The Shorter Kady O`Malley On Pierre Poutine And Andrew Prescott And The Tory Robocall Scandal

Pierre Poutine and Andrew Prescott both accessed Racknine from the same computer at Marty Burke`s campaign office within minutes of each other late, late one night (late several nights, really) back in 2011.  They either know one another or are the same person.

Round To Stockwell?

Kady tweets.

And of course she's referencing to 2009 General Social Survey: Victimization, where it is written that:

For the eight crime types covered by the 2009 GSS on victimization, the proportion of incidents reported to the police by respondents fell from 34% in 2004 to 31% in 2009.

Except that, I think she's wrong about this being contrary to Stockwell, for if the proportion of incidents reported goes down, that means the number of unreported incidents goes up. Which is what Mr. Day seemed to be suggesting.

For an account of earlier rounds, read this. And, mind you, this still doesn't justify building more prisons as unreported crimes are by definition ones in which the criminal was not brought to justice.

Kady O'Malley Is NOT DEAD!

As you may have read earlier today, CBC's Kady O'Malley, in heroically covering the oily maneuverings leading up to tonight's totally fucking historic vote on Bill C-391, took a dive down a flight of stairs just after the vote itself. In the confusion that reigned afterwards, terrible rumors circulated that Ms. O'Malley had gone the way of Gordon Lightfoot, or would at least need a prosthetic arm. These rumors went nowhere; I couldn't find Akin's email address.

But in any case, I have just been informed that Kady is fine, though the limb may need an ice-pad if not a replacement.

You may return to your frenzied celebrations. Remember its just Wednesday, and you have to work tomorrow.

Brian Lilley: Innumerate Cad

As you may recall, on the 22nd Fox News North published a story entitled Refugees go home for holidays: based on the results of a "secret government survey", FNN reporter Brian Lilley wrote that

...the majority of successful Tamil refugees travel back to Sri Lanka, raising questions about the legitimacy of their refugee status.

Of course, it turned out the number of people interviewed for the survey was a whopping 50. Furthermore, as CBC's Kady O'Malley soon discovered, the secret goverment survey was not a secret government survey at all,

...but a review of a sampling of files from Sri Lankan nationals, some of whom were formerly found to be Convention refugees, who now want to sponsor family members to come to Canada.

...and the government agency behind it, the The Canada Border Services Agency's (CBSA), was quick to point out that

...[we have] no ability to state that this sample is statistically representative of any pattern that may or may not exist beyond this sample. Rather, these numbers are solely indicative of an observed pattern within the small sample reviewed.

Ah , but while the actual stats people who conducted this "file review" cautioned against generalizing beyond their sample, this hasn't stopped Mr. Lilley from generalizing beyond their sample. Employing special math techniques taught to him by Kory Teneycke, he continues to cast aspersions upon Tamil immigrants:

While the government survey of files in their Colombo office was only 50, that same office approved only 611 visas last year. So 50 out of that (8% of the total) is indeed significant.

Last year only 392 people from Sri Lanka arrived at a Canadian port of entry and claimed refugee status. When dealing with numbers in the hundreds a sampling of 50 is significant number.

But, of course, Lilley has no way of knowing that any of the 50 Tamils in the sample were among the 611/392 that came over "last year". As the CBSA email suggests, many of them could have been in Canada for considerably longer. All of which makes Lilley's percentages in the above far less "significant" than advertised.

Worse than Lilley's foray into bullshit mathematics, however, is his totally gratuitous shot at Kady O'Malley for calling him out on the matter:

The left in Canada, it seems, would rather ignore the issue than take the government to task. Over at the CBC, blogger in residence Kady O’Malley took issue with our numbers for not being statistically valid.

But of course we know they weren't statisically valid and, as I pointed out above, they still aren't. So: two displays of innumeracy sandwiching a cheap shot. The nerve of this man.

Frankly, I would travel to Ottawa and box his ears myself, but its really a long drive, and I've had a bum knee since 'Nam. And there's my trick elbow. Luckily, Kady is more than able to protect her own honour. I've met her and, while really very tiny, she's got a nasty bite.

CBC's New Plan For Self Immolation

No fair use? Pay per month to quote their articles on your blog? Can't criticize the CBC? $1,000,000 rewards for snitching on non-compliant bloggers? Sorry, Kady O'Malley: I still love you, but it is sooo over.

h/t

And, as Jimbobby points out over at Scott's place, this from a public broadcaster.