What American's Ought to Know About Canada, But Don't

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by Tingkai
There's a belief that Americans barricade themselves in their homes while Canadians do not (The old joke about Americans having ten deadbolts on their door).

True or not? What do you think?

I know people, in College Park Maryland, who never lock their doors.

While we do use a deadbolt at times, it is mostly just to be sure that the door is locked for the night (the door is not locked when people are awake).

Jon Miller

[Barinthus]

I feel sorry for people who insist on keeping their doors locked while they're home and going around.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Tingkai
I'm just trying to figure out the NYEverse.

You seem to want a PM who has the power to decide.... well not much.

The NYEverse PM can't make any decisions unless he gets the okay from the cabinet. Rule by committe in other words. The PM would have to have cabinet approval to fire a disloyal MP, to determine budgets and to determine which bills party MPs must vote for.

Seems like a pretty lame PM. And lord knows why don't want the PM in Parliament.

And in the NYEverse, if people wanted to create a party with a real leader, they would have to get the approval of Canadian voters before an election. Party members would not be allowed to decide their own party rules.

Yes, the NYEverse is a mighty strange place.

I never said I wanted any of what you posted here.

I'm sorry, Tingkai, but discussions between you and I just seem to end up in the ditch, so the value starts as small and rapidly goes negative.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Oerdin


Nope, the more oil that is recovered the better. I am curious how they are getting it out since most of the rock is what we geologists call "tombstone"; meaning there is no pore space left for liquids (water or oil) to flow through. I imagine they use explosive charges to fracture the rock to free up trapped oil. Is that correct?

They mine the rock and haul it off to process it to get the oil out. They crush it and then use steam and high pressure, among some other things I would imagine. The process(es) have been being developed for 30 years or so by now.

They mine the rock in open pit mines (strip mining). They do one plot at a time. When they are done with a plot, they use the processed rock to fill it back in and then restore the surface to the surrounding ecology. One of the requirements of the lease(s) is that restoration of the mined areas, so one of the things that the oil companies have been developing along with the oil sands has been techniques for ecological restoration.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse

No. But they should have a say on the process and what can and cannot prevent a person from standing as a candidate for member of Parliament in this country.

Nothing's preventing anybody from standing as a candidate.

What about ridings where the leader simply appoints a candidate over the objections of the locals? Is that democratic?

Besides, no one is preventing women from getting jobs, so why would anyone complain that they are shut out from the choicest jobs? Bad analogy, perhaps, but the point is that the nomination for certain parties are massive advantages in various ridings across the land.

You could run a haystack in some areas of Alberta and elect it as a Tory, and the same is true of some areas in Ontario for Liberals, Quebec for Blocists, and so on and so on. Thus the ability to veto nominations has the same effect as deciding who the representative of a riding will be. That is not democratic.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Ned

I was just favoring NYE in his debate about the all powerful parliament he justly disfavors.

I'm fine with Parliament having the power. That is in fact what I am arguing for. I want backbench MPs to have a stronger voice in the governing of our country. That is the way it works in the model that we copied (Westminster).

[JimmyCracksCorn]

Originally posted by optimus2861

MLAs (members of the legislative assembly). In Quebec they're something else again, but I can't recall it off the top of my head. They call their provincial legislature the "national assembly" IIRC (one of those French-identity things), so that would make their provincial legislators -- MNAs?

Oh, ok. I know in Newfoundland they're MHA's though. Thats probably just Newfoundland though.

[Agathon]

I've lived here for nearly six years now.

Ten of my (somewhat idiosyncratic) observations.

1. In Toronto everyone is foreign, so no-one gives a toss if you come from somewhere weird like the Antipodes.


2. Canadians are excruciatingly polite. It is their national disease. My favourite joke is:

Q. How do you get 100 Canadians out of a swimming pool?

A. Say please.

Canadians are so polite it is hard not to feel like a complete churl all the time. There is one exception: hockey. All the pent up rage and violence in Canada is released at hockey games, where people bay for blood like wild dogs.


3. Quebec is the coolest province.


4. The largest object in Canada is the chip on Alberta's shoulder.


5. Tim Horton's is the place to go before, during and after a fishing trip.


6. Ice fishing is just an excuse to get terribly drunk.


7. Even other Canadians cannot understand what Newfies are saying.


8. The natural population of raccoons in Canada is about 2 per square mile. In Toronto the population is something like 120 per square mile (or so I'm told).


9. Only a dumbass would throw stones at a skunk to see what will happen, Agathon.


10. The most frequent crime committed in Canada is when people get to the front of a queue and immediately take that as a license to **** around and count their change and generally take as much time as they can.

All in all it is a lovely place.

[JimmyCracksCorn]

10. The most frequent crime committed in Canada is when people get to the front of a queue and immediately take that as a license to **** around and count their change and generally take as much time as they can.

As an American this is the one of the only things that pisses me off about about Canadians. No one every seems to understand that I'm in a hurry... all the time.

2. Canadians are excruciatingly polite. It is their national disease.

This is true, but non-Canadians seem to get this confused. They're polite, but they're not friendly. They're about as friendly as Northerner Americans. I find alot to be rather cold actually.

Not that I care though. I'm from Boston, so I'm usually way less friendly than they are.

[Agathon]

As an American this is the one of the only things that pisses me off about about Canadians. No one every seems to understand that I'm in a hurry... all the time.

See.. I knew it wasn't just me. I really hate this.

They're polite, but they're not friendly.

Got it in one.

[JimmyCracksCorn]

Originally posted by Agathon

As an American this is the one of the only things that pisses me off about about Canadians. No one every seems to understand that I'm in a hurry... all the time.

See.. I knew it wasn't just me. I really hate this.

Yeah, it really annoys me. Like when no one is in line except me yet I'm forced to wait 2-3 minutes because someone who has already been served is chatting up the server. That burns me up, but alas... I'm used to it now. Its almost quaint.

Off topic, Agathon... do you find that Canadians always sound like they're speaking in questions? Like they'll be making a statement, but they add that extra inflection to the end of every sentence so it sounds like they're asking you something. That really confused me when I first came here.

[Asher]

Yeah, it really annoys me. Like when no one is in line except me yet I'm forced to wait 2-3 minutes because someone who has already been served is chatting up the server. That burns me up, but alas... I'm used to it now. Its almost quaint.

Never happens at work.

People have their money ready before they get there, and sometimes (if you're a regular) the Tim Hortons girls even have your coffee ready by the time you get to the cash.

[Agathon]

Off topic, Agathon... do you find that Canadians always sound like they're speaking in questions? Like they'll be making a statement, but they add that extra inflection to the end of every sentence so it sounds like they're asking you something. That really confused me when I first came here.

No, eh?

Because Kiwis do exactly the same thing, eh?

I didn't even notice it until an American friend of mine pointed it out, eh?

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by JimmyCracksCorn
Off topic, Agathon... do you find that Canadians always sound like they're speaking in questions? Like they'll be making a statement, but they add that extra inflection to the end of every sentence so it sounds like they're asking you something. That really confused me when I first came here.

Even I notice that, eh.

[Agathon]

People have their money ready before they get there, and sometimes (if you're a regular) the Tim Hortons girls even have your coffee ready by the time you get to the cash.

He said people were chatting up the server. Perhaps everyone at your job plays for your team.