Nature vs Nurture vs . . .

. . . pivotal events.

There is an ongoing debate on whether Nature or Nurture is more important in shaping an individual’s character. Sure they’re factors, but a person is more than just a point on the line that has Nurture at one extreme and Nature at the other. At least as important is a third element: pivotal events.

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Acknowledgements . . .

. . . not apologies!

The recent near-continuous stream of apologies from our government is seriously annoying. Apologies by Canadian governments aren’t anything new but Justin Trudeau has turned it up to eleven. When will it end?

Maxime Bernier! WTF?

I have been wondering recently about the lack of longterm strategizing by senior politicians in Canada. Sure they could all be reincarnations of Sun Tzu or Machiavelli in the back rooms but there is no public evidence of it; they seem unaware that a longterm perspective even exists. Shouldn’t it be obvious to opposition parties that, barring a massive screwup, parties generally stay in power for at least two terms? And shouldn’t they strategize accordingly? Justin Trudeau’s Liberals are probably going to win in 2019. It isn’t a lock, but they haven’t screwed up badly enough to warrant being kicked out after a single term. Shouldn’t the Conservatives have a plan for if that happens? To increase the odds that they will be victorious in 2023?

Inter-Auto Communications

I visited my sister in Vancouver this summer. One Sunday morning, we were in the Grouse Grind parking lot heading back to Vancouver. Another visitor was pulling out of a parking spot and didn’t see my sister’s car. She gave him a blast from her horn, easily three seconds long! I was shocked! My reaction would have been a short friendly beep, less than half a second long that I hope would have translated as “Careful buddy! You clearly didn’t see me“. In my particular dialect of horn-ese, a three second blast would be translated as “Dumbass, you nearly hit me! Learn to drive!“.

The Monty Hall Problem

I love statistics problems even though they frustrate me more often they entertain me; perhaps the elation from my rare successes overwhelms the despair from my myriad failures. In any case, the Monty Hall problem is my favourite statistical frustration!

Backlash!!

For months now, I have seen comments in the mainstream media about social media backlash: Saint John Pride parade marshall steps down amid backlash, Chick Fil-A expansion into Toronto prompts backlash on social media, Netflix’s ‘Insatiable’ faces backlash on social media) but . . .

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In Vancouver, on January 24 1989, my father bought a brand new 1989 Volvo 740 sedan for $28,990.