Archive Page 2
Favre Files for Re-instatement
The Brett Favre saga takes a new turn today. Where do you think he will wind up? My money is on the team releasing him and him winding up with the Vikings. I know everyone is saying that this won’t happen, but will Green Bay throw its legend to a team who he won’t play for? They are barely even getting offers right now and I guarantee you they will not absorb his $13 million just to ensure he doesn’t go to a division rival.
Filed under: life. | Leave a Comment
The Problem Posed by Pakistan
A great article in the Globe & Mail yesterday discussed the involvement of Pakistan in the current conflict in Afghanistan. To date, this issue has been largely overlooked, but as James Sanders, a great friend of mine, said, this issue must be addressed immediately by Canada and NATO forces. Canada and NATO cannot stand by idly as the Pakistani government meddles in the affairs a nation we are trying to bring peace and stability to. The Taliban have proven to be enough of a problem on their own, but if Pakistan continues to interfere, success in Afghanistan will be even more difficult to come by.
It is written in the article that “Western diplomats have previously said they tread carefully with Pakistan in part because of the country’s fragile politics, its mistrust of foreign pressure and its nuclear arsenal”, but I find these reasons for inaction to be inexcusable. When has Canada, a defender of democracy and proponent of peace, stability, and international human rights, been afraid to stand up to aggressors? I know one thing – as of late we have not done anything of real significance internationally unless another country has made the statement first. It is time for Canada to stop following on its foreign policy and to start leading the pack.
There was a time, under Lester B. Pearson, where Canada was able to utilize its “soft power” and international respect to intervene in and solve conflicts, but that time has clearly passed. The administrations of Trudeau, Mulroney, and Chretien are largely responsible for this current problem as they allowed our foreign presence (please, hold the arguments about Trudeau and his international reputation and go read “While Canada Slept” by Andrew Cohen) to diminish.
If there is someone who can right this wrong, it is Stephen Harper. Could you really see Stephane Dion or Jack Layton leading Canada back to international respectability? Maybe you could, but I definitely could not. I hope the Harper government will continue to advance its foreign policy agenda, which has proven to be one of its strengths thus far (with the exception of its relationship with China), to include standing up to international aggressors such as Pakistan. They have made great strides on extending the mission in Afghanistan and bolstering support for our troops there, but we need to become more of a vocal critic of those standing in our way, such as Pakistan, if real stability is ever going to be achieved in Afghanistan.
We didn’t need nuclear weapons to end the Suez Crisis or help re-claim France in WWII – we had our conscience and our will to win. Does it matter if Pakistan has nuclear weapons? An unstable political situation? A deep mistrust of foreign pressure? It is time we revert to what helped us achieve some of our greatest international success and start to put pressure on those countries who stand against the peace, order, and good government that we have and are trying so hard to bring to Afghanistan. If we fail to do this, the efforts of our troops on the ground may all be for naught.
Filed under: politics. | Leave a Comment
Look out for W.
Courtesy of Pat Duncan… a great movie trailer for a movie I’ve been hearing a lot about – “W.” Can’t wait for this to come out although I am sure some members of the current administration in the U.S. are a little bit less excited.
Filed under: politics. | Leave a Comment
Bait and Switch by Seth Godin
I can’t take credit for this blog entry of Seth Godin’s, but it is so amazing I felt compelled to share it with all of you. Please read below. Oh, just before you read on, sorry for the lack of posts over the weekend. I just finished up writing my GMAT and the preparation over the final few days was intense. More regular entries are back!
To the entry:
I feel badly for the airline industry. They are caught in a never-ending price war due to online websites and their own commodification. Pick the cheapest flight to get from here to there…
The natural short-term solution is bait and switch. Advertise the lowest price you can imagine and then require add on fees so you can actually make a profit.
Air Canada, which my readers generally concur is the single worst major airline in North America, has a fascinating policy. No oversized duffel bags, regardless of weight, unless they contain hockey gear. No shin guards, you pay $80 a bag.
Of course, you can have whatever rules you want, even if they’re only designed to help defensemen. The problems with bait and switch are:
- You have to be very careful to apply them equally, because people hate being treated worse than everyone else.
- You have to be prepared for anger, resentment and brand disintegration.
As I said, this is a short-term strategy. Yesterday, they charged me $160 for two bags that had successfully gone through their system uncharged just three weeks earlier. And they did it only three minutes before four of my fellow travelers (and friends) checked virtually identical bags for free.
But the purpose of this rant isn’t to hassle Air Canada. The purpose is to learn a key lesson from Disney:
When there is both pain and pleasure associated with your service, work extremely hard to separate them by time and geography.
Disney charges a fortune for the theme park, but they do it a week before you get there, or at a booth far far away from the rides. By the time you get to the rides, you’re over it. The pain isn’t associated with the fun part.
Airlines, on the other hand, surround the very thing they sell (getting you home) with armed guards, untrained TSA agents, long lines and sneering gate agents eager to take your money when you have absolutely no expectation or choice and when your stress is at its highest. This is a problem in the long run.
Filed under: business. | Leave a Comment
Obama in Berlin
Speaking to 200,000 in Berlin, Obama delivered an unbelievable address to an enthusiastic crowd. A must see:
Filed under: politics. | Leave a Comment
Israel is a Miracle
… as is suggested by Barack Obama in this article… and it is also an absolutely wonderful place. It is a state in the Middle East which represents the values which we care so deeply about and value so highly in Canada – freedom, justice, and democracy.
It is great that Obama paid a visit to Yad Vashem (the main holocaust memorial in Israel) while he was in Jerusalem and laid a wreath there. All too often people forget about the impetus for the creation of the state of Israel and the hardships and attacks its people have had to endure since its creation (and also before its creation) while they recklessly criticize its defense and foreign policy.
Obama is truly proving to everyone right now that he understands one of the most difficult foreign policy challenges facing leaders today – how to handle the growing instability in the Middle East. Support for Israel is one very, very important part of ensuring that the region is stable and prosperous.
Filed under: politics. | 1 Comment
Coppley – The Finest in Menswear
This is Coppley’s new video… it’s unbelievable… and also done by my amazing sister, Stephanie Howe. Great work sister!!!
Filed under: life., love., throwdown thursday. | Leave a Comment
Great satire video… no offense to those who have done hard work for the people in Darfur, but this video really shows that nothing substantive is going to change unless G8 leaders and their governments decide that they care.
Filed under: attempted humour. | Leave a Comment
Why McCain is not likely to win…
Great article from the NY Times.
Filed under: politics. | 1 Comment
