Quebec 'Stripper' License Gets Smartcard Update

The government proudly announced the creation of a 'smart' Quebec driver's license, one that contains personal information in an embedded RFID chip. For those of us technologically impaired, the chip allows information to be transmitted wirelessly to receiving devices, a bit like your 'Bluetooth' phone connection. As you approach the customs booth your personal information is instantly beamed to the border agent's computer screen.

I don't know about you, but it makes me a bit queasy knowing that the wallet I'm carrying is transmitting my personal information, 24/7, to anyone around me with a receiving device.

I think I'll pass and keep my old fashioned passport.

Watching Premier Jean Charest on TV, proudly waving around the new, yet familiar blue license reminded me of a story.

Several years ago, a supervisory employee of mine was working temporarily in Toronto when she got into a small fender-bender. When the attractive twenty-something presented her Quebec driver's license to the policeman who was sorting out the mess, he looked her up and down and asked her where she worked. When she answered, he replied that he wasn't familiar with the club.

"Huh?" she thought.

Later that evening, after work, she went out to a Scarborough bar with a couple of co-workers from our local office. After ordering a drink, she was carded by the bartender, who after checking out her blue, Quebec license, asked her the very same question. "Which club do you work in?"

"What the heck is going on?" she asked one of her co-workers.

"He thinks you're a stripper."

I was reminded of the incident, years later while watching an episode of 'Weed's, a cable show about a marijuana dealing mom starring Mary-Louise Parker.

Apparently outside Quebec, an attractive young female Francophone with a blue Quebec license equals a stripper. Oh well.....

Camille Laurin, Anglo Enemy Honoured- Ouch!

Many years ago, business took me to the town of St. Georges-de-Beauce, south of Quebec City. As I drove through the town, I did a double take when I happened by a hotel with the unlikely name of 'Auberge Benedict Arnold.'

Now for those of you who don't know, Benedict Arnold was a general in the in the American Continental Army who switched sides and fought for the British during the American Revolutionary War. In America (and parts of Canada) it is common to call someone who betrays you, a 'Benedict Arnold.'
I guess it's not surprising that one country's traitor can be another country's hero, but I wonder if visiting American guests would feel weird about staying in a hotel named for an national villain. (I don't think I'd like to stay in the 'Hitler Hotel').

Well I guess I don't have to wonder anymore, because the Office Québécois de la Langue Française (OQLF) is renaming it's Montreal head office after the father of Bill 101, the infamous Dr. Camille Laurin.

Bill 101 (La Charte de la langue française) is the law passed in 1977 that made French the official language of the Province of Quebec and otherwise curtailed English rights.
There isn't a figure in Quebec language history who is as much reviled by anglophones, as is the good doctor (Louise Beaudoin is a distant second.)

While Rene Levesque viewed the language law as a necessary evil, Laurin, an unmitigated hard-liner, enjoyed dropping the hammer on the English community. His stern face and the nasty clipped delivery of his pronouncements made his message that much harder to swallow.

Now every time I drive by the location (125, Sherbrooke Street, West, Montreal) I'll know exactly what Americans feel like when they see the Benedict Arnold hotel.

Quebec's Yo-Yo Gas Prices Unjustified

It's good to see gas prices down, but those annoying spikes that see prices jump by ten percent in a single day seems a bit over the top. This price volatility isn't justified. The people over at gasbuddy.com have all sorts of graphing tools and I've created one that compares Montreal gas prices to two random American cities, Austin, Texas and Balitmore, Maryland. Aside from the striking difference in price (we're paying almost double the price), look how stable and gradual price movements are in the US.

The pattern here is a large jump followed by a gradual followed decline. My research indicated that this pattern occurs all across Canada, but not in the USA. I think our retailers have some explaining to do...

You can beat these spikes by filling up regularly when the price is stable. Then you can ride out the couple of days after a spike, until the price falls again.

Bernard Landry's Big Lie.

In his attack against the nomination of Michael Sabia, ex-sovereignist Premier Bernard Landry continues to hammer away with the point that Mr. Sabia was the author of the attempt to sell his old company, Bell Canada Enterprises to Ontario based Teacher's Pension Fund.

The charge has been championed in the blogesphere but not in main stream media, probably because it is patently false.

"Le problème, c’est sa culture nationale… canadian. Cet homme était le dernier profil à choisir pour diriger cette institution. Le gouvernement commet une sorte de provocation. Il a été l’artisan du transfert à Toronto de Bell Canada Entreprises, un des fleurons de l’appareil décisionnel et économique de Montréal."

"The problem is his culture ...Canadian. This man presents the worse profile to lead this institution. The government is committing somewhat of a provocation. He was the artist of the transfer of Bell Canada Enterprises to Toronto, a economic and decision making flower." (my translation)

— Bernard Landry

The statement that Michael Sabia was the author of the attempt by Teacher's to buy BCE is false and Mr. Landry knows it, yet continues to repeat the lie for political effect.

As an economist on RDI pointed out (she also didn't like the appointment, but based her objection on Sabia's record ) BCE was the subject of a hostile takeover (A hostile takeover is an acquisition in which the company being purchased doesn't want to be purchased, or doesn't want to be purchased by the particular buyer that is making a bid.)

Anyone familiar with the situation knows that Mr. Sabia fought the takeover, but was ultimately forced to seek maximum benefit for his shareholders, as a fiduciary duty.

While Bernard Landry makes political hay over this gross misinterpretation of the facts, he conveniently forgets to remind taxpayers of the one fact that is unassailable.

It was he who made the appointment of Henri-Paul Rousseau, as President of the Caisse, the author of the 40 billion dollar debacle!

Quebec Minister Spreads Nonsense Alzheimer's Statistics

A news story on TV last night about Alzheimer's had my wife and I scratching our heads.

In a press conference held by Marguerite Blais, (Quebec's Minister responsible for the elderly) she announced a $200 million fund to help Alzheimer's care-givers. You can read a French account of the Laval press conference Here.

The Minister cited the need for these funds because, according to her, fully one in five baby-boomers will develop Alzheimer's before the year 2020.

Whoa....
"That can't be right" commented my wife. "Did she really say one in five?"

"Dunno' I said, "Let's back up the PVR"

Yup, the Minister is quoted as saying that 20% percent of boomers will get the dreaded disease and will do so within 11 years.

So off it was to Google to check out the facts. Perhaps the Minister should do so as well, before she shoots off her mouth.

From Today's Seniors website

"Based on a recent report prepared by the Government Accounting Office and sent to Congress, and the National Vital Statistics Reports, prepared by the National Center for Health Statistics, we estimate the following lifetime risks for the average person from age 50 through 90;

If you are now age		Your lifetime risk is only		Odds that you won't get Alzheimers
50 55 60		4.4% 4.6% 4.8%		95.6% 95.4% 95.2%
65 70 75		5.1% 6.6% 8.9%		94.9% 93.4% 91.1%
80 85 90		10.6% 12.2% 17.9%		89.4% 87.8% 82.1%

Okay that sounds a lot better, but let's check out one more source.
The Alzheimer's Association has a slight higher set of numbers which shows that women are twice as likely as men to get the disease. A average of both numbers indicates that people over 55 have 13% risk of developing the disease over the balance of their lifetime.



Incidentally, all these statistics relate to people who have already reached an age of 55, because there are no reliable lifetime statistics in existence.

So back to the minister.
According to the Alzheimer's Association, if you're 55 (baby boomer), you've got a 13% chance of getting the disease over the rest of your entire life (You could live to 100). The chances for a you developing the disease in your first eleven years after 55 (as the Minister suggested), is probably no greater that 4%, roughly.

A final note on the disease.

The notion of the drooling idiot with post-it notes stuck on everything in the house is not the case for most people with the disease.
Cases range from mild to severe.