Encounter

I work at a college.

Today, at 1pm some students will hold a RALLY FOR GAZA.

Yesterday, I stopped at their table in the front hall and inquired about the event.

A tall, Anglo kid explained and handed me a little blue sheet of paper. The highlight on the handout was ISRAELI WAR CRIMES.

I asked this lad what that meant.

He said, "What would you call attacking schools with children?"

I asked, "What would you call more than 10,000 rockets fired by Hamas into Israeli towns over the past several years?"

He replied smartly, "Self defense."

I said so cleverly, and after all my years of study at Quick Quip School, "You're a fucking idiot! Your ignorance is appalling."

He smiled beatifically and offered, "Have a nice day."

I repaired to the Staff Lounge with murder in my heart.

And so it goes...

Quote of the Day

Talking about out-of-bounds skiers to Gary Mason in the Globe, Wally Opaque has given forth with another Wally classic:

"Maybe they have to add five bucks to the cost of a ticket to cover the costs of monitoring these areas, I don't know."

I especially like the avuncular, bemused "I don't know" part.

Uh, Wally?

I don't know how to break this to you, Good Buddy. But you're the Attorney-General of the Province of British Columbia.

It is your job to know.

You have battalions of lawyers billing out at $500/hour at your beck and call to study the statutes and advise you.

As always, Wally, you give us that simple shiver of confidence whenever we hear from you. Keep up the solid work...whatever it may be.

Re-Writing History - Local Edition

Frances Bula has written two very good pieces on the Olympic Village story in this morning's Globe.

One is called "Sun will shine on athletes village, builder says"

The other is "Out of Mud, Olympic Village a showcase of ecology."

The second piece is a tour through the sludge and rain to view first-hand the building progress and it's good clean messy fun.

But the first article is the one with all the real juice.

First we get the Millenium GM chronicling the entire list of hardships and challenges that he has heroically overcome. Hahahaha...It's a riot.

Then, moving on to the thorny issue of What Idiot Signed Off on this Deal, we get one mayor after another disclaiming any part of the guarantees that the City has apparently provided in case of problems.

Why hasn't CBC TV, which specializes these days in sophomoronic humor signed up Owen, Campbell and Sullivan (An Act Funnier than it's Name!!! Tonight at 8!!!) to do a song and dance number called, "I Didn't Do it, Do it, Do it, I Swear."

The photo, by the way, is of the Salt Building (1930), which has been preserved and upgraded and will become a restaurant and pub in the Mark James Group after the Olympics.

A Little Background Please