AP Top News at Noon EDT Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2000
23 Aug, 2000
Consider the trajectories of the two tropical storms, Alberto and Debbie.
Alberto has wiggled around like a sputtering Roman Candle while Debbie is
aimed straight at the southern tip of Florida.
Our news seems to fluctuate between these two models....
There are the Alberto items. The reporting on the Presidential race in the
States (including, of course, the arrest of young Albert and the profound
pronouncements of George W.'s foreign affairs advisor - the woman with the
oddly spelled name - that Mexico is the US's largest trading partner with
the longest undefended border) . The confusion and confrontation of Burnt
Church. The pie-ing of the PM . The Rogers/Videotron/Quebecor saga. Michael
Cowpland steps down voluntarily; the CINAR founders do not. The Montreal
merger with the unions in full support, but one wonders if the citizens of
Montreal might not rather recycle their trash in Westmount. And the
inevitable muddled build-up to the Sydney Olympics (Colosseum, Parthenon,
what's the dif?) . Finally, the hot medical story of SWS - Sudden Wealth
Syndrome.
Then there are the straightforward Debbie stories - the tragic ending to
the Kursk . Robert Milton's 180 days. Vicente Fox's friendly visit to
Canada with his forthright proposals on NAFTA.. Nile Fever. Mitchell Sharp
remarries at 89. Telus/Clearnet. Daniel Radcliffe the perfect Harry Potter.
So, as the PBS Fall schedule preview asks " Where will you go? What will
you learn? Who can you be?"
Join us tomorrow and perhaps we will all find out.
David and Diana Nicholson
180-day promise.
REX MURPHY: The wonderful CBS show
"Survivor" featuring castaway yuppies trying to do
each other in for a million dollars continues to
absorb the deep attention of our neighbour to the
south.
They kicked the oldest woman in the group off, and it was like
watching a live kitten being used as a door stop. Underneath the
flabby pieties about grit and reliance. "Survivor" is a feastday for
sadistic voyeurs. Whether its Borneo or LA, TV civilization's only
standard is the quickest, most vulgar way to the ratings
Rex Murphy "Survivor" June 8, 2000
David and Diana Nicholson
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The law Me Marie Cormier and Mihailo Crnobrnja |
Wednesday Night Salon #964
23 August 2000
PRELUDE
Although the calibre was as high as ever, many of the regular guests were absent, possibly remaining home to join the sixty million addicts watching CBS acclaim Richard Hatch the Ultimate Survivor.
INTRODUCTIONS
Misha introduced Moira Ferry, an international consultant in communications and a native of Malta. She works largely with large organizations such as the World Bank and is currently carrying out a mandate in Romania. She was well versed in Wednesday Night matters as she has followed the Web site for some time.
Chantal Beaubien introduced her mother, Sandra Brock, who is a music theoretician, teaches at St. George's and the Prior, runs several choral groups and teaches at the McGill Conservatory.
THE SURVIVORS
As the evening developed, the faithful pondered the changing value accorded survival. When Man hunted his own food, survival meant the survival of his family, of his group, later of his country. Leaders arose not for the purpose of exploitation and elimination of peers, but to ensure the survival and prosperity of the group.
If, indeed, North American television viewers watch television programs that reflect their view of their society, then we have seen the self-perception of North Americans evolve from the Partridges to Survivor. If this is so, our self-image has changed from a caring society to one where we cheer on our favoured television neighbour to eliminate his peers, untouched by the real problems of survival in the real world, unmindful of world poverty and famine.
Monday 28 August 2000 Befriend your adversaries.
Probe them for key
information. Emphasize
common ground, but pounce
on their vulnerabilities. Above
all, avoid conflict. ...Hatch, the 39-year-old
corporate trainer who bested
15 opponents and took home
$1 million from the CBS & his
island manoeuvring won few fans among his peers in the consulting
industry. .. 'divide and conquer.' ...even mid-level corporate trainers can rake in $10,000 or more a day.
THINK TANKS AND FUTURISTS
Is there a need for a think tank to find solutions to world poverty, hunger, war and suffering and push our governments to implement them? The record of think tanks organized by intelligent, caring people has not been spectacular in changing the world, and unfortunately, solutions exceeding a four year time span are of little interest to government decision makers, all of whom are concerned about their own personal survival. Efforts by international bodies to create commissions with a mandate to solve one or more of these issues are no more successful as they inevitably bog down in the same morass of governments' self interest and susceptibility to pressure groups.
THE INTERNET AND PRIVACY
Reprising this subject, our Chairman reiterated his lack of concern on the issue, but it swiftly became evident that others are not so sanguine about the amount of personal information and misinformation including health, financial and insurance that circulates on the Internet and could and does damage individuals when it falls into the wrong hands.
The government of Québec has ensured the confidentiality of personal information, offering the individual recourse to legal remedy, but this can be a lengthy, costly process and, meantime, how much damage has been done?
QUOTES OF THE EVENING:
- "Will we survive as a society with the values displayed in Survivor?"
- "...a social pageant - a reflection of the real world - individualistic - mean - crafty - the way the U.S. lives ... glorification of the individual ... pure competition."
- "The show is a part of us that we want to deny."
- "There are more damned think tanks that produce a journal that nobody reads."
- "There have been a great number of think tanks organized by well-meaning individuals - nothing comes of them."
- "A lot of analysis has been done on the (water) problems and the only thing that focuses politicians to do something is crisis."
- "..governments don't think beyond 4 yrs."
Kimon Valaskakis will join us for #965 next.
April 25, 1996 began the Club of Rome in Bruxelles ...catalyst of change; alternative solutions; globalisation of problems pose predicaments beyond the capacity of individual countries. To transfer ideas to the public, [most important make it sexy] We can do better? Links and many more Links
A COMMENT FROM SONIA SINGH
In India, the Planning Commission allocated funds for child care -
nutrition & health - for 4 year olds.
However it took a lot of debate from the NGO's to ask for funding from the time a child is weaned.
The nutrition level and mental health of children born in India, even to the poor, is at par or not so different from the rest of the world while the child is breast-feeding - it is immediately after that the sharp drop starts.
How is the budget to be allocated and controlled? Government funds often land in the wrong hands, how about some advice from Canada/Quebec on managing health resources?
Notes by
Herbert Bercovitz Sculptor Scribe
A little Editing by Diana Thébaud Nicholson
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