I just read this interesting article: “What Norway did with it’s oil and we didn’t”.
It focuses on the legislative and public policy aspect of the oil boom in Canada. It compares Canadian methods of handling it’s new found oil to that of Norway’s policies, both publicly and privately. It draws attention to our focus on the free market, which rarely allows for long-term, sustained growth (since there is barely any control over the resource and no government intervention).
In 1969, Norway discovered oil (in what was called the Norwegian continental shelf) and understood that oil was a finite resource—one that could be harnessed for the betterment and long-term prosperity of the collective Norwegian population. They aimed to use the oil as a way to make them more competitive beyond just the resource itself. The author contends that this was a very smart choice and that Canada is not making the right moves in comparison. The government of Norway's investment (monetary and labour-wise) has benefitted the country in profound ways, adding to technological advancement, job growth and no decline in exports due to a strong currency ("Dutch Disease"). This is key to note, seeing as the rest of the continent has been struggling at this time.
The Norwegian government is continually changing and updating the laws to manage not only the
economic and energy gains of this resource, but also to carefully monitor it's impacts on environment and communities—meaning they always are involved in some way. The government has founded a nationalized organization: Statoil ASA and created a presiding directorate, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, with the goal of “creating the greatest possible values for society from the oil and gas activities by means of prudent resource management.” The have successfully rendered a plethora of gains from this one find—something that the author fears Canada is failing to do. The government of Norway's investment (monetary and labour-wise) has benefitted the country in profound ways, adding to technological advancement, job growth and no decline in exports due to a strong currency ("Dutch Disease").
The article, while focusing on oil, draws other parallels between the country, through resources (mainly forestry, fishing and and the government's involvement in handling those resources.
In comparing, the difference is just that the main way of viewing our resources is fundamentally different from that of the Scandinavian country; they depend on an idea of co-operation and collaboration between countries for resources, whereas we don't have, and don't know how, to do that. This is an evolved form of what Niall Ferguson referred to as the "competition" aspect in his book: nations in smaller areas have to always consider the longevity of their resources and how to share them amongst themselves. The article is posits that Canadians have had no need to worry about resource-sharing, and that our own government Acts work against us in not recognizing the finite nature of many of our resources.
It's noted that socially-inclined governments must work closely with the specific industries if they want to grow and help a specific industry flourish—something to think about when thinking against free markets.
Over all, this article is written deeply in praise of a socialist-style of government, but I do doubt that the same rules can be applied to Canada in it's current fragmented state. Canadian resources are also managed province-by-province; we're not as homogenous as the Norwegians and we don't have the high taxes that they do. It's also obvious that our entire structure and electorate balks at this unified version of governance.
Have you heard of this, more about Eurlerian Video Magnification? I just stumbled upon an article today from the NYT and apparently, unhealthy when a video is run through this specific algorithm, it amplifies both movement and colour, effectively making visible the invisible.
This technology from MIT was first “developed the program to monitor neonatal babies without making physical contact. But they quickly learned that the algorithm can be applied to other videos to reveal changes imperceptible to the naked eye.”
Check out this video on Eurlerian Video Magnification. It’s really cool!
Anita
Originally posted on my previous blog on 12/26/12
As a woman, viagra sale I fear that being from a certain gender speaks louder than my actual skills and abilities. I think I would be a bit more amenable to it if it was just a fear, but it is more of a reality. This is the thing that infuriates and saddens me the most about being a woman in our world. Despite experience, ability and wit, I am still unable to freely navigate to where I desire without having to think about something as ridiculous as my gender holding me back or speaking for me.
While this is a reality that has remained consistent for women despite periods of leaps and bounds in society, an added issue is how women are portrayed and expected to act when dealing in business. Recently, I read this article entitled “Niceness is overrated. Here’s to the lady jerks of 2012.” This article was basically an ode those women who are jerks and are unabashed about it. Bringing to light the ever double-edged sword that is gender relations, it seems that even if women act in a hostile, or in an assertive manner, that will not necessarily mean that they will get far. According to the Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, “Success and likeability are positively correlated for men and negatively correlated for women.” This means that even if women get far in business, if they imitate the same tactics used by men, which are often lauded by society, they will be branded as unlikable or known as “bitches”. (N.B.: I am not a fan of this word, but in an effort to succinctly describe what I mean, I will use it – begrudgingly.)
Why is it that the archetypal businesswoman is often portrayed as a bitch? A man is seen as a go-getter, ambitious and business-savvy, a perfect opposite to the woman who is a bitch, a ball-buster or even, frigid (which, god-forbid, diminishes her sexuality). It is very similar to the double standard of “he’s a stud and she’s a slut” when comparing women and men in terms of sexual exploits and experience.
While women can act in a “disagreeable” manner to achieve and win a certain amount of power, which will ultimately diminish their likability, it’s not even guaranteed that they will get that power to begin with. Ultimately, we are damned if we do, and damned if we don’t in this case. I, personally, am just going to continue to be assertive when I need to be, and attempt to forge a balance between being assertive/aggressive and killing them with kindness.
Sadly, as much as I would love to offer a change or a way out of this predicament for women, I can’t. I think that until society learns to value women in the way they should be valued, we won’t be able to get past this archaic way of thinking and acting. Take, for example, the issues of women’s rights in India with the rapes and so-called ‘honor killings’, what is occurring in the United States with women’s reproductive rights, and just general inequalities spattered throughout developing nations. These cases are undoubtedly borne and executed within the confines of a country’s culture and history. With that being said, I believe that we have an understanding in our society, in the West, that what is occurring in India is wrong; as extreme as the comparison may be, there are basic rights afforded to people, why not the right and ability to work based off merit? All men are created equal it seems, but not all men and women are equal to one another.
Anita
This post was inspired by a Slate.com article, found here.
Aphrodisia - Richard Hoffman
Love’s language is hyperbole, but whispered, treatment
sibilant similes and promises sotto voce.
It’s easy to imagine you’ve misheard,
the form and content clash, create this weird
distortion like an echo or a tape delay.
Love’s language is hyperbole, but whispered.
On which do you place emphasis: The words?
Or the breath? The farfetched or the foreplay?
It’s easy to imagine you’ve misheard
when objectivity has disappeared
and your lover is getting further carried away.
Love’s language is hyperbole, but whispered
vows? It’s hard to take him at his word,
or hers: Speak up! Proclaim! you want to say.
It’s easy to imagine you’ve misheard,
hard to admit one sharp as you is stirred.
You need to back off, cool down, act blasé.
Love’s language is hyperbole, but whispered.
It’s easy to imagine you’ve misheard
Transferred over from my previous blog - originally published on 01/02/2013
I don’t know about you, clinic but I have been reading a lot about how we can make our sleep better and more fulfilling. As more and more information seems to be coming out on the web, viagra buy it’s obvious that people are noting the definitive lack of sleep since the onset of the technological age. In a hope to get back on a schedule after a very hectic last couple weeks, ambulance I have attempted to find and implement ways to make my sleep better.
The list is long, but things such as: washing my face with cold water; not eating past a certain time; doing yoga or any other fitness activity and finally meditating to quell the mind, have definitely helped me with my sleep. Once I get into it, day-after-day, doing the same routine, I find my sleep is better and I get up with no problems – something that I struggle with if I don’t implement these methods. I just really value my sleep to go about my life half-rested. Anyway, along with doing those things, I found this AMAZING (really, AMAZING, caps and all!) app through a forum.
f.lux is an app that changes the colour of your backlit screen from that eerie blue glow that has supposedly been made to mimic the sun, to one that gradually changes as the time changes. As the site says, “f.lux makes your computer screen look like the room you’re in, all the time. When the sun sets, it makes your computer look like your indoor lights. In the morning, it makes things look like sunlight again.”
Using it for the last few days, I have already seen a difference. My eyes aren’t straining and I am able to stare at the screen later, for longer.
If you’re a person who insists on using your computer before you go to bed, then I would 100% suggest you try this easy-to-install app. It’s available for basically all platforms and is totally invaluable.
Check it out on the f.lux website, here.
Not-so-sleepily-yours,
Anita
your life is your life
don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.
be on the watch.
there are ways out.
there is a light somewhere.
it may not be much light but
it beats the darkness.
be on the watch.
the gods will offer you chances.
know them.
take them.
you can’t beat death but
you can beat death in life, ailment sometimes.
and the more often you learn to do it, cost
the more light there will be.
your life is your life.
know it while you have it.
you are marvelous
the gods wait to delight
in you.
The Laughing Heart
- Charles Bukowski
