Archive for October, 2010

October 27, 2010

Thursday, October 28th, 2010

Congratulations to the Mile End Deli in New York which just earned the top spot in the Zagat’s survey on New York delicatessens. It’s more than a little bit of a surprise since it is Canadian owned and the bagels are driven in each day from Montreal. They must be crying at the Carnegie Deli and at H and H Bagels.

The Mile End Delicatessen. Photo Credit: Daniel Krieger


What a good example of U.S.-Canada trade. I’m looking forward to trying the Mile End bagels either on my next trip to Brooklyn, or Montreal!

Mile End Bagels

Posted in October 2010 |

October 26, 2010 – Detroit

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

Over the years I have spent a lot of time in Detroit on business. And I decided that before I left I had to pay a visit to my favorite Detroit eatery, The American Coney Island. They have these incredible chili dogs that they serve with too much mustard and too many onions. I had two!!!  And great fries. Not exactly health food. But wonderful. Highly recommend the place if you’re in Detroit!!

DJ

Ambassador Jacobson at The American Coney Island

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Posted in October 2010 |

October 14, 2010 – Ottawa

Friday, October 15th, 2010

Last night Julie put together a new way to celebrate the shared culture of the United States and Canada.  We had a reception at our home for the launch of our friend Charlotte Gray’s new book Gold Diggers.  The book follows the fortunes of six very different characters during the Yukon Gold Rush of 1896. 

While the action takes place in the Canadian Yukon, four of the six characters are Americans, including author Jack London who – when he was not hanging out in local bars – was busy collecting fascinating source material during his stay in Dawson City.The event was co-hosted by Blue Metropolis, a literary organization based in Montreal.  Thirty of Blue Met’s top supporters joined us in Ottawa for the event along with a big crowd from Ottawa.

While Charlotte’s remarks were the highlight of the night, the gold rush-themed cocktails and appetizers were a close second.

A good time was had by all.

DJ

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Posted in October 2010 |

October 12, 2010 – Ottawa

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

This afternoon I met with Dick Pound and Marc Paris, of the Partnership for a Drug Free Canada (PDFC).  The name Dick Pound might sound familiar to you.  He was one of Canada’s great athletes in the Sixties.  He was a swimming finalist at the 1960 Olympic Games and later became President of the Canadian Olympic Association and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).  He has been active in various IOC committees ever since and is also founding President of the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA).  Now, he’s taken on the duties of the Chair of the Partnership for a Drug Free Canada (PDFC).  His colleague, Marc Paris, is PDFC’s executive director and works out of Toronto. 

The mission of PDFC is a critical one: to educate Canadian parents and youth about the issue of illegal drug use – particularly as it relates to driving and drugs – and the abuse of prescription drugs.  PDFC plans to accomplish this through campaigns of media-delivered drug prevention education messages.  Their strategy is modeled on that of the Partnership for a Drug free America (PDFA) which was founded in 1986.  PDFA has had a significant impact in helping to reduce the trail of illicit drugs in my own country.  Hopefully PDFC will have the same effect in Canada.

I was surprised at some of the facts Dick and Marc shared with me.  One that caught my attention was that approximately twenty percent of Canada’s youth have abused prescription drugs from their parents’ medicine cabinets in order to get high.  Dick said that there is a critical need for drug prevention education in Canada… drug use among youths is NOT just a problem south of the border…and usage in Canada is increasing.  You can see read about the PDFC at www.canadadrugfree.org.  By coincidence, the White House just announced a new study about drug use in the U.S.  That study is available at http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/.

DJ.

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Posted in October 2010 |

October 5, 2010 — Ottawa

Tuesday, October 5th, 2010

Today I had a chance to meet General Peter Pace who retired in 2007 as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest position in the U.S. Military.  General Pace has received every award, medal, and honor our country has to bestow, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  When the U.S. ran out of medals, Canada gave him the Meritorious Service Cross. 

General Rick Hillier, who was at the meeting, told the story about how in the early days of the Afghanistan war, Canada felt abandoned by some of its NATO partners.  General Hillier expressed that view at a large meeting of NATO generals.  As General Hillier tells the story, General Pace spoke up – he said that Canada would never be abandoned by its closest friend and neighbor, the United States.  General Hillier went on to catalog the many ways in which General Pace and the United States delivered on that commitment.

Ambassador Jacobson and General Pace

In preparing for the meeting, I also learned something about General Pace that really moved me.  After his retirement ceremony in 2007 he went to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC.  He left several handwritten notes with sets of his four-star insignias attached to each.  Each note was similar to this one:  “For Guido Farinaro USMC.  These are yours — not mine! With love and respect, your platoon leader, Pete Pace.”

That says more to me about the kind of person General Pace is than all the awards or medals.  It was an honor to meet a true American hero.

 DJ

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Posted in October 2010 |

September 30, 2010 – Ottawa

Monday, October 4th, 2010

Today I had the pleasure of meeting with Shirley Tilghman the President of Princeton University.  She is a famous molecular biologist who was on the Princeton faculty for 15 years before she was named President in 2001.  After spending some time with her it was pretty obvious why she got the job.  She is brilliant, charming, and funny.  I was particularly impressed with the fact that she was from Winnipeg and that she is the second most famous person in her high school graduating class.  She went to school with Neil Young!! 

With Shirley Tilghman, President of Princeton University

After our meeting I attended a lunch for the Friends of Canadian Institutes of Health Research who have awarded her the Friesen International Prize in Health Research.  She gave a thought-provoking talk on the importance of not overpromising the potential benefits of ground breaking technology.  People have a hard time accepting change.  If the results don’t match the promise or if the risks are not thoroughly considered and explained, the first time something goes wrong people lose faith in the technology.  This applies to so many things in our lives.

DJ

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Posted in September 2010 |

October 1, 2010 – Ottawa

Friday, October 1st, 2010

Just got back from the swearing in of the new Governor General, David Johnston.  It was something!!

As I was walking in I saw my good friend Gen. Walt Natynczyk who was in full dress uniform.  He was getting ready to escort the Governor General, who is the Commander in Chief of the Canadian Forces, into the Senate chamber.

Ambassador Jacobson and Gen. Walt Natynczyk

I met with a group of the Deans of the Diplomatic Corp in the Speaker’s Office before the ceremony.  There was a lot of discussion about the new Chief of Staff in the White House.  But we had to turn off our Blackberries before the official announcement came out.

Ambassador Jacobson and the Deans of the Diplomatic Corp in the Speaker's Office

A few thoughts about the event itself.  First when the outgoing Governor General, Michaëlle Jean and her husband, John Daniel Lafond, entered the chamber there was loud and sustained applause.  It was touching.

During Prime Minister Harper’s address he talked about how Governor General Johnston had been a two time All-American hockey player at Harvard.  He added that it goes to prove that “the best All-Americans are actually Canadian.”  I must admit it was a great line.  Even if it was at our expense.

During the ceremonies, there was a whole lot of bowing to people of higher authority.  When the Governor General’s wife Sharon was introduced, it was a wonderful gesture when he bowed to her.  While I have not yet met them they seem like wonderful people.

The Governor General after talking about some of the people who had a lasting impact on his life, including his Hockey coach at Harvard, said if there is one headline we should remember from his speech it would be to “Cherish our Teachers.”  He clearly understands the importance of education to our future well being.

The ceremony was wonderful.  Everyone was in a great mood.  I was honored to be able to attend.

DJ

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Posted in October 2010 |

October 1, 2010 – Ottawa

Friday, October 1st, 2010

I learn this morning with great personal interest that Rahm Emanuel is leaving the White House to run for Mayor of my home town, Chicago.  Rahm has been central to everything that has happened in the Obama White House since day one (and before — given his role in the transition).  He will certainly be missed.  I wish him all the best as he makes his run for Mayor.

On the bright side, Pete Rouse is stepping in as the Interim Chief of Staff.  I have known Pete since the Obama Campaign.  He was the President’s Chief of Staff when he was a Senator.  Before that he was the Chief of Staff for Senator Daschle when he was Majority Leader where Pete was known as the “101st Senator.”  Pete is one of the most decent people I have ever met.  He was always the go-to guy in the White House. In his own quiet way he will serve the President and the country he loves with distinction.  And I congratulate him.

DJ

Posted in September 2010 |

September 27, 2010 — Ottawa

Friday, October 1st, 2010

On Monday, September 27th, it was my pleasure to introduce two special young women to an audience in the Atherton Auditorium here at the Embassy. These women are two of the ten repertory actors who, for the past three years, have performed The Hijabi Monologues  for audiences in the United States and overseas. The Monologues are true stories of female Muslim Americans from their own perspectives, challenging stereotypes about a group of women who have been defined by others. 

Kamilah Pickett performs in the Hijabi Monologues at the Embassy

During the performance, the actors, Maytha Alhassen from Los Angeles and Kamilah Pickett from Washington, D.C., told three stories: one about getting to know the woman who wears the hijabi scarf; one about a mother’s loss of her son; and one about two college women talking about campus dating.  These were stories that could have been told by people of any culture and made all of us think about our stereotypes of Muslim women. A Q&A period followed that sparked an excellent discussion about those perceptions.  

Maytha Alhassen performs in the Hijabi Monologues

With the diversity inherent in my home town, I was not surprised to learn that the The Hijabi Monologues was started at the University of Chicago by three friends studying for their masters’ degrees. Maytha and Kamilah are here in Canada under the auspices of the Department of State’s International Information Speakers Program. They will travel next to the Consulate at Halifax for another round of performances and classroom presentations. 

Kamilah and Maytha do a Q & A with the audience

The members of the audience, a varied and interesting mix of people, seemed to enjoy the evening as much as Julie and I did.

The Hijabi Monologues' Kamilah and Maytha with Ambassador Jacobson

 

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Posted in September 2010 |