Angel >> Intellectual pit-fighter John Ralston Saul For the last two weeks, Saul (husband to Governor General Adrienne Clarkson) has been exchanging missive missiles with noted Quebec historian Gerard Bouchard (the Premier's brother) in the op-ed pages of Le Devoir. Bouchard says Saul's book Reflections of a Siamese Twin is anti-Quebec because it glosses over historic differences between English and French Canadians. Saul responds by pointing out that "to be able to remember only errors is a disorder of memory. I'm sure the professor would agree." Way to take up the fight--in a French paper, no less.

Insect >> The big banks, for reneging on their student loan agreement Fact: the default rate on student loans is high. Fact: the banks have known it from the start, but wanted to get into the business anyway. Fact: the federal government already pays the banks about $50 million a year to compensate them for the high default rate. New fact: the big banks now say they want the government to ante up an extra $100 million to cover their past losses on student loans, or they'll get out of the student loan business altogether. Suggestion: fire the big banks, and hire someone else to handle student loans.