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Mar 20 2023

Defence helps. Culture cash. Cryto crossroad.

Mar 20, 2023
David Akin's Roundup
Clippings of #cdnpoli, #media, and #tech content aimed at those with an interest in Canadian politics and policy. And sometimes Canadian postage stamps.
Canada
Canadian defence investments have ‘changed the tone’ of U.S. relations: ambassador
Ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden's first visit to Canada next week, Ottawa's ambassador to the U.S. says the two allies are closely aligned and in touch on a range of issues. [Global]
Cameron Hutchison: Canadian law recognizes the public interest value of whistleblowers or 'leakers' but does so little to protect them. This leaves a grim choice. Face prison or do nothing. [Global]
Many distillers devoted up to 80 per cent of overall production to hand sanitizer after the government put out an emergency call for supplies, the CEO of a distillery said. [Global]
From the Provinces
Accès à la culture | QS propose une passe de 200 $ par année pour les ados
 Québec solidaire (QS) propose la création d’une passe d’une valeur de 200 $ par année qui permettrait à tous les Québécois âgés de 13 à 18 ans d’obtenir un meilleur accès à la culture québécoise. [La Presse]

Manitoba's Opposition NDP is promising free birth control if it wins the provincial election in October. [Global]
Elsewhere
Putin in Mariupol: What the Russian president saw on his visit
The Russian leader tours parts of the port city that saw some of his army's fiercest attacks. [BBC]

A firebrand Israeli minister claimed there’s “no such thing” as a Palestinian people as Israel's new coalition government, its most hard-line ever, plowed ahead on Monday with a part of its plan to overhaul the judiciary. [AP]
Media

Writing a good pitch is really tough. Writing a bad one is easy. Editors see the same mistakes over and over again, even from good writers. A few weeks ago, seven editors from a variety of publications participated in a roundtable discussion, in a series of group emails, about how not to pitch. Not just for freelancers but some lessons here for PR practitioners. [Open Notebook]
Tech
Crypto at a crossroads: Some provinces are wary of the technology's vast appetite for electricity
Proponents of cryptocurrency mining say the industry's future in Canada is hanging in the balance after several provinces moved to restrict new projects earlier this year in response to concerns about their electricity usage. [CBC]

Gmail offers many fantastic features for its users. However, you can maximize your productivity more with these Gmail keyboard shortcuts. [Make Tech Easier]
Issued this day ...
... in 2009: Sc 2321. Art Canada: Jack Bush (1909-1977). Design: Hélène L’Heureux.
From the Canada Post press release at time of issue:
“John Hamilton “Jack” Bush was born in Toronto on March 20, 1909. He spent more than 40 years as a successful commercial artist, first in Montreal and later Toronto, where contact with the work of the landscape-based Group of Seven stimulated his interest in fine art.

In 1953, Bush joined Painters Eleven, a group founded to promote abstract painting in Canada. He eventually gained a reputation as one of the greatest masters of expressive colour since Matisse. As part of Canada Post’s ongoing Art Canada series, two commemorative stamps showcasing the works of Jack Bush will be issued.

The domestic stamp features Striped Column (1964) (Sc 2321), while the international stamp features Chopsticks (1977) (Sc 2322a) —paintings chosen for the interesting ways in which they interact with one another. 

Looking back on Bush’s life and legacy, his friend American art critic Clement Greenberg remarked, “He embodied the image of someone who had kept his eye steadily on his aesthetic goals all his life…and he had remained lively, engaged, optimistic, and hard-working throughout. Bush thought the future of art in Canada had been, was, and would be in good hands.” This stamp issue, issued on the 100th anniversary of Jack Bush’s birth, recognizes his place in the past, present and future of the Canadian art scene that he always held in high regards.”

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