Hey Canada!

[mongycore]

what's going on at home? Anything interesting?

[gravedigger]

Anything interesting? Dude, it's Canada.

[mongycore]

dude, somebody got a dell...

Just read some Toronto Star/Vancouver Province articles. Mad Cow fears in Alberta and West Nile (in a dead bird)...add to that SARS.

Damn, Canada looks like it's got a license to ill.

[captain supermarket]

What's worst is that amongst all those evil fears, Alpha Flight is nowhere to be seen here in Ottawa.

Actually, what I love about Canada is that we don't really let ourselves be scared by stupid shit like SARS, West Nile, and Mad Cow. Sure, they sell stupid 'suits' to cover up against West Nile, hospitals were at a standstill for SARS, and well, for Mad Cow, I don't really care since I'm vegetarian, but I've always gotten the sense that Canadians realize that all this crap is always overblown by the media anyways, and just don't really care about it, exactly how they shouldn't.

Oh, and the Senators are doing well in the playoffs, they started auditions for Canadian Idol a few weeks ago, and we are now officially calling Jim Carrey an american to disassociate ourselves from Bruce Almighty.

[mongycore]

been missing the hell out of the CBC. The run Vancouver Canucks were on sounded like a blast.

Actually, it's funny that SARS and that Laci Peterson case are dominating the news down here as of late. Last year, people were just freaking out (in the media) tracking known cases of West Nile. Then poof, it disappeared.

Canadian Idol. Sounds like pain.

[captain supermarket]

Well, Canadian Idol the show only starts next month; the tryouts were last week ago, or so. I'm just upset I missed out, because I had some Vaselines songs stuck in my head all day. I remember thinking how cool it would have been to sing 'Rory Rides Me Raw' for the show.

And my favorite West Nile story: Two years ago, I was working for my hometown's By-Law Enforcement, and we did animal control for the city. I worked with the guy who was in charge of picking up dead animals, bringing them to the SPCA, where the carcass would be incinerated. Anyways, one day, we get a call from a woman who happens to live across the street from the biggest paper mill factory in all of Ontario, and she's complaining about dead crows appearing in her backyard. We go to her place, and the whole area just reeks because of this industry (rumour has it that people have to re-paint their houses every year because the paint just chips off so quickly in that area). We arrive at the house, and the (way oversized) woman shows us to the dead crows, and she's telling us to watch out, because 'Dem birds might have dat west nile thing from the TV'. I was too nice to tell her that I'm sure the polution coming from right across the street probably played a huge part in the birds' deaths.

We just brought the birds to the SPCA. Fuck west nile, and its ilk.

[thedudeabides]

Canada is becoming quite the Disease capital of North America.

Over at my office, we have to check anyone from Toranto to see if they have symptoms of SARS.

Yeah, by the time I check them, I'll have it.

But seriously, stay safe up there.

[billz]

So, when are the McKenzie Brothers going to make another movie, aye?

I kid the Canadians.

[mongycore]

eh?

So much for erasing stereotypes and preconceptions. I handed the phone to my wife, so she could talk with my parents the other day...years of telling her people don't use the word 'eh' at the end of the sentence was nullified after that conversation.

I am now a liar.

Anything new going on Canada? Me, not much. It's heating up here south of Mumford. Damn hot.

I have to wonder though. Are people born into a certain climate? That they can live in such an enviroment that would be off putting for others, aliens?

With time, can I learn to love the sunshine?

Again, not much is going on, but thank god there's AC.

[Winjer]

I have SARS and Mad Cow disease, but I'm too damn stoned to care!

[captain supermarket]

But luckly you have been walking around in your West Nile virus protective suit, so you haven't gotten all of the diseases from up here yet.

[Unbreathless]

SARS is overblown, west nile is just as bad here as it is in the northern states, and there was mad cow disease in one cow. We are hardly the disease capital of north america.

Beef prices are plummeting from the MadCow scare, even tho there's no evidence of it being ANYWHERE else other than in that one cow. The carcasses are piling up.

Newfoundland rules.
No Cows to get mad cow from
West nile can't survive in our climate
and there is NO SARS this far east!

It's great!

The biggest news we got here is that The Northern Cod (what newfoundland, and much of eastern canada was founded on) is now gone, completely. The government is going to declare it an endangered species.

[mongycore]

I certainly hope our Salmon and Oolichan stocks on the west coast don't disappear too. Of course they've been fished bone dry thanks to big corporations, so making money commercially isn't viable...but my family depends on catching them in the river for food, snacks, and in some cases natural medicines.

Nice to see there are chewers here from Newfoundland...

[captain supermarket]

I'm just surprised to see the newfs know how to use electric objects. Way to go Newfoundland! The rest of Canada is proud of you.

[Ennio]

Unbreathless turns 20. World ends.:
Newfoundland rules.
No Cows to get mad cow from
West nile can't survive in our climate
and there is NO SARS this far east!

It's great!
Amen to that!

Though the endangered species list that the cod is going on is not the same list that protects it from being killed. So people are still going to fish us dry.

[mongycore]

Hey Canada,

I miss the shit out of the overcast skies of coastal BC. Sun is good but in moderation. Rain would be cool too, although it has a nasty habit of making my mustang spin out/fish-tail at intersections when I press on the gas.

My grandfather had his birthday the other day. Really want to be home right now. Not only because of that, but my brother's soccer team is going on the road hitting some tournaments. Those were always fun trips to be on.

Being here has its advantages though. DSL, a fully functional battle...um, media room with games, dvd's, and a healthy stack of books and mags to read. Not to mention the wife, but I'm sure Canada would let her in if we decided to relocate in a few years.

Damn. I'm sweating buckets here. It's very sick and disturbing.

Hey, when you canadians went abroad, did anyone ever mistake your ethnicity?

People cannot for the life of them pinpoint what I am exactly. I've been accused of being mexican, philipino, east indian, british (with my so called accent), and now after this mornings dvd run...Chow Yun-Fat. Hair needs to be cut. Been mistaken for him is a tell-tale sign that I need to have it trimmed. I'm tempted to give out a fake autograph if this keeps up...or, maybe partake in some Catch Me If You Can inspired hijinx.

Better get back to work now, nice chatting with you Canada.

-mongy

[mongycore]

so, now I'm wondering if it is true that canadian men like licking womens toes. I've been asked on 3 occasions by friends down here if that's true. Where the hell did that come from? I know for a fact, that I do not get off on toe licking. That's just ill.

More importantly though, I was looking online, and seeing that god dammit. Vancouver is interested in hosting the winter olympics in 2010. Now. I have to say. Have they ever been to Vancouver in the winter? Calgary is winter, Toronto is winter, Ottawa is winter...Vancouver is rain, rain, more rain, and the Daredevils private playground.

I can see a lot of cool events happening in GM Place...figure skating, hockey, and maybe speed skating too. But where the hell are they going to do the downhill stuff. Like the luge/bobsledding. Is Grouse Mountain a great place for downhill skiing. Will BC/Vancouver risk the potential fatalities of commuting competitors to Whistler where their resorts/hills are definitely better?

I can't picture it being all wintery there. I'm sure that'll be pointed out soon enough.

What da ya canucks think?

[mongycore]

btw, happy birthday Canada

(July 1st being the equivilent of July 4th, or something like that)

[Ennio]

Congrats Vancouver!

Canada won the Olympic Bid!

[mongycore]

I got woken up by my parents phoning me this went through. Geezus...I was all freaked out that somebody had died or got hurt.

Again, is Vancouver a wintery city?

I mean, it would be like LA getting the winter bid, and them having the games in Denver...that is, if they opted to utilize Whistler.

[Winjer]

Yes...

whistler = olympic heaven

[Unbreathless]

whistler is the only part of bc that gets any snow from what I can tell from the other coast.

All i hear from my BC friends is how it always rains there in the winter...

Wistler is awsome for all things downhill related though.

[mongycore]

if you should ever drive north away from the gangland streets of Vancouver, past the methane poison that is Chilliwack, and up on through the fraser canyon...you will find snow on our side of the coast.

Lovely stuff it is, if you have good tires, made better with occasional bursts of rain making sledding down our unused logging roads a complete blast.

God. My posts make it look like I don't want Vancouver to get the honors of hosting in 2010. How uncanadian of me. I'm happy for it, and probably will be (if possible) lining up to see some hockey games in GM place when the games start.

I still worry though that the Sea To Sky highway is going to be bad for some people if they don't widen or improve some of the quirky sections of road you encounter on your drive to Whistler. It would be bad publicity should any competitors or fans get into any horrible wrecks on the way to the games.

1 more month canada and I'm coming home. (and it's about friggin' time)

[gravedigger]

Don't forget your toque, eh. If you run through Billings on the way up, stop by and we'll have a rousing game of Beer Hunter.

Good day, eh.

[mongycore]

sorry grave, I don't think the flock of geese I captured would be in the mood to divert our flight as I can only coerce the suckers into carrying 2 pieces of luggage in addition to my carry on bag.

It will be interesting to see if I can find any Movie Insiders' on my trip through Vancouver as SJR noted in his Scooby-Doo2.log They'd make great gifts for some friends who are into movies...as I'm too cheap a bastard to give away the sole mint copy I have stored away.

What else, damn, it's been a slow week to note anything interesting Canada.

[Asakura Lucid-sama]

Well, as fate would have it, I have decided to travel north and will be relocating to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Anything I should know about moving to Canada?

[Seabass Inna Bun]

AntiLucid is on the move...:
Well, as fate would have it, I have decided to travel north and will be relocating to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Anything I should know about moving to Canada?Don't be surprised if you find the junk food tastes funny. We make the same things a little differently here.

You'll love Smarties.

When I'm in the States I hear a lot more people say "uh huh" rather than "you're welcome". Americans don't seem to find that rude, but we do. Not terribly rude, though. You won't get tossed out of restaurants or anything like that.

Don't bother sampling poutine: it's disgusting. Tortierre, on the other hand, is the nectar of the Gods.

[edited by the Apostrophe Police]

[mongycore]

Smarties is one of the bonus advantages of moving to canada. Can't help you with what to expect with Halifax/NS, sorry.

However, with the thought of junk food still going on here. Once you get a taste of Hawkins Cheezies. You. Will. Never. Go. Back. To. Cheetos. They are that good.

Nirvana though is mixing a box of smarties with a bag of Cheezies and having the sugar coated chocolate accentuate the crunchy-ness of the chips.

I guess my only other suggestion would be to bring a rain coat.

[Asakura Lucid-sama]

Hehe. Thanks. I will keep that in mind. I leave on the 8th and I am really looking forward to the trip as well as exploring life in Canada. Something I wondered about though is this, will I have problems getting work in Canada because I am not from there?

[captain supermarket]

I think you might need a work permit for your first few years in the country, and you won't be able to land yourself a cushy government job. But otherwise, I think you might be fine to get work. Just apply everywhere, sign up with every job agency you can find, and eventually, something will give.

[imported_Sam]

Phew. I hope you're flying. In any case, have fun.

[Asakura Lucid-sama]

Bus. I have never traveled further east than Denver so I look forward to the trip. Though a bus is a long trip, it will be interesting to see things along the way. Plus cheaper.

[mongycore]

God damn, the bus is utter pain. My coworker from Maine did that cross country thing and he was utterly miserable. I did the same thing two summers ago busing it from here to Canada. 2 and a half days of agony, especially in the balmy hub of Sacremento.

Bring a gameboy, a magazine, some wipes, and spending money for food. As well, keep an eye out for the driver and prepare to tackle any idiot brazen enough to assault the driver, as it seems its becoming a common occurence.

Other than that, take in the sights, it sounds like an interesting way to see the continent, going from Oregon to Halifax.

[Asakura Lucid-sama]

Yeah. I will be packing a gba and a handful of games and lots of batteries and a light. plus a discman that reads my extensive collection of "legal" mp3's to listen to. its gonna be a long ride so i know how to keep busy. plus i am gonna have a handfull of good reading.

So far I have:
William Gibson - Neromancer
Neil Gaiman - American Gods
Bruce Campbell - If Chins Could Kill
Clive Barker - The Great And Secret Show

[mongycore]

While in the process of recycling newspapers last night I shuffled through one of the sections and read an article about "11000 people evacuated" from a small bc town called Kamloops. This struck me as damn, what the fuck.

So, is there any real meat to the massive amounts of press devoted to the fires in the Okanagen area? Is it overblown fluff a-la West Nile/Mad Cow? Will I be able to see the inferno as I arrive home next thursday?

I haven't heard a peep from family about this, weird considering a lot of them are volunteer fire-fighters who do 'merc' work when big assed blazes appear throughout the summer. Guess I should phone home sometime after work tonight.

So canada, are you on fire?

[Seabass Inna Bun]

Big time. And Kamloops is bigger than the words 'small town' imply. More of a small city in my opinion. I don't know the state of things right this second, but last week was just one bad scene after another. Fires all over the west side of the Rockies, through Crow's Nest Pass in southern Alberta/BC, and further north in Jasper as well. Entire towns have been abandoned and people living as refugees in Kamloops have no idea what they'll find when they go home. The only open route across BC was the TransCanada Highway. This is what I gather from the news.

No fires around Calgary, but last week the winds were right and the whole city was choked with smoke. It makes for beautiful sunrises and sunsets, but biking in it was like working out in a Bingo hall.

It's serious, all right. The worst fire season in generations. Just what we needed.

[mongycore]

Well then, the time has finally, finally, come that I can call a taxi, be dropped off at the airporter bus thingy, and in a few short hours be on my way home.

I wonder still if I can see the massive blaze from below on the plane. Though I think I reserved the window seat completely opposite of the direction of the fire to see anything except for the gorgeous white capped mountains below.

Here's hoping it'll be a productive motherfucker of a vacation. If there ever was such a thing. Not that any body would give a damn, I'll be internetless in the canadian wild, away from these addicting boards. So, I will see you all in a bit (give or take 2 weeks).

take it easy chud,
mongycore

[captain supermarket]

mongycore is on vacation:
I wonder still if I can see the massive blaze from below on the plane. Though I think I reserved the window seat completely opposite of the direction of the fire to see anything except for the gorgeous white capped mountains below.
I would MUCH prefer seeing the capped mountains than a blazzing fire. I can't think of too many things that I find as sad as a burning forest (unless it's that Forrest feller).

[mongycore]

It was a nice trip home. Now I'm back. It kind of sucks not being on vacation anymore. Really, I still wish I had more time to spend with the grandparents eating salmon and potatoes.

Never saw any trace of the fire on the plane. I reserved seats that gave me a view westward. Absolutely stunning mountains and snow caps. I really wished there were some access roads to do some skiing or sledding. Of course, who knows if it's safe. With avalanches and all. Back to the fires. I hope all those people who lost their homes make it through this situation as best as they can. It made me sad to think so many people lost their houses, belongings, and any personal treasures that are unreplaceable. As our house burned down when I was 11, that left us as roaming gypsies for a brief period. I can't imagine whole neighborhoods being in that same situation. It's good though to see some people organizing relief funds, like that car dealership getting support from all the big manufacturers. Hopefully that'll help out some people.

As for the main event of my trip home, the renewal of my parents vows. That was cool seeing nearly everyone I grew up with again. Even cooler when I dropped the bomb that I secretly got married last year.

Yep, I'm a fucking bastard for not telling anyone that me and Lia had a private wedding. If we'd done things the normal way, we'd have to deal with the headaches my parents and family went through organizing a big assed shindig. We're talking a good 400-500 people - who for the most part are family and relatives, with a fraction being friends. In the end it's rather fun, but the two of us are very private and hermit-like, big parties aren't our thing. Hell, even trips to Best Buy are a pain in the ass because of the zoo-like atmosphere.

It was tricky keeping this underwraps for so long. Though I've let it slip here on the boards, knowing nobody I know back in BC surfs much. Now, I have a good 9 months to convince Lia to return to canada next summer and have a 'proper' native american wedding, and my family are not accepting any excuses for us not to.

So Canada, I miss you, but its nice to be back CHUD.

[Ugly Goblin Boy]

Hey there folks,

Your friendly neibourhoood Goblin Boy here!

Is anyone here from or familiar with the Waterloo district? I just moved here and haven't got a clue what to do. What are the bars like? Any good tattoo shops? What about cheap DVDs and CDs?

Fill me in country wo/men, I need help!

Thanks,
UGB

[mongycore]

fuck moose.

Shoot the whole lot of them while they're at it. Nuke Canada. Burn the trees. Smoke them out and watch at a Bruckheimer-esque angle as rocket propelled grenades blow the lot of them up. To pieces.

Or, at the very most, Canada should institute a program where those collars from The Running Man are attached to wild-life brazen enough to go roaming onto the highways, and when they cross that white line, kaboom bitches.

I doubt I'll be getting any sleep tonight. Shit, I should be on an airplane. The short of it all is that my dad had a car accident involving a moose that pretty much, from what I've been vaguely told, destroyed the car he was driving. I still don't know how serious the situation is, I was told not to worry, but how can you not?

Even if it isn't serious, financially it's going to effect the family for a couple of months if he isn't able to go to work. This is all playing out so screwily like those hokey emergencies in Spencer's Mountain.

[gravedigger]

Holy crap, that sucks. I hope your dad is okay, Roy.

[Raiza]

Aw damn. That's rough. I hope your dad will be ok.

[Rivers Axl Rose Cuomo]

Just got out of day one of a two day Thanksgiving feast with the family. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and your families up in the Great White North.

Edited: I'm hoping for good news, Core, about your dad.

[Kronos]

I just noticed on my calendar that it's Thanksgiving in Canada. Well Happy Thanksgiving!

What's the traditional dinner fare for Thanksgiving up there?

[Ludwig]

Turkey, normally. With my family it's more likely to be Chinese/Cantonese dishes substituting turkey in for chicken or pork, but hey.

[Raiza]

It's pretty much the same sort of event as in the US with a few cultural differences here and there. Turkey and ham are the traditional meat dishes. As long as the folks get together it doesn't matter that much what's for dinner.

Turkey and cheap wine...best sedative EVER.

[mongycore]

Finally back from the great white north. Turns out it wasn't as bad as I thought it was. The car is completely fucked up, must have been a big moose. Thanks grave, raiza, and rivers for the concern. He's doing alright, no serious damage outside of a whiplash. Though there's concern about pinched nerves.

The insurance company was great about the affair, the car is being replaced, with nobody being at fault. When I heard the news, I knew exactly which stretch/corner of road it might have happened at. Just one of those things that happen and can't be prevented, save for my running man recommendation.

Glad to be back here, look forward to cathcing up on reading the main site and boards.

[Raiza]

Any adult moose is big enough to total a car. Moose are BIG. Don't mess with moose.

Glad to hear that your dad isn't seriously hurt and I hope he'll be good as new real soon. Also happy to hear the insurance people are being good about the whole thing too.

[mongycore]

today is the first step in becoming another turncoat to the great white north...the day began with some overcast skies, but cleared up beautifully by 11 am. Just around then I got a call from home asking what the hell I'm up to. As the call goes on, they comment on how painfully cold it has become up there. How deep the snow is, how miserable it is to have your lower pants wet and uncomfortable. All the while, I sat in my office looking out our backyard at the green, the flowers, and the same stupid deer I mentioned in the Lair review. I briefly thought, damn, I'm glad I'm not in canada right now.

[Ben Croll]

So...how about that Paul Martin...:D

[mongycore]

Paul Martin is the bomb.

I'm gonna miss Cretien when he's gone, though it seems a lot of people I know back home would rather have him fuck off sooner than later.

[mongycore]

hey canada. you rock! (http://canoe.com/JamMusic/mar31_cria-cp.html)

some level headed judge up there said this, beyatch:

No evidence was presented that the alleged infringers either distributed or authorized the reproduction of sound recordings

They merely placed personal copies into their shared directories which were accessible by other computer users via a P2P service.


the article gurgled the following:

He compared the action to a photocopy machine in a library. "I cannot see a real difference between a library that places a photocopy machine in a room full of copyrighted material and a computer user that places a personal copy on a shared directory linked to a P2P service," he said.


score one for filesharing. fu to the riaa.

[Alan "Nordling" Cerny]

Canada's cool. As in very cold.

[mongycore]

Hey. So, has the beer gotten weaker since you've taken your first step to Americana? I mean the election.

One thing that bugged me, seeing it in the news in December, was the police and folk crying about the shooting at the Toronto mall. I don't know how you can say at that moment the country lost its innocence - not when there are fucking hookers buried here and there at a pig farm outside Vancouver. Now I can die having gotten that off my chest. (maybe I should update my website with this rambling instead)

Anything happening up there…any excuses for me to come home for a week or two? Can I get in on that crazy oil sands that Haliburton is gonna annex in July?

Jesus. I miss the salty taste of moose stew.

[Seabass Inna Bun]

Canada's cool. As in very cold.

Hmm. It's supposed to push 20 degrees here this weekend. It's spookily warm here this year.

[Subotai]

I'll say. Some folks are loving this weather, but my family out in B.C. say it's giving the pine beetles full run of the forests.

[mongycore]

even in January my brother and sister couldn't use the skidoo thanks to it raining most of the time - not able to retain any snow in our town. Black ice though...tons of fun...my parents nearly went off into the river when approaching a bridge.

[Seabass Inna Bun]

I'll say. Some folks are loving this weather, but my family out in B.C. say it's giving the pine beetles full run of the forests.

Calgary turns brown early at the best of times. Last year was great despite the floods because the city wasn't brown by mid-August. And I shudder to think what the lack of snow is going to do for the fire hazard status in the mountains. Last year, Upper Kananaskis Lake was pretty low in late May. This year I won't have to bother with walking around it; I'll just walk across it.

Now that I've said that, we'll probably get a couple of meters of snow in March and April.

[humplick2]

I'm Canadian. Southern Ontario is covered in ice.