Canadian Politics: Justin Trudeau to run for leadership of the Liberal Party

If you learn high school French, you won't understand Quebecois French. It's like learning Hochdeutsch and going to Switzerland.

My son's girlfriend is from France and even she didn't understand a lot of what she heard in Quebec.

 

Same thing applies to Cajun French (dying) and Creole French (dead) in Louisiana.

 

Creole French is dead?
Dixie, two of my sons went to Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. That's the area where the Cajuns first settled and after the Brits packed them all on to boats in 1755, many of them ended up in Louisiana, of course . I've been out there several times and it always seems odd to walk along the dykes that these pioneers built in the 18th century.

 

Creole French as in what was spoken in New Orleans and plantation country. Technically there are a few around, but their numbers are tiny at best. You may as well try and find people speaking Esperanto.

 

Well when you're out cruising for chicks, it makes it tough to reproduce if the girl can't understand whatthefuck you're saying. And since inbreeding is frowned up upon, there's a very small pool from which to grow the culture and language I imagine.

 

Canada's most famous and most literate contrarian, Rex Murphy, weighs in on Justin Trudeau's suitability as the leader of the Liberal Party.

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/10/20/rex-murphy-dont-let-this-be-the-justin-trudeau-show/



Classic Murphy:

The elder Trudeau affected to be a dilettante, but he was actually very well read — in philosophy, law and literature — and, when it suited him, a disciplined intellectual. In other words, outward appearances to the contrary, when Pierre Trudeau, after a hard-fought leadership, ascended the Liberal leadership, he was ready.

Hard to disagree with Rex and although he descends into bloviating on a regular basis, he has a pretty sharp mind and doesn't suffer bullshit gladly.

 

I used to be able to get the CBC on the satellite service at work and Rex Murphy and Peter Mansbridge were two of my favorites, or favourites as the case maybe.

 

Two are still on and Mansbridge has now been the face of the National, (CBC's nightly newsbroadcast) for almost 25 years. He also has his own show, "One on One'. Great interviews with Canadian and international politicians, movie stars--anyone who's been in the news

You can watch most CBC shows, including their docs, at CBC.ca. Great website courtesy of the Canadian taxpayer

 

Love this guy:

 

I'm reminded of the very special episode of Family Ties when Uncle Ned needed a fix so bad, he drank vanilla extract.

 

Classic. My sister and I called that scene "Hungry Alex"