Angel >> Thirty-five years of the Montreal metro The city's underground transit system, inaugurated 35 years ago this weekend, has been admired throughout the world not just for its silence and environmental friendliness, but also because of its safety and comparatively low cost. The brainchild of the city's legendary mayor Jean Drapeau, the metro was designed as a showcase to the world at Expo '67, arguably Montreal's zenith, opening with 19 stations at 20 cents a ride. While the city has since lost much of its lustre, our rubber-wheeled underground public transportation system remains something still worth showing off.

Insect >> Shameless flag peddlers While the first wave of post-9-11 patriotism was entirely understandable and often touching, the non-stop commercials now running on CNN are simply nauseating. Viewers are invited to celebrate their Americanness by buying a flag kit, complete with stars-and-stripes button and stickers. Though it was inevitable, it doesn't make it any less unsavoury, this making a fast buck out of September's tragedy.