Tuesday December 6, 2011

___________________
Ted Talks

Srdja Popovic: How to topple a dictator

Srdja Popovic was one of the founders and key organizers of the Serbian nonviolent resistance group Otpor! Otpor!’s campaign to unseat Serbian president Slobodan Milosovic found success in October 2000 when hundreds of thousands of protestors converged upon and took over the Serbian Parliament.

____________________
Building Intentions

Building permits for October 2011

Statscan - After three consecutive monthly decreases, the value of building permits issued by Canadian municipalities rose 11.9% to $6.3 billion in October. The increase came from the non-residential sector, particularly in Ontario.

____________________
Automobile History

The Porsche Museum exhibits the Austro Daimler “Bergmeister”

Dr. Wolfgang Porsche provides an exhibit from his private collection

Stuttgart, Germany - An especially rare piece of automotive history is to be seen from Saturday, 17 December 2011 in the Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, Museum: the Austro Daimler “Bergmeister” Sport Cabriolet dating from 1932.

____________________
Budgeting for 2012

City of Kitchener Drafts Operating Budget

KITCHENER – The draft operating budget for 2012 was tabled today in the finance and corporate services committee budget deliberations.

____________________
Fund Raising

Carleton Student to Live in Tent to Raise Money for Attawapiskat

OTTAWA – When it comes to the crisis in Attawapiskat, the First Nation reserve at the heart of a country-wide debate on aboriginal housing, one Carleton student is trying to make a difference. Graham Shonfield, a third-year student studying public affairs and policy management will spend 88 hours camping in a tent to raise funds for the troubled Northern Ontario community.

____________________
Global Study

Only One-Third of Companies Making Effective Use of Data

Largest-Ever Data Science Study Cites Looming Talent Shortage, Lack of Open Data Access as Key Opportunity Inhibitors for Big Data

HOPKINTON, MA – EMC Corporation unveiled the findings of the largest-ever global survey of the data science community. Spanning the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, India and China, the Data Science Study reveals and quantifies a rampant scarcity across the globe for the prerequisite skills necessary for a company to capitalize on the opportunities found at the intersection of Big Data and data analytics.

____________________
US CDN Border Security

CCLA, ACLU, PI (UK) Release "Core Legal Principles" For The U.S.- Canada Security Perimeter

Endorsed in Canada by Gar Pardy and the Rideau Institute

TORONTO - In advance of the formal announcement by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama of the Beyond the Border Action Plan for the North American security perimeter on December 7, 2011, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Privacy International UK and the American Civil Liberties Union release 12 "Core Legal Principles" the three organizations believe must be adhered to by both countries. These principles are endorsed by the Rideau Insitute and Gar Pardy.

____________________
Golf

Tickets on sale for 2012 Manulife Financial LPGA Classic

Waterloo – Tickets are now on sale for the inaugural Manulife Financial LPGA Classic to be held June 20-24, at Grey Silo Golf Course. Tickets are available at www.manulifeclassic.ca . The tournament will feature a field of 144 players and 72 holes of stroke play. Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie, Natalie Gulbis, Lorie Kane, Morgan Pressel, Cristie Kerr and all the stars of the LPGA are expected to compete for the $1.3 million purse.

____________________
Home Sales

STEADY HOME SALES IN NOVEMBER

KITCHENER-WATERLOO - There were a total of 450 residential sales through the Multiple Listing Service of the Kitchener/Waterloo Association of REALTORS in November, with a total dollar volume of $134,889,762, a decrease of 1.7 percent relative to results in November 2010.