An Idea for the Simpsons

I couldn't stop laughing, reading this story about how Homer Simpson has outraged the country of Argentina. I hear there's now talk about banning The Simpsons there!

This gave me an idea, which I'm offering free of charge to the producers of the show for a future episode:

Homer and family, wanting to stay clear of South America because of threats against him, instead decides to go to Vancouver, BC for a vacation.

Unbeknownst to him, the Argentinian government, tracking his every move, has sent a team of assassins, disguised as tango dancers, to Vancouver to silence Homer for good.

In a parallel thread, Homer keeps running into Mark Steyn (dressed in the orange outdoorsman's outfit he had on during much of the New Hampshire primary) who is in town to defend himself against the BC Human Rights Commission.

Steyn has problems of own, evading Ottawa lawyer, Richard Warman, disguised as a schoolgirl named Lucy and his cohorts on the Canadian Human Rights Commission; might as well dress them all up as the Village People!

While our two politically incorrect protagonists, Simpson & Steyn, are being chased around Metro Vancouver, they'll inadvertently keep hiding out in homes that turn out to be one of the reported 25,000 drug grow-ops that thrive in the community. Homer's daughter, Lisa, will ask the following question to BC's top cop, Wally Oppal: "Why is everyone going after my dad and Mr. Steyn, when you have real criminals on the loose here?"

This might be too "inside" (reference-wise) for some, but I think more than a few people would "get it".

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Here's a very flattering article about Buenos Aires. Geez, if only I knew someone who lived there. :-)

Reality Wake-up Call

Yesterday was an interesting one, full of educational insights. I had the great pleasure to engage in extended discussions with a woman who had recently moved here from Venezuela and a man who is just visiting from Argentina. What I heard from them vividly reminded me of how incredibly fortunate all of us in Canada and the U.S. are and how our problems pale in comparison to those experienced by so many others around the world.

Both of these people are well educated. Both are middle class. Both work hard. But both have great obstacles placed in front of them in their respective countries that will likely forever prevent them from ever getting very far ahead, owning a home, not worrying that poverty and/or imprisonment could happen any day. Do you think these last two concerns occupy the mind of most middle-class North Americans? Not likely.

Let's look at each of these countries individually:

Venezuela: Located on the northern edge of South America, this nation is incredibly oil-rich, with great wealth abound. Since 1999 it has been ruled as a virtual dictatorship by Hugo Chavez. This fellow is the great hero of North American socialists, as he's promised to redistribute the country's wealth to the poor. A lovely concept in theory, but in practice it ain't much fun when the government takes your property to help with the redistribution. Disagree with them and you get put in jail ... or worse.

Argentina: I've often heard that 100 years ago this nation, which is "more European than Europe", was the 4th wealthiest country in the world. Things have deteriorated greatly since then. The worst period was 1999 - 2002, aptly known as the Argentine Economic Crisis. Many people lost everything. The father of the fellow I spoke with lost his factory and never recovered. The reasons for Argentina's problems are numerous, but some of the more prominent ones are: Corruption and over-entitlement.

I've long said that Canada doesn't have any real problems so we invent fake problems just so we have something to complain about! One thing is for sure: When you have great prosperity, you have the luxury of worrying about the most trivial issues. Poverty and hunger tend to focus one's attention on what's really important!

Valentin

I've been sick with the flu the last while so I've just stayed home and have ended up watching a lot of movies. Last night I saw a real gem. It's a 2002 film called "Valentin" and comes from Argentina. Set in 1969, it's the story of an adorable little 9-year old boy who lives with his grandmother. Her husband had died a year before and his mother left him for reasons he's not quite sure. Together they make quite the pair.

Valentin's father is a traveling businessman who only visits occasionally but is much more preoccupied with his own selfish wants & desires than anything to do with his son. He reportedly brings more women home to meet his mother & son than horses going around a carousel! The film also features the beautiful Argentinian actress, Julieta Cardinali, who plays Leticia, an increasingly important figure in little Valentin's life.

But the star of the film is clearly Rodrigo Noya, who plays the lead character. In many ways he is 9 going on 89, but is still perplexed by why adults can't just get along. A sub-plot that is fascinating & hilarious to watch is Valentin's dogged pursuit to become an astronaut. In some ways there are some similarities in the humour to the French hit, Amelie, but the story is completely different; equally charming though!

Finally, the movie was directed by Alejandro Agresti who also directed "The Lake House", another film I really like.