Not Enforceable

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There is a YouTube video at the moment showing a Nova Scotia school principal scuffling with a student and finally dragging him to the office. The student was apparently taking unwanted pictures of a female student, and refused to hand over his cell phone camera, nor listen to any demands of the principal to go voluntarily to the office. Cell phone camera shoved up his sleeve, the student attempted to go where he wanted, shoved the principal when he was blocked by an arm, and then was taken to the floor and then hauled along struggling to the office.

The video was apparently posted by a local newspaper, Frank Magazine, after the husband of the school board Superintendent entered her confidential board email, sent the video to his own mail, and then forwarded it to the magazine. Crazy goings on that have led to demands for the firing of the super, but that’s another story.

The principal came very close to being fired, and has been transferred to another school. Comments posted below the video seem balanced about evenly between supporting him and demanding his firing. While it’s easy for a teacher or administrator to lose their temper in a confrontation with an uncooperative student, the principal got himself into a situation that escalated into a battle of wills, and he unfortunately carried things too far. Sometimes, like a high speed highway chase that needs to be abandoned, the guilty party must be let go and picked up another day. Things have a way of escalating.
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Just Not Today

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The recent Times Square bombing attempt, and the police reaction a few days later when a cooler and then a shopping bag were left unattended in the Square brought new worry to Americans. While they tell us that the more stringent security methods employed at airports makes an attack on the level of 9-11 almost an impossibility, the danger now comes more from the lone terrorist, possibly operating without any direction from groups like Al-Qaida.

Like the underwear bomber, the Times Square bomber fortunately failed more due to a crude attempt than due to security screening that picked up any danger. It did seem that air security was getting lax, until Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab attempted to set fire to bombs in his skivvies on Christmas Day (resulting only in unfortunate second degree burns to his private parts– hey, it could have been worse). It was rapidly beefed up, as travelers have experienced over the last couple of months.

But how do you really protect against bombs crudely put together in a neighbourhood garage, driven on normal streets to populated places and then set off? Largely, other than by attempting to monitor the ingredient purchases, you can’t.
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Life Cut Short

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Comments on an online news site, below the story of Massachusetts District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel “throwing the book” at nine students for bullying Phoebe Prince to the point of suicide, show the expected public reaction: 90% of the comments are strongly in favor of the various criminal charges against the students, while 10% of the comments offer naïve notions that the victim was somehow to blame, or was somehow “different” enough to be responsible for her own death. “Lots of people are bullied, but they don’t kill themselves,” commented one reader, suggesting Phoebe was mentally off an acceptable balance– therefore an aberration that the other students, doing only what comes naturally, had unfortunately met up with and now were being made to suffer the consequences.

Phoebe was new to the high school this year, new to the area, and in fact to the nation, being from an Irish immigrant family. A relationship with an older male football star (who possibly was taking advantage, since he is charged with statutory rape) got things started, and led some of the other girls to assault Phoebe with calls of “Irish slut” and “whore” on a daily basis for the past three months. Following a “tortuous day” that the DA detailed in her press release, after Phoebe was verbally assaulted in the halls, in the library (with a teacher present), and then followed home with more catcalls and a bottle of juice thrown at her from a car, Phoebe hanged herself in her closet.
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A growing disconnect . . .

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A columnist in Macleans offered a comment related to the troubles Toyota is having with its runaway cars. While there certainly are real mechanical problems, he felt the more serious issue was related to our not being able to do anything with our cars other than drive them. He had a point.

The red flag for him was the fellow who raced on with his Toyota Prius, ignoring the requests of a chasing police cruiser that he put the thing into neutral. The driver confessed he thought of that (and hopefully did when the officer bellowed it at him from the cruiser loudspeaker), but was afraid that the car might roll or go out of control if he tried.

It’s an example of our current disconnect with our vehicles, not to mention most aspects of our technology.
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With Glowing Hearts

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I had a good time watching the Vancouver Winter Olympics. A lot of exciting competitions, many inspiring athletes, a thousand and one stories.

Often during the competitions, in the early morning hours when CTV was repeating the events of the day before, I would switch over to NBC’s American coverage. It was good to get another view of things, and I was frequently amazed with the attention being paid there to Canadian athletes. As was happening on Canadian television, the US reporters often related the human interest side of our athletes, such as the story of Moguls Gold winning Alex Bilodeau’s brother Frederic. Frederic is Alex’s strongest supporter and his inspiration, while living with a severe handicap of cerebral palsy. US reporters were enthralled with the story of Joannie Rochette, competing in figure skating and winning the Bronze Medal despite her mother’s unexpected death only days before. Despite NBC’s understandable desire for the American team to win the men’s hockey gold, they often spoke with great respect about the Canadian team and about the unbelievable way Canadians were behind them.
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Own the Podium???

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I’m an avid Olympics watcher, summer or winter, but I’m having trouble. As cute as Nikki Yanofski is, and as beautiful as the Olympic song may be, I’m starting to struggle with Believing.

We’ve been the source of humor on the American talk shows for our $113 million “Own the Podium” campaign– how un-Canadian of us! Pushy and confident. It’s our podium! Try to take it at your own risk! Under the big bucks of the OTP campaign, they’ve helped athletes, studied the science of the sports, supplied the most high-tech suits and equipment, done everything known to man to assure victories.

Doesn’t seem to be working out that way. Canada now has 8 medals, falling overnight to fifth place, far behind the US, which is having a great Olympics and has a present medal count of 23. Korea, which has largely owned the speed skating tracks, moved ahead of us in the medal count.
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