Friday, June 26, 2009, Vol. 4, No, 31 — 182
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Where's Iran? our readers wanted to know after receiving our Friday, June 19, 2009, edition. My response was that "news" of what is happening there quickly reached saturation. What True North Perspective must have is analysis that is free of vested interests. The colour green is a feature of the protest demonstrations. This calls to mind the Orange "revolution" in the Ukraine, and the Rose "revolution" in Georgia. In both of which were involved the CIA through front organizations. So when Iranian leaders claimed outside interference I couldn't rid the colour green from my mind. I'm a firm liberal democrat and have little time for a theocracy but I am interested in the truth. The following is a brilliant analysis by American journalist Chris Hedges that recalls the recent history of Iran and puts the current situation in context. — Carl Dow, Editor and Publisher.
‘Washington has demonized Iran … painting it as an irrational and barbaric country filled with primitive, religious zealots. But Iranians, as these street protests illustrate, have proved in recent years far more courageous in the defense of democracy than most Americans. ...
"Our intoxication with our military prowess blinds us to all possibilities of hope and mutual cooperation. It was Mohammed Khatami, the president of Iran from 1997 to 2005—perhaps the only honorable Middle East leader of our time—whose refusal to countenance violence by his own supporters led to the demise of his lofty "civil society" at the hands of more ruthless, less scrupulous opponents. It was Khatami who proclaimed that "the death of even one Jew is a crime." And we sputtered back to this great and civilized man the primitive slogans of all deformed militarists. We were captive, as all bigots are, to our demons, and could not hear any sound but our own shouting. It is time to banish these demons. It is time to stand not with the helmeted goons who beat protesters, not with those in the Pentagon who make endless wars, but with the unarmed demonstrators in Iran who daily show us what we must become.'
By By Chris Hedges
TruthDig.com
Iranians do not need or want us to teach them about liberty and representative government. They have long embodied this struggle. It is we who need to be taught. It was Washington that orchestrated the 1953 coup to topple Iran's democratically elected government, the first in the Middle East, and install the compliant shah in power. It was Washington that forced Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh, a man who cared as much for his country as he did for the rule of law and democracy, to spend the rest of his life under house arrest. We gave to the Iranian people the corrupt regime of the shah and his savage secret police and the primitive clerics that rose out of the swamp of the dictator's Iran. Iranians know they once had a democracy until we took it away. — 1,646 words.
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Carl Dow, True North, Station E, P.O. Box 4814, Ottawa ON Canada K1S 5H9.
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Friday, June 26, 2009
True North Perspective
Vol. 4, No. 31 (182)
A prominent daily newspaper columnist about 15 years ago called them the Canadian Stupidity Incompetent Service. But they can't help that they're mentally and emotionally challenged — they were born that way. Read on and I'll tell you how and why. — 1,091 words.
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By Carl Dow
Editor and Publisher
True North Perspective
OTTAWA, Canada — Adrian Belanger, a representative of the Lord Lansdowne Neighbourhood Group (LLNG), says the battle against what he calls an acoustical smokestack continues unabated. — 577 words.
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Letters to the editor
I was so pleased to read about Canadian North airlines which has been serving the north for 75 years. Here is an airline which embodies what I hope is the Canadian spirit: Its "throw-back" practice of serving hot meals on china plates with metal cutlery, is not only civilised but is the wave of the environmental future. Its practice of using profitable routes to subsidise the remote communities deserves our tribute in this vast country. And it is run by the people of the North to boot.
What can be done to prevent Westjet's drive for profit from ruining the exemplary service of Canadian North? Will Ottawa stand up for the Canadian spirit of service over profit?
Marion Endicott, Toronto, Ontario
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By Alex Binkley
True North Perspective
Originally writter for Ontario Farmer
When you root out the obvious political posturing, the report from the Commons food safety subcommittee provides some good ideas for restoring respect for Canada’s food safety system. — 458 words.
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Gardening
By Alberte Villeneuve-Sinclair
TrueNorthPerspective
Alberte Villeneuve-Sinclair is the author of "The Neglected Garden and two French novels. Visit her website to learn more www.albertevilleneuve.ca.
I have good news to share! News that gardeners have always suspected ... An extensive survey, financed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, has shown the numerous benefits of plants, flowers and gardening on the environment and on peoples’ physical and mental health. — 610 words.
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Canada West Foundation
CALGARY — Alberta's economy was hit by a rare combination of negative factors, but recovery is on the horizon, according to a new report from Canada West Foundation. — 323 words.
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From the Desk of Regan Ray, Associate Editor, The Canadian Journalism Project
'My suggestion to newspapers everywhere is to give the public a reason to read them again.'
In his July 2009 editor's letter, Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter gives newspapers a little advice: — 503 words.
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By Nicholas Bakalar
The New York Times
Have to solve a problem? Try taking a nap. But it has to be the right kind of nap — one that includes rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep, the kind that includes dreams. — 224 words.
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By Jon Boone
Guardian.co.uk
The plan was simple: with overwhelming force, the British soldiers would arrive in Babaji — one of the most dangerous insurgent strongholds in southern Afghanistan - and scare away the local Taliban without a fight, leaving a permanent military presence in the area for the first time, winning over local people and persuading them to stand up to their Taliban masters. — 1,944 words.
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By James Suggett
Venezuelanalysis.com
A delegation of Venezuelan officials led by Vice President Ramon Carrizalez met with Russian officials including former President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to create the bank and review the progress of ongoing bilateral projects. — 342 words.
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The hunt for Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden is believed to be in mountains on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border. But is he any nearer to being captured?
By Julian Borger and Declan Walsh
Guardian.co.uk
He is still alive. That is the one thing that can be said about Osama bin Laden these days with any degree of certainty. At least, he was still alive at the beginning of the month, when an audio tape was delivered to al-Jazeera bearing words in a familiar voice. — 2,121 words.
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Love him or hate him, Apple needs its CEO back. Now.
By Daniel Lyons
Newsweek
I just spent an hour waiting in a line at an Apple store to buy a product I do not need. It's the new top-of-the-line iPhone 3GS, and it costs $299, and I waited in line for it even though I already have last year's iPhone 3G model, not to mention a NEWSWEEK-issued BlackBerry, a low-end Nokia "feature phone," and a new Palm Pre, albeit a loaner unit. Why did I do this? — 990 words.
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The Explainer
They know it when they see it
By Christopher Beam
Slate.com
The Chinese government started blocking Google on some computers this week after accusing the search engine of displaying "pornographic" links. And as of July 1, all computers sold in China will have Internet filtering software installed to block porn. Is all pornography illegal in China?
— 358 words.Being under the spotlight isn't all glamour. As Sara Ziff discovered, top models also fall prey to sexual predators
By Jessica Bennett
Newsweek
A 16-year-old girl is on her first modeling shoot in Paris. She is unchaperoned and inexperienced. She takes a break for a cup of coffee, and a photographer follows her down the hall. She stops, and he fiddles with her clothes. Then he reaches in between her legs and gropes her. Stunned, the model says nothing. He says nothing. They walk back into the room and finish the shoot. — 1,034 words.
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By Belen Fernandez
Venezuelanalysis.com
In a June 13 article in the online version of the Bolivian state-run newspaper Cambio, Peruvian president Alan García is quoted as accusing international communism of attempting to create chaos in Peru. Recent examples of chaos might include helicopter attacks on indigenous protesters in the Peruvian Amazon in order to safeguard foreign exploitation of resources; one result of attributing his country's internal problems to an international communist conspiracy is that García and Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez are shown to share the same fundamental belief that history has not, in fact, ended. — 813 words.
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Busy Russia
By Maria Antonova
The Moscow Times
Members of President Dmitry Medvedev's entourage said Wednesday that he would oversee the signing of major gas and nuclear deals, as well as a sweeping agreement on space cooperation during his visit to Nigeria. — 508 words.
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By Natalya Krainova
The Moscow Times
A former Federation Council senator went on trial this week on murder charges that he has linked to his refusal to sell a mansion near Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's residence. — 352 words.
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By Alexandra Odynova
The Moscow Times
Defense lawyers took four months to exonerate their clients in the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya. It took the Supreme Court less than an hour Thursday to throw out the jury's acquittal of the four men and order a retrial. — 760 words.
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Japanese men eat grass
Japanese women are not taking the herbivores' indifference lightly. In response to the herbivorous boys' tepidity, "carnivorous girls" are taking matters into their own hands, pursuing men more aggressively. Also known as "hunters," these women could be seen as Japan's version of America's cougars
By Alexandra Harney
Slate.com
Ryoma Igarashi likes going for long drives through the mountains, taking photographs of Buddhist temples and exploring old neighborhoods. He's just taken up gardening, growing radishes in a planter in his apartment. Until recently, Igarashi, a 27-year-old Japanese television presenter, would have been considered effeminate, even gay. Japanese men have long been expected to live like characters on Mad Men, chasing secretaries, drinking with the boys, and splurging on watches, golf, and new cars. — 1,311 words.
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By Staff Writers
ChinaDaily.com
CHICAGO — A new understanding of the genes that make muscle cells may change the way researchers think about stem cell transplants for muscular dystrophy and muscle injuries, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday. — 387 words.
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By Staff Writers
SaturnDaily.com
POTSDAM, Germany — An enormous plume of water spurts in giant jets from the south pole of Saturn's moon Enceladus. In a report published in the international science journal Nature, European researchers provide evidence that this magnificent plume is fed by a salty ocean. — 448 words.
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By Staff Writers
SaturnDaily.com
BOULDER, Colorado — Water vapor jets that spew from the surface of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus are not really geysers from an underground ocean as initially envisioned by planetary scientists, according to a study led by the University of Colorado at Boulder. — 575 words.
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Speaking under a misspelled banner, right-wingers who want to make English the official language of the U.S. showed no sense of irony
By Lee Fang
ThinkProgress.org
On Saturday, Pat Buchanan hosted a conference to discuss how Republicans can regain a majority in America. During one discussion, panelists suggested supporting English-only initiatives as a prime way of attracting "working class white Democrats." — 101 words.
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By Natalya Krainova
The Moscow Times
Court marshals are putting their faith in the Russian Orthodox Church to ease their workload as a growing number of people default on debts amid the economic crisis. — 440 words.
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By Chris Buckley and Emma Graham-Harrison
Reuters
BEIJING — China on Thursday stepped up accusations that Google is spreading obscene content over the Internet, a day after U.S. officials urged Beijing to abandon plans for controversial filtering software on new computers. — 676 words.
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The short story, The Old Man's Last Sauna, a groundbreaking love story, in the Friday, April 24 edition of True North Perspective, concludes the collection titled The Old Man's Last Sauna, written by Carl Dow. On Friday, April 17, you'll find O Ernie! ... What Have They Done To You! The series began Friday, February 20, with Deo Volente (God Willing). The second, The Quintessence of Mr. Flynn, Friday, February 27. The third, Sharing Lies, Friday, March 6. The fourth, Flying High, Friday, March 13. The fifth, The Richest Bitch in the Country or Ginny I Hardly Knows Ya, Friday, March 20. On Friday, March 27, One Lift Too Many, followed by The Model A Ford, Friday, April 3. The out-of-body chiller, Room For One Only, Friday, April 10. The series closed Friday, April 24, with the collection's namesake The Old Man's Last Sauna, a groundbreaking love story. All stories may be found in the True North Perspective Archives. — Mike Heenan, Literary Editor.
Harold Wright, Doctor of Punology, sez:
"Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana."
True North Canuck Fact of the Day
The first recorded duel in Canadian history took place in Trois Rivieres, Quebec in 1646 between two French soldiers who used swords, not pistols, as was the French custom at the time.
Trivia compiled by Randy Ray and Mark Kearney, authors of nine books about Canada. For more fabulous facts, visit their Web site at: www.triviaguys.com.
Money and Markets
The Big Mac ... Purchasing Price Parity ... and the Euro
By Bryan Rich
MoneyAndMarkets.com
If you were to travel outside of your home country and encountered a McDonald's, would you pay more or less for a Big Mac? Well that depends ... You would likely notice a difference though. A major cause of this difference is the value of the local currency relative to your home country's currency. — 1,094 words.
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By The Rev. Dr. Hanns F. Skoutajan
Although the Nazi regime had already executed about one million Jews it was at a conference at the Wannsee, a lake in Berlin, in 1942, that the so-called "The Final Solution" was made . It initiated the holocaust of 6 million Jews as well as Roma and homosexuals. Prior to that Hitler was content to rid the Reich of as many Jews as possible. Thus it was that in May of 1939 at Hamburg, Germany, a ship called the St. Louis was loaded with over a thousand German Jews to be exported to Cuba. — 816 words.
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By Mike Heenan
Literary Editor
True North Perspective
HEENAN, Joseph Alfred, Captain, RD — Officer — Order of the British Empire (OBE) — RCNR / Captain, Canadian Coastal Forces Atlantic — Awarded as per Canada Gazette of 5 January 1945 and London Gazette of 1 January 1945. Home: Ottawa, Ontario. — 769 words.
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Musings
By Barbara Florio Graham
True North Perspective
Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings. Her website is www.SimonTeakettle.com.
The House of Commons is expected to confirm the Aga Khan as an Honorary Citizen of Canada. This is a rare designation awarded to only four others, including Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama. — 685 words.
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Emmett Rensin and Alex Aciman aim to squish literary classics into series of tweets
By Ed Pilkington
Guardian.co.uk
NEW YORK — Is there no end to Twittermania? Last week we saw the social networking tool Twitter deployed on the streets of Tehran. This week, moving seamlessly from the sublime to the ridiculous, it is being used to aid the digestion of the world's greatest literature. — 443 words.
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The Book End
The Book End is True North Perspective's showcase of recent books by Canadian writers. The presentation is not a review, but includes a profile of the author written by him/herself and an excerpt from the work in question. If a reader wants to file a review we'll publish it. Today we offer Branding Canada: Projecting Canada’s Soft Power through Public Diplomacy by Evan H. Potter. — Mike Heenan, Literary Editor, True North Perspective.— 1,183 words.
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Ottawa author Randy Ray and his co-author Mark Kearney of London, Ont. have published their ninth Canadian book, The Big Book of Canadian Trivia, which is now available in stores and on the authors' Web site at: TriviaGuys.com.
The latest Ray-Kearney effort is best described as a "greatest hits" book that contains the best Canadiana from their previous eight books, plus a considerable amount of new material.
In one big book readers will find all the trivia and facts about Canada they need to know: there are stories of important Canadian artifacts and history including what became of Canada's World War II spy camp.
All regions and provinces are covered, as well as important Canadian figures like John Molson, Elizabeth Arden and Russ Jackson.
If that isn't enough there will also be pieces explaining whatever happened to such Canadian icons as the last spike, labour leader Bob White, hockey tough guy Dave "The Hammer" Schultz, the first skidoo, swimmer Marilyn Bell and the first Tim Hortons donut shop.
Some items are "classics." Others are little known facts. Approximately 25% of the material has never before appeared in print.
This fascinating Big Book brings together for the first time in one package the most notable facts and trivia from the archives of the trivia guys' collection.
The Big Book of Canadian Trivia is published by The Dundurn Group of Toronto.
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Prolific best-selling Ottawa author and publicist Randy Ray has developed a website to promote his publicity services, which he offers to authors, publishers and companies. Mr. Ray has helped many clients get their message out across Canada on CTV, CBC Radio, CH-TV, A-Channel and Global TV, and in the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa Sun, Halifax Herald and many Ottawa-area weekly newspapers. Mr. Ray's web site is: www.randyray.ca. He can be contacted at: (613) 731-3873 or rocket@intranet.ca.
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Link not working? Story not loading? Can't click on the links? Got another computer problem? Never fear! Carl is here!
If you have any problems with accessing the newsletter or problems with your computer, send an email to Carl Hall chall2k5@gmail.com , and he will be more than happy to assist you.
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Archives
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Carl Dow, Editor and Publisher
Geoffrey Dow, Managing Editor
Yvette Pigeon, Associate Editor
Mike Heenan, Literary Editor
Benoit Jolicoeur, Art Director
Ian Covey, Director of Photography
Carl Hall, Technical Analyst and Web Editor
Contributing Editors
Anita Chan, Australia
Rosaleen Dickson
Tom Dow
Bob Kay
Randy Ray
David Ward
Harold Wright
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