Flag Flap-Jolly Roger for PM & What For Nfld? Why Fish Gone, Taking Liberties

Risky tiff -- Newfoundland's rage makes centrists quake

Risky tiff -- Newfoundland's rage makes centrists quake Paul Jackson, Calgary Sun, Jan. 4, 05

Prime Minister Paul Martin hasn't realized when he plays games with Premier Danny Williams and Newfoundlanders these days, he is playing with fire.

Yet, during his first year as the purported leader of our nation, the shipping tycoon can't be said to have faced up to reality on many occasions, if any.

Since 1976, when Rene Levesque's Parti Quebecois swept to power, Quebec has been the "faultline" in Confederation.

[. . . . ] Williams has put Martin and crew on notice Newfoundland is neither going to be ignored nor pushed around anymore. [. . . . ]

The update: I heard that Mr. Williams is going to give in on the flags; Mr. Martin demanded it as a condition of continuing negotiations.

Do not miss the importance of flags to Prime Minister Martin.

Jolly Roger better flag for Canada Steamship Lines Judi McLeod, Canadafreepress.com, Jan. 5, 05




Where Have the Fish Gone? -- A Fresh Look at the Ocean

Where Have the Fish Gone? -- A Fresh Look at the Ocean Debbie MacKenzie, September 19, 2003

There are 77 slides and below each is text. Very good.




Taking liberties -- "Mr Monderman’s thesis feels right to me — that by creating the illusion of security you relieve the citizen of the need to make his own judgments."

Taking liberties Jan. 1, 05

Wired magazine ran an interesting featurette last month about a fellow called Hans Monderman, who’s been a highway engineer in northern Holland for the last three decades. A year or two back, he had an epiphany. As Wired’s Tom McNichol puts it, ‘Build roads that seem dangerous, and they’ll be safer.’

In other words, all the junk on the streets — signs for everything every five yards, yellow lines, pedestrian crossings, stop lights, crash barriers, bike lanes — by giving the illusion of security actually makes driving more dangerous. The town of Christianfield in Denmark embraced the Monderman philosophy, removed all the traffic signs and signals from its most dangerous intersection, and thereby cut the number of serious accidents down to zero. These days, when you tootle towards the junction, there are no instructions from the transport department to tell you what to do; you have to figure it out for yourself, so you approach it cautiously and with an eye on what the other chaps in the vicinity are up to. [. . . . ]