Itty-Bitties

One of the students I tutor is a young gentleman in grade eight. Recently he was given a creative writing assignment and the story line he was crafting needed the presence of an Intelligence Service. He immediately decided the CIA was what he needed but I suggested he look to CSIS instead, since they certainly filled the bill and, even better, were Canadian to boot.
When shown the rough draft of his work, his teacher challenged him on the agency. She said she had never heard of them and suggested he revert to use of the CIA, since "that way everyone will know what you're talking about."
You know, I can understand a kid being unaware of the existence of CSIS, but a Canadian adult? OK, so she's never heard of them before, live and learn, right? The big problem for me with her response was telling the lad to name the American counterpart in his story. What is the rationale behind that, if I might ask? She still doesn't believe him? She's too damn lazy to type the acronym into Google and learn something new? She's living in the wrong country and really should move south of the 49th so she can kiss American ass unhindered by geographical distance?
Somebody explain this moron to me, please.


While we're on the topic of willfully staying mired in ignorance, the Vatican has come out with another one of its summit pronouncements, declaring that the clergy has to be celibate in order to properly fulfill their duties.
Have they not noticed the great job done by countless married protestant clergy? Have they not noticed the case after endless case of charges of child abuse brought against so many of their "celibate" clergy?
Top prelates met with the Poop to discuss the issue and decided to reaffirm the "value of the choice of priestly celibacy". I know, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? It's just that someone's got to get word somehow to His Holiness, Benny the Brain-Dead, that the RC institution is indeed broke, big time.


One more entry on shoving your head in the sand and refusing to look up - this one from Mario Dumont, leader of l'Action Democratique du Quebec. He and his ilk want to take a giant step back in time, to the good ol' days of New France. In the colony's early days, there was great concern about populating la Nouvelle France with enough enfants to remove the threat of any other ethnic group (read the english, especially) coming out on top in the census.
Wow, the more things change, the more they remain just the same, no?
Dumont proposes a payment of $5,000. to be made to women when they give birth to more than three bebes. Granted, in the 1600's a family had to have ten or more living children before they received any monetary recognition of their fecundity, so I suppose Dumont feels all modern and up-to-date by setting his sights on three little francophone munchkins. Somebody needs to whisper a few facts about over-population in this moron's ear.
Come on, Mr. Mentalement-Defie Dumont, take a look around. It's 2006, not 1606.


In keeping with the theme above of how those in authority do not always seem to require funtioning brains in order to keep their position, check out the Executive Coloring Book. I think it makes a great wrap-up to my entry.