(Image: Pierre Trudeau to journalist: "Just watch me." | Credit: CBC Archive Youtube channel)
The American GOP debate September 16 saw a bunch of grown adults calling each other names and trading barbs, and the highlight for many was a faceoff between Donald Trump and fellow hopeful Carly Fiorina. Many people may have tuned out after that, but if they did manage to stick around, they would have had the chance to listen to Donald Trump discuss his belief that vaccines cause autism.
Trump said he knows of a little girl who, “just the other day,” got a vaccine and “a week later” is now autistic. Not sure where to start with that one…the sketchy timeline or the idea that autism can be diagnosed within a few days.
And now for something completely different, sort of: ever wonder who America’s dumbest president was? Look no further, as InsideGov.com has ranked them for you.
Old Stock…isn’t that the name of a beer?
North of the border, we had our slightly less exciting leaders debate September 17, with talk of the economy taking front and centre. Prime Minister Harper did manage to say something that some are viewing as racist, and he was quick to try to explain himself the next day.
Other than that, the highlight for some was hearing NDP leader Thomas Mulcair respond to Liberal leader Justin Trudeau’s use of the phrase “puff and smoke” by saying, “You know a lot about that, don’t you, Mr. Trudeau?” This was in clear reference to Trudeau’s past confession that he has smoked pot, but some are calling this tactic hypocritical, as Mulcair himself supports the decriminalization of marijuana.
As Canadian as maple syrup
Now a little nostalgia: as Nordstrom opened its doors to much fanfare, a little Gastown skate shop quietly brought back, just for a few hours, a piece of Vancouver history. A popup Eaton’s store, which Menu Skateboard Shop said would sell t-shirts, hats and bags, all carrying the Eaton’s brand, was set up on the 700 block of Granville.
The timing of this nod to the past is fitting as it took place on the same day Nordstrom opened its doors in the same location Eaton’s sat in from 1973 to 1999.
A little bit more retro: underneath what appears to be an old Eaton’s bag taped to a pillar downtown advertising the popup shop is a mock campaign poster for Pierre Trudeau – that’s Justin’s dad, kids – with his famous “Just watch me” quote. While this is definitely an amusing throwback, it may annoy historians as his quote came from the infamous FLQ interview Trudeau had with a journalist in 1970…three years before Eaton’s opened that Vancouver location.
