Oct 29 2022 - Step up anti-federalists

 

Quebec has developed the reputation of being superior in cuisine and culture, and more associated with European traditions than the rest of Canada.  With the tradition of descendants of the 17th century French settlers, they have resisted pressure to assimilate into Anglo society.  They have enacted laws to strengthen their cultural and language dominance.   They want to be independent and "separate."  The sovereignty movement has been active for a long time.  The 1995 referendum was won by the no side on the narrow margin of 50.6% to 49.4%.   Now in 2022 there is another sovereignist province:  Alberta.  This is the province that has always had the most prosperity with rich oil and gas reserves. It has the highest incomes in Canada, lowest taxes.  The new premier Danielle Smith wants to challenge the relationship with the federal government with a 'sovereignty act'.  She doesn't want to separate - she wants to dominate - officially.  Probably Alberta has been dominate for decades.   The question is being asked:  Is Canadian federalism unravelling?  This is from the Montreal Gazette HERE.  In 1996 Juan J. Linz and Alfred Stepan published a seminal study on the conditions under which democracies become consolidated, or safe from reversal back to some form of autocratic or authoritarian rule. In their succinct formulation, democracy is consolidated when it is “the only game in town.” Ultimately, they argue, a broad psychological commitment to the rules of the democratic game is required, such that powerful political actors no longer see any benefit in seeking to overturn the regime. They instead commit to trying to achieve their goals within the existing political framework of democracy. Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt write in their book How Democracies Die about the importance of elite political actors maintaining certain key democratic norms as models of “good behaviour” from which the citizenry can take their cues. In particular, they discuss the importance of those in political office maintaining forbearance, i.e. resisting the urge to utilize certain powers that are technically at their disposal but would be corrosive to the wider political culture. Is this a foretelling of how Canada's democracy might die.     Here's Autumn on my street. Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblog.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

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A Wall of China

Let's think about porcelain.  Somewhere around 960 - 1127 AD in China, the first fine porcelain was produced.  Marco Polo sailed in 1295 returning with ceramic dishes. We called dishes 'china' based on the country of origin.

One of Toronto's great experiences is a visit to William Ashley in the heart of Toronto, with its vast collections of dinnerware and everything related to elegant living and dining.   William Ashley was launched in Toronto in 1947 by Tillie Abrams.  I remember her in the store in the 1970's, demonstrating the durability of fine porcelain by smashing an expensive plate against a table edge and it did not break.

She transformed the store a number of times until it became a retail  palace.  It was a wonderful experience to walk through the store on the way to the east/west subway line.  Below is The Great Wall of China display and the water bar.  The Great Wall of China is one of their landmark displays.  

The most notable experience in this store is its New York style and sensibilities.  Elegant women who appeared to be on short leave from their Rosedale mansions were the store staff.  They always seemed to be dressed beautifully.  They were elegant, gracious and then very knowledgeable.  

As I scroll through the blog, I'd forgotten this:  "better than a gift card - give the gift of Ashley sterling silver coins in $50s, $100s or gold plated $500s."  I remember giving these coins as a gift at Christmas. 

The store has moved locations - from the Manulife Centre due to the significant renovations, and now is just down the street in the Colonnade - an equally significant landmark on Bloor Street West.   It deserves a visit to see what new transformations there are.

And what else might I find on Bloor Street - remember this picture from 2016?  Caught on my iPhone just across the street from where Ashley's is located.

Richest Sports Gambler

Yesterday on JazzFM, Brad Barker and Bryan Snelson were discussing the world's richest sports gambler.  They were referring to James Holzhauer - the record-breaking "Jeopardy' champion.  He is on a 21 day winning streak, the second longest in history.  His story is here in business insider.  I think his winning streak is with Jeopardy.  He wins an average of $73,867 a game, according to the Boston Globe.  He is also a sports gambler, so that was what got Brad and Bryan's interest. There are a few famous sports gamblers of all time.  Billy Walters is considered the # 1 gambler.  This information comes from bestcasinosites.net:  Billy Walters:  "With a father professional poker player and an uncle professional gambler, it was no surprise that Billy made his first bet at the age of nine...According to reports, he makes about $15 million a year, and has made as much as $2 million in a day. His net worth is estimated at $200 million. And that’s not hard to believe, considering he makes really, really high bets – as high as $3,5 million. Well, technically not exactly he because for years he’s been using other people to place bets for him since not only is he not welcome in Vegas anymore, but most bookmakers will also refuse to take his bets.And while you may think he’d try to make these “beards” as inconspicuous as possible, he actually has Hollywood celebrities like Bruce Willis and Ashton Kutcher running his errands." Alan Woods: "The godfather of horse racing software, Alan Woods was born in Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Australia, in 1945. In his early gambling career, he used math to count cards at blackjack tables until moving to Hong Kong in the 1980s. There, he teamed up with Bill Benter forming a syndicate that became the most successful in the history of the horse racing industry. The pair developed a software that took into account factors like the formulaic consideration of track, form, weather and more. After the partners separated in 1987, Woods moved on to Manila to a continuing success, teaming up with Zeljko Ranogajec.  As a true mathematician, Woods is said to have viewed horse racing as “nothing more than a mathematical equation to be solved”. At the time of his death in 2008, Woods was regarded as one of the biggest and best gamblers in the world and was estimated to have amassed a fortune of AU$670 million." Can you imagine being a math genius and instead of pursuing the great mathematics questions of our time, you figure out how to make a lot of money? That's what makes us curious about their childhoods.