Andy is an internet policy analyst with the Government of Canada, with a background in technology law and an interest in how collaborative and social technologies are reshaping industries, governments, societies and the world. See more from me at http://kaplan-myrth.ca.
Unless otherwise noted, photographs, videos and audio files on this website are copyright 2000-2009 in Canada by Andy Kaplan-Myrth. All other content on this website, unless otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence that allows you to use, reuse and modify this content as long as you give me credit and put your own new work under the same Creative Commons licence.
You must see this -- it's absolutely incredible. Photographer Sergei Mikhailovich travelled around Russia in the early 20th Century taking colour photographs. He'd take three black and white images in a row with red, green and blue filters and then recombine them later with projectors. Interestingly, the Jewish boys in one image are in coloured robes, not black. I wonder if modern ideas of what is traditional is partly shaped by the black and white photos we mostly see?
Can the long-form census be saved?
I fear it cannot. I fear that the announcement by Industry Minister Tony Clement to scrap the mandatory long-form census in favour of a voluntary survey has already damaged the future of the census beyond repair. I fear that the minister has already galvanized those who support his point of view such that any return to a mandatory census will only see more inaccurate answers than ever before.
Before the issue exploded in ink and phosphor, how many people actually thought to list their religion as Jedi Knight? In 2001 that was 21,000 people, or approximately 0.0035% of the total respondents covered by the long-form census -- well within the margin of error for most statistic reports. But what about now? Who wants to take bets that the rank of Jedi Knights will see a significant increase in their number if the government is forced to reverse its decision?
This is my biggest concern as well. Even if the decision were reversed now, the government's rhetoric will have given more people the view that the census is coercive, as opposed to a civic duty. With respect to the census, the relationship of Canadians with the census will be fundamentally changed. I hope we're wrong, but that's my fear too.
I really enjoyed this episode of the brilliant podcast Planet Money, the podcast from NPR that explains complex economic issues in understandable ways. In this episode, two hosts play a game of Monopoly with two economists with different views of the game and, while they play, they discuss what it really teaches people about capitalism.
Nili was working again today, so the kids and I walked in to Iqaluit from where we're staying in Apex to satisfy a craving for Chinese food for lunch. The Apex Trail follows the scenic coastline between Apex and Iqaluit and took us about an hour and a half to walk. It's beautiful, especially on a day like today when it's warm enough to go without a jacket and you're walking in to the breeze to keep the bugs away.
We went for a hike today along the river that runs North of Iqaluit, across the Road to Nowhere and into Apex, right beside the house we're staying in here. We didn't go as far as the Road to Nowhere today because the bugs were just so bad and Nili had to get to work, so we cut it short and headed back home along the road to Apex. Here's the path we took, and here are photos and videos:
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