Reports, Expert Political Judgment, AG on Sponsorship, Graphs & Polling -&- Arty Types: Are these funded by the Canada Council?

News items, comments and excellent links to two reports are worth reading: Newsbeat1 Jan. 3 and 4, 2006 and the Report of the Auditor General of Canada, Chapter 3: The Sponsorship Program Nov 2003 and here for more meat and graphs on polling companies, how much money they make from government, number of contracts, et cetera.

When you see a poll reported, check these for another perspective.



Expressing oneself ... uh, colourfully ...

For the CNEWS Forum crowd, was it not Scott Brison, as opposed to Scott Reid, who said something or someone" can blow me"? to a candidate he was not supporting -- re: Topic: scott reid foot in mouth again?

There is a post on FHTR to that effect, I seem to remember, but check.


Reaping what we sow -- more comments


The Liberals are Innocent-Really via Bourque -- link to here



Arty types: Are these funded by the Canada Council?

Check out these: Ottawa!!! , More Than Money, Le beau-frère, Encore 4 ans avec lui ?


Check this -- free! posted by gl1800, Jan. 3, 05 -- via this site



Poetry for the season by Kilkee -- via CNEWS Forum


Photo: Canadian Politician

http://
www.blogstream.com/gallery.mod?G=_ALL
&RT=&PRID=831&IID=573&IMG=573_831.jpg



What? No photo op? -- Is there a disconnect? How do Goodale and his spokesman run the department? -- "No meeting set between Goodale and RCMP: Spokesman" -- so Goodale met with the RCMP --

http://
david-akin.electionblog.ctv.ca/
default.asp?item=126838


Book Review:

The trouble with "experts" posted by casper34, 1/03/2006 09:19:00

Has anyone else noticed that experts for the most part seem to be full of sh1t [sic]? Yet everyone seems to so heavily weight their opinions - politicians, media, academics. Whenever us common people using common [sense] make a suggestion, we can be assured that we will be corrected by "but the experts say ...

I thought I would do a little investigation on my theory that for the most part the “experts” are wrong. Anyway I came across a book by Philip Tetlock “Expert Political Judgment: How Good Is It? How Can We Know?” Now, I haven’t read the book yet but I think he is on to something.

Here are parts of a review from The NewYorker regarding his book:

Expert Political Judgment: How Good Is It? How Can We Know?

There is more of the review of the book and further discussion from others -- but my favourite lines are these from caspar34 .

I am tired of being told that because I don't have an advanced PHD in B.S. that my opinions aren't valid. Only the experts get to propose solutions to society's problems, old-style common sense is all wrong in their opinion.

Someone said "Don't forget some academics are educated far beyond their level of intelligence"

Bang on! The letters after the name stand in for common sense sometimes, I suspect -- an opinion from one of the great unwashed, me, I need hardly add. NJC


Is it possible? A $200 Google PC? -- Get in line ... behind me ... Well, first I'll check where it was made.

---