Rapid Reaction: Premier Stelmach’s Address

I just watched the Premier’s address, The Way Forward.

The Four Point Recovery Plan, as flashed on my television screen, is summed up as:

1. Surplus in 3 years
2. Draw on cash reserves
3. Invest in public infrastructure
4. Attract investment

Trish Audette has more details.

Some other comments of interest. Italics denote my reaction.
- Civil servant salaries will be frozen for 2 years. No mention of MLA/cabinet minister salaries being frozen, or the 2008 salary increase being rolled back.
- The $17 billion in reserve shows that Alberta saved well. Except that this is a fraction of the surpluses the province ran earlier this decade. 3 years of recession could wipe most or all of this $17 billion out.
- Plan will not increase taxes. Won’t this exacerbate the pressures to draw on our savings, unless we’re planning to massively cut spending?
- Will continue to invest in public infrastructure. Yes! This is a good thing, and I will give full credit to the Premier and government for not stopping to build, as Premier Klein did in the ’90s.
- We were well-prepared going into recession. Huh? Are you kidding me? We went from a projected multi-billion dollar surplus to a multi-billion dollar deficit almost overnight. That doesn’t sound like being well-prepared to me.
- We have the resources the world will need to make a strong recovery. We do, but are we going to continue to rely on them, or to do our best to diversify our economy and help mitigate the boom-bust cycle of a resource economy?
- “The health system designed in 1960s…people fear change…should fear more consequences of not changing”. This was said in reference to health care. I totally agree; we need to have a serious discussion about the sustainability and future of our health care system, devoid of fearmongering, truisms, and ad hominem attacks on both sides.
- We’ll build the prosperity now without sacrificing the future. So we won’t be cutting in areas such as education which increase future prosperity, or in the health and social service sectors, where it costs less to deal with issues up front? Right?

Anyway, enough about my thoughts, because this address wasn’t about reaching me. This address, fundamentally, was aimed at getting the Premier through next month’s PC convention with his reputation and leadership intact. That will happen in three ways:

1. By reassuring his supporters, ensuring he has their continued support.
2. By changing the mind of Progressive Conservatives wary of his leadership and willing to vote for a change next month.
3. By rallying support amongst regular Albertans, hopefully boosting his poll numbers, garnering positive media, and convincing wary PCs not to try and dump him as leader.

I’d say he probably accomplished #1. His supporters are sticking with him either out of loyalty to him or the party, or because they sincerely believe in his abilities as Premier. Nothing he did in today’s address should deter his supporters.

For the second group, I’m not convinced he did much to change their minds. I suspect the reaction amongst most people is….that’s it? It was a very underwhelming address. I’d be shocked if many people in categories 2 or 3 feel appreciably different about his job as Premier now than they did an hour ago before this address.

Why do I think that? Because it tried to sell an agenda when the salesman likely has limited credibility with the intended audience. Why would a wary Tory buy into this agenda when the government has wavered on royalties, threatened cuts to health and education, and turned a massive surplus into a massive deficit overnight? They sold a vision and a plan from a government that, at the time, has limited credibility on both.

And therein lies the problem. The government may not be popular, but the Premier’s greatest strength is still his likability, the sense that he’s an honest, decent man doing his best. Someone people can rely on, and trust. A straightforward, sit-down video where he chatted from his office or his living room would have got his message out, and showcased him in his best element. He could have appealed to Albertans, especially Tories, to rally to his government’s side. To stick together, and come through this as they did during previous recessions. Maybe he could have eaten a little humble pie, and promised to do better this time around.

Instead, he did none of that. I still think he’ll come out of the leadership review in good shape – likely with 75-85% of the vote, but ‘The Way Forward’ is looking to be a flop. I suspect nothing has changed in Alberta politics. If the Premier comes out of the November convention damaged, or fatally wounded, he has nobody to blame but himself and his circle of advisers.

I’d love to hear the thoughts of everyone else who watched.

More reaction:
Chris LaBossiere: ‘Do As I Say and Not As I Do“
Daveberta: “Pre-Recorded Commentary on Premier Stelmach’s Pre-Recorded Televised Address“; “Ed Stelmach’s Pre-Recorded Televised Address“; Ed Stelmach’s Pre-Recorded Televised Address (Take 2)
Kevin Libin: “Ed Stelmach’s TV Show a Rerun“
W. Brett Wilson – …outgoing Premier Stelmach (wishful thinking?)…
DJ Kelly: Why Stelmach Looks Disingenuous Today
ED-Vocate: Keep it Real, Ed

Weekend Reading and Entertainment: 10/12/09

So I’m a little late with this, but I’ve been busy watching baseball playoffs and preparing a turkey dinner (while watching baseball playoffs) instead of scouring the internet for interesting stories. But, it’s Thanksgiving in Canada, so the holiday extends the weekend into today. If you have some time, here are a few things to take a look at.

To Watch:
ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary series launched last week. The first episode, titled “Kings Ransom”, is about the trade that sent Wayne Gretzky from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings. For the time being at least, it’s available to watch on the Kings’ website. It’s about 50 minutes long; I watched it this morning and it’s a fascinating, well-done piece. I cannot recommend it enough.

To Read:
- An interesting piece about Michigan’s efforts to build a green manufacturing base.

- Chris LaBossiere proposes a new model for journalism, the accountability trust.

- Kevin Kuchinski takes on several of the myths surrounding the benefits of local food.

- This story makes a compelling case for working less (but also working smarter). There’s some merit to it. Speaking from personal experience, my best ideas rarely come to me when I’m sitting at my desk.

- David Jacobson, the United States’ Ambassador to Canada, has started a blog. So far, it’s pretty interesting to read.

- Alberta Health Services is looking into the effects of sprawl on health.

- A few of my friends are involved in a club at the University of Alberta called Students Against Global Apathy (SAGA). There’s a great writeup about the group in today’s Edmonton Journal.

Happy thanksgiving. Regular blogging to resume tonight or tomorrow.

Photo Essay: First Snowfall in Edmonton

Oh, the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we’ve no place to go,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

“Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!“, Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne

Edmonton woke up to snowfall this morning. Some people rushed for cover, I rushed for my camera to go capture the sights. In the midst of the excitement, I locked myself out of my house in my pajamas, with no wallet or phone on me. I managed to trudge through the light coating of snow, find a spare key, get back inside, and get my day underway. I even brought my camera with me once I did. Here are some sights from Edmonton on the first day of snowfall.

This guy is really keen. He’s already ensuring any snow falling doesn’t interfere with his car.

This SUV slows to a stop as the snow continues to fall.

The remants of fall poke through the fresh lair of snow.

Snow doesn’t slow some people down. Here, a lady and her dog are out for a morning run.

That lady’s not the only one who won’t let winter get in the way. The bike rack at the South Campus Transit Centre/LRT station is still full.

Students and other passengers on the LRT are dressed for the weather.

The LRT pulls in to South Campus station on a snow-covered track.

The Oliver/Downtown skyline, as seen from the Menzies bridge. I’m on the LRT heading northbound here.

After a brief mid-morning reprieve, the snow started to fall again in Churchill Square downtown.

The public art piece “Lunchbreak” in Churchill Square was getting covered in snow.

People run for cover under the scaffolding heading from City Centre Mall to Rice Howard Way.

The snow falls on the River Valley and the Muttart Conservatory.

In spite of the snow, some runners weren’t slowed down.

As the snow fell, a fog obscured the skyline of Saskatchewan Drive.

Workers clear off snow and ice from the steps to the Williams Engineering building downtown.

The intersection of 114th and 87th Ave on the University of Alberta campus.

The University of Alberta Quad. The ladies at the table on the right were giving away free hot chocolate for people with reusable cups.

The snow stopped and the sun came out in the afternoon, but we had a brief snowfall again around dinner time. Here the snow falls around 6pm as drivers make their way home.

This lady out walking her dog (obscured by the tree on the left) is bundled up, and clearly ready to handle winter.

Over the weekend, I’ll be posting more photos from today on Flickr.

2009 Baseball Playoff Preview

I love baseball. I love everything about it. The sight of the green field, the sounds of a bat cracking, a ball hitting leather. It’s my favourite sport, by far, and one of my favourite things in the world.

I’ve learned a lot of things about baseball in over 20 years of following it, and the first one is this: I’m no good at making predictions. So this preview will not focus on why I think the Yankees will beat the Cardinals in the World Series – a rematch of the epic 1964 series that was so good that the late, great David Halberstam wrote a book about it. No, instead this preview is more of a viewers’ guide to the baseball playoffs that will be going on for the next 3-4 weeks.

To my chagrin, this will likely be a common sight over the next few weeks.

Who Are the Teams in the Playoffs This Year?
The New York Yankees have floundered, relative to their high expectations, the past few years. They haven’t won a World Series since 2000, or appeared in one since 2003. They missed the playoffs last year, and exited in the first round the previous three. They’ve rebounded this year, posting the best record in the bigs. Most will chalk this up to the signings of front of the rotation starting pitchers CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett, and all-star 1B Mark Teixeira. They’re half-correct. The other key to success is the shoring up of the bullpen in front of Mariano Rivera, with youngsters Phil Hughes, Phil Coke, and Brian Bruney providing a solid bridge to The Sandman in innings 7 and 8.

Their first round opponent, the Minnesota Twins, won 17 of their final 21 to catch the Detroit Tigers, winning the division in an epic 12-inning tiebreaker game yesterday. Their catcher Joe Mauer is having a season for the ages after missing the first month due to injury, OF Denard Span is an emerging star, and young pitchers like Brian Duensing, Scott Baker, and Nick Blackburn are coming into their own. Unfortunately, they’re missing all-star 1B Justin Morneau, and are totally outmatched against the Yankees. They’ll be lucky to win one, but they might make the games interesting.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim survived a series of injuries to their starting pitchers early, and the tragic death of young starter Nick Adenhart. They have a solid rotation, a deep, balanced lineup, and something to prove after perennially underachieving since their 2002 World Series win. Despite winning the AL West most years, they are a shoo-in to go out quietly in the ALDS, or in a good year, the ALCS. Will this be the year they break out of their underachieving?

The Boston Red Sox won the 2007 World Series, took the Tampa Bay Rays to Game 7 of the ALCS in 2008, and somehow took the Wild Card in 2009 despite the early struggles of Jon Lester, and age catching up with stars such as David Ortiz and Mike Lowell.

This season was notable for the success of Jason Bay and Dustin Pedroia, and the emergence of Jacoby Ellsbury as both a star player, and as my newest favourite Red Sox (I’ll be buying his jersey soon). As a Sox fan, I’m hoping for the best, but I have trouble seeing them get past the Yankees if they do win their ALDS matchup with the Angels. On the other hand, they have two aces in Beckett and Lester, which makes them dangerous in any series.

In the NL, the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies are back in. I always find the playoffs more exciting when the defending champs are a contender. You feel like the other teams have to earn it by going through them. The Phillies bring back most of their championship team, albeit having subbed Raul Ibanez for Pat Burrell in LF, and added a second ace in Cliff Lee. Cole Hamels, the star of ‘08, has struggled, and their bullpen – a rock last year – is somewhat shaky.

The Colorado Rockies are attempting to replicate the 2003 Marlins’ run to the championship. They fired their manager early in the season, bringing in a veteran skipper (Jim Tracy). They have an emerging ace in Ubaldo Jimenez, and a deep, balanced lineup. They’re an underdog, but I wouldn’t discount them.

The Los Angeles Dodgers of Chavez Ravine won the West, despite losing Manny Ramirez to suspension for a couple of months. They have a number of talented young players in the field to complement veterans like ManRam and Casey Blake, and their rotation is serviceable at worst. They finally won a playoff series last year, their first since their World Series win in 1988, but bowed out to the Phillies in the NLCS. They’re back for another crack at it, but it’s hard to say if their team is much if any better this year than last.

The St. Louis Cardinals won the Central, powered by all-world 1B Albert Pujols and bolstered by the mid-season pickup of OF Matt Holliday. They also have two aces with Adam Wainwright and a resurgent Chris Carpenter leading the way. They appear to lack depth on paper, but could still be dangerous.

Who Should I Cheer For?
The Red Sox. Best franchise in baseball. But if you’re looking for sentimental favourites, I’d go with St. Louis. You have Matt Holliday, looking for his first ring, and the great comeback story of Chris Carpenter. Carpenter, the former ace, underwent Tommy John surgery in 2007, and looked to be finished, making a few unimpressive starts in 2008, and suffering additional injuries then and in his second start of 2009. He came back in late May and has been dominant. posting a 2.24 ERA and 1.01 WHIP while winning 17 games. I had him on my fantasy team this year, and it’s been such a pleasure to watch him bounce back. Seeing him win another World Series would be an amazing way to cap off the year.

Alternately, if you like underdogs, root for Minnesota and Colorado.

Now Why Do I Want to Watch, There’s So Much Else to Do. Can I Just Tune In For the Final Game or Two?
Because in every playoff, there is at least one game you will not want to miss:
- In 2008, it was the Red Sox’s epic Game 5 comeback in the ALCS.
- In 2007, Game 2 of the Indians-Yankees ALDS matchup featured a swarm of insects descending on Jacobs Field and wreaking havoc with the game. It was a surreal, incredible thing to watch.
- In 2006, Game 7 of the NLCS was an absolute classic, with Endy Chavez’s home run stealing catch in the 7th eventually negated by Yadier Molina’s 9th inning home run, and Adam Wainwright’s picture perfect curveball freezing Carlos Beltran to end the game.
- 2005 was the worst year for playoffs ever. Seriously, nothing exciting happened. There was even a 16 inning Astros-Braves game that featured Roger Clemens in relief, but it was so bad I actually turned it off. And I never turn a baseball game off unless it’s really, really bad.
- 2004 featured the incredible comebacks in Games 4 and 5 of the ALCS by the Boston Red Sox, and the subsequent “Bloody Sock” game.
- 2003 featured an epic ALCS, with the Game 3 brawl that saw Pedro and Don Zimmer throw down, and a Red Sox meltdown in Game 7. Let’s just say “Bartman Game”, and not speak further of that year’s NLCS.
- 2002 saw an inspired Angels comeback, down 5-0 late in Game 6, to win that game and then take Game 7 and the World Series trophy. It was a comeback marred only by the introduction of thundersticks by Angels fans.
- The 2001 World Series, of course, is famous for the Yankees back-to-back walkoff wins against the Diamondbacks and Byung-Hung Kim, and the Arizona side gaining revenge and the championship by winning Game 7 in walkoff fashion.

Aren’t the Games Longer than During the Regular Season?
Yes, but this can also work to your advantage. Once you get to the LCS round, the evening games generally start around 8:20 EST. For me, that’s 6:20 local time, which means I have a decent amount of time to get home, get dinner underway, and be relaxing and watching the game by the time the first pitch is thrown. While the extra commercial breaks and pitching changes mean the game could easily go 3 1/2-4 hours, you can turn this into a positive. For example, if you’re watching with friends, it provides ample time for conversation, baseball-related or not. You can also take breaks every few minutes. It becomes a relaxing way to spend the evening while also getting caught of work, email, laundry, etc.

Who Are Some Players to Watch?
Star Players Who Are Fun to Watch: Joe Mauer (Minnesota), Albert Pujols (St. Louis), Derek Jeter (NY Yankees), Dustin Pedroia and Victor Martinez (Boston), Chase Utley (Philadelphia), to name a few.

Potential Breakout Players: Ubaldo Jimenez and Troy Tulowitzki (Colorado), Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier (Los Angeles Dodgers), Kendry Morales (Los Angeles Angels), Jacoby Ellsbury and Clay Bucholz (Boston), Phil Hughes (NY Yankees), Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth (Philadelphia)

Key Role Players Who Could Come Up Big: Mark DeRosa (St. Louis), Carlos Ruiz (Philadelphia), Casey Blake (Dodgers), Chone Figgins (Angels).

Isn’t the Team With the Best Record Going to Win?
Recent history says not necessarily. Check out this graph; the playoffs should be wide open.

Need more incentive: watch the ‘Beyond Baseball’ commercials, and try not to get excited and/or emotional, depending on the ad. And enjoy the playoffs; it’s one of the best times of year.

Recap: John Wood in Edmonton

“Perhaps, sir, you will someday come back with books”.

One sentence would change John Wood’s life. It was 1999, and Wood was a rising star in Microsoft’s executive ranks. At the time stationed in Australia, Wood had achieved material and career success at a relatively young age. Taking his first vacation in years, he decided to spend three weeks backpacking through Nepal. Early on his trip, he stopped by a school in the remote mountain areas. The school was without books, at least functional ones that the students could understand. It was here that his guide, a school administrator, uttered the famous phrase.

John Wood speaking at the luncheon in Edmonton.

Wood, an avid reader since childhood, had an epiphany. By that night he was putting together in his head the plan that would lead to Room to Read. At the end of his trip, he sent out an email to friends requesting their donation of children’s books or money to purchase books. The response was overwhelming; over 3000 books were collected, and the following year, accompanied by his 73 year-old father, Wood made the return trip to deliver books, as promised. The rest, as they say, is history.

I first heard about Wood two years ago, as his story was mentioned in Bill Clinton’s book “Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World”. Intrigued, I borrowed Wood’s book, “Leaving Microsoft to Change the World”, from the Edmonton Public Library and enjoyed it greatly. Not only is it a great and inspirational story, but Wood is very balanced in telling it; he talks about the challenges and the trade-offs sometimes involved in pursuing your dreams.

Last November, the Edmonton chapter of Room to Read was formally launched. I got involved earlier this year, and have volunteered a couple of times (and plan on volunteering more). In conjunction with the University of Alberta, the chapter helped bring John Wood to Edmonton for two days of events. I had the pleasure of attending his luncheon on Monday.

The Room to Read luncheon, featuring John Wood.

A couple of things quickly become apparent about Wood when he speaks. One, he is funny. Two, partly because of the previous point, he’s quite an engaging speaker. He made a number of jokes, starting with one about getting his book title (Leaving Microsoft to Change the World) before Bill Gates could.

Wood is a very good communicator. The luncheon was a fundraiser, and he took full advantage of the opportunity to sell the organization. He went over the history of the organization, and rattled off some impressive statistics from the 9-year history of the organization. Since it’s inception, Room to Read Has:

- Built 765 schools.
- Published 333 books in the native languages of the countries it works in.
- Provided 7132 girls with scholarships to attend schools.
- Built 7168 libraries.

This year alone, it will build 2000 libraries and 250 schools.

It was also noted that there are 40 volunteer-run chapters throughout the world, and in 2008, they raised 25% of Room to Read’s overall budget. Focusing on the importance of the work Room to Read does, he talked about some of the problems that stem from a lack of education, particularly when girls don’t go to school, and touched on his own history as well.

Moving along in his speech, Wood covered the organization’s business model, based on a concept he calls “Collaborative Global Networks, at a Significant Scale”. In a nutshell, it involves partnerships, and buy-in from various stakeholders and groups. For example, the Room to Read head office in San Francisco coordinates the building of a school in Nepal, but funds are raised in various locations worldwide, a wealthy local donates land for the school, the community receiving the school commits to a number of volunteer hours to ensure it’s built, and the Nepalese Ministry of Education agrees to staff it with an appropriate amount of teachers. He also stressed the importance of working within the culture – 90% of Room to Read employees are local nationals. This is an approach I strongly approve of. It empowers the local community.

The local approach continues with their selection of books. Most of the titles are produced by locals, and are available in English and the local native language. Wood stated that the goal is not so much to bring Dr. Seuss to these countries, but to find “the Dr. Seusses and JK Rowlings of the developing world”. This is all part of an approach he called giving “a hand up, not a hand out”.

Wood closed by talking about the impressive and ambitious plans for the future. There are plans to open the 10,000th library next April in Nepal, and there are growth targets for 2015 as well (I can’t find the exact figures in my notes). The goal is to demonstrate that the social sector can scale up just like business. In fact, Wood noted that Starbucks opened just over 1000 locations in the 8 years after it’s IPO. Room to Read, in its first 8 years, built more schools and libraries than that.

While the speech’s primary focus was on promoting the organization and raising funds, it’s hard not to feel inspired afterward. John Wood is someone I’ve admired greatly since I first read his book. Hearing him speak about not just the accomplishments, but the goals and motives that drive them towards the accomplishments. As I said when writing about Craig Kielburger’s keynote at the Global Youth Assembly, the inspiration is less in the specific initiative and more in seeing someone discover their passion and how to pursue it. Wood is someone who walked away from a successful career and the material comforts that came along with it to pursue something risky that he believed in. Many of us talk about doing that, but few do. He deserves to be commended for taking the risk, and seeing his dream through to fruition.

After his speech, emcee Carrie Doll asked him if he was living his dream. With a smile on his face and no reservations, he responded with an enthusiastic “yes”. Not all of us want to build libraries and schools in the developing world. But we all have passions and we all have dreams. People like John Wood remind us that we can reach them.

You can see my full photo gallery from the event here.

Music Monday: 25 Songs About a Girl(’s Name)

I’m trying something different with Music Monday today. I didn’t attend any concerts this week, foolishly skipping Jason Mraz Saturday evening and turning down Elliott Brood tickets Saturday night on account of an early (and long) day Sunday, so I have no reviews to pass on. Instead, I’m going to pass on some song recommendations.

It would be too easy to just pick an assortment of songs, so I picked a theme. While listening to Elvis Costello this week, I began to think about the best songs whose title is a girl’s name (inspired by his two amazing songs “Veronica” and “Allison” More on them later). I wondered if I could construct a full list. To limit it further, we’re only taking songs titled that consist solely of a name, so no “Anna Begins” by Counting Crows, much to my chagrin. Here’s what I came up with instead.

Here are 24 of my favourites, with an additional song thrown in because it inspired the title of this post. I’ve even assembled these songs as a playlist on Blip.fm for your listening pleasure.

Happy Monday! Here are the songs. with blurbs and bonus links for a few of my favourites.

The Academy Is… – About A Girl
This great pop-punk song inspired the title of the post, so it gets a bonus inclusion. Worth a listen in any case.
Arkells – Abigail
Ben Folds Five – Kate
Two Hours Traffic – Jezebel
Jack Johnson – Taylor
Love the guitar work throughout this, especially at the beginning.
The Allman Brothers – Melissa
Elvis Costello – Veronica
Franz Ferdinand – Jacqueline
A great song with a great guitar riff; probably my favourite off of their eponymously titled debut album.
Fleetwood Mac – Rhiannon
When I was running in a student council election back in my university days, I was out campaigning and I introduced myself to a girl who told me her name was Rhiannon. I responded “have you heard the Fleetwood Mac song “Rhiannon”, to which she replied, tersely, “everyone says that to me”. Suffice to say, I’m pretty sure she didn’t vote for me. True story. If you’re reading this, sorry about that, Rhiannon.
The Kinks – Lola
Death Cab for Cutie – Cath…
Having listened to it a few times recently, I can say that ‘Narrow Stairs’ is a totally underrated album.
Ray Lamontagne – Jolene
Just a beautiful, haunting song. I also recommend Hannah, but I couldn’t find a good version of on blip.fm. Instead, YouTube comes to the rescue. Check out this great version.
Simon & Garfunkel – Mrs. Robinson
Going old school! Great lyrics, great tune, from a great movie (The Graduate). I especially love the part about Joe DiMaggio.
The Lemonheads – Mrs. Robinson
Great cover of the Simon & Garfunkel classic.
The Allman Brothers – Jessica
The lone instrumental. Such great work from the Allman Brothers here. If this song doesn’t pick up your day, nothing will.
Fenix TX – Phoebe Cates
Metro Station – Kelsey
A surprise inclusion? This song sounds to me like a synth-pop Third Eye Blind tune. A marriage that works quite well in my books. Don’t judge until you’ve listened.
Michael Jackson – Billie Jean
I was at a shopping mall on a random Saturday this summer. I walked into a store and “Billie Jean” was on. I stopped, and thought to myself, “this is a really good song”. I had forgotten, not having listened to much MJ for so many years. Five days later, the King of Pop was dead and we all rediscovered his music.
Bonus “Billie Jean” covers: Mos Def and Steven Page/Danny Michel.
Blink 182 – Josie
I became a Blink fan listening to ‘Dude Ranch’ in Grade 10. This is one of my favourite tracks, an homage to an excellent girlfriend. How can you not love a girl who stays up late watching “Vacation”.
The Police – Roxanne
Goo Goo Dolls – Iris
Rod Stewart – Maggie May
Barenaked Ladies – Jane
Ben Folds – Gracie
Elvis Costello – Alison
Saving the best for last. Probably my favourite tune on this list. Everything about it is top-notch. The tight, melodic sound. Elvis’ voice. The words, a combination of resignation and a final plea. So, so, so good. My favourite Elvis tune of all time.

As a bonus, here he is playing it on his first ever television appearance. Enjoy!

Recap: Akbar Ganji in Edmonton

Sunday afternoon, I went to see Akbar Ganji speak. Ganji, a well know Iranian journalist and dissident, was in Edmonton to deliver the closing keynote address at Towards ‘the Dignity of Difference’ conference being held at the University of Alberta.

A view from near the back of the room.

In his youth, Ganji supported the Islamic revolution, later serving in the Revolutionary Guards Corps. He eventually became disenchanted with the regime, turning to journalism. He came to prominence investigating the murder of dissident authors in Iran. He was eventually jailed by the regime, and gained worldwide attention for his 80 day hunger strike in 2005, while in prison. He was released the following year and now lives abroad.

Speaking in Farsi (with a translation delivering his remarks in English), Ganji delivered a talk titled “Iran and the West: Confrontation or Dialogue?”. Conference organizers handed out a supporting paper, which I have loaded here. Ganji remarked earlier on that he was deviating some from the advertised topic, and focused more on the situation in Iran, and the history since the revolution 30 years ago.

Regarding dialogue between Iran and the west, he outlined some problems (such as the Green Revolution’s view of the government as illegitemate), but argued for engagement from the west regardless. He made an excellent point, noting that isolation of countries such as Cuba and North Korea hasn’t brought about change, contrasting this with the approach of the European Community with Turkey. By bringing Turkey into the fold, they can exert pressure and demand higher standards in terms of human rights, for example.

Ganji then continued to make a well thought out argument for a secular government in Iran. 30 years ago, Iran lacked the pre-conditions for a successful transition to democracy; he believes they exist now. He also believes in opening up Iran to foreign investment; he pointed out how China opened their economic borders 30 years ago and have led the world in economic growth since.

In essence, he is arguing for a true liberal-democratic state. Secular, with free elections and the respect of human rights as a foundation. He issued critiques of governments in the middle east and the west, arguing that the fundamentalists in Iran, Israel, and the United States (until this year), in effect, kept each other in business. His claim that you can’t have dialogue between fundamentalists prompted the professor sitting behind me to audibly utter “bullshit” to his two colleagues beside him.

While most of his arguments on Iran were standard fare from academics, he made some salient points. He reminded us that the problems in the Middle East cannot be solved in isolation. What happens in Gaza affects the situation in Iran, and vice-versa. He argued for the value of social networks, which he sees happening in Iran. Without a trace of irony, given the location, he argued against filtering these social networks through a single political party, since that would be detrimental to the political culture. His most poignant criticism came at the end, when he criticized groups like Hamas and Hezbollah for winning an election, then changing the rules so future elections wouldn’t be competitive. In his words, “democracy has an expiry date”. You must be able to go to the polls and have confident that your vote will count and the government may change.

I would have enjoyed this talk much more had Ganji focused on his personal story, particularly his journalistic efforts and his time in jail. Most of the talk consisted of standard points and arguments on Iran. If there’s a takeaway from that end of his talk, it’s a re-emphasis of the value of dialogue, and of understanding the culture you’re trying to interact with and understand. I just wish Ganji had gone more in depth with that, and told us more of his story. That would have helped us understand Iran more than his general arguments did.

Recap: Homeless Connect Edmonton

I was 9 years old when I first found out what homelessness was. Growing up in southwest Edmonton, you weren’t exposed to this issue, nor did you tend to come across homeless people on your street or in the neighbourhood park. But in the summer of 1991, my family visited Washington, DC, a city where homelessness was rampant. I couldn’t fathom the idea that somebody didn’t have a home; it seemed both implausible and unjust.

I spent the morning volunteering at Homeless Connect Edmonton, an event where homeless members of the community, or those at risk of becoming homeless, come and access health services, counselling, get free food and clothing and other services from over 40 agencies and providers. Organized by Homeward Trust, today’s event was the third installment, previous ones being held last October and this May.

It’s well worth one’s time to volunteer at this event. It’s a very important cause, and the event is well-run; I imagine almost every volunteer found it to be a rewarding experience (I certainly did). Being able to help those who are less fortunate or are down on their luck is one thing, but seeing how people benefit from this event, and seeing the gratitude and excitement they feel is another. One day is unlikely to change the lives of most participants, but it will make things better. Maybe temporarily, maybe permanently. In life, change rarely occurs in one fell swoop; most often, it’s the culmination of a series of events that cumulatively bring about change. Events of this nature can be a part of bringing about change, and bringing about a better life for people.

I thought about my experience in DC while reflecting on the morning. Images of that trip are still in my memory 18 years later. Today was a different experience. It’s one thing to see a homeless person, it’s another to interact with one. Most of the people I interacted with today were no different than you and I. Yes, they’re in a tough spot. Perhaps due to upbringing, bad luck, or a couple of bad decisions. Some due to addictions or mental illness, issues we as a society need to devote more attention and support to. But by and large, it felt no different than talking to a neighbour or co-worker. Some of the ladies called me “dear” when I brought them coffee; most of the people smiled back and said hi when you greeted them; one older gentleman told me about an upcoming job interview; another asked why I was spending my Sunday there instead of chasing girls (a fair question, perhaps).

My point is not to romanticize the experience. It’s tough to see some of the young children, and know that life is likely to be an uphill fight for them, and to see some of the people with serious health issues. Hearing them complain about the cold takes on a whole new meaning when you know you’re going back to a heated home and they may not be. The point is to stress the value of this event. As writers such as Paula Simons have stressed, social services often get cut during recessions and tough times. This hurts, and costs, all of us. It’s important, to my mind, to do what we can to help those who aren’t as fortunate as us, especially in tough times, whether it’s donating time, money, or articulating your views to government and decision makers. Fundamentally, in society, we are all in this together. Our neighbours’ struggles hurt us too.

So, congratulations to Homeward Trust and all the participating volunteers and agencies on a well-run event. I’ll be one of the first to sign up for the next one, and I encourage everyone to do the same.

More coverage: Edmonton Journal and Edmonton Sun stories, plus a photo gallery from the Sun.

Monday update: Mack, who also volunteered, adds his thoughts here.

Recap: Edmonton Next Gen’s Pecha Kucha 5

I attended Pecha Kucha 5, put on by Edmonton Next Gen, last night. This was the second in the series I have been able to attend, having previously caught the 4th installement in June.

For those unfamiliar with Pecha Kucha, the concept is simple: each presenter gets to present 20 slides, and 20 seconds to speak to each slide.

Next Gen Committee co-chair and co-host for the evening Cary Williams explains the pronunciation of “Pecha Kucha”.

This installment was held at the Myer Horowitz Theatre in the Students’ Union Building of the University of Alberta. Sponsored by the Alumni Association, it was held in conjunction with U of A Reunion weekend. While not a full house, there was a good crowd in attendance (I’d estimate they sold about 600 tickets, based on the crowd size and the numbers they called out when drawing for door prizes). I was surprised by the number of first time attendees (a show of hands demonstrated who had been to a previous event). This is a good sign that Pecha Kucha’s reputation is spreading in Edmonton. I was also impressed with the turnout given that it was held on a Friday night (as opposed to Thursdays when they normally are), which creates greater competition for potential attendees with so much more going on throughout the city.

Mack Male has a good recap of the presentations, which I suggest you check out; I’ll gloss over the details of them and focus on some general impressions.

Yuri Wuensch and Michael Malone from the Edmonton International Airport.

There were two types of presentations. I’ll call them “information” and “idea” presentations. The former focus on disseminating information about specific events or initiatives, such as MIchael Janz’s presentation about the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues and Dave Cournoyer and Diane Begin’s presentation about ChangeCamp Edmonton. The latter aims to convince the audience of the merits of an idea or action; examples include Josh Kjenner and Shafraaz Kaba of Manasc Isaac’s presentation about the impact of land use bylaws on design and development, and Tad Hargrave’s presentation on a local economy. This event struck a good balance between the two.

Nadine Riopel from the United Way of the Capital Region speaks about their initiatives to fight homelessness.

Pecha Kucha nights are a great way to learn about community initiatives and new ideas. If I have a criticism of the event, it’s that there is no structure within which to follow up on these ideas, or to discuss them further. You have a 15 minute break in the middle of the presenters, and at this event there was an official ‘after-party’, but those don’t lend themselves well to a dialogue with the presenters or the attendees. I think some sort of forum, ideally online, where people could ask questions of the presenters and discuss the ideas amongst each other would be beneficial. It would also be nice if the presentations were posted online (apologies if they already are and I can’t find them). There were a number of provocative ideas presented last night. I’d love to be able to refer back to them, share them with people who weren’t in attendance, and discuss these ideas further.

Attendees mingle during the break in the Myer Horowitz Theatre lobby.

Aside from that, Next Gen put on another strong installment in what has become their flagship series of events. It’s both encouraging and inspiring to see what people are doing to make Edmonton a better place.

Also, I won a sweet photo printer courtesy of the U of A Alumni Association.

For more thoughts on the event, here are posts from Mack Male and Sarah Chan, and a link to my full photo gallery from the event.

Photo Essay: A Trip to the Oil Sands

The Oil Sands are back in the news, as a new round of Greenpeace efforts are targeting Suncor, the second time in recent weeks.

I have a tough time fully forming my opinion on the oil sands. Without a doubt, I am worried about their impact, particularly on our water sources. The greenhouse gas emissions are also a concern, but I worry that environmentalists are focusing too much on the oil sands. Most research shows that the bulk of the GHG emissions in the life-cycle of oil production comes in the transport fuel combustion phase, which is to say, when it is used by consumers. Product from the oil sands does create more emissions than conventional sources, but does it justify the effort that environmentalists are putting in to stop them?

My thought right now is no. We’d be best served focusing our efforts on reducing the need for oil. No demand, no oil sands production. It’s that simple. I worry that we’re going to lose the big picture in going after the oil sands.

But I’m open to arguments, and am by no means set in my view. I’d love to hear thoughts from others on this topic. In the meantime, here are some pictures of the oil sands. I had the opportunity to tour Syncrude’s Mildred Lake mine in July, and I appreciate the opportunity greatly. Here is a selection of photos from my visit.

The North Mine at Mildred Lake.

The open mine pit, with the sulfur stack seen in the background.

A truck gets ready to haul the product away.

Want to get an idea of how big the trucks are in the mine? That’s one of the tires. Anton, in the foreground, is 6′7.

Machinery at work.

Nice lake? Try tailings pond. Can’t tell the difference from a distance.

The tailings pond goes on for miles.

Here’s a closer look.

To be fair, this is all reclaimed land. You’d never know the difference. Syncrude started reclaiming this former mine site a few decades ago.

The famous bison herd that has been reintroduced to the area.

Still, you tend to more remember sights like this:

And another one of the mine:

And the giant trucks. We were told that one driver described it like “driving your house from the second story”

To end, a little bit of nature on the edge of Fort McMurray.

You can see my full photo set here.