Offered Without (Much) Comment

This… is a cake.

Baby Bottom Cake

For more cake disasters, be sure to check out Cake Wrecks (link courtesy Cameron, the Canadian Lemming.


I’m Thinking Maybe Chris Bidmead Wrote a Version of this and Called it Castrovalva

I seem to be accumulating a major sleep deficit. It’s starting to affect my dreams.

I wanted to take a shower when I woke up, and had hoped to wake up before Vivian did, but then I heard Vivian calling in her bedroom. Erin went over to comfort her while I put on my underwear to say hello and tell Vivian that I’d be back soon; I needed to take a shower. So, I had a shower, and then I woke up. I’d dreamt the whole thing.

Vivian was calling, and Erin went to comfort her while I put on my underwear to say hello and tell Vivian that I’d be back soon; I needed to take a shower. So I had a shower… and then I woke up. I’d dreamt the whole thing again.

I had to dream this stupid thing three times before I finally, really woke up, to hear Vivian calling. Erin went to take care of her, and I had my shower.

At least, I think I did. Maybe this blog entry is itself part of the dream…


A Slight Overreaction

Some controversy has erupted over off-the-cuff comments made by Health Minister Tony Clement while in Denver attending the Democratic National Convention. Some bloggers are incensed by the fact that Clement would make jokes about the recent, fatal listeria outbreak.

The Canadian government sponsored a swish lunch reception at its consul-general’s Denver residence.

The food included bite-sized bits of beef, shrimp, tortellini and potatoes gratin. Health Minister Tony Clement, whose absence from Canada during the tainted meat crisis has not gone unnoticed, was there and introduced himself:

“I’m Health Minister Tony Clement, and I have to say I approved this food.”

(link)

Pogge writes: “So is anyone else reminded of Dubya looking under the furniture for the weapons of mass destruction?”

I have to say that I don’t see the connection. Bush’s joke is directly connected to his administration’s failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and makes light of his decision to put the lives of hundreds of thousands of men and women at risk in what proved to be a foolhardy venture, so it’s easy to see why some people might be offended.

But Clement’s comments make no connection to the listeria outbreak. They certainly don’t make light of that outbreak. If anything, Clement’s comments were a joke about the nature of political advertising in the States (“I approve of this message”), and were understandable given the political venue he is currently at.

If you want to criticize Clement, focus more on the changes to the meat inspection process that happened under his watch. Or focus on the fact that Clement is in Denver hobnobbing with politicians rather than back in Ottawa rolling up his sleeves. But let’s not stretch things too far with this tenuous connection. That’s my advice.

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