...it is, it is...

Over dinner at the Bloor Street Diner, eavesdropping on the insipid conversations of three newtopolitics-lawyer types talking big of small knowledge. The topic is European economy, and someone brings up Macedonia. The Greek lady of the trio says "well actually Paul, there are two Macedonias: Greek Macedonia and the one in Czechoslovakia. And we don't like the Greek one." Paul, in his chinos and pink collared shirt questions "isn't there one in Yugoslavia?" to which she replies, "no I'm pretty sure it's the capital of Serbia, not a UN-recognized country".

From there, they moved to a recounting of their respective past experiences working for Shiela Copps, Maurizio Bevilacqua and Jack Layton as well as their future Canadian political plans.

I couldn't begin to tell you how my overhearing of this conversation gave me faith in the Canadian political field to come.

In other news, the new edition of Oxford's Elementary Student Dictionary is out. On the front cover in bright yellow writing on a blue background: "Trialled and tested in schools!".

...

Are we, collectively, becoming generally more stupid?