[mojo2]

I had a chance to watch CBC's "Just For Laughs-GAGS!" and it made me LAUGH OUT LOUD start to finish!

[osxisfun]

The don't have our president?

[rickey939]

Mounties!

[Kerrigan]

It's a nice place to visit in the summer, the people are friendly, prices are cheap... in all honesty there isn't much to dislike about Canada.

[besson3c]

- Tim Hortons
- Loblaws
- Mr. Dressup
- Swiss Chalet
- Loonies/Toonies
- Women allowed to be topless in Toronto
- Public health system (I know, this is a hot button topic, and I hope this doesn't derail this thread, but this is a plus for freelancers who don't want to pay a gazillion dollars for an individual health plan just for basic coverage)
- Gay marriage (another hot button topic, but I'd bet anything that Canada is just ahead of the curve, and that the US will eventually legalize gay marriage)
- Cleanliness of our cities
- A little less crime/intimidation than the major cities in the US

Finally:

- Many of the same things that are positive about the U.S... Canada really is joined at the hip with the U.S., probably more than most people realize. I sometimes think of Canada as the kid brother to the U.S. (smaller, a little more innocent, and from the same blood line).

Of course, there are some disadvantages to living in Canada too...

I've spent 21+ years in Toronto, 5+ years in the U.S.

[mojo2]

Originally Posted by besson3c

Of course, there are some disadvantages to living in Canada too...

Oh?

[dreilly1]

Originally Posted by mojo2

Eh?

Fixed™

[Kerrigan]

Originally Posted by besson3c

- Gay marriage (another hot button topic, but I'd bet anything that Canada is just ahead of the curve, and that the US will eventually legalize gay marriage)

There should be some type of forum law (like Godwin's law) explaining the causal relationship between gay threads and canada threads, and the frequency with which they overlap.

[budster101]

You just made it happen. We'll call it: (Bessn's law). Some of the greatest comedians have come down from Canada, and some fine musical talent.

[dreilly1]

[budster101]

Don't forget Hockey.

[mojo2]

You know, the issue of gayness and Canadia-ness it's kinda like someone throwing their religious beliefs into every conversation. But, on the other hand, so much of hetero conversation contains heterosexual references that I could imagine some gays wanting to put their orientation front and center and make it as commonplace as hetero references are.

San Francisco is as gay friendly or gay integrated a place as one could imagine, I think. But Canada and gay are now starting to be linked in my brain, too. When i was watching a Canadian program I saw two pretty girls walking through a park together and I thought, "they might be lovers."

A new thought process for me.

Kinda disconcerting, I must admit, though.

Like window shopping and seeing a neat looking suit or pair of shoes or an electronic device or toy etc. and finding out it's not real or it's not for sale. Even if you weren't really in the market right then, the realization makes you feel you've been deprived an option.

[broxy5]

They are not nearly as loud and boisterous. May be biased as I am proudly Canadian, and I just got back from Yellowstone a few short hours ago. Beautiful place I'll admit, but my only complaint has to do with the post-Sturgis traffic (pack after pack of loud f@#$ing harleys, and I am a biker too, just not an obnoxiously loud one) and motor-coach/motorhomes with hummers and every other kind of SUV towed behind them, and so on...

[mojo2]

dp.

[mojo2]

Originally Posted by budster101

You just made it happen. We'll call it: (Bessn's law). Some of the greatest comedians have come down from Canada, and some fine musical talent.

Why not Kerrigan's Law?

Oh, that's right, besson3c has very admirable, er...talents. And knows how to play!



http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.p...76#post2642276

[budster101]

Did I miss something? ... "er... attributes".... somebody post pics now!

[Scandalous Ion Cannon]

A Canadian is like an American. But without a gun.

[budster101]

This is my weapon this is my gun, this is for shooting this is for fun.

[mojo2]

Originally Posted by budster101

Did I miss something? ... "er... attributes".... somebody post pics now!

I misspoke. Meant to say, talents. But, back to the topic, please.

[spindler]

One great thing about Canada over the U.S. appears to be that everyone doesn't get tattoos like Americans do. I went across the border from Seattle to Vancouver, which is just 30 miles over the border. I looked and looked and only saw three people with tattoos, and two appeared to be lower class. It was nice to be in a place where being normal is actually still in style.

On the downside, Vancouverans did not seem to be good dressers. Maybe I was missing the style, but most people, even young attractive people, looked like they had any old pants and any old top randomly picked out from a thrift store. They didn't seem to be that interested in being hip like Americans.

[budster101]

That's just wrong. : <blink>

[Eug Wanker]

The best dressed North Americans are in Montreal. They win by a huge margin. Perhaps number two is New York (at least the rich Manhattan types), but Montreal is in a whole other league.

Vancouverites are too "practical" in their dress for my tastes. Toronto is OK, but there are too many Bay Streeters who own the exact same blue suits.

[rozwado1]

Blue Mountain?

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by rozwado1

Blue Mountain?

Not!

Whistler Blackcomb is what you meant maybe?

[spindler]

Oh, and also the architecture in Vancouver was very nice. The houses had that rectangularish British look and a lots of points on the roofs.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by spindler

Oh, and also the architecture in Vancouver was very nice. The houses had that rectangularish British look and a lots of points on the roofs.

If you want nice architecture, again, Montreal is where it's at.

[Kerrigan]

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

The best dressed North Americans are in Montreal. They win by a huge margin. Perhaps number two is New York (at least the rich Manhattan types), but Montreal is in a whole other league.

Vancouverites are too "practical" in their dress for my tastes. Toronto is OK, but there are too many Bay Streeters who own the exact same blue suits.

Yes this is true. People on the west coast usually don't like to dress smartly, instead they prefer t-shirts and that type of thing. It is the same in the US I have noticed, around California and Washington.

[ReggieX]

Attributes?

[waxcrash]

What's good about Canada? The fishing.

[el chupacabra]

I like canadian oil. In fact I love it!

But the oil might be nothing without all the suv driving americans that keep the price of oil high thus feeding money into my pocket
Thank you for your generous contributions suv drivers!

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

Not!

Whistler Blackcomb is what you meant maybe?

Blue Mountain is sort of Ontario's version of Whistler/Blackcomb, except about a third as large..

My parents have a cottage up near Blue Mountain.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

If you want nice architecture, again, Montreal is where it's at.

Yes, Montreal and Quebec City are the oldest cities in North America.. a lot of history there too.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by mojo2

Oh?

(re: disadvantages of Canada)

Would you like for me to elaborate?

[mojo2]

Originally Posted by besson3c

(re: disadvantages of Canada)

Would you like for me to elaborate?

sil vous plait

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by mojo2

sil vous plait

Well... health... this is a complicated issue that everybody seems to feel differently about. Some of the arguments against public health (which are reasonable) include not wanting to pay for other people's ailments (particularly preventable sicknesses such as obesity, smoking problems, poor diet, etc.). Other people still debate whether it is the government's job to be in the health providing business at all. Me, I'd be happy with the American system if it were more affordable to people who do not work for a company that provides insurance, and not completely full of ridiculous loopholes and weird complexities.

The problems are the wait lists which are sometimes in place, things that aren't covered in Canada, and the notion that a public system doesn't shape a system that encourages bleeding edge developments in health care (I'm not sure that I buy this, nor am I one to run out and buy the latest wonder drug and be a guinea pig).

The debate about health care goes back and forth, as I'm sure it has several times in the Lounge. I will add to this though that about a third of Canada's population are in its cities. Canada is also the second largest country in the world. With a third of the population concentrated in such a small percentage of the country's overall land mass, I don't think Canada could ever move to more of a free market thing like America has - the representation is such too skewed.. obviously the needs of people in our cities is much different than the rural population.


Returning to the topic at hand:

- tax on goods is higher
- Canada is affected by so much that the US does and doesn't do
- climate (if you don't like living in the North... I love the North!) Of course, Southern Ontario's climate is really not as drastic as some people might think

One of the reasons I moved to the US was to mingle with musicians involved in the jazz scene here, and see acts that I wouldn't get a chance to see in Toronto. Toronto will bring in the headliners, but it is (or was) very expensive to bring in bands from the US given the difference in dollar

Enough for ya?

[Ghoser777]

Some people speak french.

:ducks:

[Salty]

... Me...

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by Ghoser777

Some people speak french.

:ducks:

It is actually really fun to visit Montreal or Quebec City and speak French with people... at least for me and my wife

About half of Montreal's population is bilingual, about 60% are French only, 40% English only (correct me if I'm wrong, anybody). In Ottawa, with the Quebec border intersecting the city, the percentage of bilingual speakers are even higher.

Seeing how tough a time I had in my French classes at school, I think these are impressive numbers. I think it's cool that many people in America (and Canada) struggle with their own language, yet in Montreal and Ottawa people are engaged in both languages, and have to live and conduct business in two languages. I think it would be fun to live in an area where you'd have to be mentally engaged like this.. maybe I"m just weird!

[CanadaRAM]

Our incoming Governor-General is WAY better looking than the outgoing American President....

http://montreal.cbc.ca/regional/serv...g-jean20050804

[besson3c]

I guess another disadvantage of Canada is their equivalent of the DMCA. I don't know much about it, but I read about people bitching about them all the time...

Oh well, if you replace one letter with a "Y", you have a happy Native American, construction worker, cop, and sailor!

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by CanadaRAM

Our incoming Governor-General is WAY better looking than the outgoing American President....

http://montreal.cbc.ca/regional/serv...g-jean20050804

heheh... this reminds me of a story that I find funny.

My wife and I were in Ottawa this Canada day, and there was a procession where a bunch of dignitaries paraded up to the main stage. The Governor-General, Adrienne Clarkson, was in this parade and beside here was this mountie in his old-school uniform (costume?!) carrying nothing but a sword which he held proudly up in the air.

The Governor-General is the Queen's representative and serves as a check and balance on the government (mostly these days, just a figurehead). This representative is an important part of Canada's history - Ottawa was named the capital of Canada by the Governor-General. So, it wouldn't be too cool if somebody were to kill the Governor-General, and I was thinking "yeah, this silly looking dude with his sword is really going to keep a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people under control with his sword should somebody decide to take out the Governor-General"... of course, there were real cops nearby, this guy was just a decoy.

[mojo2]

Originally Posted by besson3c

heheh... this reminds me of a story that I find funny.

My wife and I were in Ottawa this Canada day, and there was a procession where a bunch of dignitaries paraded up to the main stage. The Governor-General, Adrienne Clarkson, was in this parade and beside here was this mountie in his old-school uniform (costume?!) carrying nothing but a sword which he held proudly up in the air.

The Governor-General is the Queen's representative and serves as a check and balance on the government (mostly these days, just a figurehead). This representative is an important part of Canada's history - Ottawa was named the capital of Canada by the Governor-General. So, it wouldn't be too cool if somebody were to kill the Governor-General, and I was thinking "yeah, this silly looking dude with his sword is really going to keep a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people under control with his sword should somebody decide to take out the Governor-General"... of course, there were real cops nearby, this guy was just a decoy.

CBC is a breeding ground for Governors-General I guess. What a career path! Sorta like becoming Governor of California may be the stepping stone to the White House???

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by mojo2

CBC is a breeding ground for Governors-General I guess. What a career path! Sorta like becoming Governor of California may be the stepping stone to the White House???

That reminds me of a BIG plus about Canada:

3 major political parties... As suvsr4terrorists (is that Cash?!) said in another thread, this country really needs a strong third party. There are times when I think that a parliamentary system has key advantages over the US system of government too.

I could also take a little jab at "no former body builder and WWF wrestler politicians", or "our Prime Minister doesn't invent words and stumble with his speech like your president does", but that would provoke the usual suspects and this thread would disintegrate pretty quickly...

[CanadaRAM]

Originally Posted by besson3c

I could also take a little jab at "no former body builder and WWF wrestler politicians", or "our Prime Minister doesn't invent words and stumble with his speech like your president does", but that would provoke the usual suspects and this thread would disintegrate pretty quickly...

No, but PM the PM does invent Federal policy priorities on the fly...

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by CanadaRAM

No, but PM the PM does invent Federal policy priorities on the fly...

I can't remember, does Canada have a minority or majority government right now?

At least Canada can do the vote of no confidence thing should things get really bad. Sometimes I find it scary that the president and advisors can only get booted by breaking the law... well, technically... this doesn't apply to Karl Rove apparently.

[mojo2]

Originally Posted by besson3c

I can't remember, does Canada have a minority or majority government right now?

At least Canada can do the vote of no confidence thing should things get really bad. Sometimes I find it scary that the president and advisors can only get booted by breaking the law... well, technically... this doesn't apply to Karl Rove apparently.

(Canadian accent) Dontcha know you've got a major criminal up there in Vancouver selling the marijuana stuff down here to the states. So, hey, don't you get all holier than thou on us, now!

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by mojo2

(Canadian accent) Dontcha know you've got a major criminal up there in Vancouver selling the marijuana stuff down here to the states. So, hey, don't you get all holier than thou on us, now!

Apparently, even though Bush ate some Alberta beef during his last trip to Canada, he is still (last I checked) refusing to allow importing of Canadian beef for health and safety issues. This has really pissed off several Canadians, and from what I gather it's a losing proposition for some Americans too...

So, not only do we have TEH POT!!!121, but we also have crazy mad cow infected beef. My Mom actually had her ham sandwich confiscated the last time she came down to visit me, because they thought it was actually roast beef.

Oddly enough, Canadians have been happily eating their beef for years now since the outbreak - no reported instances of sickness, but I guess we have some sort of mad cow savvy immune system or something...

Between Ontario and B.C., there are miles and miles (kilometers and kilometers) of very little except wheat, beef, white people, and Salty. It must suck having the rug pulled out from under you if you are a beef farmer living in the Prairies.

[adam1185]

Actually the border reopened to beef a few weeks back ( http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/natio...4.html?ref=rss )

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by adam1185

Actually the border reopened to beef a few weeks back ( http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/natio...4.html?ref=rss )

I stand corrected! I've been a little out-of-touch...

Also, here is what a mad cow looks like:




MOOOOO!!!


it looks pretty pissed.

[CanadaRAM]

Originally Posted by besson3c

I can't remember, does Canada have a minority or majority government right now?

Depends... what day is it?

The Liberals (133) are hanging on by a quasi- sortof- shotgun wedding - coalition thing with the NDP (19), which gives them 151, compared with a combined 152 if the Reform...no sorry Conservative party (98) and Bloc Quebecois (54) combine votes, leaving the balance to 3 independents (including one disgraced Liberal) and one vacant seat due to the death of a member last month -- the member who cast the swing vote that defeated the non-confidence motion earlier this year. We clear on that so far?

http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/ab...tandings-e.htm

The ex-liberal member sitting as an independent -- well, you can find her name in the Oxford dictionary under the definition for "loose cannon". One of the Conservative seats in Vancouver was won by about 10 votes over the NDP candidate, (with approx 70 ballots improperly excluded), but the NDP guy just recently gave up his challenge for a court recount to run for mayor of Vancouver (a traditional step to the Premiership of BC), looking to replace the soon-to-be-ex Mayor who had broken with his civic party (causing political havoc in Vancouver), but who has just been appointed by the Liberals to the senate (still with me?).

In the mean time the collective breath is still being held for the Gomery commission report which will lay the blame for a few hundred million $ gone into advertising agency commissions, double billings and featherbedding (with the titillating possibility of Liberal party kickbacks), ostensibly to promote cultural programs (but really federalism) in Quebec prior to the last Quebec separation referendum (mais non, we don't use that word separation, we say c'est le sovereignty-association) -- which was narrowly defeated. Whatever the Gomery report says, it will be followed by dissolution of the Government and another election.

So, while the world debates WMD (or not), Evil non-western governments with nuclear programs (or not) and impending flu epidemics, back home we're set to collapse the govenment and possibly break up the country over who it was exactly who overpaid for the souvenir signed golf balls.

Homesick yet?