i drive to waterloo

It was so great to see my friend D! I say it all the time, but here I go again: thank goddess for the internet. Every friend I have up here, I originally met online. And some, like many of you folks, I have only met online. Our immigration and re-settling experience would have been so different - so much more difficult, and so much lonelier - without the internet.

Yesterday's drive to Kitchener-Waterloo was longer than I anticipated, so I just poked around Kitchener a bit. There's a nice little downtown, decked out for the holidays, and a big farmer's market.

Was (is?) the area an enclave of German immigrants? I saw several German-themed stores and a big German-language bookstore. That made me think of the propaganda (and violence) that hurt German-Americans in the US during both World Wars. You've heard of Freedom Fries - did you know there was once Liberty Cabbage? It's usually known as sauerkraut... I was wondering if Canadians of German descent experienced the same thing. I'd be surprised if they didn't.

I didn't go to the Clay and Glass Museum, but I will. I'm thinking of saving it for a Mom visit - my mother adores glasswork. M@ mentioned St Jacobs: my mom also loves quilts, and craftwork of all kinds, and I love pottery. So I think my mom and I will check that out on her next visit, in the spring.

I have to keep this post short and uneventful, as I'm not feeling so hot. (Hmm, will this be the day I use the health care system for the first time?) I'll just catch up on the long discussion going on in comments here, although it sounds out of my league.

"escape to canada"

I just got an email from the director of an upcoming film called "Escape To Canada". I guess he's looking for escapees to help plug his movie. I don't know anything about it, but I'm game.

From the Trailervision website:

When America isn't America anymore...
Where do you go?

Although there's been an explosion of press about Americans looking to move to Canada, Americans have been fleeing the US since the previous election. Canada, normally a quiet, out of the way place, has suddenly become cool. Hundreds of "reefer refugees", gay couples and AWOL soldiers have been arriving in different cities around the country. At the same time, a profound change is taking place in Canada.

Canada now has marijuana cafes in every major city; gay marriage is legal from coast to coast; topless women are not the issue they are in the US. The government is on the verge of decriminalizing pot.

The idea that Canada is the real freedom-loving country in North America has re-ignited and the double combo of gay marriage and relaxed marijuana laws is changing Canada. Escape to Canada, the documentary is about North America's new battle for freedom. Canada is increasingly the focal point for personal freedom issues - over the right to gay marriage, the war on drugs, even the freedom for women to go topless. But is Canada really free?

From the creators of the hit documentary Stupidity, Escape to Canada is the dramatic chronicle of the new century's battle for hope and freedom.

Escape to Canada
80 Minutes
A Elevator Films
Canal D, Documentary Channel, National Film Board, Movie Central
Release date: Fall, Winter 2005

Watch the trailer here.

800-pound gorilla

The Canadian news is abuzz this morning with the scolding from Washington.

Washington Scolds Ottawa
U.S. tired of Canadian attacks on environment, trade policies

Ottawa and Vancouver — The United States launched an exceptional mid-campaign rebuke yesterday of the Liberal government's constant criticism of the Bush administration, bringing the high level of tensions between the world's two biggest trading partners to the forefront of the Canadian election.

"It may be smart election-year politics to thump your chest and constantly criticize your friend and your No. 1 trading partner. But it is a slippery slope, and all of us should hope that it doesn't have a long-term impact on the relationship," the U.S. ambassador to Ottawa, David Wilkins, said in a tough speech to the Canadian Club at the Chateau Laurier.

The 20-minute address reverberated on the campaign trail. Liberal Leader Paul Martin, who had promised to repair relations with Washington when he became Prime Minister two years ago, vowed yesterday to continue to defend Canadian interests "against anybody."

Tory Leader Stephen Harper did not address the matter. It may become a challenge for him to strike the appropriate balance between improving Canada-U.S. relations and cozying up to the Americans.

That's for sure. Last night's National highlighted Harper's USophilia, and I see he's now trying to backpedal.

* * * *

Two more international bites.

The President of Iran called the Holocaust a "myth".

And Austrians are horrified as their one-time hero murders a reformed man.

what i'm watching: new york, twice

We recently saw two movies that co-starred my favorite city. One was Woody Allen's Melinda and Melinda. It was sweet and funny, and if you like Woody Allen, it's a nice rental. If you don't care for his brand of romantic comedy, you won't find anything new. It's all shot in Manhattan, of course, including a gorgeous autumnal Central Park.

The other New York movie was Saving Face, a terrific romantic comedy by Alice Wu. Two women fall in love against the backdrop of the Chinese community in Flushing, in New York City. Bits of Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan make appearances; the movie has a real New York flavour. I really enjoyed it and definitely recommend it.

And what do I find on a Simpsons re-run last night? Well, what else? Lisa confesses that she cheated, and what turns out to be a fake Springfield Comptroller says: "That took courage. And where I come from - Canada - we reward courage..." As Lorna recently pointed out in comments, a few of the Simpsons writers are Canadians, but we thought this was just a random Canada line. Like, why not.

sad

You know what today is? Bah.

scraps

I have a bunch of odds and ends to post this morning.

Our Ontario Health cards arrived yesterday. I have to start looking for a doctor. I know, good luck. I've heard all about the huge shortage of doctors in the GTA, and in all of Ontario. But what can I do, I've got to give it a shot.

We had excellent Indian food in Mississauga last night, thanks to a Chowhound recommendation. Other people's tips are essential to finding good food in the suburbs. The non-chain restaurants are tucked away in strip malls and shopping centres, and outside of our little village of Port Credit, we don't pass anything on foot. Driving by, it all looks the same. But thanks to you guys and Chowhound, I'm learning there's more life out here than first meets the eye.

If you've been around wmtc for a while, you know we don't celebrate this upcoming winter holiday. However, one of the four major holidays of Allan-and-Laura-land is approaching: January 3, anniversary of domestic partnership. In the past, we've usually done a spectacular dinner at one of Manhattan's top restaurants, as much an experience as a meal. Some years we went away for a few days (which, believe it or not, can cost as much as one ultra-high-end dinner). One recent year I recall a martini-lounge crawl. And now we celebrate our continuing partnership in our new land. What to do? The goal is to come up with something truly special, and preferably romantic. Suggestions now being fielded.

Tomorrow I'm meeting a friend in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. We met online many years ago, and then met in person when Allan and I visited Toronto for the first time. We're meeting for dinner, but I'm going to drive up earlier to take a look around. Anything I should know?

I finished the outline for Ancient Civs II (actually World History 500-1450), and now I have to wait for approval before I can start writing. This leaves me with a two or three week window, where - theoretically - I can knock off a big Kids On Wheels assignment. If I can do it, it will save me major deadline stress in the spring - but these things have a way of not working out the way I plan. We'll see.

Speaking of Ancient Civs, here's a little freelance story for you.

A few weeks ago, an editor asked me to do a rush assignment, immediate turnaround, very good money. I did it. I sent an invoice. Two weeks later, editor says, I notice you didn't bill for that rush assignment, make sure you send an invoice soon in order to get in under the next pay period. I say, I sent an invoice to so-and-so. Editor says, Oh, did I forget to tell you? So-and-so doesn't handle that anymore, you need to send it to such-and-such. (Gee, thanks for telling me.)

I re-send invoice. Such-and-such says, good timing, I was about to close out the last batch of cheques.

Three weeks pass.

Yesterday, I receive a cheque! Fairly prompt.

I open envelope. Allan says, Shouldn't that cheque be signed?

Yes, they sent an unsigned cheque.

I email such-and-such. Oh, I'm so sorry. Yes, we need the cheque back. No, we can't issue a new cheque until we receive the unsigned one back.

They're in Paris.

Although the cheque is drawn on US funds, which my Canadian bank will hold for 15 business days. Fifteen. During holiday season.

That's the downside of freelancing. You can't make it work without a financial cushion in the bank, or another steady income on the side.

Plastic on windows is great. Our house was so cold - I mean, inside. Now it's warm and cozy. Hooray for Canadian Tire.

Weather watch: -18 C this morning (about 7 F). Once we're in the single digits Fahrenheit, it's officially cold, as far as I'm concerned. I'm enjoying it.

continued

In comments yesterday, I said:

That reminds me of something I forgot to mention. During the recent non-confidence vote, Allan and I had our first look at a full parliament. I was taken aback by how white and how male it is. I expected - or at least was hoping for - better.

This engendered a big discussion, which I am only reading now - and learning a lot from, as always. (Wmtc readers rock!). Culling this thread from the always-welcome Simpsons-related comments, we find:

Kyle:

Yes, it's still pretty much an old white-boys club. The PM always makes sure that he's surronded by women and minorities in close-up shots, but the rest of the parliament hasn't changed much.

Then again, it also has to do with the fact that outside of the Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton, Canada is mostly white. The Maritimes are especially so, not because they don't want non-whites, but because they can't attract them. Immigrants are drawn to places like Toronto and Vancouver because (a) people outside of Canada have heard of them (b) they have already have large immigrant populations which makes it easier to transition and (c) because places like Halifax don't have large immigrant populations, you have to be braver to move to a place where you'll be surrounded by white people.

In fact, in Atlantic Canada the fact that immigrants aren't moving there is considered a major problem.

Me again:

The PM always makes sure that he's surronded by women and minorities in close-up shots, but the rest of the parliament hasn't changed much.

We noticed that more from Harper than anyone else. Look at me, I've got young people and minorities standing behind me! But I see Martin do it, too.

Then again, it also has to do with the fact that outside of the Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton, Canada is mostly white.

But this doesn't explain the government being mostly white and male. You've just named every major population centre.

The government of any country should reflect the make-up of the country. If Canada's doesn't, there are likely barriers - or at least serious obstacles - preventing it.

Kyle:

But this doesn't explain the government being mostly white and male. You've just named every major population centre.

I meant in that it skews ridings (and thus the makeup of government). Multi-ethnic Toronto has 22 ridings and 5 million people, of whithwhereas Atlantic Canada has 32 seats for 3 million (99% white) people. Thus, every MP from Atlantic Canada will be white, and let's be generous and say a 50% of Toronto's MPs are non-white. That still means of the 54 seats, there will be 12 minorities and 42 white people representing about 2 million minorites and 5 million white people. As you throw in more of the country, the values get even more skewed. Thus, minorities are severly underrepresented, but then you get into the big debate about how do you weigh a dense population centre versus a less-populated but much larger geographic area.

Because of Canada's low population density, this is a much harder issue to solve then the U.S., where the population is a little more evenly distributed.

I mean, if the U.S. were balanced the same way as Canada, 80 million people would live in NYC, 40 million would live in LA, Chicago would have 20 million, there's be about 10 million each in Philidelphia, Pheonix, and Houston, and the remaining 130 million would be spread out among the remaining population centres.

Lone Primate:

Allan and I had our first look at a full parliament. I was taken aback by how white and how male it is.

Really? This astounds me. When I look at the House of Commons, I've been struck by just how diverse the look has become. Given that Canada only opened up immigration without regard to racial categories in the 1960s, around the time I was born, I think the country's made marked progress at integrating newcomers into the political process. When you stop to consider that there virtually WERE no non-white Canadians prior to the 1970s, the fact that there are dozens of MPs who are ethnic minorities today should be seen as a feather in our cap. Currently, there are 37 MPs who were born outside Canada (out of a total of 308 MPs, if I'm not mistaken). That's every 8th MP. I think countries with that level of foreign-born representation must be few and far between. Not all of them are visible minorities, but on the other hand, there are Canadian-born visible minorities in the Commons as well. That number is only going increase over time, of course, as the relative number of European-ethnic Canadians drops. And folks have a point -- most immigrants move to the larger cities, which are underrepresented in Parliament, while rural areas with more homogeneous ethnic characters are overrepresented; that fact would tend to hobble the process of representing non-traditional groups to some extent.

There are, by my count, currently 65 women MPs. At 21% of the total, that's well shy of half. I was actually musing on that to my friend Paul a couple of weeks ago. It's been a long, long time since women got the vote and could be elected to the Commons. Why aren't they half the number by now? It's clear they're electable in Canada; there's hardly anyone left today who would refuse to vote for someone simply because she wasn't a man. Paul suggested it has something to do with the different priorities of men and women. Like it or not, most of the biological and care-giving responsibilities of bringing up the next generation fall to women, and that may be a part of the explanation -- after all, people willing to disrupt their lives to run for office are already a scarce commodity to start with. Coupled with that is the traditional sense that we still grow up with that politics is a men's game... we've grown up used to the idea that prime ministers and presidents, with few exceptions, are men... still. Does that subconsciously dissuade female hopefuls? Does it influence the selection of candidates? There may be something to that. Still, if half the MPs aren't women, more than a fifth are. We might inquire into what was right about the process on those occasions and encourage those circumstances in the future.

Multi-ethnic Toronto has 22 ridings and 5 million people, of whithwhereas Atlantic Canada has 32 seats for 3 million (99% white) people.

No, the City of Toronto, with a population of 2.48 million, has 22 ridings; not the whole GTA, which is what has about 5.5 million people. The riding boundaries don't exactly dovetail to Ontario's municipal boundaries, but the GTA has something like 40-45 ridings, depending on how you slice it. The cities are underrepresented, true -- but not that badly!

But this doesn't explain the government being mostly white and male.

Well, Canada's still mostly white. There are lot of visible minorities in the largest cities, but that's not the norm for the country, at least not yet. According to Statscan, in 2001, the population of Canada included 13.2% visible minorities. Median projections for 2017 suggest the figure will be 20.6% by then.

As for women... that one's more of a poser. But the same question plagues the US Congress and especially the Senate. I imagine it's the case elsewhere, too. Be interesting to look around and find out. Is any legislature running 50-50?

L-girl interjection (today): It's the law in Sweden, the only country that I know of that makes gender balance in government mandatory. Canada is obviously doing way better than the U.S. in this regard. And Canada's House of Commons is more diverse than I thought. That's good news. Back to the discussion.

Wrye:

Women are everywhere, of course, but ethnicity is another question entirely:

You've just named every major population centre.

My dear countrywoman, not so, in a few different ways. But let's look at the stats:

table here

As you can see, Visible Minorities are currently 13.4% of Canadians. If these were evenly distributed among the provinces, you'd expect to have 41 or 42 non-white MPs of the 308. But they're not, and seats don't exactly correspond to population either, so let's break it down:

Less Than 1% visible minority:

Newfoundland and Labrador - 7 seats
Prince Edward Island - 4 seats
Nunavut - 1 seat

Less than 5% Visible Minority:

Nova Scotia - 11 seats
New Brunswick - 10 seats
Yukon - 1 seat
Northwest Territories - 1 seat
Saskatchewan - 14 seats

So, that's 49 seats, of which statistically we might expect 1 visible minority MP, 2 at the most.

between 7 and 8% visible minority:
Manitoba - 14 seats
Quebec - 75 seats

So another 89 seats, of which we might see 6 non-caucasians.

11% VM:
Alberta - 28 seats

Now here, we might expect to see three visible minority members. I think we can agree that they'd have to be Conservatives running in Calgary or Edmonton to have any shot at all. Still, that scenario seems unlikely to me. Am I wrong, Rob?

So far, that's 166 seats of 308, of which me might see at most 11 non-caucasians.

19.1% Non-Caucasian:
Ontario - 106 seats

Now you can see why Ontario is key to any Canadian Election. So, let's say 20 non-caucasians, all from Toronto and Ottawa.

21.6% Non-Caucasian:
British Columbia - 36 seats

So, 7 or 8 MPs, all from Richmond, Surrey, and Vancouver

And that's all. So, of 308 MPs, we would expect to see, at absolute most, 39 Non-Caucasians, including seven relatively unlikely ones from Alberta and Quebec and a sweep of Metro Toronto.

I suspect the actual numbers aren't that far off at all, but I can't find that particular stat :)

(This page also might be of interest, from an organization that follows such things).

In Canada, of course, our major division is linguistic. But that doesn't show up in a photo. [L-girl: Yes, of course! Good point.]

When you stop to consider that there virtually WERE no non-white Canadians prior to the 1970s

Except Natives, of course, but as a country we pretty much had our head up our ass about that prior to that time, I would say.

Lone Primate:

Except Natives, of course, but as a country we pretty much had our head up our ass about that prior to that time, I would say.

Given that they couldn't even VOTE till 1960, I'd say so. :)

Rob:

Now here, we might expect to see three visible minority members. I think we can agree that they'd have to be Conservatives running in Calgary or Edmonton to have any shot at all. Still, that scenario seems unlikely to me. Am I wrong, Rob?

There are currently two, non-white Conservative MPs from Alberta, Rahim Jaffer (Edmonton-Strathcona) and Deepak Obhrai (Calgary East), both of East Indian descent, so your analysis was fairly accurate.

There are also, currently, three female Alberta MPs, one Liberal and two Conservative. They also represent urban ridings.

Carry on!

gift idea

US readers, looking for a good way to spend your money during this holiday season?

How about a t-shirt or lawn sign? I bet there's someone on your list who'd like one, and the money helps build the movement.

call it murder

I rarely read newspaper editorials (as opposed to columnists or Op-Ed pieces), but Common Dreams picked up this piece from the New York Times. Remember Katrina?

Death of an American City

We are about to lose New Orleans. Whether it is a conscious plan to let the city rot until no one is willing to move back or honest paralysis over difficult questions, the moment is upon us when a major American city will die, leaving nothing but a few shells for tourists to visit like a museum.

We said this wouldn't happen. President Bush said it wouldn't happen. He stood in Jackson Square and said, "There is no way to imagine America without New Orleans." But it has been over three months since Hurricane Katrina struck and the city is in complete shambles.

There are many unanswered questions that will take years to work out, but one is make-or-break and needs to be dealt with immediately. It all boils down to the levee system. People will clear garbage, live in tents, work their fingers to the bone to reclaim homes and lives, but not if they don't believe they will be protected by more than patches to the same old system that failed during the deadly storm. Homeowners, businesses and insurance companies all need a commitment before they will stake their futures on the city.

At this moment the reconstruction is a rudderless ship. There is no effective leadership that we can identify. How many people could even name the president's liaison for the reconstruction effort, Donald Powell? Lawmakers need to understand that for New Orleans the words "pending in Congress" are a death warrant requiring no signature.

. . . .

If the rest of the nation has decided it is too expensive to give the people of New Orleans a chance at renewal, we have to tell them so. We must tell them we spent our rainy-day fund on a costly stalemate in Iraq, that we gave it away in tax cuts for wealthy families and shareholders. We must tell them America is too broke and too weak to rebuild one of its great cities.

Our nation would then look like a feeble giant indeed. But whether we admit it or not, this is our choice to make. We decide whether New Orleans lives or dies. [Read the piece here or here.]

Redsock blogged about another disaster relief effort that never happened. While you're over there, here are a few other horrifying thoughts: on chemical weapons and the exit strategy (or not). Ask me again why I left?

what i'm watching: yet another cartoon post

What would I do without Fox cartoons? They give me so much material.

Did anyone catch Lisa Simpson putting a Maple Leaf on her backpack last night? In one of those improbable "the Simpson family travels somewhere to show off their ignorance" episodes, the Simpsons are off to Italy. Lisa says something about "a lot of Europeans feel the United States has made some bad choices in the last, um, five years... so for the next ten days, I'm Canadian!" (Paraphrased, of course.)

Earlier in the episode, Miss Krabappel is going to show a film - class cheers! Credits roll: "With The National Film Board of Canada" - class groans! What's it on? Multiculturalism, of course!

OK, enough cartoons. I feel a serious thought coming on.

pinter again

The next time some wingnut accuses me of leaving the US because of who occupies the White House - because the Democrats "lost" the "election" - I'd like them to read this.

Of course, they won't read it, and if they did, they wouldn't believe it. If you only know the standard US history, if you toe the patriotic party line, you've never heard of any of this. The only people who talk about it are marginalized as crackpots and commies.

I grant you, the real history of the United States does sound rather unbelievable. I only wish it weren't true.

For a depressing history lesson and a sobering bit of truth telling, set aside 15 minutes of your day to read Harold Pinter's Nobel Lecture. (If you have 45 minutes, you can watch it on video.)

. . . As every single person here knows, the justification for the invasion of Iraq was that Saddam Hussein possessed a highly dangerous body of weapons of mass destruction, some of which could be fired in 45 minutes, bringing about appalling devastation. We were assured that was true. It was not true. We were told that Iraq had a relationship with Al Quaeda and shared responsibility for the atrocity in New York of September 11th 2001. We were assured that this was true. It was not true. We were told that Iraq threatened the security of the world. We were assured it was true. It was not true.

The truth is something entirely different. The truth is to do with how the United States understands its role in the world and how it chooses to embody it.

But before I come back to the present I would like to look at the recent past, by which I mean United States foreign policy since the end of the Second World War. I believe it is obligatory upon us to subject this period to at least some kind of even limited scrutiny, which is all that time will allow here.

Everyone knows what happened in the Soviet Union and throughout Eastern Europe during the post-war period: the systematic brutality, the widespread atrocities, the ruthless suppression of independent thought. All this has been fully documented and verified.

But my contention here is that the US crimes in the same period have only been superficially recorded, let alone documented, let alone acknowledged, let alone recognised as crimes at all. I believe this must be addressed and that the truth has considerable bearing on where the world stands now. Although constrained, to a certain extent, by the existence of the Soviet Union, the United States' actions throughout the world made it clear that it had concluded it had carte blanche to do what it liked.

Direct invasion of a sovereign state has never in fact been America's favoured method. In the main, it has preferred what it has described as 'low intensity conflict'. Low intensity conflict means that thousands of people die but slower than if you dropped a bomb on them in one fell swoop. It means that you infect the heart of the country, that you establish a malignant growth and watch the gangrene bloom. When the populace has been subdued – or beaten to death – the same thing – and your own friends, the military and the great corporations, sit comfortably in power, you go before the camera and say that democracy has prevailed. This was a commonplace in US foreign policy in the years to which I refer.

The tragedy of Nicaragua was a highly significant case. I choose to offer it here as a potent example of America's view of its role in the world, both then and now.

I was present at a meeting at the US embassy in London in the late 1980s.

The United States Congress was about to decide whether to give more money to the Contras in their campaign against the state of Nicaragua. I was a member of a delegation speaking on behalf of Nicaragua but the most important member of this delegation was a Father John Metcalf. The leader of the US body was Raymond Seitz (then number two to the ambassador, later ambassador himself). Father Metcalf said: 'Sir, I am in charge of a parish in the north of Nicaragua. My parishioners built a school, a health centre, a cultural centre. We have lived in peace. A few months ago a Contra force attacked the parish. They destroyed everything: the school, the health centre, the cultural centre. They raped nurses and teachers, slaughtered doctors, in the most brutal manner. They behaved like savages. Please demand that the US government withdraw its support from this shocking terrorist activity.'

Raymond Seitz had a very good reputation as a rational, responsible and highly sophisticated man. He was greatly respected in diplomatic circles. He listened, paused and then spoke with some gravity. 'Father,' he said, 'let me tell you something. In war, innocent people always suffer.' There was a frozen silence. We stared at him. He did not flinch.

Innocent people, indeed, always suffer.

Finally somebody said: 'But in this case "innocent people" were the victims of a gruesome atrocity subsidised by your government, one among many. If Congress allows the Contras more money further atrocities of this kind will take place. Is this not the case? Is your government not therefore guilty of supporting acts of murder and destruction upon the citizens of a sovereign state?'

Seitz was imperturbable. 'I don't agree that the facts as presented support your assertions,' he said.

As we were leaving the Embassy a US aide told me that he enjoyed my plays. I did not reply.

I should remind you that at the time President Reagan made the following statement: 'The Contras are the moral equivalent of our Founding Fathers.'

The United States supported the brutal Somoza dictatorship in Nicaragua for over 40 years. The Nicaraguan people, led by the Sandinistas, overthrew this regime in 1979, a breathtaking popular revolution.

The Sandinistas weren't perfect. They possessed their fair share of arrogance and their political philosophy contained a number of contradictory elements. But they were intelligent, rational and civilised. They set out to establish a stable, decent, pluralistic society. The death penalty was abolished. Hundreds of thousands of poverty-stricken peasants were brought back from the dead. Over 100,000 families were given title to land. Two thousand schools were built. A quite remarkable literacy campaign reduced illiteracy in the country to less than one seventh. Free education was established and a free health service. Infant mortality was reduced by a third. Polio was eradicated.

The United States denounced these achievements as Marxist/Leninist subversion. In the view of the US government, a dangerous example was being set. If Nicaragua was allowed to establish basic norms of social and economic justice, if it was allowed to raise the standards of health care and education and achieve social unity and national self respect, neighbouring countries would ask the same questions and do the same things. There was of course at the time fierce resistance to the status quo in El Salvador.

I spoke earlier about 'a tapestry of lies' which surrounds us. President Reagan commonly described Nicaragua as a 'totalitarian dungeon'. This was taken generally by the media, and certainly by the British government, as accurate and fair comment. But there was in fact no record of death squads under the Sandinista government. There was no record of torture. There was no record of systematic or official military brutality. No priests were ever murdered in Nicaragua. There were in fact three priests in the government, two Jesuits and a Maryknoll missionary. The totalitarian dungeons were actually next door, in El Salvador and Guatemala. The United States had brought down the democratically elected government of Guatemala in 1954 and it is estimated that over 200,000 people had been victims of successive military dictatorships.

Six of the most distinguished Jesuits in the world were viciously murdered at the Central American University in San Salvador in 1989 by a battalion of the Alcatl regiment trained at Fort Benning, Georgia, USA. That extremely brave man Archbishop Romero was assassinated while saying mass. It is estimated that 75,000 people died. Why were they killed? They were killed because they believed a better life was possible and should be achieved. That belief immediately qualified them as communists. They died because they dared to question the status quo, the endless plateau of poverty, disease, degradation and oppression, which had been their birthright.

The United States finally brought down the Sandinista government. It took some years and considerable resistance but relentless economic persecution and 30,000 dead finally undermined the spirit of the Nicaraguan people. They were exhausted and poverty stricken once again. The casinos moved back into the country. Free health and free education were over. Big business returned with a vengeance. 'Democracy' had prevailed.

But this 'policy' was by no means restricted to Central America. It was conducted throughout the world. It was never-ending. And it is as if it never happened.

The United States supported and in many cases engendered every right wing military dictatorship in the world after the end of the Second World War. I refer to Indonesia, Greece, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Haiti, Turkey, the Philippines, Guatemala, El Salvador, and, of course, Chile. The horror the United States inflicted upon Chile in 1973 can never be purged and can never be forgiven.

Hundreds of thousands of deaths took place throughout these countries. Did they take place? And are they in all cases attributable to US foreign policy? The answer is yes they did take place and they are attributable to American foreign policy. But you wouldn't know it.

It never happened. Nothing ever happened. Even while it was happening it wasn't happening. It didn't matter. It was of no interest. The crimes of the United States have been systematic, constant, vicious, remorseless, but very few people have actually talked about them. You have to hand it to America. It has exercised a quite clinical manipulation of power worldwide while masquerading as a force for universal good. It's a brilliant, even witty, highly successful act of hypnosis.

. . . .

What has happened to our moral sensibility? Did we ever have any? What do these words mean? Do they refer to a term very rarely employed these days – conscience? A conscience to do not only with our own acts but to do with our shared responsibility in the acts of others? Is all this dead? Look at Guantanamo Bay. Hundreds of people detained without charge for over three years, with no legal representation or due process, technically detained forever. This totally illegitimate structure is maintained in defiance of the Geneva Convention. It is not only tolerated but hardly thought about by what's called the 'international community'. This criminal outrage is being committed by a country, which declares itself to be 'the leader of the free world'. Do we think about the inhabitants of Guantanamo Bay? What does the media say about them? They pop up occasionally – a small item on page six. They have been consigned to a no man's land from which indeed they may never return. At present many are on hunger strike, being force-fed, including British residents. No niceties in these force-feeding procedures. No sedative or anaesthetic. Just a tube stuck up your nose and into your throat. You vomit blood. This is torture. What has the British Foreign Secretary said about this? Nothing. What has the British Prime Minister said about this? Nothing. Why not? Because the United States has said: to criticise our conduct in Guantanamo Bay constitutes an unfriendly act. You're either with us or against us. So Blair shuts up.

The invasion of Iraq was a bandit act, an act of blatant state terrorism, demonstrating absolute contempt for the concept of international law. The invasion was an arbitrary military action inspired by a series of lies upon lies and gross manipulation of the media and therefore of the public; an act intended to consolidate American military and economic control of the Middle East masquerading – as a last resort – all other justifications having failed to justify themselves – as liberation. A formidable assertion of military force responsible for the death and mutilation of thousands and thousands of innocent people.

We have brought torture, cluster bombs, depleted uranium, innumerable acts of random murder, misery, degradation and death to the Iraqi people and call it 'bringing freedom and democracy to the Middle East'.

How many people do you have to kill before you qualify to be described as a mass murderer and a war criminal?

And that is why I'm here. (Now please go and read the speech.)

eugene mccarthy

There'll be many tributes to Richard Pryor online, the ground-breaking comedian who died yesterday at age 65. I'll be looking for words about Eugene McCarthy: former Senator from Minnesota, staunch opponent of the war in Vietnam, thorn in the side of go-along Democrats, sharp-tongued wit, reciter of poetry, lover of baseball, good man. McCarthy died yesterday, 89 years old.

When I was growing up, McCarthy was an icon in my home, until he did the unforgivable. McCarthy opposed Lyndon Johnson on an anti-war ticket ("dove" in the lingo of the times), split the Democrat vote and ushered Nixon into the White House. Nixon kept the war going for another five years. Of course, Johnson had continually escalated the war in Vietnam, and wasn't planning a withdrawal. But liberal Democrats like my father forever blamed McCarthy for Nixon's 1968 election.

Thus Gene McCarthy's unintended legacies are the Democrats' fear and dread of the third-party leftist who might siphon off progressive voters, and liberal Americans' staunch belief that they must vote Democrat, no matter what. I grew up hearing that "a vote for [third-party candidate] is a vote for [Republican candidate]". And that, boys and girls, is how we let the Democrats take their long march to the right.

The "McCarthy gave us Nixon" equation is overly simplistic and might be blatantly wrong. (This review of a book about McCarthy in The Nation demolishes a few persistent myths.) But it influenced the way generations of liberal Americans voted.

Here is the New York Times obituary. Expect tributes from people like Russ Feingold, who carries Gene McCarthy's torch.

where i'm not

The Globe And Mail's travel section today highlights Manhattan. New York can be magical this time of year. I've heard the same about Montreal, and would love to see for myself.

But thoughts of winter in my hometown brought back a very different kind of memory. And I realized...

This is my first Christmas not stuck in Rockefeller Center on the weekends!!! HOORAY.

still burning

Most of you know Baghdad Burning, written by the incomparable Riverbend. Did you know her blog is now available in book form? A wmtc reader just emailed me this:

Iraqi women's voices have been virtually silent since the fall of Baghdad. Yet four months after Saddam's statue toppled in April 2003, the pseudonymous Riverbend, a Baghdad native then 24 years old, began blogging about life in the city in dryly idiomatic
English.... This year's worth of Riverbend's commentary -- passionate, frustrated, sarcastic and sometimes hopeful -- runs to September 2004....The blog continues at riverbendblog. blogspot.com; like this book, it offers quick takes on events as they occur, from a perspective too often overlooked, ignored or suppressed." --Publisher's Weekly

"Once a computer programmer who enjoyed considerable personal freedom, after Baghdad's fall, Riverbend finds herself unemployed and largely restricted....In English that would put many Americans to shame, she chronicles daily life under the occupation, writing about water and electricity shortages with humor and exasperation, writing about violence with deep feeling. She also explains more
complicated topics..."

COPIES NOW AVAILABLE*
Trade Paper (New) $14.95
http://www.powells.com/dose/cgi-bin/product?isbn=1558614893

Thank you to my friend in Waterloo!

employee number 21

When former Blue Jays slugger Carlos Delgado was signed by the Mets last week, I was sorry to see him stay in the National League (he spent one season with the Florida Marlins). I really like Delgado, as a player and a person. He's one of the very few Major League baseball players - and professional athletes in general - who is politically active. Delgado has spoken publicly about his opposition to the war in Iraq, and played a hands-on role in the campaign to end US bombing exercises in his native Puerto Rico. Delgado's decision not to stand for "God Bless America" or the US national anthem made me proud to sit (figuratively) beside him.

But Delgado's political days are over. His new employers told him to shut up and get in line. And he did.

Dave Zirin, the author of What's My Name, Fool?: Sports and Resistance in the United States, writes about Delgado in this column in The Nation. I've quoted Zirin several times, because he writes about the intersection of sports and politics, a favourite corner of mine. (Now he's writing a web-only column in The Nation! Am I jealous? You bet!)

Zirin points out the sad, ironic twist in Delgado's decision. With the Mets, Delgado will don a jersey bearing the number 21: the number worn by Delgado's hero, Roberto Clemente. A man who would never be silenced.

Here's Zirin's column, also found here on Common Dreams.

Sometimes sports mirrors politics with such morbid accuracy you don't know whether to laugh, cry or hide in the basement. Just as the Bush Administration shows its commitment to democracy by operating secret offshore gulags and buying favorable news coverage in Iraq, the New York Mets have made it clear to new player Carlos Delgado that freedom of speech stops once the blue and orange uniform--their brand--is affixed to his body.

For the last two years, Delgado chose to follow the steps of his personal hero, Roberto Clemente, the Pittsburgh Pirates great and the first Latino elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, and use his athletic platform to speak out for social justice. Clemente blazed a trail for generations of Latino ball players by standing up for the poor of Latin America and never accepting being treated as anything less than human. Delgado's contribution to this tradition of pride in the face of conformity was to refuse to stand for the singing of "God Bless America" during the seventh-inning stretch. This was his act of resistance to the war in Iraq. "I think it's the stupidest war ever. Who are you fighting against? You're just getting ambushed now," Delgado told the Toronto Star in 2004. "We have more people dead now, after the war, than during the war. You've been looking for weapons of mass destruction. Where are they at? You've been looking for over a year. Can't find them. I don't support that. I don't support what they do. I think it's just stupid."

Delgado's anti-militarist convictions grew from spending time and money to help clean up the small island of Vieques in his native Puerto Rico. The US Navy had used Vieques for decades as a bombing-practice target, with disastrous results for the people and environment.

When asked by the Star if he was concerned about taking such a public stance, Delgado, then a player for the Toronto Blue Jays, responded, "Sometimes, you've just got to break the mold. You've got to push it a little bit or else you can't get anything done."

But now, Mets' management is pushing Delgado back into the mold. The shame of this is that despite a guaranteed contract and support in the streets, Delgado isn't pushing back. He said at the November 28 press conference announcing his trade to the Mets from the Florida Marlins, "The Mets have a policy that everybody should stand for 'God Bless America' and I will be there. I will not cause any distractions to the ballclub.... Just call me Employee Number 21." And we saw him grin and bear it when Jeff Wilpon, son of Mets CEO and owner Fred Wilpon, said, "He's going to have his own personal views, which he's going to keep to himself."

If opposition to the war were a stock, Delgado bought high and is selling low. There couldn't be a better time than now, a better place than New York City, or a better team than the Mets for Delgado to make his stand. Instead, he has to hear baby-boy Wilpon say to reporters, "Fred has asked and I've asked him to respect what the country wants to do." One has to wonder what country the Wilpons are talking about. The latest polls show Bush and his war meeting with subterranean levels of support. Delgado could be an important voice in the effort to end it once and for all.

He also might have received significant organizational support from Mets General Manager Omar Minaya, the first Latino GM in Major League history, and from Willie Randolph, the first African-American manager of the Mets. Randolph even told reporters, "I'd rather have a man who's going to stand up and say what he believes. We have a right as Americans to voice that opinion." But Minaya merely commented curtly, with an arctic chill, "This is from ownership." But Delgado still caved.

The frustrating fallout of all this is evident in media attacks on Delgado for refusing to continue his act of protest. At first glance, it would be welcome to see, for example, Newsday's Wallace Matthews's writing, "Even if you disagree with his politics, Delgado's willingness to break out of the mold corporate America loves to jam us in set him apart from the thousands of interchangeable young men who thrive athletically and financially in our sports-crazed culture...But no. One of the few pro athletes who had the guts to say no is now a yes man. And the silencing of his voice, whether you agree with it or not, is not a victory for democracy but a defeat."

But where were the critics when the then-protesting Delgado was being booed as a visiting player in New York? And where were they when radio commentators suggested he "just shut up and play"? For those of us who amplified his views, and used his stance to speak not only about the war but also the plight of Vieques, his silence is bursting our eardrums.

Ironically, one of the parts of the press conference that was genuinely touching was Delgado's thrill at finally being able to wear a jersey with the number 21 of his hero, the great Roberto Clemente. When it came to political principle, Clemente was a giant who never backed down in the face of bigotry: He lost his life in a 1972 plane crash as he was delivering aid to earthquake-ravaged Nicaragua. To Clemente, the Wilpons of the world were little more than mosquitos buzzing in his ears. Delgado could have been our Clemente. Instead, to use his own words, he is just Employee Number 21.

The pressure of a waning career and the desire to stay in the professional game often lead an athlete to dubious choices. (Just ask Roger Clemens.) And the desire for money causes many people to lose their principles. I hope Delgado feels playing for the Mets is worth his silence. If he's like most people of conscience, it's a decision he'll come to regret.

thought

Another thought on this snow.

In New York, I hated the snow, and if you live in a city, you know why. Snow in an urban setting turns to black slush almost immediately. Puddles the size of ponds form at every corner, making crossing the street an ugly adventure. (And for some elderly or disabled people, an impossibility.)

Add to this, walking dogs in slush and snow. And add to that, one dog (guess who?) whose paws were highly sensitive to salt - which local building supers dumped on the sidewalk when the first flake fell - and had to wear booties. On top of that, the snow made it more difficult to avoid other dogs for our bootie-wearing monster.

It was a lot of work, it was inconvenient, and it was ugly.

Today, the snow in my backyard and on my street is still pristine. Around the corner on Lakeshore, Port Credit's main drag, it's slushy and dirty, but outside my window and where I walk Cody it's a winter wonderland.

Another example of better living brought to you by Canada.

OK, not Canada. But a nice side benefit of life in the suburbs.

"the truth is something entirely different"

Harold Pinter, who won the 2005 Nobel Prize for Literature, is not just a great writer, he is a man of great conscience. Take a few minutes to read or view his Nobel Lecture, which he gave two days ago in Stockholm. This page has links to both text and video versions in several different languages.

Not only does Pinter rail against the invasion of Iraq and call for Moron and Blair to be arrested for war crimes, he places the war in a wider context of US aggression. For the last several years, liberal Americans have been decrying what "America has become", which leaves me scratching my head wondering where they've been. Become? Is. Pinter rails with eloquence and anger, and a knowledge of history. Please read or watch.

More about Pinter and his work here.

ashes

We picked up Buster's ashes yesterday.

My heart broke all over again. But it also brought a greater sense of finality - of closure.

I had totally forgotten about the extra stuff that came with the ashes. The company that does the cremation and supplies the urn includes a paw print with the dog's name written in it. Kind of silly, I guess, but nice.

They also ask you about ordering other things, which is tough, because it's so hard to make decisions when you're under that kind of stress. I was crying, and trying to hold it together. Allan was waiting outside with Buster while I was inside making the arrangements, B was straining to come in and see me... Ugh.

So in this kind of painful daze, I ordered a sterling silver necklace. It's a little locket shaped like a doggie bone that holds a bit of his ashes. Maybe that sounds morbid? I like the idea.

We had intended to donate a whole bunch of Buster's unused medications, but I had been putting it off. Now that the ashes are here, I feel able to do it. I wasn't consciously waiting, I just suddenly feel ready. I stocked up on the very expensive eye medications before we moved, and we're hoping some clients of our old veterinary ophthalmologist can use them. Maybe they'll help another dog keep his vision for a while longer. We also have a lot of expensive anti-anxiety meds, which I'll send with a note to the behaviourist. At the very least, it's good karma.

And yesterday morning we received a card in the (paper) mail from VH, the dog trainer. She is a really special person, whose work is all about helping people live with their animals. Her expertise and patience improved our lives immeasurably. No, more than that, it made our lives possible: without her, Buster never could have accepted new dogwalkers, and that was a necessity with our old work schedule.

Just before Buster's death, VH and I had been in touch again by phone regarding dogsitting for our upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. She was incredibly generous with her time and encouraged us to call whenever we needed. Since Buster died so soon after we spoke, I wrote to tell her and to thank her.

We received a beautiful note in reply, on the day we were picking up the ashes. A lovely and sad coincidence - or not, depending on your beliefs.

brown on white

This morning we're having our first real snow! It's the first snowfall that's more than a dusting, and I'm as excited as a little kid. It's so beautiful here, so quiet. And my backyard will stay white a whole lot longer than my New York City street did.

Here's what Cody and I did while my coffee was brewing this morning.

Cody couldn't wait to get back from our walk to romp around in the backyard.

I had been planning on going to swim before Allan takes the car to work (then I basically don't have the car all weekend). But as much as the snow is beautiful, I haven't driven in this weather in a very long time, probably not since I'm a teenager. I'm not sure it's worth the anxiety to get over to the Y.

We - er, that is, Allan - put the plastic over the windows last night. In doing so, he discovered that several windows were only closed on the inside. The outside windows that cover the screens were wide open. Duh, no wonder it was so cold in here! Between double-shutting the windows and putting the plastic up, things are far more tolerable already. If we save a little money into the bargain, that will be a bonus.

Continuing on the winter theme, do you guys use winter tires?

question

Do any Canadians here use nutritional supplements, like vitamins, herbal products, or homeopathic remedies? If so, perhaps you can help me out.

In the US, the over-the-counter supplement industry is completely unregulated. Disreputable companies can put anything in a capsule, put anything on the label, and as long as they have an FDA disclaimer, market it as anything they want. If the bottle says, for example, 600 milligrams of garlic extract, there might be 600 milligrams in a capsule, but there might be 300. Or none.

Consumer advocates have tried, and are still trying, to put some standardization and quality controls on the industry. When they do, the industry uses scare tactics, claiming that "the government wants to make you get a prescription for your vitamins," which, to my knowledge, has never been the case.

Because of this, in the US, if you take nutritional supplements of any kind, it's very important to buy from a reputable brand. I take a few different supplements, which have been allowed me to decrease or avoid stronger prescription medication. I made sure we moved up here with a good supply of everything we need, but the time to re-stock is approaching.

So, does anyone know (a) if nutritional supplements in Canada are regulated, and therefore more reliable, and (b) what are some good brands to look for?

we see toronto

A big chunk of it, anyway. We had a great afternoon with James and Lori yesterday, thanks to their PT cruiser, Lori's driving and James's knowledge of Toronto: a driving tour. It really furthered my mental map of the city, gave us a great taste of what many T.O. neighbourhoods look like, and pinpointed several places to go back and explore on foot.

Some highlights. Kensington Market, which reminded us of New York's Lower East Side - I will definitely go back, probably regularly. Mirvish Village, and Honest Ed's, which we immediately recognized from the exhibit we saw at The Archives last week. Yorkville, which I can easily imagine as a hippie hangout, despite its pricey pedigree. Many neighbourhoods along Bloor Street, full of the kind of shops that make an urban village. High Park. Gorgeous houses in and around High Park, Swansea, Leaside and Cabbagetown. Hideous houses in the Bridle Path. (Always fun to make fun of rich people without taste.) Views of the trails and bike paths along the various ravines and the Belt Line, once an old railway. Several Toronto architectural landmarks, including Queen's Park. And more... Courtesy of James's GPS device, here's a map of our route: (Cool!)


For the sake of The Brown Dog waiting at home, we cut the tour a bit short, and ended the day with an early dinner at Spring Rolls. And, because our friends told us not to worry about the GO train schedule, we copped a bonus drive down Lakeshore Drive, back to our car, which was parked at the Port Credit GO station. Great fun for urban explorers, and great company.

* * * *

A word of clarification about yesterday's weather update, since I'm already fielding feedback about saying it's cold. I like the cold. I prefer cold weather to hot, any day. But I'm not macho about it. I don't get into that whole "You think this is cold? You should come to..." mentality. I need a winter jacket, gloves and a hat to walk comfortably outside, therefore, it is cold. It's not prohibitively cold, not bone-shatteringly cold - but it's cold. Well, it ain't warm, is it?

Plus, it's cold inside. Tonight we're putting plastic over the windows (purchased weeks ago at Canadian Tire, but unused during our recent family crisis), and our landlord has to show us how to adjust the thermostat. I'm all for wearing an extra layer inside, but my hands are too cold to type.

there's something happening here

What was this?

Air Marshals Shoot and Kill Passenger in Bomb Threat

MIAMI, Dec. 7 - Federal air marshals shot and killed a passenger at Miami International Airport on Wednesday after the man claimed he had a bomb in his backpack and ran from an aircraft, officials said.

The incident - the first case of an air marshal opening fire since marshals became a common presence on flights after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 - prompted dozens of heavily armed police officers to surround the plane.

Luggage from the flight was laid out on the runway, and at least two bags were exploded by a bomb squad.

But the man, Rigoberto Alpizar, an American citizen from Maitland, Fla., was found to have no bomb. One passenger on the flight told a local television station that Mr. Alpizar's wife had tried to follow her husband as he ran off the plane, saying he was mentally ill and had not taken his medication. [emphasis mine]

Law enforcement officials refused to answer questions about Mr. Alpizar's mental state or his wife. [New York Times story here.]

This is deeply disturbing. I haven't read any bloggers about it yet, I just wanted to post it as soon as I heard.

Any difference between this and the Brazilian man who was killed by "police" in the London metro in July, or the four gentle souls who will be executed by their captors in Iraq?

Why should this happen?

what i'm watching: rick mercer, geena davis

Cody forgot to wake me this morning! (Sure, blame the dog.) (But it's true.) Now I'm a little pressed for time, so I'll be brief.

We watched Rick Mercer again last night. What can I tell you? You folks bring the warm glow of a shared history. I come to the show with the cold, hard eyes of a stranger. First everyone said The Mercer Report was hilarious. Then when I didn't find it very funny, everyone said, well, it's not that he's so funny, it's that he's so trenchant and witty, and he tells it like it is. Well, to my ears, he's not trenchant and he's not even especially witty. He's mildly amusing at best, and mostly states the obvious.

Tuesday nights, however, might bring me back to a network. The movie we had planned to watch sucked, and I remembered that I've wanted to see "Commander In Chief" - you know, Geena Davis as the President of the US, Donald Sutherland (Canadian) as the neo-conservative Speaker of the House. I've caught little bits of a few episodes, but never saw a show all the way through, and have wanted to. Excellent timing on my sporadically functioning memory: it was a repeat of the series opener.

I really enjoyed the show and I'd like to watch the whole season in re-runs. I could use a new TV drama. I watched ER for many years, then Law & Order, and now it's time for something new. I think the serial dramas are what network television does best; the writing and acting are often stellar. Here's hoping ABC is re-running the whole first season.

Swimming is going great. The Mississauga Y is fabulous and I am loving hopping in the car and being there in 15 minutes. I used to schlep on the subway to swim - unheard of in New York, where everyone walks to their health club from either home or work, but there was no pool in our old neighbourhood. My current arrangement is a huge improvement, as are the pool and facilities themselves. Imagine that a YMCA is nicer than a private health club on Manhattan's Upper West Side! Ah, suburban life.

I'm thoroughly enjoying reading about Canada in the late 1860s and early 1870s, although I should put "Canada" in quotes, as it was more idea than nation at the time. I don't have a lot of time to read, so I'll be working my way through these books for a long time, but I'm really getting a lot out of it.

Weather watch: this morning when I walked Cody it was bright, sunny and -8 degrees Celsius (17 F). A little cold. I'm not complaining. Just observing.

I have a few other scintillating tidbits (sarcasm) to impart, but now I must get to work. We are spending the afternoon with some friends of wmtc, and I promised myself I'd work for a couple of hours before I left. Details tomorrow.

cons

Since becoming absorbed in life around me here in Canada, I look at the US with less rage and less grief, and more emotional distance. Several months before we moved, I had begun to feel detached, and now that process feels complete.

When I see the US on the news, I feel like I'm watching it disintegrate into a third-world country. The disaster after Hurricane Katrina - that is, the human-made disaster - brought this into sharpest focus. The rampant un- and under-employment, the shrinking middle class, millions without health care, the sad joke that is public education, the continued consolidation of wealth in the hands of fewer and fewer people, the ascendancy of superstition over science, of fear over rationality - the whole mess seems to be imploding.

I'm not suggesting this is an original thought. Just a thought I'm repeatedly having.

I just read an extended essay in The Walrus magazine called "America The Beautiful," one journalist's impressions of his US travels over the decades. The subtitle is "Reflections on the decay of the US mystique". (Good essay, worth reading.) The author could have omitted that last word. The mystique has surely decayed, but the country has gone along with it.

Off in another corner of my brain, I'm writing about ancient and medieval civilizations, some of them wealthy and powerful beyond anything the modern world has ever seen. All vanished. The parallels are often obvious. For example, uncontrolled military expenditures while domestic infrastructure collapses is a repeated theme. Sound familiar?

I haven't read Jared Diamond's Collapse yet, but I definitely will. (And if you haven't read his Guns, Germs And Steel: do.) Maybe after I read Collapse, which investigates why societies succeed or fail, this vague feeling will take a firmer shape.

I don't think any of us have the historical distance to fully describe what's going on around us in global terms, even less so to predict what the next 100 or 200 - or for that matter, 25 or 50 - years will bring. I have no bold theories or big statements to make. I just watch the US news with increased distance, and I feel like I'm seeing the whole thing implode.

* * * *

In yesterday's Globe And Mail, there was a story about those Nigerian e-mail scams. Allan pointed this out to me, and here's what I find truly amazing:

People involved in the scam -- known as 419 after the section of the Nigerian Criminal Code that prohibits it -- say that they get one or two genuine replies for every thousand letters they send. And of those handful of replies, every month or so, one yields a few thousand dollars, and one yields substantially more.

I realize that if a scam doesn't pay, no grifter is going to bother with it. Yet it still boggles my little mind that people fall for things like this.

But here's why Redsock mentioned it:

Their favourite targets are Americans, who have the perfect combination of greed and gullibility. "The Americans always go for it," according to a senior member of one 419 ring, who gave his name as Sunny. "But Canadians never do it. It's difficult to hook a person from Canada."

I don't doubt Americans are more gullible than Canadians - one only need turn on Fox News for proof. But hmm, could there be another factor at work here...? I won't say it. You know what I'm thinking.

what i'm watching: cartoon alert

Have you guys seen "American Dad"? (Wiki, official site, fan site.)

It's shown here on Global or Fox on Sunday nights, and I've been watching it for a few weeks, now that I'm home on Sundays. It's by the creators of "Family Guy," and it's basically "Family Guy" with a political spin. (And without that annoying baby.)

Stan, the Dad of "American Dad," works for the CIA, and the whole show skewers US post-9/11 politics. Among Stan's dysfunctional nuclear family is a Paul Lynde-style alien who saved Dad's life at Area 51, and a goldfish who has the brain of an East German athlete - after the CIA switched them at the Olympics. ("What could we do? Let them win that gold medal? Not on my watch!")

There's the obligatory liberal misfit daughter, geek misfit son (Sherman from Mr Peabody soundalike) and supportive but slightly disapproving wife (Jane from The Jetsons soundalike). The family stuff can be amusing, but where the show stands out is the political comedy.

A recent two-part episode called "Stan of Arabia" had Stan (Dad) being shipped off to Saudi Arabia as a punishment by his CIA employers. When he found out how misogynist Saudi society is, he burned his US passport and decided to stay forever. The whole show revolved around sexism and corruption in Saudi Arabia. (The left is occasionally skewered along with the right: the episode included a shawarma-cart vendor posing as a terrorist to get liberal American girls to sleep with him.) Stan fantasizes about a flight-suit-costumed Moron parachuting in to save the family from death by stoning, a la "mission accomplished". When the family escapes and returns to the US, the kids learn this invaluable lesson about their country: "It's not the worst place in the world!"

In last night's episode (a repeat), god (old man with white beard who lives in clouds) calls Moron to ask him to stop talking about him so much:

"Uh, hey, George, it's God... Hey, listen, big favor: is there any way that you could, uh, from now on, sort of downplay our relationship a little more in your public addresses? I mean, to give you an example, like when you make comments like, 'God wanted me to be President,' you know, that would be an example of something to just kind of keep to yourself." (Lifted from this review.)

While chatting with George, God gets another call: "It's Cheney on the other line, I gotta take this. [click] Yes, sir." In case that's unclear, that's god calling Cheney "sir".

Also in last night's episode, the son is running for class president, and Stan offers to fix the election for him. "You can do that, Dad?" "I'm CIA, Roger. Fixing elections is my bread and butter. You know how many votes George Bush really got in the first election? [long pause] Seven!"

Much of American Dad is Family Guy with politics - and since Family Guy is a dumbed-down Simpsons, the whole thing can get pretty derivative. But the political humour is worth the price of admission. Check it out.

what i'm reading: pierre berton

I was about to start Pierre Berton's The Last Spike, the second of two books he wrote about the building of the trans-Canadian railroad. Then, wandering into the library - the central Mississauga library is directly across from the Y where I'm swimming! - I spied a hard-cover copy of the first railroad book on sale for $2.00, and in excellent condition. Serendipity. So I've just begun The National Dream.

The full titles are The National Dream: The Great Railway, 1871-1881 and The Last Spike: The Great Railway, 1881-1885. The second half of the 19th Century is one of my favourites, and perhaps the historical period I know the most about. My good background in what was going on in Britain and the US at the same time will help - but Canadian history is 100% new to me.

Good historians pull together all the many threads that contribute to their story, and the story of the railroad seems to take in all of Canada. So far it's very good reading.

now five

A few days ago, South Africa became the fifth nation on the planet to legalize gay marriage.

South Africa has actually been liberal in terms of gay rights; its constitution was the first in the world to specifically ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. (Of course, the country didn't have a constitution until 1996...) But South African same-sex couples have had the right to legally adopt children for years, so legal marriage wasn't far behind.

Ah, South Africa, with its rich tradition of equality and freedom. Perhaps it will shine a beacon for the poor, backwards US, dwelling in the past.

permission granted

The certain reader I went out with last night was Marnie. I'm lucky to have a found a buddy who, like me, works on weekends, takes her days off during the week, is 40-something, doesn't have kids and likes to explore the city. Not to mention is smart and funny. (Blushing yet?)

Last night we had dinner at the Duke of York pub, the second real pub Marnie has sent me to. (Allan and I went to Allen's on the Danforth at her suggestion, too.) I adore pubs, and they don't exist in New York City. There are bars and restaurants of every description, but not pubs.

I've been trying to put my finger on what makes a place a pub. In New York, it would be a cross between the relaxed atmosphere of a coffee-shop - where you feel comfortable going by yourself with a book - with the good food of a homey restaurant, and the good drinks of an ordinary bar-bar. Nicer than a dive bar, but not at all upscale. No one rushes you, conversation abounds, but if you want to sip a pot of tea and read or write, you don't feel out of place. I've only found pubs (so far) in England and Ireland, and discovering their existence in Canada is positively brilliant.

After dinner, we walked a few blocks to the University of Toronto campus, for a storytelling night. I'll let Marnie describe it here. It was fun, a neat experience, and something I would do again, although not regularly. I do like the idea of connecting with this very ancient form of communication and entertainment. If I end up going back, it's only a matter of time before I have to tell a story, too.

brown dog in the cold

I am enjoying this weather! Yeah, it's a little cold, but it's dry and crisp, and so invigorating. The temperature sounds more dramatic in Celsius: yesterday when I went for my morning dog-walk it was 0, today is was -5. But US readers, that's only 32 and 23 in Fahrenheit. I won't say it's warm, but it's perfectly tolerable, even enjoyable.

And yesterday morning it was snowing. I hadn't looked at any weather reports, and was hoping for some serious accumulation. Everything was briefly white, and by afternoon the snow was gone. So much for that.

I'm convinced that part of the reason Americans have an impression of Canada as always cold - 365 days a year - is they're looking at temperatures in Celsius, but don't know it. On my flight home after visiting my mom last month, two women beside me were talking (constantly!) about the weather in Buffalo, where one lived, and in Toronto, where the other lived. It was obvious to me that the Torontonian was giving her temperatures in Celsius, and the Buffalonian was talking Fahrenheit, and the Buffalo woman was shocked at Toronto's unbearable weather. Duh.

The other reason Americans think Canada is a frozen arctic wasteland is that they always hear about "the cold front coming down from Canada". In the middle of a relentless heat wave, the weather reporters always promise "cold air coming down from Canada". During a cold snap, it's because of the front coming down from... you get the point.

* * * *

Several of you have kindly asked how Cody is doing, after the loss of her best friend. I am so happy to say: she is doing really well. It seems Cody's low-key personality has served her beautifully. Where a more high-strung, emotional dog (like B himself) would have been very upset by the huge difference in his life, the laid-back Cody seems to just go with whatever's there. Although Cody adored and doted on Buster, she never seemed depressed after his sudden disappearance from her life.

In many ways, Cody's life has improved. She runs around in the backyard more, says hello to other dogs on our walks, hops in the car and goes places where before she would have stayed home with B. She gets a lot more attention from us - not because we neglected her, but because she didn't want much. She was always so focused on Buster. If we were out for a day, when we came home, he'd greet us - and she'd greet him! Now Cody behaves as most dogs do when their people come home, wildly happy to see us.

Her status in our pack has certainly changed: she sleeps next to me, on the dog-bed next to my side of the bed - where Buster slept all his life with us. So Cody's world has expanded, and she's enjoying it. And that's helped us adjust, too.

To the question that everyone thinks but only a few people ask - are we going to get another dog? - I just shrug. We have no plans to. Toronto and Mississauga don't share New York's stray-dog problem - people don't find dogs on the street here like they do in New York - so chances are very slim that a dog will find us, the way Buster did, and Clyde before him. That means if we want another dog, we'll have to go to the shelter and choose one. And I just can't see us doing that any time soon. That's as far as my answer can go right now.

* * * *

I went out last night with a certain friend of wmtc, who I won't name, as perhaps she doesn't want her business broadcast on this blog every time we hang out. But once again I have to say: I love the GO trains, and I love living in Port Credit. Even in the cold wind, the walk to the GO station is very manageable, and the 20-minute ride to Union Station is a snap.

grape heaven

Yesterday morning we applied for our Ontario Health cards. It couldn't have been easier. We filled out a form (which, like all of Canada's forms, you can get online), showed up with our documents, waited all of five minutes, answered a few questions and had our pictures taken. Et voila. We now have forms that serve as temporary cards, and our permanent cards are being mailed to us.

Then we had a cool Toronto afternoon. We drove in, and headed for the Toronto Archives. After several of you mentioned The Annex neighbourhood and Casa Loma, we saw the Archives on the map, and it sounded appealing. There was a good exhibit called "Signs Of Urban Life," about advertising and signage in Toronto from the early 1900s to the present. We like old ads and store signs, we look at them wherever we are, so this was a fortuitous find. The exhibit was really well done, with beautiful photographs and good explanations.

The coolest thing in the Archives was the "Miles of Files," an area through which you can view a vast room of boxes, each catalogued and labeled, and get an idea of the scope and breadth of the Archives' holdings.

Allan: Ooo, all that paper, all those things...

Laura: Ooo, all those boxes, neatly labeled and organized, they know where everything is...

I'm sorry I didn't bring a camera, just for this room, but I'm trying to find a picture of it online.

Next we drove down Spadina a bit, then parked and wandered around The Annex and a little in the University area. We found an excellent bookstore called Ten Editions. Beautiful old houses in The Annex. Does anyone know, are those mostly privately owned, or broken up into apartments? And here's another question. What is the mansion-like building on Bloor and St George, diagonally across from the Bata Shoe Museum?

After this, the highlight of the day: the flagship LCBO store. Do you remember long ago when I asked about where to get a better selection of wine? Lone Primate tipped us off to the Summerhill store, the flagship LCBO housed in a converted train station. Whoa. Not only is it huge, with an amazing selection and lower prices, the building itself is fantastic, both inside and out.

Allan: Ooo, all this wine. What a great place...

Laura: Ooo, all this wine. What a great place...

We sampled more than a few wines and liquers and cheeses, shopped our little hearts out, and were very impressed with the total bill. Ah, the joys of owning a car.

Our last stop was Chinatown: dim sum and bubble tea. There doesn't seem to be very good Chinese food in Port Credit, and with Chinatown only 20 minutes down the QEW, it's becoming a regular stop.

* * * *

The information I need to start the next Ancient Civs book was supposed to be emailed to me this past Monday. It just arrived this morning. The first deadline, however, remains the same. Grrr. I've been working on other assignments in the meantime, but that doesn't change the fact that my outline is due December 15. I guess I'll be very busy for the next two weeks. I'll still be blogging, but I might be a bit absent from comments.

Having said that, I'm now going to read yesterday's comments. See y'all later.

oh well

I guess we didn't stuff the ballot box enough. The results of the first round of voting for the 2005 Canadian Blog Awards are up - and wmtc is not on the list. Oh well!

Thanks to everyone who bothered to go and click. (And no condolences needed... it's just a bit of fun.)

world aids day

December 1 is Worlds AIDS Day.

Get the facts. Spread knowledge, not fear.

"do you love canada?"

That should be the easiest question for any candidate to answer, right? Talk about a softball. Allan and I were positively dumbfounded that Stephen Harper couldn't handle it.

Reporter: "Do you love Canada?"

Mr Harper: "Canada's a great country...".

Swing-and-a-miss!

Mr Harper, return to school, and start at the beginning, with Politics 101:

Question: Do you love Canada?

Answer: I LOVE MY COUNTRY. That's why I want to....

Harper's lukewarm answer - uttered seemingly without conviction - displayed a total lack of political savvy.

Now Rob tells me that Harper was caught off guard, because "the patriotism question" is not used in Canada the way it is in the US. I get that. I really do.

However, (a) how can a man who has to face the media every day of his life be unprepared for a basic, straightforward question that should have a knee-jerk response and (b) liberal Canadian bloggers are questioning the Tories' patriotism, so he should have been prepared, regardless.

I don't like to see either side in an election campaign inpugn anyone's patriotism. It makes me sick when the Republicans do it to the Democrats in the US, and the Liberals here - and their supporters - shouldn't take a page from that book. Harper's vision of Canada is clearly very different than Jack Layton's, but neither one of them should be accused of hating their country. I was disappointed to see this trend in the Canadian blogosphere.

* * * *

In the early 90s, when I first started writing for New Mobility magazine, I interviewed one Sam Sullivan, who talked to me about kayaking, sailing, and other outdoor activities he enjoyed from his home in Vancouver. A friendly, upbeat guy, Sullivan raved about Vancouver, telling me it was the most beautiful and vibrant spot on the continent - and one of the most accessible. Sullivan uses a wheelchair, as do most New Mobility readers, and the image of this richly diverse, wheelchair-accessible city perched on the water has stayed in my mind ever since.

And I've just learned that Sam Sullivan is now mayor of Vancouver! I saw him on CBC the other night, and shouted out, "I know that guy! I interviewed him once!" (Beware seeing accomplished-people-who-use-wheelchairs with me around, I do tend to do that.)

The mayor! That is so cool. I'm going to tell my Kids On Wheels editor, and hopefully write about Sullivan as a "Roll Model". Sadly, the magazine doesn't have money to send me to Vancouver for an in-person interview. Rats.

* * * *

An equation: (swimming two days in a row) + (not swimming for 18 months) = ouch.

Day off needed today!

First Allan and I are applying for our health cards, having passed the three-month waiting period for Ontario. Then later we'll check out some Toronto fun, from the list you guys have compiled for us, supplemented with Time Out Toronto. Naturally I'll report back on both.

now v. scheidler

Today the US Supreme Court will hear arguments in the NOW v. Scheidler case. From the National Organization of Women's website:

On Wednesday, Nov. 30, at 10 a.m., Scheidler et al. v. National Organization for Women et al. and Operation Rescue et al. v. National Organization for Women et al. will be argued before the Supreme Court. These cases relate to stopping illegal violence directed against women's health clinics, abortion providers and their patients. NOW initiated this case nearly 20 years ago in an effort to stop anti-abortion extremists from continuing to plan and organize violence at women's health clinics. The self-described "pro-life Mafia" planned to end abortion by closing every clinic that provided abortion services. Over the past 19 years, the violence has included invasions, violent blockades, arson, chemical attacks and bombings of women's health care clinics, assaults on patients, death threats and shootings of health care workers and administrators, including the murder of eight abortion providers.

I was part of the army of New Yorkers who fought Operation Rescue when they invaded our city in 1992. It was my first civil disobedience, aimed at keeping women's health clinics open and safe. It was exhilarating, and - in New York - successful.

Scheidler is the first of several cases involving abortion that will soon be heard by the Roberts court. It doesn't look good, but I'm always willing to be surprised.

More info, including the briefs filed by NOW and other groups, found here.

what i'm watching: maple grief

I'm not responsible for the bad pun at the top of this post; blame Jon Stewart. Last night The Daily Show led with - guess what? - the Canadian election. It wasn't all that funny, really. They mostly played to the truism of Americans not knowing anything about Canada - including where it is - and closed with a lame "eh" and "aboot" joke. But it was still fun to see! I actually said, "Hey, we made The Daily Show!" Yes, I said we!

Which brings me to today's milestone: we've been here three months. What a lot has happened. Our lives in New York feel so long ago.

* * * *

On "The National" last night, they recapped the results of a poll of Canadians' top concerns for the election. Health care was number one. Number two, however, surprised both of us: trust.

I just don't get that. When I consider what's important to me in elections, trust doesn't even enter into the picture. On a list of 1 to 10, it's an irrelevant zero. Several people interviewed gave the expected responses: you can't believe anything they say, they'll say anything to get elected, politicians don't honour campaign promises. Yes? And?

Who cares what anyone says? All that matters is what they do. I don't have to trust my elected officials. I don't have to like them. I don't have to approve of their personal lives. I only have to approve of the way they vote, the priorities they advance, the budgets they create. Focusing on intangibles like trust and integrity in a national election seems to me immature and naive. I'm sure I've just offended half of you, but that's not my intention. It's just the way I see it.

"The trust issue" seems not unlike Americans who chose Moron over Kerry because "he's a guy you'd like to have a beer with". That was very big during the 2004 US election. I'll have an Export, and give my friend here a double arsenic with a cyanide chaser...

vote

I wasn't going to mention this... but hey, I'm a writer, we like to be read, and we can't resist a prize, no matter how meaningless. In the spirit of "it doesn't mean anything if you lose, but it's still fun to win," perhaps you would like to vote for we move to canada for the 2005 Canadian Blog Awards. A kind reader nominated it in the Best Personal Blog category.

Right now, in Round One, you can vote once per day. You don't have to vote in every category, but you do have to make all your selections (one per category) before you submit your vote. Vote here.

Thanks.

i join the y

We visited the Mississauga YMCA yesterday. It is amazing - huge, sparkling clean, loaded with stuff to do, and as spacious as any decent health club. I never belonged to a really high-end health club in New York City - which you've really got to see to believe, they're more like luxury resorts than gyms - this Y is easily as nice as any gym I've ever belonged to.

The main thing, for me, is the pool. I swam for years in New York, slowly working my way up from not being able to swim for 5 minutes, to swimming 40 continuous minutes, several times a week. This solved a major issue for me: how to get enough exercise without brutalizing my weak joints. However, I haven't been in the water in more than a year, and it'll take some time to work my way back to speed.

The Y also had a complete range of all the other exercise equipment and facilities, so there's plenty of variety if the pool is crowded or I'm bored. It's about 10 or 15 minutes from our place. Having gone through great inconvenience to swim in New York, the whole thing seems very easy. I join today.

the vote

Last night Allan and I got our first view of parliamentary democracy, and it was fascinating.

Before we moved, people tried to explain the parliamentary system to me, but I never really understood it. But living here, reading the newspaper every day, and now, seeing a call for an election and the fall of a government, brought it all into focus.

Peter Mansbridge and the CBC team helped a lot, too. Few viewers could have learned as much as we did last night. We were chuckling over seven weeks being called "a long campaign". Of course, when a government is in power for 17 months, you can't have an eight-month election campaign. More generally, the CBC rocks. A news show with context: imagine that.

Here's a question we haven't had answered yet. We've heard (repeatedly) that this was the first time in 25 years that a government has fallen on a strict no-confidence vote. Got it. So how else does a government fall? What other circumstances lead to an election?

I don't have a lot to say about the personalities involved. Paul Martin is Clintonian in his constant jocularity, Stephen Harper is a talking mannequin, I continue to admire Jack Layton, and the longer I live here, the more negative my view of the Bloc Quebecois grows.

Unlike many Canadians, I'm looking forward to this campaign. It will be very educational.

apb: alpf

Where have you gone, ALPF? Are you boycotting wmtc because it no longer accepts anonymous comments? Email me, eh?

t.o.

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know I'm an intrepid urban explorer. Since moving here, however, I haven't seen all that much of Toronto. I was more focused on our house and our own neighbourhood here in Port Credit. And who could blame me: our first house, first yard, first life in suburbia, our incredible proximity to the lake and the waterfront trail. There's been so much to enjoy right here.

Now, after three months, I'm feeling the urge to see more of Toronto. I've done a handful of things in the city, seen a few neighbourhoods, maybe more than many suburbanites do in a year. But for me, it's next to nothing. I'm ready to start.

By the way, I did get that Soulpepper subscription I mentioned earlier, so that guarantees a certain number of city days. But now I'll start flipping through my Time Out Toronto and randomly picking things to see.

As always, I'm open to all your suggestions. I may not hurry off to do them right away, but if they're on The List, I'll get there eventually.

low confidence

I'm excited about today's no-confidence vote. Only three months after moving here, we'll get to see a government fall, a campaign, and an election, in a system very different from what we're accustomed to. Even the expression "the government will fall" strikes us as oddly dramatic and revolutionary.

My sense of current Canadian politics, for what it's worth, tells me that very little will change from the upcoming election. I'd be surprised if the Liberals didn't win. So it's kind of cool to see this happening without a lot at stake.

On a semi-tangential note, have I mentioned I'm completely down with "Corner Gas"? Excellent show; I love the deadpan humour. (Great website, too; check it out.) So was that really Finance Minister Ralph Goodale ragging on Brent Butt's camera last Saturday night?

apb: tresy

Tresy, are you there? A long time ago - before we even moved - I had some questions for you, but I didn't have your email address. I posted trying to find you, but you weren't reading. Now, every time you leave a comment, I leave a comment after you, asking you to email me... but you must not check back for replies.

So Mr Tresy, if you are reading this, would you please email me????