Mary Soderstrom's Blog, page 65
March 11, 2014
You Won't Find Péladeau's House on Google's Street View and Other Thoughts on the PQ's Star Candidate
I'd like to think that the Parti Québécois' "coup" in getting Pierre-Karl Péladeau to run in the upcoming provincial election will backfire because people will be just too put off by the way the PQ has sold out all its progressive values in bringing him in.
Last night I was on Montreal's West Island in a thoroughly Anglophone area where people were looking for ways to protest the choice. They would have voted against the PQ anyway, but now they're wondering if cancelling their cable and internet service through Péladeau's Videotron would have any effect.
Of course, workers at Videotron were locked-out on Péladeau's orders for months a decade ago: that would have kept me away from using their services anyway. The labour conflict was just one of 14 lockouts the Quebecor empire has brought down in the last few years. Talking about riding roughshod over ordinary folk...
Certainly Québec Solidaire is hoping that some of the leftish separatist vote will switch its way. I am too: not only is Péladeau reactionary, he has controlled a huge media empire that, even if he puts his holdings in a blind trust, is going to remember just who has been the boss.
By the way, you'll notice that there's no illustration with this post. I tried to find a picture of Péladeau's house--636 Dunlop in the Outremont borough--but although, probably not coincidently, Google Earth's Street View shows the houses around it, it does not have one of Péladeau's three-storey mansion, whose assessed valuation is $3,323,200. The procedure for getting you house deleted from Street View is cumbersome, I understand. If you're a media magnate you can do it.
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Last night I was on Montreal's West Island in a thoroughly Anglophone area where people were looking for ways to protest the choice. They would have voted against the PQ anyway, but now they're wondering if cancelling their cable and internet service through Péladeau's Videotron would have any effect.
Of course, workers at Videotron were locked-out on Péladeau's orders for months a decade ago: that would have kept me away from using their services anyway. The labour conflict was just one of 14 lockouts the Quebecor empire has brought down in the last few years. Talking about riding roughshod over ordinary folk...
Certainly Québec Solidaire is hoping that some of the leftish separatist vote will switch its way. I am too: not only is Péladeau reactionary, he has controlled a huge media empire that, even if he puts his holdings in a blind trust, is going to remember just who has been the boss.
By the way, you'll notice that there's no illustration with this post. I tried to find a picture of Péladeau's house--636 Dunlop in the Outremont borough--but although, probably not coincidently, Google Earth's Street View shows the houses around it, it does not have one of Péladeau's three-storey mansion, whose assessed valuation is $3,323,200. The procedure for getting you house deleted from Street View is cumbersome, I understand. If you're a media magnate you can do it.
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March 9, 2014
Saturday Photo: Still Snow
Yes, the snow is still on the ground, even though the days are getting much longer. More snow is forecast for this week, and the temperature is still well below freezing.But the sun is out and people are actually moving freely since you don't have to wade through a thick layer of slush on sidewalks. And sledding is very fine!
March 7, 2014
Immortality: Photos, Vivan Meir and Art
Seems to me I've heard about this in passing before, but today I received a link to a story about Vivan Meir, a New Yorkk nanny who took hundreds of thousands of photographs--in secret.
Her negatives and undeveloped films turned up in an auction house a few years ago and since then the treasure trove of excellent pictures has come to light, literally. From what I've seen, her work has the same clarity and perspicacity as Henri Cartier-Bresson's, which is about the highest praise I can give when it comes to photography. Really great stuff.
Unearthing this ouevre also raises questions about art and artists. She did all this, it would appear, for herself, without thought of who might see it, of what others might think. Like Emily Dickinson's poetry, her creation was private and its import was recognized only after her death.
Lukas says that great philosophers are usually only appreciated for their true contribution by those who follow. Bach's genius almost disappeared for a couple of centuries. A few of my moderately successful writing cronies don't say it out loud, but I know that they hope their work will be respected for its great merit once they're gone.
So where does that leave the artist? Doing what he or she must, as always. Whether "discovery" ever comes doesn't really matter, if you've done what set out to do.
Here's the trailer for a film about Vivan Maier. Sounds fascinating.
March 5, 2014
Edith Laperle: Wouldn't It Be Great If the Third Time Was the Charm!
Well, the Quebec general election is definitely going to be held April 7, 2014. Given the Parti Québécois's attempts to appeal to the most enthocentric part of the electorate, hopes aren't high for a good campaign. The leaders of the other two parties, Philippe Couillard of the Liberals and François Legault of the inelegantly named Coalition pour l'avenir du Québec, CAQ--certainly don't promise to raise the tone.
But Québec Solidaire, the left-wing, strongly principled fourth party, has some excellent candidates. Edith Laperle is one of them. A trade unionist, she'll be running for the third time in the Outremont riding which also include the less toney neighborhoods of Mile End and Côte des Neiges. She got 32 per cent of the vote last fall when Couillard ran in a bye-election, which was a terrific result.
Couillard isn't running in Outremont this time, since he promised to run in the Northern Quebec riding of Roberval during his campaign for the Liberal leadership: the Outremont foray was designed to give him a safe seat after he became leader. He probably should be congratulated on not going back on that promise in order to stay in Outremont, but the fact that he made it in the first place says worlds about his frequently shakey political judgment.
Not that the Liberals aren't aware of the appeal of QS and Ms. Laperle among Outremont voters. It looks like they want to muddy the ideological waters since they're running the sister of Françoise David, the QS co-spokesman and one of two QS members of the National Assembly. As in many political families --think Bob Ray and his brother John during the former's NDP phase, and Daniel and Pierre-Marc Johnson, respectively Liberal and PQ premiers of Quebec--families can see deep divisions.
What will be interesting to watch is how Ms. Laperle, whose face and ideas are now pretty well known in the riding, approaches the campaign. Does she have a chance to win? I'd love to think so.
But Québec Solidaire, the left-wing, strongly principled fourth party, has some excellent candidates. Edith Laperle is one of them. A trade unionist, she'll be running for the third time in the Outremont riding which also include the less toney neighborhoods of Mile End and Côte des Neiges. She got 32 per cent of the vote last fall when Couillard ran in a bye-election, which was a terrific result.
Couillard isn't running in Outremont this time, since he promised to run in the Northern Quebec riding of Roberval during his campaign for the Liberal leadership: the Outremont foray was designed to give him a safe seat after he became leader. He probably should be congratulated on not going back on that promise in order to stay in Outremont, but the fact that he made it in the first place says worlds about his frequently shakey political judgment.
Not that the Liberals aren't aware of the appeal of QS and Ms. Laperle among Outremont voters. It looks like they want to muddy the ideological waters since they're running the sister of Françoise David, the QS co-spokesman and one of two QS members of the National Assembly. As in many political families --think Bob Ray and his brother John during the former's NDP phase, and Daniel and Pierre-Marc Johnson, respectively Liberal and PQ premiers of Quebec--families can see deep divisions.
What will be interesting to watch is how Ms. Laperle, whose face and ideas are now pretty well known in the riding, approaches the campaign. Does she have a chance to win? I'd love to think so.
March 2, 2014
Saturday Photo: Thinking about Travels
Many years, the sap has already started to run in the maple trees by now. Not the case this year, but people around us are getting itchy feet, thinking about interesting places to go on their holidays.It helps that many schools are taking breaks about now. Jeanne's cousin Marie and her father were visiting last week from France, Sophie's school is out next week, neighbors are off to exotic places.
Since our travels are still months away, I've gone back to look at the photos I took last summer. This is one of several taken at low tide on Vancouver Island in August. I can almost smell the salt...
February 28, 2014
Rain in California, Cold in Montreal
My West Coast friends are posting happy news about much-needed rain.
Good on them, since the drought there is bad for all concerned.
As for me, I'm steeling to go out this morning at -18 C (0F)--this cold is getting old.
Good on them, since the drought there is bad for all concerned.
As for me, I'm steeling to go out this morning at -18 C (0F)--this cold is getting old.
February 26, 2014
More on Energy: When Too Much Hydro Is Too Much Hydro
Le Devoir leaked a report from a government commission this week on the future of energy in Quebec, a report that has been making waves. In short, it says that contnuing to build hydro projects and to support windmill electricity generation is costing too much and that current electric capacity is more than enough for the province's needs. If the projects now underway continue, taxpayers will be out a lot of money, and Quebec's economy will not benefit in the least from the outlay of billions of dollars.
Not surprisingly, the PQ government pooh-poohs the conclusions, although it can't deny them. Nor can it ignore recently released information about the sweetheart deals between Hydro Quebec and aluminum plants. The pay peanuts for their electricity, and even got a break when they locked out their workers last year. Rather, say government spokepersons, providing low cost power is important for the province's industry.Future capacity is designed to take care of future needs.
The report comes as the economic health of various oil projects, including the pipelines that are supposed to carry Alberta tar sands oil to (take your pick) the US, Atlantic Canada or British Columbia, is up in the air.
We seem to be in a situation where all bets are off on the supply of energy, given the sudden increased availability of natural gas from frakking and the like.
Where are we going? What do we really need?
Not surprisingly, the PQ government pooh-poohs the conclusions, although it can't deny them. Nor can it ignore recently released information about the sweetheart deals between Hydro Quebec and aluminum plants. The pay peanuts for their electricity, and even got a break when they locked out their workers last year. Rather, say government spokepersons, providing low cost power is important for the province's industry.Future capacity is designed to take care of future needs.
The report comes as the economic health of various oil projects, including the pipelines that are supposed to carry Alberta tar sands oil to (take your pick) the US, Atlantic Canada or British Columbia, is up in the air.
We seem to be in a situation where all bets are off on the supply of energy, given the sudden increased availability of natural gas from frakking and the like.
Where are we going? What do we really need?
February 25, 2014
Energy Debate: Nuclear and Other Forms of Electricity
Last week the Globe and Mail contained the most recent issue of
Corporate Knights
, a magazine that calls itself "The Company for Clean Capitalism." Rarely have I come across such a series of informative, thought-provoking articles about where we are going in terms of our use of energy.
Among the articles are an evaluation of the various costs of electricity generation, which contains this startling statement about nuclear power:
"Given the rapidly falling cost and potential of efficiency and renewables, the speed with which they can be deployed, as well as the availability of gas as a transition and complementary resource, the economically rational path for the next quarter century is crystal clear: New nukes aren’t necessary."
In other words, going for better energy efficiency and using other sorts of low-carbon, renewable eneergy is going to be a lot cheaper for the forseeable future.
Definitely worth reading.
Among the articles are an evaluation of the various costs of electricity generation, which contains this startling statement about nuclear power:
"Given the rapidly falling cost and potential of efficiency and renewables, the speed with which they can be deployed, as well as the availability of gas as a transition and complementary resource, the economically rational path for the next quarter century is crystal clear: New nukes aren’t necessary."
In other words, going for better energy efficiency and using other sorts of low-carbon, renewable eneergy is going to be a lot cheaper for the forseeable future.
Definitely worth reading.
February 23, 2014
Saturday Photo: Sun on Winter Leaves
This is the winter sun shining on one of my plants that do well inside. It'll be a long time before anything is green outside, so I like to have a reminder that the season isn't always winter.
February 21, 2014
Going in the Wrong Directon: PQ Budget and Krugman's Take-Down of Austerity Memasures
As usual Paul Krugman is worth reading today. His analysis of why stimulus in the US hasn't done what it should have is clear: there should have been more, not less, and things would be much worse if there hadn't been the stimulus package in 2009.
He writes that the "huge natural experiment Europe has provided on the effects of sharp changes in government spending.... If stimulus opponents had been right about the way the world works, these austerity programs wouldn’t have had severe adverse economic effects, because cuts in government spending would have been offset by rising private spending. In fact, austerity led to nasty, in some cases catastrophic, declines in output and employment."
The message about the adverse effects of austerity hasn't been heard in Quebec City (or Ottawa, for that matter), given the budget that Pauline Maurois's PQ government brought down Thursday. Lots of talk about fiscal responsiblity and zero deficit, and no recognition of the important role government should play in supporting public programs and putting the emphasis of full employment.
We're headed for an election here, and certainly the PQ, the provincial Liberals and the right of centre Coalition pour l'avenir du Québec aren't going to talk about the need for stimulus. Thank goodness Québec solidaire is around to raise some important questions. "The old model is broken down," commented Amir Khadir, one of the two QS members of the National Assembly.
He writes that the "huge natural experiment Europe has provided on the effects of sharp changes in government spending.... If stimulus opponents had been right about the way the world works, these austerity programs wouldn’t have had severe adverse economic effects, because cuts in government spending would have been offset by rising private spending. In fact, austerity led to nasty, in some cases catastrophic, declines in output and employment."
The message about the adverse effects of austerity hasn't been heard in Quebec City (or Ottawa, for that matter), given the budget that Pauline Maurois's PQ government brought down Thursday. Lots of talk about fiscal responsiblity and zero deficit, and no recognition of the important role government should play in supporting public programs and putting the emphasis of full employment.
We're headed for an election here, and certainly the PQ, the provincial Liberals and the right of centre Coalition pour l'avenir du Québec aren't going to talk about the need for stimulus. Thank goodness Québec solidaire is around to raise some important questions. "The old model is broken down," commented Amir Khadir, one of the two QS members of the National Assembly.
