Economics: Ultimate Frisbee Not The Answer

TORONTO, ONTARIO - This blog has long been interested in creative approaches to change the incentive structure in the corporate world, which currently is, to over-simplify in one word, perverse. Therefore, discouraging creativity by criticizing new proposals in this regard is not something this blogger delights in doing. Yet, analyzing a not-completely-serious proposal to have CEO's play ultimate Frisbee offers some insights worth noting.

In a Christian Science Monitor opinion piece last month, well-pedigreed UN employee Christine Bader suggested that having "bankers and other titans of industry join a weekend ultimate Frisbee game in their local park" would "benefit us all" since "they'll spent a few hours in a world where there are no designated enforcers but everyone follows the rules--not just in letter, but in spirit." As someone who played (not very well and not very often) ultimate as an undergraduate myself, I know Bader isn't being misleading about what happens in that sport. Players do call penalties on themselves, and it does work to create an environment that is rare if not unique in western culture.

The problem is that I think business people already know how to operate this way. In essence, an ultimate Frisbee game is the exercise of a duopoly (or, perhaps more accurately in a league of teams, of oligopoly, but the same principles apply). There are only two teams. If one team doesn't cheat, it simplifies its future by not giving the other team any reason to cheat. With a gentleman's agreement (please just consider that a gender-neutral term, though women don't seem to need such things in the first place) to play by the rules that each team has agreed to, the sport can be enjoyed by all.

In too many industries, business are operating in a duopoly, or limited oligopoly. Think of railroads, where depending on what part of North America one is situated, the two choices might be BNSF and Union Pacific, CSX and Norfolk Southern, or Canadian Pacific and Canadian National. Think of beverages, where it's basically Coke and Pepsi. Think of high-speed Internet access, where it's usually the local phone company and the local cable provider. Businesses in these industries don't tend to play dirty with one another. The railroad duopolies compete for business, but they also make deals with each other all the time--the biggest one may have been CSX and Norfolk Southern deciding to carve up third competitor Conrail between themselves in 1999. They may not exactly call penalties on themselves, but they tend just not to commit competitive infractions in the first place.

Why do such situations persist? One doesn't have to go beyond Economics 101. Duopolies may not disadvantage their customers as much as a monopoly, but neither do the supply and demand curves meet at the same point as they do in a pure market. Customers end up paying more for products and services in a duopoly situation. Since the situation is legal, businesses realize this a pretty good situation to be in compared with a true market, and while they may fight to protect the duopoly or oligopoly, they don't tend to do anything that would place it too far out of balance where it might become a monopoly and start receiving public attention.

Too many people don't understand that most narrowly-defined markets in the western world are not really "free" markets in the economic sense of the word; they are oligopolies. Some, because of barriers to entry or other factors, always will be. There's not necessarily anything wrong with that--in fact, in cases like the Canadian banking system, it may actually be an optimal situation--but it is not widely admitted. By pretending that a market is "free" when it really isn't, it distorts the debate about what level of regulation might be appropriate for the market, and sometimes leads to poor political decisions.

So, I would contend that the bankers and other titans of industry wouldn't actually have to adjust all that much to the environment of ultimate Frisbee. They would just have to think of the other team as their duopoly partner and they'd get in to the mind set right away.

Getting them to think of the spectators first--somewhat analogous to their customers in this conceit--might be considerably more difficult. If anyone has any ideas on how to do that, I'm listening.

Culture: The Shriners Parade

The flags of all the nations where the North American Shriners are active were carried behind an iconic miniature car from Scarborough, Ontario in the Shriners Parade in Toronto, Ontario on 6-July-2010

TORONTO, ONTARIO - Within the course of an hour, the same street played host to a motorcade carrying the Queen of England away from a public appearance and to a Shriners Parade. From probably the most formal environment in the entire world, it went to a notoriously informal environment. Where else could that happen except on University Avenue in Toronto?


The Drum Corps of the local Rameses Shiners group played "It's a Small World After All" in the Shriners Parade in Toronto, Ontario on 6-July-2010

I didn't head downtown to see the Shriners Parade, but realizing that it would be taking place within a block of where I was located after seeing Queen Elizabeth II in just an hour, it just made sense to stay. If there's anything that can be counted on in a public appearance of the Shriners, it's fun and visual spectacle.


The Morocco Shriners from Jacksonville, Florida brought their bucking vehicle to the Shriners Parade in Toronto, Ontario on 6-July-2010

As Freemasons, the Shriners are a somewhat insular private group, but their primary purpose, the support of hospitals for children, is a very public and worthy cause. As one of their slogans goes, "No man stands so tall as when he stoops to help a child." They are a group ultimately committed to public service. I wasn't surprised when a Shriner offered me a Coke as we all waited for the parade to begin--I declined but offered to take their group picture.


One of the things the Shriners are known for are their distinct red hats, and this walking "Fez" was likely the largest in the parade in Toronto on 6-July-2010

The Shriners had come to town for their annual convention, so the parade featured not just the local Rameses Temple members from Ontario that are a fixture in local parades, but groups from around the continent. While groups from the northeastern United States were especially prominent, Shriners from as far away as Florida, Texas, and Alberta also had sizable contingents in the parade.


The Boumi Shriners from Baltimore, Maryland combined the middle eastern theme with the miniature car tradition to create these magic carpets in the Shriners Parade in Toronto, Ontario on 6-July-2010

The Shriners have local organizations, but certain themes pervade all the groups. The middle eastern imagery is universal; almost all the groups had an "Oriental Band" performing in the parade. Miniature cars are a common activity; variations went from Indy Cars to stocks cars to flying carpets. Trains, outhouses, and clowns--basically anything a child might find funny--appeared again and again. There were unique entries in the parade, though--a leaping jeep, a double-ended car, a Ghostbusters replica, and a Blue Brothers police sedan were among the highlights.


Which way were they going? A double-ended car made its way down--or maybe up--University Avenue in Toronto, Ontario during the Shriners Parade on 6-July-2010

A motto of the Shriners is "Having fun and helping children." They certainly demonstrated that they knew how to have fun during their parade on Tuesday.

Culture: Seeing the Queen('s Hat)

For most of her "walkabout," this was what could be seen of Queen Elizabeth--her pink hat--on 6-July-2010

TORONTO, ONTARIO - It seems like time to sing:

My country 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty
Of thee I sing...

Wait a minute, better start that one again:

God save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
God save the Queen.
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us;
God save the Queen.

For someone who grew up in the United States, the concept of having royalty as one's head of state is not an easy concept to grasp. For that matter, many Canadians don't seem to have a clear understanding of the Queen's actual role in their government. Some think the concept of royalty is outdated and that Canada needs to "grow up." Yet, there isn't much ambiguity about the nation's feelings about this Queen. Queen Elizabeth II is a beloved figure in this country, and after seeing how her final public appearance in Canada was handled earlier today, it's not hard to understand why.


The Queen's flag flew high above all the other flags at Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario on 6-July-2010

By the time I arrived at Queen's Park this morning, several hundred people were already awaiting the public appearance of the Queen, scheduled for 10:30. Several hundred more would arrive before we saw her. Fences were laid out in Queen's Park to allow quite a number of people to line a long path through the park. As I took a place on high ground away from the pathway, the discussion around me speculated that she wouldn't actually walk along all the designated paths. "After all, she is 84 years old," noted someone standing near me. This was a completely incorrect prediction; she would cover every inch of the designated pathway.


One of the clearer views of Queen Elizabeth was obtained as she started her walk out of Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario on 6-July-2010

After other dignitaries, including Governor General Michaëlle Jean and Mayor David Miller, arrived and took their places, Queen Elizabeth appeared out of the building, right on time. With other women wearing fancy hats in the party, some were confused about who was who, but once she came into sight, there was no question. She was the only one dressed in pink, with a wonderful pink hat. As she started to take her walkabout, the most frequent comment from those around me was an excited, "I see her hat! I see her hat!"


Follow the angles of the cameras and one could determine Queen Elizabeth's location in the crowd in Toronto, Ontario on 6-July-2010

Indeed for most of the walkabout, all we could see was her hat. "She's not a very tall woman, you know," said one of my fellow bystanders. Besides following where the cameras seemed to be pointed, we quickly learned to follow a tall Mountie who tended to walk a bit in front of her, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper who tended to be just behind.


Queen Elizabeth entered the vehicle that would take her to the airport and away from Canada on 6-July-2010

Most of us didn't get to speak to Queen Elizabeth. We didn't even really get to see her very clearly before she was whisked away to the airport. But, she kept to the schedule, acted in a dignified manner, and met all expectations by walking around the entire park. It was symbolic of the dignity, maturity, and connection with the people that she has shown throughout her reign. As someone near me put it, "That was so cool. I'm so glad I came."

Transport: The Parade of Sail

There was a traffic jam in the western gap, the entrance to Toronto Harbour, as pleasure craft maneuvered near the HMS Bounty replica and a Porter Airlines Q400 aircraft took off on 4-July-2010

TORONTO, ONTARIO - There was entirely too much to do in Toronto yesterday. The annual Pride parade was taking place in the eastern portion of downtown, the CHIN International Picnic was going on at Exhibition Place, the Queen's Plate horse race was going on just outside town at Woodbine (with the Queen actually in attendance!), and a wide variety of "normal" activities like Heritage Toronto walks and neighbourhood events (including the well-attended Corso Italia Festival) were going on as well.


Two schooners met in the western gap, as the outbound Wisconsin-based Denis Sullivan passed the locally-based Kajama returning to Toronto Harbour on 4-July-2010

Out of all the options available, I decided that the thing for me to do was to attend the Parade of Sail which served as the conclusion to the Toronto Waterfront Festival. Fourteen tall ships took a tour around Toronto Harbour and then those not based locally headed out the western gap for their next stop in Cleveland, Ohio. While Ontario Place sold tickets for their grandstand viewing area and the ticket of the day was probably on the ferry Trillium which headed out of the harbour as a viewing platform, there were plenty of free viewing locations, and I found one east of Ontario Place across from the Island Airport.


In a rare escape from Toronto Harbour into the open waters of Lake Ontario, Toronto's 1910 steam ferry Trillium was loaded with spectators for the Parade of Sail on 4-July-2010

Quite possibly the most significant ship in the fleet was the Brig Niagara. When it was built during the War of 1812 in Erie, Pennsylvania, it would not have been welcome in Toronto (er, York) or anywhere else in Canada; it was at one point the sole US warship on Lake Erie. Fully restored and still operating out of Erie, it spent most of US Independence Day participating in the Toronto festival.


The Brig Niagara had been constructed to serve as a United States vessel on Lake Erie during the War of 1812, but peacefully visited Toronto, Ontario on 4-July-2010

Other notable vessels included an East German logging vessel converted to a sailing ship, a clipper ship owned by the city of Baltimore, Maryland, and my personal favorite, the 99-year old bark Europa. Hailing from the Netherlands, the Europa was the tallest ship in attendance with an interesting history starting as a lightship and most recently, since 1994, as a world traveler.


The bark Europa from the Netherlands had been built in 1911 as a lightship, but was still sailing across oceans to be in the Parade of Sail in Toronto, Ontario on 4-July-2010

As the visiting ships headed off to the Welland Canal to take the lift to Lake Erie, the Toronto-based vessels passed back through the western gap into the harbour, ending an entertaining afternoon called the Parade of Sail.

Photos: Trip to the Pacific Northwest, Part I

A block of the town of Connell, Washington, which played an important role in family history, was observed on 15-June-2010.

TORONTO, ONTARIO - This week's update to my photo site begins coverage of a trip to the Pacific Northwest. Time spent in eastern Washington state from 12-June-2010 to 20-June-2010 included scenes traveling over the Cascade Mountains, the Harper family reunion, a tour of Connell, Washington, a visit to the railroad museum in Pasco, Washington, and a variety of scenes around the Tri-Cities.

Margin Notes: Flags, Inukshuks, Pride

A car displaying a Canadian flag, World Cup-style, was noted at Ontario Place in Toronto, Ontario on 4-July-2010

TORONTO, ONTARIO - The flags on vehicles in the Greater Toronto Area during the World Cup aren't all of nations playing in the World Cup. The same small flags have been mounted on vehicles in honour of Canada Day, as the above example at Ontario Place was just one of many plying the streets this long weekend.

* * * * * *


A German and a Spanish flag were flying from this vehicle noted passing near High Park in Toronto, Ontario on 4-July-2010

The most intriguing flags to me are on the vehicles sporting more than one. Do these represent mixed marriages between the nationalities? Simply fans of more than one team in a given family? Or just a Canadian conviction that everyone should win? Besides the German-Spanish combination seen above, there has been an Uruguay-Argentina combination minivan driving through my neighbourhood (always in the shadows) that I'm quite curious about.

* * * * * *


This inukshuk was located at the west end of Ontario Place in the public area along the bike path on 4-July-2010

Besides flags, the other symbol continuing to proliferate around Toronto is the inukshuk. There were a lot of them at Pearson Airport on a variety of signs in the customs area, but no photos are allowed in there. The latest inukshuk find? A fairly large one located east of Ontario Place, still on the grounds but in the public area between Lake Shore Boulevard and western gap into Toronto Harbour.

* * * * * *

It's not legal to be naked in that public space (though it's just across the water from a designated nude beach), but that wouldn't be true in Seattle. As noted before, there is no generic law against nudity in public parks in Seattle. Thus, with a proposed law banning guns in public parks in Seattle probably unconstitutional based on a recent Supreme Court ruling, it looks like it will remain legal to carry a firearm in Seattle parks while naked for the foreseeable future.

* * * * * *


A wolf painted up in rainbow colours was noted in Trinity Bellwoods Park in Toronto, Ontario on 1-July-2010

A public event likely involving nudity today in Toronto was the Pride Parade. Thanks to the controversy over the participation of the Queers Against Israeli Aparthied group there have been a few interesting signs around town this year, including "Take Back the Dyke 2010." Some signs of Pride Week were more subtle and unexpected, though, like the rainbow wolf seen in Trinity Bellwoods Park above.

Radio Pick: Indian Summer

TORONTO, ONTARIO - The summer has started, and this week that means that a CBC summer show made my radio pick of the week. Prepared for another Indian Summer? (That's their line, not mine.) For the third straight year, CBC has solicited new episodes of ReVision Quest, the comedic look at contemporary native issues. The season started with a heady topic, the use of aboriginal names for sports teams, and managed to make it amusing, including a fake conversation between a tribal leader and a team manager.

Listen to MP3 of ReVision Quest "Battles Over the Brand"