Ottawa is, indeed, a fine place, though I must admit it's frickin' cold and wet right about now. But, to return to the original topic, let us not forget that Canada has something of a track record in cranking out teen sensations. Remember Paul Anka?

The New Yorker ran a fascinating article about the Bieber business last summer. It conveyed a strong impression of a hard-working young man with heavy responsibilities, who loves his mother and does his best in a difficult business. He came across as genuinely nice and very talented, if immature. That last characteristic seemed mostly an effect of having been so thoroughly commodified at such a young age.