The Assault on Reason

Al Gore has a book out called "The Assault on Reason". You can read an excerpt from it here.

I haven't gotten my hands on the book yet, but the article is a good read. He makes some really good points about the nature of television and its effect on how people view certain big issues. He tells a small story about his campaign against George Bush Jr. where his campaign managers laid out a formula of a series of strategic television ads that predicted an 8.5% increase in his lead in the polls. Sure enough, the end result of the series of ads resulted in an 8.5% increase in his lead in the polls. It is alarming when such a situation can exist where public opinion can be swayed by a formula.

Gore is correct when he explains the passive nature of television where people just absorb the message being given to them. It seems that by repeating a message over and over again in 30 second spurts, public opinion can be swayed significantly. The logical conclusion is that whomever can afford the most tv commercials will most likely win any election. This situation puts an emphasis on fund raising for political parties and creates an opportunity for rich special interest groups to affect the course of government. Many people say that the case currently exists in the US. An excellent BBC documentary called "Why We Fight" makes a strong case for why the US has been in an almost constant state of war over the past few decades. It's an excellent piece of journalism if you're interested in the topic.

As elections evolve into a series of tv ad blitzes rather than true debate, I think most people will get tired of hearing the politicians drone on and on and will eventually tune out, resulting in low voter turn out. If the trend continues, less and less people will be interested in the process and eventually any democracy will suffer.

If you're like me and you've gotten tired of being bombarded by tv, radio, and now internet advertising; and you also wonder how things got be like they are, the BBC also has an interesting documentary series called "The Century of the Self". Archive.org has them online. You can watch them here:

Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4

It's not as series of action flicks, there are no babes in bikinis, and the content is devoid of sports highlights. This series though, is definitely not short on substance. One example is the story of how cigarette companies got women to smoke in public in the 1920's. I recommend that you watch it in short spurts...there's too much information there to really absorb in one sitting. It seems that Edward Bernays, a nephew of Sigmund Freud, is to be blamed/credited with how products and political policy is marketed to the public.


Back to Al Gore...

He makes a good point about the power of the internet. Political parties short on funds to pay for tv ads can take advantage of the technology. People are already used to the workings of the internet and can actively participate in public policy via websites, forums, blogs, and other online publications. I have no way of calculating the numbers, but it seems some really excellent internet campaigns can be produced with just a fraction of the cost of several prime time tv commercial slots.

I could write a lot more about the topic and how the situation affects us in Canada, but I've written enough here already and you can easily do your own reading/research and discuss the topic with you friends and families. The main thing is that everyday people have to take an interest in their country and their governments and debate the issue themselves, rather than sit back and be swayed by television commercials.

Just as a final note of interest, here are some numbers for federal election voter turnout here in Canada since 1876.

MyFace and Spacebook

With the facebook phenonmenon growing crazy here in Toronto, I thought I'd post this funny skit from the people at "this hour has 22 minutes". I like the show...they have some really funny bits, but some others are kind of blah.

Oh the cuteness !

Little Liam...Q and A's kid. I should borrow him one day and try to meet some girls...



Seriously though...he's a really cute kid. I met up with them and we took the ferry over to centre island and walked around there. The weather was really nice.

A lot of my friends have babies now. I have to talk them into some photo shoots. Maybe like an Anne Geddes theme, but edgier/funnier.

Around Toronto...

Just some pics from roaming around the city over the last couple of weeks...

I took the subway to Younge and Sheppard and walked around the area.

Saw this interesting reflection...


...and these really happy people.


The subway ride this time wasn't as interesting as the last time, but I got to walk around another part of the city.

Friday night adventures

Not something you see everyday:



Nice guy...chatted with him for a while. The subway's a funny place...I have no trouble just talking to people, but when it comes to giving details like my name, I hesitate. Not sure why...this guys seemed decent enough. I wish I could have taken a better picture...hard to keep the camera steady in low lighting on a moving train. Don't like using the flash...

Anyways, I was on my way downtown to meet up with Lisa and her cousin Dave. Going out with a couple of newfies (I use the term as a form of endearment, not derogatory) for some drinks is always a bit of an adventure...it was a fun night. Dave works in construction with a bunch of guys who started a rap band called The Raw Luck Movement. Not my favourite type of music, but they were alright. I guess they're known around the city...a bunch of people showed up to see them, the bar was full.

Book Review: Buddha in your Backpack, Franz Metcalf

Pravin, one the Intrepid tour guides in India told the group about this book: "Buddha in your Backpack" by Franz Metcalf. He was trying to explain some aspects of Buddhism (he's a buddhist) and said that he came across this book and said it explains things pretty well, even though it's written for teenagers.

Being stuck at the company condo a couple of weeks ago in Markham with no internet access or tv, I wandered over to the nearby Chapters and found the book. I decided to give it a read.

Again, it's wrtten for teens so the author's style is fairly simple with the usual humour that books for teens have. He does a job, though, of explaining the essence of buddhism and some of the key concepts (at least his version/interpretation). It's all very fluid and once you start to understand the concepts invlovled, everything else flows along from there.

I found the book insightfull. Even though it was written in a simple style, there are a couple of concepts that I had a hard time following.

In any case, even if your mildly interested in the topic, I recommend the book. It's a quick and interesting read.

Getting settled...

It's been a couple of weeks since I moved up here to Toronto. My place still needs a bit of work, but I'm slowly getting around to it. I need a couple pieces of furniture still...I've been shopping around different places, but it seems like Ikea still has the best deals around. I think I've finally decided on what to get without spending a fortune.

Work has been good so far. Still in learning mode and feeling a bit like a co-op student again, but hopefully I'll be picking up speed over the next couple of months.

Life in the big city is still as hectic as I remember it. It doesn't seem to matter what time I head home, there's still the traffic jams and idiots driving around. It'll be better once I settle into the rythm of life here and not have so many chores to do after work.

I've started cooking again...I'm having to brush up on my chef skills. I though I might be able to find a local butcher in my neighbourhood, but so far haven't come across any.

I still haven't found a gym nearby yet...squash courts will be a must I think. Other things to check out are the North York Library, Sheridan College courses, and Johnny's burgers.