Om Malik and Mathew Ingram talks about the decision.
I think this is a great lost for G&M and wonderful gain for GigaOM. I guess I can now link to Mathew’s stuff without worrying if it will be hidden behind G&M’s paid wall a few days later.
Posted in blogging, Canada, Telecom, Toronto 
The new CBC show Connect with Mark Kelley has some cool stories. Check out the following video segments that I quite like. And you can follow the show on Twitter.
I think Mark Kelley is an engaging host and reporter so I am writing this article in response to this rather negative entry/repost about the show at inside the cbc which originated from here.
Posted in Canada, CBC, Democracy, Video 
Min Sook Lee, Gemini award winning and documentary filmmaker of My Toxic Baby, has made Badge of Pride, a documentary about gay cops in Canada. You can watch it next week on CBC News Network. The following are some information and a YouTube Trailer.
Twenty-five years ago, Toronto’s gay pride parade was a protest march, held to speak out against police raids against gay bathhouses. In 2005, the city’s Police Chief, Bill Blair marched alongside the muscle boys, the leather daddies, the drag queens and the dykes on bikes. It was a first for Toronto. We’ve come a long way. Or have we? Badge of Pride is a documentary that looks at the lives of gay cops in Canada; cops who are out, cops who are closeted and cops who are somewhere in between the closet and the cruiser.
Badge of Pride looks at the conflicts and challenges facing LGBT cops in Canada. Coming out as a gay cop has its price. Badge of Pride asks: “Will the force be with you if you’re gay?”
Posted in Canada, CBC, Documentary, Law, Love, people, politics, Toronto, Video, YouTube 
Here is a photo my hand-delivered letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office. I’ve included the text here for the record.
Jan 7, 2010
Dear Prime Minister Stephen Harper,
I am deeply saddened as a Canadian, as a Calgarian, and as someone living in your riding for years to see you’ve chosen to suspend democracy and Parliament (prorogue Parliament).
As a trained economist and as Prime Minister of Canada, I trust you are a reader of the internationally respected and independent “The Economist“. Let me quote from its Jan 7th article “Canada without Parliament – Halted in mid-debate” (emphasis added),
“THE timing said everything. Stephen Harper, the prime minister, chose December 30th, the day five Canadians were killed in Afghanistan and when the public and the media were further distracted by the announcement of the country’s all-important Olympic ice-hockey team, to let his spokesman reveal that Parliament would remain closed until March 3rd, instead of returning as usual, after its Christmas break, in the last week of January.”
I have highlighted various parts of The Economist article and attached to this letter with added notes for your reading pleasure.
As a Calgarian and Canadian, I see it as my duty and responsibility to rally on 23rd January, 2010 alongside my fellow Canadians from sea to sea to protest your action to prorogue the Parliament.
Allow me to quote “The Economist” once more,
“The danger in allowing the prime minister to end discussion any time he chooses is that it makes Parliament accountable to him rather than the other way around. […]
Whether Mr Harper gets away with his innovative use of prime ministerial powers depends largely on whether the protest spreads and can be sustained until Parliament reconvenes in March. Mr Harper is doubtless counting on the Winter Olympics to reinforce Canadians’ familiar political complacency. But he has given the opposition, which is divided and fumbling, an opportunity. It is now up to it to show that Canada cannot afford a part-time Parliament that sits only at the prime minister’s pleasure.“
For the sake of democracy and our shared love of Canada, I hope Canadians will rise up to protest and to rally until you realize you were wrong.
Mr. Prime Minister, you’ve exercised your power, at all cost, to shutdown the Parliament. It leaves me no choice but to protest and rally along my fellow Canadians on 23rd January, 2010 and take necessary and sustaining peaceful actions until our democracy is restored.
Yours truly,
Kempton Lam
Calgary, SW
P.S. I hope you will forgive me in not able to spend more time in writing a more forceful and better-crafted letter as I do have others things to attend to.
[rewrite — P.S. I hope you will forgive me in not able to spend more time in writing a more forceful and better-crafted letter as I do have to work, unlike you and your privileged colleagues can prorogue your work.]
P.P.S. I’ve also enclosed a highlighted copy of The Economist’s “Harper goes prorogue – Parliamentary scrutiny may be tedious, but democracies cannot afford to dispense with it” for your reading pleasure.
***
Jan 9th Update (not part of my letter):
Concerned Canadians: Please join the anti-prorogation Facebook group.
Calgary rally: Please also join Calgarians Against Proroguing Parliament where Calgarians are organizing a rally on Jan 23rd, 2010 together with Canadians from across the country.
Links to rallies in other Canadian cities: See this Facebook event
Posted in 2010-Olympics, Alberta, Calgary, Canada, community production, Democracy, digital democracy, Digital-Revolution, Economics, Law, politics, social media, social network 
The following is an interview with the really cool Lucas Martell, Writer/Director/Producer/Animator of ”Pigeon: Impossible” (viewed 2.8 million times so far since Nov 2009)”. Lucas and I chatted about many things including how the story got fine tuned and tweaked over the four years he made the film. And Lucas’ experience in making “Pigeon: Impossible”, which amazingly is his first CG (computer graphics) animation short. Lucas also created a blog and podcast (also viewable from Lucas’ Youtube channel) to share his experiences in making CG animation using home PCs.
Note: the video for “Pigeon: Impossible” is included at the end of this article.
Here is the film once again. Enjoy.
Posted in animation, Arts, Fun, InterviewByKempton, InterviewByKempton-Arts, united states, Video, YouTube 
iFixit has a good Google Nexus One Teardown with beautiful pictures. Enjoy.
[HT mashable]
Posted in Canada, Google, Photography, Science & Technology, Telecom, united states 
A very good article. For the record.
***
Ten years as top judge and she’s still losing sleep
Beverley McLachlin, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, talks with The Globe and Mail about her work so far, the toll it takes on her conscience and the makeup of Canada’s highest bench
Kirk Makin Justice Reporter
Jan 7, 2010, Globe and Mail
After presiding over thousands of cases in a 29-year career on the bench, Supreme Court of Canada Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin has witnessed enough conflict and human suffering to leave the average judge inured.
However, in a rare interview marking her tenth anniversary as the country’s top judge, Chief Justice McLachlin confessed that she still lies awake at night worrying about the impact of her judgments on those caught up in the machinery of justice.
“They are all really, really important issues at this level,” the 66-year-old judge said. “One does ponder them, and go back and forth agonizing about them. I must say, it is a preoccupying thing.”
A tough and efficient administrator known for choosing her words carefully, Chief Justice McLachlin said most of the significant Charter of Rights battles have already been fought, many before she became chief justice, leaving the court to deal mainly with subtle interpretations.
“In [the Charter’s] early years, the court did a huge amount of very good work laying down the basis,” she said. “We are just building on that.
“To my surprise, there are new Charter issues that come once in a while – but not to the same extent.”
Chief Justice McLachlin also expressed surprise that the court has developed a reputation for defending press freedoms and free expression – the sort of pattern that tends to emerge only after a serendipitous line of cases work their way to the top court.
“I’m often surprised when I look back and say, ‘Oh, that’s interesting,’ ” she said. “It wasn’t that we planned it that way, but people brought the cases forward, they were good cases, and the law developed as it did.”
In several of these cases, the court made a point of extending its rulings to bloggers and other new media, giving them a shield as well as new-found legitimacy.
“We have to be realistic,” the pre-eminent jurist said. “When we are making these principles, they have to go forward as part of our law. They have to fit in the real world – and that real world is one where we have emerging and different types of communication of fact.”
The cases that she said trouble her the most tend to involve human rights– such as a 1993 case where the court ruled 5-4 against a B.C. woman, Sue Rodriguez, who wanted to be euthanized before a debilitating disease could rob her of all movement.
It is the sort of decision that motivates her to bounce ideas off colleagues or take long, pensive walks. “Sometimes, that is when all the things that have been percolating somehow come together,” she said. “You examine your conscience very carefully.”
Still, what she feared most about taking on her new role as chief justice in 1999 was that it might force her to reduce her caseload. She refused to sacrifice judging to the demands of administration.
“I have always wanted to be known as a good jurist, as a serious jurist,” she said. “I still sit on as many cases as anyone else. I think it’s important from a leadership perspective, and because I’m selfish.”
In just three more years, Chief Justice McLachlin will have served longer than all 15 previous chief justices in the 135-year history of the Supreme Court. And, with nine years left before her mandatory retirement date, she could set a record that will be extremely difficult to equal.
“Whatever happens, happens,” she said. “It has been a great privilege, one I could never have imagined in my wildest imaginings when I started out in law.”
Equally unimaginable, four of the nine seats on the court are occupied by women – a development that has given the Supreme Court a unique status on the world stage.
“I think that’s a wonderful situation for the court to be in,” she said. “It gives encouragement to people who might otherwise feel they ought not to try for whatever it is they want to try for.”
In her early years, Chief Justice McLachlin often found herself wondering whether colleagues were parsing her statements with the subconscious thought, “Is that her hormones – or her woman-ness – talking?”
That is no longer the case, she said. “We just don’t think in terms of gender on this court. I don’t think it is for the men on the court, either.”
The toughest job a chief justice faces is shepherding nine fiercely independent minds toward unanimity. Many court-watchers believe that, in an effort to reduce the number of dissenting or concurring reasons, Chief Justice McLachlin applies pressure to her colleagues.
“I would never – and have never – gone to a judge and even suggested that they should not write a concurring opinion,” she insisted. “I wouldn’t do it. It’s not right.”
Instead, she tries to keep different factions talking to one another – for months, if necessary. This may involve calling them back for a second or third conference to thrash out a case.
“I try to make sure there is an environment where everybody can be heard, where people want to talk to each other and listen to each other,” she said. “It’s amazing; gradually we narrow the issues.”
Posted in Canada, Law, people, politics, World 
A loving & touching story, “Fred the dog back with late owner’s family (CBC video)“.
Posted in Canada, CBC, Love, Video 
TVO Search Engine has an insightful podcast (mp3) on the “Responsible Communications” Supreme Court case,
“The Supreme Court of Canada’s recent libel ruling isn’t just a victory for journalists – it unshackles every voice on the Internet, and reminds us that in the eyes of the law, journalists don’t actually exist.”
Posted in Canada, Law, people, politics 
Watch the following highly recommended personal and insightful 6 parts Entrepreneur Mastermind Group Talk with Brett Wilson. Brett is a truly a great guy as you can tell from the honest (and sometimes possibly embarassing) experiences that he shares in the video.
By the way, you can also watch my previous interview with him here, here, and here.
Posted in Alberta, Business, Calgary, Canada, Dragons’ Den, insightful, investment 
Press release from THECIS.
***
THECIS Breakfast – Calgary, January 21, 2010
$100 million man
Rod Charko has just been appointed CEO of the Alberta Enterprise Corporation, which has been funded by the Alberta government with $100 million. Come and find out what the Alberta Enterprise Corporation is all about – how it plans to invest its money, which sectors it is most interested in, and how it came about.
Rod is a seasoned company builder, having been on the management team of four technology startups, as well as an Investment Director of a national Venture Capital fund. Come and join us for an interesting and informative event.
Calgary
Time: 7:00 am to 9:00am. A hot breakfast is served.
Date: Thursday, January 21, 2010
Place: Alastair Ross Technology Centre – 3553 – 31 Street NW
Cost
Members of the THECIS Innovation Club $36.00
Non-Members $52.00
Students: $21.00
For more information on this event and to register: Register Now
Posted in Alberta, Business, Calgary, Canada, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Science & Technology 
Engadget’s Google Nexus One review. I wonder will this phone work on WIND Mobile’s network?
Posted in Canada, gadget, Google, Science & Technology, Telecom, united states, World 
Check out this collection of 15,000 free (under creative common license) historical postcards. Thanks to University of Alberta Libraries.
Posted in Alberta, Canada, copyright, Creative, Creative Commons, Fun, Photography 
***
Concerned Canadians: Please join the anti-prorogation Facebook group.
Calgary rally: Please also join Calgarians Against Proroguing Parliament where Calgarians are organizing a rally on Jan 23rd, 2010 together with Canadians from across the country.
Links to rallies in other Canadian cities: See this Facebook event
***
Jan 8, 2009 5:48PM MST: There are 116,203 members in the anti-prorogation Facebook group.
Jan 8, 2009 12:37AM MST: There are 100,438 members in the anti-prorogation Facebook group.
Jan 6, 2009 4:11PM MST: 70,626 members in the anti-prorogation Facebook group.
More membership size history at the bottom of this post.
***
CBC is reporting about this “anti-prorogation Facebook group“,
“More than 20,000 people have joined an anti-prorogation group on Facebook following Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s decision to suspend Parliament for two months until after the Vancouver Winter Olympics.
Christopher White told CBC News that he was upset by the prime minister’s decision to prorogue Parliament until March 3, and decided to create the Facebook group, Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament, urging people to contact their MPs to get back to work.
The group, which began last Wednesday, now has 20,312 members.
Very funny, interesting, and insightful look of prorogation by Rick Mercer.
Please join the anti-prorogation Facebook group to protect Canadian democracy and our Parliament before it is too late.
P.S. On Dec 30, 2009, I felt sad and powerless when the PM decided to shutdown the Parliament single-handedly until March.
Membership size growth history
Jan 5, 2009 11:11PM MST: There are 55,184 members in the anti-prorogation Facebook group.
Jan 5, 2009 4:46PM MST: There are 43,074 members in the anti-prorogation Facebook group.
Jan 5, 2009 3:19PM MST: More than 40,00 members now. There are 40,192 members in the anti-prorogation Facebook group.
From CBC news “Company aims to remould plastics industry with nano-crystalline cellulose from trees“,
Faster cars, compostable plastics, ultra-hard iridescent coatings: these are some of the potential uses of nano-crystalline cellulose (NCC). It’s a new material produced from wood cellulose, using a cost-effective method developed by researchers at FP Innovations, a non-profit forest industry research consortium based in Montreal.
NCC has many unusual properties, in addition to having all the biodegradable attributes associated with its plant-based source.
Materials scientists are in awe of NCC’s extraordinary potential — among its many attributes, it’s strong, lightweight, can conduct light and electricity, has anti-microbial properties, can be embedded safely in body tissue, and even has self-cleaning characteristics. In toxicity tests conducted for Environment Canada, NCC was found to be environmentally benign and no more toxic than salt.
And it has a pleasing iridescence.
“When NCC is applied in layers on a surface, it can change colour with the angle, like a bird’s plumage,” says Dr. Richard Berry, lead scientist and co-ordinator of the nanotechnology initiative at FP Innovations. Materials can be made in various colours without the use of dyes and chemicals.
“NCC is beautiful,” says Orlando Rojas, chair of the American Chemical Society.
Posted in Canada, Science & Technology 
Interesting insights form Pricessless about Simon-Kucher & Partners (SKP),
The influence of SKP on the prices we pay for just about everything is as little recognized as it is staggering. Rules that apply to other types of consultancies don’t apply to pricing. An ad agency would not have Coca-Cola and Pepsi as clients—but SKP does. In many industries, SKP advises half a dozen of the leading firms. Its current roster of clients includes Procter & Gamble, Nestlé, Microsoft, Intel, Texas Instruments, T-Mobile, Vodaphone, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Honeywell, Thyssen-Krupp, Warner Music, Bertelsmann, Merck, Bayer, Johnson & Johnson, UBS, Barclays, HSBC, Goldman Sachs, Dow Jones, Hilton, British Airways, Lufthansa, Emirates Airlines, BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Toyota, General Motors, Volvo, Caterpillar, Adidas, and the Toronto Blue Jays. The same psychological tricks apply whether you’re setting a price for text messages or toilet paper or airline tickets. To SKP’s consultants, prices are the most pervasive of hidden persuaders.
[…] In the mundane act of naming a price, we translate the desires of our hearts into the public language of numbers. That turns out to be a surprisingly tricky process.
Posted in advertising, Business, Economics 
As reported by CBC today, two legislature members from Alberta’s governing Progressive Conservatives have defected to the Wildrose Alliance party. Take a look of the following well-spoken video messages by the two MLA who crossed the floor today.
Airdrie-Chestermere MLA Rob Anderson explains why he’s joining the Wildrose Alliance (4:59)
Here is a report from CTV Calgary “Two Alberta Tories defect to Wildrose Alliance” (with video).
P.S. Frankly, Paul, Danielle and I don’t quite see eye-to-eye in the last Calgary-Glenmore campaign (especially the techniques used on election day). Setting that issue and Wildrose policies aside, I believe the two addition Wildrose MLAs will help the party to gain its needed momentum in Alberta.
In the long run, I hope these two deflections will benefit Albertans and inject some needed democracy and representation into the Alberta’s provincial legislature.
Alberta’s other opposition parties (Alberta Liberal and NDP) may wish to think this is just a lost for the Alberta PC. I honestly hope they are not that naive as the consequences of today’s defections when combining with some sensible and popular policies means their legislative seats may not be as secure as they wish.
On a personal note, amongst the three neighbours in my aread, where we are very helpful to each others, there are supporters of Wildrose, PC, and Liberal parties. I truly believe the diversity is what make us strong. Political differences should not detract from our dedications, hopes, and dreams for a better and stronger Alberta.
Posted in Alberta, Calgary, Canada, Law, people, politics 
I am fast becoming a fan of the ideas in William Poundstone’s soon to be published new book “Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value (and How to Take Advantage of it)”. (read an excerpt of the book)
Check out this blog entry Priceless: Decoding Fast-Food Menus and the following insightful YouTube videos. Great stuff.
Flipping on eBay
Posted in Business, Economics, Entrepreneurship, food, Fun, insightful, Video, World, YouTube 
Whether you agree with Bernanke’s explanation or not, here is what he said according to this report (emphasis added),
“In twin speeches at the annual meeting of the American Economic Association in Atlanta, Ga., Bernanke and his vice chairman, Donald Kohn, responded to critics who suggest that the Fed’s policy of very low interest rates from 2001 to 2005 was the major cause of the housing bubble.
“The magnitude of house-price gains seems too large to be readily explainable by the stance of monetary policy alone,” Bernanke concluded in his speech. Comparisons with other major economies shows that countries with relatively higher interest rates had larger housing bubbles, he said. […]
“Both lenders and borrowers became convinced that house prices would only go up,” Bernanke said. “Borrowers chose, and were extended, mortgages that they could not be expected to service in the longer term. They were provided these loans on the expectation that accumulating home equity would soon allow refinancing into more sustainable mortgages. For a time, rising house prices became a self-fulfilling prophecy, but ultimately, further appreciation could not be sustained and house prices collapsed.“
“That conclusion suggests that the best response to the housing bubble would have been regulatory, not monetary,” Bernanke said. “Stronger regulation and supervision aimed at problems with underwriting practices and lenders’ risk management would have been a more effective and surgical approach to constraining the housing bubble than a general increase in interest rates.”“
Here is Paul Krugman’s critique of Bernanke’s “somewhat odd speech”,
“I agree with Bernanke that Taylor-rule based criticism of the low-interest policy of 2002-2004 is off base. […]
I also agree that lax regulation of unconventional mortgages was a bad thing.
But Bernanke should have been more forthright about the Fed’s undoubted failures: Greenspan’s rejection of advice about the risks of subprime lending, and the failure of top officials, BB included, to recognize the housing bubble in real time.”
Too bad Bernanke doesn’t seem to put much weight on the needed lessons embedded in The Warning (PBS documentary) – Brooksley Born (full video online).
Click to read full speeches by Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and Vice Chairman Donald L. Kohn at the Fed where references are provided for further reading.
Posted in Economics, investment, Nobel-Prize, politics, united states, World, World Affairs 
