Fake Lake Redux

Japan has taken a page out of Canada's book, and built its own version of a small fake lake for the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit.

Japan's "lake" is digital, with virtual fish swimming about and a fountain that drips fake water to create fake ripples.

Wonder what it cost?

Now, if this had happened:

"Stephen, don't fall in," U.S. President Barack Obama joked to Harper.

I woulda said: 'Priceless.'

(That's my new fave picture of our evil doofus PM.)

Fake Lake = Fab Fun!

Even the NatPo is spanking Stevie over Fake Lake. Tasha Kheiriddin:

But have the Conservatives finally jumped the shark? As with any party in power, even a minority, arrogance and complacency eventually set in, this time, in the tragi-comic form of the now-notorious fake lake. The lake symbolizes everything that is wrong with this government: a focus on optics, rather than reality. It’s what they want you to see, not what is really there, like scripting Message Event Proposals for Afghan aid workers, stonewalling on freedom of information requests, or cutting government cheques with big Conservative party logos on them.

Altogether, the best thing I've read in that rag for years. But just let me fix something in that last paragraph, Tasha.

The Conservatives should be mindful that it’s not just the rest of the world that is watching; voters at home seem to be finally waking up as well. After riding high in the polls for months, Conservative poll numbers are starting to slip, and talk of a Liberal-NDP Coalition is in the works. Let’s hope the combination of these factors will bring this government down to earth. Mr. Harper should remember that governing Canada isn’t a reality TV show; for voters, it is real life, unscripted.

There. Much better.