Violence in Central Alberta

I heard this story on the radio coming home this afternoon. A woman was murdered in Delburne, east of Red Deer, allegedly by her estranged spouse last week. Not too long ago, the man is alleged to have sexually assaulted the same woman while holding a gun. An emergency protection order had been placed against the man for this charge, but it doesn't appear to have worked. I don't get it. Don't they imprison people when they are charged with a violent act and there is a chance of reoffending?

This follows another grisly murder in Red Deer a couple weeks back of a young single mom allegedly by her boyfriend. The woman's three year old son witnessed the crime.

Edmonton and Calgary have two of the top four murder rates in Canada.

I must adjust my thoughts on violence in Canada vs. Guatemala a little.

Facebook Forced Me

25 random things about me. If you've been tagged on FACEBOOK, then you're supposed to make a list too.

1. I miss having long hair.

2. I am currently in the middle of 10 books.

3. I am a very slow reader.

4. Since April 15, 2007, I have watched 299 movies and have blogged about them all (except the last 6 which I plan on doing this weekend).

5. Math was always my favorite subject in school and now I teach Pure Math 10.

6. I am a worst case scenario thinker. I discovered this on my first day cycling across Canada.

7. I have owned 3 different models of the iMac (G4, G5, Intel Duo Core)

8. Since the age of 12 I have kept longer fingernails on my right hand so that I could play classical guitar.

9. I get very worked up about politics because most people aren't aware of underlying issues that aren't discussed in the media.

10. I am a non-denominational Christian.

11. I was the yearbook co-editor of my school in grade 11.

12. I turned down a large scholarship at a prestigious Canadian university and went to Canadian University College instead.

13. My favorite food is fresh cherries. I've eaten them once in the last 3.5 years.

14. I've spent 4 years of my life living on foreign soil.

15. I've played tuba, trombone, and french horn in 5 different concert bands.

16. I want to live on a commune. I want this badly. That was even my goal stated in my grade 11 yearbook.

17. Making lists is enormously enjoyable.

18. I do my own taxes. And Amber's too. I learned how to do them while observing a low level high school math class when I was training to become a teacher.

19. This is my fourth year teaching in Canada and the only course I've taught twice is grade 10 math. I'm a pro at first year teaching.

20. My favorite composer is Jean Sibelius - an alcoholic Finn who wrote melancholy symphonies and tone poems.

21. Nehemiah is my favorite book of the Bible. My favorite verse is John 21:25

22. I manage money quite well.

23. My favorite contemporary author is Douglas Coupland.

24. I cry easily. Guatemala was tough.

25. I am the same height as my wife.

Zipped Up

About 3 weeks ago, I signed up for Zip.ca, an online DVD rental site. I pay $25/month and they mail me DVDs with prepaid envelopes to mail the DVDs back. I can have up to 3 films at a time and when I finish viewing one, I mail it back and they send me one the same day (I notify them on the website that I put it in the mail). 

It's been working great! I've watched 7 movies so far - several of which would not even be available at my local video store. Plus there are huge savings. I can easily watch 10 films in a month from zip.ca. That's $2.50 per movie whereas locally I would pay $5 (the same as the going cost to buy a previously viewed movie!). It's also tremendously convenient. I can keep the movies for as long as I like (they actually make more money if I take a long time to watch it). They come right to my door and then I drop them off in a local mail slot on my way to work in the mornings.

The selection is really what I celebrate. They have a multitude of old classics, foreign films, documentaries, and best of all the Criterion Collection. I simply pick the movies I want to watch - I've got 66 in the queue now - and put them in the order I'd like to receive them. They do their best to send them in that order (I usually get movies from my top 10). 

To see what I've been watching lately, check out Zaak Watches Movies (by himself).

Oklahoma Citizen's Test

(thanks to Ty for this one)

MR Ducks

MR Not Ducks

OSAR CM Wangs

O MR Ducks

Nice Touch, Life Touch

Notice anything?



Don't professional portraiteers have special gear for avoiding glare like this?

I passed on the portrait package.

Ministry Training on Christian Microfinance and Microenterprise Development

This past fall I took a second online course (first one) from the Chalmers Center in order to further my knowledge of international development. As the title spells out, the seven week course explained the principles of creating financing opportunities and enterprise training opportunities among the world's poor.

There are three main ways that this is done:

• Providing funds through micro loans, rotating funds, or savings opportunities
  
• Partnering with large scale microfinanciers and microenterprise developers
• Promoting either of the opportunities with existing organizations

These are a few points I thought I would share, and this is by no means a comprehensive overview of the course. In the research that I looked over, microfinance (MF) and microenterprise development (MED) endeavors were most successful in Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa while in Central and South America there was not nearly the success. My very generalized reasoning for the cause of this disparaging difference is the sense of pride that individuals in the first three continents have for repaying loans as compared to the lack of trust among the Latin American communities.

Another point that really affected me is how MF and MED suddenly, in the past decade, became considered the cure all for missions and development in the two thirds world. There are many wrong ways to implement this and many organizations have done more harm than good as everyone rushed to get their programs in place to receive support from the first world - any organization that wasn't doing this was clearly knocking on the wrong door.

The target for MF and MED in almost all cases was women. Men felt more comfortable defaulting on loans or misusing the funds. Women felt more responsible for repayment and also took more advantage of the opportunities to feed their family and pay for other essentials.

In the end, I was certainly inspired by the success stories. The poor can be a fiercely determined and innovative strata of society, even when faced with nearly insurmountable odds.

Top 10 R.E.M. Songs

I've been a fan of the Athens, Georgia band since grade ten when a classmate I was tutoring in math made me a tape of Out of Time (thanks Jennifer!). Depending on the day, I might call them my favorite band. I managed to ruthlessly narrow my favorite songs down to 23 and now down to 10. The best of R.E.M. as far as I'm concerned:

1. So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry) (Reckoning)
2. Fall on Me (Life's Rich Pageant)
3. Shaking Through (Murmur)
4. Man-Sized Wreath (Accelerate)
5. World Leader Pretend (Green)
6. Welcome to the Occupation (Document)
7. Bang and Blame (Monster)
8. Country Feedback (Out Of Time)
9. The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite (Automatic for the People)
10. Electrolite (New Adventures in Hi-Fi)

Yes, I think Apple should give me some kind of renumeration for so shamelessly promoting their store here.

Exciting Hockey

My brother-in-law Dean invited me to see the Oilers last night. It had been over 4 years since I had been to one and it was the same match up: Edmonton vs. Dallas. The game was awesome - plenty of scoring opportunities, some great fights, super goaltending, and the Oilers even won 4-1.

Oddly enough though, the most exciting thing happened just before the game started. We had been watching the Canadian National Junior team play the semi-final against Russia before we drove to Rexall Place. The score had been 3-3 when we left, and then it was 4-4 when we got to the arena. They had the game playing on the jumbotron as we were seated and then Russia scored with 2:20 left in the game. We figured it was over and the crowd was pretty subdued as we watched the puck go back and forth. Canada pulled their goalie with 1:20 left and Russia just missed and empty netter as the puck was iced; the face off ending up in the Russian zone. Then, Canada scored with 5.4 seconds left on the clock. The spectators in our coliseum went nuts!

The Oilers game started at that time and we just wanted to watch the overtime of the junior game. So, we craned our necks and watched the TV in the box behind our row of seats. 10 minutes of overtime passed quickly with no score, and then the shoot out. We watched the shots on the same small TVs and a small crowd cheered after Canada scored twice and Russia didn't score in the same number of opportunities. They made an announcement a little later at the coliseum and the crowd went nuts again. Great fun!

I'm going to a Flames vs. Blues game next week too.

Driving in on Queen Elizabeth II

I've driven Hwy 2 (Queen Elizabeth II highway between Edmonton & Calgary) dozens upon dozens of times. I drove it this afternoon after visiting my sister, bro-in-law, and niece. 

Today, our sunroof decided to start acting up and spontaneously opened about 10 times between Red Deer and Airdrie. Funny car. Ha ha. ha. 

Then, as we approached Airdrie, a shovel flew out of a small trailer behind a pickup truck. The shovel landed with some sparks ahead of us and bounced onto the shoulder on the left as I braked with plenty of room. Just a little bit further ahead and it would have sailed into our windshield.

Usually, the drive is uneventful and drab, especially in the winter. But...

In 5 days, it will be 9 years since I crashed my first car on this same highway. I was picking up a friend at the airport just before university classes reconvened at CUC. My car, which had summer tires on..., sailed off the second Leduc overpass heading north, across the median into oncoming traffic which were 2 tractor trailers. The first one flew by as I spun. Then my trunk connected with the second trailer's fuel tank. This sent me spinning counter clockwise and we (my friend Kris and I) finally halted in the middle of southbound Hwy 2. I put the car into reverse and backed on the the shoulder. My trunk was shaved right off and the cops were on scene within minutes, as were some other friends who were returning from the airport. 

My car was totaled. My insurance went up.

63 Hours with the Fishers

I don't watch much TV. When I get the chance, I'll watch Jeopardy or the news. I'm more of a movie guy. When we got back from Guatemala, we lived with my mom. She has the first season of Six Feet Under, an HBO series that ran from 2001-2005. Amber and I started watching it, along with Amber's sister April. Then my friend Kurt told me on the phone that I should try and watch all 5 seasons of the show. 

I was hooked from the get go. The Fisher family runs a funeral home. Faced with death on a daily basis doesn't prepare them for the death of the patriarch, nor with dealing with life. The five seasons span an in depth narrative on life, death, addictions, love, sex, marriage, family, parenthood, art, politics, culture, and religion. The interchange between characters is earthy and familiar generating a seriously sweet pathos.

I highly recommend the series. Rated R.

We finished the final episode on the evening of Amber's birthday last Friday.

Le Gouvernement

I haven't blogged in ages. This, I can't pass up.

I studied political science and government a bit in university when I got my B.A. in history. I understand the Canadian political system and how it works. Because of this, it is so painful for me to listen to Steven Harper speak about the his government's defeat because he is appealing to people's basest and most ignorant fears: "the country will fall apart! the separatists will cause Canada to split! a coalition government is not democratic! members of the opposition parties do not have a right to lead the country! run for your lives!!!" All the political scientists are saying that a coalition is fair and legal, but the PM doesn't think so.

In fact, P.M. Harper is absolutely wrong on all of these counts. Many other parliamentary governments all over the world operate successfully with coalition governments. It's really the first leader who presents a viable majority to the head of state (in our case it's the governor general) who gets to be P.M. Take this information from wikipedia:

Countries which often operate with coalition cabinets include: the Nordic countries [Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark], the Benelux [Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg] countries, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Turkey, Israel, Pakistan and India. Switzerland has been ruled by a loose coalition of the four strongest parties in parliament since 1959, called the "Magic Formula".

Jeepers! Those countries must be falling apart!!! We just don't get it. We don't operate the same as our neighbours to the south.

The Bloc Québecois knows that they do not have enough support even within their own province to separate from Canada, so the separation fear is illegitimate.

Too many Canadians are simply not informed and they don't care when it matters (59% voter turnout). We are not a republic. We don't elect a president, we elect local representatives and it's their job to decide who gets to lead, not ours. We didn't elect Kim Campbell to be Prime Minister, she was chosen by party officials to take over for Mulroney when he stepped down (the same way Paul Martin got in after Chretien). So, was it "undemocratic" for Campbell to have been named the first woman Prime Minister without getting a mandate from the people to be the P.M? Nope. It's just how the system works. We either accept it or change it.

By the way, I don't like the current system. I'm pro-proportional representation. It forces parties to work together (cooperation has never been in the vocabulary of Parliamentarians) and gives a much more accurate representation of voters. Check out this snazzy *table I put together:

*I went with a slate of electors by province, not by the whole country as that might compromise local parties like the BQ and local representation. I also had to compensate for the two independent MPs as you can't have a slate of independent electors (you must either join or form a party in order to run).

As you can see, it represents the country much more accurately based on popular vote. Hey, and look! The Greens have 20 seats! The BQ has 20 fewer seats and the "coalition" together with the Greens (assuming they would join the coalition) have enough seats (161) to form a majority - without the support of the Bloc (for those afraid of those scary separatists).

Parties are forced to cooperate with other parties and it would be quite rare to pull off a majority government. Remember 1993? Conservatives got 16% of the popular vote, but only got 2 seats (should have been closer to 48) whereas the Bloc Québequois got 13.5% of the vote and got 54 seats. The Liberals got a huge majority government with only 41% of the vote. This system doesn't fairly represent the people, nor does it encourage parties to work together on policy.

A word on public funding of political parties. I like it. It's $1 per Canadian per election. It ensures that parties that are supported by poorer people are not left in the dust by parties supported by richer people or corporations. Plus, if people realize that they are paying for the election and that their dollar will go to one of the parties, they might as well go out and vote and send your money to the party of your choice!

Finally, a word on Dr. Stéphane Dion, leader of the proposed coalition. Those who do not like him, mock him. They mock his English accent (even though it's better than Harper's French one). They mock his athletic ineptitude. They call him schoolyard names whenever possible. I think this is extremely undemocratic. He is an elected member of Parliament in his riding. Dion was nominated to be the leader of the Liberal party by his peers. There is a reason for the tradition of titling the leaders of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition "Honourable." He represents a large portion of Canadians. So, please, let's ease up on the mocking. You may disagree with him, but he has earned the right to lead according to the rules and according to those who elected him.

Don't get me started on the whole economic meltdown...

Love in the Brisk November air

Amber and I got another date as working guests at our friend Shane's wedding. I filmed their nuptials. He and Chrystal were wed at Fort Edmonton Park (where she worked for the summer as one of those old fashioned characters who churns butter or shoes horses). We were outside for a good portion of the time filming them being photographed and our faces numbed as a result.

They were married in a lovely little Anglican church and the reception took place at the neighbouring Hotel Selkirk.

I squeezed into my own wedding suit for the event.

Got to visit with some old buddies too. 

Deathtrap

On October 31, Amber and I got to go on a date. But my mom was there too. But she wasn't really with us, she was on the stage. 

We attended Ignition Theatre's production of Deathtrap on the Matchbox stage. The Red Deer Express had this to say of my mom's performance:

Debby Allan brings her comedic strengths to Deathtrap as Sidney's nosy, psychic neighbour Helga Ten Dorp. Allen, who like Falk and Newton are well-known to Central Alberta Theatre audiences, doesn't miss a beat showcasing her engaging and energetic talents in a fresh theatrical setting.

Congrats mom! We enjoyed the show, even though we may have soiled ourselves.

My Campaign

I did a survey about a year ago among 26 friends using the Political Compass. If I were to predict their choice of political party I would say that they would likely vote in the following manner:

10 Conservative

4 Liberal

5 NDP 

1 Bloc Québequois 

6 Green

BUT after taking the Political Compass quiz, they nearly all (23) placed left economically of the NDP and, though in wide array, much more socially liberal than the Conservatives, Liberals and Greens. Thus, my conclusion is that people essentially do not vote based on party platforms, but rather on their preference for a party leader (or dislike of the others) or based on how the people in their culture perceive the party's platforms to be.

My challenge to you all is to take the Political Compass quiz and then to vote for the political party that best represents your views in Parliament.

Another word on this election tomorrow. Our country would be so much more healthy if we had both proportional representation and a run-off for prime minister in a second election with the leaders of the top two parties in the election vying for the position. This is how it works in many countries. My guess is that the result would look something like this:

108 Conservative

80 Liberal

54 NDP

31 Bloc Québecois

27 Green

And the Prime Minister would likely be the Liberal leader as NDP supporters would throw their vote that way rather than towards the conservatives in the run-off. Bloc and Green supporters would probably be split between the Conservatives and Liberals.

Then again, if everyone voted based on their own views and according to party platforms, we'd probably have an NDP majority in the House of Commons.

Symphony Online

It took a couple months to work up my will to visit a garage again after getting gouged on my first visit after returning to Canada. My car stereo has a security code that is required if the power is disconnected (so stealing the stereo is pointless). As I bought the car as a recovered stolen vehicle, I didn't have the code. 

The aforementioned garage removed the stereo and got the serial number off of it to then get the code. The code they gave me was wrong. I wasn't keen on spending another $60 at an Audi dealership to get another code, so I didn't until today.

Walked in to Royal Oak Audi (just around the corner from where we live) and gave them the stereo serial number and VIN. They went into a back room. Came out and went to my car with the 4-digit code and voilá! I have tunes in my A4. I brought the invoice to the counter where she had me sign it. I asked how much because the invoice I signed said $0.00. She said since I had already done all the work she wouldn't charge me.

Amber and I listened to Johnny Cash and Coldplay on the way home. Cranked to 11.

A public thanks to Royal Oak Audi for their kindness today!

Go Grizzlies!

I coached a junior high volleyball team in Spruce Grove, AB in 2004. Though it was exhausting having to put in practice and game times in through the first two months of school when I was barely holding my classes together, it was rewarding all the same.

I managed to drift into the same position at my new school this year. I coach 12 seventh and eighth grade boys in volleyball. We've played 3 of our 8 games this week and won all three (due in tiny part to their illustrious coach). 

So, congratulations boys! You're making it worth the early mornings and late work days.

opening the stress valve

This past month is the first month I have ever carried an owing balance on my credit card. We've had a heap of expenses moving from Guatemala to Canada and then moving into our new house. I just kept telling myself that its just money and I'm already paying through my nose for my mortgage so it doesn't matter in the long run.

What's really cool though is that in the past 30 days, thousands of dollars have been deposited into my account in the form of payment for our car in Guatemala, back payments of child tax credit and child care for my daughter, GST cheque, and funds from Impact Ministries (they agreed to give us a 3 month cushion when we moved back to Canada). Plus I get paid tomorrow for my job. Amber has picked up a few days of substitute teaching this month too which wouldn't have been possible without having my sister-in-law living with us to care for Blaise and Acadia.

All the stress could come back when I go to buy winter tires and a block heater for our car in the next month. Maybe I should start buying lottery tickets.

How to drink water

I have a cold. I need fluids. Last night I decided do take a dose of cayenne pepper in a glass of water. I added some lemon juice to make it a little more palatable. After downing the fire water, I quickly had to drink four more tall glasses of water to quench the burning.

I had to get up at 11:30 pm to pee. I peed longer than a thawing Austin Powers.

Raffi Cavoukian gets it

Amber borrowed a Raffi Concert DVD for our kids from the local library. She grew up listening to his songs like Baby Beluga and Little Toy Trains - I didn't. I have to admit, his gentleness, meaningful (though sometimes silly) songs, and the way he has promoted his music really impresses me.

Born in Egypt to Armenian parents who then moved to Ontario, a middle aged Raffi quickly became a child entertainment sensation. He has been very conscious of the environment and children's rights. It's never been about the money for Raffi. He's turned down several lucrative opportunities because the business plans for the projects went against his principles. He has lobbied to eliminate the commercial exploitation of children (advertising geared towards children) and his company hasn't advertised to children.

So, Raffi the Global Troubador, thanks for making music in a way that doesn't put 5 minutes of commercials at the beginning of it (Disney) and that is wholesome and kind. My kids are going to listen to lots of you. Thanks a lot.

Don't Fear the Reaper

Come on baby...don't fear the reaper
Baby take my hand...don't fear the reaper
We'll be able to fly...don't fear the reaper
Baby I'm your man...

I had heard this song before, but never paid much attention to it. I borrowed my friend's truck a couple weeks ago and he had the oldies station on and "Don't Fear the Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult came on. I started singing along. Last night I played Rock Band for the first time on a Wii (what a blast!!) and sang lead on "Don't Fear the Reaper." Today, I couldn't get the stinking song out of my head. 

The kicker was tonight as Amber and I watched episode 8 of season 2 of Six Feet Under, "Don't Fear the Reaper" features prominently in the episode.

It's amazing how coincidences occur. I hope it's not some not-so-subtle message from beyond that I'm going to die soon. 

Uncle Zaak

I became an uncle twice over in the past three weeks thanks to each of my two dear sisters.

My niece Abigail was born to Saison and Dean at the end of July.

My nephew Kai was born to Salomé and Brad last night.

I just realized that these little ones are going to cost me money. I better start appealing to my sisters (2) and sister-in-laws (4) to limit the number of their offspring or I'll be broke with birthday and Christmas gifts down the road. On the positive side, I'll get to corrupt (in a good way) some children that aren't my own.

So, congrats to the new parents. I look forward to watching them grow into admiring neice and nephew.

10 Positive Things About Living In Calgary

As penance for having complained to my wife for the past few weeks about having to live in the world's largest horizontal apartment building (NW Calgary) and about the high cost of living, I've decided to force myself to come up with a list of positive things about living in Calgary, AB.

1. Calgary is in Canada

2. I'm working at a great school

3. 80 minutes to the town of Banff

4. Got some good friends there

5. Relatively close to Red Deer and Edmonton where I have family

6. Some of the cheapest gas prices in Canada

7. Apparently there are some great biking and walking trails

8. The Edmonton Oilers and the Edmonton Eskimos visit on occasion

9. Some terrific amenities (Shaw phone and internet, cinemas, libraries, restaurants, Apple retailers, Audi dealership, ...)

10. My house should appreciate in value

Zaak like Barack

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Late last night I ended up watching the interview that Rick Warren hosted with Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama (watch it here). I was deeply impressed. When I was in Guatemala I didn't have much of an opportunity to see video of Obama and I was limited to distilled sound bytes in news articles. After hearing this guy give frank and heartfelt answers to questions on leadership, morality, America and government, I'm sold. The man has principles! I didn't watch the interview with McCain for two reasons, it was 2 AM and I'm sure I would have disagreed with him (especially on the war issue).

What was most striking to me is that nothing he said caused me to disagree with him - which leads me to think I must have thought out these issues as much as him - which leads me to think that perhaps I should get into politics.

I really think the tempest of fear that is creeping up against him because his father was a Muslim and his mother an Atheist is ridiculous. For one, the fearful are Christians who believe in the transforming power of Jesus blood - unless of course your parents weren't Christian... Hmmm.

Just Wages

This is something that has been weighing on my heart for some time now. After witnessing the unjust wages in Guatemala and in Canada, I thought I would share some thoughts.

I collected a few example salaries and made some calculations for daily wages* for different professions in both Canada and Guatemala:

Doctor in Calgary: $724
Top Accounting Executive in Calgary: $479
Lawyer in Calgary: $448
Realtor in Calgary: $354
Teacher in Calgary: $257
Mechanic in Calgary: $214
Sales Clerk in Calgary: $135
Doctor in Guatemala**: $36
Policeman in Guatemala: $23
Teacher in Guatemala: $15
Bank Clerk in Guatemala: $9
Agricultural worker in Guatemala: $3.50
Housekeeper in Guatemala: $2.50

First of all, I accept that there is a very clear difference in cost of living: A doctor in Guatemala is only going to pay $5/hour for work on his car and $15 to have a housekeeper. Guatemalans have no need to heat their homes or build insulated houses. Everyone in Guatemala can travel a fair distance on public transportation with $5, whereas that amount will get you in and out of downtown Calgary on the LRT. But, other costs are quite similar: electricity, petrol, food (slightly less), electronics (slightly more), medication and seeing a doctor cost quite a bit more as to receive adequate services a patient must pursue the private health sector whereas Canadians have universal healthcare and most jobs provide some kind of pharmaceutical benefit. And sure, Calgarians are going to pay a fair bit in tax for many of the services they receive.

Now for an instant, toss out all the figures I've just shared and receive these questions: What is the value of any person's 8 hours of work? Is there a minimum amount that we can say this labour should provide, no matter the skill or education or risk involved? Clean water? Daily food? Health services? Possibility of education for children? Ability to save 5% of wages? Ownership of a home? Opportunity for travel, recreation and creative pursuits?

If we decide that all working persons*** should have these basic needs met, then we ought to consider what the minimum amount each person in the world should be paid for their time and labour. We follow this amount with the adjustment of what multinational corporations end up having to pay for raw materials, foreign production of goods and services that are brought into the first world. If this became a reality, I believe that we in that first world would not be able to afford something as simple as bananas if the banana crop workers were paid to such a standard, let alone coffee, clothing, and electronics. That is unless the wholesale, transport, and retail profit margins were reduced to reasonable levels.

We could also decide that we in the west enjoy far too many excesses that are causing the injustice in poorer nations. Should anyone in the world be making more than $200**** a day? Should any 1 person in the world enjoy luxury when there are 9 lacking most basic necessities?

Tony Campolo makes this distinction (loosely summarized):

Democracy: People are free to pursue the careers they choose to and society benefits when all people enjoy the basic necessities of life. The government's responsibility is to its people. Workplace justice can be a focus.

Capitalism: Reaping maximum profits is the focus. China is the world's best expression of capitalism.

I think we should begin to make that distinction as well and begin to thwart the capitalism in our culture and in our world rather than automatically coupling it with democracy.

*Meaning that their wages are calculated only for those days worked - a teacher works 40 weeks each year, so his salary would be divided accordingly. Most Canadian jobs were given 3 weeks vacation, the Guatemalan ones weren't given any vacation time.

**Many doctors work at public hospitals during the day and then operate private clinics in the evenings and weekends to compensate for the poor daily wages. If they didn't, they would earn about the same as policemen.

***Provisions for non-working persons is another discussion that I won't begin here at this time.

****This is an arbitrary number.

Olympic Commentary

I haven't been too taken in by these Olympic games. I always enjoy watching different events and this is what I want to comment on. Where I'm staying, there are three channels that offer coverage of the games: CBC, Radio Canada, and NBC. I've noted that neither NBC nor CBC so far doesn't stick to any event to show a good portion of the competition, but rather offers highlights of their own country's competitors only. They both have way too much interview commentary as opposed to raw competition footage. Radio Canada (a francophone channel) on the other hand sticks to an event and shows a full competition even if the competitors aren't from Canada. I like that more.