Few will ever forget the dramatic footage of Flight 1543 as it splashed down fairly gracefully in the Hudson River following a bird-strike and double engine failure.
It was discovered today that the bird responsible for the jet's demise was a migratory Canadian goose.
The moral of the story: watch your ass USA. G'head... say "Buy American" one more time.
This is something that is not confined just to new Canadians. Historian J.L. Granatstein writes in his book Who Killed Canadian History that not only are Canadians losing a grip on their identity, but Canadian history has all but dropped completely from our kids' schools. Whatever history is taught tends to be micro in focus and social in nature. Kids learn about the Great Winnipeg Strike and the plight of Ukrainian settlers in northern Alberta, but nothing of our greatest Prime Ministers or little of our contributions to world security. All of these things are important, but in balance. Canadian kids (and adults) simply don't get a comprehensive picture.
Why is this? Growing up I had this perception of Canadian history that it was dull and uninspiring. In contrast, our southern cousins seemed to have a history full of wars, more wars and rumors of wars. Fight, fight, kill, kill. That's exciting stuff. Fight, kill, pillage. Like a Tarantino movie.
Like Canadians themselves, our history is more subtle. Don't get me wrong, we've had our share of wars, and we've whupped ass wherever we've gone. In a slightly snobbish and sneaky British way, Canadians have had their fair share of chicanery.
Our country was founded by heavy-drinking British loyalists. Parliamentary aides were said to sometimes hold their hat for John A. Macdonald so he could "clear himself" before a speech. Imagine if your boss came up to you and said, "Hey, I'm going into a meeting, give me your lunchbag..." The myth taught to first-year Canadian history students is one of a drunken John A. Macdonald puking on a speaking rostrum, and recovering by claiming that his Liberal opponent turned his stomach. Now that's politics.
These hard-working ‘two bottle a day men' ruled Canada with a blatant disregard for the commoner. In what has been derisively dubbed as ‘The Great Intercolonial Drunk'- or the Charlottetown Conference in 1864- the colony's top politicians basically got together and had a great big piss-fest. Out of this kitchen party writ large came Confederation. Wildly unpopular with most citizens, but they didn't care.
Forget violent revolution, star-spangled banners and bombs bursting in air. Some guy got drunk at a party, said to his buddies, "You know what would be awesome, man...." and a country was born. It's like a colonial Molson Canadian commercial.
I am Canadian.
Keep checking back for more tales from Canada's sordid past....
According to this City of Calgary news release, a 21-month old boy was left crying and freezing in the parking lot of a Calgary casino last night.
It was about -8 celcius at the time. The report states that the father was playing in the casino, and that the young boy was dressed lightly and not wearing shoes or socks.
I think that there should be an addition to the two categories of baby-making people. 1) People who should have kids and rock at it. 2) People who shouldn't have children, and 3) People like this who should be castrated and be a pincushion in prison for the REST OF THEIR F***ING LIVES!!
This makes me nauseous. This man deserves vigilante justice. Where's Mad Max when you need him.
Argh.
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That's my angry typing. :|
Today the annual debate regarding the seal hunt has opened up for another season. 100 Spaniards stripped nekkid and painted themselves like seal carcasses to protest the hunt.
I don't quite understand what all the fuss is about. Seals are kinda cute, this is true. But so are cows. And pigs. I understand PETA-type people objecting to the hunt: this is clearly their mandate.
But aren't people looking down on the seal-hunt while digesting last night's roast beef dinner?
Of course, people will argue that it is the manner in which the seals are slaughered, which is usually by striking the forehead with the traditional hakapik. This process has been sanctioned by various government and independent agencies as painless and humane.
Granted, this seems kinda gross. But anyone who has seen a cow or pig butchered will know that the process is far from gentle.
It takes some effort to stop a living being from living.
If you're a vegetarian, and wish to protest animal suffering, then great. Protest away. You have the right.
But if you're not, give your head a shake. Cute animals don't deserve life more than ugly animals.
"As your CEO and chairman, it is my duty to report that it's been a mixed year for your company. On one hand, the financial crisis has led to the largest annual loss in company history, a 50 per cent reduction in our workforce and a 92 per cent decline in our share price. On the other, my bonus cheque cleared."
-Scott Feschuk, "Here for the AGM", Macleans Magazine, Vol 122, No 9 (March 16, 2009)
Okay everybody, start sharpening your knives.
I don't believe that company leaders have gotten a good rap during this financial crisis. Why, simply because things are going bad, are we expecting them to sacrifice their bonuses on the altar of collective prosperity?
No, no: hear me out.
Why don't they deserve their rewards? These men and women are, for the most part, very deserving of the positions they are in. Most of them work harder than you. Most of them are smarter than you. They have sacrificed a lot for the work that they do, and now when they reach the top we're expecting them to forgo the fruits of their labor?
'Sorry Mr. Chairman, I know you've worked 38 years to get that corner office on the 63rd floor. But looks like our share price has taken a dive and you have to give up 40% of your salary. Please sign here.'
I believe strongly that everyone needs to re-address their situations in this financial environment, don't get me wrong. And I think that most executives would gladly scale back remuneration packages for the good of their companies.
But have the Unions? Have their suppliers? Has everyone done all they can to stop the bleeding, without looking at the big cheese.
A Unionized steel employee shows up for 2 3-hour shifts in a week, and gets paid for 5 8-hour shifts. A Unionized autoworker gets topped up unemployment insurance, and enjoys nearly 100% salary for staying at home watching Dr. Phil.
But Mr. CEO: get back into coach where you belong.
I don't buy it.
The airwaves are crammed. The internet is full. Calgary even has more than three passable radio stations for the first time since, well, ever.
But the New Media is no respecter of borders. With the advent of 'You-Said-Mega-What?' bandwidth, the internet is front-and-centre in most people's lives- in a big way. Why watch 30 Rock tonight when you can stream it tomorrow? Why buy a newspaper when you can get it for free from any number of free news portals. (Plus, ever try reading the Herald on the can? Exactly.)
Is Canada's cultural identity threatened by this new globalization of information transfer?
In 1951 the Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences was released by the Canadian government. In it, chairman Vincent Massey concluded that Canada was at significant risk of its culture being over-run by American radio and television waves drifting across the border.
Today's argument, as espoused by the ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) is that Canada's culture is at danger of being over-run. Not only by the nasty Americans and their well-written and well-produced sitcoms, but indeed by the world and the legions of You-Tubers and extremely intelligent bloggers.
Canadians have been prominently in the spotlight urging the Americans to throw away "Buy American" and keep international tariff walls down.
Isn't this cultural isolationism?
I enjoyed this. I make no secret of my admiration for the United States, and also no secret of my admiration for Stephen Harper.
It was nice to see Canada so well-represented in this meeting. I think back in my mind to a past presidential visit involving former PM Jean Chretien, and how ashamed I was of our leader and the way he portrayed Canada to the world.
This was certainly not the case yesterday. I was struck (unlike most of the Canadian press) not so much with Obama's presence or his words, but with Stephen Harper's.
You see, I've always thought that Stephen Harper looks like a promotional cardboard cutout of himself, and I would think that this would play out poorly next to the obviously charismatic Obamessiah.
It didn't. Harper handled himself with aplomb and poise. He portrayed Canada as confident and willing to contribute.
I don't care if Obama "loves Canada". That's nice, thank you.
I do care that we have a leader that we can be proud of.
Finally.
I’ve played Guitar Hero a few times, and thought that it was a great game. You get to use a fake little guitar, jerk it around and listen to good songs.
Just for the record:
BEING GOOD AT GUITAR HERO DOESN’T MAKE YOU A MUSICIAN!!!!!!!
I have heard on a few independent occasions of people believing that they were going to take up an instrument, believing that their Guitar Hero skills would be transferable. Reality check, people: the skills are not interchangeable. The only thing about guitar hero that might transfer would be finger dexterity, which is just as easily gained playing Halo as Guitar Hero.
I play the guitar, the bass, a little piano and the drums. It has taken me years and years of abject pain and finger torture to get some proficiency. Mental anguish when I can’t nail a song in time for the next campfire session. Thousands of dollars in gear.
See how many people sing along when you try to crank out Sweet Child O’ Mine around the campfire with your Guitar Hero guitar.
