NASA Saves Hubble

Astronomers were relieved by the NASA decision to send a shuttle servicing mission to Hubble to keep the space telescope in orbit. The Hubble servicing mission was canceled after the Columbia disaster due to safety concerns. Since then however, NASA has developed the techniques to complete the misson safely. Letting Hubble die would have been an incredibly shortsighted decision since the space telescope has proven itself to be an unquestionable success. The ones who were probably dismayed at the news were probably intelligent designers and other aliens interested in spreading disinformation. To them, NASA sent a message -- be afraid, we're going to find you!

Search with Ms. Dewey

Ms. Dewey has got attitude. She's impatient, sometimes rude, and isn't afraid to tell you off for wasting her time. You will probably want to play with her for only 30-minutes, after that, the novelty of Ms. Dewey wears thin and becomes annoying. She's good for a few laughs, however, she's really only prerecorded smoke and mirrors. What would really be cool is an AI engine with 3D CGI rendering. The technology certainly exists, but it's a project that would require more than just the shoestring budget that Ms. Dewey was created with. [Found and reported by DH.]

The Church of the Non-Believers

Wired is carrying a cover article on the New Atheists -- those that not only denounce religion, but also denounce the acceptance of others belief in the supernatural. Call them the extreme atheists, or whatever -- they're not out to make friends with the religious, the moderates, the liberals, or anybody else for that matter. They don't believe in the supernatural, and they think such belief is harmful to society. Their argument: logic. And they have a point.

Religions Don't Deserve Special Treatment

A.C. Grayling writes in the Guardian, what one commenter describes as the atheist manifesto.

It is time to refuse to tip-toe around people who claim respect, consideration, special treatment, or any other kind of immunity, on the grounds that they have a religious faith, as if having faith were a privilege-endowing virtue, as if it were noble to believe in unsupported claims and ancient superstitions. It is neither.

...

The point to make in opposition to the predictable response of religious believers is that human individuals merit respect first and foremost as human individuals. Shared humanity is the ultimate basis of all person-to-person and group-to-group relationships, and views which premise differences between human beings as the basis of moral consideration, most especially those that involve claims to possession by one group of greater truth, holiness, or the like, start in absolutely the wrong place.

We might enhance the respect others accord us if we are kind, considerate, peace-loving, courageous, truthful, loyal to friends, affectionate to our families, aspirants to knowledge, lovers of art and nature, seekers after the good of humankind, and the like; or we might forfeit that respect by being unkind, ungenerous, greedy, selfish, wilfully stupid or ignorant, small-minded, narrowly moralistic, superstitious, violent, and the like. Neither set of characteristics has any essential connection with the presence or absence of specific belief systems, given that there are nice and nasty Christians, nice and nasty Muslims, nice and nasty atheists.

That is why the respect one should have for one's fellow humans has to be founded on their humanity, irrespective of the things they have no choice over - ethnicity, age, sexuality, natural gifts, presence or absence of disability - and conditionally (ie. not for intrinsic reasons) upon the things they choose - political affiliation, belief system, lifestyle - according to the case that can be made for the choice and the defence that can be offered of the actions that follow from it.

I'm not so sure about the manifesto bit ... but it certainly gives you something to think about.

The Universe on a String

Brian Greene explains string theory in the New York Times. As usual, Greene is very good a bringing complex physics down to the masses. He also defends string theory, which has come under heavy criticism recently, for not living up to its promise of being the theory of everything.

Flags of Our Fathers

Clint Eastwood's latest movie is about the three men in the iconic photograph of the raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima during the second world war. In the photograph, the three men have their backs to the camera. The other three men in the photograph, died on Iwo Jima. At that time, the US government wanted to win support for the war, so they brought the three men home, the media declared them heroes, and they became propaganda. In hindsight, the use of the three men to win support for the war was a good thing -- America was needed to help fight the second world war. Without the Americans, the would have been far different. In hindsight, the use of the three men was also tragic. They felt the real heroes of Iwo Jima died there -- that they, safe in America, were not the heroes.

Newsweek carries a review of the movie that asks what commentary the movie makes on the packaging and selling of the latest war that Americans are embroiled in. It's an interesting question. History does have lessons for us. The information we're fed on the ongoing conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan needs to be carefully tested for validity before consumption. Too often, the truth is distorted, spun and otherwise tampered with, in its delivery to the general public -- and just like the heroes of Iwo Jima, the general public gorges on it unquestioningly.

US Patrols Air at Canadian Border

The US Department of Homeland Security continues to waste American taxpayers dollars. The latest: patrolling the border with Canada from the air using Blackhawk helicopters. Bases are being opened along the border with Saskatchewan and Alberta, with plans for more in the future.

Borat's Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Found out about this quite by accident -- Sacha Cohen Baron is taking Borat big time. The Borat movie will be released on November 3rd. Check out the trailer here.

America's Dumbest Congressmen

Damn! We need a list like this compiled for our elected officials -- I know we can compete, damnit!

The Virtuous Cycle of War

... or how to line the pockets of your big business friends with loot from taxpayers (re: sheep) and foreign nations (re: lambs).

I was having a conversation last week with a friend from work, and he was the one that coined the catchphrase, The Virtuous Cycle of War. [Thanks DM.] War is actually not a bad thing economically, if you're looking for short term gains, and don't mind if lots of people die in the process. When executed well, it's also a great study of the manipulation of truth, change management, the cult of personality, sheer balls and incredible stupidity.

If you're a nation with a great stockpile of arms, a well greased military force (and I mean that in the most un-gayest of ways), you're looking at tremendous capacity to wage wars, but a complete lack of demand. It is expensive to maintain a ready capacity to wage war. Old munitions need to replaced to maintain their efficacy; vehicles need to be serviced; soldiers need to practice. It all costs money. Ask the Russians about this. The cold war was won because the Russians couldn't maintain their capacity. America out spent the Russians because they could spend to maintain capacity -- and the maintenance of capacity is lucrative business.

After 9/11, an opportunity presented itself that left the military industrial complex salivating. The government's response though, was disappointing. Invade Afghanistan, depose the Taliban regime, oust al Qaeda and hopefully, give Osama bin Laden a machine-gun enema. Along with the Taliban however, the truth and intent also became casualties in Afghanistan -- collateral damage if you will, from the most unfriendliest of fire. Instead of entering the country as heroes, as Americans were, an opportunity to do right was lost. America helped to create the Taliban that was so successful in getting the Russians out, so there was credibility there that could have been capitalized on. Unfortunately, a cowboy came riding into dusty Kabul, and no one was entirely sure who's side he was actually on.

War is an expensive endeavour for a nation. Every bullet, every shell, every bomb -- every piece of equipment needs to be serviced or replaced. As well, blowing up buildings along with people, necessitates some post-war spending to rebuild. The hearts and minds aren't won by leaving a disaster behind, but leaving a sustainable nation that can thrive without foreign-aid intervention. The military industrial complex love wars. It's more lucrative than just maintaining a steady-state capacity. Getting a piece of the rebuilding action isn't too bad either, especially when there's so much noise going on (bombs and bullets tend to do that). With so much noise, no one really notices if the rebuilding gets a little too expensive.

Invading Afghanistan and the Afghanistan mission was all justifiable and warranted. It was the right thing to do. Problem is, other than opium, there isn't much of anything worthwhile there. America was burning through cash at a steady clip and wasn't even getting a buzz. Only the military industrial complex was flying, and taxpayers were suffering from a compounding bad trip. Those in power realized that they couldn't sustain the Afghanistan mission. Bin Laden was nowhere to be found, and eventually, the military would have to be pulled out, with a huge bill and not much to show for it. Let's face it, who gives a rats ass about a free Afghanistan. If there really was an interest in a free Afghanistan, 9/11 wouldn't have needed to happen to provide the impetus.

So, huge spending bill + no sustainable war to keep the cash flowing to the military industrial complex = big problem. Enter Iraq. A wealthy nation with lots of natural resources to be bilked. A population that wouldn't protest too much if the Saddam regime was suddenly replaced. Neighbours that didn't really like Iraq. Even the bad guys, al Qaeda and Iran, wouldn't protest too much if Saddam got replaced. The only people that would really get pissed are the French. Bonus! Solution, invade Iraq, tie it to the Afghanistan mission and remind everyone that 9/11 happened. The truth was already dead anyway.

The result has been nothing but a roaring success. Saddam was toppled in no time. The couch potatoes got to see the ultimate reality show -- no one got off the island and there were no survivors. The military industrial complex suddenly had demand flowing like oil from an Arabian pipeline. Business was again good -- and more importantly, sustainable. And Afghani-who? Get the other nations in world to waste their money on cleaning up that disaster. Hell, maybe even the French could be convinced to pitch in -- genius!

Meanwhile in Iraq, send American made missiles into villages and towns. Blow stuff up. All casualties are insurgents, anyway. The result: munitions to be replaced; towns and villages to be rebuilt -- all funded by Iraq's own oil money -- with the cash routed back to American companies providing materials and services. The virtuous cycle of war -- sound business practice for the military industrial complex and the new world colonialism. All that's needed are some friends in the right places, and a docile and scared shitless population back home.

Updated: October 15, 2006

• Why is CNN Censoring Its US Domestic News? -- truth is a casuality in the race to present disinformation. The media gladly plays along.
• US War Against Iran Seen As Inevitable -- if you apply the same virtuous cycle above, the US will invade Iran next, but will leave North Korea alone. Why is North Korea off the radar? A war with North Korea would piss off China and kill the South Korean economy.

Updated: October 16, 2006

• Bush keeps revising war justification -- why is there a war in Iraq right now? Bush doesn't seem to know.
• Can Bush Cancel Elections? -- oh shit ...

End of the Republic

• Pentagon kept tabs on Broward antiwar group
• Free America will end on Tuesday 10/17

I am a Terrorist

Or, “How I Threatened To Burn My Professor At The Stake.”

TO's Top 25 Vegetarian Restaurants

I've been eating less and less meat -- ever since my wife. She takes care of my health better than I do -- tuning my stomach to things I had never heard of before, such as flax, fibre, and omega-3, 6 & 9. Lately, the only meat my stomach has had the opportunity to rejoice to has been chicken, turkey and fish. Nothing else. Which isn't all that bad. I was never a big beef eater -- but occasionally, I have been tempted by a burger, which I have managed to resist for so long, that I can no longer remember the last time I've had one.

So when NOW magazine recently published their top 25 list of vegetarian restaurants in Toronto, I flipped to it, intrigued. I am interested in trying every one of them in the next several months or so, including some restaurants that weren't on their list, but were in the ads in that section. So, with the help of NOW, here are the restaurants I'm going to have a go at.

1. Café 668 | 668 Dundas W., at Denison, 416-703-0668.
   Updated: Nov. 6, 2006
   Friends, my wife and myself went out to Café 668 last week Thursday. It was different -- great different. The food was amazing, and we didn't even notice there was no meat. We ordered four dishes, which we shared, and also had appetizers of hot and sour soup and spring rolls. The restaurant is extremely small. In the cramp quarters, there is room only for about 24 people. When we got there, a party of 12 had just arrive, so most of the restaurant was already full. We had to wait about 20-minutes for a table to be free. The staff is family -- or so it appears. A husband and wife team, with a son who helps. Our friends had never been to a vegetarian restaurant, let alone a Thai restaurant. Comments about the 2x4s (chopsticks) and cups without handles were flying, but did not distract from the food. If you're looking for great vegetarian Thai, Café 668 is a nice place to drop by -- even if it is a bit out of the way. Oh, and remember to bring cash. The establishment does not take any other forms of payment.
2. Live Organic FoodBar | 264 Dupont, at Spadina, 416-515-2002.
3. Fressen | 478 Queen W., at Denison, 416-504-5127.
   Updated: March 29, 2008.
   This is a bit late in coming, but, I've been to Fressen twice, both times with the family. Once for lunch, late last year, and then again in February, for another lunch. Fressen is great for serving vegan organic meals. They manage to take what usually starts out as simple ingredients, and make something artistic and tasty. Couple of things you have to be aware of with Fressen: make reservations, as they are quite popular with the vegan crowd -- and also appeals to a wider swath of consumers. Second: the later you come, the greater your chance of finding them running out of ingredients. There aren't many places where you can find organic and vegan ingredients. As they run out, the menu shrinks, and tables close.
4. Organiclicious | 258 Dupont, at Spadina, 416-513-0479.
5. Wanda's Pie in the Sky | 7 Yorkville, at Yonge, 416-925-7437.
6. Narula's | 1438A Gerrard E, at Ashdale, 416-466-0434.
7. Pulp Kitchen | 898 Queen E, at Logan, 416-461-4612.
8. Boom Shiva | 1180 Queen W, at Northcote, 416-538-1300.
9. Tinto | 89 Roncesvalles, at Marion, 416-530-5885.
10. Urban Herbivore | 64 Oxford, at Augusta, 416-927-1231.
11. Get Real | 135 Ossington, at Argyle, 416-532-4564.
12. Simon's Wok | 797 Gerrard E, at Logan, 416-778-9836.
13. Govinda's | 243 Avenue Rd, at Roxborough, 416-922-5415.
14. Sunny Cafe | 322 Bloor West, at Spadina, 416-963-8624.
15. Bo De Duyen | 254 Spadina, second floor, at Sullivan, 416-703-1247.
16. Kissan | 1411 Gerrard E, at Hiawatha, 416-466-9777.
17. Vegetarian Haven | 17 Baldwin, at McCaul, 416-621-3636.
18. Udupi Palace | 1460 Gerrard E, at Rhodes, 416-405-8189.
    Updated: March 29, 2008.
    I was here last month with the family. The food was great, especially considering I hadn't a clue what I was ordering. It was amazing how fast the place filled up. The decor is simple, but the food is just such a great distraction, that you won't notice -- or care.
19. Buddha's Vegetarian Foods | 666 Dundas W, at Denison, 416-603-3811.
20. Kensington Natural Bakery | 460 Bloor W, at Brunswick, 416-534-1294.
    Updated: March 29, 2008.
    Another late update -- this is a restaurant my wife and I visited for a quick bite last year. It's small, and a bit of a hole in the wall in Bloor West Village. It's not a fancy place, more of a little cafeteria. It's good if you're looking for a snack, and don't mind the decor. The food wasn't bad.
21. King's Café | 192 Augusta, at Baldwin, 416-591-1340.
22. Annapurna | 1085 Bathurst, at Dupont, 416-537-8513.
23. Camros Organic Foods | 25 Hayden, #6, at Yonge, 416-960-0723.
24. Full Moon | 638 Dundas W, at Denison, 416-203-1210.
25. Naturally Yours | 100 King W, at Bay, 416-368-0100.

Updated: October 15, 2006
And here's a couple other restaurants I'd like to try -- they're not necessarily vegetarian.

• Fish Shak | 193 Baldwin St, West of Spadina, Kensington Market, 416-599-7425.
• Lalibela (Ethiopian) | 869 Bloor Street West, 416-535-6615.

There are a few restaurants that I frequent on a regular basis because I really enjoy their food ... they're worth a try.

• Bombay Bhel | 230 Commerce Valley Drive E, Thornhill, 905-771-6957.
• Jaipur Grill | 2066 Yonge Street, 416-322-5678.
• Indian Garden | 32 Eglinton W, 416-485-3377.
• Nando's Chickenland | 9625 Yonge Street, Richmond Hill, 905-508-6500.

Israel's War Crime

Liberal leadership hopeful, Michael Ignatieff, spoke his mind. In politics, that's suicide. He described Israel's attack on Qana as a "war crime." That prompted much brouhaha from inside the Liberal party and prompted Prime Minister Stephen Harper to declare Ignatieff as being "anti-Israel." I don't know what Ignatieff was thinking -- being a politician, he probably refrains from doing much of it -- but regardless of how he may feel about the bombing, the situation between the Palestinians and Israelis and killing people in general -- his comment sparked much revulsion from politicians of all stripes. It has also been made much of in the media.

There is something terribly wrong with the world when Israel is treated with kid-gloves by politicians. When is being critical of Israel being "anti-Israel?" Just what does "anti-Israel" mean? And just why isn't one allowed to be "anti-Israel?" Israel's right to exist is not in question -- but let's face it -- every raid into Palestine does nothing to bring peace, build goodwill and ease tensions in the region. If anything, Israel continues to make it a more dangerous place for its own citizens by making it too easy for Arab moderates to turn radical. Regardless of why Ignatieff said what he said -- and there's probably no reason -- there's absolutely no reason for him to be sorry about it. If Harper would get his head out of Bush's ass, he'd realize that Israel doesn't always play nice.

Gary McHale is a Fucking Idiot

... and so are the people who will be following him tomorrow into a rally, protest, whatever the fuck he thinks he's trying to accomplish at the disputed housing development complex in Caledonia. Natives have occupied the site since February, to take back land they say were stolen from them. That forced the Ontario government to purchase the land from developers and open negotiations with the natives. McHale, who's from Richmond Hill -- over 100km away -- got his underwear in a knot over what he see as the natives being above the law. (Check out McHale's site -- this guy and his wife have an incredible hatred for natives.)

There's absolutely nothing wrong with McHale having opinions -- but there's absolutely something wrong with the way he's going about expressing it. Marching towards the occupied housing complex, where the natives continue to camp out, is asking for a confrontation -- one that may erupt. Adding to the stupidity, the government was aware two weeks ago of McHale's intentions, but have chosen to do nothing about it, other than maintaining a police presence. A court injunction would have been enough to keep McHale at bay while negotiations continued. So what is the motivation of the government?

McHale and his ilk need an education in Canadian history. The wrongs of the past haven't been righted, and I for one completely understand the natives frustrations -- frustrations at the pace of compensation; the willingness of the various governments to negotiate in good faith; and lack of momentum to the multitude of outstanding land claims. Those are enough reasons to drive anyone to protest. McHale's reasons? The natives are being treated differently and are above the law. Somebody slap some sense into the idiot!

While I'm on this little rant, check out this article in the Toronto Star on the topic. As someone of Indian descent, I get pissed whenever I see shit like this. Stupid people! Yoo-hoo, stupid people ... native, aboriginal North Americans are not Indians! Indians are from India. Columbus and the mercenary privateers that descended from Europe when the world was still flat, got lost -- they were looking to rape and pillage India, but instead happened on North and South America. Instead of saying, "Ooops, we're lost," they declared the people they found to be Indians. The Nordic people have been traveling to the continent way before and didn't find any Indians -- the natives here weren't cooking curry -- India is on the other side of the fucking world -- stop calling the native North Americans Indians! They have different names. Learn them!

Check out the pompous dumb-ass himself in a couple of videos, being confronted by some folks just fed up with his self-serving shit-distubance.

Product Red Fighting AIDS in Africa

Bono is at it again. And good for him, despite the public's overdose of his pontificating. He's preaching for a good cause. This time, he's joined forces with Bobby Shriver of Debt AIDS Trade in Africa to raise awareness and money for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Product Red is an innovative way of campaigning for charity -- instead just going to the general public, Product Red targets businesses. It is a brand who's cachet is its cool, which it makes available to businesses to create products against. The catch: a portion of the sales goes straight to the Global Fund.

The brand is a great way for consumers -- who will consume, no matter what -- to affiliate themselves with something greater than themselves. It basically provides a little less guilt at the rampant consumerism of the west. A little help goes to those who need it, and you get to continue your affluent lifestyle. So far, American Express, Apple, Converse, Motorola, Gap and Giorgio Armani have signed up to produce products with the Product Red brand. If this all leaves you with a slight queasy feeling in your stomach, then you're part of the converted. Just remember that there is the masses out there that really don't give a shit if Africa is dying. Product Red hopes to empty their wallets while they're not looking. If you're queasy, this isn't for you -- it's for them.

Grameen Bank's Nobel Peace Prize

If there ever was someone deserving of the recognition, it is Mohammed Yunus his Grameen Bank of Bangladesh. They were recognized by winning the Nobel Peace Prize for an innovative banking scheme to help those in poverty in the third world. The Grameen Bank specializes in providing micro-loans to poor people looking for simple ways to make their lives better -- perhaps even by starting a business. In the process, the Grameen Bank has grown, been profitable, and have demonstrated that there are economically viable ways of fighting poverty other than handouts.

Savage America

Bob Burnett writes about the Savage America:

"It's hard to see this America. It helps to be outside the country, as we are at the moment, and to look at the United States from a distance. Still, it's difficult to admit that the U.S. is on the decline while much of the first world is the ascent. Nonetheless, philosophers teach that ignorance is the inability to see things as they really are. And, the truth is that the United States has become a savage nation. A country that's not only abandoning democracy, but also civil society."

American Dictator

LewRockwell.com carries an article by James Bovard on the continued expansion of executive power in the American government and the President's total disregard for the rule of law. Bovard points to the number of signing statements George Bush has amended to new laws he has approved, which clarify Bush's position on the laws -- positions which amount to totally disregarding the letter of the laws or reinterpreting their meaning. Bovard contends that, "Bush's signing statements are building blocks for dictatorship. The longer he builds, the darker America becomes."

Bovard is correct. What the current American government fail to recognize is that they are caretakers of the country. The country will exist beyond their mandate, and as caretakers, they need to act not for the present, but for the future. There seems to a complete lack of vision for the future. The American people, likewise, seem fine with this troubling trend. Complacency seemed to have settled in. The population has become bloated with disinformation and an obsession with reality TV, instead of public policy and discourse into the future of the state.

This is troubling, and not just for America, but the other democracies in the world. The forces of tyranny are already massing against the free -- they are amongst us, and enabled by our freedom, launching their attacks. You hear it loud and clear when some religious zealot from Canada, United States or Britain, call for the use of religious ethics to temper our laws. Our response cannot be the curtailing of our freedoms. They've already won if we become the regimes they're calling for in response to their abuse of our freedoms. America is a nation at the forefront of this battle -- mostly because they've made it their battle since 9/11. If America's response to totalitarianism is become a totalitarian state, every other democracy will be in trouble. As the dominant superpower, and symbol for democracy and freedom around the world, America extends a tremendous influence -- indirectly, but especially directly with their foreign policy. If America succumbs, it won't be long before the other democracies start to move in their direction as well.

What will slow the slide to an American dictatorship? Ordinary Americans waking up and listening. Don't listen to those "lefties" and "liberals" -- listen instead to the right and the conservatives. Listen carefully, and be afraid. It's time for you to shake off the complacency.

Scott Adams is In Over His Head

Scott Adams has a brilliant blog post about the many occasions in his life when he's been in over his head. Take a read. Frankly, I think the post is inspirational. The creator of Dilbert being inspirational? Well, you'd be amazed where inspiration can come from these days -- and if we all thought like Scott Adams, you know, we just could do it too.

Just Say "Know" To Outsourcing

The latest issue of CIO magazine has a great article on outsourcing that provides a warning for those about to step off the precipice. Before stepping off and committing your soul to an outsource partner, you should first ensure that it's the right thing to do -- because you may just be setting yourself up for what may seem like an eternity of pain.

First, know thy self. Do you know your operations? Do you know what makes your business of IT tick? Do you have metrics? Do you measure against established service levels? Do you know how the parts of your IT organization affect the whole? Once you know you, the next thing to do is develop an sourcing strategy that is tied with your organization's business strategy. This will tell you what you really need to keep close, and what is not so important and may be a candidate for outsourcing. Outsourcing isn't just about money -- it's as much about what in your operations is a strategic differentiator for your business organization -- regardless of the expense.

When Not to Outsource

1. Your company is going through rapid or dramatic change.
2. You already have a low-cost IT environment.
3. Your sole rationale is cost savings.
4. You don't have an overall sourcing strategy.
5. You don't have the internal competency or a plan to manage the outsourcer.
6. You're doing it because senior executives are forcing you to.
7. You don't understand internal IT costs and quality.
8. You're outsourcing because the competition is doing it.
9. You'd have to transfer a significant amount of knowledge that's core to the business.
10. You're not clear about the overall business strategy and how IT fits into it.

Things To Do In Ontario When You're Bored This Fall

This past Thanksgiving weekend, I was up at the Forks of the Credit (Bellfountain), Balls Falls (Vineland) and then just in the woods that runs along the Don River, not far from my home. There is much to see and do in nature, not far from where I live in Toronto. There is also much of Ontario I haven't yet seen, and I could probably spend the rest of my life just exploring what nature has to offer -- revisiting some favourite places, and going to some places simply because they have interesting names. Now is an especially good time with the brilliant fall colours painting nature -- although time is running out to catch what's left of fall.

Here's a few websites I've shortlisted in my research to help getting out there happen a little faster.

• Fall Colour Report -- from the Weather Network, this report is updated every two weeks or so
• Great Fall Drives in Muskoka country -- from Muskoka Tourism
• Great Fall Drives in Ontario -- from Ontario Tourism
• Ontario Fall Colours Progression Report -- from Ontario Travel Information North of Toronto, this site is updated twice per week through the fall on progression of the fall colours
• Fall Colour Report -- from Ontario Parks, this site tells you which parks are the best to be in to enjoy the colours

The Media Can Legally Lie

The whistleblower case that was featured in the documentary, the Corporation, in which Fox News buckled under threats from Monsanto, and fired the investigative reporters of the Investigators, ended with Fox News winning the court case of wrongful dismissal. What Fox News won, though shocking, isn't as shocking as how they won. The reporters were fired because Fox News ordered them to falsely their report on the use of Monsanto's BGH in dairy cows -- and they refused. In Fox's appeal, the argument was made that there is no law that requires Fox News, or any news agency for that matter, to report the truth. While the FCC has rules that govern such things, the FCC rules are not law.

In effect, in dismissing the case against Fox News, the court ruled that it was not illegal for the media to lie. The media has no obligation to the public to broadcast the truth. Congratulations America, you've now made it legal to lie to your citizens. "Truth, justice and the American way" now has new meaning.

Anna Politkovskaya

Three days ago, Russian journalist, Anna Politkovskaya, was assassinated. Her death is yet another sign of the growing acceptance of politically motivated killings in Russia over the past few years. With each new death, Russian society grows more accepting of the return to the old ways. Politkovskaya was a vocal critic of the Russian government and its policies, especially in lax enforcement of human rights laws. Her death, like the others, will be fully investigated, and left unsolved by the Russian authorities. Her death will not be mourned by the Putin government.

Most alarming is Russian society -- their acceptance of the assassinations and lack of interest in the abuses Politkovskaya was critical of. As Putin commented, "I think that journalists should be aware that her [Politkovskaya] influence on political life was extremely insignificant in scale. She was known in journalist and human rights circles, but her influence on political life in Russia was minimal." I'm not sure this was the state of affairs Gorbachev was hoping for when he ended the cold war and brought democracy to Russia.

Stephen Colbert in New York Magazine

“Language has always been important in politics, but language is incredibly important to the present political struggle. Because if you can establish an atmosphere in which information doesn’t mean anything, then there is no objective reality. The first show we did, a year ago, was our thesis statement: What you wish to be true is all that matters, regardless of the facts. Of course, at the time, we thought we were being farcical.” -- Stephen Colbert in New York magazine.

Click the link, read more.

What is Beauty?

In a report published in the September issue of the journal Psychological Science, researchers propose an explanation for why people find prototypical, or average, faces, attractive. It turns out that prototypical faces are easy for the brain to process -- and therefore attractiveness is dependent on the amount of time it takes for the brain to process the visual information coming from a face. By extension, we may similarly find objects attractive based on how taxing it is for the brain to process the visual information.

For more: Prototypes are attractive because they are easy on the mind [PDF].

Google Buys YouTube

Google is set to acquire YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock -- whoo-hoo! But in the short term, not much will change at YouTube. YouTube will continue to operate separately from Google, although it will leverage Google's advertising relationships to make money. Not sure what this news means for YouTube's treatment of users and copyrighted material. YouTube's growth has been on the backs of both copyrighted material and users -- but the company has treated both with an amount of ambivalence that have pissed off content creators and the users that upload the content to YouTube.

If Google Video is any indication, YouTube will become more restrictive with the content that is being uploaded. That may stymie their growth, although revenues should grow as Google advertising business is leveraged.

Updated: Oct. 10, 2006
Google Trends analysis of YouTube and Google Video traffic shows a good reason for Google's purchase: YouTube was kicking Google Video's butt.

North Korea's Nuclear Test

It may have become an even more dangerous place today as the world reels from North Korea's claim that it has successfully detonated a nuclear device in an underground test. The world is taking North Korea's claim seriously, with the UN mulling options on the degree of economic sanctions to apply. Even so however, most nations are waiting for international confirmation that North Korea did go nuclear, and didn't just explode a very large conventional bomb. Russia has expressed no doubts.

A few things come to mind in reaction to this breaking news.

1. Does North Korea really have nukes? Chances are they don't, and what they really did was explode a conventional bomb. Regardless, the hawks in the western world will be pushing for a much tougher response from the UN. I doubt however, there will be a response like what we've seen in response to Iran's threat to continue their "peaceful" nuclear program. Why? Because most believe that Kim Jong Il is a fruitcake. The man is completely disconnected from reality -- and North Korea is not even close to going nuclear. (If I'm wrong, I'll be eating my words in a few days I suppose.) On the other hand, Iran represents a much more real threat. Iran is probably closer to joining the nuclear club, and unlike Kim Jong Il, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is more than just a fruitcake. Ahmadinejad is smart and a bit suicidal. Kim on the other hand is a survivor.
2. Why isn't the US threatening to bomb North Korea to kingdom come? Despite the fact that the US may be way overextended militarily, you would think the US would be threatening first strike against North Korea -- just as they have alluded for Iran. Publicly, the US purports to be play the role as the world's police. Bush even likens himself to leader of the free world. Yet the absence of a harsh threat from the US reveals its intentions in the Middle East theatre. North Korea isn't of interest -- even if they really do possess nuclear weapons capability. The US interest in the Middle East has far more to do with acting as the world's police and more to do with the interests of Cheney, Rumsfeld and Bush.
3. The US is also not being heavy handed with North Korea because of the Chinese. There is no country in the Middle East with the clout of the Chinese. While the Chinese doesn't have the military might of the US, the last thing the US wants right now is to start a cold war with China. China is too important to the world economically. So, despite the US need to act in the interests of Japan, I doubt much more than limited sanctions will be called for and enforced by the UN. The US meanwhile, will leverage the UN bureaucracy to ensure inaction is all that results, and will push China and Russia to bring little Kim in line -- maybe send him some more food shipments.

Updated: October 10, 2006

• North Korea: A Nuclear Threat from Newsweek magazine -- read the tale of a game of chicken with a madman.

Updated: October 12, 2006

• Condi Rice is a twit -- blaming Clinton administration for latest failures.
• Rolling Blunder -- How the Bush administration let North Korea get nukes.
• Bush rejects idea of talks with N. Korea

Silicon Superstitions

Jef Raskin wishes you to ask yourself a simple question: in your interaction with technology, is what you do based on fact and observation or on some superstition? He makes a great observation that demonstrates just how crazy people tend to be. Ever tried to do something on the computer and had no luck? Then when help arrives, you repeat the steps to demonstrate the error, and ... remarkably, with someone looking over your shoulder, it all goes right.

Although our world is technologically advance -- our tools becoming more and more complex, humans haven't advanced along with technology progress. We're the same as the people who invented elaborate explanations for everyday occurrences we couldn't explain. With advances continuing, we're becoming less and less capable of understanding our technology -- so much so, that technology is becoming magic.

Death of a President

Here's a film that Americans will most likely not be seeing, unless they download a pirated copy from the internet. Death of a President is a British produced mocumentary that portrays the assassination of George W. Bush during an anti-war rally in Chicago in 2007. The film was shown at the Toronto Film Festival last month, and will be shown on British television -- but US theatres are balking at the film because they don't consider the content appropriate. Self censorship by businesses is nothing new -- but this film would make money -- lots of it, if it was shown, simply because the topic is so ridiculous. It is a testament to the state of affairs in America, that Death of a President is receiving such a cold shoulder by businesses who's sole responsibility is to the enrichment of shareholder value. Perhaps it's a calculated response in order not to run afoul of the Bush administration -- or perhaps it's blind allegiance -- either way, it's disturbing.

If there was a Democratic government in power and the film was about the assassination of a Democratic President, I wonder if there would be such prudence from distributors.

Death of Google's Engineering Culture

Sergey Brin is leading a push to move Google from features to products -- a push to bring sanity to Google's myriad of product releases that are sometimes half-baked, then abandoned as engineers move on to the next exciting thing in the hopper. The Google engineering culture is about to die as Google now focus on growing their business -- not alienate their customers. While Google has some great products, they lack the features of competitors, and therefore hardly achieve market penetration. Good news for Google's customers -- bad news for the pocket-protector set.

Jesus Camp and God's Future Terrorists

"I want to see young people who are as committed to the cause of Jesus Christ as the young people are to the cause of Islam. I want to see them as radically laying down their lives for the gospel as they are over in Pakistan and Israel and Palestine and all those different places... Excuse me, but we have the truth!" -- Pastor Becky Fischer.

The indoctrination of the young by fundamentalist Christians in the US is unforgivable. Children are being robbed of their childhood by adults bent on creating a nation in which God rules -- or more accurately, the religiously corrupt rule. You know who they are. They are the ones who think for you -- make the rules up for you -- and eventually send you off to wage war against heathens in foreign lands. Want to know what the future of America looks like if they get their way? Look no further than the Middle East.

For more, check out Surviving 'Jesus Camp' by Josh Timonen at the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason & Science. I posted a video on the documentary this article references back on Sept. 17 -- scary.

Wind Shaped Pavilion

Here's an interesting concept ... this design proposal for a building allows for the six segments to randomly rotate around a central supporting frame by the wind. The pavilion continually changes shape, generating electricity which can be used by the building. Check out more photos here. The concept pavilion was designed by Californian-based Michael Jantzen.

Adrienne Clarkson Disses Queen Elizabeth

And I say, who gives a shit about either one of them.

See the opinions of others in the Toronto Star and read some details on CTV.

War on Evolution Has a Price

Paul Hanle of the Biotechnology Institute writes in the Washington Post on the price the war of evolution will ultimately cost -- namely, the capacity of the future generation to innovate and compete in the global economy. Hanle hits nail on the head by defining the war on evolution as not a war of the believers against the godless non-believers, but a war "between religious dogma cloaked as science and open inquiry." It is a war that is being fought in the public schools for the minds of the future. What proponents of intelligent design don't seem to grasp is that by attacking evolutionary science, they're attacking the very foundations of biological science. Without today's students being taught the facts and the principles of scientific query that leads to understanding of the physical world, how can we expect them to be functioning researchers who will be on the frontlines developing cures for emerging diseases? Intelligent design and related muddlement are injustices we are allowing to be committed against the future. The future needs more than our silence in the face of such attacks.

Banning Fahrenheit 451

There is no such thing as blissful stupidity. There is only stupid stupidity. And in this case, Alton Verm of Texas is as stupid as they come. Verm, an avid church goer and a very stupid man (please bear with me, I'm stressing a point here) has decided to ask his local school district to remove Fahrenheit 451 from the school because "it's just all kinds of filth," that he doesn't want