Reading this, I can see why Bush wins elections: he's very personable. He sounds like someone that you can trust. Whatever his policies, that kind of charisma counts on election day.
Archive for November, 2004
Why Bush wins
November 30th, 2004Sgro scandal summarized
November 28th, 2004PoliticsWatch neatly summarizes the Sgro scandal. I wish Question Period were more intellectual and less theatrical. But that's not going to happen any time soon.
Federal “hiring freeze” thawed
November 28th, 2004Looks like the hiring freeze is over.
JFH MBTI INTJ
November 26th, 2004As part of my Management in the Public Sector course, our class used the Myers Briggs Type Indicator instrument. Jane Good, Coordinator of Career Counselling and Workshops at Queen's University Career Services, explained the MBTI to our class. I'm INTJ (slight I; clear N; clear T; slight J). I had guessed that I was INTP. I plan to meet with someone from Career Services to go over my results one-on-one.
Winter 2005 courses
November 25th, 2004I'm planning my course selections for next term. Here's my provisional list:
- MPA 802: Approaches to Policy Analysis with Bob Wolfe and David Elder [required]
- MPA 816: Quantitative Program Evaluation with Steve Lehrer [required]
- MPA 812: Law and Public Policy with Beverley Baines
- MPA 814: Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations with Keith Banting
- MPA 856: Reforming Global Organizations with Thomas Axworthy
Enthusiasm for this history
November 24th, 2004Orginally published in Imprint.
McLaughlin, Ken, Stortz, Gerald and Wahl, James (C.R.). Enthusiasm for the Truth: An Illustrated History of St. Jerome's University. Waterloo: St. Jerome's University, 2002. Hardcover, 267 pages, $32.00.
Kenneth McLaughlin, Gerald Stortz, and James Wahl, C.R. carefully and insightfully describe and interpret the history of St. Jerome's University in their recently published illustrated hardcover book, Enthusiasm for the Truth: An Illustrated History of St. Jerome's University.
The 267-page history, which brings together the distinct yet related research interests of the three authors, is well-written and illustrated. It is a readable scholarly history that should be read by all people interested in St. Jerome's University, the founding of the University of Waterloo, the development of universities in Ontario, the development of post-secondary education in the Catholic church, or the history of Kitchener-Waterloo.
The opening four chapters describe the founding of St. Jerome's College in St. Agatha by Fr. Louis Funcken, its move to the village of Berlin (now known as Kitchener) in 1866, its near demise in 1876 and its growth under the leadership of its second President, Theobald Spetz. Chapters five through nine relate how St. Jerome's College changed over the first 50 years of the 20th century, particularly during the Great War and World War II. The final four chapters describe St. Jerome's central role in the founding of University of Waterloo and its development as a federated public Roman Catholic university.
import iMovie clip problem
November 24th, 2004In the course of restoring my old data to my new machine, I ran into a problem with my iMovie projects/clips. Specifically, I couldn't import the clips into a new project, nor could I open the old project file. I solved the project file problem by adding the iMovie project extension to the file. The clip problem required Lennert's iMovie File Fixers. If you run into a QuickTime -2048 error, then you might be well served by trying these tricks.
Rae meets with MPA class
November 23rd, 2004Bob Rae met with our MPA class today for about twenty minutes (he arrived late). I asked the first question: "Do you think that the funding formula for operating grants should provide incentives for year-round undergraduate education?" Mr. Rae didn't seem very interested in the idea. At first, he said that it's already a twelve month operation, with summer classes. In reply, I pointed out that University of Waterloo, which is likely a leader in year-round education, only enrolled 40 per cent of its fall enrolment in the summer term. I also mentioned that problems associated with student migration flows might be mitigated by year-round education. In response to a question by one of my classmates about employment, Mr. Rae said that he wouldn't be including an incentive for year-round education in his report (apparently he has mostly made up his mind!).
So my submission will need to be very persuasive--more persuasive than my questions and comments today were.
Google for scholars and wannabes
November 19th, 2004How to solve the Parrish problem
November 18th, 2004Carolyn Parrish is really annoying, partly because her comments are communicated so widely. The problem isn't her views but the spreading of those views via the media. Who cares what Carolyn Parrish thinks? Is she responsible for Canada-US relations? Is she a minister? Why is she interviewed on these issues? The answer may be simple: slow news day. On a slow news day, manufactured news is that much more attractive to journalists. Martin can deflect attention from Parrish by doing something more important or interesting, which is hardly a tall order.
Oops, there I go, spreading her views. Damn it.
Update: See this column by Rex Murphy.
Update: Martin expelled Parrish from caucus.
