Canada spends almost half of what the United States does on R&D. We had done well in higher education and sponsoring the next generation of scientists through the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and the Canada Research Chairs program, but we are now lagging behind. We also lag behind in company R&D investment and the relationship between public and private finance, which leads to commercialization and economic opportunities. Our contribution in the development of the Webb telescope exemplifies such success.The Webb telescope's amazing photographs will provide us with valuable information about how the universe was created. However, we must go within to better comprehend where we are in our life, where we fit into the cosmos, and how we may better define where we need to go to make our planet a better place.It is difficult to comprehend the vastness of the universe or properly realize how insignificant the Earth inside it truly is. It does educate us that, despite our egocentric ideas, we are a small part of the universe.Our daughter Lauren reminded me that Carl Sagan, the philosopher and astrophysicist, put it best. Pale Blue Dot, his 1994 book, was inspired by a photograph taken of Earth from 4 billion miles away by Voyager 1 at Sagan's suggestion. The earth appeared as a small point of light.
This point of faint light challenges our posturings.
our supposed self-importance, and the misconception that we have a special place in the Universe. Our planet is a lonely speck amid the vast, engulfing cosmic gloom. In our obscurity and enormity, there is no indication of help from outside to save us from ourselves. This faraway vision of our tiny earth may be the best example of the foolishness of human conceit. To me, it emphasizes our need to be kinder to one another, as well as to maintain and appreciate the pale blue dot, our only home.Harry Rakowski12 Aug 22Clayton Ruby died last week, and his memorial is this week. In the notice of his death, his family wrote, "In lieu of donations, go out and change the world," which Ruby undoubtedly accomplished.Ruby established himself as a leading litigator as a young lawyer in Toronto in the early 1970s, and as his reputation as a civil rights champion grew, he was at the center of some of Canada's most important constitutional law cases as the country's judicial system reconciled itself with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in the 1980s and 1990s.Ruby, a member of the Order of Canada, changed not one but several planets. These were well represented by the attendance during his standing-room-only tribute. Ruby has mentored my wife, who works in the legal field. I sat with her, and she pointed out the remaining legal lions who had come to pay their respects and lament the passing of a great man and friend.
My mother-in-law, whom I also sat next to.
is a member of the literary community. She was familiar with Clayton Ruby's work in defense of free speech and advocacy for imprisoned and persecuted writers, particularly through PEN Canada. Similarly, she could point to the bereaved members of the publishing and writing communities who were present.My contribution to recognizing faces in the crowd was rather limited, but I believe it is worth noting because it touches on another realm that Clayton Ruby helped change and may not have received the attention it deserves in the many tributes to him published in other channels. In the corner of the room, I noticed two tall, distinguished-looking gentlemen: chefs and friends Jamie Kennedy and Michael Stadtlander.I knew Clayton Ruby mostly via my wife, and on a few memorable occasions, I was fortunate to sit around a table with him and his wife, Harriet Sachs, a Superior Court judge and legal lioness in her own right. Before I met them, I knew Ruby was known not only as a formidable lawyer, but also as one of the country's best epicures. From my experience, the man lived up to his reputation.
Clayton Ruby first caught my notice as.
a defender of excellent wine and food, as well as the women and men who make and serve them, when he defended Michael Stadtlander and his wife Nobuyo against a fabricated accusation of breaching liquor regulations more than 20 years ago. The pair had earned widespread notice and critical acclaim at Eigensinn Farm, their home and restaurant located two hours northwest of Toronto.The Standlanders served guests in their home without a liquor license, thus they did not sell alcohol. The wine brought to dinner was the same as the wine consumed. The local authorities planned what appeared to be a sting operation in which two undercover agents persuaded the Stadtlanders to give them a bottle of wine from their personal cellar, after which they charged them and threatened to close one of Canada's most interesting new restaurants.
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