From Tim Hortons to Al-Qaeda to the Constition....what a train wreck

As I do most mornings I was listening to Derringer, and subsequently one of the comics competing in their Best Comic with a Day Job competition. This one comic was going on about the role of Tim Horton's as an indicator of Canadian commitment to Afghanistan, i.e putting one there shows we are in for the long haul. This remnded me of a little incident in Toronot this past summer.

As one point, there was a small bomb scare regarding a package in a Tim's on a major street (I think it was on Yonge). The package may have even caught fire. Can't remember. Not important. What is important is that my first thought (and I would not be surprised others thought this as well) was that this would be a brilliant locale for an al-Qaeda style action.

Why you may ask? Is there anything location in this country that binds Canadians - French or English, East or West, Toronto or not Toronto, Conservative or NDP or Natural Law - like Timmy's? I can;t think of anything. Before Home Depot, maybe Canadian Tire.

Not even something like the ACC, the Molson Centre or the Hockey HofF.....The ACC and Molson Centre are to generic now and history-less....in the days of the Forum and Maple Leaf Gardens, bombing one would have let the fans aligned with the other to know that God was on thier side (if it was MLG it would have also given Leaf fans a somewhat credible reason to have the guts to say at the start of the season that the Leafs would not win the Cup).

Thus Tim's would be the place. The threat would end up being so vague.....which one...I dunno? The one on the corner of King Street and Main Street? Which one on that corner (since we know there are at least 2 on EVERY major street corner)?

When it does happen the effects would be monumental.....the country would grind to a halt as coffee-drinkers wait in every increasing lines at the drive throughs nation wide these drinkers shift their purchases to different locations, thereby increasing the lines at these locations and eventually creating lines so long that they run 24 hours a day and no one gets to work!

Some might say Parliament or some federal building...too many mixed messages, there is probably some sovereigntist group (either Quebecois or Albertan - Hands of the oil!! or Newfoundlander - damn Nissan Bonavista ad, usin a Cape Breton wanna-be) would declare it was their work or be really pissed someone beat em to it!

This thought train led me to national federalist politics.....keepin the country together....will Stephen Harper try and evelate himself to Mulroney status once he has a majority government, and try and settle the constitutional mess we live with? Could he do such a thing, bring Quebec in if it has anything but a PQ government? Does it count if he negotiated with former Mulroney Cabinet minister and currrent Premier Jean Charest? Could he convince Charest to sell out the sovereignists right now and make up a deal on the spot even with a minority government?

Should I think less while I am driving and focus more on the road?

Thank freakin' goodness....

In light of the recent Belinda Stronach and Tie Domi story......a few disturbing thoughts:

1. She could have been the leader of the Conservative Party.
2. She could have being running the Conservative Party during the last election campaign.
3. She could have been our present Prime Minister.

Regardless of what you think....Thank you, Stephen Harper.

Karzai-Layton: a love affair not to be....

Reading this morning about Jack Layton's repeated requests to meet with Hamid Karzai, using contacts in Foreign Affairs, contacts through the Afghan embassy makes one feel a lil sorry for poor Jack. Hamid just won't talk to him. Snubbed before that first date - Hamid obviously not considering the leader of Canada's FOURTH federal party not worth his time. DUH!

But aside from that I am of 2 minds on this....one it is obvious why he would not talk. First, Jack opposes the military invasion and continued troop deployments. Those troop deployments allowed Hamid to have his job. So really, Hamid wants those troops there a while longer since his seat is not that cushy yet. Second, to meet with Jack would set bad precedent. Jack holds no significant power. And he risks making a political mess here (a mess that could suignificantly damage Canadian involvement in Afghanistan) if he was to meet with Jack.

Nonetheless, one has to at least give Jack the credit of trying. It would have been a significant coup for him and the NDP to get that meeting as the spin could have been significant. But ya had to know it would not happen. Too bad for Jack, I think it makes him appear a lil naive to think he would get it.

Context people - READ IN CONTEXT - paradigms, paradigms, paradigms

Ok..unlike most, I finally read Pope Benedict XVI's speech from last week. As Catholic World News states - read the whole speech, not just the quotations! Thankfully there are actually reputable news agencies who try to uncover what the speech was really about. Thank you Time Magazine.

Basically, Benedict's argument is that Christian theology is based in Hellenistic philosophical structures (Thomism and Scholasticism hold great weight in Catholic theology) and subsequently reason ties all of its concepts together (note the close tie between philosophy and theology in the medieval and early modern european university curriculum).

In contrast, Islamic faith does not have a similar set of ties that link and join its theological leanings. Allah transcends reason. Allah is beyond it. Allah can counter reason if Allah so wished. As ones who submit to Allah, Muslims are required to follwo Allah's will regardless of how reasonable (in a logic and philosphical sense) it may be. For this, Benedict cites an Islamicist who cites an earlier Islamic thinker. It harkens to the deabtes of the early centuries of Islam surrounding the place of philosophy in Islam and whether it was theologically justified or permissible (i.e. applying reason to the will of Allah).

What Benedict's speech imples, therefore, is that Manuel II (who he quotes) does not fully understand the underpinnings of Islam and is trying to debate with a Muslim from an entirely different paradig of logic. The quotation that Benedict uses illustrates how little Manuel understands despite being fairly well versed (apparently) in Islam and its sacred writings. The underlying logic behind what Manuel is trying to argue is completely irrelevant to his opponent because Allah transcends reason.

What does this ultimately mean? I think benedict would have argued that trying to convince a terrorist who is Muslim that terrorism in the name of Islam is wrong and goes agains the logic of the teachings of the Quran may be futile if that individual believes that it is Allah's will that they do whatever it is they do since Allah is allowed to demand whatever Allah demands of followers.

It is a much more interesting and deep inquiry that Benedict begins but provides no answers for - not that he should have. He is neither a Muslim scholar nor a Muslim required to follow Allah's will. What it will be, I think, is a challenge for Muslim scholarship, the ulema, and the umma as a whole. Western Christianity on the other hand needs to understand the undepinnings of Islam and how it really and truly is a different way of thinking, not just an Arabian adaptation of Judeo-Christian thought from the 7thC.

Toronto Garbage

Was reaeding through a piece in Wired (http://www.wired.com/news/wireservice/0,71757-0.html?tw=wn_index_9). At the rate at which the facility in the article generates electrcity through its incineration process, and through the sale of the excess electricity at current Ontario rates (5.0 cents per 1000kWh), it should pay for itself in under 10 years plus however long the financing costs take to pay for themselves.

Why could this not be done in the GTA/Niagara Pen? Build a facility along the Hamilton Industrial section on the bay....ferry waste from Toronto, Oshawa....drive in from Niagara, K-W perhaps....and then tap it into the electrical grid right in the area that most uses it. As part of the agreement to house the facility (who wants to say that they live in the city that has the big garbage site?) - offer the excess heat produced to either the steel industry in the Hamilton or link it into the City's Community Energy System.

Time to think creative and big as things move along....this could be part of it.

Music is Not Just Music

As is usual I was listening to Derringer in the morning on Q107....half way through my drive into work the topic of conversation turned to that of Roger Waters bringing expounding his political views on stage to an audience that paid hear his music. The question that arose was whether or not this is something that artists like Waters should be doing.

A few brief points should basically end the debate.

Waters is political. Political people will use the forums that they have access to as a means of spewing whatever their agenda is. It is the power of having a forum. Should he? Well, since he is so well known as a very politically vocal artist, fans should know this going into a show and make their decisions to buy tickets based on such. Would anyone be surprised to see Bono do the same at a U2 show, or Neil Young, or Dylan? No. If you don't agree with it or don't want to hear it, don't buy the ticket. It would be somewhat different if one was at an Ozzy or Motorhead show and suddenly the show is interrupted by a 20 minute tirade against some political agenda. It is not unacceptable - they have the right to say what they want (within reason), but just not expected...word will get out and people stop buying tickets if they don't like it.

In addition, when did it change to the point where we did not want artists (as musicians are artists) to wax political if the need was felt by them? Or is it we don't want it to happen when we may not agree with it or not expect it? Rock's embrace of the late 60s peace and love ideology, Woodstock, Haight-Ashbury, and later We Are the World, Live Aid, etc. all show an engrained political vein in popular music. Music is not just music. Look at the entire punk movement at its core.

You have to make the choice - which do you value more....hearing the live music, or not hearing the political agenda? It is up to you.