Wednesday Night #2001 with Terry Mosher

The Wednesday Night Odyssey continues.
Thanks to Covid-19, Wednesday Night #2000 passed with barely a murmur.
Months ago, we had big plans – remember #1500 at the University Club?
Without physical presence, there just did not seem to be much point
But be of good cheer – as our 2001 Odyssey opens the new WN millennium, we have a real treat in store.

Terry Mosher aka Aislin will be with us this Wednesday, courtesy of Zoom.
In case you have been living on another planet, Terry has just published Professional Heckler: The Life and Art of Duncan Macpherson  a worthy addition to the list of 51 books he has written and/or contributed to. Reviews have been universally laudatory (see From one heckler to another: Terry Mosher pays loving tribute to Duncan Macpherson and  The Life and Work of One Great Canadian Cartoonist—by Another), and he has been very present in the media, social and otherwise. One of the most delightful interviews is this with Dave Bronstetter and Yvan Huneault –it is an hour long and sheer joy.
Terry will make an ‘illustrated’ (what else?) presentation of about 30 minutes.
We will hold questions and comments until the end. I invite you to think of a question for Terry, or a short comment on what you deem one of his most memorable cartoons, and to send them to me ahead of time.

These days, some of the news is so dark that it seems that not even Terry can treat it with his usual ability to find humour in human or political frailty.

Most alarming is the situation in Portland, Oregon where federal agents wearing camouflage military gear and circulating in unmarked vehicles pick up and detain protesters. Moreover, Trump has threatened to send “more federal law enforcement” to New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore, and Oakland—cities run by “liberal Democrats.”
Check out the Canadian connection in Thomas B. Edsall’s ‘The Whole of Liberal Democracy Is in Grave Danger at This Moment’.

Jeremy Kinsman and Larry Haas on CTV’s Diplomatic Community discuss the startling turnaround at the Trump press conference “So, is Trump getting it? Wear a mask?”
Media are skeptical about Trump’s sudden conversion and attribute it to a realization that polls are sinking; even Republicans are expressing concern over his mismanagement of the crisis. Notable also is that he did not stray from the teleprompter – a relief after his Sunday interview with Chris Wallace.
They then comment approvingly on the news Federal prosecutors on Tuesday charged two Chinese men with hacking hundreds of U.S. and foreign companies, nongovernmental organizations and human rights activists, as well as trying to hack three U.S. firms researching the coronavirus, in an escalation of Washington’s war with Beijing over intellectual property theft and espionage. More: accusations of China and Russia hacking of vaccine research.

Canadian crises
We must consider ourselves incredibly lucky as we contemplate the current ‘crises’ in our Home and Native Land. In Ottawa and across the nation’s chattering classes, it’s all about WE, as Andrew Coyne writes: Ottawa’s WE deal has many parts – and each one contributes to the makings of a scandal
John Ibbitson: For Justin Trudeau’s Liberals, new developments coalesce to threaten their power
“And then there’s the beard. No federal party leader with a beard has won an election since 1874.”
Or, if you prefer, the ‘toxic’ work climate at Rideau Hall provoked by the GG’s style of management.
Yes, we are, of course, concerned with Covid-19 and deplore the anti-maskers, but generally have confidence that le gros bon sens du peuple, along with the competence of health authorities, and talented researchers will tame the beast.
Governance of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts has overtaken any local worries about national governance issues. It is a nasty spat amongst the glitterati of the art and philanthropic worlds and focused on the power struggle between two français de France.

Long and/or important reads
The flood of great tributes on the death of civil rights giant John Lewis was impressive and hard to keep track of, so we will limit ourselves to the beautiful Statement of President Barack Obama
From Wednesday-Nighter-in-the-diaspora Ilona Dougherty: Evidence should guide the design of any student service program – should have ben required reading for the Trudeau PMO and cabinet.
Education without liberal arts is a threat to humanity, argues UBC president
Santo J. Ono says studying the liberal arts made him a better scholar, scientist, teacher and father
See original source 2019 Carr Lecture, Liberal Arts in the 21st Century: More Important then Ever
Andrew Sullivan’s reflections in New York Magazine:  A Plague Is an Apocalypse. But It Can Bring a New World. The meaning of this one is in our hands
Mary Trump’s book. Sandy advises ” If you haven’t started yet. Read the first and last chapters. You will get the most important parts. The rest is family blahblahblah. They are horrible dysfunctional mean people. There I saved you lots of time.”
Old but timely A Teacher’s Critique of ‘We Day’
The social change pep rally was to be a coveted experience for my students. So why do I feel so manipulated?

Lighter fare
Sandra Boynton’s CHANSON PROFONDE with Yo-Yo Ma

The Force Is Still Strong with John Williams
On January 10, 1977, during the final days of the Ford Administration, John Williams began writing music for “Star Wars,” a forthcoming sci-fi adventure film created by George Lucas. More than forty-two years later, on November 21, 2019, Williams presided over the final recording session for “The Rise of Skywalker,” the ninth and ostensibly last installment of the main “Star Wars” saga.
The Mongol Derby
You square up to 1000km of Mongolian steppe on semi-wild horses, changing steed every 40km. You navigate and survive on your own wits and skill, living among the herders. It’s you and your horse vs the wild.
This is the longest and toughest horse race on earth. This is the Mongol Derby.