West Coast Can-Am Politics

Sony/BMG (the giant recorded music conglomerate formerly known as CBS Records/Columbia Records and RCA Victor Records , has created an enormous controversy throughout the blogosphere and technology world with its recent release of "copy-protected" music CDs that can over-ride your home PC's security firewalls. In many years of purchasing and collecting legal copies of albums on LP, CD, cassette, and even the venerable 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel tape formats...I've never seen a record company go to such lengths to demonstrate CONTEMPT for its paying consumers. Since March 2005, Sony/BMG has encoded some of its music CDs with Digital Rights Management (DRM) software which is intended to restrict "burning" and copying of music CDs. Playing these audio CDs on a PC forces a "rootkit" software download onto the user's PC, without their explicit knowledge and consent, creating a huge potential security violation for the PC user who simply ...

Thanks to Stepnan Scharansky at Sound Politics - City Journal offers some superb intelligent critical dialogue on urban topics from a conservative or moderately-conservative Manhattan perspective. The articles are well thought through and don't take a condescending "I told you so" perspective. Highly recommended reading.

Residents of BC's Fraser Valley have been deeply concerned for over 5 years about the controversial proposal to construct a 660MW gas-fired power plant in Sumas, Washington, directly on the U.S.-Canada border . National Energy Systems Company of Kirkland, Washington put forward its proposal to American and Canadian regulatory authorities in late 2000, during the "electric power crisis" which now has been seen as largely associated with Enron's manipulation of electric power markets. Almost five years after the unveiling of the project - which was successfully lobbied through various Washington State and U.S. regulatory agencies even with strong opposition by environmentalists - SE2 appears to be facing a final series of legal challenges by Canadian authorities. In 2003, the National Energy Board of Canada effectively vetoed the SE2 project from proceeding by denying SE2's request permission to construct a power line, through British Columbia, connecting SE2 with...

Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean's recent disparaging remarks criticizing Parti Québécois leadership candidate André Boisclair demonstrate poor judgment in handling her position. Mme. Jean is supposed to function as Queen Elizabeth II's ceremonial head of state in Canada, and not muck about in partisan politics or personality attacks. Her smart-aleck remarks aoubt M. Boisclair and about the PQ separatists are simply adding fuel to the fires of separatist rage. It is difficult for anglophones to comprehend why many Quebecois francophones publicly support separation - this is an issue I'm eager to begin exploring more thoroughly - but I believe it is a terrible, foolish mistake for Canada's GG (who was handed her well-paid hyper-prestigious job "on a silver spoon" as a patronage gift from an admiring PM Martin) to embarrass the Queen and the people of Canada by shooting her mouth off on subjects she is not qualified to comment on. Here are some MSM links regarding the...

Vancouver and Seattle possess striking similarities and differences from each other. In this first post, let's look at some similarities, some which are not well-known to persons not living in the region. International Events : World's Fairs : The Century 21 World Exposition was hosted by Seattle in 1962. Century 21 was dedicated to showcasing the advances of science during the height of the Cold War. I will expound more on Century 21 in future postings, as this event was an enormous turning point in Seattle's history. More about Century 21 at this commemorative site . Expo 86 was hosted by Vancouver in 1986. Themed " World In Motion - World in Touch ", Expo 86 celebrated the astonishing advances in all forms of transportation. Expo 86 - Looking Back commemorative site has some neat information about this event. International Conferences : The Second World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference was held in Seattle in late 1999, and brought Seattle ...

"They can kiss my ear!", responded Representative Don Young (D-Alaska) when presented with pleas by thousands of Alaskans that their state voluntarily relinquish the staggering amount of transportation pork barrel money, to provide desperately-needed money for Gulf-coast Hurricane Katrina relief. When pressed further about the "America Gives Back" proposals being pushed by many Alaskans, Rep. Young further exclaimed, "That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard." "Young Scoffs at Criticism of Bridges" (Anchorage Daily News) gives a rather grim insight into the desperation elected officials feel in protecting their "hard-won" pork barrel projects for their pet constitutencies. Michelle Malkin provides a vigorous critique of "Don Young: Hog Wild". Left-wing blogger Think Progress captures the essence: Rep. Don Young (R-AK) is a self-proclaimed “ little oinker ” and aspires to be the “chief porker. A CNN video interview ...

Canadian bloggers' impact on their nation's politics have been underestimated by writer Siri Agrell , but I wonder if this story was simply "planted" by Liberal Party sympathizers for their own purposes. Captain Ed Morissey has great discussion on this topic. What do ya think?