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Welcome to Wednesday Night #1317 29 May, 2007
PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU CAN BE WITH US - IT MAKES THE CHAIRMAN'S JOB EASIER
the account of the Wednesday Night #1316
After three weeks ( Wed1314page2.asp and Wed1315page2.asp and Wed1316page2.asp ) of stimulating and highly informative environment and energy (including nuclear) focus, we return to other thoughts.
We are suffering from election blues and that's not a reference to any political preference.
At this writing, we have no idea how the deal-cutting between Premier Charest and the PQ is working out, but it does appear a bizarre negotiation. It's too bad our Premier insists on the tax cut which even the electorate doesn't seem to want. At least, according to the Léger Marketing poll, which found 56 per cent of Quebeckers don't want the Liberal minority government to be defeated over the budget, but seven out of 10 people questioned said they don't want Charest's promised income tax cuts.
That's 70% in our math, which is not the Reform Math exposed by CBS [read and weep!]
Will the Lieutenant Governor (whichever one - that's another story) get us out of this mess and in to the simmering frying pan of a Mario Dumont government?
Meanwhile, Judge Grenier will release his report tomorrow (Tuesday) about the allegations that Option Canada secretly channeled almost $5 million in federal cash to help the No campaign. It is expected to lay blame on a number of people, including key provincial Liberals. Jean Charest must be wishing that he had chosen another career.
All in all, we are feeling very grumpy about government in general, although we do recognize that we should be happy that we live in a society where we are allowed to articulate this emotion, and not be shot, disappeared, or blown up. All that can happen to us is that we will be put on the Enemies List , audited, ignored, and/or become or remain unsubsidized.
Let us rejoice that we are not citizens of Nigeria wondering what happens now that Umaru Yar'Adua succeeds Olusegun Obasanjo in that country's first "democratic" handover - let us not quibble over the election process and let us hope that Mr. Yar'Adua keeps to his promise of electoral reforms, but, we agree with BBC that it would be really nice if he did something about cleaning up the corruption
Which brings us to an interesting piece in IPS News about the African countries that are blessed/cursed with natural resources wealth: "Oil and other mineral resources have led to conflict and corruption in countries like Sierra Leone (diamonds), Nigeria (oil), Equatorial Guinea (oil), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (diamonds, timber, rare fauna), Gabon (oil) and Angola (oil)" TRADE-AFRICA: Seems that only The Emirates are capable of understanding that oil is a finite resource; Bahrain and Dubai are doing a great job of long-term planning and diversification. see Oil Notes
More election news and upheavals in Israel as Amir Peretz has been ousted as Labour party leader; which will doubtless lead to more uncertainties, with the possibility of new elections should Prime Minister Ehud Olmert fail to put together another coalition.
The one good piece of international news we have identified is that the U.S.-Iran talks on Iraq's security seem to have borne some fruit, despite the unfortunate reminder that all was not serene when, at the end of the meeting, a truck bomb exploded outside one of Baghdad's most revered shrines, killing at least 19 people and damaging the Abdel Qadir Gilani mosque. .independent.co.uk/world/middle_east
Financial good news comes from China where the stock market broke 4,000. Consider this: "More than 300,000 people a day opened brokerage accounts in China last week. As the country's wealth grows, everyone from students and farmers to business people and pensioners are choosing to put their savings into the stock market rather than bank accounts." But of course this fuels worries about a bubble.
However, the story we like most this week is Forbes' fascinating "Ten People Who Could Change The World " and one of them is McGill neuroscientist Karim Nader This story has so many ingredients of previous - and no doubt future - Wednesday Night discussions that we are sure that we will come back to it on many evenings.
On that encouraging note, we urge you to do your homework and join us no matter what, or wherever, the election news may be.
We look forward to your company.
Diana & David Nicholson
dtnicholson@wednesdaynight.net
Tel: +1 (514) 934-0023
Thursday 29 May 2007 To day NYT Podcast | Menu
Hourly cbs
cbs.marketwatch.com/tvradio/ | IBC today by Tyler Cavell & Mediascrape
2007
PLEASE RSVP - even if you can't come, we enjoy your feedback
Santa's sled had no competition from the Airbus A-380. The long tale of woe is a worthwhile read at iht.com/articles/airbus.php
Videos: on Google
A few more links to stimulate some thought and/or items you might have missed
Environment
We don't think it's any secret that we rely heavily on the BBC, frequently for the excellent coverage of Science & nature and Technology. (Superb coverage of climate change issues including Sir Nicolas Sterns' review) However, we also commend whoever is responsible for the collection of links that accompany any major news story. Tonight, it is Mexican presidential politics a topic we have touched on all too infrequently.
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Wednesday Night creates charts and follows stocks, including timely related financial news items, in which Wednesday Nighters are interested and in order to demonstrate a service that could eventually be developed and marketed. Wednesday Nighters are invited to participate and help to test the service.
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Notes by Herbert Bercovitz OWN and Edited by Diana Thébaud Nicholson OWN
2007 W-N Links
Saturday 26 May 2007 Tentative deal reached in Montreal transit strike
The Montreal Transit Corporation and the union representing more than 2,100 striking maintenance workers have reached an agreement in principle to end the four-day conflict.
Saturday 26 May 2007 Loonie soars to new 30-year high
The loonie soared to a new 30-year high of nearly 93 cents US Friday and toward what one Canadian bank is saying will be parity with the ailing U.S. greenback within two years.
goto pengrowth.com/ then Go to webcast multimedia under Index
Monday 04 December 2006 Pengrowth Energy Trust Announces Extension of Its Offer to Purchase Outstanding Convertible Debentures
 Stephen S. Poloz VP EDC Economics Weekly Commentary
China’s Trillion Dollar Nest Egg - April 4, 2007
China has now accumulated more than $1 trillion in foreign exchange reserves. Crossing this symbolic threshold has led many to underscore the destabilization potential of the situation.
First, how did this come about? China’s trade has expanded enormously. Imports have risen from $160 billion in 1999 to about $800 billion in 2006, exports from $200 billion to $950 billion. China’s current account surplus rose dramatically during 2005, as the government deliberately tried to slow domestic investment spending. China’s surplus for 2006 is estimated at over $200 billion – a big number, but far lower than the corresponding deficit in the U.S., at $857 billion. Past issues | his WN page
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