Flit

How to tell you are a cult phenomenon

Random conversation overheard walking across campus yesterday: "I reject your reality, and substitute my own."

In other Mythbusters news, Scottie Chapman's leaving the show, which is a great, great shame.

Memorializing war

The new Canadian War Museum opens this weekend. I was pleased to read in the Globe this morning that a centerpiece of the new building are portraits by contemporary Canadian war artist Gertrude Kearns, including Rwandan survivor Romeo Dallaire, Somalia torturers Kyle Brown and Clayton Matchee, and an unnamed PTSD victim.

I've noted some concern in some quarters that maybe these aren't the best subjects for major military portraiture. I haven't seen the paintings myself, but I do happen to know Ms. Kearns... a while ago she and I spent the better part of a week in the same command post in Petawawa, me on a radio, her on a sketchpad, and I found her to be an empathetic and intelligent individual, with a natural affinity for soldiers and soldiering, and a sincere determination to capture their stories truthfully. I have no doubt these will be remarkable images.

UPDATE: You can find some of Kearns' Rwanda images here.