English, each one on either side of the Anglo-Franco divide, is split between Ottawa and Montreal fans.

The awkwardness of 4 strangers sweating together in a hot, small, dark, wooden room, quickly dissipated as we all participated in a discussion about something that we all cared about.

All immigrants who come to Canada quickly begin to be wrapped up in the passion and love for the game of ice hockey. It's hard not to. It's everywhere, it's the national obsession.

It may be just a game to others, but it is so much more to us. We consider hockey to be quintessentially Canadian. Anyone who has played the game knows:

-Hockey requires an incredible amount of hard work.
-To be sucessful in this sport you CANNOT go at it alone: you must be willing to buy into the team system, and be willing to sacrifice yourself, even if it means that someone else, a teammate, will get all the glory.
-You have to defend each other, often physically but also skillfully.
-Every team REQUIRES a mix of different styles and skills, in order to be successful.

As far as messages and norms to define a culture it doesn't get much better than this.

In a country of people with very little in common other than a desire to live, safely and prosperously, and a willingness to put up with the vast space, harsh climate and collective mentality that must come with it, ice hockey has become the common denominator. The unifier.

And that is a beautiful thing. Enjoy Canada!

Remember

2009-11-11T14:09:00.003-05:00

This poem was written by Poppy, a 15-year-old young adult and family friend of mine. It reveals the optimism, hope, aspiration and focus on the positive of the next generation. Something which we should also keep with us on this day:

Remember

Think golden meadows, specked with red jewels
Poppies, dancing softly in a slight, swaying breeze
Places of peace and joy
Places of remembrance

That time of year is here once more.

So as we gather today, think remembrance.
Remembrance for people here and not
And for those who journey
Across vast oceans

But not the distant remembrance of death and wars past
Think of happy summers, laughing, carefree
Kindness and love
That will always be strong.

We’re all gathered now, present together
Even those not here in body watch over in spirit
Feel their presence
Embrace the memories

Say not “Goodbye”, it’s “See you soon”
That bond of love in our hearts and souls
Connects us forever.
So feel the love between us all

The Importance of Remembering....

2009-11-11T13:03:00.005-05:00

On the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month on 1918, Germany signed an Armistice formally ending WWI, until that point the most destructive war the world had ever seen.

We continue the ritual of taking a moment of silence at 11 am every Nov 11, to remember all those who died.

Here in England, those who fought are called the "lost generation", because an entire generation of young men was essentially wiped out.

If World War I demonstrated the absolute destructive capability of humankind, to a degree that we had not previously thought possible, then WWII and the subsequent genocides that have followed demonstrate the full extent to which humans have yet to progress.

This is why remembering is so important.

Remembrance day shouldn't be political.

It should be about giving those who sacrifice and those who continue to put themselves in danger, the respect that they deserve.

It should be about remembering all those who have suffered as a result of human conflict.

It should put human faces on the numbers that we see thrown at us everyday.

It should remind all of us how many people have sacrificed so that others could live, continue to see the sunrise, enjoy a moment of laughter, love, and be loved.

I'm thinking about my great-grandfather, who fought in WWI as a pilot. He was a flying ace.
I'm thinking of his son, my grandfather, who joined the Canadian Air Force and also flew in WWII.

I'm thinking of the men and women that I met during my brief time in the Canadian military who deserve respect and support for the countless tasks that have been asked of them.

I'm thinking of their families in small towns and big cities across the vast country, and of families in all countries, who's loved ones are far away, risking their lives for principles that we aspire to uphold.

I'm thinking of families in the Middle East, East Timor, Haiti, Sudan, the DRC and countless other places, where people cannot live, day-to-day without fear.

Until we learn to live and act responsibly, there will always be those who have to suffer on our behalf. Today, we remember, honor, and respect them.

London Week 1

2009-09-28T18:57:00.005-04:00

Since the last post I've had the chance to explore both the LSE campus and my own surrounding area a bit.

If this first week is any indication, it's going to be one heck of a year both socially and academically (at least in inspiration, I've yet to see what challenges scholastically, lie ahead).

The first few days were extremely active socially at my residence. There were tons of organized events and everyone here is extremely friendly as we are all from all over the world and in a new place.

I feel as though I belong here

The first day I went to the LSE campus I ran into 4 people that I knew, 2 whom I didn't even know were here. It helps that the campus is small certainly. But every time I am down there I run into different people that I know.

Today, my friend Mark Kersten whom I worked with during the last federal election in Ottawa just arrived (he's doing his MSc in International Relations), so I showed him around campus and helped him get a cellphone.

Afterwards he convinced me to go to one of the many campus pub's for a drink. (After 5 days in a row of non-stop partying I was, momentarily, hesitant). I would not regret it though.

We took our beers and stood on the street (as is common practice here, to drink and stand on the street outside the bar), and my old roommate from my second year at McGill, Zak Banks was walking by from the library, and joined us for a beer.

Then this blonde guy walked by and we both looked at each other in recognition. I asked him where I knew him and he said "I know you, you're Chris MacLean. You're the ex-bf of Maja, you lived in Moscow right?".

So, Hanes, from Stockholm, as I was to find out his name, attended the Anglo-American School of Moscow just after I left, although a couple grades lower. He's here studying Information Technology. This officially completes the circle of people that I know here. I now have seen people from Ottawa, Montreal, Budapest and Moscow (each of the places that I've lived in the last 12 years) here (I certainly wouldn't be surprised if there was someone from Ecuador and someone from Singapore here (although the latter, I likely wounldn't know them)). There are a particularly high number of people from McGill who have come here, and the representation from Canada is much higher than our size and significance on the international scene might warrant.

There are still plenty of people, particularly from Budapest but also from Moscow, that I've yet to be able to see but apparently reunion planning is in the works.

All in all though, I feel as though this is really where I am meant to be. I feel incredibly comfortable, and it is quite amazing how many of us are here.

The area where I live

I've been given an informal tour of my residence during which I took photos, but I haven't as yet had time to put them up. I've mostly just been in my room to sleep, the rest of the time I've been out. Here's a few interesting tidbits I have learned about the area surrounding my residence/college.

-Charles Dicken's lived across the street from where I am currently living.

-Next to my residence lies a large park, called "Coram's Field" which is only for children to us (they don't let you in unless you have young children with you), and also nearby is an orphanage. A long time ago (before Dicken's), a wealthy person (I'm not sure who, perhaps Coram?), dedicated his large plot of land to helping vulnerable children.

-Dicken's wrote the novel "Oliver Twist" while living across the street, and it's probably (although still speculative) that the countless orphaned children he would have seen in this area would have served as inspiration for the novel.

I'll put up photos soon.

Surprises

1) The city of London, as many old cities, is organized in a sort of chaotic, decentralized, ad-hoc way. The streets are never straight and they always change names after a couple km's.

The reason for this is pretty simple, unlike North American cities, London was around way before urban planning even existed as an enterprise. Secondly, this is really just a series of villages and towns that after a while just grew into each other. For example, I actually live in Bloomsbury.

2) Surprisingly enough however, I've found that the institutional organizations also feel as though they are thoroughly decentralized and ad-hoc as well.

a) For example the gym of the LSE (let's face it, athletics aren't really a priority for them), is located above a cafe and accessible only by weaving through a maze of stairwells. To access the men's locker room is equally tricky as it is located on the otherside of the gym down a narrow hallway and then staircase.

They really just put the gym in the most random room that suddenly was available space for them. Needless to say I think I'll be joining the gym below my residence, which has a pool and decent rates for the residents.

b) Opening a bank account here has been outrageously difficult. Each bank branch, even if they are the same bank, requires different documentation in order to open an account. So I have to be very careful about the location of which branch I pick, because I feel that I will need to be able to get to it fairly regularly.

All in all

My first week here has been pretty non-stop. I certainly need to restore some balance (with exercise, rest and a re-focus on academia) to my day-to-day activities but in the big picture I think that will happen.

A blog entry on an alumni lecture by Lord Saatchi that I attended today will go up soon. Until then, may you live strong and properous!

Thoughts and First Impressions of London...

2009-09-22T20:58:00.003-04:00

Well, its 2 am and I'm supposed to go on a tour of the Parliament (Or the Palace of Westminister as they call it here) tommorow at 8 am, but after a night of socializing and drinking (Goodenough College had free welcome drinks tonight), and due to my jetlag I'm still awake. So, I figure that sharing my first impressions with all of you is a productive way to spend my way to alert mind right now.

1) First off, I'm extremely happy with my residence. The people here are really nice and welcoming, theres loads of social activities planned for everyone to get to know each other and my room is decently sized and clean and completely satisfactory for me. Today I went to Soho to the Chinatown here (which is unbelievably SMALL?! I was expecting the Chinatown here in LONDON to be decently sized, I would say it's comparable to the one in Montreal), and learned just how centrally located my residence is. It's a 15 minute walk to the LSE, a 5 minute walk to SOAS, a 10 minute walk to Picadilly Circus, and also a 5 minute walk to Oxford Street.
(For Montrealers, it's pretty much like living on Sherbrooke and St.Urbain or something.)

2) Yesterday when I was walking around in a dazed state, I was almost hit by a car because I was instictively looking the wrong way (here you have to look right immediately when crossing the street, and then left). But outside of that, I realized when jaywalking the small, tiny, tiny streets, and looking at the endless lines of cafe's and pubs, that I'm really pretty comfortable here in Europe. There was a familiarity which returned that I haven't felt in a while. And I was surprised by it because I think I had forgotten just how comfortable I was and used to feel in Europe.
I guess that 6 years in Canada doesn't take that away from you.

The other thing I noticed however was that what was so surprising to me, and it shouldn't be, but is just how COSMOPOLITAN London is. The reason this conflicted in my head was because the Europe that I have experienced in my memories was one of a very homogenous, all-white population in Budapest or Moscow. So the presence of such diversity in a European environment threw my familiarity off. In a way however, this is like a perfect merging of my old and the new. North American diversity, in a European setting. :)

3) I still haven't met too many people from the LSE. Just one girl from Sydney studying Development, and then a couple of LSE alumni's. But thats what is so interesting about my residence, I will get to meet people from outside my classes. Tommorow after the tour of the Parliament, (of which I will attempt to post photos), I will try to post my photos on here.

4) I am now the co-President of the Tennis Club for my residence! We will be organizing tournaments, and possibly do some coaching (his idea, not mine). My partner is Micheal, my neighbor, a Phd student from Normandy, France. And I've seen his 5 Babolat rackets, which attest that his tennis skills are far superior to mine, which is good, because as Tennis Club Presidents, one of us has to be half-decent. :)

More updates to come...

Lessons from the Marathon

2009-09-21T15:57:00.009-04:00

I meant to write alot of this immediately following the marathon but lethargy and then a climax of activity just prior to my leaving Canada made me more effectively able to procrastinate it.

Having said that, the marathon was definitely one of the top three most difficult things I’ve ever done in my life (the other two being climbing Kilimanjaro (in particular the final ascent) and specific portions of my phase III training (offensive and defensive operations and patrolling). So I will always remember it. At least, until I run another one.

As a side note, my Dad came into town, flew in from New Zealand so he could be with there when I ran my first Marathon and also to see me off to London and this next phase of my life. It was utterly shocking me, I was walking to my aunts house listening to the marathon playlist I had created for myself, to suddenly see him standing 1 metre from me. It was awesome. I felt tremendously grateful for his support, albeit with a little more pressure to do well.

For the first 21.1 km Juan and I cruised at a fairly solid pace, but by km 25 (we had set it up so that there were people cheering us at the 15km, the 26km, the 38km, and the finish point) right where my Dad was supposed to join us (he ran with us from km 26- 38), I really started to crash.

I had expected that I would crash, as all runners do at some point during the race, but I had anticipated that I would have lasted a little longer, and maybe fallen apart a little more gradually.

Around the 23rd km, I started getting goosebumps and feeling chills and generally feeling very cold, a bizarre feeling considering I was running and sweating. This kinda freaked me out. It was only the beginning of my challenges. Here are the lessons I've learned:

Lesson # 4 Start slow

No matter how many times Juan and I discussed the need to start slow, the excitement of the day, the crowd, the presence of the other runners, and our own innate competitive desire (or dislike for letting others pass us) won over and we ran the first 21.1km in 1 hour and 50 minutes, or on pace for about 3 hours and 40 minutes. Slightly faster than we would have liked. And this contributed to my crash at 26 km as opposed to around 33 km which is what I expected based on my training. If you run just 5 seconds per kilometre faster than what you did during your training, it can really hurt much earlier, later on in the race.

Lesson # 3 Nothing can compensate for running, Do more hill training

During the training I substituted soccer matches and several hours of tennis for some of my runs. The hardest thing about training for a marathon is having to limit your exercising and sporty activities to running. I haven’t lifted weights in 6 months, but I wasn’t able or willing to stop playing tennis and soccer this summer, which, given that I also had a full-time job and had mandatory rest days, sometimes made my running hard to manage. I think that substituting sports for runs as much as I did was a mistake as I don’t feel that I logged the kilometres necessary to get an ideal time. Secondly, the hills on the race day route really hurt me as I wasn’t able to get any hill training in since Ottawa doesn’t have any hills. When I started to crash at km 24, the hill on rue Berri (see below) really knocked me down.

Lesson # 2 Sometimes you have to accept your strength levels on a given day

I was sick for 3 weeks prior to the race and I think that this really hurt me during the race. I just didn’t have the endurance I was expecting (based off of how I felt during my 25 and 30 kilometre runs, I expected to crash at around 33 km’s).

It was really hard and really frustrating once I started to crash and slow down, to see that our pace was slipping away. I felt that I was letting Juan (who was feeling stronger than me) and my father (whom I’ve watched compete in triathlons, marathons and Ironmans) whom I desperately wanted to be proud of me, down by my struggles.

This, in addition to my own frustration really contributed to the degree of pain which I was feeling physically.

Sometimes you have to just accept that you aren’t as strong on that day as you might be on others and just enjoy the process of the struggle, and work to finish the race, seeing it as a learning experience, rather than fighting a losing (and ultimately more painful) battle to go for a time that won’t be achievable.

Lesson # 1 Train your mental endurance.

My mental endurance wavered, which was surprising to me (I’m certain that this was part of the problem), as I figured that my military training (5 days without sleep several times) and past athletic and competition experience would help me.

I knew I would be tired and it would be hard, but I think as a whole I underestimated how tough the marathon would be, mentally.

By kilometre 35 (after almost 3.6 hours) I felt unable to focus on pushing my body through the pain I was feeling. My mind started to feel apathetic, and became easily distracted and started to wander. Old memories would flood in, queued by the sight of buildings or places that I had been during my 5 year carouse in Montreal. Trying to stay in the moment is hard enough day-to-day but trying to do it after running 35km, when you are feeling sick to your stomach, and you’re exhausted of being in pain is a whole other story.

Post Marathon

The first three days after the marathon were unbelievably sore and stiff. On Day 3 walking on flat surfaces or uphill was ok, but down the stairs was still pretty torturous.

I did notice though, that whenever I was active, either riding a bicycle to the store or walking the dog, my legs felt much better. They need to move to get the lactic acid moving.

Conclusion

That afternoon, sitting on my aunt's patio with a post-race beer in my hand, Sergey asked me if I would consider running another marathon soon, with him.

Without initially answering, I stood up to make a toast to my family. The timing of my completion of the marathon was perfect, I thought, because it feel right before my 25th birthday and right before leaving Montreal. I told my family that Sergey had asked me if I wanted to run another one, and my response to him that night was, "well, it took me 25 years to run the first one, MAYBE in the next 25 years I'll run another one". :) I then thanked my family for being there, I have never felt the kind of family and friend support that I felt that weekend. Those who were close to me really came through for me and for that I will be eternally grateful and I will carry that with me here on my own in London, as a reminder that back in Canada, there are people who support me and care for me.

Today, as I conclude all these thoughts sitting at the desk of my new room in London, staring through my window overlooking a rich green park with oak benches and a hard court tennis court, I think, I will run a marathon again, and DEFINITELY within the next 25 years.

What is Success?

2009-08-04T00:16:00.002-04:00

Came across two fantastic lectures on success that I wanted to share with you all (or at least keep track of for my own personal indulgence):

1) First, by philosopher and novelist Alain de Botton:

2) Second by John Wooden, often considered to be one of the greatest coaches in all of sports. He talks in the rambling and reflective way one might expect from an 89 year-old, about why one is a teacher, and what is true success:

Nature vs Nurture: The Violent Mind

2009-08-01T14:42:00.006-04:00

I had an interesting conversation/debate with my mother and Laura during our 8 hour hike across Whistler Mountain to Singing Pass.

See, Laura believes that in the Nature vs Nurture debate, the balance is about 10-90. So 90% of what determines the person one becomes is due to environmental factors.

My mother, on the otherhand, believes that genes matter far more, she quoted around 40-60 as the more accurate balance in her mind.

My response to both of them was that they weren't giving enough credit to either influence.

Overall I do think that we give far too much credit to "genes" in society. I think that environment plays a very very important role in how a persons brain and social behaviour develops, and that environmental conditions can often render genetic predispositions to be impotent. But I also think that, conversely, the power of particular genetic dispositions can also sometimes override any environmental constraints.

(For example if someone has a genetic condition that makes them 450lbs, no amount of ballet lessons are going to make them very able as ballet dancers).

This debate has implications which make it an often controversial and/or emotional topic.

Some people feel as though, by attributing behaviour and interests to environment, its not giving enough credit to free will. Others might argue that to say that certain people are hard-wired to be better than others is something which is dangerously close to defending classism or racism.

I think if anyone analyzes how the brain develops, especially as a baby, the overwhelming influence lies in the environment you grow up in. However, from a macro perspective, within societies, there seems to be evidence of brain development and behaviour disproportionately in one direction.

Professor Jim Fallon at the University of California has this GREAT lecture which explains how this phenomenon occurs, as he touches upon this debate through the prism of analysis of the brains of violent murderers.

Reflections on Move #13

2009-07-23T19:57:00.007-04:00

Let me be very clear, I HATE moving.

The process of having to go through all of your stuff and put it away in different boxes; the guilt you feel as you realize that you haven't justifiably used or needed well over half of what you have, the further guilt you feel as you realize that, under the circumstances you can't really pass these useless items on to someone else, and instead you have to just throw them, in the process contributing to the endless pile of refuse that continues to grow menacingly as our species neglect and irresponsibility continues to prevail.

Coming with all of that is the emotion that you feel about the fact that a transition in your life is upon you. The strength of this emotion is compounded by the exhaustion that you feel working full days at work and then spending your afternoons and evenings moving.

All of this makes me wonder, why in the heck have I moved SO MUCH?

Not including any of the moves before my 5th birthday (because who remembers anything before your 5th birthday anyway?), this was the 13th move of residence that I have done in my live, spanning across 5 different countries.

Fatal Flaw

Given that I want a job and a life where I (and my future family) will most likely be traveling frequently, is my disdain for moving my fatal flaw?

As every literature dabbler knows, every protagonist has a fatal flaw. The one thing which he cannot avoid which is his undoing. In tragedies, it is often what the hero loves the most, that hurts him the most. To give a simple Pop culture reference, Spiderman loves Jane, but cannot have Jane because it would mean he could no longer be Spiderman.

The only resolution I can see to this is that hopefully, my future moves will be more simple. This move couldn've been more complex, two people going to different continents, at different times, with one (my) parents both overseas and the family house is on the other side of the country.

Emotions

I felt particularly emotional moving this time around. Far more than normal. Especially when you consider that I had only lived in this apartment for 8 months, making it the place with the second least amount of time spent of everywhere I've lived.

I can only come to 3 possible conclusions as to why this was the case:

1) Now that I am older, I am more aware of just how dramatic these changes and transitions in life are.

2) Given that this place (Canada) was the first place in my life where I actually entirely constructed and created my world and my life and everything was done on my own choice (rather than moving simply because of my parents work), I therefore feel the consequences and costs of the move that much deeper.

Or 3) I have somehow become more aware of what I feel about things around me?

My feeling is that it is a bit of all three, probably mostly 1 and 2.

In any case, after 3 days in a row of 18 hour days, working army from 7-3 and then organizing the move, I'm glad its over.

And while I don't look forward to the next one, I accept fully the inevitability of its arrival, it is simply a consequence of how I have decided to live my life.

There is something about Africa...

2009-07-11T13:27:00.008-04:00

There is something that is special about Africa.

In his book, "The End of Poverty" by Jeffrey Sachs, he quotes the great biologist E. O Wilson, who argued that "human beings are 'hard wired' to feel a special resonance ("biophilia") with the African savannah, the place where our species arose some 150,000 years ago."

I have lived in and travelled to more than several countries within every continent (not Antarctica), and there's something about Africa that touches the bones and the blood of all who visit there (not the northern Arabic part per se (Egypt and Tunisia just had a different feel)), .

I spent my early early childhood, from age 1-3/4, in Malawi and then Zimbabwe.

The result is that I do not actually have any distinct memories from my time there, my earliest memory is from when I was 4, living in NDG in Montreal, I remember my father picking me up from school, I had painted a snake, and we walked home, stopping in the grass for a pause and he gave me a cookie.

However, there was something about "Africa" that always touched my heart or gave me a special feeling.

They say that cat's always remember the place they were born, and when they feel that they are about to die, they return to the place that they were born and wait to die there. There was one such Orange tabby who did that in our home in Singapore, my Dad tried in vain to "shish" him away but he was utterly resilient and indeed died a few weeks later.

Anyways, the point is, while I had no direct memories of my time as a toddler there, (everything I had were memories implanted by stories my parents would tell, and there were plenty of them), there were certain triggers and sensations that I would get when I was exposed to something I associated with "Africa".

One of the most obvious ones is music. Any time I hear Paul Simon's "Graceland Album",

Toto's "Africa

Or photos and typical African voices

I just get this feeling inside me, like a familiar, cozy, beauty.

I also have a blanket that was weaved for me by my parents neighbors in Malawi when I was born. It is brightly coloured (as most African clothing and material is), with orange and yellow spike patterning and it commemorates the 40th anniversary of the United Nations which coincidentallys falls near my birthday. I'm not sure why she choose the knit that for my blanket, but I do think its interesting. Nonetheless, I absolutely LOVE this blanket. I feel an unexplainable attachment to it.

During the christmas break of 2000-2001 I got the chance to return to Africa, finally. My Dad and I went to Tanzania and climbed Mt Kilimanjaro and safaried the Ngorogoro Crater as well as the Serengeti Plains. My memories from that trip remain perhaps some of the most distinct that I have from any place that I have been.

1) I remember going for a run with my dad, the stark contrast of our bright white shoes against red clay/dust, the unbelievably majestic horizon, plains with Acacia trees (see below), little kids suddenly emerging out of grass dwellings and running barefoot playfully and excitedly with us yelling "Wazungu Wazungu" which is swahili for "White man".

2) I remember just after we had climbed Kilimanjaro, we were all sitting with our guides and our cooks at the base having a post expedition beer (called Kili, actually). The white and brown face of the mountain was lit up in the background as the sun was setting on the opposite side of it, just behind us. Suddenly out of nowhere the cooks and guids began to sing, they sang about the mountain, for those of you who have been to Africa, you know, the sounds were just gorgeous as they were all in perfect harmony with one another.

3) Perhaps the coolest thing I have ever witnessed in my life. During New Years Eve of that holiday we were on the Serengeti plains. The hotel we were staying at had a large patio with a panoramic view of the entire plains with the sun setting behind it. At midnight a friend of my fathers, Gary MacPhie, brought out his bagpipes and began to play. If any of you know the bagpipes, you know that it is an instrument which for some reason seems to evoke emotion really well. These sounds, in combination with the view of the Serenget plains had everyone at the hotel, and especially the locals, absolutely mesmorized and in awe. It is something I will never forget.

And yet, with all of this comes the extreme poverty, the sometimes shockingly horrendous things that people do to each other there, the suffering and the tragedy.

My uncle, Alan, lived in South Africa for only 2 years of his life, but to his day (he now lives in Belgium and plays the viola for the Belgian National Opera), he says that his experience and memories from his time there remain the most impactful, special and overwhelming of anywhere else he's ever been.

But my uncle and my mother have both talked and emailed me about how Africa has a unique kind of energy that is so different from everywhere else. An electricity that is overwhelmingly beautiful, but one that can turn violent or tragic quickly.

Alan says that perhaps its because life is so full of this energy that it often seems to end quickly there. Like a candle or a match that burns too bright, it cannot sustain itself for as long.

I asked another friend of mine, Stephane, who spent his adolescent years in Guinea, to tell me what he thinks and feels about it.

"Its out of time, full of smells, majestic beauty but violence and languidity as well, an unbelievable mix" he said.

The impetous and swell of passion that sparked this blog entry was hearing African music coming from the headphones of someone in the lunch line today.

Although I feel I can say with relative certainty that Canada is where I would now call home. That unexplanable feeling that I get when I am touched in someway by Africa, means that it will always have something that Canada can not replace.

As I reflect on this post I realize that 2011 will be 10 years to the year, since I was in Tanzania with my father. Perhaps I need to return to Africa before then...

Canada: "When I get older, I will be stronger"

2009-07-03T20:01:00.007-04:00

I felt so thrillingly fortunate on Canada Day. I finally felt so proud of my country. On Wednesday, for the first time I felt like I really began to get a taste of the current that flows through the bones of people here.

First of all, I cannot believe that it took 6 years for me to finally experience celebrating Canada Day in Ottawa. It is quite the spectacle. After spending 5 years in Montreal, where Canada Day is hardly perceptible (Quebec schedules July 1 as "moving day" so all the leases expire and Montreal is bogged down by traffic and stressed citizens), it was so refreshing to be a part of a celebration in Ottawa, where being proud of your country is widely accepted.

Everything about the evening made me so utterly proud of my country. I felt for the first time, that I really had a perceptible idea of what Canada is, in its ever evolving form, colour, tone and shape. It told me what Canada is striving so hard to be.

I've said this before to many of my close friends. I believe that Canada is uniquely placed. As the collision and blending of cultures and races becomes inevitable in modern life, Canada, a bilingual nation-state, founded not as a state for a particular distinct ethnic group but on the basis of particular social ideas (namely tolerance, equality, and individual freedoms), one in which everyone can come from anywhere to participate in, is ideally constructed for the modern world.

And Canadians try soo soo hard to be the ideals that it preaches. That striving for the ideal, to be the ideal, is what makes me so utterly proud of this country.

The lineup of performing artists reflected the distinctly diverse and equally valued and important elements in this country. First up was K'naan, a Somali-Canadian rapper who spoke glowingly about how July 1st was the independence day in Somalia as well, and how he was so lucky because he got to celebrate the birthdays of "both of his homes" on the same day.

That is the epitome of the Canadian immigrant experience that we are striving to create. That everyone can come here, and retain their cultural heritage and identity but also be Canadian and a part of this society. This is the mosaic.

The rest of the lineup included, a Quebec pop star, a first nations dancer from BC, a country rock star from Alberta, a female acapello group that sang in Spanish, English and French, and finally, Sarah McLachlan perhaps one of our most famous artists.

Whenever a little kid or an ethnic "minority" was shown on the jumbotron with maple leafs on their cheeks waving the flag, the crowd broke out into cheers and momentous uproar, we have so much pride in our diversity.

Sarah McLachlan told the audience just before beginning her first song "We are all so fortunate to be here, lets just think about that for a moment".

The lyrics of K'Naan's last song, "When I get older, I will be stronger, they'll call me freedom..." to me, exemplifies what it means to be Canadian for so many people in this country right now and in the audience that day. So full of hope and optimism about the future.

But it also could be the theme song for this country. Canada is young, only 143 years old. And it will only continue to get stronger. Its people all came here from somewhere else, striving for something better, a place where they can be safe, free to keep their culture, and be just as good and as accepted as everyone else.

It's not perfect, but we are working on it. It is slowly improving, and that is what is so cool.

One Afternoon with the Governor General

2009-06-24T22:47:00.005-04:00

Last week I had the opportunity to meet Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaelle Jean, the Governor General of Canada.

As the Queens Representative and Canadian Head of State, she is the Commander in Chief of the Canada and therefore, of the Canadian Forces.

As some of you know I am currently working for the Ceremonial Guard as one of the Platoon commanders of the Parade Company. The job is a pretty sweet gig, possibly the easiest and smoothest army work I've ever had, and it comes with perks, meeting Her Excellency being one prime example.

As her personal guards, she must inspect us prior to the commencement of our summer duties (we have sentries at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Rideau Hall (her house), and of course, we do the Changing of the Guard Ceremony on Parliament Hill.

Last week on Thursday we held the Her Excellency the Governor General (HEGG) parade, for her inspection. Photos are available here, and here. As a Platoon Commander and an Officer, I am one of the guys in the front of the main body of troops, with my sword in the carry position.

First Impressions

I had heard nothing but good things about the GG prior to meeting her (members of the military, in particular, think she has been fantastic in her treatment of the troops), and admittedly I've always liked her ever since her appointment by former PM Paul Martin, so my expectations were high.

She is absolutely as gracious and classy and elegant as everyone says.

First of all, she has to be barely over 5 feet tall, she had some serious heels on and was still maybe up to my shoulder, if that.

Nevertheless, she appeared entirely at ease talking to 6ft tall uniformed infanteers.

She took her time on the inspections and talked to 1 out of every 3 to 4 soldiers, asking them questions and getting to know them. What specifically was said, I and no one else there except each of those soldiers knows, as she put it in her speech afterwards with a wink and a smile "what I talk about with the Guards is between me and my troops, its top secret information".

After the inspection was done, the officers and senior nco's were invited to the patio behind Rideau Hall to meet with Her Excellency personally.

Creole preparation

Knowing earlier in the week that I would be meeting Her Excellency, I asked some of my troops with Haitian background how to say the french equivalent of "Enchante" or (Nice to meet you in a formal way), in Creole.

(HEGG Michaelle Jean speaks 6 languages fluently (English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portugese and Creole) and of course, Creole is her native language.)

For those of you who are wondering, muay contente sayo or something like that, is how you say enchante in Creole.

ANYWAYS, I had it totally memorized and when the moment came I was so focused on taking off my gloves and putting away the glass of water that a caterer had given me, that I think I just mumbled "great to see you ma'am, your excellency". Or something to that effect. :)

I'm not going to get into too much detail about what she said to us for obvious reasons.

But I will say this.

She was very nice, very gracious and also honest and forthright about her experiences with the military. She has visited the soldiers in Afghanistan (twice), and she contrasted that with her upbringing in Haiti which, if you know anything about her biography, her family fled Haiti in 1968 to escape the regime of dictator Francois Duvalier, who had imprisoned and tortured Jean's philosopher father.

She is clearly very interested in learning as much as possible about and from the military, and has shown such in how she has handled her position.

After our meeting the rest of the soldiers came into the patio for the reception and Her Excellency went around and talked to everyone there, all ranks and even guests.

If you ever get the chance to go to Rideau Hall (it is open to the public, and in the winter time has a sledding hill and a hockey rink for all to use at any time) I highly recommend it. It is fantastically maincured and architectured.

The power of a good story (Part I): Sports

2009-06-02T23:14:00.004-04:00

I can remember as a little kid living in Singapore, waking up super early in the morning to watch playoff basketball games with my father on TV.

Back then, the team to beat was Hakeem Olajuwon's Houston Rockets who defeated both the New York Knicks and the Seattle Super Sonics in '94 and '95. To this day, I can still remember Vernon Maxwell's buzzer beater in Game 7 to win the series for the Rockets. It was a tremendous bonding experience for my father and I to share that passion for drama and excitement with each other, but I think these experiences also fundamentally shaped the person I have become today.

Our shared passion for drama and heroics would continue throughout my upbringing. No matter where we were, we would continue to watch such contests and battles, whether it was the Knicks-Heat playoff battles from the late evening into the early morning (because of the time zone) in Budapest, or the Ice Hockey World Championships from Moscow.

Perhaps it was these early mornings of my childhood that shaped my love for almost all sports, but ultimately, I think there is nothing better in life than a good story.

A good story

A good story makes us feel good, it makes us feel connected to the world around us, and whethers it's Homer's The Oddysey, Tolstoy's War and Peace, or an epic 6 hour, 5-set Wimbledon final between two of the greatest players to ever hit a ball with a racket, there is drama, tragedy and emotion. And when we witness these storylines, I think we are brought closer to the truth that permeates all life but some how remains frustratingly ungraspable.

Last Sunday morning at the family home of my partner, Laura Neagos I had one such experience. We had all woken up and eaten already and I, being the impolite but wildly impassioned sports fan, left the table early to go watch the 4th round of the French Open. Upon turning on the tv, to my shock and amazement, Nadal, the defending champion at Roland Garros for the last 4 years in a row, with a 38-0 record having never lost in Paris his entire career, had actually lost the first set and was struggling to keep pace with Soderling in the second set.

Soderling defeats a King

The match was wildly unexpected, and it demonstrated just how much "anything can happen" in sports, which is what makes them so exciting to watch. As the match unfolded and Soderling continued to play all-out, dialled in tennis, hitting shot after shot after shot at maximum effort, just catching line after line, we all began to realize that we might be witnessing an upset of significant magitude. Hearing my bellows and shrieks of excitement and awe, Laura's entire family, brother, mother, father and uncle were all drawn to the living room to see what was unfolding. The story of this contest brought us all together, Laura's family (who do not speak English nor play tennis but are casual sports fans) sensed the dramatic moment just as I did, all gathered around to watch the remaining duration of the match.

The ending provided yet another important life lesson. "Anything can happen" is one of the treasured aspects of sports, the reason we watch, the reason we bellow in disbelief, the reason we play in the first place. I was absolutely awed by the improbability of Soderling's performance given Nadal's invincibility on the clay courts in Paris. But upon seeing Soderling do his awkward and weirdly dismissive victory celebration, in which he barely glanced at Nadal during the handshake, and listening to his post-match interview in which he gave very little respect to the defending champion, I had a different thought.

Anything can indeed happen on a tennis court. And sometimes that sucks. After all life is unfair.

In losing, Nadal showed just how amazing his performance, and the performance of his rival, Roger Federer, has been over the last few years. To lose tight matches like this every once in a while is ordinary; to keep finding ways to win them, as Nadal and especially Federer have at every important event, is extraordinary. Federer has made it to the semi-finals of every grand slam tournament for the last 5 years, he has only ever lost to either Djokovic or Nadal (except for Australian '05 when a red-hot Marat Safin took him in a 5 set thriller) once there. The story line of the tournament is now whether Federer can finally capitalize on this window of opportunity. Never before (and likely never again) will he have such an opening at the French Open, to finally get that Career Grand Slam (of winning every major tournament), and to tie Sampras' Grand Slam titles record.

Of course, you never know, "anything can happen" and for Federer fans that is nerve wracking, but that's what makes this such a good story. And one that I will remember for the rest of my life.

The Munk Debate on Foreign Aid: Be It Resolved That Foreign Aid Does More Harm Than Good? (For or Against?)

2009-06-01T18:44:00.004-04:00

"MUNK DEBATES" A FANTASTIC website that I implore everyone to bookmark. You can watch the debates for free online.

Todays debate:

In a world where over 3 billion people live on under $2 a day, where economies and threats are globally interconnected, and where only small amounts of aid are given, should wealthy nations do more? Or, given the poor track record of aid, the support it provides to dictators and tyrants, and the actual need for individual entrepreneurialism and free markets, should we focus our limited resources elsewhere?

The third Munk Debate will explore the opportunities and hazards of foreign aid, by debating the question: “Is foreign aid to the developing countries doing more harm than good?”

Foreign Aid is Bad

Argued by: Hernando de Soto and Dambisa Moyo

The reality of foreign aid lies not in the persuasive moral case for helping those in need, but in the efficacy of our efforts for do so. Put simply, the billions of dollars spent annually on international development have little positive impact, and may even exacerbate the very conditions they seek to address. Over the past 30 years there is remarkably little evidence that development assistance actually works.

The case for foreign aid suffers from three principle problems: Its core assumptions are flawed; its history of implementation is problematic; and it has had egregious unintended consequences. Together they should make donor nations and development organizations fundamentally rethink the way in which they engage with the rest of the world.

1. Flawed Core Assumptions

The entire foreign aid project is based around three false assumptions.

First, foreign aid, and those that preach its moral imperatives, has long suffered from a staggering intellectual hubris. Much as Edmund Burk decried the revolutionary zeal of the French revolution, critics of foreign aid have recoiled at the notion that aid planners can transform societies they don’t understand. The world is a complex place, and positive social change is rarely instigated by bureaucrats a world away, implementing top-down technocratic campaigns.

Second, the rationale of foreign aid (as opposed to emergency humanitarian relief) is based on the preposition that financial aid can cause economic growth. Sadly the history shows otherwise. In fact, at an aggregate level, it is incredibly difficult to see any positive effect of aid on growth. While one study in the 90’s found a slight correlation as long as the recipient country had solid monetary and trade policy (not generally the case), a subsequent study showed no link at all, and in Africa between 1970 and 1995, as aid dependency grew, GDP per capita growth slowed. Of the 66 countries that have borrowed money from the World Bank for the past 25 years, a vast majority are as poor as they were when they took their first loan, and a third are actually worse off.

Third, and increasingly en vogue, is the assumption that all that is needed is a ‘big push’ of financial aid for countries to emerge from poverty. From Bono to Sachs, and Geldof to Blair, advocates argue that successful aid is a function of scale rather than strategy. A lot more of the same, they argue, will allow countries to escape the trap of poverty and put economies on the ladder of prosperity. This of course is not a new idea, and was urged in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Since then $2.3 trillion has been spent on ‘big pushes’ with limited results.

2. A History of Implementation Problems

Even if the grand plans of foreign aid technocrats were to work in theory, in practice most aid has been politically tainted, inefficient and based on false promises, further devaluing the entire exercise.

First, aid is seldom given out of pure altruism. The bulk of aid transferred from wealthy countries to developing nations over the past 50 years has come with significant strings attached – what is often called, ‘tied aid.’ Aid has been tied to the geopolitical political interests of the donor nation. This can range from US support for allied nations during the Cold War, to aid given in support of military objectives in Afghanistan, Iraq and throughout Africa. International organizations also have macro economic mandates, which are often tied to their lending. Emergency funds from the IMF and World Bank, for instance, are linked to a wide range of free-market policy prescriptions that many argue make up a new economic imperialism.

Second, foreign aid has too often proven egregiously inefficient. A large percentage of total aid money ends up in the hands of donor nation consultants, as technical assistance and transaction overhead costs. As Patrice Bemba, an official from the Democratic Republic of Congo Ministry of Finance has stated, "you cannot demand or expect us to produce results or alleviate poverty when only 25 per cent of the donated money gets to us."

Third, the implementation of foreign aid agendas is too often based on false promises. And the promises are staggering: G8 nations regularly commit to aid increases they never implement, the United Nations plans to reach all 54 Millennium Development Goals targets, and economist Jeffrey Sachs even announced the "end of poverty" altogether by 2025, which he says will be "much easier than it appears." These ambitions, while laudable, miss the point, and when promises get broken, our commitments quickly appear empty.

3. Unintended Consequences

Finally, in addition to failing in its stated objectives, foreign aid has actually had substantial negative effects.

As a large part of foreign aid is transferred from government to government, much of it never gets to its intended beneficiaries. Instead, it is absorbed by corrupt governments, used for personal enrichment, to strengthen military, to manipulate elections and to oppress citizens. Worse still, supplying money to corrupt governments is actually advocated by many aid proponents, seen as a lesser evil to giving no aid at all. As Peter Bauer has noted, all too often foreign aid simply turned out to be "transferring money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries."

Continued aid over long periods of time has also created unintended structural behavior. Prolonged institutionalized food aid, for example, in the form of subsidized US crops being sold in Africa, undermines local production, making regions even more dependant on aid to divert famine. Per-capita food production in Africa has fallen in every year since the 1960s.

Finally, aid creates a dangerous moral hazard. It rewards anti-democratic governments, giving them little incentive to reform. In addition, it crowds out local entrepreneurship and leads to bloated bureaucracies. If a country’s economy deteriorates, the level of aid they receive often increases. This is not a healthy incentive structure.

Foreign aid has not only failed, it has caused harm to the very people it was meant to assist. After 50 years of experimentation and trillions of dollars, it is high time we do the one thing we can to help: stop.

Foreign Aid is Good

Argued by Stephen Lewis and Paul Collier

The debate over foreign aid is an example of the perfect becoming the enemy of the good. While aid, its implementation and its impacts are far from perfect, three points must be defended: (1) foreign aid is absolutely critical, both to our own self interests and to the millions of lives it saves; (2) foreign aid is a work in progress, constantly evolving and improving; and (3) many of the arguments used by the critics of aid are easily dismissed.

1. Aid is Critical

The positive effects of foreign aid are as abundant as they are compelling. Together, they leave little doubt that on principle, aid is a worthwhile exercise.

The global financial necessity of aid is becoming increasingly apparent. In an interconnected and interdependent global economy, the extreme inequalities between those that live in poverty, and those that live with abundance is a destabilizing force. There are clear trade incentives for donor countries in evening this playing field (rich countries will by more of our goods and services), more important though, are the costs of doing nothing.

Disengaging from the developing world has real security implications. The Bookings Institution estimates that there are 56 states that do not have the resources to provide basic government services. These countries are far more vulnerable to terrorism, weapons proliferation, organized crime, infectious disease, and armed conflict. Global health threats are also interdependent. A Recent US study showed that a new pandemic flu could kill over half a million Americans, and cost the US economy $70 - $160 billion in lost productivity and medical expenses.

Aside from the self interested rationales for foreign aid, by far it’s greatest value is a human one: it saves lives. Large scale health interventions have facilitated routine immunizations, the eradication of small pox and polio, and significant progress against river blindness, guinea worm, diarrheal diseases and tuberculosis. This has led directly to increased life expectancy around the world – typical developing have seen countries saw an increase from 48 to 68 years over the past four decades. The simple fact is that millions of people are alive today because of foreign aid.

2. How to make it better

It is indisputable that foreign aid has had a tremendous positive impact. Aid has lifted countries out of famine, improved their public health, and moved nations from economic isolation into the global economy. This said, getting aid right is an incredibly complex proposition. Which is precisely why the aid community has relentlessly focused on how it can improve. Several efforts are of note.

Many of the critics of foreign aid are right, it is about more money. Jeffrey Sachs estimates that a doubling of aid to roughly $100 billion a year, could end extreme poverty and prevent 8 million annual deaths. More resources would save more lives. This increase is needed to lift countries out of the trap of poverty. When all the money in a society is spent on basic survival, there is no surplus for investment and growth. Only external funds can break this cycle.

But increasing foreign aid and reforming foreign aid are not mutually exclusive propositions. Money must be spent more effectively, be more accountable and not go to support corrupt governments.

Over that past two decades, aid effectiveness has been a central notion in the aid discussion. Better aid coordination mechanisms, less tied aid, and stricter evaluation have all been adopted. Aid is also getting more accountable to those it is indented to assist, through direct budget support and greater local evaluation of both needs, and aid effectiveness.

Giving greater local control, however, leads to a high chance of corruption. And here again, the aid community has been proactive. In Malawi, or example, the British government has supported a strong internal anti-corruption bureau, that both helps to ensure its aid get well spent, but also has a lasting impact on good governance in the country.

3. Problems with the anti aid arguments

Finally, it is worth pointing out some of the more egregious errors in the arguments of those opposing foreign aid.

First, the notion that there has been a 50 year ‘big push’ of aid is simply not true. While $2.3 trillion over fifty years sounds like a lot, it equals $46 billion per year, a modest amount for any global capital flow. What’s more, only about $26 billion per year is spent in the low-income countries, the ones who do indeed require a legitimate ‘big push’.

Second, aid has not been a failure. Millions of people are alive because of aid, countries have been lifted out of poverty, and the ‘green revolution’ has transformed agricultural productivity.

Third, the connection between aid and economic growth is far more complex than critics purport. The vast amount of research to date has found that aid does indeed have a modest impact on growth. None of these studies, however, take into account the potential deflation of economies should the aid have never been provided, and more importantly, none take into account the human benefits of aid - the lives improved and saved.

Fourth, foreign aid is not anti-market. If anything, aid has been overly tied to free market reforms in the form of structural adjustment conditions. What’s more, a large proportion of aid goes to public infrastructure, such as roads, railways, power plants, and electric grids, the very development needed to stimulate private enterprise.

Fifth, aid is not all top down. In fact, some of the largest and most prominent aid projects currently being implemented are precisely the opposite. The Millennium Village project, for example, is decisively ‘bottom up,’ based around community participation and local empowerment and accountability.

Finally, there is a distinct free market romanticism that colors much of the critique of aid. A romanticism that is particularly hypocritical given the current failures in the global capital markets. Sometimes, even in wealthy countries, government action is required to help those in need, which is precisely what foreign aid attempts to do.

The global foreign aid project is far from perfect. There are no shortage of examples of mistakes, missteps and malpractice. However, the fundamental truth remains: without it, millions or people will die unnecessarily, and millions more will continue to live in extreme poverty. The rest is academic.

The Firewire: A Writers Collective

2009-05-31T00:39:00.003-04:00

If you lament the current state of journalism or the arts and are an aspiring artist, writer or photographer of some kind you should look at contributing to The Fire Wire they pose weekly themes which all contributors can submit any pieces of work that relate to that topic.

I'm talking primarily to you Dan (Griswold), Dana, and the entire Con J crew. This is a space and a forum to get your stuff out there and to meet other writers, artists etc...

Email:

Connor Timmons: connortimmons@gmail.com
-the creater and manager of the site.

Run for a cause?

2009-05-31T00:28:00.003-04:00

For the majority of you who do not know, last month Juan and I decided to run in the 2009 Montreal Marathon , which will take place on September 13, 2009. So essentially I'll run it 6 days before leaving for London.

I have decided that I would be open to the idea of running for a cause of some kind. I think it would make the physical toll and of course, hardest of all the mental discomfort, that much easier to bear if I can keep it in perspective by running for a cause of some kind.

Do any of you have ideas?

Dan Griswold, I'm thinking primarily of you when I pose that question as someone who has run for causes several times themselves.

Sri Lanka: They've won the war, but have they won the peace?

2009-05-24T09:32:00.004-04:00

I meant to post this about a week ago but work caught up with me. Anyways, I had a few moments, so here you go:

Sri Lankan soldiers triumphant after capturing the Tigers in Thoppigala

By pursuing an aggressive, decisive and bloody military campaign against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the Sri Lankan government has won the war in Sri Lanka. But the crucial question is really whether or not is has won the peace.

It can be argued, and it often is in international conflict resolution theory, that a short term high intensity conflict is sometimes better than a long-term low intensity conflict.

If we use John Stuart Mill's utilitarianism as the framework from which to ethically measure thie Sri Lankan conflict, it might be argued that although anywhere between 6,500 and 20,000 civilians were estimated (by the UN) to have been killed, that might be less than the overall amount of suffering and casualties that would have been perpetuated had this conflict continued on for yet another 10 years.

Of course, to make that argument you would have to be pretty sure of your predictions of the future. Who is?

In any case, all these arguments/justifications are meaningless if the conflict in Sri Lanka flares up again. So let's look briefly at whats left, what are the critical elements for the success of peace.

Tamil Minority left behind

What remains in the Tamil region is an exhausted, wounded and uprooted minority within the country of Sri Lanka and an embittered and still aggressive diaspora around the world.

While many Tamils in Sri Lanka did not support the LTTE, an estimated 250,000 civilians from the region are now displaced, how the government deals with this exhausted and impoverished population, and more importantly, what they do to help incorporate them into the rest of the country, will be vital to preventing the LTTE to regain the support of locals in rising up against the Sri Lankan government.

Men, women and children from the minority ethnic Tamil community crossed the front lines in the district of Mullaittivu, February 15, 2009. (Kuwait Times).

Tamil Diaspora

Unfortunately, the Tamil Tigers abroad remain vigorously supportive of the LTTE movement. What I think you may see, is a situation similar to what occurred in Ireland with the IRA. An Irish diaspora with alot of funds (particularly in the US) continued to send arms and money to the movement in Ireland keeping it, and the conflict, burning.

How Canada deals with its relatively large, if not vociferous Tamil community will be interesting to watch. Especially if evidence of war crimes by the Sri Lankan government come to light, since the LTTE is listed by the Canadian government as a terrorist organization.

International Organizations

Journalists and international organizations were banned from the conflict zone, which means that unfortunately this war was fought without many, if any, witnesses. Rules of war were repeatedly violated by both sides. The Sri Lankan military used excessive force especially given that the Tamil fighters were embedded (by their own strategy) with civilian populations, while Tamil Tigers forced children to fight and fired on civilians trying to flee areas of fighting.

Meanwhile, the world watched silently, the United Nations deliberated for months as to where they should raise the issue, despite a unanimous resolution taken by the UN General Assembly in 2005 that the Security Council should take "timely and decisive" action when "national authorities are failing to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity".

Yet again, the UN has been slow to react.

Conclusion

For two decades the LTTE positioned itself as the sole representative of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. How will the Sri Lankan government engage the Tamil and other minority groups in Sri Lanka? What sort of representation can they get?

Undoubtedly, the Sri Lankan government needs to start the process sooner rather than later, as the seeds of radicalization will be sown in the camps where the displaced, traumatize and starved wait to go home.

Stephen Harper has very "soft hands"

2009-05-24T09:21:00.004-04:00

Apparently our Prime Minister has really soft hands.

A MCpl I was working with this past month told me a story about how he got to shake hands with the PM:

He was working a ceremony celebrating the unveiling of the Victoria Cross, and after the ceremony was over he went up to Harper and shook his hand.

He said he was surprised becuase his hands "felt like "a babys skin", chubby and perfectly smooth, unblemished skin".

I guess Harper hasnt done much hard labour in his life!

Layout changes...

2009-05-24T09:20:00.001-04:00

Sorry guys, making changes to the layout becuase I recieved a number of complaints about the last layout I was using. Apparently it was more difficult to read? Anyways, I hope this is better but dont be afraid to let me know what you think, if youre having difficulty reading the text.

Montreal Postcard

2009-05-19T10:47:00.002-04:00

My friend and former Concordia Journalism colleague, Kai Nagata, CBC Radio journalist for one year now, made this music video to send back to his friends and family in East Vancouver.

Anyone who's used to warmer weather, I think can relate to these sentiments.

But the quality of this demonstrates the talent my buddy has.

The Concept of Nationalism

2009-05-16T12:12:00.003-04:00

It's a rainy, cold day here and I've spent the morning drinking tea and reading. As such I feel inspired to post a follow-up to the last article I wrote on Canadian Patriotism.

In order to provide some context and information to you on the basis for my perception of nationalism, and in order to help me establish it further in my own mind, I want to lay out for you how Benedict Anderson conceptualizes and defines nationalism.

Nationalism can be defined as an imagined political community which is both inherently limited and sovereign.

Imagined: It is imagined because even though the members of even the smallest nation will never know their fellow-members, in the minds of each lives the image of their communion.

Or, as Ernest Renan also wrote: "Or l'essence d'une nation est que tous les individus aient beaucoup de choses en commun, et aussi que tous aient oublie bien des choses."

Communities are therefore distinguished not by their genuineness, but by the style in which they are imagined.

Limited: A nation as imagined is limited because even the largest of them has finite, (though elastic) boundaries, beyond which lie other nations. (Thus a nation will never be like a religion, or political ideology which might dream for the entire planet to be, one day, of that religion or ideology).

Sovereign: It is considered to be the most natural emblem of freedom, in the sense that the nation-state is today considered to be the most natural form of social organization (I would argue that this has filled the void left by religious conquest, ever since the period of Enlightenment).

Community: It is imagined as a community because, regardless of the actual inequality and exploitation that occurs within each, the nation is always conceived of as a deep, horizontal comradeship.

What amazes me is that, it is this fraternity that makes it possible for many millions of people, to either kill or willingly die for such limited imaginings. (And I say this, remember as a loyal and self-confident member of the Canadian Armed Forces).

A key question is raised by Anderson's concepts and definitions of nationalism:

When you consider that these imaginings are fairly superficial to the rational mind (in the sense that the idea or legitimacy of the nation-state has only existed for scarcely more than 2 centuries), how can it cause humanity to inflict such colossal sacrifices on one another?

It is precisely this question, switching the word "identity" in place of nationalism that I wish to anwer at LSE, in some form or another.

Canadian Patriotism

2009-05-16T08:41:00.006-04:00

I had the chance to attend a small talk by Michael Ignatieff two weeks ago. He was speaking about his latest book, "True Patriot Love", at the Ottawa Writers Conference.

He mentioned two points in particular which highlight his opinion on how patriotism can be defined in Canada.

1) Patriotism as a postive

People today often worry about the dangers of patriotism. Our memories are short and we remember the lies that can be told in the name of patriotism, and the lies that are perpetuated in other areas of the world, in the name of patriotism. But Canadian patriotism is about simply caring about the future of the country. If we ceased to care about our future and care about how we operate in the running of our country, than we would cease to exist as a country.

2) How we define ourselves

Canada is unique in that, we have managed to define ourselves as a nation, in opposition to the greatest power the world has ever seen, without hating them.

My thoughts

It's an interesting and worthy take and theres certainly some accuracies in it.

In general, patriotism/identity is an area of extreme interest to me. Ever since I read Benedict Anderson's "Imagined Communities" I've felt that that maybe nationalism and patriotism does more harm than good.

I think I'm going to do my dissertation at LSE on the relationship between identity and conflict, in the context of a globalized world in which the identity of nation-states has become more or less, (depending on how that nation defines itself) easy to determine.

As someone who grew up overseas my entire life, and always labelled myself a "Canadian", without even really knowing what that meant, I've felt firsthand, the irrationality of the fundamental need that we all have to identify with something. Since moving back to Canada I have found that people here don't identify themselves as Canadian, they identify themselves in regard to their ethnic heritage. But, over time those links begin to wither away, and the younger generations of immigrants more or less identify themselves as Canadians first, with their specific ancestry.

Canada, in its purest sense, does not apply to Benedict Anderson's "Imagined Community" because we have done a terrible job of promoting our history and, as a result, it is not the focus of what draws Canadians together. Instead, Canada exists as a nation state not based on any ethnic identity, but based on a socio-political contract between its citizens. (In someways it simply does not have a choice, as everyone here originally came from somewhere else). People move here because they agree with the way we live and they want to be a part of that social contract.

(Some might say the US is similar, but they really perpetuate the myth of American exceptionalism, which plays right into Benedict Anderson's "Imagined Communities" concept)

And, I agree with Ignatieff, because this is the root of what brings us all together as Canadians, all citizens should care about what is happening in the country and care about trying to improve it and make it better.

What really brings Canadians together? Hockey.

In my opinion, in the era of globalization, a nation-state founded on purely ethnic terms is beginning to become outdated. Those countries that continue to rely on that ethnic identity to define themselves may face a much higher likelihood of conflict as globalization continues to take root in the international system. The very fact that Canada does not define itself in such a way, is precisely why we can define ourselves in opposition to the US, while at the same time, maintain a very healthy and functional relationship with the.

Obama was right all along on swine flu!

2009-05-09T12:22:00.004-04:00

So heres my first ever take at satire.

Two major Catholic archdiocese in Canada, have asked their parishoners to stop shaking hands during mass in an attempt to curb the spread of the h1n1 virus.

/It's clear now that Barack and Michelle Obama were ahead of the curve all along, with what Fox News called, their "terrorist fist jab".

Homeless man rescues teen, gets baseball tickets as reward

2009-05-09T12:14:00.002-04:00

Very cool story from the Globe and Mail's

PATRICK WHITE

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

May 5, 2009 at 9:15 PM EDT

WINNIPEG — The morning before every politician in town wanted to shake his hand, Faron Hall woke up on a park bench spray-painted with the tag “Not super.”

He's called this stretch of riverbank overlooking the Provencher Bridge home for the last seven years, staying away from the homeless shelters even when a 50-below chill took a portion of his ear several years ago.

“I'm a chronic alcoholic,” he says, sitting on the bench. “I don't bother nobody and over here nobody really bothers me.”

But for a split-second decision on Sunday, Mr. Hall would have remained in this hazy seclusion. He's the first to admit that his memory isn't nearly as sharp as it used to be when he was taking classes at the University of Manitoba, but he recalls clearly jumping into the turbid Red River and pulling a young man to the shore – an act that has garnered him a thousand handshakes, season tickets to the Winnipeg Goldeyes courtesy of the mayor and the unanimous moniker of hero.

“I did my best,” says the 44-year-old Mr. Hall. “That's all.”

It was around 2 p.m. when Marion Willis saw a teenager who had been running across lanes on the Provencher Bridge disappear between a gap that separates the car deck from the walkway.

“There was an absolute look of terror in this boy's face,” she said. “He didn't realize there was such an opening. I looked at my son then and said, ‘This won't be a rescue; this will be a recovery.' “ Little did she know, Mr. Hall was on the scene. He was sharing a beer with a friend, Wayne Spence, downriver from the bridge when he heard a loud splash. In a light-hearted mood after a long day of collecting cans, he remembers saying, “Damn, that must have hurt.”

But humour turned to shock when they spotted the teen screaming for help 40 metres out on the fast-moving river. Living life on the margins helped him decided what to do next. “People ignore me,” he says. “But I don't ignore them. We look out for one another out here.”

He threw off his backpack, kicked off his old black dress shoes and jumped into the chilly water.

“When I got to the kid, he started fighting me,” says Mr. Hall, pointing to a bloody scar on his forehead where the teen socked him. “I had to smack him back, tell him, ‘Hey, I'm here to help you.' “ He'd pulled the teen within 20 metres of shore when his adrenalin stalled and fatigue set in. “It's too damn cold,” he remembers yelling to Mr. Spence, who was standing along the shore.

“You can't let go, you can make it,” Mr. Spence yelled back, before wading up to his knees in the water to drag his friend and the petrified teen to the shore.

Paramedics soon arrived and took the boy and Mr. Hall to hospital. The teen has since been released.

Within a few days, strangers were coming up to congratulate Mr. Hall. “Yes, I saved that boy,” he would say. “I just did my best.”

Mr. Hall's best hasn't always been good enough. From a foster-home upbringing, he worked his way through courses at the University of Manitoba and eventually became a high-school teacher's aide, only to be set back by his mother's murder 10 years ago. He struggled with an urge to drink the grief away until his sister was murdered about seven years later.

“That's when he really slipped,” said Nicole Morin, a close friend and teacher. “He started to believe that hard times, drinking and living on the street were his destiny.”

By helping avert tragedy, Mr. Hall may also have altered that destiny. The witness, Ms. Willis, is a former social worker and has been housing Mr. Hall since the rescue while several local groups work to put a more permanent roof over his head.

By Tuesday afternoon he was back sitting on his bench, describing the rescue, when a well-dressed man trod down the path towards him. “That's Sam Katz,” Mr. Hall said, recognizing the Winnipeg mayor. “That was very special what you did,” said the mayor, jutting out his hand. “If you're in the mood you can come to my place. Do you want to come?”

Sensing an opportunity, Mr. Hall hugged the mayor and said, “I just want you to promise me one thing: I wanna come to a ball game.”

“How about if I get you a pair of season tickets?” said the mayor, who also owns the local ball club.

“Honest? I love baseball.”

“You did something a lot of people would not do,” said the mayor.

“No, I did my best.”

Thoughts on the swineflue/h1n1 virus: A response

2009-05-09T11:53:00.002-04:00

I think that my recent post on the h1n1 virus may have been interpreted a little more extreme than I intended.

Bob Wenger responded to my post with these two points:

1. The fact that it (pandemic hysteria) has been "a little bit exaggerated" may have contributed to the fact that it has not been as great a pandemic outbreak as thought possible.

2. The fact that it is yet to have been eradicated does not preclude the possibility that a more virulent strand manifests itself in the fall for example.

He's absolutely right. I had the same thought about point number 1. I have often thought that people criticize the media alot, but in reality, it is in situations such as these where the media as a tool to spread knowledge to the public becomes absolutely useful.

And on point number 2, the 1918 spanish flu epidemic started exactly the same way. it started slow on the spring but mutated in the fall, and ended up killing between 50-100 million people.

My main point with the last blog was that we need to constantly take a measured approach to things, take a close look at whats really happening, and speak to the experts before we get carried away by frantic ideas.

I've gotten some pretty outrageous emails lately claiming that swine flu is a beta test for a biological weapon.

My friend and soon to be LSE colleauge Mark Kersten writes a pretty good in depth look at the root causes of swine flu: pinpointing globalization and population explosions as major culprits (from an explanatory perspective).

My thoughts on swine/h1n1 flu/pandemic/end of the world

2009-05-05T20:50:00.006-04:00

I was at a party with a friend last week and a discussion about the swine flu came up.

My take:

As much as I think it is important that we continue to take such contagious viruses seriously, I argued then and I still argue now that this whole "pandemic hysteria" has been a little bit exaggerated.

First off, in this blog I will continue to write about it as "swine flu" not the "H-1N-1 virus"
as North American news networks have formally re-named it following a wave of complaints by the pork industry.

BBC hasn't changed a thing, whats good for BBC is certainly good enough for me.

Anyways to go back to my point.

In Canada, there now have been 165 confirmed cases of swine flu , 2 of which are actually of serious nature, the rest being minor (Editor's note: By the time you read this, that number will likely have gone up). Worldwide there have been 1,490 with 29 deaths as a result.

In comparison, the SARS outbreak in 2003 killed 44 people in the Greater Toronto Area alone.

That's not to say that this is the end of the outbreak, and I'm certainly not trying to dehumanize the numbers, but I still think that we need to maintain a bit of perspective before we start freaking out.

Why are there disproportionately more cases in Canada than in the US?

What I also find interesting is that there are only 403 confirmed cases in the US compared to 165 in Canada.

I write only because, if you consider that the US has:

-10 times the population of Canada
-and many more high population density clusters
-much closer proximity to Mexico,
-a much higher Mexican population

then the rate in Canada seems disproportionately high. Why is this?

My guess is that, with nearly 90 million people, or 1/3 of the US population under 65
without Health Care insurance the US numbers are vastly under-reported as people with mild flu like symptoms simply don't go to the doctor.

In contrast, Canadians are far more likely to actually go to the doctor because of signs of flu-like symptoms, thus the number of cases here is more accurate.

The Dark Side of Dubai...

2009-05-03T21:32:00.001-04:00

Great article unearthed by my friend Ryan Mullins. A highly touching and also grounding read:

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html

The International Criminal Court and Al-Bashir: Tension between Justice and Peace

2009-05-03T21:15:00.006-04:00

My good friend Paige Morrow wrote the article below and I decided to post it on here. My comments and thoughts on this topic are below the article:

Peace or prosecution: Should the indictments against Sudanese president al-Bashir be suspended?

A decade after 120 states approved the Rome Statute that created the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Court indicted Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes on March 4, 2009. The charges stem from the conflict in Darfur, where al-Bashir is claimed to have intentionally directed attacks against the civilian population, murdering, exterminating, raping, torturing and forcibly transferring large numbers of individuals since early 2003. The indictment underscores the troubled relationship between peace and justice. The Security Council has the authority under article 16 of the ICC’s founding treaty to suspend investigations and prosecutions for renewable one-year periods where the suspension is in the interests of international peace and security. A viable peace still has not been reached in Sudan, and critics have argued that the charges laid against al-Bashir should be suspended because of his instrumental role in the peace process.

Basis for the Charges

Darfur has long been rife with tension over grazing and land rights between the primarily nomadic Arabs and farmers from the Fur, Massaleet and Zaghawa communities. The current conflict dates back to early 2003 when two armed opposition groups, the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equity Movement (JEM), began to launch attacks on government targets, claiming that the Arab-dominated government discriminated against Black Africans. Darfurian refugees allege that the Janjaweed, fighters on horseback accused of attempting to forcibly remove and kill Black Africans in vast swathes of territory, follow behind air raids by government aircraft, riding into villages on horses and camels to pillage, loot, rape and slaughter. The Janjaweed, widely believed to have been armed by Khartoum, have wreaked havoc in the region. Khartoum admits mobilizing ‘self-defence militias’ to quash the rebel groups but denies any connection to the Janjaweed.

Is there a peace to jeopardize?

The question of whether to prosecute the perpetrators of gross violations of human rights forms an integral part of conflict negotiations. Difficult compromises have been reached in post-apartheid South Africa, Liberia, Sierra Leone and East Timor, amongst others. African and Arab countries believed that the arrest warrant could diminish Khartoum’s willingness to negotiate a lasting peace, while UN officials feared that the warrant could lead to reprisal attacks against civilians, aid groups or international peacekeepers deployed in Darfur. But many observers deny that there is a credible peace process to jeopardize. Heba Aly reported in The Christian Science Monitor that heavy fighting continued between government and rebel factions in areas of Northern Darfur held by the only rebel group to have made peace with Khartoum, contrary to the cease-fire entered into in 2006. There is broad concern that removing al-Bashir from the presidency would endanger the already shaky peace treaty between the Sudanese government and rebels in the South that was signed in 2005 to end the civil war that claimed 2.2 million lives. Human rights activists counter that al-Bashir is no longer instrumental to the peace treaty. Although al-Bashir fought members of his own party to approve the negotiations, the peace treaty is now considered desirable to Khartoum, which has an incentive to stabilize its relations with the South in order to access the large oil deposits found there.

Tension between Justice and Peace

More generally, supporters of the indictment argue that peace should not be obtained at the expense of justice for the victims. If the indictment were shelved in order to achieve national reconciliation, it would set a dangerous precedent. It would also be extremely difficult to reinstate the charges, even if in theory the suspension expires and must be renewed after one year. The suspension would weaken the moral and legal authority of the ICC, which represents a symbol of the fight against impunity. At the end of every armed conflict, difficult decisions must be made regarding who will be punished for their crimes and who will be allowed to escape criminal prosecution. Sudan continues to be embroiled in fighting, and there is not yet an envisageable end to the turmoil. Allowing al-Bashir to evade the charges laid by the ICC would mean granting a large concession to an individual who has failed to cooperate with UN peacekeeping initiatives, pursue peace negotiations or pursue war criminals on Sudanese territory.In some instances it is necessary to choose between peace and prosecution. The international community should view with skepticism the argument that such an ethical dilemma is present in Sudan.

My Thoughts: Will this be a dilemma that will continue to resurface in future conflicts?

This is an interesting article because it highlights a unique problem that the ICC may have when it comes to its role in prosecuting those responsible for conflicts that are still ongoing.

Some of the posters responded to Paige's article on Facebook, by suggesting that this just highlights the problems of the ICC that, in their view, render it useless.

I will respond both to them and to the initial question of this article:

1) Just because the ICC has serious problems in its ability to do its job (one problem specifically cited was one of "selectivity" ie. why does the court go after al-Bashir, but don't lay charges on Eelam Tamoul (in Sri Lanka) and/or Bush and Cheney) doesnt make it illegitimate or mean that we should just disregard its contribution to the international system.

Its has problems for sure. I think too many international organizations are handicapped and impeded in decision-making and action when it comes to either controversial issues which widely split the international community, or issues which for whatever reason, a large portion of the population tragically don't seem to care about (Haiti being one example).

But just because the ICC as an institution has flaws does not mean we should discard it entirely. In my mind that is merely an excuse used to mask the larger concern many countries that do not support it have (like the US) that their leaders could be charged by the court at any time without impunity.

The concept of an authoritative international body which can without impunity arrest and charge international criminals, is, I think most of us who don't fear the international communicty can agree, a good one. Just because we cannot achieve the ideal right off the bat does not mean we should just neglect striving for the ideal altogether.

2) In response to the question of this article, whether or not the court should continue to prosecute al-Bashir if it might impede the Peace process? That is really interesting as it has some implications for similar scenarios in the future. In many situations, I think that I would argue for the protection of the peace process over the rapid indictment of the individual.

In this particular case, if it could be reasonably assessed that without al-Bashir the Peace Process would comepletely collapse, then I might argue that we should consider stopping the idictments. But in my opinion, there is often only a small window of opportunity in which you can get a peace agreement signed, if you let that pass, you risk the deaths of another thousands of people before you get that window again. But the indictment of al-Bashir could be a prolonged process anyway. So generally, I would chose to sign the peace deal and potentially save hundreds of lives, over expedient justice for the families.

However, given that al-Bashir is "an individual who has failed to cooperate with UN peacekeeping initiatives, pursue peace negotiations or pursue war criminals on Sudanese territory" it would seem to me that he wouldn't contribute much to the peace process anyway.

Moreover, the unfortunate reality of legal process is that they have to consider everything they do as "establishing a precendent". So if they halt the indictment for the peace process, as the article says it, would set a dangerous precedent for an already vulnerable court. It is unfortunate that the Court does not have the ability to look at things at a more case-by-base basis, but such is the reality for so many legal decisions in all Western legal systems over the years.

In the case of al-Bashir, I agree with Paige, it makes sense to continue the indictments full throttle, but perhaps this should highlight the need for a more flexible process of prosecuting war criminals? I'm not the lawyer though, you tell me.

My experience in Canadian ER...

2009-05-03T20:00:00.004-04:00

Ok, so admittedly the title of this belated post is a little dramatic.

Just to get the context out of the way: last monday I was playing basketball, as I do, in the YMCA league every week. I was under the basket with my back to the out of bounds reaching up for a rebound. A couple of players on the opposing team were also reaching for the ball and one of them, as players often do, slapped at the ball, at the very least trying to keep it out of my hands. Instead, he drove the ball right down on to my left pinkie.

I let out a yelp, and grabbed my hand thinking that, "oh well, another jammed finger". Then when I pulled my hand away to have a look at the damage I was horrified to find my left pinkie in the shape of a Z. The middle digit (see below), hand been driven up and was sitting partly on top of the base digit.

Anyways, I ran to the head office where one of the organizers had a first aid kit. They were pretty sure it was dislocated so they held my arm down while I pulled on the tip of it. After a couple slow and caustious pulls, the bone slid back down into place. It felt AMAZING, but the immediately after started swelling and throbbing (I am currently typing this with only 8 working fingers). Not wanted to take any risks (as I already have once earlier this year with my middle finger soccer accident (as those of you close to me know)), I decided this time, I would go to emergency.

Let me make something clear. I usually don't go to the doctor. Pretty much every time I've gone, I've found that they just tell me exactly what I already knew anyways. (ie. get some rest, drink lots of fluids, stop playing sports for a while, etc. etc.). But this time I just wanted to make sure it wasn't broken, plus, I figured they can give me the supplies I would need to support my finger subsequently.

So I drove home one handed, changed and picked up Laura and off we went to the hospital. Luckily, the Main Campus Hospital is only about 12 minutes away by car.
Despite the all night affair (the injury happened about 1030 at night so it was 1130pm when we arrived), I was lucid enough to take notes of my observations on my iphone.

Below are my unedited notes:

--------------------

1130 We walk into the emergency room, its a small room with a tv (theres hockey on, thank god something to watch while I wait). Id say theres about 30 people in there. Lots of people with face masks, wonder if they are legitimately sick or just paranoid because of the swine flu hysteria going on right now?

1135 The guy at the front desk behind the glass, Jason, a friendly...male nurse? (not sure what he is actually) takes my vitals and I tell him whats wrong.

1140 Laura and I have settled comfortably into chairs in the waiting room. She is reading while I am watching the San Jose-Anaheim playoff game and talking with a guy next to me who is here waiting on his roommate who came down with a violent case of the flu in the past 48 hours.

1142 A nurse brings me a fresh bag of ice and a couple of blankets for Laura and I. For some reason I chose to wear sandals and shorts tonight and I'm beginning to think I might regret that decision.

2350 They call my name and I enter another room where a secretary/clerk like nurse registers my name and address details with the hospital. She then gives me a card and a bracelet which immediately reminds me of the bracelets I see on dead and sick people in movies (I really dont go to the hospital much).

The woman turns out to be Romanian as well, so I invite Laura in and they have a little chit-chat.

0000 I return to my seat in front of the tv. I see Chicago has lost to Calgary and Anaheim has scored twice so now San Jose is pretty much out of it. I feel bad for them. Laura and I observe a couple across the way from us, he has been in a bar fight, clearly, and looks either still drunk or maybe ashamed. His GF looks pretty pissed.

0020 I return from the x-ray place, and Jason brings me a couple of tylenol to take for my finger. Its uncomfortable and throbs from time to time but otherwise I am ok. He tells me that I may have to wait a while but its really important that I wait because if theres ligament damage, I will have to see a plastic surgeon.

0030 I am sent to receive x-rays. I am surprised that I go to get x-rays before the guy in the bar fight because I would think that he would be higher priority than I given that his injuries are on his face.

On the walk down the hallway to the radiology department there is a guy in ragged clothes strapped to a stretcher. His dirty, white, shoeless socks are sticking out the end. His hair is wild and rangy and he's clearly tripping out on something. There are about 5 cops sitting on chairs next to him just watching him and (I suspect) waiting for him to come out of his trip. He screams something to Laura and I as we walk by.

(Some critics of the Canadian medical system say that this is the sort of thing that bothers them. That a guy like this will get treated before other, more "productive members of society" who actually contribute via taxes to the free health care system. While I understand their frustration, just because someone is homeless and/or on drugs doesn't mean they deserve to be left on the streets to die. As a taxpayer who HARDLY EVER uses the system, I have no problem with the idea that I waited to get my finger treated while drunk homeless guys in critical condition came in. If they hurt their finger and I'm in critical, I will get the same courtesy).

0045 I'm back in the waiting room. I notice the waiting time sign has been changed to 4-5 hours (it was 3 when we arrived). I hear Jason, the hardworking, polite, filter for the entire process, telling someone that "some idiots who did some stupid stuff" just came in on the ambulance so it may take a while.

0050 Speaking of idiots who do stupid stuff. Some cops come in and talk to a group of girls and a guy sitting behind me. Apparently they were at a party when a girl came in and attacked their group. One of them got acid thrown on them and the other one almost got stabbed. The police tell them that they are charging this girl with attempted assault with a deadly weapon. Wow, that sounds like quite a party.

0115 Laura returns with bagels and tea for us, what a woman. I recount to her the story that I just heard, about the group behind us. I figure its going to be a long night and break out Tolstoy's War and Peace, got 40 pages left, tonight might be the night.

0130 A voice comes over the loud speaker calling code white. Jeez, I dont know what that is but it sounds serious. You can sort of hear a flurry of activity behind the front desk.

0145 The place has quieted down, I'm pretty much the only other person left apart from some people sleeping who dont look sick or injured so I figure they must be waiting for others. I don't feel my finger much I think the Tylenol is starting to kick in.

0205 I'm starting to get really sleeping. Laura is fast asleep next to me. When you're small you can curl up and pretty much sleep anywhere. Two nurses are talking about how hard it is to fall asleep after doing a night shift. One of them says that she heard melatonin is good to take. (It is, I can vouch for that having taken it numerous times to get over jetlag when travelling).

0210 The ambulance brings in an old man who for some reason doesnt have a shirt on. He is noisily coughing and retching repeatedly in the other room where they take him. After about 5 min, I stop hearing him, I guess they moved him.

0345 They move Laura and I into a small curtained off room with a padded (massage type) table. They seem to think it'll take a while which either means that the x-rays on my finger came back negative so I have been bumped on the priority list, or theres a whack of people who have come in with more serious injuries than I.

I'm feeling like this whole thing maybe a little ridiculous for a finger, albeit a mangled one.

0630 A nurse wakes us up to say that, as we are next in line, the doctor will likely be seeing us soon. We get up, naively, and begin to wait expectantly.

0700 I strike up a conversation with the Romanian clerk to tells me that they only have 1 doctor working during the night shifts which is why it can take a long time. I am shocked to realize that. Either no one wants to work the night shift (an Ontario Medical Association (essentially a union) issue, or a shortage issue), or there isnt deemed to be a need to have more than one work the night shift.

0800 The med student assitant of the doctor checks me out, hes very gentle and cautious.

0830 My doctor sees me, tells me, as I expected, exaclty what I already knew. He tapes and splints it and says to keep it like that for a week or 2 and then get it re-looked at at the military hospital (since I work there I can get access quicly), and they will be able to tell them the extent of the ligament damage and if I'll need sugery.

0900 Laura is driving home (she got much more sleep tonight of the two of us). I call my Platoon 2i/c (2nd in command) and tell him I'm taking the morning off to sleep and I'll work from home.

The End.

Providing a Voice to All

2009-04-15T13:10:00.003-04:00

This video is a sample of clips that my friend and Concordia Journalism colleague, Ryan Mullins has put together for his Project "Providing a Voice through New Media".

Ryan just returned from Ghana where he was establishing this project, which aims to connect under-represented people in rural and urban communities across Ghana through the Internet.

He received a scholarship from the International Development Research Council (IDRC) for this work. For anyone interested in how Communication can play a role in International Development or how Globalization has affected local cultures, this clip and much more of his work should interest you.

I highly recommend his website.

Talking Drum Class, Hohoe

Hilarious quotes on living/travelling in/to the UK from friends...

2009-04-08T11:16:00.005-04:00

Well I've made a momentous decision!

This morning I formally cancelled my application for deferral with the LSE and have decided to take up my offer of admission for this October. Very exciting news.

I have talked to a few friends about the move and the quotes they have given me have been so hilarious that I just had to put them up:

Zeke:

"Dude, you're moving to London. It costs like, 3 pounds to take a shi*t in your own home there"

"Whats the big deal dude, just leave some stuff at your aunt's house, sell the car, kiss your girl and go"

(As my mom eloquently put it: spoken like a true Third Culture Kid).

Stephane:

"My advice? Live in a dodgy neighborhood thats still centrally located, get an iron-clad sense of humour for the sharp wit of the Brits, and dull out your gag reflex, if you can, for their, errr...food.."

Jani Helle:

"You do realize that you're moving to a country that has barely even heard of a sport called Ice Hockey, a nation which freaks the hell out over 3 inches of snow?"

Equal Treatment of Women in Mexico -- Mexican Ambassador to Canada

2009-04-06T13:01:00.008-04:00

Today's entry (I should more accurately say, this weeks, given the pace that I've been posting lately), is a very important issue that is being spearheaded by my good friend and colleague, Veronica Islas.

Below is the release that she put out:

--------------------------------

Barrio Terrazas was received on 26 February 2009 as Ambassador of Mexico to Canada,

Governor of the state of Chihuahua from 1992 to 1998. Barrio Terrazas and his government proved to be dangerously and unforgivably bigotted and prejudice.

In the past twenty years in Ciudad Juarez, a border town in Mexico, young women from underprivileged backgrounds have been abducted, sexually assaulted, tortured, mutilated and murdered.

To date, over 500 female bodies bearing signs of sexual assault and torture have been found and about 1000 women are still missing.

While he was governor of the state where these murders are happening, Barrio Terrazas said that these killings were a "natural phenomenon, because the victims walked in dark streets and they were dressed provocatively, because they were wearing mini-skirts."
To suggest that the victims were asking for it because they were wearing miniskirts shows the mysoginy that this man really feels. Barrio Terrazas also blocked the creation of an independent commission to study the crimes, one that was recommended by the UN Human Rights Commission.The question is, why? Despite numerous reports, recommendations, reports and evidence presented to Mexican authorities, no one has been brought to justice, whether members of the Mexican government or law enforcement, or even drug cartels in Ciudad Juarez. On the contrary, many people have been threatened and harassed for denouncing the inaction of the authorities and demanding justice, some have already died.

Demonstrations will be held simultaneously in Mexico and Canada to denounce the macho attitude and passivity of the new ambassador and the Mexican government inaction in the situation of feminicide.

For info:
Montreal
Geneviève Lacroix
Committee for Human Rights in Latin America
genevieve@cdhal.org / www.cdhal.org / 514.387.5550

Ottawa
Veronica Islas
veronicalas@gmail.com (613) 263 5603

Our Requests
WE SUPPORT GROUPS FOR WOMEN MEXICAN AND ORGANIZATIONS DEFENSE OF RIGHTS TO SEEK GOUVERNEMENTMEXICAIN:
I. Mr. De Barrio Terrazas withdraw from his duties as Ambassador of Mexico to Canada. II. To respect its commitment to various international treaties signed and ratified, ie the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Inter-American Convention Belem do Para to prevent, punish and eradicate violence against women. III. To end the impunity that is crippling the judiciary and security forces and bring the perpetrators to justice.
IV. Also, to protect the lives and integrity of human rights defenders and organizations accompanying the families of victims and the latter.

CANADIAN GOVERNMENT:
I. Accordance with international obligations contracted by the Canadian government to exercise its duty of care towards the situation of human rights in Mexico, a partner.
II. Review carefully the case of Mr. Francisco Javier Barrio Terrazas to declare persona non grata, because his lack of respect unequivocally meet the women murdered and missing is a complete Canadian values and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms of Canada, which provides protection to all persons, regardless of sex.
III. Provide support to the Mexican government to implement the reforms necessary to reform and restructure the Mexican justice system.
IV. Finally, we ask the Canadian government to respect its tradition of human rights and invite the Mexican government to handle cases of victims and to stop the impunity in Ciudad Juarez, as well as ensuring the protection of women victims violence throughout Mexico.

To Canadians:
I. We ask to join us, feminist organizations, organizations of human rights in Canada and Mexico and to the families of victims to show solidarity with them. II. We invite organizations and individual Canadians to join us to demonstrate and support our requests.
------------------------

A small demonstration occurred last Friday, April 3rd here in Ottawa in front of the Mexican Embassy.

Before zipping down to Montreal I attended and snapped some photos of the event:

Reflections on my Trip to NYC...

2009-03-31T16:12:00.003-04:00

So I recently, spontaneously, and last-minutey, went down to NYC this past weekend for a mini-highschool re-union.

I'll touch on a few personal thoughts before getting into what I thought of NYC:

Highschool dynamics

The night before I left I found myself, gnawing at the knot of excitement in the pit of my stomach, wondering how it would be with a group of us back together again. In the 6 years since I graduated I have only seen a couple of friends here and there. I was wondering if we would return to the same idiosyncratic and insecure relationships that dog all highschools, or if our new found maturation due to university degrees and life experience and now being at the baby steps of our careers, would make things really different.

What I found was that everyone was more mature and therefore was able to get along better. But at the same time, in some ways everyone returned to the roles they had in highschool as well.

Anyways, it was absolutely fantastic seeing everyone, and when I head to London either next year or the year after, I look forward to being able to see even more old friends then.

Observations of NYC

1) NYC is its own world. You really feel it when you are there. You could easily spend your entire life living there, without ever leaving the vast expanse of urban jungle that is the city.

2) Artistic. NYC is so artistic, in fact, I have to say that it REALLY reminds me of Montreal in the variety of styles that you see on the streets, the variety of bars that one can go to, the existence of parties all over the city at any hour, on any day of the week and the possibility of seeing the most random thing on any occasion (ie. someone walking down the sidewalk in their underwear in the middle of the day).

Of course, its all of that in Montreal X 50 and you get something closer to NY. But the similarites are really there.

3) Nice. People are very nice contrary to the bad rap that New Yorkers seem to get. I found everyone really friendly and nice and even somewhat helpful.

4) Wealth and inequality. New York is THE place to be for the elite and those aspiring to be the elite in the US. And you can feel it. The first night I was there I went to a bar/lounge which charged around 12 dollars per drink. You can find these places in Montreal and other big cities, the difference is that there, the clientele will be young professionals, and the average age probably be closer to 30. This place didnt have a person over 24 I don't think. The majority of them were students who were all still in school. I felt like I was in an alternate reality of some kind.

At the same time, you also have Harlem and Queens and other unbelievably impoverished areas right in the same city. I realized that I've gotten used to the quiet equality of Canada (don't get me wrong we still have our areas, but we have to be honest and compare ourselves to the big picture) and I'd somehow forgotten that the horrific inequality that exists in Latin American and parts of Asia, is also a reality in the US and other parts of the so-called "Western" world.

5) Guns for money. I saw flyers on 8th Ave. advertising, Guns for Money. You Bring your working guns in, we give you $200 bucks, no questions asked. When I saw this sign it hit me "yea man, you're now in the US".

I meant to take a picture of it but unfortunately didnt see them again. But apparently this "initiative" has been quite effective at getting guns off the streets.

6) Overwhelming hyperconsumerism. There are stores, stores, and more stores EVERYWHERE. The US as a country must have more entrepreneurs per capita than anyone else. And people, buy, buy, buy, and buy. And we're in a recession? The neverending and unrelenting flow of shoppers and stores was pretty exhausting.

7) People say its expensive but.... I actually didn't find it that bad. In the stores alcohol is about the same price or even less than in Montreal when you factor in the tax. There are soo many places to eat that, if you stay away from the expensive ones, you can actually find food relatively cheaply. It all depends on the lifestyle you are used to and where you go in the city. Having said that, the cost of housing is absolutely ridiculous.

Overall
It was a very cool city. I could see myself spending 5 happy years of my life there easily, although I do think that I wouldnt be able to last more than that.

Whoopi Goldberg Spotting

While sitting in the car with Zeke and his parents in the East Village of Manhatten, Whoopi Goldberg stepped out of her apartment and walked right in front of our car to cross the street. She waved at us when Zeke's dad tapped on the glass.

She looked EXACTLY like she did on tv. And sort of looked like she was just trying to get from Point A to point B without being spotted, dressed in a hooded grey sweatshirt with the hood up.

Interesting Links of the Day...

2009-03-23T14:12:00.003-04:00

I've come across a couple of interesting links lately that I feel obligated to share with everyone.

1) First, hat tip to my friend Alex Guertin for this very cool, photo travel essay from Chernobyl.

For those of you that don't remember Chernobyl was the location of the worst nuclear disaster in human history (so far).

I have to admit that many of the photos actually give me a feeling of nostalgia for the life that I had in Eastern Europe.

2) Secondly, I'll give a shout out to my friend, Mark Kersten, for his terrific work in his blog: kerstenskolumn.wordpress.com. His latest post on "The Responsibility to Protect" , (R2P) the philosophical pondering of when does the international community have an obligation to intervene, and when does it not, is worth reading.

Kersten is currently working as Compliance and Information Coordinator for the Green Party of Canada and will be heading to the London School of Economics and Political Science next year for a Masters in IR. (If my deferral fails to go through, we may end up there together).

A new post is currently in the works (currently rolling around in the mush between my ears), I've been meaning to post on R2P for a while now, and perhaps Mark has forced my hand. I'll keep you all updated.

China's Policy on Tibet and the Dalai Lama

2009-03-18T15:51:00.009-04:00

There may be people who disagree with this post, but the timeliness of this issue, to me, morally impells me to comment on it.

Above: Nepalese police officers snatch a Tibetan flag from a Tibetan protester demonstrating in front of the U.N. office in Katmandu, Nepal, March 17, 2008. Police used bamboo batons to disperse about 100 Tibetan protesters and Buddhist monks in Katmandu, Monday, arresting around 30 in the latest crackdown on pro-Tibet demonstrations in neighboring Nepal.
(Binod Joshi/AP Photo) Note: I was unable to find any photos from Lhasa itself.

It was March 16 of last year that, Tibetan protests broke out in the capital of Lhasa leading to Chinese troops marching on the capital and resulting in close to 150 deaths.

This year, the anniversary of the uprising passed with eery quietness, as paramilitary and plainclothes police blanketed the Tibetan capital with patrols and checkpoints.

It was also in March, 50 years ago, that an uprising against Chinese rule led to the Dalai Lama's flight into exile in India, bringing with him tens of thousands of his followers.

The general story, we know: the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) government and the Government of Tibet in Exile still disagree over when Tibet became a part of China, and whether the incorporation Tibet into China is legitimate according to international law.

I'm not too knowledgeable on the rationale China had for invading Tibet in 1950, immediately following the ascension of the Chinese Communist Party in the Chinese Civil War in 1949.

But I do believe that China's policy on the Dalai Lama shows remarkable short-sightedness for a government that has thus far shown itself to be highly effective at long term economic planning.

The reason China refuses to accept Tibetan independence is obvious.

While much of the Western world, when they think of China imagine a homogenous “workers” mass of people, composing a highly unified state, the reality is that the PRC is a very diverse country. As early as 1949, there were fifty-six registered and officially recognized nationalities (other than Han Chinese) in China. (see: Norbu, Dawa, “China’s Policy Towards its Minority Nationalities in the Nineties”. China Report. 1991. )

That’s not to say that Chinese policies haven’t attempted to dilute various identities underneath the majority-Han identity, in most countries the majority culture dominates, and in China this is no different.

But the point is this: if they give Tibet independence, many of the other regionally concentrated minorities groups might attempt to gain independence as well. (Particularly the Uyghur ethnic group in the North Western corner of the country).

The Uyghurs (see Uyghur girl above) are Turkic speaking peoples of Islamic faith who live primarily in the Xinjian Autonomous Region in the PRC.

From this perspective, China’s refusal to accept Tibetan independence for fear of losing the territory of the nation-state makes sense.

But their policy of vilifying the Dalai Lama doesn’t.

The Dalai Lama gave a speech on March 10, in Dharamsala (where he is exiled in northern India), in order to “pay tribute to all those who died, were torture and suffered for the cause of Tibet”. While his speech included the usual offers of friendship and conciliation to China with which he usually balances with criticism of its rule, it was unusually angry and pessimistic in tone.

According to the Economist, the speech “reads like the exasperated outpouring of a man despairing of the compromise he himself continues to promote”.

The unusually harsh words reflect his frustration at China’s continued dismissal of Tibetan yearnings for independence, and the bleak outlook for political progress in the region, but also the reality of the situation on the ground in Tibet.

Human Rights Watch last week reported that there were thousands of arbitrary arrests during last year’s unrest and that hundreds of detainees continue to remain unaccounted for.

This month, as I wrote above, anticipating protests during the anniversary season, the Chinese government deployed a massive security presence, foreigners have been excluded from the region, and mobile-telephone networks and websites in Lhasa have become inaccessible.

Yet these precautions show that the Chinese government is fully aware of the extent of Tibetan unhappiness with its rule.

It continues to blame this on the influence of the Dalai Lama itself. It likes to argue that before the Chinese takeover in 1950, Tibet was merely a feudal serfdom. On March 28, the Chinese government in Tibet celebrate “Emancipation from Serfdom day”.

But the Dalai Lama has democratised his government in exile, and unlike many of his followers both in Tibet and in the exiled population, he accepts Chinese rule. Not only does he argue for a “middle way” of genuine autonomy within China, he is also unwavering in his opposition to violence.

In fact, what violent acts that did occur in last years uprising in Lhasa, reflected the frustrations of a new generation of followers who have grown weary of the Dalai Lama’s insistence on non-violence.

So what should this tell us? Would things be better without the Dalai Lama’s influence?

What does China hope?

It seems as though China’s hope is that when the Dalai Lama, who is 73 years-old, eventually passes away, Tibetans will lose both their international figurehead and their internal unity.

My guess is, China hopes to subsequently instill their own, pro-China spiritual leader to replace the Dalai Lama once the current one is gone.

But right now the Dalai Lama is the only one holding things together. He, and not the Chinese government, is the only one capable of keeping the new generation of separatists in check.

If the uprisings last year are any indication, and indeed if history (see: the collapse of Yugoslavia) is any indication, if China waits that long, it may be losing its best and last hope of reconciliation with the Tibetan people that it claims are its own.

ImprovEverywhere...

2009-03-18T15:20:00.002-04:00

I have sent a few emails about this already but it is just too cool to keep away from the blogosphere.

Alot of people have already heard of these guys but in case you haven't: ImprovEverywhere is a group and a phenomenon it is spreading like wildfire across North America.

They do organized spontaneous things in public places. According to their website http://improveverywhere.com/, they "have completed 80 missions of joy and chaos, involving thousands of undercover agents, since they have started." The group is based in New York City but there are a bunch of chapters springing up in other cities.

Last weekend ImprovEverywhere in Ottawa carried out a Guerilla Freeze (which is in my opinion one of the coolest acts):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD84neqYfSE (Note: This clip is the one from NYC, Grand Central Station)

But they also do spontaneous musicals:

http://improveverywhere.com/2008/03/09/food-court-musical/

Anyways, I just think it is really cool what these people are doing. I'm going to be participating in next months activity here in Ottawa, whatever it may be. If you want to brighten your day, maybe you can join one, (or dareisay start your own) in your locations.

The Lesson of Harvey Milk

2009-03-06T00:19:00.012-05:00

(I had meant to post this last friday but couldn't finish it off before heading to Montreal for a weekend military course. Thankfully this article doesn't really rely on timeliness to be relevant.)

So I finally got the chance, earlier this week, to go see the movie Milk.

For those of you who haven’t been following, the movie Milk is a biographical film which portrays last 8 years of Harvey Milk’s life. Milk (below) was a gay activist and the first openly gay elected political official (elected San Francisco supervisor in 1977).

Don’t worry, if you haven’t seen it yet, this entry won’t give anything away.

Anyways, I found myself thinking a lot about his story after the movie, and I started doing some more research into his life.

Before I state what stood out for me, as the major lesson that we can and should all learn from him, I’ll quickly review my other thoughts on the movie itself and this story in general:

-I thought Sean Penn did a fantastic job and was thoroughly deserving of the best actor Academy award.

-I was also really impressed with Emile Hirsch's performance. The last movie I saw him in was Into The Wild and I completely did not recognize him this time around. He has alot of range as an actor.

-I absolutely cannot believe that so many people (myself included) have never been taught about this guy! He was a pivotal player in the improvement of civil rights in modern American history. If for nothing else, this movie has been very important and very special for sharing this story with more people.

Harvey Milk's Important lesson: Faith in Humanity

Perhaps the most pivotal moment of the movie, and the one which determined Milk's legacy, occurred just after he was elected a San Francisco representative. The Briggs Initiative, (also known as Proposition 6) was announced by sponsor John Briggs, a conservative Orange Country legislator, and Anita Bryant, a well known singer and religious activist. This initiative sought to ban gays and lesbians, and anyone who supported gay rights from working in California's public schools.

Immediately following the highly publicized announcement of Prop 6, Harvey Milk and Cleve Jones and the rest of his political campaign team gathered in Milk's San Francisco city hall office, to decide how to react. This is obviously a critical moment, because if Proposition 6 passes, it would have serious implications for the progression of civil rights and anti-discrimination laws in the US.

Here's where I find their strategy interesting and the emergence of Milk's most important lesson.

A number of politically influential supporters of Milk advocated that they challenge the initiative and try to rally support against it by arguing that it is an affront to human rights. They believed that as the public still seemed to be very uncomfortable with the "issue" of homosexuality, and considering the power of the church and church organizations to mobilize pro-Prop 6 support, the only way to rally support against it would be to attack it for being a serious violation of individual freedoms and human rights, after all, everybody supports human rights right?

Milk, however, said that "hiding behind human rights" was cowardly. He argued, in contrary, they should openly proclaim how this is discriminatory to gays, and reinforce the statement that gays must have the same rights. He also called on all gays out there to "come out! come out! wherever you are!".

When I was watching the movie, I found myself disagreeing with Milk's strategy.

I agreed that it would be better to take the human rights defense. In my opinion, given the power of the religious organizations to mobilise support for Prop 6, and given how critical this legislation was, you have to think that it doesn't matter what defense you take, you must do everything you can to win. You must do anything you can to ensure that the laws protect your equal rights (hence that Prop 6 fails). Who cares about what people think, thats a long term issue to fight another day. In the short term, you must protect your rights. Overall, as long as the laws are there, over time, people's ideas and opinions about it will change.

So in other words, use the existing legal structure to, overtime, move social opinion forward.

That demonstrates that I have a higher amount of trust and faith in the system, than in humanity and the ability of humans to break out of narrow minded thinking.

Milk, in contrast, had faith in humanity. He argued that if all the gays out there came out, everyone would realize that they knew someone or had friends who were gay. And this realization would normalize it and make them realize that they would be taking the rights away from their friends, colleagues and neighbours. This would simultaneously change social thinking and also reject Prop 6.

This was incredibly perceptive and forward thinking, althought it was also risky. Ultimately, it demonstrated his belief in the power of goodness within humans to overcome narrow mindedness.

I won't say the end result for those who haven't seen the movie (although you can probably guess). But to me this remains one of the most brilliant decisions he made and one of the most important lessons we can learn from him.

Worldometers....

2009-03-05T14:48:00.001-05:00

Hi all,

Very interesting site I found through my buddy Zeke that I thought I'd share with you all.

Its called Worldometers . It has a a number of different global statistics in realtime.

I don't know about you but looking through this site has me feeling like I can't breathe. Like I don't have enough air.

And I had no idea that 24,188 species have gone extinct this year! Thats tragic!

I'm not going to list here the sources they have for their statistical algorithms but its lengthy and reputable to say the least.

Take a look, and ponder the consequences for our planet and the future of the human species.

More on Pakistan...

2009-02-28T00:14:00.003-05:00

Just got back from the bar. Watched the Habs defeat the Flyers on a beauty overtime PP goal by Mathieu Schneider.

I am still lucid enough to note that this Globe and Mail article reiterates my previous post on the potential collapse into chaos of :

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090227.wcoessay0228/BNStory/specialComment/home

Enjoy.

Crisis in Pakistan...

2009-02-27T15:36:00.008-05:00

President Obama announced today that, fulfilling another defining promise of his campaign, all U.S. combat troops will be withdrawn from Iraq by September 2010.

To get a sense of what this means in numbers:

-Roughly 100,000 U.S. combat troops will be pulled out of Iraq within the next 18 months.

But lets just clarify, these are combat troops. About 30,000- 50,000 non-combat troops will remain under a new mission of training, civilian protection and counterterrorism.

More importantly, let's look at the implications behind this move. The withdrawal of US forces in Iraq reaffirms that the US is re-focusing its efforts on Afghanistan. And on this issue, the more and more critical problem is, and I've been meaning to blog about this for a while now, how to handle Pakistan.

The rapidly growing concern for the US government, and I would argue the rest of the world as well, has to be the instability in Pakistan.

Supporters of the Pakistan Muslim League chant slogans during a protest against the Supreme Court's decision to exclude former Pakistan premier Nawaz Sharif and his brother from elected office, in Multan, Feb 27, 2009. Stree protests have erupted in towns and cities across the central Punjab province. REUTERS.

I'm not going to get into the military aspects of the whole Afghanistan-Pakistan situation. I'm more interested in discussing how it has become virtually a failed state and what that can tell us about how Western countries should conduct foreign aid expenditure.

But just to mention briefly its specific significance for the NATO and ISAF operation in Afghanistan:

-Some 75% of NATO supplies to Afghanistan travel through Pakistan in convoys.

-The Afghanistan-Pakistan border has been notoriously difficult to control despite the fact that some 120,000 Pakistani troops have been dispatched to contain the infiltration of foreign Taliban fighters across the border.

Now let's get back to Pakistan itself.

Pakistan is the world's sixth most populous country and the second-biggest Muslim one (the largest being Indonesia). It has been one of the largest recipients of US foreign aid over the past decade recieving around 700 million dollars in US foreign aid each year.

The money was used to support the military rule of General Pervez Musharaf who took power via military coup in 1999. In typical US foreign policy fashion, was deemed that, having a strong fisted leader such as Musharaf in power would not only stabilize the region but give the US some influence over a potentially hostile nation-state.

The situation now is that Pakistan is violently divided. A Taliban insurgency is spreading in its north-west frontier, the (North-West Frontier Province). The vast and thinly populated western state of Baluchistan is also in revolt. In Karachi, a port city of 15million, the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LET) launched their amphibious terrorist assault on Mumbai last November.

The central government in Islamabad, a coalition led by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), and presided over by President Asif Zardari, is struggling.

Mr Zardari inherited the party from his murdered wife, Benazir Bhutto, and fears that he too will be assassinated. His is almost as unpopular as General Musharraf, widely detested in Pakistan, was. A survey released by the International Republican Institute in December found that only 19% of Pakistanis wanted him for their leader; 88% thought the country was headed in the wrong direction. Recently, the court ruling banning the Opposition Party, the Pakistan Muslim League, leader Nawaz Sharif, has led to violent protests in Punjab, which has forced Mr Zardari to declare emergency rule over the province.

There's no question that the instability in Pakistan, a nuclear armed country, is concerning for the US. But what can they do about it?

Where is the money going?

I had the priviledge of attending a Millenium Development Conference in Montreal in which former US President Bill Clinton gave one of the key speeches.

In particular I remember what he said about Pakistan and US foreign aid expenditure. Referring to the fact that some of the 9-11 bombers were Pakistani and that many of the Al-Qaeda training camps were situation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, his quote went something like this:

"If I had known then what I know now, I would have requested that Pakistan put some of the money we gave them into building schools and developing social programs, rather than just boosting their military."

Of course, its extremely easy for Clinton to go around the world and give speeches saying this now. But he does highlight a good point.

Part of the reason that anti-western sentiment is so high in Pakistan is because of the economic poverty and inequality.

Pakistan has been ruled by the military for most of its history. The problem with many military regimes, and in particular, the most recent one of General Musharraf, is that there is total NON-TRANSPARENCY in resource allocation.

In particulary, the Pakistani state has totally neglected the regions of Balochistan and the North Western Frontier Province, rendering those regions poverty-stricken. As these areas do not constitute the political elite, and don't have many political leaders, the government has not been responsive to their needs or held accountable in any way.

Unemployment rates in these two regions are far higher than anywhere else in the country hovering at just over 30%.

Is it a coincidence that these places are currently the breeding grounds for Pakistani terrorists? I don't think so.

With no social funding from the government whatsoever, the only organizations providing schools and hospitals to local populations are the fundamentalist Islamic groups who are foreign funded. So, most of these impoverished people attend madrassas and receive health care and medical treatement from pro-Taliban groups. It is no wonder that support for the Taliban is widespread in these areas. They are the only ones helping the people there.

This is why the main concern for the US in their fight against "terrorism" should be that of "failed states".

To make matters worse, the economy in Pakistan is stagnating. After two years of political turmoil and spreading violence, the economy is collapsing. One-third of the textiles industry, which accounts for half of Pakistan's industrial jobs has been cut. In November, Pakistan asked the International Monetary Fund for a $7.6 billion dollar bailout.

So at this point, even if Mr Zardari wanted to turn things around, economically and politically, its virtually impossible that he'll be able to do anything.

That poverty breeds discontent is undeniable. That the proliferation of fundamentalist Islamic groups in populations that are neglected by their own government is a pattern through out the Middle East (the thriving of Hezbollah in the Bekka Valley of Lebanon and the thriving of Hamas in Gaza being two other very clear cut examples of this), should remind the West that foreign aid should not come without conditions.

Finally, this should remind us all that economic equality does matter; dareisay, perhaps more than military might, more than cultural differences, maybe even more than religious might...?

Montreal Weekend....

2009-02-24T13:59:00.003-05:00

Great news! I've learned how to hyperlink, so now when I say "I went skating on the canal yesterday", you guys can get a little more informed about what I'm talking about.

So, moving right along to today's post...

Last weekend I went to Montreal for some Army training, but I also got to spend some much needed time with my sister Dana, and one of my best buddy's, my former roommate, Juan.

There were two particularly notable moments/experiences that I would like to write about:

1) Winter Survival Training:

My regiment got approval to take 50 guys up north to a place near Tremblant, Makwa Adventures, where we got taught winter survival skills by some natives (I'm terrible but I can't remember what tribe!) and/or people who live with them. We learned how to trap and skin wild rabbits, we went snowmobiling and dog sledding, and we went ice fishing and made a fire.

The trapping was interesting and useful, although I must be honest that the method of death for the animal when you use these traditional trapping techniques is pretty cruel. Its a slow way to go. Having said that, it is environmentally sustainable, and the first nations groups tend to use every single part of the animal for something, which is far better than we can say we do with our meat production.

The skinning and gutting was pretty rough, I felt bad for the rabbits. We each partnered up and did it, I was lucky, I skinned and my partner gutted. Thankfully all the carcasses were frozen and taken home for food, so, at least we were making full use of them.

The Snowmobiling was insane, we spent 1.5 hours racing through narrow trails in the woods and then racing on lakes. For most of my life, I have tended to think that snow mobilers were the obnoxious arseholes who made noise and expelled exhaust into the air disturbing and otherwise peaceful cross country ski, or winter hike.

Now, in some ways I STILL think that, however, I have to sheepishly admit, that it is ALOT of fun.

The dogsledding was very interesting. Most of the dogs were either Husky or Wolf-dog. The guide said that eahc dog has a distinct personality and that only certain personalities will work well together. There is only one lead dog and certain lead dogs only work with certain owners. For example, if you are a new owner and you give the verbal command "left" (there are five verbal commands for left, right, speed up, slow down and stop). The dogs may sometimes go "right" on purpose, just to test how you react. You need to assert yourself as the alpha, as you are the sled driver.

2) Mathieu Schneider sighting at the Biodome.

I was walking down the steps next to the cafe, inside the Biodome entrance, to retrieve my coat from the coat check area, when I saw, coming the other way up the stairs carrying several coats, Mathieu Schneider.

I quickly said to Juan, who was next to me, "Hey look, that's Mathieu Schneider". Juan didn't say anything but just looked. Mat looked at us and smiled first to us, then to himself looking genuinely pleased as he reached the top of the stairs, turned the corner and handed the coats to his blonde wife, and two or three kids.

I quickly came to several realizations from this moment.

First, this was Mat's first day with his family in Montreal. He was traded to us while we were on the road, so he joined the team and played a couple of road games before coming back to Montreal for the Saturday game. This was Sunday and the team had a day off. He used to play for the Canadiens back when he was 23 years old and didn't have a family.

Secondly, he seemed to genuinely appreciate being recognized. He was playing in Atlanta before he was traded to us so he probably hasn't been recognized in a while.

OBAMA MANIA IN CANADA!

2009-02-19T17:00:00.001-05:00

What will his Presidency mean for Canada?

President Obama pulled up to Parliament Hill under gray skies, falling snow, with a cheering crowd of about 1,000 people greeting him. A woman along his motorcade route carried a sign that read "Yes we CANada!

Above, young Obama supporters and enthusiasts braved the snow to try to catch a glimpse of the new American President.

Above, Obama meets Canadian Head of State, Governer General Michaelle Jean.

Canada’s enthusiasm for the new President, and concern for Canada-US relations, is well documented.

In late September of last year, a mere two weeks before the Canadians went to the polls, a Globe and Mail survey showed that more than 80% of those polled admitted they would give up their right to vote in the Canadian election, in order to vote in the US election. Moreover, if the US election were held in Canada, 85% of voters would have voted for Obama.

Granted the last election in the US was historic to say the least, nevertheless, I think that says a lot about not only the popularity of Obama in Canada but the growing concern about the direction of US-Canada relations in recent years.

Above, a Canadian Mountie salutes the arrival of US President Barack Obama to Rideau Hall on Thursday.

I don’t think I need to elaborate too much on just how extensive the Canadian-US relationship is.

-Over 1.9 billion dollars in commerce cross the border each day.

-We are each other’s largest trading partner.

-We have the longest peaceful border in the world.

-We have extensive security agreements and military integration encompassing 330 bilateral defense agreements, and 142 bilateral defense forums. In fact, at any given time 250 Canadian soldiers with the maple leaf on their shoulder are training or fighting with American troops.

So, what will the election of the Obama administration mean for Canada? That is what political analysts and enthusiasts have been asking and with Obama’s first foreign visit to Canada today, perhaps some questions have been answered. Or perhaps not…

The big issue many are looking at is of course the economy.

But more intriguing to me has been the “clean energy dialogue” that both the Prime Minister and the President announced at the Press Conference today.

The declaration is a relatively minor step in bilateral co-operation, mostly a promise to continue to discuss and explore the issues together. More surprising however is the theme both leaders have embraced throughout this meeting: that cleaning up the environment can be a profitable of tackling the worldwide economic meltdown.

President Obama campaigned on a promise to wean the U.S. off “dirty, dwindling and dangerously expensive” oil. His administration aims to develop a cap-and-trade system in the United States to deal with greenhouse-gas emissions, similar to the carbon market in the European Union. But in the past, PM Harper’s government has merely said it would explore the idea, the current Canadian climate change framework lags far behind and has much weaker environmental policies.

Has President Obama brought PM Harper on board?

Perhaps PM Harper is finally coming around to the realization that environment and economy are inherently linked. And this is no more evident than in the Canadian-US energy relationship.

Immediately after taking office in January of 2006, Prime Minister Harper committed a five-fold increase in oil sands production. The Alberta Oil-Sands contain roughly 173 billion barrels of oil, the second most in the world after only Saudia Arabia. That’s enough oil to supply the US for 24 years.

The US imports about 780,000 barrels a day from the Canadian tar-sands, roughly 60% of its total production.

Harper defended his stimulation of the Albertan oil industry by arguing how tremendously lucrative and beneficial it would be for Canada.

And sure, Alberta has been one of the wealthiest provinces in Canada for the last decade.

But whether or not you agree with environmentalists claims about the seriousness of climate change (and I would say that you should), any pragmatic economist knows that, as Elizabeth May and Stephane Dion and now President Obama argue, to invest in greener technology now is far better for the long-term competitiveness of the economy.

Harper has thus far pursued regionally preferenced, short-term policies, and if Obama wishes to cut back on US purchases of oil from the tar sands that has tremendous implications for the Albertan economy.

Interestingly enough, alongside this announcement of “clean energy dialogue”, the Globe and Mail announced that for the first time in a decade Alberta has slipped into a recession.

“Falling stock prices and energy revenues have hit Alberta hard, and the debt-free province is now expected to post a $1-billion deficit – its first budget shortfall in 15 years.”

Remember that just last August, government officials were projecting an $8.5 billion surplus for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.

What has been the major cause of the decline?

Economist Andre Plourde says it should come as no surprise that a “resource-based” economy is taking a hit as oil prices have dropped to US$35.

Clearly, Alberta is not an exception to what is going on internationally, but this should serve as a warning to Canada’s leaders to stay away from pursuing single commodity provincial economies.

Hopefully this green dialogue will turn into something more concrete, and the US will not leave Canada in the dust on environmental issues, rather Canada will re-affirm itself as an environmental leader.

Zimbabwe's New Beginning?

2009-02-11T15:26:00.000-05:00

As I watch on tv and read online that Morgan Tsvangirai has been named the new Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, I can't help but to mentally survey through the many African leaders who have come to power riding a wave of new found hope and optimism, only to remain equally corrupt, or even worse, far more brutal than the previous leader.

To be clear, this is not a drastic change. Tsvangirai has been named the PM in a power sharing agreement.

But still, this is quite something. Mugabe has finally, at least outwardly, relinquished his deathly strangehold on what used to be a country full of immense potential.

I lived in Zimbabwe from about 1987-1989. I don't remember much, being a little kid, but I have seen many photos and heard many stories from my parents. The tranquil beauty of the countryside and warmth of the people were just some of the memories they had.

Mugabe was the first African leader of Zimbabwe, elected PM of the first non-colonial government since they gained their independence from Britain in 1980 after a lengthy civil war/revolution.

My father told me that there was alot of optimism about him back then. He, an Oxford graduate, was a war hero who arrived on the scene pledging a social agenda and for the first 5 years of his reign, for the most part, he kept it.

Historians will put more together in time, but for now, it appears that the lure of power was too much for Mugabe. In 1987, he abolished the position of Prime Minister and assumed the new office of executive President, essentially putting himself in charge of the entire government. He was "re-elected" in 1990 and 1996, and in 2002 amid claims of widespread vote-rigging and intimidation.

The rest, most of us know. In 1998, he redistributed all the white owned farms in the country, and incited acts of violence against white farmers. Since then, Zimbabwe has been in rapid and tragic decline as they have completely alienated themselves from the rest of the international system.

Currently, five million people (almost half the population) are starving, there is massive hyperinflation, 90% unemployment, and, more recently, about 3,400 people have died in cholera outbreak.

But things may slowly turn for the better in Tsvangirai can effectively re-open Zimbabwe's international ties. That, in the short term may be the most he can do as reversing Mugabes disastrous policies, particularly that of the farming redistribution will likely not be possibly.

Addressing a rally at a stadium in Harare, Mr Tsvangirai said the government had to "get the country working again".

"The first priority is to stabilise the economy," he said. "The economic collapse has forced millions of our most able to flee the country. This must end today."

Calling for an end to political violence, he said Zimbabwe could "no longer afford brother against brother, because one happened to have a different political opinion".

He said the government would make food "available and affordable", and promised to focus on the cholera crisis that has killed more than 3,400 people.

Mugabe, surprisingly has said that he will "fully cooperate with Tsvangirai in the best interest of the Zimbabwean country".

I am sceptically optimistic. I think about the faded images I have burned in my memory from looking at photos from that period. Mai Sheila, the very first nanny I ever had, with full cheeks, a warm smile and bright dark eyes. I used to walk to get water and milk with her every day.

For Mai Sheila, wherever she is, and countless others like her, I hope this change points to a brighter future.

North America vs. Europe for whom is the future brighter?

2009-02-10T19:25:00.000-05:00

What began as an American national prime-mortgage lending crisis has quickly spread to Europe and the emerging markets of Asia, South East Asia and Latin America, transforming into one of the worst global financial crises since the Great Depression.

I had an interesting discussion online with a friend of mine the other day. This friend, is about to finish her Law Degree at City University in the UK.

She is originally from France, so I teasingly asked her when I could call her a London Barrister?

She replied that she doesn’t want to be a lawyer, despite the fact that she thoroughly enjoys her studies. In any case, she retorted, there are no jobs in the UK these days.

She has decided that she wants to do her Masters in Communication in NYC. I replied, with a smile, that the job market was likely just as bad in NYC. :)

This sparked off a lengthy conversation about which region of the world, Europe or North America will be better off in the long-run given the global economic crisis?

To be fair, we didnt talk about the outlook for the whole world. The National Intelligence Council Report predicts that by 2025, the global system will be multi-polar, with the US and China as the main players with Russia and Brazil and India also having increasingly more influence.

But for the sake of this particular examination, lets just focus on Europe and North America. In our discussion, I argued that North America is, most certainly better off.

Perhaps I have been in North American too long now, but if you look at European demographics and economic trends, the hard truth that their relevance on the international stage will decline is painfully obvious.

Aging Population and low birth and immigration rates

Based on current projections (NIC Report) the annual level of net immigration would have to double or triple to keep working-age populations from shrinking in Western Europe.

What does that mean?

Even with productivity increases, slower employment growth from a shrinking work force probably will reduce Europe’s already tepid GDP growth by 1%.

The NIC report shows that the entire EU economy will comprise of just barely over 10% of the entire global economy by 2050.

Birth rates aren’t incredibly high in North America, especially when compared with most developing countries, but at 11% (Canada) and 14% (US) they are higher than any EU country.

Moreover, the immigration rates are far higher in North America. Canada has the highest per capita immigration rate in the world driven by their economic and family reunification policies.

Only recently has Europe started to bring in more immigrants, perhaps as a desperate attempt to alleviate their labour shortages. According to the NIC, by 2025, non-European minority populations could reach significant proportions—15 percent or more—in nearly all Western European countries and will have a substantially younger age structure than the native population. But given growing discontent with current levels of immigrants among native Europeans, (to be exacerbated for sure, with more economic crisis) these increases are likely to heighten tensions.

Unemployment

My friend argued that 3 million American workers lost their jobs last year. That’s true, and a scary fact. (Up here in Canada 250,000 lost their jobs last year).

But the reality is that 3 million people correspond to 1% of the US population adding to what was a 6% unemployment rate.

France and Italy already have 8% unemployment rates, but a ridiculous 30% unemployment rate among people between 25-30 years old! Moreover, France and Italy have had 0% growth for the past decade!

My friend also argued that France has less poor people than the US, because of their social welfare system. That is also undeniably true for most of Europe as well. However, given their demographic and economic troubles, I'm not sure how much longer that system can last.

The only way Europe can fix their demographic deficits are to have cutbacks in health and retirement benefits, which most states probably don’t even want to contemplate. A strong social welfare state has been the politically uniting ideology of the EU since WWII. But with low economic growth, and aging population and a lack of popular will to increase immigration, what is going to happen?

Certainly the crisis is going to push the US (if Obama gets his way) into a more socially equitable economic structure. Canada already is very much a social welfare state. But north America has lots of resources, high economic growth, high birth rates and high immigration (especially Canada). So although this crisis is going to hurt, in my opinion the ability of North America to bounce back seems a lot more likely than that of Europe.

The big concern I have is that the challenge of integrating immigrant, especially Muslim, communities in Europe will become acute if citizens faced with a sudden lowering of expectations due to the struggling economy resort to narrow nationalism and concentrate on parochial interests.

If youre interested, check out the NIC Report:

http://www.dni.gov/nic/NIC_2025_project.html

Toronto Trip

2009-02-10T17:33:00.001-05:00

Went to Toronto last weekend.

The big news here is that Laura had her final job interview with the International School of Qingdao AND WAS ACCEPTED! So next year it is confirmed that she will be teaching HS Biology at the Intl School of Qingdao!

As you can see from the photo above, we fit in a trip to the Hockey Hall of Fame. (see link below).

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2285721&l=39f68&id=13602199

It was very cool.

Much more political analysis to come…

Email on Identity... Future Book?

2009-01-28T16:45:00.000-05:00

Ok Ok, so Tsonga lost. It was a weird game. Closer than the score indicated and although Verdasco was solid, I'm not quite sure how Tsonga lost.

Anyways, big matchup tonight with Roddick vs Federer. I still pick Federer to win in the finals over Nadal.

Moving right along, got a volleyball match tonight (joined a competitive volleyball league at the Y two weeks ago, had tryouts and everything!) so looking forward to that.

While writing my London School of Economics and Political Science financial aid personal statement, I came a cross a mass email on identity I sent out to close family and friends a couple of weeks ago. Given that it expresses some pretty coherent thoughts on identity formation, I think I'll post it up here, so as not to lose it (and to make it open to the comments of all (although I think Dean is the only one who reads this regularly) (I love you Dean! (see below)).

Dean Medeiros, Portugese studmuffin and Environmentalist extraordinaire...

Anyways now that I've give a shoutout to perhaps my only reader, below, italicized is the email and the excellent response by my good friend Zeke:

"Hey Family et al,

I just thought I would share with you a passage from Obama's book Audacity of Hope that I read today. He is discussing his experience working as a community organizer for religious organizations in Chicago immediately after graduating from his undergraduate degree.

He does a pretty good job of expressing, in this passage, precisely the angst and struggle of "third culture" kids. His example is religion, but I can say that I (and many of my classmates from highschool too) have pretty much felt this way (as an "observer") with every social movement/ideological/philosophical/spiritual/national type of group or situation that I have found myself in. Coincidentally, I find that his mother was a very similar woman in character to both of my parents, in terms of her anthropological openness and, hippie, restless, optimistic, view of the world.

"My experiences in Chicago forced me to confront a dilemma that my mother never fully resolved in her own life: the fact that I had no community or shared traditions in which to ground my most deeply held beliefs. The Christians with whom I worked recognized themselves in me; they saw that I knew their Book and shared their values and sang their songs. But they sensed that a part of me remained removed, detached, an observer among them. I came to realize that without a vessel for my beliefs, without an unequivocal commitment to a particular community of faith, I would be consigned at some level to always remain apart, free in the way that my mother was free, but also alone in the ways that she was ultimately alone." (Excerpt from Obama book: Dreams from my father)

I think that third culture kids, and especially mixed racial ones, feel that "aloneness" more sharply becuase we don't see ourselves as part of any particular group whether it be tribal, nation-state, religious or whatever.

A personal example, I would say that the most passionnately identifying thing that I have experienced recently is my love of the Montreal Canadiens. It might seem trivial but I think that just reinforces my general feeling about the simultaneously passionate and yet superfluous nature of identity.

In my new found home, I don't feel like a Western Canadian, or a Maritimer and certainly not like a Quebecker.

I feel different from the ever forgotten and ever neglected Anglophone Montrealers in the sense that I don't know any of the pop culture that they do as I didnt go through my teenage angst here. Morever, most of my "coming of age" experiences were in Russia and Hungary, quite a different experience from those who grew up here.

The one thing I DO know, and CAN relate to is the history of the Canadiens, and the passionnate feelings about the team. Hence, that has become a critical means through which I connect with the community around me.

I think that just shows how much humans desire to feel a part of something, anything, larger than themselves.

Unfortunately, outside of international school cafeterias, the world hasn't quite become the "global community" that us third culture kids were brought up to believe in and feel a part of. Returning home therefore brings with it a rude awakening.

Anyways, this passage by Obama pretty much hit the nail on the head I thought, so I wanted to share it with you. In the meantime, I, like other third culture kids, (which I have admittedly made generalizations about), will in our hearts attempt to identify with something in the world around us while attempting with our heads, to maintain our belief in the universality of man, and the idealism of global citizenship.

Feel free to share your thoughts, love you all,

Chris"

RESPONSE:

"Good stuff. Something that always frustrates me is how fleeting our holds on a culture can be. Could I ever go back to Hungary and insert myself into that environment again? Would it be the same? I realize that is probably a common feeling for people harking back to their high school or college days, but that I seem to have lost a space not just in time, but in an entire country that influenced who I am/was is frustrating. I recently saw a trailer for a film called "Mustafa" about the life of Ataturk and felt the distance of an outsider looking in, not what I might have felt six years ago comfortably conversing in Turkish with an Istanbul cabbie about the film. Not only have friendships faded, but an entire language has been lost to time and exile.
I buy into your analogy about Les Canadiens because I often used the same method of sustaining a sense of stability, Los Bravos. Italy, Turkey, Hungary, France, China, wherever I was I could always study the box score. For all that time, my Mom, Dad, Kinsey, and John Smoltz were the only constants, the only people I had everywhere. I think that probably explains my die hard love of a sport that seems so slow compared with the modern day giants of the grid iron and hardwood.
I don't think my baseball is Barrack's religion though. I don't think it is what grounds me. I don't know what does. I don't have a solid grasps on my own beliefs. Sara? Going back to school? Who knows? Obama is one of those lucky ones who saw their path early on, maybe when I find mine I will also find my community. I am interested in helping people, helping the environment, but I don't think I've found my pursuit yet. Or at least I hope not, because I don't have that determination that is so clear in him. I will never be President, but I hope when I find what I want it spurs in me half the ambition that leadership spurs in Obama.

Zeke"

Philosophical take on recent movies...

2009-01-28T00:36:00.000-05:00

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The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Went to see the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" tonight. I took Laura, she didn't know where exactly we were going and although she had wanted to see the movie, she actually had no idea what it was about. It's always more enjoyable when you go to a movie with someone who doesn't know what to expect and you can see them thoroughly enjoying it. It was such a good movie and, like the movie Slumdog Millionaire (see below) had me pondering for a good while after.

I'm actually in the middle of watching the Australian Open quarterfinals match, Tsonga vs. Verdasco. Jo-Wilfred Tsonga (see below) is my second favourite player (after Federer), so I will get back to that, but just wanted to jot down my thoughts before I forget them.

The last two movies I have seen have both been just incredible, high quality stories.

There is nothing like a good story.

I just love good stories. Whether in the form of a novel or in the form of a movie, a good story leaves you with a perspective on life. Benjamin Button does an incredible job of this, it shows you how life is just a series of moments, how timing is everything, how nothing lasts forever, and how somehow despite that, it is soo ridiculously beautiful.

Sometimes I think that those brilliant minds who create these stories are the REAL philosophers, the REAL leaders of the world. They create so much beauty. At the end of the day, what else is there?

I also noticed that these two movies, two of the biggest movies of the year, are both focused on the power and meaning and power of love to guide life. Perhaps I'm reading to much into things but could it be that in this era of economic disaster, the continuation of meaningless violence and a growing sense of exasperation and cynicism (only recently (and perhaps briefly) curtailed by the election of Obama), the timing was perfect for the success of these two particular stories?

Those are my thoughts for now, perhaps there will be more reflection to come on this...

Return to Ottawa

2009-01-25T12:25:00.000-05:00

The brunette, looking pretty good on skates considering she hasnt skated much in her life.

Ah the return to Ottawa was wonderful.

It seems that I always forget how comforting Canada is. I think its because whenever I go overseas, I just get carried away by my natural interest and enthusiasm to learn as much as I can about the new place I'm in, that I forget what its like back "home".

Can you believe that I now speak that way about Canada!!

My first impression on arriving back was how QUIET, CALM, ORGANIZED, and RELAXED Ottawa feels compared to DC. Granted, I was down there at a very unique time, it probably isn't like that all the time. On the whole though, I think the pace of things is faster in the US. People up here are slightly more relaxed in their day to day doing of tasks.

Myself, enjoying the 8km skate we did that day.

Anyways, had a great time the day after I returned, went skating on the canal (which, for anyone who visits Ottawa in the winter, I HIGHLY recommend). They put cafe's on the ice which, every 3 kilometres, sell coffee, hot chocolate and beaver tails (a sweet Canadian pastry).

I also went to yoga and to see the movie Slum Dog Millionaire. On the whole a fabulous way to return to life here.

INAGURATION PHOTOS

2009-01-25T12:23:00.001-05:00

THE MOMENT

HERE ARE THE LINKS:

Pre-ceremony and social activities around DC:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2281710&l=3ed86&id=13602199

Inauguration itself: "THE MOMENT"

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2282157&l=8085e&id=13602199

Dinner with International School friends...

2009-01-23T00:59:00.000-05:00

Last but not least I must mention the social aspect of my trip down there. I got to visit with my old buddy Zeke (blonde dude above) and his girlfriend Sara. I also saw Elizabeth Robertson, another international school friend whom I went to school with both in Moscow and in Budapest.

It is so wonderful to re-connect with old friends. Its amazing how easily you resettle into the same old routines and the easy relaxed funness. No matter how much time has passed things between you remain the same.

Zeke and I had some great laughs remembering our highschool days, and were both sort of shocked at how far we have come since then. Here were are, two guys living and working in the capital cities of their respective countries, living with a GIRL no less and ones who've become our closest allies in life. Who could have guessed and considered that we'd be where we are today.

Life is WHACK.

Lincoln Memorial Observations

2009-01-23T00:53:00.001-05:00

I also went to see the Lincoln Memorial the day after the inauguration. Its a beautiful monument and Lincoln was one cool and interesting dude. Did you know that after Jesus, Abraham Lincoln is the most written about historical figure ever?

The monument itself has Lincoln sitting in a chair overlooking "the union", behind some majestic pillars. To his left and to his right, his most famous words are carved into stone.

Here's what I find interesting. Neither quote has to do with his Emancipation Proclamation (which declared Slaves free). Both excerpts are from his second inaugural address and refer mostly to the civil war (which was ongoing at the time) and urging the people to preserve the union. It would see to me that one selection from his second inaugural address and one selection from his Emancipation Proclamation would be a more just and relevent monument no?

It would be interesting to see when the monument was built, my guess is, based on that observation, it was built before the Civil Rights movement happened.

The Day After....

2009-01-23T00:38:00.000-05:00

The day after the inaguration ceremony I took the metro down to the National Mall and, when exiting at the Smithsonian stop, it looked so different without the crowds of people that for a second I wasn't sure where I was exactly.

I went to the Museum of Natural History which was phenomenal and fitting for some post inauguration reflection.

It was incredibly humbling to watch the progression of life on this earth from, only life in the sea, to the reign of dinosaurs, to the reign of mammals, and ultimately to the period of humans.

I also saw an IMAX 3D movie entitled: DEEP SEA which was totally worth the $8.50 price of admission. Did you know that 71% of the earths surface is ocean, and that we have only actually explored 5% of the Ocean. So there is much that we don't know about it, and many resources that we do not know about.

The entire exhibit though, reminded me that we are soo soo insignificant. That our lifetimes are but a grain of sand in the beaches of time. Ultimately, these moments are all that we have.

Reflections on the Inauguration Day...

2009-01-23T00:13:00.000-05:00

When Obama took the oath of allegiance, you could feel the 2 million + crowd shudder out a palpable sigh of relief. My friends Zeke and Sara, the numerous Americans that I met down there, all told me "thank god, now I don't have to feel as ashamed of my country anymore". It was in this context that I felt more of an observer, rather than a participant, directly, in the festivities.

For me Obama is an idol. I was there to see the culminating success of a man I much admire and have been tracking since his DNC speech in 2004.

I was not there to rejoice or revel in the swell of American patriotism. First, I am not American, and secondly, I remain as cautious as always of US foreign policy and economic philosophy. Obama has a heck of a job ahead of him, I do not envy his task.

Having said that, I was nonetheless AWED by what I saw while I was down there. Americans truly are active participants in their own democracy. Some of it (the lavish ceremonies, the constant references to the fact that the election by the people was a success (as if they are the only ones) or that the country is the "greatest nation on earth") is either tooting ones horn or downright obnoxious, to be sure.

But the number of motivated individuals with pins and banners and all kinds of signs for all kinds of movements that I saw show me that civil society (if not economic equality) remains very strong in the US. And that is something positive that the myth of American exceptionalism has led to. The belief that one person can create changes and achieve anything they want, is fundamental to the working success of democracy, and no greater is this idea perpetuated over and over again, than in the US.

People at his fingertips

There is a noticeable gap in the timeline of my photos right when Obama was giving his inaugural speech. For that time, I put my camera away and like everyone else there, was absolutely and completely fixed on what he had to say.

It is incredible how much he has the public at his fingertips, how inspired people are by him. That is his greatest skill and perhaps may be his most important one as he will have to convince the American public that major shifts in US philosophy are necessary.

His ability to pinpoint this moment along the historical timeline is so breathtaking and effective because it makes us feel that we are a part of a key moment in the history of the world. It's so easy to question and wonder and become cynical about life, and he has been able to re-connect Americans to their story. It's absolutely beautiful.

Other less profound observations

1) Obama has THE perfect name for a chant. People keep trying to start chants using his name and its really very easy.

2) The 2 million strong crowd at the National Mall was distinctly liberal. Whenever Bush came on the screen, and in fact, when he was introduced he was met with boos all the way through. Which brings me to another thought? Can you imagine being disliked (and to some hated) by the majority of the people on earth? Just think about it for a second. Thats an incredible thought, to be disliked by probably over 3 billion people on earth. And you thought highschool was tough?!

Turkish dinner...

2009-01-20T20:35:00.001-05:00

While DC parties, I will celebrate by having a Turkish meal with my friends Zeke and Sara.

I'll post more upon return from a dinner. Hopefully the mealtime discussions will give me some moments for reflection after this momentous day. I need to gather my thoughts, todays fantastic speech by an inspirational man warrants a considered and well thought out reflection.

More to follow. I can't wait to post the photos.

Obama acceptance speech excerpts...

2009-01-20T14:16:00.000-05:00

Just got in out of the cold. Gonna watch the parade inside while drinking hot cider.

The whole event was moving and touching. Its not too often that you have 2 million + people packed into a 2-3 mile area all focused, intently and emotionally on what is being said on the jumbo screens broadcasting from the capitol building.

Here are a collection of the best quotes (I thought) from Obama's speech (the full version can be found here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/obama_inauguration/7840646.stm):

The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - that a nation cannot prosper long when it favours only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself;

Inauguration: What to expect?...

2009-01-20T08:14:00.000-05:00

So today is the big day! Today is THE MOMENT!

The most important speech of Obama's Presidency (arguably).

Will he speak words that will one day be carved in stone today? Or will he (as the religious fanatics and zealots here would have you believe) formally announce that he, the anti-christ has arrived and begin breathing fire and brimstone?

Haha, JOKE.

The gates open at 9 and the event formally starts at 1130. Its 815 now, just enough time for me to get my coffee and granola and head down there. When I return, the course of history will be ever slightly more determined.

Famous quotes from inauguration speeches:

"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" -JFK

"We have nothing to fear but fear itself" -FDR

Ok, those are the only two that I actually know.

Day 2: MLK Day The excitement builds...

2009-01-19T18:39:00.000-05:00

I walked from Union Station to the Supreme Court and then the full length of the Mall at which point my camera battery died!!

Still, I took lots of photos which I will provide the link for as soon as they are all together in one place. But again, above you have a taste of what I took today.

Nothing major going on for the public today. Obama is busy doing some community service painting houses etc.

I feel incredibly lucky to be witnessing this moment firsthand. People have come here from all over the US, and everyone is in such a happy mood! No matter if Obama fails to do all the policy changes that he has set forth challenging himself at the very least he has truly inspired, restored faith in the system, and re-invigorated the masses. As his campaign decrees, he has fundamentally shifted the perception and perspective of alot of people in this country .

And as the photo above shows, perhaps his election hasnt been bad for the economy either.

DC Day 1 Thoughts

2009-01-19T17:10:00.000-05:00

How can he fulfill the expectations?

Had a good talk with Zeke and Sara last night about just how high the expectations are for Obama. The great Montreal Canadiens goalie, in 1971 immediately following the Stanley Cup playoffs, Ken Dryden ( who as a rookie goaltender led to the Canadiens to a Stanley Cup victory) said that he knew that no matter what happened the rest of his career, he had already done what he would be remembered for.

The same can be said about Obama. No matter what happens in his presidency, he has likely already done what he will be remembered for.

Obama Inauguration in DC part end of day 1

2009-01-19T00:29:00.000-05:00

So after having a short lunch and coffee we wandered through the crowds down 17 street to the national mall area. Stopped by the White House where preparations are busily underway to set up the viewing area from which the new President Obama will view the Inauguration parade.

We continued on to the actual concert area (I took plenty of photos which will be posted up shortly) and entered the crowd which was packed from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Memorial (a distance of approx 2 miles).

U2, Beyonce and Bruce Sprinsteen performed (unfortunately to my grave disappointment we missed Shakira and a Tom Hanks speech), and then, the pinnacle moment President elect Obama took the stage.

The crowd was in awe, I'm not certain that everyone expected or knew that he would speak. Obama reiterated his campaign principles and stuck to the thematic undertones of his entire campaign, that republicans, democrats, young and old, whites, blacks, hispanics, and asians, gay or straight, disabled or non-disabled, all can work together to perfect the Union and reinvigorate the American dream.

I took plenty of photos of THIS particular moment, which will be posted shortly on my facebook profile and subsequently on here as well. Needless to say, the crowd was in awe. And the diversity of the attentive crowd shows that in fact, Obama's inspirational words do cross all boundaries.

Onw interesting note is that I did not see American flag waving all over the place as I might have expected. I wonder why?

More to follow...

Travels in DC: Obama Inauguration Week "Operation Catch the Moment"

2009-01-18T13:23:00.000-05:00

Ok so this is the first of many (at least once per day) entries that I plan on doing while I am here in Washington DC for Obama's inauguration. I spontaneously bought a flight ticket online two days ago, and, after waking up at 3:30 am and taking an early early morning flight, here I am in DC.

I'm going to lay out my impressions in point form since, the actual inauguration events start imminently and we'll have to get down there.

-The first thing you notice upon arrival is the Obama parephenalia in all the airport stores, t-shirts, pins, stickers, magazines, its all there. (The photo above was not taken at the airport, it is instead a street vendor). The District of Columbia (which apparently 93% of the population voted for Obama during the November election) is literally basking with pride of his impending inauguration.

-I had a chance while waiting for the luggage at the baggage claim to talk with Alan Carter Global News Anchor. He was telling me just how phenomenal this whole event has been planned. The inauguration website has all the information anyone attending the event could want, location of bathrooms, entrances, exits, schedules etc. It's very good at making people feel a part of the whole process, something which Obama perfected in his campaign to a degree that is light years ahead of Canada's politicians.

-In the airport, on the bus and the subsequent metro ride that I took to get downtown to where my friend is staying, everyone is talking on their cellphones or to other passengers about what they are doing over the next few days. There are parties and balls and galas to attend, all somehow related to the inauguration.

I look forward to getting out there. There is a concert tonight (with Beyonce, L-Lo and a few others apparently) as well as numerous speeches that will go on. I will do my best to capture the series of "moments" in the build up to THE MOMENT (when Obama raises his hand and touches Lincoln's Bible and swears in) either with my observations or with my camera.

-On a comepletely other separate note, Zeke and Sara's apartment is situation in Dupont Circle and "granola" area right on the fringe of the gay village. This place is very liberal and fashionable and reminds me alot of Montreal. So far everyone I've met has been really nice. More to come...

the fragility of ones own life plan, odd hypocrisy

2008-12-15T02:44:00.000-05:00

So for the past few months I was under the impression that I had it all figured out!

After spending a few very instable weeks initially upon moving to Ottawa, I thought I had finally settled on a "plan" that seemed to suit my longer-term life goals.

My "plan" was to work, and also study french, this year. It was quite simple really. By working I would earn money and work experience, and by studying French I would improve upon an essential language for Canadian or international work.

In the meantime I applied to Masters Degree programs in International Relations, Conflict Resolution and Governance, Global Politics etc.

The idea was that once I got accepted to a program I would defer it, and do a Cida internship the following fall (or continue to work if I got a good job), to improve my work and international experience before completing my Masters.

My certainty of this plan was fairly solid. It lasted for a good 3 months!

And suddenly, this weekend it disappeared!

This weekend I went back to Montreal for a Regimental Christmas Ball and Sports day. I was team captain of the officers team (we competed with the Sgt's team) and 5 other teams made up of the NCMs. It felt great! I re-lived my highschool varsity athletic heroics and came through with some clutch plays in volleyball and hockey to lead the Officers team to their first undefeated run through sports day in the history of the regiment (supposedly).

Most memorable was the hockey game against the Sgt's team which was a physical, violent war of a match. I played for 20 minutes straight without getting off and had 1 goal and 1 assist in a 3-2 win. Then, in the sudden death volleyball game against the only other undefeated team I scored the final five points in a row with my topspin serve which the other team couldnt handle, to seal the victory. I felt so sure of myself and so good, something I haven't felt in a while. Following this, we had a battalion parade in which I finally got my promotion to First Lieutenant. I was in the spotlight alot, I felt admired, appreciated. and successful to a degree which I haven't felt since highschool.

The christmas ball itself was also spectacular. I had the opportunity to have some great discussions with the LCol as well as Major Canavan. I believe that they really like me and really want me to continue working there.

Today Vincent, Boris (the two other Lts in the unit) and I met up at a St.Viauteur Bagel place in Cote St. Luc. The snow was lightly falling, kids were playing on the snow banks, christmas trees were being sold on the street corner, and the people, as always in Montreal, were strolling the sidewalks looking extremely content and fashionable in their winter outfits. I realized how much I love Montreal.

The whole weekend was so pleasant. It made me feel as though perhaps I should do Law School at McGill. I've always been interested in Law. It would allow me to continue working with the Unit and living in Montreal, while still progressing my career.

Moreover, both the Hon Col and the Hon LCol (Dick Pound) of my unit are graduates of McGill Law. One now works for Stikeman Elliot and the other works for the Ministry of Northern Indian Affairs. I could probably use these connections wisely to land good summer work or job opportunities upon graduating. Not only that, but could I not have a law degree and still continue on the path I want. (I could still work for the UN or an international organization in conflict resolution with a Law Degree right?)

My first point of consideration after reflecting this then, is, what scares me is how one weekend in Montreal can shift my desires so much. Does that mean that what I want out of life still remains such a tentative, unsure thing?
Or was it not simply this weekend that lead to that switch but in fact, 2 months of unemployment in addition to several fun weekends in Montreal?

Certainly there is a little bit more stability to that plan when compared with taking the risk to go to LSE to do a Masters and indebting yourself, with the hopes of landing a really good job with an Intl Org after.

This takes me to my second point. For my entire life, as we moved around I remember when my parents would ask my sister and I how I felt about us moving. I always preferred to stay where we were, whereas Dana always said she wanted to move. However, once we made the move to whichever country, I always settled in pretty easily and quickly while Dana had more troubles adjusting.

Therein lies the strange hypocritical conundrum. I have always preferred not to move and yet adjusted perfectly fine once I have done it. This year, I felt strongly the desire to go abroad next year and yet, when I see how good things can be in Montreal, I prefer to stay. Meanwhile, my sister is planning her move to Australia next year. It seems the old patterns from our childhood are repeating themselves. The question is, when will this trend be bucked? And what will that mean for my life plan?

Politics as a sport...

2008-09-26T16:39:00.000-04:00

Wow, so I was sitting at my desk today and I had a 5 minute spurt of quietness and I started to think about how excited I was to watch the US election debate tonight.

It's the first one between Obama and McCain, on foreign policy. I was just thinking about how it would feel to settle down on my carpet with a beer to watch the back and forth "political sparring" as they call it when I figured I would go to a website to see what the pundits had to say about it.

What happened? In my excitement, I typed in the address of my favourite Montreal Canadiens website: www.habsinsideout.com, THE place where I go to read whats being said about my team, in the hours before the games, when I am really excited about them.

So what does that tell me? The media has effectively built up these "political debates" to seem like boxing matchs. "Heavyweight bouts" of word twisting and overconceptualization, have been made to seem just as exciting as a match between two rival teams.

Hence, prior to the debate I felt the same feelings that I would if the Montreal Canadiens - Toronto Maple Leafs, triple overtime, game 7, stanley cup final were on tv.

So, in what scientists would call "muscle memory recall" my fingers typed what they usually type when I have rush of adrenaline.

The lesson here? Media is effective.

Link of the Day: American Exceptionalism

2008-09-25T11:01:00.000-04:00

Palin’s American Exception

By ROGER COHEN
Published: September 25, 2008
Sarah Palin loves the word “exceptional.” At a rally in Nevada the other day, the Republican vice-presidential candidate said: “We are an exceptional nation.” Then she declared: “America is an exceptional country.” In case anyone missed that, she added: “You are all exceptional Americans.”

I have to hand it to Palin, she may be onto something in her batty way: the election is very much about American exceptionalism.

This is the idea, around since the founding fathers, and elaborated on by Alexis de Toqueville, that the United States is a nation unlike any other with a special mission to build the “city upon a hill” that will serve as liberty’s beacon for mankind.

But exceptionalism has taken an ugly twist of late. It’s become the angry refuge of the America that wants to deny the real state of the world.

From an inspirational notion, however flawed in execution, that has buttressed the global spread of liberty, American exceptionalism has morphed into the fortress of those who see themselves threatened by “one-worlders” (read Barack Obama) and who believe it’s more important to know how to dress moose than find Mumbai.

That’s Palinism, a philosophy delivered without a passport and with a view (on a clear day) of Russia.

Behind Palinism lies anger. It’s been growing as America’s relative decline has become more manifest in falling incomes, imploding markets, massive debt and rising new centers of wealth and power from Shanghai to Dubai.

The damn-the-world, God-chose-us rage of that America has sharpened as U.S. exceptionalism has become harder to square with the 21st-century world’s interconnectedness. How exceptional can you be when every major problem you face, from terrorism to nuclear proliferation to gas prices, requires joint action?

Very exceptional, insists Palin, and so does John McCain by choosing her. (He has said: “I do believe in American exceptionalism. We are the only nation I know that really is deeply concerned about adhering to the principle that all of us are created equal.”)

America is distinct. Its habits and attitudes with respect to religion, patriotism, voting and the death penalty, for example, differ from much of the rest of the developed world. It is more ideological than other countries, believing still in its manifest destiny. At its noblest, it inspires still.

But, let’s face it, from Baghdad to Bear Stearns the last eight years have been a lesson in the price of exceptionalism run amok.

To persist with a philosophy grounded in America’s separateness, rather than its connectedness, would be devastating at a time when the country faces two wars, a financial collapse unseen since 1929, commodity inflation, a huge transfer of resources to the Middle East, and the imperative to develop new sources of energy.

Enough is enough.

The basic shift from the cold war to the new world is from MAD (mutual assured destruction) to MAC (mutual assured connectedness). Technology trumps politics. Still, Bush and Cheney have demonstrated that politics still matter.

Which brings us to the first debate — still scheduled for Friday — between Obama and McCain on foreign policy. It will pit the former’s universalism against the latter’s exceptionalism.

I’m going to try to make this simple. On the Democratic side you have a guy whose campaign has been based on the Internet, who believes America may have something to learn from other countries (like universal health care) and who’s unafraid in 2008 to say he’s a “proud citizen of the United States and a fellow citizen of the world.”

On the Republican side, you have a guy who, in 2008, is just discovering the Net and Google and whose No. 2 is a woman who got a passport last year and believes she understands Russia because Alaska is closer to Siberia than Alabama.

If I were Obama, I’d put it this way: “Senator McCain, the world you claim to understand is the world of yesterday. A new century demands new thinking. Our country cannot be made fundamentally secure by a man who thought our economy was fundamentally sound.”

American exceptionalism, taken to extremes, leaves you without the allies you need (Iraq), without the influence you want (Iran) and without any notion of risk (Wall Street). The only exceptionalism that resonates, as Obama put it to me last year, is one “based on our Constitution, our principles, our values and our ideals.”

In a superb recent piece on the declining global influence of the Supreme Court, my colleague Adam Liptak quoted an article by Steven Calabresi, a law professor at Northwestern: “Like it or not, Americans really are a special people with a special ideology that sets us apart from all other peoples.”

Palinism has its intellectual roots. But it’s dangerous for a country in need of realism not rage. I’m sure Henry Kissinger tried to instill Realpolitik in the governor of Alaska this week, but the angry exceptionalism that is Palinism is not in the reason game.

The Liberals are collapsing...

2008-09-24T17:19:00.000-04:00

Just to give you a glimpse of what I can see here at the Green Party HQ.

News out of BC is that the Liberals are collapsing in BC.

They have only 11% of the support, the Greens have 18%, the NDP have 15% and the Conservatives have 30%.

Watching this election from the inside, I can make a couple of observations:

1) It really looks as if the "Left" wing in Canada is collapsing. There appears to be a new order in the left with 3 equally supported parties, the Libs, NDP and the Greens, and on the otherside are the Conservatives, which tend to have a solid base of about 26-30% of the population.

What has accounted for the Liberal collapse?

I think its because they simply don't have a firm position on anything. It is very clear what the conservatives stand for, it is very clear what the greens stand for, and the position of the NDP is also very clear.

The liberals on the other hand, appear wishy washy. They are so afraid of excluding anyone that they say both yes and no to everything. They seriously need to re-create their identity.

2) The Liberals and the Conservatives have become, it appears, regional parties.
The Conservatives only really win out West and in the Prairies (the odd seat in Quebec and in Ontario) and the Liberals only win in Ontario and a, to a weaker extent in the Maritimes.

Both the NDP and the Greens have support spread sporadically throughout the country but because they arent as regionally concentrated, they still get less seats despite having practically equal amount of support as the liberals.

So what can happen here? I think the Conservatives will win in a landslide majority with only 30% of the vote(even if the Greens exceed expectations and take all the votes that have left the Liberals in BC.

I think the Liberals will sit down and re-structure themselves after this devastating loss. Dion (although he would make a good PM policy-wise he is a terrible communicator), will step out and lots of changes will be made to the Party identity.

Still, we could be in line for a long reign of Conservative majority rule.

Hot Link #3: The Story of McCain and his ex-wife

2008-09-24T16:59:00.000-04:00

This is an interesting, human interest story actually.

It's not necessary anti-McCain but it certainly shows that he is human.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1024927/The-wife-John-McCain-callously-left-behind.html

The wife U.S. Republican John McCain callously left behind

By Sharon Churcher
June 2008

Now that Hillary Clinton has at last formally withdrawn from the race for the White House, the eyes of America and the world will focus on Barack Obama and his Republican rival Senator John McCain.

While Obama will surely press his credentials as the embodiment of the American dream – a handsome, charismatic young black man who was raised on food stamps by a single mother and who represents his country’s future – McCain will present himself as a selfless, principled war hero whose campaign represents not so much a battle for the presidency of the United States, but a crusade to rescue the nation’s tarnished reputation.

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Forgotten woman: But despite all her problems Carol McCain says she still adores he ex-husband

McCain likes to illustrate his moral fibre by referring to his five years as a prisoner-of-war in Vietnam. And to demonstrate his commitment to family values, the 71-year-old former US Navy pilot pays warm tribute to his beautiful blonde wife, Cindy, with whom he has four children.

But there is another Mrs McCain who casts a ghostly shadow over the Senator’s presidential campaign. She is seldom seen and rarely written about, despite being mother to McCain’s three eldest children.

And yet, had events turned out differently, it would be she, rather than Cindy, who would be vying to be First Lady. She is McCain’s first wife, Carol, who was a famous beauty and a successful swimwear model when they married in 1965.

She was the woman McCain dreamed of during his long incarceration and torture in Vietnam’s infamous ‘Hanoi Hilton’ prison and the woman who faithfully stayed at home looking after the children and waiting anxiously for news.

But when McCain returned to America in 1973 to a fanfare of publicity and a handshake from Richard Nixon, he discovered his wife had been disfigured in a terrible car crash three years earlier. Her car had skidded on icy roads into a telegraph pole on Christmas Eve, 1969. Her pelvis and one arm were shattered by the impact and she suffered massive internal injuries.

When Carol was discharged from hospital after six months of life-saving surgery, the prognosis was bleak. In order to save her legs, surgeons

had been forced to cut away huge sections of shattered bone, taking with it her tall, willowy figure. She was confined to a wheelchair and was forced to use a catheter.

Through sheer hard work, Carol learned to walk again. But when John McCain came home from Vietnam, she had gained a lot of weight and bore little resemblance to her old self.

Today, she stands at just 5ft4in and still walks awkwardly, with a pronounced limp. Her body is held together by screws and metal plates and, at 70, her face is worn by wrinkles that speak of decades of silent suffering.

For nearly 30 years, Carol has maintained a dignified silence about the accident, McCain and their divorce. But last week at the bungalow where she now lives at Virginia Beach, a faded seaside resort 200 miles south of Washington, she told The Mail on Sunday how McCain divorced her in 1980 and married Cindy, 18 years his junior and the heir to an Arizona brewing fortune, just one month later.

>>>Who do you want to see as the next US president? Leave your views below...

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Golden couple: John and Cindy McCain at a charity gala in Los Angeles

Carol insists she remains on good terms with her ex-husband, who agreed as part of their divorce settlement to pay her medical costs for life. ‘I have no bitterness,’

she says. ‘My accident is well recorded. I had 23 operations, I am five inches shorter than I used to be and I was in hospital for six months. It was just awful, but it wasn’t the reason for my divorce.

‘My marriage ended because John McCain didn’t want to be 40, he wanted to be 25. You know that happens...it just does.’

Some of McCain’s acquaintances are less forgiving, however. They portray the politician as a self-centred womaniser who effectively abandoned his crippled wife to ‘play the field’. They accuse him of finally settling on Cindy, a former rodeo beauty queen, for financial reasons.

McCain was then earning little more than £25,000 a year as a naval officer, while his new father-in-law, Jim Hensley, was a multi-millionaire who had impeccable political connections.

He first met Carol in the Fifties while he was at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis. He was a privileged, but rebellious scion of one of America’s most distinguished military dynasties – his father and grandfather were both admirals.

But setting out to have a good time, the young McCain hung out with a group of young officers who called themselves the ‘Bad Bunch’.

His primary interest was women and his conquests ranged from a knife-wielding floozy nicknamed ‘Marie, the Flame of Florida’ to a tobacco heiress.

Carol fell into his fast-living world by accident. She escaped a poor upbringing in Philadelphia to become a successful model, married an Annapolis classmate of McCain’s and had two children – Douglas and Andrew – before renewing what one acquaintance calls ‘an old flirtation’ with McCain.

It seems clear she was bowled over by McCain’s attention at a time when he was becoming bored with his playboy lifestyle.

‘He was 28 and ready to settle down and he loved Carol’s children,’ recalled another Annapolis graduate, Robert Timberg, who wrote The Nightingale’s Song, a bestselling biography of McCain and four other graduates of the academy.

The couple married and McCain adopted Carol’s sons. Their daughter, Sidney, was born a year later, but domesticity was clearly beginning

to bore McCain – the couple were regarded as ‘fixtures on the party circuit’ before McCain requested combat duty in Vietnam at the end of 1966.

He was assigned as a bomber pilot on an aircraft carrier in the Gulf of Tonkin.

What follows is the stuff of the McCain legend. He was shot down over Hanoi in October 1967 on his 23rd mission over North Vietnam and was badly beaten by an angry mob when he was pulled, half-drowned from a lake.

War hero: McCain with Carol as he arrives back in the US in 1973 after his five years as a PoW in North Vietnam
Over the next five-and-a-half years in the notorious Hoa Loa Prison he was regularly tortured and mistreated.

It was in 1969 that Carol went to spend the Christmas holiday – her third without McCain – at her parents’ home. After dinner, she left to drop off some presents at a friend’s house.

It wasn’t until some hours later that she was discovered, alone and in terrible pain, next to the wreckage of her car. She had been hurled through the windscreen.

After her first series of life-saving operations, Carol was told she may never walk again, but when doctors said they would try to get word to McCain about her injuries, she refused, insisting: ‘He’s got enough problems, I don’t want to tell him.’

H. Ross Perot, a billionaire Texas businessman, future presidential candidate and advocate of prisoners of war, paid for her medical care.

When McCain – his hair turned prematurely white and his body reduced to little more than a skeleton – was released in March 1973, he told reporters he was overjoyed to see Carol again.

But friends say privately he was ‘appalled’ by the change in her appearance. At first, though, he was kind, assuring her: ‘I don’t look so good myself. It’s fine.’

He bought her a bungalow near the sea in Florida and another former PoW helped him to build a railing so she could pull herself over the dunes to the water.

‘I thought, of course, we would live happily ever after,’ says Carol. But as a war hero, McCain was moving in ever-more elevated circles.

Through Ross Perot, he met Ronald Reagan, then Governor of California. A sympathetic Nancy Reagan took Carol under her wing.

But already the McCains’ marriage had begun to fray. ‘John started carousing and running around with women,’ said Robert Timberg.

McCain has acknowledged that he had girlfriends during this time, without going into details. Some friends blame his dissatisfaction with Carol, but others give some credence to her theory of a mid-life crisis.

He was also fiercely ambitious, but it was clear he would never become an admiral like his illustrious father and grandfather and his thoughts were turning to politics.

In 1979 – while still married to Carol – he met Cindy at a cocktail party in Hawaii. Over the next six months he pursued her, flying around the country to see her. Then he began to push to end his marriage.

Carol and her children were devastated. ‘It was a complete surprise,’ says Nancy Reynolds, a former Reagan aide.

‘They never displayed any difficulties between themselves. I know the Reagans were quite shocked because they loved and respected both Carol and John.’

Another friend added: ‘Carol didn’t fight him. She felt her infirmity made her an impediment to him. She justified his actions because of all he had gone through. She used to say, “He just wants to make up for lost time.”’

Indeed, to many in their circle the saddest part of the break-up was Carol’s decision to resign herself to losing a man she says she still adores.

Friends confirm she has remained friends with McCain and backed him in all his campaigns. ‘He was very generous to her in the divorce but of course he could afford to be, since he was marrying Cindy,’ one observed.

McCain transferred the Florida beach house to Carol and gave her the right to live in their jointly-owned townhouse in the Washington suburb of Alexandria. He also agreed to pay her alimony and child support.

A former neighbour says she subsequently sold up in Florida and Washington and moved in 2003 to Virginia Beach. He said: ‘My impression was that she found the new place easier to manage as she still has some difficulties walking.’

Meanwhile McCain moved to Arizona with his new bride immediately after their 1980 marriage. There, his new father-in-law gave him a job and introduced him to local businessmen and political powerbrokers who would smooth his passage to Washington via the House of Representatives and Senate.

And yet despite his popularity as a politician, there are those who won’t forget his treatment of his first wife.

Ted Sampley, who fought with US Special Forces in Vietnam and is now a leading campaigner for veterans’ rights, said: ‘I have been following John McCain’s career for nearly 20 years. I know him personally. There is something wrong with this guy and let me tell you what it is – deceit.

‘When he came home and saw that Carol was not the beauty he left behind, he started running around on her almost right away. Everybody around him knew it.

‘Eventually he met Cindy and she was young and beautiful and very wealthy. At that point McCain just dumped Carol for something he thought was better.

‘This is a guy who makes such a big deal about his character. He has no character. He is a fake. If there was any character in that first marriage, it all belonged to Carol.’

One old friend of the McCains said: ‘Carol always insists she is not bitter, but I think that’s a defence mechanism. She also feels deeply in his debt because in return for her agreement to a divorce, he promised to pay for her medical care for the rest of her life.’

Carol remained resolutely loyal as McCain’s political star rose. She says she agreed to talk to The Mail on Sunday only because she wanted to publicise her support for the man who abandoned her.

Indeed, the old Mercedes that she uses to run errands displays both a disabled badge and a sticker encouraging people to vote for her ex-husband. ‘He’s a good guy,’ she assured us. ‘We are still good friends. He is the best man for president.’

But Ross Perot, who paid her medical bills all those years ago, now believes that both Carol McCain and the American people have been taken in by a man who is unusually slick and cruel – even by the standards of modern politics.

‘McCain is the classic opportunist. He’s always reaching for attention and glory,’ he said.

‘After he came home, Carol walked with a limp. So he threw her over for a poster girl with big money from Arizona. And the rest is history.’

Hot Pic of the Day #2: Tenderness

2008-09-24T14:26:00.001-04:00

My newly born, little baby brother, Tai Nicholas Alexander.

I think the pic says more than a caption can.

Hot Link of the Day #2: Older Mom's

2008-09-24T14:16:00.000-04:00

No major problems in babies born to older moms, Statistics Canada finds
Wednesday, September 24, 2008 | 2:41 PM ET
CBC News

More Canadian women wait until they are well into their 30s before giving birth to their first child, but for the most part the babies are generally as healthy as those born to younger moms, according to a Statistics Canada report released Wednesday.

In 1987, only four per cent of first births occurred among women aged 35 or older. The rate nearly tripled to 11 per cent by 2005, the agency said. The proportion of first birth among women in their early 30s also increased, from 15 per cent in 1987 to 26 per cent in 2005.

It's well known that older mothers are at increased risk for miscarriage or stillbirth and pregnancy complications and that their children are at increased risk of birth defects. The report aimed to help fill in the gap in knowledge about the potential effects on children's development.

Children of older mothers said their first word and took their first step at about the same time as those born to mothers in their mid to late 20s. Both groups of children were equally likely to be in excellent or good health up to age five, with similar incidences of asthma.

Both groups also had similar average scores of physical aggression, emotion disorder, anxiety, hyperactivity and inattention. Vocabulary and number knowledge were also similar.

But first-born children born to older mothers were more likely to be late to first sit up by themselves, score lower on motor and social development scales at ages two to three and have lower positive behaviour scores at ages four to five.

'Encouraging' findings
"What I think is important that this report shows is that once the children are born, developmentally [there] aren't very many outcomes that differ between our children of older mothers and children of mothers 25 to 29," study author and research analyst Rochelle Garner said in an interview.

"Hopefully that's encouraging. It warrants looking at these children perhaps when they start going to school whether we're going to see any academic differences."

Whether the delays in motor development carry on as the children start school is not yet known.

Statistics Canada was approached to do the study by researchers in Europe, who have focused on achieving pregnancy and lowering pregnancy complications among older women.

When the results were presented at a conference in The Hague, the Europeans were "surprised and encouraged" that no striking differences have been found so far in Canada, Garner said.

Mothers in both groups shared similar socio-demographic profiles in terms of education and income. About 13 per cent of both groups had a mother with a high school diploma, and about 12 per cent of children in both groups live in a low-income household.

As in previous studies, more mothers 35 or older had hypertension during pregnancy, 23 per cent, compared with 13 per cent of mothers aged 25 to 29.

About 40 per cent of children of older mothers were delivered by caesarean section, almost twice the proportion of children of mothers in the younger group at 23 per cent.

Seventeen per cent of children of older mothers were born pre-term, compared with 11 per cent in the younger group.

About 43 per cent of children of older mothers were breastfed for more than six months, compared with 26 per cent of the younger mothers.

Photo of the Day #1: Delicate

2008-09-23T14:22:00.000-04:00

This photo was actually taken in New Zealand last December. But as time is slowly taking us towards winter, (especially here in Ottawa) I figured a little reminder of what the summer brings to us: the green, the freshness, the life, was in order.

Hot Link #1: "Otherizing Obama"

2008-09-23T14:05:00.001-04:00

Ok, I have decided that I will post 1 interesting link per day (to start).

The link will touch upon something that I feel strongly about, and feel obligation to share with you all. Or, it might just be something witty that I liked.

Todays article and link shows just how much of an uphill climb Obama has faced during the entire process, and just how racist much of America still is:

Here’s a sad monument to the sleaziness of this presidential campaign: Almost one-third of voters “know” that Barack Obama is a Muslim or believe that he could be.

In short, the political campaign to transform Mr. Obama into a Muslim is succeeding. The real loser as that happens isn’t just Mr. Obama, but our entire political process.
A Pew Research Center survey released a few days ago found that only half of Americans correctly know that Mr. Obama is a Christian. Meanwhile, 13 percent of registered voters say that he is a Muslim, compared with 12 percent in June and 10 percent in March.
More ominously, a rising share — now 16 percent — say they aren’t sure about his religion because they’ve heard “different things” about it.
When I’ve traveled around the country, particularly to my childhood home in rural Oregon, I’ve been struck by the number of people who ask something like: That Obama — is he really a Christian? Isn’t he a Muslim or something? Didn’t he take his oath of office on the Koran?
In conservative Christian circles and on Christian radio stations, there are even widespread theories that Mr. Obama just may be the Antichrist. Seriously.
John Green, of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, says that about 10 percent of Americans believe we may be in the Book of Revelation’s “end times” and are on the lookout for the Antichrist. A constant barrage of e-mail and broadcasts suggest that Mr. Obama just may be it.
The online Red State Shop sells T-shirts, mugs and stickers exploiting the idea. Some shirts and stickers portray a large “O” with horns, above a caption: “The Anti-Christ.”
To his credit, Mr. McCain himself has never raised doubts about Mr. Obama’s religion. But a McCain commercial last month mimicked the words and imagery of the best-selling Christian “Left Behind” book series in ways that would have set off alarm bells among evangelicals nervous about the Antichrist.
Mr. McCain himself is not popular with evangelicals. But they will vote for him if they think the other guy may be on Satan’s side.
In fact, of course, Mr. Obama took his oath on the Bible, not — as the rumors have it — on the Koran. He is far more active in church than John McCain is.
(Just imagine for a moment if it were the black candidate in this election, rather than the white candidate, who was born in Central America, was an indifferent churchgoer, had graduated near the bottom of his university class, had dumped his first wife, had regularly displayed an explosive and profane temper, and had referred to the Pakistani-Iraqi border ...)
What is happening, I think, is this: religious prejudice is becoming a proxy for racial prejudice. In public at least, it’s not acceptable to express reservations about a candidate’s skin color, so discomfort about race is sublimated into concerns about whether Mr. Obama is sufficiently Christian.
The result is this campaign to “otherize” Mr. Obama. Nobody needs to point out that he is black, but there’s a persistent effort to exaggerate other differences, to de-Americanize him.
Raising doubts about a candidate based on the religion of his grandfather is toxic and profoundly un-American, cracking the melting pot we emerged from. Someday people will look back at the innuendoes about Mr. Obama with the same disgust with which we regard the smears of Al Smith as a Catholic candidate in 1928.
I’m writing in part out of a sense of personal responsibility. Those who suggest that Mr. Obama is a Muslim — as if that in itself were wrong — regularly cite my own columns, especially an interview last year in which I asked him about Islam and his boyhood in Indonesia. In that interview, Mr. Obama praised the Arabic call to prayer as “one of the prettiest sounds on earth at sunset,” and he repeated the opening of it.
This should surprise no one: the call to prayer blasts from mosque loudspeakers five times a day, and Mr. Obama would have had to have been deaf not to learn the words as a child. But critics, like Jerome Corsi, whose book denouncing Mr. Obama, “The Obama Nation,” is No. 2 on the New York Times best-seller list, quote from that column to argue that Mr. Obama has mysterious ties to Islam. I feel a particular obligation not to let my own writing be twisted so as to inflame bigotry and xenophobia.
Journalists need to do more than call the play-by-play this election cycle. We also need to blow the whistle on such egregious fouls calculated to undermine the political process and magnify the ugliest prejudices that our nation has done so much to overcome.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/opinion/21kristof.html?_r=1&em&oref=slogin