Cecilia Bartoli - Agitata da due venti

From the ridiculous (escaped murderer cons cop) to the sublime Cecilia sings Vivaldi

Smooth-talking escapee evades police

The story of escaped murderer, Richard McNair, is well told in the New Yorker magazine of Oct. 9, 2006. A complete transcript of this unbelievable AND TRUE video is included. The officer is interviewing a murdere, who has just escaped from a super-hyper-maximunm security prison.

Johnny Reb Takes the Road

And, of course, I forgot to mention the latest from Johnny Reb, the All-Canadian dufus.

All over the world, people drive through and around traffic circles without confusion.

In Vancouver, the Adolescent Community, people, truck drivers and even police (!) simply ignore the signs and the traditions and common sense and turn left because THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO DO, SO WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM EH?

Pit Bull Rules

Why?

Because we are a nation of snarling, rule-breaking, adolescent, self-absorbed pit bulls.

All of the letters to the editor in today's Sun were concerned with dogs in the city. Dogs poop, nobody cleans up, dogs off leash and so on. All of which is true, no doubt. And I always said if you want to get the lines ringing on a radio show, just say the word "dogs" and you're in business for the next 3 hours.

But "the dog problem" is merely symptomatic of a social order (if the weltshmertz in which we swim can be so described) in which nobody behaves about anything.

I walk on a certain lovely "walking path" on average once a week. (My other daily walks are usually in my neighbourhood, on sidewalks.) This path is clearly designated with ample signage as a NO BICYCLES walking path. I encounter, on average, 3 bicycles per 30 minute walk. Not bad. Only one threat to my physical safety every 10 minutes. Hey, I'm a ranger; I can handle it.

No cars in Vancouver use turn signals. I drive a 14-year old Mazda, so I'm not up on the latest models, but it has been my firm belief for many years now that cars sold in Canada do not come equipped with turn signals. Or how else to explain their non-use when that is the law?

People now walk against red lights all the time.

Cell phones and flashing cameras are standard fare at concerts, in spite of the threats by ushers that the offending toys will be confiscated. I'm not talking here about teenagers. I'm talking about 40 year old men and women.

You think the cell phone in the car is a danger and a nuisance? Haven't you noticed the latest terror?

It's the cell phone pedestrian crossing the street, not looking for an instant at the traffic he/she is stopping.

The Me Generation is alive and well. It is an unruly, self-involved unlovely petty criminal. And like the pit bull it should be put down.

But, what can you do? Eh?