Brian is upset at the people of Ontario — or at least those that read the Toronto Star.  Star readers (or rather “newsbyters” — since all the facts are seldom present in any Star piece related to the economy) are ignorant of the fact that this meltdown boils down to people (the middle class specifically), and not politics.

Case in point, this ho-hum piece of journalism touting the surprise “Ontario job spurt” with all the makings of a premature ejaculation.

Brian is not so pissed off at the Star’s casual selection of statistics published by Statistics Canada; or the omission of the fact that the majority of said “spurting” was in women aged 25-54 (51,000 jobs) and older men aged 55+ (17,000 jobs); or the fact that men aged 25-54 are still down 200,000 jobs.  This should at least make you wonder, (since we don’t know), where the hell the stimulus money is being spent to generate jobs in this demographic?  But that is not what Brian is pissed at.

Brian is pissed that the majority of comments from respondents made it a political issue (e.g., looking good for the Conservatives, Liberals could do better, etc.), and to cap it off, most obviously decided not to go to Statistics Canada to read the goddamn report!  It’s located here.

Get off your ass Canada.  We all want good news, and Brian loves optimism.  However we as Ontarians need to be more demanding of our levels of government and our MPs — no matter who the hell is driving the goddamn bus.  This requires a basic understanding of the world you live in.  It’s out there, go and find it.

Journalist Francine Kopun of the Toronto Star speaks to students at the Centennial College journalism program about being afraid to cover the war in Afghanistan, when she was a reporter with the National Post. She called it a very dangerous country. Listen to this audio interview excerpt from Centennial journalism’s Sarah Dayal, where Kopun describes her experiences being embedded with the Canadian forces.

Listen to this audio interview excerpt from Centennial journalism’s Ryan Kavanagh where Kopun tells how she got into the profession and why.

In this audio interview excerpt, submitted by Centennial journalism’s Kyle Kovisto, Francine Kopun tells students how to break into journalism.

The Vancouver Art Gallery is interested in my brother’s work as a couture jewelry artist! See some collections at http://vodajewels.com

alphainventions

In the Sunday Toronto Sun for November 29th, I read an article in the Homes-extra.ca written by Keith Rose called, “Questions to ask”.  Although slanted towards the condo market, it was good advice for buying any home.

One quote gave me a chuckle though.  “A reputable builder goes above and beyond meeting the minimum standards established by the building code and has a dedicated team of professionals managing the project  from conception to completion who work closely with the construction team to ensure their quality reputation is maintained throughout the entire construction process.”

Maybe at Monarch but I beg to differ that this is 100% policy at Mattamy.  Here is a company (Mattamy) that has won awards in the past but seems to enjoy building at the minimum level – reflected in customer satisfaction polls of late.  Here is a company that will push maximum payment for a house and even increase lot prices during upsurges.  But, does it really go the extra mile and build above minimum standards? 

Unless it counts illegal wiring as above minimum standards, Mattamy in my case felt no guilt at putting my children at risk, while increasing the house $5,000 to reflect the changing market prices.

In this link, you will see that they appear to be notorious in regards to putting the minimum quality shingles on a roof – roofs that are in need of replacement after 7 years – start saving your pennies guys if you just bought.

Here is a company that doesn’t hesitate to spend $1000.’s on busing Voluntolds to community meetings but builds at the minimum allowed by law. 

Maybe instead of busing employees everywhere, they should spend more time on quality and workmanship. 

The folks in Bracebridge, Ottawa, GTA and Florida would certainly appreciate it.

And who enforces these minimum standards,  The municipal inspector is who and that is why you need to hire a house inspector to ensure you are getting what you paid for and that it is built properly.  In my case, the illegally wired furnace was passed and when this dangerous code infraction was brought to the attention of Mayor Ann Mulvale – she felt that obtaining a donation from Mattamy was more important than the lives of my children.

I know – shoulda, coulda hired a house inspector.  Don’t make the same mistake I did.

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A mummified cat was found in the ceiling of the humane society during the raid.

A RAID on the Toronto Humane Society last Thursday has resulted in animal cruelty charges against a handful of agency employees, including its president and chief veterinarian.

The action was prompted in large part by a Globe and Mail investigation that revealed diseased animals who were left to die in their cages because of what the paper calls the shelter’s “much-too restrictive euthanasia policy.”

The Globe also obtained pictures of cats and dogs living in their own excrement, among other disturbing details.

Investigators carrying out the raid last Thursday found something particularly horrifying: a mummified cat in a cage. Here’s how the Toronto Star described the scene (I nearly vomited in my mouth when I first read this):

… a tip led investigators to pull panels from a ceiling on the second floor, where they discovered the body of the caged animal. Its skin stretched thin over frail bones. Its organs turned to thick dust, the remains of a feast for maggots. The cat was sealed in a live trap, the door closing after it was lured by food, above a high-traffic area. Its weakening cries would have mixed with the chorus of animals below.

The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which carried out the raid, said it also discovered expired pet food, years-old apparently, that was being fed to sick cats. Since the raid five of the animals have been put down: a puppy, a dog, two cats and a raccoon.

One former humane society veterinarian told reporters touring the building post-raid that sick animals were not given pain medication. She said she’d resigned because management often overruled her professional decisions and because the facility was understaffed.

The humane society denies these charges. “The animals are under excellent veterinary care, they receive all medicines, all treatments, all procedures necessary to make them better,” a spokesman said.

What’s at issue here is a fundamental difference of opinion about what’s best for animals sick with inoperable conditions: Should they be kept alive as long as possible, no matter the cost (physical and financial); or should they be put out of their misery?

The Humane Society trumpets its low euthanasia rates, presumably in an effort to attract donations from those who are firmly in that former camp. (Critics point out that these numbers are so low because many animals are left to die slow painful deaths in their cages.)

I think keeping any animal alive that’s suffering from an incurable condition is cruel, plain and simple. It is the exact opposite of humane.

I’ve had a number of pets over the years – dogs, cats, heck guinea pigs. The decision to put them down rather than let them continue living in pain is never an easy one to make. You love these furry little creatures; they’re a part of your family and you can’t fathom life without them.

But soon you come to the realization that this is not about you or your needs; it’s about doing what’s right for a poor, helpless animal.

If those who are supposed to be caring for suffering animals don’t get this, maybe they themselves deserve to be locked in cages and left to rot.

ryan@roadtostarrdom.com

UPDATES

Dec 1: Humane society warned by province

Dec 1: Wildlife taken from humane society

TOGETHER AGAIN: Savvy screen-stealers Colm Feore and Anthony Hopkins, who last worked together on screen in Julie Taymor’s flawed but

HUARD & FEORE: Bon Cop, Bad Cop

fascinating take on Titus Andronicus, have teamed up again for director Kenneth Branagh’s production of Thor, which will bring the Marvel comic book hero to life and, no doubt, box office glory. Before winging to the movie set, Feore received a rollicking reception last week at the Ursula Franklin Academy when hundreds of high school students gathered to watch him cavort with Patrick Huard in Bon Cop,

HOPKINS: reunion for Thor

Bad Cop. And he wasn’t the only one winning cheers. Director Bruce MacDonald and leading lady Lisa Houle were in another gathering, taking questions after the screening of MacDonald’s latest opus Pontypool. And filmmaker Michael McGowan (St. Ralph) was in another assembly room, taking questions after the screening of his Joshua Jackson odyssey One Week. Making all three events happen, and simultaneously at that, was Reel Canada, a remarkable organization now in its fifth year of introducing young people to Canadian film achievements by bringing the films and the filmmakers to the classroom. Now that’s show business.

QUOTABLE QUOTES: “I loved genius in my lifetime. God was so good to me. I will love Michael forever and so will you, if you don’t already. God kissed

JACKSON: genius?

him. There will never, ever be the likes of him again.” The speaker? Dame Elizabeth Taylor, tweeting about the Michael Jackson concert film This Is It. Sez Liz: “You owe it to yourselves and your loved ones to see this again and again. Memorize it and say to yourselves, ‘I saw genius in my lifetime.’ I truly believe this film should be nominated in every category conceivable.” Yup, she likes it. She really likes it.

HOPE LIVE: Newfoundland news junkies Rick Mercer and Seamus O’Regan are headlining tonight’s Hope Live black-tie charity gala in Ottawa in

O'REGAN: in Ottawa tonight

support of Fertile Future, which helps young women and men who have had   cancer can find ways to have their own children. Among the perennial Mercer targets and political playmates expected to attend: Peter MacKay, Jason Kenney, Helena Guergis, Maxime Bernier and Scott Brison. Incidentally, Mercer was one of four sparklies honoured by the University of Ottawa last week at an AGO dinner in Toronto, picking up a Distinguished Canadian Leadership Award with high-note master Michael Burgess and high-flying astronaut Julie Payette. (CTV National Affairs

MERCER: with his Montreal posse

correspondent Lisa LaFlamme picked up U of O’s special Alumni Achievement award at the same bash.) Now on his Christmas break, Mercer resumes SRO tapings of his top-rated Rick Mercer Report in January, but wait ‘til you see him crash (you should pardon the expression) a women’s roller derby competition (ouch!) in Montreal (!!) tomorrow night at 8 pm on CBC Television.

FOOTLIGHTS: How much does New York Times theatre critic Ben Brantley love Fela!, the new musical that opened last Monday night on Broadway? “There should be dancing in the streets,” sez Brantley — and that was merely the first

THE MADONNA PAINTER: rave reviews

line of his ecstatic rave review. According to Brantley — no easy sell — there’s never been anything like it on Broadway. Which should bode well for producers Will & Jade Pinkett Smith and their comrade in showbiz arms Jay-Z … Risking The Void, the touring art exhibit showcasing the work of Canadian stage designer Cameron Porteous, is set for a 10-week run Jan 20-April 4 in Guelph, Ontario at the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre … and Factory Theatre has done it again. Good news is, Linda Gaboriau’s new translation of Michel Marc Bouchard’s The Madonna Painter opened to rave reviews from the Toronto Star, the Globe & Mail and Now magazine – how’s that for a range of opinions? Bad news is, the show must close in two weeks.  To secure your tickets now, click here!

TOMORROW:

Mamma Mia! Here we go again!

My, my, how can we resist you?

Only caught the end of the Grey Cup, but that was the only part that mattered.  I will copy my Facebook status.

“As a Bruins fan I’d like to welcome the Saskatchewan Roughriders to the “too many men penalty against Montreal in a big playoff game” club. After 30 years we have company.”

Got to sleep later than usual so when I got up Montreal had won and I heard about how they won. Luckily had TSN on the PVR and rewound it.  Damn.  Talk about a game where the losing team really did give away the victory.

I forgot earlier to mention Mike Giffin is on the Montreal roster.  He didn’t play last week with an injury and was questionable for the Grey Cup.  So either was Queen’s was going to have an alumni on the winning side.

TSN’s technical problems continued.  As I watched TSN The Reporters Sunday morning I saw a graphic for the TV schedule that afternoon.

“2009 Grey Cup : Blue Jays vs Tigers”

Wow.  And to make sure I didn’t imagine that with my lack of sleep Chris Zelkovich saw it as well.

http://thestar.blogs.com/sportsmedia/

Another columnist at The Toronto Star mentioned missed plays by the cameramen and announcers as well during the Vanier Cup.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/football/cfl/article/732186–woolsey-roughriders-no-1-in-fans-feverish-fervour

TSN pushed the blame for the Vanier Cup errors.  So it was fitting that graphic thing happened to show the last 2 weekends of errors were not just someone else’s fault.

If you are “Canada’s Sports Leader” then stop making excuses.  They had too much coverage on the weekend for their resources it came back to bit them. Queen’s/Calgary suffered as I heard the halftime show was spent on the Grey Cup.  How about talking about the game at hand?

Let’s hope these problems don’t come up at the Olympics.  If they can’t handle Queen’s/Calgary properly I’m not hopeful for all the sports they have to help cover.

The Score had much better coverage this season when they were handling CIS Football.  They are 3rd place among the sport stations and games on The Score didn’t have all those technical issues.

Other blogs about the Vanier Cup.

http://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/2009/11/28/1177088/vanier-cup-champions-queens-golden

http://www.cisblog.ca/2009/11/vanier-cup-laval-sets-standard-for-host.html

By the way, it is still stupid the Grey Cup is only available on cable TV now.  Should be TSN doing the game for CTV so more Canadians can watch.  Last year I found out the contract between TSN and the CFL does not allow that. Not everyone has cable/satellite.  I still read about many fans who can’t watch the game across the country.

Now we’re in the situation where the SuperBowl is on CTV but you have to have pay to watch the Grey Cup.  Slightly backwards.

Just wrote this as a paper, but it’s something we can talk about here as well. Where do you stand in terms of media blackouts?

When CBC journalist Melissa Fung was kidnapped in Afghanistan in 2008, news publications in Canada did not publish information about her abduction to ensure her safety. Four weeks after she was captured, she was released. In that same year another Canadian journalist was abducted. Robert Fowler was taken hostage in Niger for 130 days, but in this case, media chose to report on his situation. Fowler believed that the intense media coverage had a serious impact on the length of his time in captivity.

Most news organizations see media blackouts as a slippery slope. If we ban the coverage of journalist kidnappings, isn’t it only fair to ban coverage of non-journalist abductions? What are the limits of public access to sensitive information? Let’s look at both sides of the coin.

Blackouts reduce the value of public awareness

In the case of Melissa Fung, there was criticism on the part of senior journalists and news organizations regarding the decision to withhold information from the public. The criticism centred on the belief that the nature of news is to report everything that happens rather than suppress it. Sensitive topics must be covered because it is more important for the public to be made aware than it is to hide things from them.

And what about kidnapped civilians? In cases of missing or abducted persons, media coverage is extremely extensive, regardless of their condition. Je Yell Kim, a Canadian man, for example, was held in North Korea. His family kept this a secret for two months until the Star published an article about him. The Kim’s daughter feared the media coverage would put his life in danger but the paper refused to refrain from publishing on account of the story being of public interest. Although Kim was released unscathed, it brought forth an important consideration of what is more important, the value of public knowledge or human life.

In terms of the technological climate, can news be kept secret? Even if Canadian media did not report on a journalist kidnapping, who says a Canadian could not access this information via the Internet? A ban on reporting in Canada does not necessarily mean a ban worldwide. On this topic, John Cruikshank, the head of CBC at the time of Fung’s kidnapping, has said: “It’s hard for us, being who we are, to maintain a blackout once there has been light.” If a story hits the desk of a journalist right after it happens, they feel obligated to report on it. It’s tough telling journalists not to cover a story if they already know about the situation.

Perhaps a media outlets fear they may proceed with a blackout while other stations do not thus keeping them from reporting an important story. It’s hard to get all Canadian news stations to commit to media blackouts so when one sheds light on a particular situation; the others are obligated to do the same.

With respect to Fowler’s kidnapping, Globe and Mail’s foreign editor Stephen Northfield did not deem a media blackout necessary because the stories written did not contain new information for the abductors. This was reason enough to bring the circumstances into the public sphere.

Media bans, a necessity

It’s hard to tell whether or not a media blackout can keep captives alive or shorten their captivity, but based on the testimony of those who have survived hostage situations, a ban or a lack thereof does make a difference. Robert Fowler strongly believes the media coverage had a direct influence on the length of his captivity. “Everything that was said, and indeed not said, had an impact,” he said. His situation was covered right from the beginning up until his release.

Why it is so important to enforce a blackout especially on captured journalists is because hostage takers know the more important the abducted, the higher the ransom, and the more attention brought to their organization. This means more motivation to keep a person captive for publicity’s sake. Fowler asserts that although his Al Qaeda kidnappers were very primitive in some ways, they were extremely technologically savvy and thus aware of what was being said about Fowler. “Anything could inflame or excite them,” he said. “When the media hyped my CV, the price went up.”

Fowler draws a clear connection between the actions of his kidnappers and what was published about him. Even if it’s information that exists already, as previously argued, it gives abductors reason to maintain a hostage situation, or harm hostages in exchange for increased media hype. Even coverage of his release, Fowler said, put him in danger. Other gangs in that region of Niger, upon hearing the news, may have been interested in transferring him into their custody, he said.

In 2004, two inmates in Arizona held a prison guard tower hostage for 15 days. Although the media was aware of the details surrounding this situation, they remained silent on certain aspects. In this circumstance, the purpose of the blackout was to assist authorities in negotiation with the inmates and to ensure no one was harmed. The inmates ended up surrendering without injuring the prison guards.

Journalists to withholding certain details does go against ethics standards of news organizations, but bending the rules in cases such as this one can save lives. A partial blackout is, however, problematic because news consumers do not like to know just half of the story. As Beth DeFalco of the Associated Press, one of the journalists covering this event, puts it: “I think the readers had a lot of questions about what was going on. Not knowing what was going on in the tower made them think the worst was happening.” Is it worth it to give the public partial news, or is it more beneficial to keep them from panicking? Creating worry may be okay when compromising between media ethics and standards and general morality.

Given there is a way to report partially on a situation, to argue that once a story breaks there cannot be limits, doesn’t stand its ground. When Robert Fowler was kidnapped, the storm of reporting that took place could have at least been reduced. Fowler even said that although he is an advocate for complete blackouts, he understands that this is not always plausible.  In those cases, the bombardment of media reporting based on unconfirmed information should be monitored and reduced greatly.

In reality

There is no clear solution to the media blackout dilemma, but based on the accounts of Fung and Fowler and the hostage situation in Arizona, it seems like blackouts do more good than damage.

After Fung and Fowler’s abductions, The Star has created a policy to determine whether or not to apply a media ban. “In certain cases involving kidnapping, hostage taking and/or terrorism, when publication could endanger someone’s life, the Star must put the victim’s safety first.” News sources such as CBC and CTV do say that they weigh the pros and cons of media coverage but there are no set standards in place. The Globe and Mail’s policy, for example, is to publish unless there is a rare circumstance involving the direct correlation between harm and publication. A definition of said circumstance has not been determined.

Media blackouts appear to be necessary in rare cases, but in others, the real issue is how much information should be given to the public? Although this is never arbitrary, there can be guidelines in place. The Star’s policy is a seemingly reasonable standard to follow. It has at least put the wheels in motion for creating limits to publication for the sake of safety.

In dire situations, life must essentially supersede public interest.

“The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government.” –Thomas Jefferson

With notes from:

The Toronto Star, CBC, Torontoist and Journal of Mass Media Ethics

alphainventions

My attention was drawn to a Toronto Star article concerning Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion and her son Peter, a local real estate entrepreneur.  This article goes over “the decision by Mississauga council to launch a judicial inquiry into a controversial $14.4 million land deal he initiated – which will also probe conflict-of-interest allegations involving the mayor.”

We have seen in Oakville where decisions were being made concerning allegations of illegal wiring putting children’s lives at risk and former Mayor Ann Mulvale, whose mentor is Hazel McCalliion, was in negotiations for a Mattamy donation.  Was that a conflict of interest?  I will let you decide.

But the bigger picture to us all, is something brought forward to me by another reader.  Without the facts, I can’t make a specific allegation but, we should be monitoring our councillors in preparation to make our voting decisions come November 2010.

This just isn’t an Oakville problem (as seen my an earlier blog that gave donation statistics for Toronto politicians and the Vaughan problem) but, we should be aware that politicians will be making decisions now to ensure their power base (money) is consolidated for the next election.

Look at the Edgemere decision.  Even though the developer was legally obligated to hand over the shorefront strip, he argued and got some density concessions.  Why even bother when he had to dedicate the land?

Another interesting area was up in Milton – or Mattamy-Ville,  as other reader has aptly named it.  Big argument over Development Charges and Mattamy led the Complaint Brigade – with a plethora of Voluntolds in support.  After new homeowners were threatened with an almost $8000 increase due to the levy, it seems now that they don’t have to pay. 

But who will?  I stand to be corrected on this but it seems that Halton will get a loan from the developers to build the necessary infrastructure and then will give future concessions of some sort. 

WHO WILL PAY THIS LOAN BACK???   THE TAXPAYER? 

We are already paying for the water pipeline that allowed Peter Gilgan et al to make their fortunes developing the Milton area.  And who voted to make these changes and why?  At first Halton was strong on the new development paying for itself, even saying so in an online report- since removed.  It will be interesting to see who gets the developer’s support the next election.

Appears that, as someone pointed out to me, Mattamy rules the roost in Halton.  I hope the Milton taxpayer is happy with the free bus rides they might get for Christmas, courtesy of Mattamy.  Nothing like buying someone off with cheap trinkets. 

BLOG  EDIT:  SEE NOVEMBER 30TH  FOR CLARIFICATION

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Above is Paul Pierce’s poster of Chris Bosh from last night, knee to the groin included. After the game and with his nuts the size of grapefruits, CB called out his teammates for not standing up for him as lay on the ground wondering if he’ll ever have kids again (and perhaps regretting letting the last one get away?):

“Yeah, I’d like to see the team more passionate. I look at their bench and they’re all up standing at half-court, and nobody from their team was down on the floor. I think we would react better to just be out there for one another and just stay together.”

Also of note, Raptor tough guy Antoine Wright had some harsh words for his teammates, saying they got “punked” and that “we’re going to have to come together or teams are just going to continue to run us over like this”. Wright also said the following before the game in reference to Wednesday’s embarrassment in Charlotte, according to Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star:

“You’ve got guys in here eating popcorn, joking around before the game. And we go out there and lose by 40. It’s a direct result of what’s going on before the game. Guys not coming in with the right mind frame.”

Nice to see Wright making a stand, but it’s a bit disappointing when the biggest motivator on your team is a backup small forward that couldn’t make a difference to the on-court product if he tried. You gonna get that field goal percentage over .300 next game, Antoine? You worry about that while the guys that are actually on the floor take care of the toughness.

Anyway, a day removed and there’s still not much good to say about these kids. It doesn’t get much easier with Phoenix in town tomorrow with sights set on dropping 250.

alphainventions

In the Business section of the November 27th Toronto Star on pages B1 and B2 there is a lot of ink used to notify the public that Toyota is doing a recall on the floor mats. Ink you haven’t seen used to notify the driving public about their Ford F150’s with the problems of leaking front windows, blowing spark plugs and leaking rear windows.

Well, I know nothing will happen but, I felt that with Toyota taking the high road and doing the recall and Ford hiding behind advertising dollars, I have to send a letter to the editor (plus the Toronto Sun).

Here is a copy:

I find it interesting the amount of ink you used to disclose/inform about the floor mat problem Toyota is doing a recall on. Here we have a company that takes full responsibility for a product that MAY cause injury. In Canada, as your article points out, there is no defect but Toyota will still address the problem with a recall. And, unlike our bail-out buddies here, Toyota is reducing managerial bonuses to reflect this decline in quality.

Meanwhile, back at Ford, they still hide behind the skirts of advertising and you see no media hype on Ford’s lack of disclosure/recall on the leaking front window, blowing spark plugs and leaking rear window. The former two can cause injury/death depending on the circumstances. But Ford refuses to do anything about it. They send out a notice to the dealers but don’t inform the public – who carries on with multiple repairs, not knowing the real cause.

You have been made aware of these faults yet do no investigative reporting to ensure the public is made aware of the risk. There are documented cases to the U.S. and Canadian government showing these faults yet we see no ink used to help the public. Only silence that allows Ford to come across as squeaky clean while poor old Toyota faces up to its errors in construction and looks after the consumer.

Ford creates revenue flow by not disclosing these faults and the driving public must pay for repairs out of their pockets, some amount to the $1000’s of dollars. Toyota picks up the tap for this recall and reduces the bonuses of those who were responsible. Accountability that is being shown to us by a foreign company and seems to lack in our car industry and maybe our print industry.

Are your bonuses tied to Ford advertising? It’s called ethics and the Atkinson Principles.

alphainventions

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PHILIP
“Can you believe what Al Gore said on the front page of the Toronto Star yesterday?   You know, Al Gore, the guy who was VP under Bill Clinton for eight years. He actually said that the Alberta tar sands are a threat to human existence. I’m telling you, even the the word ‘Armageddon’ was in the article, although I don’t actually know if Gore said that specific word. It’s pretty amazing, eh?”

TONY
“Sorry Phil, what’s your point, if you don’t mind me asking that?”

PHILIP
“My point is that this is the same Al Gore who was the number two guy in the most powerful country on Earth for eight years straight and who is the winner — if you ask me –  of the 2000 US Presidential elections and, to top it all off, is a Nobel Peace Prize winner for his work on the environment and to top it all off all over again, he also has longstanding, and entirely warm ties to the current US administration. He’s has ‘tossed the gauntlet’ at Canada. I think he’s signalling that the US government will be playing hard-ball about the environmental consequences of the oil sands, and that’s going to  jeopardize billions of dollars and jobs in Alberta. You gotta realize that the folks who own and work in the sands are Harper’s biggest supporters. OK, so I don’t know exactly how this is going to play out but I think that this means Harper is toast. Finis.”

TONY
“So  … OK, you’re telling me that Gore just sort of slapped Harper upside the head in public by telling Harper’s big oil buddies in Alberta that their investments might end up losing them some money.”

PHILIP
“I don’t think I could say it better than that, actually.”

TONY
“OK, like the kids say: “‘Is this is a good thing?’”

PHILIP
“Holy smokes. You bet it’s a good thing.  I know I tell you this stuff all the time, even if it doesn’t get into the blog. It’s simple,man. I don’t think that Stephen Harper is good for Canada. I actually think he’s dangerous, maybe not him specifically but some of the people around him, that’s for sure. And that’s not a risk I want to take. I’ve got four kids and a mortgage … sorry, Tony, you heard all this stuff before. And now, he can’t even provide diplomatic cover for his oil buddies.

“Look, there’s a lot of people at the top of the Harper government who openly supported the Bush Administration, including even Harper himself for god’s sake. My basic point is that I’m telling you, if you give the Harper guys a majority in Parliament, all I can say is “watch out”, because it’s going to be a disaster. Environment, economy, you name it. Sure, I know that Ignatieff supported the Iraq War in the beginning. But c’mon.  At least Ignatieff had the huevos to own up to his mistake in public. And he didn’t support Bush’s other crazy policies the way Harper has. Heyman, everybody, including even smart guys like Ignatieff, they learn something when it’s the first time the situation has ever come up, like deciding to go to war in Iraq in 2003, for example. Let’s be honest. Quite a few Canadians supported the Iraq War in the beginning. Face it, when the guys who won World War Two [the Americans] ask us for military support, you at least have to give them the time of day, if you know what I mean.

Anyway,  at least Ignatieff took some time to think about how the actual Iraq War actually played out over actual time after it started, and he learned what the whole world also learned about the actual Bush Administration decision processes in regard to the Iraq War.”

Anyway, you know what I can’t figure out?  Somehow, I think people think that having the Liberals  in Ottawa for the next few years won’t make any difference.  Now maybe I’m missing something. If our PM and the US President are actually, true-blue, real-life friends — which you can see they are, you know, friends like you and me — then international negotiations about things like the oil sands will be better for Canada if Ignatieff’s the Prime Minister. After all, the top folks make make the final decisions, no?

You know, I bet that Ignatieff has the secret phone number for Obama’s Blackberry. And I bet Harper doesn’t.” [Note from Philip: I really have no idea if this is true.]

TONY
“And your point is …?”

PHILIP
“The point is, it’s weird. Ignatieff’s Liberals would do a better job protecting Alberta’s interests than Harper can possibly do. If that’s true, then Albertans should be voting en masse for Ignatieff. It’s weirdly simple, in a way.”

TONY
“So you think Ignatieff should be our next Prime Minister?”

PHILIP
“Duh.”

alphainventions

Well, Toyota is showing its true colours again – and I mean high ethics. Unlike our friends at Ford, Toyota has done another recall on their rust problem. According to the autoblog site: “Toyota has extended that recall to include the 2002-03 model years, saying that a small number of trucks could suffer from frame corrosion that could cause the spare tire to detach from its underbody housing.”

You’ll notice that it states “a small number”.  Meanwhile, back at Ford, they remain silent on the leaky front window issue, along with the blowing spark plug and leaking rear window problem.  No, they haven’t the guts to stand up and say they have a problem.  No, they don’t tell you to go out and fix it before the damage to other components is done and you would save money.  No, they don’t tell you a thing.

But then, what would you expect from a company that used slave labour in WW II to build vehicles in Germany to fight the British, Canadians and Americas.  True patriots!!!!

Ethics is a non-entity in Ford land.

alphainventions

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are in the news frequently and not for what they have accomplished.  The richest team in the league and scraping bottom right now.  Those of us who have been around awhile remember the glory days when it was a winning team.  Now – making the money but not producing the product their reputation was built on.

Mattamy Homes had a very good reputation – something that people are still making a decision to buy a home on.  In the early years, they seemed to produce a very good product and people bought knowing they would be well treated. 

Seems those glory days aren’t what they used to be.  Flooding basements in Bracebridge, selling homes without being given permission to develop in Ottawa, illegal landfill in Ottawa that had the potential to ruin the environment, poor construction in Florida, starting pre-mature construction on land in Milton that had been fertilized with human waste and, illegal wiring – the list is becoming endless it seems.

Like the Leafs who are striving for the elusive Stanley Cup, Mattamy has dropped to second place in the GTA with the JD Power Customer Satisfaction award and in Ottawa – just like the Leafs, scraping bottom in customer satisfaction.

I see in the newspapers they are starting to hint about a change in leadership for the Leafs.  Do we need this at Mattamy to curtail the dropping of quality and customer satisfaction?  Maybe, instead of trying to enhance a reputation in the press for Entrepreneur of the Year,  Mattamy management should be focusing on why people are being shafted with all these problems.  If you want to donate, go ahead but make sure it isn’t to mayors who are supposed to be investigating why children’s lives were put at risk by illegal wiring that allowed sales to close.

If people keep buying Mattamy based on the old reputation, is Mattamy thinking – why should they change.  Like the Leafs - they are still raking in the money from loyal fans who are not getting the product they are expecting.

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The ROM and its new addition: building of beauty or one of the world's ugliest?

TORONTO, the city that wants so badly to be considered world class, was dealt a bit of a blow in that quest the other day.

The website www.virtualtourist.com put the city’s Royal Ontario Museum on its list of world’s ugliest buildings.

The ROM opened a new addition two years ago. The Daniel Libeskind-designed aluminum and glass structure, which shoots out in sharp angles, contrasts sharply with the existing museum.

This architectural contrast is the primary reason virtualtourist.com gave for ranking the ROM the eighth ugliest building in the world (it beat out only a library in Kosovo and some yet-to-be built hotel in North Korea on the Top 10 list):

What I.M. Pei’s pyramid is to the Louvre, so is the relatively new Michael Lee-Chin Crystal to the Royal Ontario Museum. While many praise the glass structure, just as many are troubled by the incongruity to the original, more traditional museum that still sits directly beside it.

Some readers on the Toronto Star’s website concurred.

“It’s like sticking Godzilla’s head onto Pam Anderson’s body,” is how one commenter described it. (I’m not sure Pamela Anderson could ever be considered an apt analogy for a museum/heritage building – an inflatable bouncy castle, maybe – but I think I get his point.)

Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There are just as many, like me for one, who think the ROM addition is a striking architectural achievement worth celebrating. And if the new building is being likened to the Louvre pyramid, that’s good company to be in.

For too long Toronto has been plagued by boring, ugly, conservative architecture. Thankfully times are changing and the ROM addition is one of many projects cropping up around town that take some chances, architecturally speaking.

The folks at virtualtourist.com should be real tourists and come check it all out.

ryan@roadtostarrdom.com

Related: City’s new architecture frees Toronto the timid

Racy alter ego’s postings became cult sensation

LONDON–A British scientist says she is Belle de Jour, the anonymous blogger whose accounts of life as a call girl were turned into books and a TV series.

Brooke Magnanti was quoted by the Sunday Times as saying she decided to reveal her secret because she was afraid a former boyfriend would expose her.

Magnanti, 34, is a child-health researcher at the University of Bristol in western England.

She told the newspaper she turned to the sex trade in 2003 while finishing her Ph.D. and worked as an escort for more than a year.

She blogged about the experience in the guise of Belle de Jour, a legal secretary who moonlights as a sex worker.

The blog formed the basis of three books and the British TV series Secret Diary of a Call Girl, which appeared on Showcase television in Canada.

Debate swirled about whether the anonymous author was real or fictional, and Belle de Jour was accused by some of glamorizing prostitution.

Magnanti said on her blog Sunday she was relieved “to be able to defend what my experience of sex work is like to all the skeptics and doubters.”

Magnanti said her scientific colleagues had been “amazingly kind and supportive” about the news.

Asked about Magnanti’s past, the university said it was not relevant to her current job.

Her publisher, Orion, said in a statement that it was “a courageous decision for Belle de Jour to come forward with her true identity and we support her decision to do so.”

Source: The Star

On Friday November 13, 2009, while sitting between classes, I found myself fully absorbed in the Toronto Star.  Writer Nicholas Keung, an immigration/diversity reporter, brought us the story of how Southern America bowed to diversity with their newly brought about acceptance of integrated prom nights.  The article being “The Prom that Made History.”

In the past, including recent, Mississippi only held segregated proms: one for whites and one for blacks.  In today’s day and age you would think that this issue no longer existed at such a level; however, it appears that without the help of a Oakville filmmaker and an American actor racial discrimination was still at an all-time high. But today Mississippi has officially held two consecutive mixed proms of great success even in the face of negative parental and public feedback. 

I highly recommend the article.

Even with 8 days separating my initial reaction from my current reaction, I find that I still feel the same.  I am excited, elated, and motivated all over again.  Change is possible.  Extreme change is possible.  How can you not be left feeling hopeful.

The majority of us wish we could make such an impact on the world.  Even if believing in its possibility it is still easy to become jaded in its wait.  Yet here we are still fighting for the rights of our friends, family, ourselves and the rest of the population of the world.

It’s nice to believe that if such an amazing victory can be won on the racial front, that soon acceptance on all levels can be fully achieved.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we can all be loved for who we are and not judged based on things such as race, sex, age, sexual preference and any other issue that I haven’t mentioned?  Okay, I know it sounds all “touchy-feely” but isn’t that in essence what we are all made up of anyways. 

Such changes and growth come when we work together.  Let’s do that.  A challenge:  find a least on thing that you can commit to in order to bring change to where you live and do it.  Maybe we’ll all achieve something impossible.

alphainventions

Awhile back I put out a blog concerning Mattamy owner, Peter Gilgan’s Edgemere Estate, a 5.7 hectare site on Lakeshore Road in Oakville.  It was listed for $45 million but had a fire sale at $35 million.  Maybe that is why the people of Milton are being asked to fork over almost $8000 in Development Charges for homes they bought from Mattamy.

Anyways, Edgemere is the “largest, original undivided estate in Oakville, with 1000 feet of shoreline”, according to the Toronto Star.

It was bought by developer Marc Hewitt, who wants to build 30 estate-type condos in 10 buildings, while still keeping some of the heritage buildings on the lot. (gardener’s cottage, stable, tea house  and boathouse)  For this I thank him - the preserving of the heritage buildings that is.

Mr. Hewitt of course wanted the waterfront to increase the value of these condos, which will start at a modest $3 million in loose change and range in size from 2000 to 5,400 square feet.  (Gilgan’s 15 year old palace was 32,000 sq.ft. – I guess not paying full share of the development charges in the past allows you to build bigger)

The paper reports that Mr. Hewitt will “dedicate a 15 metre wide linear strip of waterfront park and connecting trails to the town“. 

DEDICATE!!!!!

Sorry boys, but he had to give it up to the Town of Oakville as there is a by-law which states that if an estate is broken up for increased density, the waterfront must be turned over to the town.  Not maybe; not a gift; not dedicate but,  MUST TURN IT OVER. 

Mr. Hewitt, in the kind of Peter Gilgan “I am donating” mode, did manage to squeeze some more density out of the land instead of going to the OMB and arguing.

Shame to see this hunk of land get carved up for some rich condos but, at least the Town saved the waterfront from developers looking to make a buck and skirt the law. 

I guess the ghost of past shady practices still lives on the old Mattamy estate. (do we hear – illegal wiring?)

I’m glad that a former mayor of Oakville had the balls to ensure this by-law was passed and that the people of Oakville will not see their waterfront destroyed by developers, like in Toronto.

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I was just checking in to see what was going on with the BC Cancer Agency – I am excited to share this news incase you didn’t know about it either! I find it facinating! Be sure to watch the video from Drs. Aparicio and Marra.
www.bccancerfoundation.com/cms/page1507.cfm

alphainventions

In today’s Toronto Star there is an article titled: “Canadians left in the dark”, where the Automobile Protection Association is complaining that Canadians did not get a letter telling them about the floor mat problem. Yeah, right, as if the whole world doesn’t know about it. Toyota was very open and the media made a big splash about it.

Meanwhile, back at Ford, they are hiding behind the bushes like school-yard perverts and hoping no one will notice the plethora of blowing spark plugs, leaking rear windows and the all time favourite – leaking front windows.

I mean, if you put the floor mat in as instructed – no problem. And if it does stick, turn off the ignition (without locking it) or jam the gear shift into neutral)

You buy a Ford F150, you don’t even know the front window is leaking until you start to replace electronics. Ever have the wipers fail in a downpour? I know one mother did and it could have ended in a tragic moment.

Ever been stalled in a vehicle in the middle of nowhere and it won’t start in sub-zero weather? Hope you have matches to burn the manual for heat.

Electronic door locks burn out and you can’t start the vehicle? Hope you’re not trying to get someone to the hospital.

Who has the balls? Sneaky Pete Ford who doesn’t come out and explain the problem or, Toyota who was very open.

Its called ethics and our Ford buddies lack this in big time. Maybe the CAW/UAW will come out of the closet and help the consumer out. No!!!. Oh yes, might spoil those big benefit packages.

Who ever heard of employees not paying into a pension fund – at least part of it and then expect the government to bail them out with tax dollars. The same guys who put in the leaky windows and say: buy local not foreign and buy union. Tell me why?

Here is the letter I sent to the Automobile Protection Association. I expect to hear the delete button any minute.

- – - – - – - -

I have noted that Toyota is doing, in the U.S., a recall on the loose floor mat problem that can interfere with the accelerator pedals of their vehicles. I notice that your organization has gone public with the idea that Toyota should have sent letters to the Canadian owners of Toyota vehicles. I agree with your argument on this issue.

What I can’t understand is that Ford has sold numerous vehicles that have spark plugs blowing out and rear windows leaking. I find the spark plug issue potentially dangerous but nothing has been done. No recall, no notification of the public and certainly no reimbursement for this faulty part.

In addition, there are numerous complaints (most to U.S. government) that the front window was improperly installed by Ford on F150 trucks. They have acknowledged this internally but have done nothing for the consumer – no recall, no formal notification, nothing.

There are numerous instances where this faulty leaking window will cause the electronics to fail, sometimes at dangerous times such as downpours and below freezing weather. I feel that you should look into this and make this problem public for many reasons.

Many of us replaced expensive electronic equipment due to this faulty window, at our cost, including the window. These vehicles are being sold as roadworthy to others, who find that they have to replace corroded electronics on the used vehicles. Ford is making money on the repairs without telling the public about the problem, a problem they designed into the vehicle with faulty material. If the electronics fail at a certain point in time, the vehicle could lose control due to wipers failing, lights flicking on and off, etc. As well, the electronic door locks can create a problem and if the electronics short out, the vehicle won’t start – this could be fatal in our northern climate.

Loose floor mats (if the owner puts them in right, there is no problem) is one thing but a product design that allows electronic corrosion that costs the consumer money and potentially injury, is another. I feel that your association, if you feel floor mats are a problem, should also investigate the leaking front window problem on F150’s.

alphainventions

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I just finished my holiday shopping! You can too – U.S.A. Residents get your tickets, but they are going fast at http://www.cosport.com. Select from the drop down menu USA, then I suggest you go to Individual Ticket sales and start looking. I’m so excited we will be seeing a couple of quarter final hockey games, freestyle skiing and some curling matches. American site still has sporting events available that are sold out on the Canadian site! I’m not happy that I won’t get to see any figure skating, and that was one of my main sports growing up! So, if you have an extra ticket for that….(they are sold out for Canada and USA). 87 more days and Olympic Fever has hit Vancouver! The snow is covering the mountains – so beautiful!

For Canadians who are worried about what type of country Canada would become if Stephen Harper and the Conservatives ever get their majority, today’s column by the Toronto Star’s Chantal Hébert is a must read. In the piece she provides her analysis of the new citizenship guide that all foreigners hoping to emigrate to Canada will have to study. She gives the guide good marks in some areas but in looking at the totality of the document, she argues the guide should be mandatory reading for anyone who thinks Harpers doesn’t want to radically transform Canada.

For the many Canadians who doubt that Stephen Harper has the potential to bring about transformative change to the country’s fabric, it should be required reading.

The pro-military citizenship guide is simply the latest example of Harper’s attempt to move the country as far to the right as he is able. Whether it’s Canada’s pro-militaristic stance, delaying any meaningful policies on climate change, or adopting a U.S. style of the politics of personal destruction, Harper’s goals are clear. As Hebert is one of the left’s leading thinkers in Canada, her column should be a warning for anyone who underestimates Harper’s goals.