Doug Elniski: now just another walled off politician?

Did MLA Doug Elniski do something dumb? Yes. Was posting his thoughts online the mistake? No.

This is what makes social media such a powerful tool when it comes to politics: you get a chance to see inside the mind of our leaders and what makes them tick. And as you can imagine, when you get a chance to look inside someone’s mind you might not always like what you see.

The alternative to this is what we have been doing for generations. In that example, we elect someone without really knowing much about them and then either approve of what they do on our behalf or become belligerent and shocked when a massive scandal blows up.

I would argue social media like Twitter and Facebook allow us to get an inside perspective of what our elected officials do and think and that is a good thing. If they are corrupt or disengaged, status updates may give a peek at that attitude. If they don’t? Well they were just lying to us anyway so we’re no worse off then we were before.

Personally, I don’t agree with Doug’s comments. When I first read his tweets at the Edmonton Pride Parade I thought to myself, “Gee, I don’t think those are appropriate comments to say out loud.” And when I read what he said at a grade 9 graduation I thought, “That does not seem appropriate at all.” But you know what? He has a right to think and say those things. Just like we have a right to judge him based on what he said.

I would much rather an elected leader show me their true face and let me decide what to do with that information, than live a lie and pretend to be something they are not.

Where I really became disappointed with Doug was with his reaction to the controversy created by his remarks on his blog. Rather than apologizing on his blog and trying to help us understand why he made the remarks and what he is doing/going through in getting past them, he simply deleted the blog all together.

And in doing so left us all to wonder what is going on in his head and became just another walled off politician. And that is our loss.

Where database technology is taking us

I have extolled the virtues of databases for years. (I'm certainly no pioneer in this field so I'm not looking for any kind of pat on the back or anything.) I love how they can take extremely complex data and distill it down into actually usable chunks. After all, what good is information if you can't make any conclusions based out of it?

I'm probably an even bigger fan of real time data. For example, why wait until tomorrow to read a newspaper to find out what is happening right now? This is why I love RSS feeds, Facebook, Twitter and their ilk.

I also really like maps. Not sure why. You'd have to ask my mom why she thinks I spent hours of my childhood looking at atlases. I think it is because they take real data - for example of where a road or country boundary is - and representatively put that information into my hand to allow me to carry it around. One of my favourite childhood memories is my parents letting me navigate the family from Ontario to Florida at the age of 11. I still remember in high school, trying to sit as close to the Social Studies teacher's desk as possible because he had an amazing collection of historical maps because that made the class discussions 'real'; but I digress.

Where things really get exciting to me is when you can put databases together with real time information and present this information visually on a map. Here's an example of the most used terms on Twitter during the 2009 Super Bowl and where those words were originating. (h/t @brownbaggingit) To me, this is amazing stuff!

Even Richard Florida has become map/data crazed. In his most recent book, Who's Your City?, he begins setting up his premise by using light data collected by a satellites, cross refrenced with census and industry reports to visually represent the places of the world who excel at things like innovation. The maps provide powerful argument to his thesis that where you live is important.

To me, there are some real possibilities this kind of technology offers us. And it's actually not that difficult or expensive to achieve either; making it even more likely we will start seeing this kind of visualization continue to be become part of our vocabulary and expectations.

I for one can't wait to see more of this kind of real time data being used by governments and corporations to make important decisions. It will allow for 'informed' decisions to be even more so.

Plus who doesn't love a good map?

UPDATE: Another fantastic example of data being presented visually that just came to my attention: newstimeline.googlelabs.com

Rumour mill now slowly turning at Eau Claire

While we are on the topic of unsubstantiated rumours I might as well give all you fine looking readers out there another one.

I assume you'd like that because yesterday was a banner day for our little blog here - most visits since inception! Hot damn. That might be because I was asking everyone to vote for the djkelly.ca Blog at the 2007 Canadian Blog Awards (something I feel kinda dirty about doing) or because I finally directed all my Facebook friends to the blog for the first time. But I'm going to ignore that post and instead pretend we had so many visitors because you liked the post on the rumours about the Bow's public space.

But don't get too used to me feeding your regular gossip fix. I'm no Us Weekly (heck I'm no Star magazine either, so that's not saying much about me). So here's the poop:

Talking yesterday about the National Portrait Gallery got me thinking about the $500,000 Calgary city council approved for a "bid" to land the gallery. But I wouldn't think you would just approve a half million dollars without having some idea as to where you'd put the darn thing.

So here's the rumour: Mr. Mayor himself is eyeing the Eau Claire Market land for the National Portrait Gallery. This wouldn't be too tough actually because the Market itself is slated for demolition and redevelopment. (Presumably to make way for another failed project.) Certainly this site would be prime real estate for a project of this kind. The Eau Claire area is a bit of a crown jewel - sitting right on the river in the heart of downtown - and as such any redevelopment to this area should be something we would be extremely proud of and would want to show off to visitors. If an art gallery were to be put in this place the architecture would have to be grand.

A little bit of info on the Eau Clair site for you: The market itself was sold in May 2004 to Harvard Developments and Synergy Properties who each own/are investors in several other Calgary shopping spots. In July 2007 they announced the new "market" would be a different kind of shopping centre with high rise condos as part of the project. The important thing to note in this is that the City has included a clause in their agreement that they must approve drawings for any redevelopment, meaning they'll have their eye on the grander vision of the area.

Perhaps this is why I'm also hearing the rumour that Dave Bronconnier really has his heart set on an Opera House for this site. Although, why Calgary needs an opera house is beyond me. Certainly we don't have the demand for opera to warrant an entire design specific building in the heart of downtown for this exclusive use, so the building would have to be multi-use. And we already have that in the Jubilee.

I don't plan on calling the Mayor to ask him if the rumours are true. Unsubstantiated rumours are so much more fun. I doubt he'd take my calls anyway. But if you must know if its true perhaps the aldermen that read this blog could shed some light - or send Bronco a text asking. Or maybe the alderman that should read this blog could ask.

Kidz fun with... license plates?!

Hey kids want to have a blast online! The Alberta Government knows you love that internets thingy! So click here to play Ed Stelmach's newest online game/internet sensation for the kiddies: the Alberta License Plate Scramble!

Does our government know how to speak to the latest generation or what? Certainly I could not think of a more fun topic for a kids game than license plates. Woo-hoo! (Children everywhere will be returning their Rockband Christmas presents at a dizzying pace, no doubt.)

(/sarcasm)

If you adults want to get in on the fun too you can take the Alberta Government's license plate survey where you can pick colours for the new plates, select background graphics, suggest promotional slogans, and waste tax payer dollars one question at a time.

If you really want to get passionate about the process you can always join this Facebook group as well.

Two degrees of Robert Redford

I wanted to offer Calgary filmmaker (and friend) Cam Christiansen congrats for his short film, I Have Seen the Future, being accepted into the Sundance Film Festival.

The film has also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and Calgary International Film Festival - among others. If you'd like, you can follow his exploits by joining his film's Facebook group here.

Way to go Cam!

Oh, Herald... hallelujah the RSS works again at last

As you have probably seen me post about before here, here and here I have a love/hate relationship with the Calgary Herald's presence in the online universe. The latest issue of which was the fact their new Top Stories RSS feed crashed after only a week or so, and they haven't bothered to fix since. So I took matters into my own hands today and emailed the Herald.

Well if you don't know, it is finally fixed!

They're not sure why it wasn't working, but its working now. (I know others who had the same issue with their RSS so I'm not just a techno-moron who couldn't figure it out! So stop thinking that!)

But here's some other exciting news about the Herald and the Internets: in a subsequent email I got from Andrew MacDonald, Assistant News Editor – Digital (fancy title), he let me in on a little known fact: the Herald just launched a Facebook app! Hot damn. Now that's progress. Maybe this is the start of the Herald actually building a decent presence online. A presence that can actually fill the void that is Alberta online news. (It's such a large void!)

I'll install app tomorrow and after testing it out I'll give you all a review. (Fingers crossed for a good Herald online experience. Come on Herald, you can do it! I know you have it in you.)

Free health care vs. the tax on a 1993 Honda Civic hatchback

I hope the people of Saskatchewan didn't run into the wall tonight when they made that quick turn to the right. (Both puns intended. I'm so witty.)

In a 'not so surprising that it's surprising' (read that either way you like) turn of events, Saskvoters - yes I made up a word - decided to turn their back on 16 years of NDP provincial governing in favour of Brad Wall's Saskatchewan Party. There were rumblings that this would happen and the numbers appear to have played out the way pundits, pollsters and grumpy old men alike thought they might.

I for one am a little surprised however. What happened in Saskatchewan over the past decade and a half that as soon as your province becomes a "have" province and the government coffers start to look like maybe there's no hole in the bottom of the barrel after all, you choose to turn your back on newfound prosperity in favour of a government on the opposite side of the political spectrum? Even Lorne Calvert's promise of truly universal health care wasn't enough to save his party in the province where everyone - including teenagers who weren't even born yet - revere Tommy Douglas' heyday.

So it looks like you will have to deal without a plan to provide free health care my Saskatchewanian friends (did I just make up another word?). Instead you can go out and enjoy the fact soon you will not have to pay PST on another used car. Score! Thanks Brad Wall. (Does he know how to woo a voter or what?)

Some folks out there may be wondering why I'm talking about Saskatchewan politics when I live in Calgary. Well... have you been to a Stamps/Riders game in Calgary? Ya. Calgary and Saskatchewan are pretty much tied at the hip. (I'll stop short of saying they are the 'same thing'.) Plus today my wife, despite living in Calgary for the past 10 years, declared to all on Facebook she belongs to the 'Saskatoon, SK' community. That should tell you something about how Alberta's friends to the east never really leave the plains behind.

I'll finish off with a bonus prediction: Calvert announces he's stepping down. He's been looking really old lately and I just don't think he has it in him to be Leader of the Official Opposition for another four years or so before getting another chance to be premier again. He's had a good run and has plenty to be proud of. Time to retire with what dignity there is after a loss like tonight's.