Author: Graeme MacKay

Tuesday November 29, 2022

Trudeau government unveils long-awaited plan to confront an ‘increasingly disruptive’ China

Canada’s long-awaited Indo-Pacific strategy describes China as “an increasingly disruptive global power” on the world stage — a social and economic force that’s too big to ignore but is also increasingly focused on bending international rules to suit its own interests.

November 16, 2022

Using some surprisingly blunt language, the strategy says the Canadian government needs to be “clear-eyed” about China’s objectives in the Far East and elsewhere. It promises to spend almost half a billion dollars over five years on improving military and intelligence co-operation with allies in the region.

“China’s rise, enabled by the same international rules and norms that it now increasingly disregards, has had an enormous impact on the Indo-Pacific, and it has ambitions to become the leading power in the region,” says the 26-page document, which was provided to the media in advance of its formal release in Vancouver on Sunday.

“China is making large-scale investments to establish its economic influence, diplomatic impact, offensive military capabilities and advanced technologies. China is looking to shape the international order into a more permissive environment for interests and values that increasingly depart from ours.”

The strategy document also says that “China’s sheer size and influence makes co-operation necessary to address some of the world’s existential pressures, such as climate change and biodiversity loss, global health and nuclear proliferation.”

In that respect, Canada’s foreign policy blueprint mirrors the approaches taken by its closest allies, including the United States, which last February released its own vision for engagement in the region.

The new strategy document, however, appears to reflect the lessons of the bruising international clashes that have driven relations between Canada and China into the deep freeze: the arrest and extradition fight involving Chinese telecom executive Meng Wanzhou; China’s retaliatory detention of Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig; and even the lecture Chinese President Xi Jinping recently delivered to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — an event caught on camera. (CBC) 

 

Black Friday / Cyber Monday Deals are Here!

A portal to unique designs and 100% originality. Great gift ideas for your history loving loved ones. Great conversation pieces for the never-ending discussion, debate, and review of the personalities and events of the past. Thousands upon thousands of these designs have been sold around the world. Prices are never as low as they as they right now. Order early to ensure they arrive before the busy gift giving season!

 

Masters and Rebels
Empires and TeePublic offerings
Presidents of the USA
Canadian Prime Ministers and Rebels
English Monarchy
The Boutique
Cozy Monarchy blanket

I A large selection is available in a number of sizes from basic photographic prints, to art prints, framed prints, printed on canvas, and even on metal  and now, JIGSAW PUZZLES. Most images are available on a wide range of products including clocks, socks, face masks, buttons, magnets, coasters, bathmats, stickers, postcards, spiral notebooks, hardcover journals, greeting cards, posters, smart phone covers, cups, travel mugs, water bottles, tote bags, drawstring bags, studio pouches, t-shirts for him, fitted scooped t-shirts for her, graphic t-shirts, kids clothes, aprons, and throw pillows.

Thursday November 24, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday November 24, 2022

How to talk about the World Cup without kicking it off

We are now two days into the most complicated World Cup in living memory. Held at the wrong time of year, in a country drenched in human rights abuses, as a result of widespread corruption, the tournament could very well be overwhelmed by controversy. At the same time, however, it’s the World Cup. Everyone loves the World Cup. So the question is this: exactly how excited are you allowed to be?

The answer is that it depends on who you’re talking to. As a good and normal human being, your role in life is to socially triangulate with those around you, and this means adjusting your excitement levels according to who you happen to be with. Below are the four types of people you will encounter between now and the World Cup final on December 18, and a quick guide on what to say to them.

Your socially conscious friend here knows all about Qatar’s terrible record when it comes to migrant worker deaths and LGBT rights, and the thick vein of corruption running through Fifa. Logically you should not be excited about the World Cup at all around this friend. That said, they are a bit of a buzzkill and you do need to teach them to lighten up.

Do say: “The entire planet should boycott the World Cup this year.”

Don’t say: “Have you seen the mascot, though? So cute!”

Do say: “This World Cup was the result of widespread bribery and corruption on an unprecedented scale.”

Don’t say: “Hey, have you seen my new car? The Qatari government bought it for me.”

Do say: “Fifa is no longer fit for purpose and should be disbanded.”

Don’t say: “But it is fun when someone scores a goal, though, isn’t it?”

Do say: “In a way, the World Cup has helped to amplify Qatar’s human rights abuses in a manner that wouldn’t have happened if they were denied the bid.”

Don’t say: “Hey, they should hold the next one in North Korea.”

Do say: “I am not going to watch a second of the World Cup.”

Don’t say: “Unless England get to the quarter-finals, obvs.” (Continued: The Times (of London)) 

 

Wednesday November 23, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday November 23, 2022

Humanizing The Way Cities Are Built

Remember when you rented or bought your first apartment? Maybe it was a small studio, or perhaps you roomed with a few friends. The location mattered—maybe being close to nightlife was mandatory. As time went on, your need for nightlife dimmed in favour of a bigger apartment for the family in the suburbs.

November 9, 2022

Imagine buying space in a building as part of a community with shared spaces and opportunities to interact with others. You don’t have to move as your life changes. Instead, your space changes to suit your needs. Initially, you may want a lot of open space and just a small kitchen. When your partner moves in, you reconfigure your space and replace a minimalistic kitchen with a fully functional kitchen where you and your partner cook together. Then, you create one more bedroom and add a bath. You stay in the same community and the same space, but your space adjusts as your life evolves.

This is the world of modular living in the making.

When I was growing up in Warsaw, Poland, modular construction was a synonym for high-cost, low-quality construction and tasteless, cookie-cutter neighbuorhoods. Now, modular construction and business models can give us unique, soulful living as part of a community, where our surroundings evolve with us. Modular construction is attractive, cost-effective and sustainable.

May 7, 2014

Globally, over half of humans already live in cities, and by 2100 the figure is expected to rise to 85% (or to about 9 billion people). This change can place strain on the small patches of land cities occupy. Can we live in cities but still stay connected to nature? As Neri Oxman discussed in a recent podcast, urban and natural, convenience and community do not have to be mutually exclusive. And modular construction plays a key role in accomplishing such a balance.

So, what’s the formula for the most sustainable and livable urban future? In my view, we need to start with modernizing and adapting existing buildings to future needs, balancing old charm and new conveniences, integrating nature and creating communities. When we end up building new structures, we can take advantage of modular construction and innovative building methods and tools to construct them more efficiently and to build in modularity from the start.

August 12, 2022

Are you drawn to older, historic buildings with their “lumps and bumps”? The quirks of these old buildings captivate us and draw us in. When we feel an emotional connection to a building, we cherish it and want to maintain and evolve it while preserving its character.

Eighty-five percent to 95% of the buildings that exist today will still be standing in 2050. It is not uncommon to upgrade buildings, especially office spaces, that are just seven years old. Especially now, many developers and tenants look for ways to entice employees to come to offices to collaborate and innovate. Thus, they implement new technologies and boost energy efficiency. Increasingly, however, they also build flexibility into their design, anticipating a building’s evolution and thus preserving its value, making it future-proof.

A people-centric view of construction results in buildings that are more flexible, affordable and personal. The most functional residential buildings are customizable to our needs at every stage in our lives. Modular construction and buildings bring a multitude of benefits, including reduced waste, speedy building, cost-effectiveness, eco-friendliness and flexibility.

May 12, 2022

Modular construction is both profitable and sustainable: The market is projected to grow from $76 billion in 2021 to $115 billion in 2028.

One big benefit of the modular home approach is that it addresses the need for affordable housing. “Expandable” house projects are built from local, inexpensive materials and are designed for changeable configurations. Some modular housing can expand horizontally and vertically (up to three stories) and features resources such as safe roof-water harvesting, green electricity and Wi-Fi.

Forward-thinking architects are designing buildings that respond to external circumstances, such as this “operable, interactive village hut” in China that opens and closes depending on the temperature. In Helsinki, Little Finland was built to serve as a temporary modular conference space during a three-year renovation of the neighboring Finlandia Hall. This adaptable space will be repurposed for new uses after the renovation is complete.

December 1, 2021

The construction industry is currently responsible for 38% of overall greenhouse gas emissions. Modular building projects can significantly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions because they’re typically completed 30% to 50% faster than traditional construction.

We all want to feel connected and have a sense of belonging to where we live. Our living spaces don’t have to be our bespoke castles; they can integrate us into vibrant communities. Our homes should evolve as our needs evolve, bond us with our history and keep us emotionally connected to nature. Welcome to the future of construction—welcome to the future of living. (Forbes)

From sketch to finish, see the current way Graeme completes an editorial cartoon using an iPencil, the Procreate app, and a couple of cheats on an iPad Pro … These sped up clips are posted to encourage others to be creative, to take advantage of the technology many of us already have and to use it to produce satire. Comfort the afflicted. Afflict the comforted.

Tuesday November 22, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday November 22, 2022

Political insider breaks down Green Party of Canada co-leadership win, potential trouble ahead

Former party leader and B.C. MP Elizabeth May and newcomer Jonathan Pedneault became the new co-leaders of the Green Party of Canada (GPC) on Saturday.

October 14, 2015

After her win, May, who ran the party from 2006 to 2019, made the case for the co-leadership model but noted that members would have the final say. It will require a change to the party’s constitution.

Former interim leader Amita Kuttner had expressed some uncertainty about how a potential shift to the co-leader model would be implemented.

Sonia Théroux, a political organizer who was involved with one of the Green Party of Canada’s most successful campaigns in 2015, says while she’s not surprised by the outcome of the leadership election, there could be some challenges ahead. 

When asked if she was surprised the two won the leadership, Théroux said, “I was not surprised. I was quite certain that Elizabeth and Anna Keenan were the two front-runners, and with Elizabeth’s name recognition, I assumed she had the edge.”

October 13, 2022

As for challenges they’ll inherit as co-leaders, “besides the obvious infrastructure problems, they’ve had a massive loss of staff. I think there’s a lot of work to be done to regain trust, not only from the base, which in some senses might be more easily done than with the public. I think the public looks for political parties and leaders in general that feel like they have a handle on their internal matters, and as we’ve all seen for the last few years, that’s not the impression the party has given.”

“It’s not unusual for Greens, that’s for sure. I see it as an increasing concept in leadership. I think it’s actually a good concept for the most part, but it can also really easily be poorly done if it’s not really well thought out. They do need to democratically come to this decision as a party, and my understanding is that they’ve attempted that in the past, and it hasn’t passed, but I can see it being successful at their 2023 annual general meeting. It will require an adjustment of their constitution.”

July 16, 2021

“if you’re both tackling the same things, you end up with a lot of confusion often, which can really trickle down to staff and the people that you’re working with. I’d say that the major factor from my perspective in a party that needs to signal change is that Jonathan Pedneault was given a lot of platform, and my understanding when Elizabeth announced the co-leadership intention, she was quoted somewhere in the media saying they had already figured it out.”

Théroux believes challenges lie ahead: “Jonathan was going to focus on rebuilding the party, and she was going to be the spokesperson. That sounds like a recipe for it not working. You’ve got a party in disarray that is not completely unrelated to her 13 years in leadership. To have Jonathan go in and try to fix that while she’s given the platform, I think it’s the opposite of how they should approach it.”

“If the intention is really to signal a new voice, a new time, a new era, and to try to regain the trust of the public, it’s really hard to do that when you’ve got a record versus somebody who’s brand new and exciting, and that can really engage a subset of the population that currently isn’t paying attention to the Green Party.”

June 18, 2021

“Elizabeth had her time at the party. It really needs to signal change. I think that points to giving Pedneault more of a platform than Elizabeth May herself. He needs to be given the time and the resources he needs in order to feel like he’s got everything he needs to move forward.”

When asked if the Green Party be any better situated in the next federal election to elect more members of Parliament, Théroux said, “That really depends on what they choose to do. I do know a lot of folks that feel like Elizabeth May returning to the role signals moving backward versus moving forward. So that is a hump that they have to overcome.”

“And I think then it really comes down to, can they as leaders really generate enough attention and engagement that they build back a funding base because you cannot win elections without staff and without money. And if those two things aren’t repaired together with, critically, a culture change that needs to happen in that party, I don’t see their chances necessarily getting better without that hard work.” (CBC News)