Enviropig, SuperSalmon, Bionic Woman

Short Version:
Genetically-modified pork products are headed your way! Backhanders for healthcare professionals. A bad pun.

Long Version:
Neither the AquaBounty AquAdvantage salmon, which grows twice as fast as its unmodified counterparts, nor the Guelph Enviropig, which thanks to the E. Coli bacteria (famous for living in swimming pools) has a vastly more efficient digestive system (ie poops and farts less) than its ancestors have been approved for commercial release in Canadian markets - no genetically modified animal has, yet. But there are indications that it's probably not far off, and the race is on to see which of these transgenic critters will be the first to gain approval from Amerika's Food and Drug Administration, which is not only the key to the blockbusting US market, but also to the lesser but more red-taped Canadian environment; the markets are so tightly-integrated that an approval from the (multitudinous) Canadian authorities would essentially mean the Amerikans following suit, turning a blind eye, or banning Canadian piggy/salmonish products entirely. The first two aren't going to happen, and the third would be disastrous for Canada's economy, so that's out too, which leaves Amerika going first.

Apparently the Amerikan FDA approvals processes for both species are halfway complete, which is stark contrast - maybe - to how things stand north of the border, where the Canadian government decided to go around the difficulties involved with regulating the burgeoning new industry by shoe-horning transgenic animals into the existing regulatory systems as a new type of veterinary medicine. Both critters have received conditional approval from one of the three Canadian regulatory bodies involved in the certification process, but neither of their backers have heard anything from the other two.

Still, it sounds very much like both these critters are likely to be signed off as fit for Amerikan (and subsequently, no doubt, for Canadian, and therefore probably NZ - did I mention that Canada's where NZ gets most of its imported pork products?) consumption in the relatively near future, which should enrage some people so much that they join a facebook group in protest.

Speaking of protests, when we were in Amerika much was being made of the near-universal antipathy towards ObamaCare, the much maligned universal medical insurance scheme introduced by the Nobel Peace Prize-winning 44th President of Amerika. (Theoretically, his Peace Prize was awarded on the strength of "...his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." Arse; bunch thereof.) Giving credit where it's due, though; in tackling Amerika's healthcare industry he certainly wasn't shying away from the big jobs - it's a bloody mess.

In contrast, Canadians have long held dear the belief that their public health system is a wonderful thing; that it provides an umbrella of care for all Canadians, no matter how full their pocketbooks. Recently, evidence has come to light to suggest that this may not necessarily be true, at least not all of the time in all parts of this sprawling country. Admittedly, most of the stories of medico-fiscal malfeasance which have been trumpeted about the place of late involve Quebec, which is that crappy bit in the middle of Canada where they wish they were French, and which has long been renowned as a hotbed of corruption at all levels of the public sector, so it may well be that the one (very) bad apple province is tainting the reputations of all the others. Still, any time you have people stating outright and on the record that the going rate to have your doctor bother to turn up for the birth of your child is somewhere between two- and ten-thousand dollars, you know your medical system has a problem. Similarly, the tales of envelopes stuffed with large-denomination bills being stuffed under pillows for the anaesthetist to find are mildly horrific. Especially when your step-mother's just had a knee replaced, and has spent several days post-op throwing up near-constantly after receiving some bizarre anaesthetic concoction that contra-indicates her prominently-displayed allergy status.

Fat envelope under the pillow? No.
Several days of narcotized misery? Yes.
Coincidence? Probably.

Still, the new knee seems to be at least as good as the old one, and that's even before the surgical slice and dice has had a chance to heal up. Friends are already planning a knees-up to celebrate.