I'm really not trying to turn this into a climate change blog. Honest.

...But for my little audience, a couple of interesting links.

• New York Times is questioning Gore's exaggerations.
• A documentary by Britain's Channel 4 called The Great Global Warming Swindle. As an honest thinker, if you watched an Inconvenient Truth you are hereby obliged to watch this as well.

Random Stuff

Two stories of random interest.

• Some needed relief in my home town. Congrats guys. Sorry it took so long.
• More global warming skepticism from the National Post's Lorne Gunter. With apologies to the true believers. Thanks for the link go to my dear sainted father.  Ah what the heck - have a look at the National Post's entire series on it. 

Also - one of my friends asked me what I thought of Stephane Dion lately since people are already writing his obituary. My answer - for better or worse - is that I think he's holding his powder. Just like a guy named Steve did before the last election. That doesn't mean I'm predicting a Liberal win or anything crazy like that. I just mean that a necessary corollary of the powder holding strategy is a short term drop in the polls. I still favor the Tories (but thats colored at least in part because I want them to win this next one. Frankly I'd love a Stephen Harper majority. I want to see what he would do with it) but in any case, this one ain't over by a long shot.

 

 

Citizen Black + Interpretive Dancers = Vindication?

Check this out:

This morning on the bus, I find the following newslet in this morning's Metro

CHICAGO -- When Conrad Black sits before the jury that will decide his fate on fraud charges, observers say his lawyers likely want him facing artists, writers and others who "see nuance," rather than blue-collar workers with a firm faith in the chain of command. Prosecutors will be looking for "law-and-order, follow-the-rules type\ s who also believe in chain of command and that the buck stops at the top." (Here's a link to a longer version I found later in the London Free Press)

I almost laughed out loud in my seat. I've been a proponent of the belief that Conrad Black has been getting a raw deal for some time now. But if this is his defence teams jury strategy then it may be about to get rawer (yep, I know that it isn't a word. thanks.) Conrad Black is a bete noir to the left. Artists and writers are almost uniformly leftist. They have absolutely no history of seeing nuance when thinking about class struggle and rich grumpy looking old men who remind them of robber baron villains and trophy wives who've been recently painted as Imelda Marcos lite.

And who said blue collar people don't see nuance? There are an AWFUL LOT of blue collar people out there and an AWFUL LOT of them have no problem seeing nuance. Maybe these lawyers should meet some.

Finally, WWHD gentlemen. What Would Howard Roarke Do? I don't call myself a Randian anymore (I guess I'm a lawyer who can't help seeing nuances) but there is a scene near the end of The Fountainhead that might prove instructive.

Alright - I'm being a little cheeky with that last part - but suffice it to say, this jury strategy - as articulated in the press - seems dodgy. Looking for people who see nuance is quite wise - but an attempt to find nuanced people based on their profession and with no mind to their ideological prejudices could easily backfire. It is so dodgy in fact, that I doubt that his incredibly competent and well remunerated team has such a simple minded strategy. Methinks the observers may be moderately off base.

But hey - what do I know? That Rona Ambrose decision of the PM seems to have turned out just fine for him - contrary to what I would have had you believe . She's snug as a bug in a rug and quiet as a church mouse (and as comfortable as a folksy old cliche?).

Social Networking

Emily Yoffe from Slate tries out the virtues of Facebook as a 50 year old. Is social networking for all ages? Personally I'm very impressed with Facebook. It is not a toy. It is a utility. Basically it isn't your stereo, it's your fax.  It is a series of interlocking connections linked to your email that lets people stay in touch instead of drifting apart. Lots of silly fun at first. Then just very very useful.   Man, I love the Internet. I LOOOOOOVE IT.

Ironic isn't it?

All hail Canada where up is down, night is day and left is right!

 

Our left wing major party defeated our deficits and chopped our taxes. And I can't open a newspaper without seeing our right wing party curing us of global warming .

 

Don't ever vote NDP folks. We might invade the USA while simultaneously banning all taxation.

Quebec ElectioMffffph Mfffffph!!

Which is my way of saying that I would looooooooove to rant, rave muse and comment about the fascinating Quebec election, sovereignty, partition and Jean Charest's interesting remarks however in my job I work closely with the other provinces and am most reticent to expound on such issues at present. Get me drunk at the pub some time. Don't try to guess at my opinions either. Heck even I am not sure exactly what they are yet, so you certainly don't.

 

 

 

Cell Phone Number Portability in Canada. Finally.

This is just a public service announcement. As of March 14, 2007 you will be able to keep your phone number when switching mobile service providers  in Canada. About bloody time. This should lead to increased competition and better prices. So ummm... don't sign any long term cell phone contracts in the next week.