Category: government

privacy vs. transparency

On By Rick McIn government, internet, philosophyLeave a comment

Assume that everything you do and say on the internet is monitored.

Google, your ISP, or ebay, or Amazon (or someone) is making a record right now.

I might be wrong. But I definitely may be right.

How serious a problem is this lack of privacy? Personally, I am not worried.

Privacy is … the sense of vulnerability that an individual experiences. When people feel exposed or invaded, there’s a privacy issue.

– danah boyd

That’s not me.

The benefits of having wrongdoers exposed; the crimes prevented by fear of getting caught may outweigh the problems caused by lack of privacy.

Ask me my opinion again if I am ever brought to task for a some misdeed.

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Things are worse now than when Time published this 2001 cover story.

contractors in Iraq make war costs balloon

On By Rick McIn bad news, economics, government, product complaintsLeave a comment

As a teen someone taught me that — when you want to know why decisions are made — follow the money.

The rip-offs have never been greater in the history of the world than in Iraq.

Where are the billion$ going?

newsobserver.com | Contractors in Iraq make costs balloon

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Monsanto should be terminated

On By Rick McIn bad news, food, government, health & fitness, product complaintsLeave a comment

photo.jpgPlaying with Mother Nature is rarely a good policy.

This is bound to end in diaster.

… I believe Monsanto is going too far with this evil … Yes, I said evil. To prevent a farmer’s seed from previous harvests from germinating just to maintain a strong grip on the marketplace is sick, and one strong reason GM food is looked at with distrust and hatred in the rest of the world.

Terminator technology or anything that disrupts the proper development of any plant should be illegal.

Beyond protecting intellectual property, this is all about greed, plain and simple.

Dvorak Uncensored » Monsanto continues to pursue controversial “Terminator” seed-control technology

Mike the activist

On By Rick McIn government, travel, traveloguesLeave a comment

I visited Moncton, New Brunswick on a failed attempt to do some coastal hiking.

Happily, the town’s first hostel (The C’Mon Inn) opened this summer. I met some very interesting people.

I rented a car and 5 of us took a road trip up to Koochi Koochi Koo National Park (Kouchibouguac) to stroll the Kelly’s beach dunes. It was a nice day.

Even better was scrambling the Shediac Lobster.

It was an education to spend the day with Mike, the first real activist I’ve ever known. Those people on TV protesting globalization — that’s Mike. He was at the Battle of Seattle, the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999.

Mike was badly hurt protesting The Summit of the Americas in Quebec City, 2001, a round of negotiations regarding a proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas.

Next Mike was inside the tent for the G8 summit 2002 in Kananaskis, Alberta representing Oxfam.

Right now he is an inactive activist, back at school, earning another degree.

But the passion is there. He is committed to, and very knowledgeable on, many important causes facing this planet. I admire Mike’s commitment and courage. And I wish him well into the future. We will keep in touch.

» next travelogue post on this trip – a day in New Brunswick

“Lhasa Vegas”

On By Rick McIn audiocasts, government, philosophy, travelLeave a comment

pf01.jpgXeni Jardin, the popular BoingBoing.net blogger, has a good podcast on NPR radio:

Tradition vs. Change in ‘Lhasa Vegas’

When I was in Tibet in 1997 there were already good internet cafes. It seems the more remote an area, the more important the internet becomes.

Needless to say, the Dalai Lama is jive to the technology, but with a caution:

The internet’s contribution to the diffusion and dissemination of knowledge and information is truly remarkable.

“By itself the internet cannot feed the poor, defend the oppressed, or protect those subject to natural disasters, but by keeping us informed it can allow those of us who have the opportunity to give whatever help we can.”

the smartest reporter in the world?

On By Rick McIn books, government, IslamLeave a comment

I just heard Robert Fisk interviewed. Sounds like the most intelligent reporter in the world to me.

His home of the past 25 years, Beirut, Lebanon, has been destroyed by what Fisk feels was unnecessary military action. The Israelis over-reacted. And they came out second best in the conflict.

Fisk speaks Arabic and is one of the few Western journalists to have interviewed Osama bin Laden.

I will be checking out his books.

The Conquest of the Middle East

movie – Hotel Rwanda

On By Rick McIn bad news, government, moviesLeave a comment

I finally saw the acclaimed film Hotel Rwanda.

Though painful, I recommend it, especially if you do not know the story.

This is the Hollywood treatment of the Rwandan Genocide where over 800,000 were killed — many hacked to death with $.10 machetes — during a period of 100 days from April 6th through mid-July 1994.

The man in charge of peace-keeping at the time, Canadian Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire was hand-cuffed by the United Nations. The few UN troops on hand were ordered to stand by without intervening.

President Clinton later described US inaction as “the biggest regret of my administration.”

This was only 12-years-ago.

It’s unbelievable.

Rent the movie.

Hotel Rwanda

bunks for drunks

On By Rick McIn economics, good news, governmentLeave a comment

In the past I dismissed the homeless.

That was until I moved to the downtown East side of Calgary. In the centre of the homeless area. Those folks became part of my daily existence.

The homeless normally claim they “like the freedom”. They cannot hold a job because they refuse to knuckle under authority.

They cannot live in a shelter because of the tyranny of rules imposed there.

Sounds believable.

Then I heard an NPR podcast: Homeless Alcoholics in Seattle Find a Home

Bill Hobson is a homeless advocate in Seattle who runs a government program that one critic calls “bunks for drunks.” It’s a facility that offers a home for alcoholics in exchange for nothing. They can even continue drinking while living there. Renee Montagne speaks with Hobson about the logic behind the program.

Of 79 chronic, oft-hospitalized alcoholics offered a chance at shelter — 75 accepted.

Seems the real reason for homelessness, normally not admitted by the homeless, is addiction. At least for alcoholics.

This is a brave, honest experiment in how to truly help the homeless. Congratulations Bill Hobson.

Not everyone agrees with me. Especially regarding the funding of the project:

New York Times – Homeless Alcoholics Receive a Permanent Place to Live, and Drink

helping the homeless

On By Rick McIn economics, government, philosophy, TVLeave a comment

Is money the answer?

What would happen if you gave homeless man $100,000?

That’s the question posed by a Showtime documentary called Reversal of Fortune. Ted Rodrigue lives under a bridge in Pasadena and agrees to participate in a documentary about the homeless, though he doesn’t know he’s goint to get any money.

He finds it unexpectedly in a dumpster half way through the film.

Reversal of Fortune (2005 film) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I quite liked Ted Rodrigue before he got the money. He had adapted to decades of living on the street and had a “life” of sorts.

As you probably guessed, money was not the answer for Ted. You could say it ruined his life.

Germany Chancellor, video podcaster

On By Rick McIn governmentLeave a comment

250px-AMerkel.jpgAngela Merkel is the first world leader to video podcast. (If you don’t count Bin Ladin.)

Her first spot, in German only, was about the World Cup of Soccer.

Right now blogging is suddenly “cool”. Time for bandwagoneeers to hop on.

It’s a phase we saw during the adoption of email addresses 10-years-ago or so.

My theory is that everyone will have a blog one day. Everyone will be Master of All Media.