Verkhovensky’s Internals

From the CBC:

Former prime minister Jean Chrétien was inducted into the highest rank of the Order of Canada on Friday, receiving his medal at a ceremony in Ottawa.

I have fond memories of Mr. Chrétien.

Canada’s current PM, Stephen Harper, though I do not despise him as I do many other Conservative politicians, has no where near the charisma as did our retired leader. Harper’s pasty complexion and stiff body represent Canada to the world acceptably, I suppose, and there is something essentially Canadian about the man (difficult to put my finger on exactly what that quality is, though). Of course I voted for the NDP.

To me there has always been something slightly comic about Canadia. The absurd amount of snow, the national dish of french fires, gravy and cheese (doctors in my country unclog many a Poutine filled artery), and the meaningless ‘eh?’ appended to nearly every sentence, question or not, is all a bit silly, if endearingly so. But such a national persona demands an equally comic leader, and Chrétien always delivered in spades.

Most obvious is the man’s appearance, which is a caricaturists dream. Half of his face is virtually paralyzed, and when the conversation became heated his uneven face turned slightly red and spit would shoot sideways from his mouth as he spoke. Also, the man’s idiosyncratic accent, apparently affecting both his English and French, often made him excessively difficult to understand for those not familiar with him. (He was also the highest profile mark to take a cream pie in the face in Canada’s 2001 comedic ‘pieing of politicians’ epidemic.)

But it was under Chrétien that Canada signed the Kyoto Protocol, passed the Pledge to Africa (which allows patented pharmaceuticals and medical procedures to be delivered to Africa and other poor nations at a low cost), decriminalized marijuana, legalized same sex marriage across the country, and declined to join America in their assault on Iraq. As with many complicated laws, some of the above events are still in a process of implementation, but it was Chrétien and his government that began the process.

The man was by no means perfect, but he was extremely unique. I hope that one day Canada will produce another of his kind. Congrats, Mr. PM.

For the past seven years America has been led by a maniac. For most of us with even the slightest concern for the welfare of the world at large this time has felt much like a sad and often shameful eternity. But all things must pass, as has wisely been said.

I am not from America, and therefore cannot cast my ballot in this all important election on the horizon of American history. Nevertheless, I want to point to two individuals who have recently made their opinions known, Randall Munroe of the xkcd webcomic and Daniel Jalkut of Red Sweater Software. In candidly sharing their thoughts about the upcoming election, both express a belief in the potential of America to become a nation of openness and generosity, respected throughout the world not for its power and the fear that such power inspires, but for its integrity as a world citizen. And for both, the candidate who will bring these aspirations for their country into reality is Barack Obama.

From Munroe’s blog post:

I want someone who can lead the country. When people grow cynical and detached from government, or blinded by partisanship, evil runs amok. Obama represents an honest shot at making our government something we can be proud of. I’m tired of throwing things at CNN. I’m tired of feeling depressed when I read speeches by the founding fathers. I want Jon Stewart to smile again. For a brief moment, next Tuesday, we’ll have a shot at finally getting things right.

Munroe ends his post optimistically and reflects on some approaching events to put our (and his own) future into perspective:

…there are lots of comics and projects I’m looking forward to on the horizon. Also, someday soon we’ll be able to spectrally image the surfaces of Earth-like extrasolar planets, which is way exciting. Space is on the verge of becoming an adventure again, Windows Vista is flopping, and Mario Kart will be out for the Wii soon. I think the future will be okay.

Jalkut’s Obama-post does not have the humorous edge to it that Munroe’s does (Jalkut is a software developer, after all, and not a webcomic publisher), but his words have an immense sincerity and personal tone to them which, I think, reflects how heavily the issue of the accountability of his country to the world weighs on his conscious. From his blog post:

I personally think that Barack Obama represents our best hope for jumpstarting a change in our relationship with the world…At this point in our country’s incredibly short yet powerful history, I believe we need to elect a President whose leadership and vision give us a head start in the eyes of the world. A President who causes the world to sit up and acknowledge: “America cares about us.”

Jalkut ends his post with an appeal for Obama support as well as an optimistic message to non-American citizens aware of the the upcoming election and their stake in it:

I’m ready for…a leader who will represent everything hopeful about our unique, positive attitude toward the world. If you’re American, and you’ve got something hopeful to say to the world, I strongly encourage you to consider voting for Barack Obama. If you’re not American, and you’ve got some faith left in us, I strongly encourage you to sit tight and see how much better we can be, when we try.

Although I am not from America, I do belong to that majority for which this election is of great importance: a human being who cares about the fate of our planet and the people on it and recognizes that the leadership of our most powerful county has a direct and powerful impact upon that fate. A recently published CBC poll has found that 15% of Canadians would forfeit their say in Canada’s next federal election to instead vote in the U.S. election, and I’m sure many others around the world would do the same. As Jalkut rightly observes, we’re all in this together.

From Randall Munroe:

xkcd - A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math and language
xkcd blag and Politics (Obama endorsement) post

From Daniel Jalkut:

Red Sweater - Amazing Mac Software and particularly MarsEdit local weblog editor for Mac (which, incidentally, this post and nearly every post on Verkhovensky’s Internals is written from).
Red Sweater Blog and Red Sweater Endorses Barack Obama post.

Barack Obama official website.

Technorati Tags: xkcd, Red Sweater, politics, Obama, election

I had always suspected…

And the skirts are a nice touch. Fucking Canadians. From Neatorama.

Technorati Tags: hockey, nazi, irony

The Arctic is suspected to be extremely rich in minerals, oil, and, of course, it is potentially a colossal source of fresh water. Russia is now staking it’s claim by way of two mini-submarines sent to collect sub-zero aquatic life - and planting a cute little flag whilst they are at it. Denmark and Canada have clashed recently over a small but significant island between Greenland and Ellesmere Island. In addition, there is a long-standing face-off between Canada and the US regarding Arctic sovereignty. To address these issues, our own venerable and wax-faced S. Harper has announced a plan to spend 3 billion on military manned Arctic patrol vessels. It is not, I think, impossible to envision a new Cold War (very cold!) on the horizon.

The Ontario government has just launched a new service for Ontario residents: Dial a Dietitian. 

A man walks into a doctor’s office. He has a cucumber up his nose, a carrot in his left ear and a banana in his right ear. “What’s the matter with me?” he asks the doctor.

The doctor replies, “You’re not eating properly.”

The number is: 1-877-510-5102

tags technorati : food hotline ontario health