Kyoto vote passes

Just a quick post to pass on my congratulations to the opposition parties for standing together behind Stephan Dion's motion to reaffirm the goals and spirit of the Kyoto accord.

According to Garth Turner's blog it was quite the spectacle.

Points of interest raised by Turner:

1. Newly minted environment minister John Baird, looked way more sheepish than usual as he voted against the only meaningful climate change motion brought before Parliament since the last election. The Commons rocked with hoots and hollers of derision as he stood.
2. If Jean Charest calls the election in Quebec for March 24th, and Jim Flaherty brings down his federal budget on March 20th, then the path is clear for Mr. Harper to engineer his defeat in early April for a federal vote in mid-May. Trust me - it has always been the plan of Conservative wizard Doug Finley to have a Spring 2007 election, before too much baggage accumulates, before the feds actually have to make hard decisions about the environment and in the wake of a federalist victory in Quebec.

If the Conservatives are dumb enough to go to the polls in the Spring... I say, bring it on...You're going down!

Gerard Kennedy: King maker

The Liberal Party leadership convention made for great TV today, even if you're not a political hack like me. It caps off another great week in Canadian politics. Elizabeth May's surprisingly strong showing in the London North Centre by-election having kicked it off on Monday.

I had my money on Bob Rae, despite his record in Ontario, I thought that Bob would become the candidate behind whom Liberals would coalesce. But obviously, Gerard Kennedy and Stephane Dion foresaw that eventuality and took steps to prevent it.

In what I can only say was one of the boldest moves I've seen in Canadian politics in quite some time, Gerard Kennedy's decision to throw his support behind Stephane Dion after only the second ballot, delivering 90% of his support to Dion, turned the convention on its ear by forcing Rae out before the final ballot. Something I doubt many believed would happen.

The move propelled Dion over the top as Rae's supporters divided.

As a Green I normally don't like politicking. But in this case I have to tip my hat to Kennedy for not being afraid to make a gutsy but decisive move. It was successful because it used the bad blood that had developed between the Rae and Ignatieff camps against them.

At the end of the day, neither Rae nor Ignatieff was prepared to support the other, and that was their undoing. Amazing stuff and a well earned victory for Stephane Dion by his #1 supporter, Gerard Kennedy.

What this means for the Green Party in the next federal election remains to be seen. Dion, as the most environmentally friendly Liberal leadership contestant, who decked his team out in neon green paraphernalia on Saturday, will certainly not shy away from environmental issues.

While some may think this is bad for the Green Party, I don't see it that way. On the one hand Dion will help ensure Green issues remain at the top of the agenda. On the other, he is not the dynamic force Bob Rae or Michael Ignatieff would have been on the national scene. Dion is not as well known in English Canada and will therefore have a tougher time ramping up support in the face of a short turn around before the next federal election.

It'll be interesting to see how it plays out. One thing's for sure, Canada's getting a little greener every day.

Watching the vote in London North Centre

The polls have closed in London North Centre and I'm sitting here tonight trying to write a math lesson plan for tomorrow morning, but instead I find myself watching the results from the London North Centre by-election coming in live from www.electionscanada.ca.

Every 90 seconds my browser refreshes with a new tally. It feels a lot like online trading, watching my stocks rise and fall every minute of the day.

With almost 7,000 votes in Pearson, the Liberal candidate, is up by only 200 votes. Elizabeth May, who was in the lead when I booted up a few minutes ago, is a very close second. Win or lose, tonight's result is a major breakthrough for the Green Party.

I would like to congratulate everyone on the campaign team for doing such a great job... and of course to Elizabeth May for representing the Party so well.

With a little luck, tonight will mark the beginning of something very new for Canada.

Good luck!

James

Greens' star rising

David Chernushenko, the senior deputy to the leader of the Green Party, has been named to the National Roundtable on Environment and the Economy, a blue-chip panel that advises the federal government on environmental policy.
CTV News

November 10, 2006

What a week its been in politics!

With Elizabeth May's campaign in London North Centre off to a strong start, reports indicating Green support has doubled since the last federal election, and yesterday's news of David Chernushenko's appointment to the National Roundtable on Environment and the Economy, its been a banner week for Canadian Greens.

Add to the mix that sanity finally returned south of the border in the form of Democratic victories in both the US House of Representatives and Senate, and I'd say things are finally starting to turn around.

(The light at the end of the tunnel seems to be shining a little more brightly today. Let's hope its not an illusion)

I've read a number of varied opinions as to why Ambrose made this move, but none have been critical of David Chernushenko, his credentials or the logic of adding a professional Green to the mix.

Eventhough Chernushenko has been appointed based on personal merit, as a Canadian citizen rather than as Deputy to the Leader of the Green Party, its clear that increased awareness in green issues and mounting pressure on the Conservative Party to re-engage (for real) in the Kyoto process, have forced the Tories to look outside their normal circle of influence.

Whatever Ambrose's intentions, Chernushenko's appointment is an important victory for Greens everywhere. David's inclusion in the policy process can only have a positive influence and beneficial outcome for Canadians. His record of accomplishments speak for itself. I have no doubt he will help set the Conservatives straight on what needs to be done and how to do it properly.

For the Green Party, Chernushenko's appointment is a tremendous breakthrough. Building on Elizabeth May's success as the new leader of the Green Party of Canada, this appointment confirms what many Greens know... that May and Chernushenko compliment each other well and that they make a great team.

To continue the momentum and to keep up the pressure on the Conservatives, I'd like to see two Green MPs in parliament by the end of the month... Elizabeth May and Garth Turner... followed by Chernushenko in the next federal election.

Don't laugh, its not out of the realm of possibility and it wouldn't come a moment too soon, as Margret Atwood pointed out yesterday.

First week of teaching

Two weeks ago I began my practicum at Teacher's College. Wow! What a change from the corporate world!

My first placement is at King Edward Public School in Walkerville, a storied neighborhood in Windsor. Walkerville is the home of Hiram Walker & Sons Limited, and to my favorite alcoholic beverage, Canadian Club (Rye Whiskey). On brewing days, the smell of rye is surprisingly strong.

I'm splitting my time between two Grade 6 classes, teaching Gym, Science and Math. No where in that list does it say History, my teachable. In Grades 1 - 6 History is better known as Social Studies. It doesn't look like I'm going to have a chance to teach Social Studies or Language Arts this time around but I'm enjoying the challenge none-the-less.

Science has been the biggest challenge so far. It took me a while to figure out what to do to open up a series of lessons on the Five Senses, part of the Human Body unit. Eventually I decided to build on an idea a couple of my classmates came up with in History class… spices.

I dolled out 10 different types of spices in plastic sandwich bags and asked the kids, in groups of 2 or 3, to analyze each spice based on the five senses: see, touch, taste, hear, smell. In the second class, I had each group come up to the blackboard and write their responses in a chart I put on the blackboard. The kids seemed to like the activity and I think it worked to set up the following lessons which will focus on the parts of the body that do the sensing: ears, nose, eyes, tongue, skin.

Since this past week was my first time in a classroom and as a natural disciplinarian (not :) ) , the one problem I've had was to keep the class noise level below a dull roar. Not having any kids of my own I'm not familiar with the psyche of children, other than to remember back to my own childhood and Grade 6.

Dave (Cajka) and I were a handful for our teachers in Grade 6. I don't think our parents really knew what we were up to because our marks were always good enough to keep suspicion to a minimum. I remember being kicked out of French class on a regular basis, tumbling books and book cases (attached to 4 lbs test fishing line), a whole lot of note writing, and Street Hockey every day after school... no matter how cold.

So far though, I’ve found the kids to be great. While they fool around all the time, get up from their seats far too often, never listen unless punished and generally cause havoc to my lesson plans, I find them to be good kids learning how to become reponsible citizens despite the many challenges they face. Most are eager to participate – hands shoot up like arrows every time I ask a question.

Childhood for me was pretty easy in comparison to what some of these kids have to deal with. Broken homes, alcoholism, learning disabilities, ADHD and Ritalin ...the list goes on. One wonders when life became so complicated for young people.

My goal, in the short time I have with these kids is to try to make an impression on them as to why it is so important they engage in the learning process. I hope to connect in some way with each student even if its just a smile in the morning.

Wish me luck!

Stopping pucks

This picture was taken in a game against a 35+ Russian elite hockey team during the CARHA International Hockey Tournament in Ottawa in the spring of 2004.

I have been stopping pucks for most of my life, but at the age of 37, this game was one of my best. I was so dialed in, that immediately following the game, I could only remember three or four of the over 50 shots I faced.

Having been whipped the day before by a team from Finland, I decided to change our defensive strategy for the Russian game. I say "I" because I was the organizer, the goalie, and with my father as coach, it was my prerogative to do so. :)

Even though I played for two years in Switzerland, I had forgotten the European style of puck possession, of constantly dropping the puck to a trailer, of forcing their way down the middle (the slot).

The change in strategy was relatively simple, but something that Canadian hockey players don't like to do... exercise discipline. I requested that our guys not fore check... at all. The thought was that if we could minimize the Russian's offensive opportunities, we'd have a chance to score on turnovers. Europeans play hockey as if its soccer... If forced, they will simply pass the puck around the attacker, trapping him behind the play. Which means that unmeasured fore checking often leads to immediate odd man rushes against – a recipe for disaster from a goalie's perspective.

Instead, the forwards were instructed to pick up the Russians at centre and force them wide along the boards, as opposed to allowing them to come down the middle. Like wise, the defensemen were instructed to stand up at the blue line and force the Russians wide... "DO NOT, I said, allow them to come across the middle. Force the play at the blue and if you don't stop them there, then force them wide."

I've always preferred to face a breakaway head on rather than face a multitude of screened shots coming out from behind my defensemen. The challenge of going 1-on-1 with a goal scorer is what makes playing nets worthwhile.

And, it worked. Even though the Russians were streaking down the wings, we forced them to either shoot from a bad angle or pass to the far post... either way, the odds of thwarting their advance were greatly enhanced by laying back, in a rope-a-dope manner the way we did. This happened over and over again, over the course of the game. 2-on-1's 3-on-2's... it didn't matter, with adult hockey rules of no slap shots, they were unable to beat me (most of the time).

We ended up coming from behind to tie the Russians 2-2. What an amazing feeling it was to compete at such a high level again, and to play well. It had been 18 years since I played Junior in Cape Breton and 13 years since I'd played semi-pro in Switzerland.

More importantly though, the Russians were beside themselves. I don't speak Russian, but it was clear that the captain, an overweight but highly skilled centre, was visibly upset... he kept pointing to the high slot as if to say to his wingers, "stop going wide you idiots!" (he had figured out what we were doing, unexpected as it was) I couldn't help but laugh at how frustrated he became.

Mid-way through the final period, he started yelling openly at his teammates on the ice and on the bench. He even had a few choice words for their goaltender after the poor guy let in the tying goal. After the game, my father heard the Russian coach laying into his team when he walked past their dressing room.

Man, were they pissed! :)

Although we didn't win the tournament, our team effort against the Russians was inspiring. It was only the second game we played together as a complete team... and the first time the (O'Grady) Raiders had played together in 20 years.

We knew after the Finnish game that we were in tough, but we responded as Canadians do when playing the Russians. It was my first time playing against a Russian team... I'm glad I had the chance to experience the rivalry.

I'd like to thank our new recruits, my good friends, long-time teammates and coaches, some of who came from far away to play, for making the effort. It’s hard at this age for us to get together as we once did (young children, family commitments and great distances separate us), but I hope that we will be able to do it again in the not too distant future. Until then, try to keep the pounds off will ya!

I fish therefore I am

Sometime in my youth, my father returned from a business trip with a gift... a grey t-shirt that read, 'I fish therefore I am' across the chest in marine-green stylized lettering. I don't know if he realized that this joking play on Rene Descartes' famous line, 'I think therefore I am', would spark my interest in philosophy and the Arts. Loving fishing, it also had a personal significance… I wore it proudly as often as possible.

Since then, my interest in the esoteric has lead to a formal University education in History, Anthropology, Political Science, Philosophy and Communications. A unique combination of subjects, knowledge and skills that I believe have become somewhat of a curse.

A curse because studying these subjects has taught me to analyze everything around me. To see through arguments and understand why, for instance, someone like George Bush, the President of the United States, would intentionally deceive the American public by attempting to link Iraq with the 9/11 attacks, Al-Qaeda and Bin Laden.

All fabrications President Bush finally acknowledged tonight… five very long years later.

As reported on GlobeandMail.com this evening:

Mr. Bush, in a prime-time address from the Oval Office, staunchly defended the war in Iraq even though he acknowledged that Saddam Hussein was not responsible for the 9/11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

He said Saddam's regime, while lacking weapons of mass destruction, was a threat that posed “a risk the world could not afford to take.” At least 2,600 U.S. servicemen and women have died in Iraq, which Mr. Bush calls the central front in the war on terror.

“Whatever mistakes have been made in Iraq, the worst mistake would be to think that if we pulled out, the terrorists would leave us alone,” the president said. “They will not leave us alone. They will follow us.”

… “The war against this enemy is more than a military conflict,” the president said. “It is the decisive ideological struggle of the 21st century and the calling of our generation.”


Let me say simply that I disagree. The war against terror is not my idea of the decisive ideological struggle of the 21st century, and it is certainly not the calling of my generation.

I want no part of it. This is not what I've spent 40 years working towards.

I never believed there was a connection between Iraq and Al-Qaeda. Nor did I believe the ‘weapons of mass-destruction’ argument, simply because there was no substance to it.

And now, what are we supposed to think? That the religious war George has created is the ‘calling of my generation’? Sorry, that’s just not in my plans.

Rather, I believe the calling of my generation, of the next 50 years, is to figure out how we, the global community, can correct the errors and mistakes we’ve been making. Mistakes that have led to global warming, cancer epidemics, air and water pollution, Aids, poverty, increased violence… the list goes on. Its up to us to do the heavy lifting -- investing in the future by begining the process toward establishing a global economy that is sustainable and that respects all life on earth.

It’ll be hard work, but I believe its time we started to put our collective hearts and minds into something positive, something beneficial, something we can all take pride in doing. Destroying the Muslim nation is not it. We can co-exist with each other and with nature.

It’s just a matter of mind over matter… or of fish over philosophy.