…and pass the ammunition. That sums up Tuesday’s U.S. midterm results.
True, Mr. Trump still has two months to wreak havoc before the new Congress is sworn in on January 3. But the the herd has moved.
The best line of the victory speeches belonged to James Talarico, the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Texas in 38 years: “I want to be a senator for those who can’t buy one.”
And the fastest knives came out of J.D. Vance, who couldn’t even wait till noon Wednesday to blame the Iran war (i.e., Trump) for the GOP’s losses. So much for honour among thieves.
On Wednesday, I was in Ottawa for Geographica, the Royal Canadian Geographical Society’s celebration of Canada’s astronauts, and I was struck by the contrast between Trump’s America and Carney’s Canada.
First, everyone on stage, from Jeremy Hansen, 50, to Roberta Bondar, 80, moved easily between English and French. Not perfunctorily, with a line or two in their second language, but in great gobs of both official languages: living proof, more than half a century on, of Pierre Trudeau’s Official Languages Act of 1969. That could simply never happen in America.
I was also struck by the astronauts’ selflessness, a quality every one of them is trained to project. Their decency and self-deprecation, much like their Prime Minister’s, filled the room. You don’t get to fly in space without a healthy ego, and even an unhealthy one. But our astronauts seem to keep theirs in check in public, and that is no small thing these days.
Finally, we all shared their belief that Canadians can do not just big things together, but astoundingly big and complex ones. Their careers embody that ideal. And it took only a brief clip from an upcoming documentary on the Avro Arrow to remind us what happens when we sell ourselves short. Not only did the Diefenbaker government scrap the most advanced fighter jet in the world; most of the scientists and engineers who built it decamped to the United States to help kick-start its space program. Let’s not make that mistake twice.
No one knows what the coming months hold for America. Many pundits have warned against the giddy optimism of thinking the midterms will change America’s collision course with itself and the world. I, for one, think they will. And while Canada is small, and its people perhaps naïve and inclined to be peacemakers in a world of powder monkeys, there is a quiet power in what we have built, and in helping the world build the same.
Meanwhile….
1. Larger than life. If you’re Olivia Colman, a hard man is good to find. Plus four new wonder-songs from Songs in the Key of Life. And why even you will spend $2,000 for a rock concert ticket. Oh yes, you will. And talk about a bad storage decision, the Guggenheim sold Kandinsky’s “Betonte Ecken” for $62,000. Today, it could sell for $80 million.
2. Raising readers. Reading texts isn’t enough; reading books is. It’s never been easier to stay in touch, or be cut off. And why did Agatha Christie disappear for 11 days? Revenge. And when did Nova Scotia lose 11 days? In 1752. Plus a new kind of literary power couple. And John Ralston Saul on John Maynard Keynes. “Who would have thought economics could be as exciting as sex?”
3. Robert Lepage. The legendary director, designer, writer and actor does all of it in 887, his journey into memory, childhood and back.
Five shows only, Dec.10-13 at the Elgin Wintergarden. Details and tickets here. Get a 10% discount with Unlock Code RAMSAY10 for tickets $98 and up, valid through Nov. 30.
4. Back by popular demand. Jean and I had hoped to get 40 people to join us on a trip to the top of the world in August 2028. 20 days, one expedition ship, two helicopters. So far, 55 fellow travellers have signed on. So we’re going to host another information session on Monday, November 23. Details here, and please join us to learn more.
5. TIFA ROX. This year’s Toronto International Festival of Authors was its best ever. Writers like Philippe Sands and Emily St. John Mandel. Lots of full houses. A real buzz on the Victoria College campus, and big new donors. In fact, one of them will match any gift to TIFA made before Dec. 1.
As they say, message plus momentum plus money makes a virtuous circle. You can double your donation here.
6. Taking flight. Two big questions: when should you get to the airport? And when is Premium Economy worth it? Plus the world’s priciest travel spots, and Dave Barry answers: “What happens in Vegas?” And Terry Kirk, the lawyer turned historical novelist, launches her second, Plunder, after Readers’ Choice gave her first, Pitfall, five stars.
7. Great and small. First, the caribou that wore its rival. Plus the Animal Action Awards. And who else, but David Attenborough, age 100, with a first look at Blue Planet III. And why stubby legs make better sled dogs, and who won this year’s Dog Photography Awards.
8. Royalty. JFK had many mistresses. King Charles beseeched: My kingdom for an umbrella. And a new take on global golf. And why sports desks may be dying, but sports scandals are booming. Speaking of on the rise, here are the latest inflation rates around the world. Venezuela is 468%; Canada, 2.8%, and the lowest is Costa Rica at -0.8%.
9. Is security better late than never? Ottawa released Canada’s first national security strategy in two decades. And why does the Annex have fewer people today than in 1971? And what’s going on at 519 Church? And at Le Sélect Bistro? And in the St. Clair River?
10. Across the ponds. Andy Burnham sums up his first 100 days in office in 100 seconds. And how Korea got to be the world’s “it” place. And how Artivism and its “beautiful trouble” is driving the resistance in Paris. And the answer to the mysterious Nazi non-salute. And finally, there are confidentiality clauses in France; then there’s this.
11. AI slop and slurp. Fake restaurant reviews drive real customers to bad places. And how some restos are fighting AI. And how AI can drive the food world crazy. And finally, Time’s Inventions of the Year.
Read what you will – and pay what you can.
For the past few years, the Omnium Gatherum blog has opened your Saturday morning InBox with news of intriguing people, odd places, and new things that may have escaped your glance.
These blogs have been free for you to receive and read. However, they aren’t free to produce and never have been. So I’d like to ask if you could help cover the costs of this little venture – and ask you to pay what you can to receive it.
If you don’t want to pay anything, that’s fine too. We’re not going to withhold our affections, and you’ll keep getting your blog on Saturday no matter what. But if you do think what you read here is worth your time, then please pay what you think it’s worth.
Many thanks, and here’s to curiosity and the freedom to pursue its joys down any lane.
Bob Ramsay
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