Imagine

Links: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Imagine Peace

Tamtams and journée des Patriotes

I was walking home yesterday, when I saw a huge crowd and what appeared to be a protest next to Mount Royal Park. My first guess was the usual Sunday Tamtams, but when I got closer I saw a large number of Fleurdelisé. I assumed it was just a pro-sovereignty rally and continued walking to go record a bit of the tamtams madness. But last night while doing my rounds in the blogosphere I found this interesting article on the topic which answers my questions about the rally and I think it’s a good read.

And here’s the video I took yesterday, but unfortunately I had my earphones on and didn’t get any of the audio. I have to say the sounds of hundreds of drums playing was incredible!

Game Theory in Public Policy

It’s an interesting notion to use mathematics in the setting of political policies. What’s a little chilling to me is what would happen if the math suggested something like an all out attack on a nation? Are we to believe the math hard, cold math just because it is unbiased and doesn’t lie? Is the assumption (the 90% assumption) that reality will follow these predicitions?
Luckily what Bueno de Mesquita predicts is a good outcome for both Iran and the west.

On Current Canadian Politics

In the past few months since the brouhaha in parliament ended, and the parliament came back to resume its normal business there has been a distinct absence of something. I realized this the other day when I heard a news report about our Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Trade traveling to Afghanistan. I realized that the ruling government of Canada has not been in the media since much.

It’s no secret that Stephen Harper, and his government are not fans of the media and like to put out propaganda more than informing the public. But at some point the duty of the elected representative is to inform the public. We elected these guys (albeit with a 34% majority!) to rule, and it is their job to tell us what they are doing. Ruling in secrecy is something we like to think the other governments do, but apparently we are very good at it!

So when are these guys going to start being transparent?

Omidreza Mirsayafi 1981-2009

He was my age. I’m not sure what he studied, and what he did to make a living. But on his time off he was a blogger, and criticized Iranian society and government openly. Last year he was sentenced to two years in prison for “insulting the authorities”. And now he is dead. Just before the new Iranian year. Many bloggers are lamenting his loss: here, here, and here and here’s an English language post. And the interview with Omidreza’s lawyer is here.