Blog 1.1

So . . . I thought it was time for a bit of a design upgrade to the blog.  Hope you like it!  If you do (or if you don't), feel free to sound off in the comments.  Blog 2.0 will be coming a little later when I have the time to categorize all my previous entries and really take advantage of the full basic capabilities of the site (my latent Luddism often surfaces).  Back to full regular posts tomorrow.

Que Sera Sera

So . . . when I was just a little girl, I asked my mother what I would be - will I be pretty, will I be rich, etc, etc.  Anyway, Mom told me that whatever will be, will be (I prefer the Sly and the Family Stone version to Doris Day's).  This simple and wise piece of advice has since been distorted into a supporting argument for determinism.  In other words, a higher power than yourself has decided what's gonna happen to you, and you're just along for the ride.  This, of course, is bunk; no one has grand plans for you (except you, maybe).  Today I'm attempting a better explanation.

Election 2011: Opening Salvo

So . . . it's election time in Canada.  Well, not yet, but it will be in about five weeks.  I like elections, for a number of reasons.  First of all, I really enjoy to see everyone's lawns decorated with colourful signs.  And nothing thrills me like wall-to-wall coverage of minutia by the media.  But most of all it allows us to observe some really bad decision-making in action, as the parties attempt to poke and jostle each other into gaffes while committing no shortage of their own.  I figure I'll weigh in on the election somewhat weekly (and, depending on your opinion of the blog, somewhat weakly) until election day.  Today: my unassailable predictions of what we can expect from this democratic cycle.

Save the World in 60 Minutes

So . . . in case you didn't know, our annual chance to save the world for the future by shutting off lights for an hour is approaching.  This Saturday marks the return of "Earth Hour" where we all are supposed make a statement by using less electricity for sixty minutes.  What this states I'm not exactly sure, and if you ever need an example of window dressing over (what many people believe to be) a serious problem, here it is.  Yet this meaningless gesture seems to hold a lot of value of many people, so I thought I'd explore the topic.

Blue Box Blues

So . . . I recently moved into a new office (same job, better digs).  Unlike my previous space, this one has a recycle bin.  To say I was excited about this would be a vast overstatement, but still, I figured it's there so I might as well put my recyclables in it.  In my old office there was only a garbage bin, so I rarely recycled.  After all, that would have entailed walking my papers and plastics down the hall to the communal blue box, and that involves more effort than I was willing to expend.  Yes, I know, I'm ruining the planet for my grandchildren.

Not Only Am I Fat, Apparently I'm Stupid Too

So . . . obesity is an epidemic in today's world, it leads to diseases and death, blah blah blah, whatever.  Anyone who reads the news, or even just the headlines, is aware that people are generally fatter than they were before (even a more recent before, not just fatter than hunter-gatherers), and this is not good for society (less cake for me).  Like most social ills, however, solutions to the problem are in short supply.  Lots of suggestions have been made, from mandating that schoolchildren be physically active for two hours a day (back in my day, we wanted to be active - it was called recess) to removing fattening beverages from vending machines in city-owned buildings, to free liposuction for all (ok, I made that last one up.  Sadly.). 

Gotta Get Down on Friday

So . . . I have been fascinated all week with the latest internet sensation, Rebecca Black's "music" video Friday (fifteen million hits and counting - and that's double the count two days ago!).  I feel like I have so much to say about something that is so lacking in substance, I don't know where to begin.  The video plays like either a bad parody (because it's not over the top enough) or a really, really bad attempt at a good music video.  Being neither a rock music critic or that well versed in music videos (I don't watch many), I feel uniquely qualified to offer a full review of it.

We Are The Centre of All Existence, Aren't We?

So . . . the tragedy in Japan has unfortunately highlighted a side of human nature that I find truly repugnant.  No, it's not the charitable giving and general concern for the victims, nor is it the fact that most people had never heard of Sendai prior to the incident (which is troubling in a different way, one that I'm not covering here).  No, the problem is that our news outlets seem to think that the most important piece of information for them to cover is the number of dead or missing people from our own country, rather than being concerned with the thousands of dead Japanese, and the tens of thousands who are going without food, water, or shelter.

The Sixteenth Technical

So . . . thank goodness Amare Stoudemire was allowed to play for my beloved Knicks last night, so that he could be party to the embarrassing they received at the hands of the woeful Indiana Pacers.  You see, he was supposed to sit out that game, having received his sixteenth technical foul of the season, and there is an automatic one-game suspension triggered when a player receives their sixteenth.  Thankfully, that tech was rescinded by the league, because it wasn't really a technical foul (received during the Knicks' drubbing at the hands of the not-so-woeful Dallas Mavericks).  But would the foul have been reviewed or rescinded if it were the fifteenth?  This matters more than you might think.

No Harm, No Foul

So . . . as it tends to happen, my plans have been foiled.  I had intended to make all of this week's posts about chance, and then as chance would have it a news story occurred that was impossible for me to ignore (I'll get back to luck and chance soon enough).  I'm talking about a story that is on the front page of The Globe and Mail's main section, sports section, and business section.  A hockey player got hit in the head.

I Guess Things Happen That Way

So . . . I'm continuing with this week's theme of the role of luck and chance in our lives.  Today's post is how chance affects major events and outcomes (and is a little longer than usual), and I'm not sure at this point that I have a specific answer to give on the topic (hey, the blog is called "What I Don't Know," so you should probably expect a lack of specific answers!).  The event that I'm using as an example is the spate of riots, protests, and revolutions sweeping the Middle East and Northern Africa, but the concepts apply to any world event.

Are You Feelin' Lucky?

So . . . I had an interesting discussion with a friend over the weekend about the role that luck plays in success.  I took the position that luck is instrumental and indispensable in any success, whereas he was of the opinion that talent/skill/ability mattered far more.  As the discussion went on, I found myself in a familiar position, that of having to explain that the fact that luck is necessary to success doesn't mean that talent isn't.  Allow me to explain with the example of Warren Buffett and Nicholas Nassim Taleb.

A Few More Thoughts on Charlie Sheen

So . . . the Sheen circus continues, and will continue until we all stop paying attention or he dies.  That's pretty much it.  I never thought I would write two posts within a week about Sheen, but that just shows how unpredictable life can be.  I have a few unconnected thoughts that I would like to share, and then I'll probably shut up about Charlie and his troubles, a stance that will be clearer when you get to the end of the post.

The Quebec Government Should Get Some Tuition in Fees

So . . . McGill and it's MBA program is in the news again, once again for it's "high" fees.  The fact of the matter is that McGill's MBA fees are just about the general market price for an MBA - the only difference is that fees at that price level are relatively new to Quebec, where tuition hikes are as rare as Charlie Sheen at an AA meeting (losers and sissies, according to the Gospel of Charlie).  The question here isn't whether the Quebec government has the right to claw back 28 grand of the $29,500 that McGill charges (as they threaten to do).  The question here is why the Quebec government is so willfully ignoring reality in doing so.