Category: Films and movies
Whether big-studio or independent, celluloid or digital, anything about movies
Where Grades Come From
Here’s a taste of how I have spent the last 15+ days:
Here’s one I prepared earlier (Where Essays Come From):
A new favourite maritime folk song
“Sanctuary” dedication
At Massey College today a magnificent new sculpture was unveiled in the quad: a bronze cast of birch branches made by Camilla Geary-Martin.
The artwork is dedicated in part to Ursula Franklin — a remarkable Senior Fellow of the College — as well as the late Boris Stoicheff.
The Harperman imbroglio
This little song, written by Environment Canada scientist Tony Turner, has received a lot of media attention:
CBC: Harperman case: Can public servants be political activists?
The Guardian: Canada government suspends scientist for folk song about prime minister
Both the song and the public responses point to one of the big unsettled questions about the appropriate conduct of the public service. What are citizens who are employed to serve the public interest meant to do when the country is badly governed by their political bosses?
Making a case for nuclear disarmament
Henry Kissinger, Sam Nunn, Colin Powell, George Shultz, and others make the case for global nuclear disarmament: Nuclear Tipping Point.
Creative use of small and hidden cameras for wildlife videography
Dancing in the Massey College common room
Clara Steinhagen, Meghna Rajaprakesh, and Natasha Kedia
Yes, Minister on regulatory capture
But that’s how the civil service works, in practice. Each department is controlled by the people who it’s supposed to be controlling… Why, for instance, do we have comprehensive education? Who wanted it? The pupils, the parents? The National Union of Teachers wanted it. They’re the chief client of the Department of Education, so the DES went comprehensive. You see, every department acts for the powerful sectional interest with whom they have a permanent relationship. The Department of Employment lobbies for the TUC, whereas the Department of Industry lobbies for the employers. It’s rather a nice balance. Energy lobbies for the oil companies, defence lobbies for the armed forces, the Home Office lobbies for the police, and so on.
— Yes, Minister. Series three, episode five. “The Bed of Nails”