links, random thoughts, various opinions
Well I’ve got a dinner to buy. The American ’silent majority’ spoke clearly last night and I’m again reminded of the increasingly large echo chamber I circulate in. Have to fix that someway.
As I saw this in one of the letters to Andrew Sullivan’s site this morning - “…Had we changed leadership now, […]
Internet Vets For Truth
The Citizens’ Assembly Rocks
“Every now and then, something happens in politics that confounds the cynics and negates the naysayers: one of those rare, inspiring moments when democracy bursts out of the pens the political class have built around it, when the people’s voice is actually heard — when the system, in short, works.”
So everyone around me is probably sick of my obsession with the U.S. presidential race. I’ve followed U.S. politics since long before studying it in University. We’ve watched the ads, the debates, and debated the issues. I’ve followed the ups and downs of the Electoral College vote (via the excellent site electoral-vote.com. […]
I tried, I really did try. I’m concerned that all the blogs and news sites I read come from a large list of blogs and news sites my friends and colleagues read. As the election heated up and I traveled more I thought I should try and expand the type of site I […]
On Saturday Vancouverites rejected moving the city’s electoral system to a ward based system. Good.
I could write a big long article as to why…but basically I didn’t want to turn our city into even more fractured constituencies. Let’s think about one big picture.
Globe & Mail story here.
“Toronto, Montreal and every other major city […]
Some interesting background history on one of my favourite films, Dr. Strangelove.
“What few people knew, at the time and since, was just how accurate this film was. Its premise, plotline, some of the dialogue, even its wildest characters eerily resembled the policies, debates and military leaders of the day…
…But until then, could some loony general […]
While we’re on the topic of the U.S. election, I’ve been checking this site which tracks polls in the U.S. and projects how they translate into the electoral college breakdown. Very cool site. By the way, pro-Kerry fans may want to check out the statistical projection forward to election day. Ouch.
I had written a big long post about Bush and Iraq. I deleted it. Instead let me just say I was wrong about Bush. On Iraq, I was wrong to think that Bush and his team could pull this whole thing off. I’m glad Saddam is gone (and we should try […]
From Tim Bray (Oh Sarah) this morning, a link to this remarkable use of the internet/web/iTunes [needs iTunes to work] by Sarah McLaughlin. Brightens up a rainy London day (and a long one in the office) and gets my mind thinking of what to do with all that we know about our medium.
I’m in Hong Kong this week. I’m watching the U.S. Presidential debate live this morning (Friday morning, incidentally the Chinese National Day). It seems that Kerry is articulate and focussed, basically pushing Bush into his least likeable position, the defensive one. It will be interesting to see how it shakes out but […]
The City of Vancouver is holding a plebiscite on whether we should have a ward based city council. We got a well put together brochure in the mail today, the problem of course is that the advertising has two giant pizzas on it. I threw out the brochure, along with the several other […]
I remember when I was younger and the anniversary of the assassination of JFK came about my Mom would tell me where she was on that day…and at that moment, every year. She could tell me where all her friends and family where. I always assumed it was very much the moment of […]
Two Cents
“Sports are very misunderstood in this country and it’s frustrating to hear all the hypotheses of the hows and whys we didn’t receive very many medals. Yes, you get what you pay for, and that holds true in sport. And yes, the bureaucracy behind most of our national sports organizations have archaic systems in […]
Cutups and Cutthroats
“Despite the fact that the economy is cratering, Iraq is teetering, Afghanistan is reverting to warlords, Dick Cheney is glowering at the world, the war on terror has created more acts of terror, Ahmad Chalabi is an accused spy for Iran and the Pentagon has an accused spy for Israel, Republicans felt so […]
“Everyday Environmentalism”
“There’s a tipping point approaching with this stuff, where — whatever one thinks of the extent of Ford’s (or BP’s) bright green convictions — simply by repeating that we can and should have green cars, homes, factories and fuel cells, big companies are hastening the day where saying otherwise will be simply unacceptable.”
Underneath The Competition, Sportsmanship Ethic Prevails
“It is the seeming miracle of the Olympiad - a two-week window when the idealistic underpinnings of the Games offer a more hopeful view of sport and humanity. In truth, the Olympics simply give the world an opportunity to turn its eyes toward what is always there.”
Bill Clinton is on Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show, tomorrow (Monday, August 9, 2004). It’s 11:00 PM PST, channel 57 on Shaw.
My name is Jimmy Carter, and I’m not running for president.
“Truth is the foundation of our global leadership, but our credibility has been shattered and we are left increasingly isolated and vulnerable in a hostile world. Without truth — without trust — America cannot flourish. Trust is at the very heart of our democracy, the […]
I watched F/911 over the weekend. Its a typical Moore movie, well crafted (to a point) and articulates his perspective extremely well. He should have been in advertising. Anyways I would hope that most people realize it’s a highly edited version of the truth, but just in case, the web is debunking […]