The Arm

7/29/2005 07:37:00 a.m.

Now that the space shuttle is in the news again, I've noticed a dichotomy between the Canadian and the American reporting on one particular item. While the American media have referred to the shuttle's articulated robot arm as "the giant arm" or "the robot arm" or the like, every single Canadian newscaster has called it the "Canadarm". I'm trying to decide who's got the complex here. Is it that the Canadians have a superiority complex ("Nyah nyah nyah, we built a giant space arm and you Americans couldn't, nyah nyah nyah eh"), or are the Americans suffering from an embarrassing inferiority complex ("It's just a giant robotic arm, so what if Canada makes 'em and we don't")? Or am I just reading too much into this?

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We watched Clone Wars last night. I still think it's better than Episode III. For evidence, I submit the fact that I've seen Clone Wars twice, and Ep. III once. I suspect that my preference is related to the fact that (a) Clone Wars is pretty much pure action*, start to finish, and (b) the "I love you" plot occupies about 10 seconds of screen time. Now I have to find Vol. II.



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* And Mace Windu's scene, in particular, must be seen to be believed. Holy carp.