Tim Horton's Canadian Again....wait....nm

So I heard on the CBC this morning that Tim Horton's has registered to and became Canadian based again. We were all a little perturbed when Tim Hortons became a an American company. This sounds like good news right? This sounded great to me to until I began to question that the company still might be american owned...and I'm right. I have nothing solid to go on because I havn't researched it and the only news report I did find was the news about the registration and not the finalization (which should come out within the day online)but I did find this as a comment on the story,

"What a bunch of crap. Its still isn't 'Canadian', its still owed by a US corporation, moving the head office to Canada DOESN'T make it Canadian. Wendy's parent company still owns it.

Countrystyle and Second Cup ARE Canadian.

Submitted by rroarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr at 7:32 PM Monday, June 29 2009"

Canadian IN NAME ONLY! Fake nationalism. I do hope though that the food gets back to the quality (less fast food and more restaurant style) it was before it was sold to the US company...but I doubt it.

The story from June can be found here as well as on the CBC website.
http://www.thestar.com/business/article/658256

Random University Student

Ignatieff = brilliant academic, probably selfishly motivated, and grinch look-a-like

Hi everyone,

So, no matter how much I think Michael Ignatieff looks like the Grinch who stole Christmas (the resemblance is uncanny...it's his grin!!) and keeping in mind that John Kerry looks like the wicked witch of the west and Paul Martin looks like the gopher from the Winnie the Pooh cartoon series, AND no matter how much I believe (though it kills me to say it) the Conservatives when they accuse him of being in Canadian politics for his own self or his careers promotion, I still like him( more on his probably motives later)

To be honest, I don't care what his motives for running for PM are, as long as they're not malicious. Selfish doesn't bother me all that much. I don't believe it is his only motive, but I'm sure it's there. Let's be honest, MP's are human, and even the most well meaning and genuine MP's know that they've got a damn good job and that they're guaranteed almost any job if they losr their seat....it's kind of a perk of the job. I'm not trying to trash MP's...many of them I know are working very hard and on behalf of their consituents and their own personal and political values/beliefs. But, I digress.....ya, I ramble a lot...what of it????

Regardless of his motives, whether they be ethical or unethical, Mr. Ignatieff has, beyond measure, proved himself in a field I trust...academia (specifically history). His academic record, even if you don't agree with his opinions, proves that he is a capable, intelligent, sobre thinking, hard working,and politically/socially clever man (you don't become a leading professor at Harvard or Oxford by intelligence alone). This may sound a bit naive, but I just can't help but respect a man who has received such internal acclaim and respect from the academic community...

This biograpgical excerpt was taken from...
http://www.international.gc.ca/odskelton/ignatieff_bio.aspx?lang=eng

"Michael Ignatieff was born in Toronto on 12 May 1947. He graduated from the University of Toronto with a B.A. in History. After earning his Ph.D. from Harvard University, he was elected a Senior Research Fellow at King's College, Cambridge. He has taught at Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, the University of California, the University of London and the London School of Economics.

For several years Dr. Ignatieff lived in England, where he was a regular broadcaster and critic on television and radio, including feature programmes on Channel 4 and the British Broadcasting Corporation...Michael Ignatieff (was) the Carr Professor and Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University..." In addition and including the beforesaid..."In 2005, Ignatieff was appointed a senior fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk Centre for International Studies. Prior to that, he served as Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University for five years. In 2001, while at Harvard, Ignatieff was appointed as a Canadian commissioner on the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, which helped guide a United Nations response to humanitarian crises seen in Kosovo, Rwanda and Darfur."(Taken from: http://www.mapleleafweb.com/voter-almanac/michael-ignatieff).

Also keep in mind, contrary to Conservative ads, it's not like Ignatieff just arrived here a month ago and if he didn't win the PMO he would go back to teaching...
"Ignatieff has had a meteoric rise in his political career. First elected in 2006, he has represented the riding of Etobicoke—Lakeshore, which is part of Toronto, Ontario. He first ran for the party leadership in 2006, but lost. He was recognized as the Parliamentarian of the Year in 2007." (Taken from: http://www.mapleleafweb.com/voter-almanac/michael-ignatieff).

He's been deeply involved in Canadian federal politcs since 2006! and failed once to achieve the leadership. I would assume that if he had only his own career in mind he would have continued being one of the top academics in the world and made his money and reputation that way. As well, he's been involved in the Liberal party before he even had a career, "Although he only entered politics recently, Ignatieff has been actively involved in the Liberal Party for more than 40 years. He campaigned for Lester B. Pearson in 1965 and served as a delegate and national youth coordinator for Pierre Trudeau in 1968."
(Taken from: http://www.mapleleafweb.com/voter-almanac/michael-ignatieff).

Wait...there's more!!

Check out his honourary doctorates...
"Michael Ignatieff as of June 2009 has received 11 Honorary Doctorates (list below is incomplete).

• Bishop's University in Lennoxville, Quebec in 1995
• University of Stirling in Stirling, Scotland (D.Univ) on June 28, 1996[5]
• Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario (LL.D) on October 25, 2001[6]
• University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario (D.Litt) on October 26, 2001[7]
• University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, New Brunswick (D.Litt) in 2001[8]
• McGill University in Montreal, Quebec (D.Litt) on June 17, 2002[9]
• University of Regina in Regina, Saskatchewan (LL.D) om May 28, 2003[10]
• Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington (LL.D) in 2004[11]
• Niagara University in Lewiston, New York, USA (DHL) May 21, 2006[12]
(Taken from...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_ignatieff)

11!! FRiGGEN HONOURARY DEGREES! I'm impressed.

On top of all of this, he is a prolific writer...


1. A Just Measure of Pain: Penitentiaries in the Industrial Revolution, 1780-1850 Macmillan, 1978

2.The Wealth and Virtue: The Shaping of Political Economy in the Scottish Enlightenment (editor with Istvan Hont) Cambridge University Press, 1983

3.The Needs of Strangers Chatto & Windus, 1984

4.Nineteen Nineteen (with Hugh Brody) Faber and Faber, 1985

5.The Russian Album Chatto & Windus, 1987

6.Asya Chatto & Windus, 1991

7.Blood and Belonging: Journeys into the New Nationalism BBC Books, 1993

8.Scar Tissue Chatto & Windus, 1993

9.Isaiah Berlin: A Life Chatto & Windus, 1998

10.The Warrior's Honour: Ethnic War and the Modern Conscience Chatto & Windus, 1998

11.The Rights Revolution House of Anansi Press (Canada), 2000

12.Virtual War: Kosovo and Beyond Chatto & Windus, 2000

13.Human Rights as Politics and Idolatry Princeton University Press (US), 2001

14.Charlie Johnson in the Flames: A Novel Chatto & Windus, 2003

15.Empire Lite: Nation Building in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan Vintage, 2003

16.The Lesser Evil: Political Ethics in an Age of Terror Princeton University Press (US), 2004

17.American Exceptionalism and Human Rights Princeton University Press (US), 2005

18.After Paradise Chatto & Windus, 2007

(Taken from: http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth141)

And has won many literary awards as well...

1988 Governor General's Literary Award for Non-Fiction (Canada) The Russian Album

1988 Heinemann Award The Russian Album

1993 Booker Prize for Fiction (shortlist) Scar Tissue

1993 MIND Book of the Year/Allen Lane Award Scar Tissue

1993 Whitbread Novel Award (shortlist) Scar Tissue

1999 James Tait Black Memorial Prize (for biography) (shortlist) Isaiah Berlin: A Life

1999 Jewish Quarterly Literary Prize for Non-Fiction (shortlist) Isaiah Berlin: A Life

2001 George Orwell Prize Virtual War: Kosovo and Beyond

(Taken from: http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth141)

Now, I know very well that other politicians and both Stephan Harper and Jack Layton are university grads, and I beliece Jack Layton hold a Phd in Political Science and taught at Ryerson University, and Stephan Harper has Masters in Economics from the University of Calgary. Clearly, these men all of the capacity and abilities to make it through university and succede in academia and politics. I give them my respect whole heartedly for this. But, Ignatieff trumps them all in academia.

My earlier reasons in a previous blog for voting Liberal this coming election still stand. If Igantieff wasn't the leader they would still stand. However, it is no hard task for me, and with a clear conscience and solid foundation behind me, to vote Liberal with Michael Ignatieff as the hopeful PM.

Thanks for reading! Any corrections are welcome, my apologies if I missed a reference or two. All information can be found via wikipedia or a quick google search.

I found this 2004 lecture by Ignatieff...it's an interesting look at his politics before he was in the Canadian political spotlight...

http://forum-network.org/speaker/michael-ignatieff

Random Student

Election Fever...sick with resentment and confusion

So, this afternoon I found myself listening to the CBC's "Cross Country Checkup", hosted by that intelligent, insightful, interesting, though all too frequently heard, host Rex Murphy. Todays program dealt with the pros and cons of minority governments in Canada and whether the impending election would occur, and if so, would it result in a minority government.

Resentment:

1.I, like many Canadians, resent the fact that we are going to spend millions of dollars again so frequently after the last election less than a year ago

2. An election will most likely maintain what will effectively be the status quo...either replacing a right of centre party with a left of centre party in a minority situation, or continuing with a right of centre party in a minority situation. Either way, not much will change...other than the ever changing rhetoric of our 'gloriously' maleable and shifting political parties, bending to and fro with the winds of current popular opinon...not exluding myself from this sociological phenomenon. As well, a great point put out during the radio show was that minority governments are even more susceptible to this wavering because the party with the slight majority of seats is ever worried about being defeated, and thus always thinking in the short term, and consequently become fiercly partisan. As you can see, my resentment is fed by a frustration of this cyclical trend of our political system in the last few years of simply retaining the status quo. I, like many callers on the Rex's show, yearn for the return of majority governments. I must say that I do reject Harper's claim that these last parliaments havn't worked, or are broken. They've worked quite well, just not in large dramatic instances that grab the publics attention, the kind produced by the voting power yielded by a majority government. Things get done in a minority government, good things, progressive things, things which contain ideas from many perspectives...they just get done at a much slower pace than in majority territory.

3. Confusion:

I yearn for a majority government but there are several glitches about this in my head. 1. I don't want a conservative minority, or majority government for several reasons that I won't get into. 2. I am left of centre and would by nature vote for the NDP. 3. The biggest glitch, voting for the NDP in an electiont that will almost assuredly end in the Liberals or Conservatives gaining a minority mandate would be, in my mind, a vote for the Conservatives....you know, the whole idea of vote splitting. 3. So to answer something I've struggled with for a while, whether to vote NDP on principle or vote Liberal to hinder the conservtives, I've come to a decision, which I'm sure will change but thats besides the point. Knowing full well that the NDP will not even form a minority government in the foreseable future, and that if the Liberal's don't get more support we're in the line for another annoying Conservative minority term, I will vote Liberal in order to hinder the Conservatives. If, and this will be a while coming I'm sure, theres comes a time when the Liberal party is in for a clear majority win I will cast my vote for the NDP I see think they are a pivitol segment of thought and push for action in the Canadian parliamentary system...ie. the role of the third party in Canadian political history. However, in the case that the Conservatives would be set to obtain a majority government I would also cast for the Liberals because that would be the only secure way of depriving the Conservatives of a more secure majority and possibly depriving them of it all together if more people think like me.

Conclusions? I don't like the Conservative Party of Canada as it stands now, I hold some small c conservative views and inclinations but not enough for me to support even a right of centre party. I would by nature support the NDP, and don't stop supporting NDP principles which the Liberals to some extent hold (NDP's are Liberals in a hurray said one former Prime Minister), but in order to prevent the Cons from holding power, I would support the Liberals, in whatever electoral situation this scenerio comes up in. Sorry, NDP, I still love you!

Random Student

In the Beginning...

I am a 22 year university student who happily lives in Ottawa with his partner in a quiet little neighbourhood, on the third floor of a small apartment building, in a quaint little two bedroom apartment in the heart of the city.

I hope some people will read my blog, which has no theme other than whats on my mind when I feel like blogging, but I doubt anyone will, except a few close friends and my boyfriend. Even then, I'm not holding out hope that they will either...sorry hunny, it's ok, I understand, I'm boring:)


Happy Reading,

Random Uni Student