The 2007 Rocketbelt Convention will be held on August 11th and 12th at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.

Judging from the photos, it’s safe family fun.

Bring the kids! Bring extras, in case you lose one! Strap ’em in! Let ’em fly! Find ’em later!

How on earth did I not know about this?

I mean, rocketbelts!

How is it possible there aren’t carpools forming from every corner of the nation?

Link via BoingBoing, which you must read every day.

Not a military invasion; quite the opposite.

U.S. immigration to Canada is now at a 30-year high. The rate has doubled since Bush was elected.

Meanwhile, the rate of Canadian immigration to the U.S. has dropped 20% in the last 12 months alone.

While we’re on it, the Canadian dollar is now worth US$0.94. It was US$0.66 when Bush took office. As I mentioned a couple of months ago, the dollar has lost about a third of its value against the euro (not to mention a scary number of other world currencies) since Bush took office.

The greenback is now down over 42 percent against the loonie on Bush’s watch.

Where can I trade in my Benjamins for some Robert Bordens?

Not a military invasion; quite the opposite.

U.S. immigration to Canada is now at a 30-year high. The rate has doubled since Bush was elected.

Meanwhile, the rate of Canadian immigration to the U.S. has dropped 20% in the last 12 months alone.

While we’re on it, the Canadian dollar is now worth US$0.94. It was US$0.66 when Bush took office. As I mentioned a couple of months ago, the dollar has lost about a third of its value against the euro (not to mention a scary number of other world currencies) since Bush took office.

The greenback is now down over 42 percent against the loonie on Bush’s watch.

Where can I trade in my Benjamins for some Robert Bordens?

In the wake of my post about the film Walker, below, its director Alex Cox and I have begun exchanging emails, and he’s every bit as cool (as far as I can tell from email) as you’d hope.  Man, the Internet is one cool place sometimes.

I think this site’s readers will enjoy the occasional political writings he posts on his site; his latest, about long-existing plans for permanent US bases in Iraq, is here.

Don’t miss This American Life this week.

The first half: an ordinary American decides to try to make a difference in Iraq. Remarkable tale.

The second half: my old Trebekistan buddy, novelist Arthur Phillips, reads a condensed version of his short story "Wenceslas Square." Arthur’s ability to be both jaded and romantic, simultaneously, is unparalleled.

The free mp3 version is here, but only for the rest of this week.