Steve Jobs Was a Low-Tech Parent – NYTimes.com

2014/09/13 Leave a comment

Nice counterpoint article to the unveiling of iPhone 6 and Apple watch.

We were more liberal on tech and kids than most of the tech entrepreneurs:

When Steve Jobs was running Apple, he was known to call journalists to either pat them on the back for a recent article or, more often than not, explain how they got it wrong. I was on the receiving end of a few of those calls. But nothing shocked me more than something Mr. Jobs said to me in late 2010 after he had finished chewing me out for something I had written about an iPad shortcoming.

“So, your kids must love the iPad?” I asked Mr. Jobs, trying to change the subject. The company’s first tablet was just hitting the shelves. “They haven’t used it,” he told me. “We limit how much technology our kids use at home.”

….I never asked Mr. Jobs what his children did instead of using the gadgets he built, so I reached out to Walter Isaacson, the author of “Steve Jobs,” who spent a lot of time at their home.

“Every evening Steve made a point of having dinner at the big long table in their kitchen, discussing books and history and a variety of things,” he said. “No one ever pulled out an iPad or computer. The kids did not seem addicted at all to devices.”

Steve Jobs Was a Low-Tech Parent – NYTimes.com.

Filed under Other Tagged with , , , ,

How political correctness erodes support for multiculturalism | CanIndia NEWS

2014/09/13 Leave a comment

From CanIndia News, Pradip Rodrigues on the culture of silence within the Canadian South Asian community, drawing uncomfortable parallels with the UK’s Rotherham scandal (Sexual exploitation: See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil):

Political correctness is  a mortal enemy of multiculturalism and is responsible for leeching away support for it. In Canada the South Asian community, both Indian and Pakistani are grappling with issues of domestic violence, spousal abuse, elder abuse, a growing drug and gang problem. Yet you hardly hear about these sort of things in the media, there are no statements put out by politicians, there are no leaders with plans to deal with these issues.

When it comes to our view of women, South Asians here share a lot of similarities with a section of Pakistani Muslim men in Britain.The sheer scale of domestic abuse that occurs behind closed doors should be a scandal. But yet we stubbornly refuse to acknowledge it or discuss it openly.

And when a case of domestic abuse results in death of a woman or a case of honor killings make front page news, the community commentators who are invited on air to discuss it on national media use it as an opportunity to do damage control and deflect attention away from the community.

For instance following one horrific case of honor killing a couple of years ago, the South Asian head of a women’s organization refused to admit that honor killing and violence against women was an issue affecting a particular ethnic community. The guest on that radio program insisted that honor killing was no different from the problem of violence against women where the perpetrators and victims come from every segment of society.

I met her months later and asked her privately why she always took such a defensive position. According to her, mainstream interviewers are always looking to sensationalize news and bring down the community. She believed like so many in positions of authority in Rotherham, UK that it was the crime that should be discussed not the ethnicity.

…Few community leaders can be counted upon to be brave enough to stand up and draw attention to a problem facing the community without being brought down by the very community he or she loves and is trying to save. While no one wants to provide a stick to racists who will use it to beat up the community, it is time community members pick up their own stick and do the needful before someone else comes and does it for us.

How political correctness erodes support for multiculturalism | CanIndia NEWS.

Filed under Multiculturalism Tagged with , , ,

Clement wants to cut public servants’ sick days to five | Ottawa Citizen

2014/09/13 Leave a comment

Nice euphemism “most transformative:”

Bureaucrats offered Clement various options on how to overhaul the plan and the proposal he selected was considered the “most transformative.” It also shows how willing the government is to wage a major battle with unions in the run-up to the 2015 election.

The creation of a short-term disability plan is not part of negotiations as such. But the number of sick days and ability to roll over unused days is enshrined in contracts and must be re-negotiated.

The fate of banked sick leave was a big question hanging over this round of bargaining. Public servants can’t cash in their unused sick leave when they retire and many leave with weeks or months in their banks.

The government had commissioned an actuarial valuation of the $5.2 billion in banked leave, which determined bureaucrats would only use about $1.4 billion worth of the unused leave. That $1.4 billion, recorded as a liability on the government’s books, will disappear if banked sick leave is abolished.

Many hoped Clement would allow some, if not all, to be carried over so employees could dip into their credits for extra leave if they needed more than the new five-day threshold. Canada Post did this when it revamped its sick leave.

Banked sick leave provides flexibility in case of longer illness or catastrophic illness such as cancer (which helped me tremendously).

While there was abuse, and thus some need to tighten up, it does seem Canada Post found a way to do so while preserving some flexibility.

Clement wants to cut public servants’ sick days to five | Ottawa Citizen.

Filed under Government Tagged with , , ,

Salafist patrol sparks new debate on Islam in Germany

2014/09/13 Leave a comment

German Islamist extremists cross over the line by having a “Salafist patrol” like the Mutaween in Saudi Arabia or the Pasdaran in Iran (less active now):

The “PR gag by a group of young hooligans” has blurred the “clear definition between extremism and religion,” warned Aiman Mazyek, the head of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany ZMD. The activists are doing all Muslims in Germany a disservice, he said, adding that many young extremists had long bowed out of Muslim society.

“They say, this is a mollycoddled Islam, we want to go the hard way,” Mazyek said – and suggested fighting Islamism with Islam.

Strengthen the mainstream and support Muslim organizations, he urged. “Unfortunately, the current political climate doesn’t indicate that that has been understood,” the ZMDs Secretary General told DW. “Instead, were being marginalized, which in turn strengthens the radical fringes.”

On September 19, Muslims across Germany have the opportunity to demonstrate for peace and against extremism. Under the motto “Muslims stand up against hatred and injustice”, the four leading German Islam organizations are calling for solemn vigils and peace demonstrations in seven German cities.

Salafist patrol sparks new debate on Islam in Germany | Germany | DW.DE | 10.09.2014.

Filed under Multiculturalism, Religion Tagged with ,

Citizenship Act Coming Into Force Provisions

2014/09/12 Leave a comment

From CIC’s newsletter, details of which provisions have come into force:

Provisions from Bill C-24 that came into force immediately upon Royal Assent included:

  • fast-tracking citizenship applications for members of the Canadian Armed Forces;
  • improving clarity on the first generation limit on citizenship for those born abroad;
  • enabling children born abroad to serving Crown servants to pass citizenship on to their children born or adopted abroad;
  • and streamlined decision-making for issuing discretionary grants  under section 54.

Provisions in the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act that came into force on August 1, 2014, included:

  • the new decision-making model for citizenship applications;
  • various measures to improve efficiency of the application process;
  • and a new judicial review and appeals process.

Other provisions will come into force on a date to be determined by the Governor in Council

E-newsletter.

Filed under C-24, Citizenship, Citizenship Act Tagged with ,

Aga Khan Museum will prove to be of historic significance: Siddiqui

2014/09/12 Leave a comment

Look forward to visiting it during one of our visits to Toronto:

The museum was planned for London but ran into bureaucratic hurdles. The Aga, spiritual leader of Shiite Ismaili Muslims, could have located it anywhere — in Europe, which is where he lives and works France and Switzerland or Africa or Asia which is where much of his nearly $1 billion development and cultural work is done or the United States. He chose Canada instead as a tribute to our pluralism and also to make a contribution to it “in the best way possible.”

England’s loss is Canada’s gain.

This is no ordinary museum.

  • It has not cost Canadian taxpayers a penny.
  • It is an architectural jewel, inspired by great Islamic structures and taking its inspiration from the Qur’anic theme of light, “God is the Light of the Heavens and the Earth,” light that basks all humans equally, and that lights up the heart and soul, etc.
  • It uses the familiar geometric patterns of Muslim lands to let in all the light possible. But it has no minarets and no huge domes.

“His Highness did not want this building to use overtly Islamic forms or references,” reveals architect Fumihiko Maki of Japan. “He wanted to have a modern building appropriate to its context.” References to Islam are “sublimated.”

Aga Khan Museum will prove to be of historic significance: Siddiqui | Toronto Star.

Filed under Multiculturalism, Religion Tagged with , , ,

‘Stateless’ Ottawa-born man loses bid for citizenship

2014/09/12 Leave a comment

Latest update on the Budlakoti case.

In the end, keeping him in limbo rather than acknowledging his statelessness and regularizing his status, while reinforcing the overall Government messaging on fraud, is likely to be more costly, in terms of ongoing legal appeals and that he cannot work:

Budlakoti had no idea he wasn’t an official Canadian citizen until May 2010 when he ran afoul of the law. He was sentenced to three years in prison for weapons and cocaine trafficking, and ordered deported in December 2011 based on what federal officials deemed his “serious criminality.”

But India rejected him. Indian officials said Budlakoti is not a citizen and have refused Canada’s request to issue him travel documents.

It means that Budlakoti continues to live under the restrictive terms of a federal deportation order that can’t be enforced. He must report every month to the Canada Border Services Agency and live with his family. His other family members, including his parents, are all Canadian citizens.

For his part, Budlakoti contends he is effectively stateless: living in a legal limbo without health care, social services or employment opportunities.

‘Stateless’ Ottawa-born man loses bid for citizenship | Ottawa Citizen.

Filed under Citizenship Tagged with ,

Helmetless motorcycling isn’t a human right: Cohn

2014/09/12 Leave a comment

Short and to the point:

For observant Sikhs, wearing a turban is a religious obligation.

But there is no human right to drive a motorcycle without a helmet — no matter how dehumanizing gridlock gets in Toronto.

Helmetless motorcycling isn’t a human right: Cohn | Toronto Star.

Filed under Multiculturalism, Religion Tagged with , , ,

Multiculturalism is our culture – Editorials – The Moose Jaw Times Herald

2014/09/12 Leave a comment

For those who don’t know, Moose Jaw is a small city of some 33,000 people in Saskatchewan, west of Regina, which has about a 4 percent aboriginal population and less than 3 percent visible minority population.

Yet open to accommodation and supportive of multiculturalism:

But imagine if we were newcomers to a city in a foreign country. We have our beliefs, yet in this new place their beliefs are different. We would feel more welcomed if that city, that culture, gave us a time and place to express our beliefs and still be a part of the community.

Just imagine if the roles were reversed. Whose side would we take then? Everyone wants to fit in. We all move to different places for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it’s for work. Sometimes it’s for family. Sometimes it’s to escape horrible conditions in our home country. Sometimes, maybe it’s simply time to try something new.

Whatever our reason, the most fair we can be is to accommodate every side and hear every voice. This includes the majority and the minority. The women and children-only swim is only for an hour once a month. It’s not a big change to accommodate.

Of course integration is important. No matter our culture, we’re better off united as a community. We need to be united and embrace our multiculturalism. That is an undeniable fact.

However, allowing some consideration to the so-called outsiders and their different beliefs and values, is the best way to show that we are not forcing anyone to change who they are or what they believe. It’s the best way to show that we are a friendly and open place where anyone of any culture is welcome.

Multiculturalism is our culture – Editorials – The Moose Jaw Times Herald.

Filed under Multiculturalism Tagged with

9 Ugly Lessons About Sex From Big Data | TIME

2014/09/11 Leave a comment

Interesting example of big data and some reminders that we are not yet living in a post-racial society:

5. According to Rudder’s research, Asian men are the least desirable racial group to women…On OkCupid, users can rate each other on a 1 to 5 scale. While Asian women are more likely to give Asian men higher ratings, women of other races—black, Latina, white—give Asian men a rating between 1 and 2 stars less than what they usually rate men. Black and Latin men face similar discrimination from women of different respective races, while white men’s ratings remain mostly high among women of all races.

6. …And black women are the least desirable racial group to men.Pretty much the same story. Asian, Latin and white men tend to give black women 1 to 1.5 stars less, while black men’s ratings of black women are more consistent with their ratings of all races of women. But women who are Asian and Latina receive higher ratings from all men—in some cases, even more so than white women.

8. Your Facebook Likes reveal can reveal your gender, race, sexuality and political views.A group of UK researchers found that based on someone’s Facebook Likes alone, they can tell if a user is gay or straight with 88% accuracy; lesbian or straight, 75%; white or black, 95%; man or woman, 93%; Democrat or Republican, 85%.

9 Ugly Lessons About Sex From Big Data | TIME.

Filed under Multiculturalism, Racism Tagged with ,

← Older posts

Newer posts →