CNN is blunt on America's future

Iceland considers the Loonie

Iceland is considering the adoption of the Canadian Dollar as its country's currency as an alternative to the failed Icelandic króna.

The adoption of the currency would provide Iceland with a stable foundation to rebuild its economy which was hammered by the 2008 global recession. The Canadian currency is seen as a more favourable alternative to Icelanders than the U.S. dollar, the Euro, and the Norwegian krone.

One of the problems with the adoption of the Canadian currency for Iceland could be the fact that the value of the dollar strongly correlates with the price of oil. This would be perfectly fine if Iceland were to be a large exporter of oil, but this is not the case.

As we have seen in Canada, the strong value of the Canadian dollar has had negative effects on exports (to the United States), especially manufactured goods which already face small margins. With much of Iceland's trading partners being in the EU, the Euro could be seen as a more attractive alternative for adoption. There is likely much hesitance though due to the current situation of Greece, Ireland, and other fragile economies. Alternatively, the Icelandic government could adopt the Canadian dollar and try to form greater trading ties with Canada and the rest of North America, broadening their current list of trading partners.

The move will take away the ability of the Icelandic central bank being able to control rates, as that duty will remain with the Bank of Canada, but this may be seen by policy makers as a necessary concession to get the economy back on track.

2012 Republican Primaries: An Analysis of Campaign Videos & Framing

The Republican presidential primaries for the 2012 presidential elections have seen near every candidate utilize a similar set of ideas; the claim that America is broken, that government is too big, that Obama is bad for the country, and that they are best able to restore America to greatness. The candidates frame the problems facing the country through public speeches, written pieces, and debates. Yet the most useful tool for framing both the problems in America and how one is competent to fix them is through video. Not only does one have the ability to carefully craft a message through edification, but they can also edit in video clips, voice-overs, and music to evoke a significantly more powerful emotional response that cannot be done independently by language.

            This paper will analyze some of the political videos released by the numerous candidates over the course of the campaign. These political videos and commercials allow the candidates an effective means of framing the problems facing the country, his or her opponents, as well as his or herself for its duration of the video. What follows will analyze the main themes that are brought forth from these videos as well as analyze how they attempt to frame themselves as the most able to fix the country.

            With the rise of video, specifically television, politicians were given a new medium to win over the electorate. Yet, this new medium also gave politicians a new means to lose the support of the voters. The most prominent example of this is the first presidential debate of 1960 between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. “People draw a multitude of inferences from human physical appearance and movements… Many people infer personality characteristics from human physical features” (Druckman, 561). This implies that those viewing the debate on TV could develop a different opinion of the candidates than those listening to only the audio through radio.

A bus shelter is used as a makeshift woodshed Friday for pallets destined for the burn barrel at the Dartmouth transit terminal on Wyse Road as a group of striking Metro Transit workers picket nearby.

[Source: The Chronicle Herald]

The Transit Strike and MSVU's Response

With the Metro Transit strike in Halifax we see thousands of regular transit users finding alternative means of transport to get where they need to go. The same goes for students living off campus at one of the cities many universities.

At Mount Saint Vincent University the response by the administration has been underwhelming and not terribly reassuring for those left stranded due to the strike. While the school has set up a car pool resource for students and faculty in such a situation, although for those who this doesn't prove helpful to are still left stranded.

Catholic Church Calls for Prayers to Save Habs Season

I wonder if the  power of prayer is strong enough to pull this off. 

What do you think, should Leafs fans cancel their plans for Sunday morning ?
Regardless, I think this is a brilliant marketing campaign!
Click here to read this full post. 

Not so Popular?

For the first time since the 2011 federal election the New Democrats have fallen into second place in a popularity poll Quebec. Bob Rae must be having a pretty good day !


Click here for the full article.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/02/10/ndp-quebec-poll-leadership-liberals_n_1268010.html?ref=canada-politics

Former Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick Margaret McCain has donated 2 and a quarter million dollars to Mount Saint Vincent University.

Click here for the full story.

Republican Presidential Candidates Call for Castro's Damnation to Hell, Cuban Spring

Eager for the U.S. to intervene in yet another country's internal political structure, Republicans Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich have spoken out against Fidel Castro's government in Cuba with former House Speaker Gingrich calling for a 'Cuban Spring'.

In a political ploy that will result in increased tensions should either candidate become President, Gingrich said at an event in Miami, "I don't think it's ever occurred to a single person in the White House to look south and propose a 'Cuban Spring.'". He declared that if he became President, he would use "moral pressure, psychological pressure, information pressure, economic pressure, covert assistance". He also stated that the U.S. would work to ensure that the Castro government would not continue following the death of Fidel Castro.

Event: Dialogue with The Honourable Geoff Regan, MP, Halifax West

Dialogue with The Honourable Geoff Regan, MP, Halifax West
Thursday, January 26, 2011
1:30 p.m - 2:45 p.m.
Seton Academic Centre, Room 501