The latest controversies

There are many changes in the law going on here in the province of Ontario, Canada. Perhaps you’ve heard of the effective decriminalization of marijuana possession or perhaps of the legalization of gay marriage, both issue where there’s been a lot of gnashing of teeth from the right of the political spectrum (and filling of bongs from the left).

However, I predict that these two controversies will pale next to these two:

• The government of Canada has banned smiles on all new passport photos. And as luck would have it, just before I have to go an renew mine. Yes, I’m smiling in my last one, and yes, I think it looks good.
• An Ontario MPP (that’s “Member of Provincial Parliament” to those of you outside Canada) tried to pass a member’s bill banning dwarf-tossing. This, in spite of the fact that the dwarf whose tossing the bill was drafted at the 11th hour to stop says that he wants to be tossed. I suspect some of my more granola-headed hookah-addled associates from Crazy Go Nuts University might say that he’s got a case of self-hatred from living in a heightist society, an altocracy, if you will. The full text of the bill is here.

I get such a kick out of living in interesting times.