~gabriel » International

Writeup on the Dangers of a Nuclear Meltdown in Japan

gabriel — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 19:11:38 +0000

I just came across a long writeup regarding the probability of a serious nuclear catastrophe in Japan that might be worth a read. In my opinion we're spending a lot of "news" cycles speculating about a situation which poses a small risk instead of focusing on the actual tragedy that has already happened.

If you want to make a donation via the Canadian Red Cross follow this link.

International Women’s Day

gabriel — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 19:26:50 +0000

Happy 100th International Women's Day! Hooray! The Bad Astronomer has a post about it if you're interested. The video by Judi Dench and Daniel Craig is a good reminder of how far we have to go for truer equality and perhaps how far we've come.

Toronto Star Article: Is “Canadian” a Racist Word?

gabriel — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 16:33:51 +0000

According to The Star, a Texas assistant district attorney was caught using the term "Canadian" as a replacement for derogatory terms for black people. It's a bit of a strange article, but worth a quick read.

Bin Laden, Ambassador of Peace?

gabriel — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 01:23:28 +0000

Apparently Omar Bin Laden, Osama's son, wants to bridge the gap between Islam and the West, it's a bit of a strange story. Gives you a bit of a strange insight into the Bin Laden clan.

Globe and Mail video clip

Recession?

gabriel — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 11:37:45 +0000

It remains to be seen exactly what 2008 holds in store for us, but rumours/fears/speculation that a recession waiting in the wings seem to be gathering credibility. I woke up to news that Asian markets had taken a serious fall over the (North American) night.

This is a top story for a number of news organizations such as the BBC. The most disappointing part for me, and apparently a number of financial analysts, is that all that Dubya can do is march out the tired line of "tax cuts to stimulate the economy". I have this vague recollection that cutting taxes for the wealthy and businesses while spending billions on wars halfway around the world was more or less the recipe that got the US economy to where it is right now. Not good news, but it seem like bad news is in the air. Milton Friedman must be rubbing his hands in anticipation.