See how they vote
By Aaron Wherry - Friday, April 17, 2009 - 4 Comments
Parliament’s website now includes voting records for each MP. Canadian Press explains how to find those and why they won’t always be terribly informative.
Unlike the U.S., Canada’s parliamentary system usually results in MPs toeing a party line, so votes in the Commons tend to be far less dramatic than in Congress.
One could wonder at what point—if ever—a tool such as this results in the level of public awareness necessary to regularly pressure MPs to break with the party line. Whether this could, in some small way, create MPs who are, at least in this context, something more than well-paid voting machines.
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Weekend Viewing: TALES OF THE GOLD MONKEY
By Jaime Weinman - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 9:12 PM - 3 Comments
TV networks are always making shows that are “inspired” by recently-popular movies, but they usually try to disguise their “inspiration” a little bit. But with Tales of the Gold Monkey, a one-season cult flop from 1982, there was very little disguise: this was an adventure story set in the ’30s about a rugged, gruff globe-trotting adventurer (Stephen Collins) in a beat-up jacket and boots and a hat. Oh, and there are Nazis and snakes.
Donald P. Bellisario, who created the show — he’s better known for creating Magnum P.I., Quantum Leap, Airwolf, JAG and NCIS — claimed that he thought of the idea (“inspired” by many of the same movies and serials that Indiana Jones borrowed from) before Indiana Jones existed. And that’s true, on a purely chronological basis. He was trying to get this show made for three years before the advent of Raiders of the Lost Ark (and Don Bellisario’s newfound success as the creator of Magnum) got ABC to buy it. But that just demonstrates what we still see today: no matter when you came up with an idea, you have a better chance of getting a pilot and series order from a network if that idea is similar to a movie that’s just come out.
The show itself was pretty silly, and the endless ripoffs of other movies — not just Raiders but The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, Only Angels Have Wings, etc — was very crass. But it does have a bit of a cult following, as I said. I think it’s the plane. Most action shows from that era had a really cool car, or a really cool helicopter; this was one of the few that had an airplane as the vehicle, and unofficial star of the show.
The guy who posted this to YouTube hasn’t posted the whole pilot, just the first 20 minutes and the last 10 minutes, but that gives you the idea. Note that like many double-length pilots of the era, this has a different opening-credits sequence, one that’s intended to make the episode look like a movie (so that in case it’s not picked up, the pilot can be sold as a feature film overseas).
Part 1:
Part 2:
Conclusion of the pilot:
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Never Forget
By John Parisella - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 8:47 PM - 7 Comments
We have heard this before. I was struck when I heard it said by a former Israeli Prime Minister many years ago prior to the actual process that led to the Camp David Accord. It sounded right.Yesterday, President Obama released memos from the Bush Administration justifying the use of interrogation methods which can only be described as torture. And even though I believe Obama was right to say there would be no prosecutions, his decision not to press ahead with criminal charges against CIA officers who used these memos to justify their behaviour has left many in his liberal base upset and bewildered. In other words, interrogators appear to have been told they can do wrong and everything will be forgotten.
The ACLU was first off the mark to sound the clarion of protest. Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy was clearly disappointed with Obama’s approach because any future prosecution will likely be more difficult as a result. Obama media backers were also highly critical of the move and speculated loudly that such a chilling and despicable episode in US history could be repeated unless offenders were prosecuted. Judicial initiatives in other countries against torture during the Bush years could very well be compromised as a result of Obama’s reluctance to prosecute.
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Coyne v. Wells on the Liberal surge
By macleans.ca - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 7:09 PM - 24 Comments
VIDEO: Watch Andrew Coyne and Paul Wells debate the Liberal’s recent success in the polls
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Coyne v. Wells on the Liberal surge
By macleans.ca - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 7:02 PM - 4 Comments
Andrew Coyne and Paul Wells discuss the recent surge the Liberals are receiving in the polls
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The 12 brands most likely to die before the end of next year
By John Intini - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 6:27 PM - 4 Comments
Gap, AIG and Chrysler make the list
After crunching the numbers gleaned from financial reports, 24/7 Wall St. has compiled a list of the 12 brands most likely to disappear from the commercial landscape before the end of next year. According to the authors, the future isn’t bright for the Saturn and Chrysler brands. Eddie Bauer, Gap (along with its spin-off brands) and Crocs are also on the list. As is the Avis/Budget car rental companies, gadget-maker Palm, one-time insurance giant AIG, Architectural Digest, Esquire, and at least one of the big American airlines round things out.
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Cable guy
By Paul Wells - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 5:16 PM - 33 Comments
I’ll be on Steve Paikin’s TVO show The Agenda tonight for the full hour (“TVO: We’re Suckers For Punishment”), as part of a sprawling five- (six? I forget) member panel discussing the history, current state, and short-term prospects of the Conservative Party of Canada. We taped it yesterday; I got into a weird mood and wound up defending Stephen Harper more than I have lately in other contexts. Anyway, it’s on at 8 if you’re in Ontario, and will be online for weeks afterward if you like hour-long panel discussions. Hello? Anyone?
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Republican Disarray
By John Parisella - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 5:08 PM - 10 Comments
Preliminary reviews would lead us to believe that President Obama will get kudos when the first 100 days are up. Not all has gone as planned for his administration, but Obama has clearly set the pace and the political agenda. On the other side of the political fence, while the Democrats are currently benefiting from the Obama effect, the Republicans seem confused, listless, and divided.
This week’s tax day tea parties—supported by the Republican National Committee and promoted by Fox News—may give the impression that the GOP has finally found an issue on which it can attack Obama. The debate surrounding the budget, the bailouts, and tax hikes aimed at the top two per cent of income earners may indeed provide fiscal conservatives with some fodder. But the president has countered their outrage with a convincing explanation of his economic policies. Add to this the fact Obama’s approval numbers remain over 60 per cent and you get the impression the tea parties will be quickly forgotten.
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The Macleans.ca Weekly News Quiz
By macleans.ca - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 4:00 PM - 2 Comments
Been following the headlines? Prove it.
Test your knowledge of the week’s events. Click Here.
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Globalization—It’s older than money
By Philippe Gohier - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 3:47 PM - 2 Comments
A new book claims the ancient world might hold some lessons for these troubled economic times
In their new book, academics Karl Moore and David Lewis trace the origins of the world economy all the way back to the origins of civilization. Drawing on archeology, religion and economic history, The Origins of Globalization argues that international trade has been around as long as trade itself—and that it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Moore, a professor at McGill’s Desautels faculty of management, spoke with Macleans.ca about the book and the lessons the ancient world might hold for these troubled economic times.Q: Your book is about globalization, and yet you write that “regionalization is the major story in the world economy.” How do you reconcile the two?
A: It used to be that there were two ways of looking at the world: the first level was national; the second one was global. Today, we argue there are four. We’ve added region-think NAFTA, the European Union. We also have-and Richard Florida has talked a lot about this-city and the creative class. Nation is becoming less important, while region and cities are becoming more important.
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John McCallum's secret shame (II)
By Aaron Wherry - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 3:25 PM - 8 Comments
Chris Selley considers John McCallum’s car-related confusion.
That a Volkswagen- or Audi- or Subaru-driving politician might hesitate for even a split second when asked his automotive preference before answering truthfully, or declaring it none of anyone’s business, tells you just about everything you need to know about his chosen profession.
To be fair, it also probably tells you a fair bit about Windsor, a place where the most popular bumper sticker reads: “Out of a job yet? Keep buying foreign.” You could make the case that Windsor has long enjoyed a strange relationship with the rest of the country, but in the present circumstance—the highest unemployment of any Canadian city, still profoundly dependent on an industry the rest of the country couldn’t care less about—it is a particularly unique, and disenfranchised, place.
And I say this as someone who regularly returns there and is presently agonizing over the Windsor Spitfires’ playoff run.
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Who will Obama pick to be his ambassador to Canada?
By Luiza Ch. Savage - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 3:20 PM - 15 Comments
Latest rumour: A Chicago lawyer who raised gobs of cash for the campaign.
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A vision for dessert
By Aaron Wherry - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 2:45 PM - 17 Comments
Michael Ignatieff is interviewed in the latest edition of More—”Canada’s magazine celebrating women over 40″—and there he clarifies his oft-debated position on peach pie.
Q: In your journey across Canada with Zsuzsanna, you were reading family history and visiting important sites, but you were also looking for the best pie in Canada…
A: That was a very serious quest! Off the major highways you often find fresh, homemade pie at gas stations. So we decided to make it a competition. The pies got better and better; our standards got higher. We found the winner in a Ukrainian family restaurant in the Thompson Valley in B.C. Straight-up peach pie—fresh peaches, no a la mode, the pastry thin and not too sweet.
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Rae on Ignatieff (II)
By Aaron Wherry - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 2:09 PM - 1 Comment
The second installment of the Real News Network’s interview with Bob Rae.
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Death on the ocean air
By macleans.ca - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 1:59 PM - 0 Comments
Cargo vessels are the kings of air pollution, but steps to clean them up are only just beginning
There are 760 million automobiles in the world. The 15 largest cargo ships plying the seas produce as much atmospheric pollution as all those autos. Low-grade oil used by the world’s 90,000 ocean-going ships produce alarming amounts of sulphur dioxide, particulates and nitrogen oxide. New research indicates the fleet is responsible for 60,000 deaths a year. The Obama administration is preparing a 368-km buffer zone around the United States (Canada is expected to adopt the measure as well). The buffer zone would require ships entering the zone to meet more stringent environmental standards. Europe has yet to take similar steps even though its coastal waters are the busiest in the world.
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Folic acid for every mother and child
By macleans.ca - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 1:55 PM - 0 Comments
Recent immigrant women in Canada are less likely to take the supplement, which prevent birth defects
Immigrant women are less likely than those born in Canada to take folic acid before getting pregnant. Folic acid, also known as folate or vitamin B9, cuts the risk of neural tube defects in babies in half. A groundbreaking study by St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto with Health Canada and the University of Toronto reveals that while 61 per cent of Canadian-born females took folic acid supplements in the three months preceding conception, the rates were significantly lower among women born in the Caribbean or Latin America (41 per cent), Sub-Sahara Africa (44 per cent), Northern Africa or the Middle East (31 per cent), or South Asia (46 per cent). What’s more, only 39 per cent of women who have lived in Canada for four years or less took folic acid, compared to 64 per cent of those who have lived here for 17 years or longer. The researchers say this study emphasizes the need to educate immigrant women on the importance of taking folic acid before getting pregnant, either via a non-English pamphlet or by dispensing free supplements.
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Emergency room cri de coeur
By macleans.ca - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 1:53 PM - 3 Comments
A Calgary columnist takes his ailing wife to hospital and finds the experience worthy of Dante’s Inferno
Ever have a long, frustrating emergency room experience and wished you could tell the world? Don Braid, a columnist with the Calgary Herald, has the pulpit, but also a sense of urgency sparked by Health Minister Ron Liepert’s moves to cut and delist health services in a system already rocked by privations. For his part, Braid takes his sick wife to emergency and spends 14 hours in purgatory. “My wife is stretched out pale as a ghost with strangers all around. I had to beg for a blanket. They couldn’t spare a pillow. This ‘reformed’ system feels like a nightmare where you’re screaming for help but nobody sees or hears,” he writes. “Wish you were here, Ron.”
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The second cameraman on the grassy knoll
By Aaron Wherry - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 1:19 PM - 8 Comments
The new issue of the Ryerson Review of Journalism has a profile of Robert Hurst, president of CTV News. A large portion of the piece revisits CTV’s infamous/brave/despicable decision to air the outtakes from Stephane Dion’s interview with Steve Murphy.
In addition to details already known, it’s reported that CTV was worried about footage Radio-Canada had recorded on behalf of the press pool. For the record, the Radio-Canada explanation was not mentioned in CTV’s own account of the interview, nor in this letter to the editor by CTV Atlantic’s general manager. A previous attempt to deconstruct the event made only passing reference to the simple competitive consideration. Hurst has also previously said there was “no agreement” not to air the outtakes.
Excerpt from the Review after the jump. Continue…
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Exercising while pregnant is good for the baby
By macleans.ca - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 12:01 PM - 0 Comments
Study says a baby’s cardiovascular health improves
Medicine and Biosciences monitored 26 pregnant women who were divided into groups of exercisers and non-exercisers, and used a non-invasive device to measure the magnetic fields of maternal and fetal heart rates to see if fetuses whose mothers exercised had increased breathing movements (fetal breathing is practice for babies getting ready to breathe on their own after birth). The results found that the fetal breathing movement and the nervous system were more mature in babies exposed to exercise. The women who were grouped as “exercisers” did moderate aerobic exercise like vigorous walking, stationary biking and running 30 minutes three times a week.
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Turning the tables on the Taliban
By macleans.ca - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 11:47 AM - 2 Comments
A riveting account of a U.S. military ambush
Canadians understandably focus of the challenges facing our troops in southern Afghanistan. But it is the US that is doing the bulk of the fighting throughout the troubled nation. Today’s New York Times has a riveting account of how a small group of American soldiers turned the tables on the Taliban, ambushing them at night, high on a ridge in the a remote valley. It wasn’t pretty.
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Stairway to Heaven or Highway to Hell?
By macleans.ca - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 11:45 AM - 0 Comments
Pop songs are the new dirges
New research released by Britain’s biggest funeral provider indicates pop songs are increasingly replacing hymns as funeral soundtracks. The post-mortem Top 30 faves include: “The X Factor winner Alexandra Burke’s ostentatious version of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah and Westlife’s syrupy You Raise Me Up,” reports the Times of London in a story that explores the trend. The tunes join “easy-listening evergreens such as Frank Sinatra’s My Way, Bette Midler’s Wind Beneath My Wings and Angels by Robbie Williams.” More than a quarter of funeral homes surveyed by Co-operative Funeralcare report more offbeat requests include AC/DC’s Highway to Hell, Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust and the theme from Top Gear.
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The central question
By Aaron Wherry - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 11:45 AM - 9 Comments
John Geddes offers an extensive review of True Patriot Love.
Ignatieff’s attempts to defend patriotism as a motivation is more interesting than any stump speech. Without quite saying so, he’s finally addressing the question that certain highly educated, frankly ambitious Canadians have puzzled over ever since he defied their expectations by returning to Canada in 2005: Why give up a Harvard professor’s chair, a regular pulpit in the New York Times Magazine, a loyal British fan base-all for dreary old Ottawa?
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The tricky politics of picking the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican
By macleans.ca - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 11:34 AM - 0 Comments
All eight have been anti-Abortion Catholics. Next one might not be.
The Obama administration’s search to fill the vacant diplomatic post has created a level of scrutiny in Washington unmatched since the very prospect of relations with the Vatican stirred American fears of papal loyalists swearing allegiance to church over country. Since full diplomatic relations were finally established in 1984, all eight American ambassadors to the Holy See have been anti-abortion Catholics. The noticeably lengthy search for the next one, observers say, raises the possibility that he or she may for the first time lack at least one of those attributes.
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Book Review: Michael Ignatieff's 'True Patriot Love'
By John Geddes - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 11:31 AM - 34 Comments
Iggy addresses the question that has puzzled so many
There is a passage in True Patriot Love, Michael Ignatieff’s new book about successive generations of extraordinary men in his mother’s family, in which his uncle, George Grant, comes to terms with being a Canadian.Grant, who would later become famous in his native country as the author of Lament for a Nation, was thriving at Oxford in the years after the Second World War, but he couldn’t deny the tug of home. “I love England,” Grant told his mother, “and think it is the greatest country on earth—but Canada is in one’s heart—in a way that this country can never be.”
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Stay just the way you are, Susan Boyle
By macleans.ca - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 11:30 AM - 1 Comment
Your record sales depend on it
Susan Boyle, the unemployed 47-year-old who became a singing sensation after auditioning for the reality show Britain’s Got Talent has been warned by one of the show’s judges not to have a makeover. In an interview, Amanda Holden speaks out against fellow judge Simon Cowell’s plans to whiten Boyle’s teeth and give her a new hairstyle. “I won’t let Simon Cowell take her to his dentist and I certainly won’t let her near his hairdresser,” she said. “She needs to stay exactly as she is because that’s the reason we love her,” adding: “the minute we turn her into a glamourpuss is when it’s spoilt.”
