The Bank of Canada has unveiled our new twenty-dollar bill, redesigned with all of the latest anti-counterfeit security available. Whether or not these measures work or not is one thing, but I find the new bill to be quite attractive.
The CBC news report says that although Canadians are embracing electronic transactions in a big way, the use of cash continues to grow. Don’t ask me how that works, but it somehow means that there are more bills available, but they are changing hands fewer times, thus leading to fewer opportunities for a fake bill to be caught. Apparently, the strategy of the Bank of Canada is to get Canadians to “know their bills”. Possibly by crafting a bill so beautiful, Canadians will stand on streetcorners staring into their bills going “Ooooo! Ahhhh!”
Mind you, if the Bank of Canada wanted me to do that with a bill, all they’d have to do is print a $10,000 denomination and hand it to me.
Olympic Admiration
Still with the CBC, the network invited viewers to write in on what they most admired about their Olympic athletes.
When I saw that, I immediately turned to Erin and said, “that’s easy: their tushies!”
And she agreed with me.
Addicted to the Taste of Dr. Scholls
Carolyn Parrish is once again demonstrating why she is too darn stupid to sit as a member of parliament.
If you will recall, this is the same individual who, in criticizing the invasion of Iraq (a position I admit I sympathize with), turned away and allowed microphones catch her flip remark “damn Americans, I hate those bastards.”
I had a few things to say about that.
Yesterday, Carolyn Parrish spoke out against her own government for supporting the U.S.-led missile defence shield. Again, I support her point of view with regard to the effectiveness of the shield. However, in pushing her point, Ms. Parrish said the following:
“We are not joining a coalition of the idiots,” she told reporters. “We are joining a coalition of the wise.”
Questioned later by reporters, Parrish at first denied using the word “idiots.” When reporters pointed out they had the comments on tape, Parrish said: “I don’t mean Americans are idiots.”
Parrish later joked with reporters not to use the remarks.
“Did i really say idiots? Please guys don’t put that on tape,” she said. “I already got into trouble once.”
Maybe I’m too much of an idealist, but I believe there is no place in politics for namecalling and jingoism. We’ve already criticized the Bush Administration for similar approaches to France and to other critics of his regime. We’ve critized plenty of people who have been contributing to the “coarsening of political discourse”. We’re not going to let Ms. Parrish off the hook simply because she’s speaking on subjects we moderately agree with. Just because elements of both sides already act immaturely is no reason to stoop to their level.
Especially in the completely inept way that Ms. Parrish has done so, inadvertantly taking the media focus off of the questionability of the missile defence shield program, and onto her off-the-cuff statements.
Think twice, Ms. Parrish, before speaking once. That’s the key to political success.
Thank You
Many thanks to those who expressed sympathy towards Erin for her sudden minor surgery. I’m pleased to say that she is feeling much better today, and the nightmare of Wednesday is receding in a fairly dream-like fog. And now she’s able to brush her teeth without giving herself a headache, which can only be seen as a good thing.
My mother-in-law, who had intended to come up to Kitchener for the scheduled surgery, managed to convince the airlines to change her tickets and arrived at our door yesterday. Everybody is doing well, and recovering from a pretty stressful week.