NationStates Jolt Archive

Alright, I know we like to laugh and point at our bumbling neighbour to the south, but JAYSUS we can be just too damn unconcerned with things in our own country sometimes!

What do I mean?

Well, certain things, such as anti-terrorism (http://www.parl.gc.ca/37/1/parlbus/chambus/house/bills/government/C-36/C-36_3/90168b-3E.html) laws, crushing new copyright restrictions, massive privitisation of public corporations, the introduction of differential fees at Universities (http://www.expressnews.ualberta.ca/print.cfm?id=3719), selling the rights to required exams like the LSAT, TOEFL and the GMAT to the US, all of these things just squeak by unreported, and unnoticed.

The point is, many of these things are as bad, or worse than things that go on in the States...issues that get huge coverage there, and engender protests...over here, it hardly causes a ripple.

In fact...stop someone on the street and ask them if Petro-Can and CN are crown corporations or private corporations. Few people are sure...and yet the CN is a symbol of this damn country...why don't we know? Because the deals made were blips in the media, and soon forgotten about.

Differential fees almost double tuition for people in certain faculties, and yet they often are swept in with little or no debate, and rarely make it into the news at all.

We sold off all our rights to required exams like TOEFL and the LSAT to the US...now you can only book the test through a US company, and you pay a US company the exam fee. This affects thousands of Canadians every year...and why exactly don't we care? How does it make any sense for us to do this?

So bloody well wake up my fellow Canuks...we don't complain nearly enough, and we have a false image of the wonders of our nation. So you don't want to be like our southern neighbours? SAY IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT!!!!

You know it's far more fun to point out the problems in the US.

I love Canadians. Really. Their politics are very sweet, they have gay marriages, frogs, pot, nice forces of order...

I must reveal you something... I am a frog from Canada. Yes. You read well.

The Evil USians are corrupting the youth of fine Canada.

You know it's far more fun to point out the problems in the US.
I don't think it is just sheer perversity on our part...when we look into these things, or find out by accident, we are outraged, and really upset that we hadn't heard about it somehow before. We hear more about what goes on in the US than what goes on in our own country.

The Evil USians are corrupting the youth of fine Canada.
And first prize for missing the point, is a slap with a frozen trout! *slap*

Is there a thread somewhere in the Universe where the Southern Islands never posted a reply?? IS THERE???

No, but your replies are always fun, so it's fine :cool: .

And first prize for missing the point, is a slap with a frozen trout! *slap*

Easy Sin, I jest!

Ugh, TOEFL!

I was going to take it right after I did the CPE (http://www.cambridgeesol.org/exams/cpe.htm) (I'm still a bit proud of my A in that), but then I saw the exorbitant fee. My school only paid for the CPE, so TOEFL was just too pricey for me. Ah, well.

(OK, so I wanted to say something in a thread by Sinuhue, but can't really comment on the Canadian aspect of it. Sue me.)

"What the hell is wrong with Canadians?"

Um ... nothing much that I know of. Hell, I really like Canadians, most of them. Some of my favorite people are Canadian. ;)

"What the hell is wrong with Canadians?"

Um ... nothing much that I know of. Hell, I really like Canadians, most of them. Some of my favorite people are Canadian. ;)
You American Commie!!!

*waves fist into air*

And first prize for missing the point, is a slap with a frozen trout! *slap*
Damn, that would hurt! Heh!

Is there a thread somewhere in the Universe where the Southern Islands never posted a reply?? IS THERE???

No, but your replies are always fun, so it's fine :cool: .

There are a few, but they are few and far between! :D

You American Commie!!!

*waves fist into air*
Huh? Who? Me??? LOL!

Consider yourself to have been gestured at obscenely. :D

There are a few, but they are few and far between! :D
:D

The reason this bothers me so much is that Canadians DO get pissed off about this stuff when they actually hear about it...but our media covers cats stuck in trees more than they do anything important...sure, we have the Gomery inquiry and the sponsership scandal to amuse us, but less 'titilating' news may impact us more directly, and goes by completely unnoticed. WTF!

Huh? Who? Me??? LOL!

Consider yourself to have been gestured at obscenely. :D
Sorry, for almost everybody is a commie... including Stalin and Chirac. Don't take it personnal!:fluffle:

"What the hell is wrong with Canadians?"

Um ... nothing much that I know of. Hell, I really like Canadians, most of them. Some of my favorite people are Canadian. ;)

Heh. I instinctly balance it out by being the classic foreign-canadian asshole.

You're right, sinuhue. I haven't heard about selling the rights to exam to the US. Could you provide a link so that I can be properly outraged?

The tuition fees: the thing is that universities are needing money and badly so they invent scheme to bypass the freeze of the tuition fees. It is outrageous, but I'm in favor of them if they help having a top-notch university. Yeah, the students get a rotten deal but I feel that their tuition should be a bit higher to reflect the inflation since they were frozen, so many moons ago.

Anti-terrorism law: I'm with you 100%. It is outrageous that we have those laws. However, I wonder if we were not forced a bit by our US neighbour to do something about terrorism. It is a shame, though and we should repel those laws.

Corporations: this made the news. I've read about it quite a bit. The thing is, the economists I've read seem to think it is a good move. So I don't know if it is worth fighting for.

Many of these things only make the alternative news, like The Tyee or Georgia Strait, or as teeny tiny stories buried in mainstream news that only hardcore newsies and bloggers pick up. And many Canadian bloggers are more concerned about US events than they are about Canadian ones.

Personally, I am constantly firing off letters to newspapers, MLAs, and MPs in a desperate attempt to get them to talk about these issues. I practically spammed every MLA in BC regarding the privatization and sell of BC Gas (now Terasen) to a Texas company. Also regarding contracting out Ministry of Health databases to Accenture, another US company currently under investigation for fraud in the US. They didn't even blink when we pointed out under the Patriot Act, Accenture could be required to hand over the personal data of over a million British Columbians to the US federal government. We are fighting tooth and nail to keep ICBC (car insurance) public, but the provincial government keeps chipping away at it, handing more and more of its business to private companies.

We've lost so many fights already: BC Tel, BC Gas, CN Rail, BC Rail, bits and pieces of BC Hydro, most of Petro-Canada...HELLO! There were reasons that these were crown corporations - they were owned by the public for the public good. Most of them turned a small profit that was invested to buffer bad years. But now, for the sake of short term profits and balanced budgets, governments sell them off to private companies so that corporations can gouge the public and reap huge profits over the long term.

Where the hell is the public good in that?

Note: I am not against governments balancing budgets. I'm against selling crown corporations to make up a budgetary shortfall, because it costs us more in the long run.

http://www.thetyee.ca/
http://www.straight.com

Anyone got other good alternative news links?

I dunno, I got out of the habit of keeping up with the news during the CBC lockout this summer, and even though it's been over for nearly a month, I'm still finding it hard to get back into it.

Hardly an excuse I know, but what with the cold weather coming, I'm sure I'll get back up to speed.

You really want to know what is wrong with those damn Canucks?

They say "Eh"!

Eh I say, Eh!

They corrupt the masses with their "Eh" speak!

I know that in BC, tuition is going up because Gordon Campbell's Liberal government has cut funding to universities. When big universities like UBC need money to preserve and expad the level of research prestiege they have aquired, they'll pretty much do anything, including screwing over their students, and selling their land to developers.
Its a sad state of affairs when someone has to go 30 thousand dollars into debt to get a degree.

But I don't know...I listen to local CBC propgramming all the time, and other than the thing about the standardized tests, I've heard about all that stuff.

You're right, sinuhue. I haven't heard about selling the rights to exam to the US. Could you provide a link so that I can be properly outraged? I'm having difficulty finding the proof:) Sorry...I'm hoping it will be explained SOMEWHERE on the web...it is a very recent change, in fact I believe it began at the beginning of this month...give me a bit to get something other than the phone numbers of the bastards who told us my brother in law has to book his TOEFL through the US because Canada no longer has the rights to the test...

But I don't know...I listen to local CBC propgramming all the time, and other than the thing about the standardized tests, I've heard about all that stuff.
Maybe YOU could help me find a current link on that????PLEASE???

They corrupt the masses with their "Eh" speak!

Checking In With Bob & Doug Mackenzie

Bob: So, like our masses are corrupted, eh? That's why no-one goes to church no more. Well, that and you can't wear your touque inside the church, eh.
Doug: You hosehead! They don't go to church no more 'cause o' them priests what like the little kids.
Bob: Whose kids?
Doug: What?
Bob: Also it's 'cause no-one puts their snow tires on anymore and it's rough driving through the snow.
Doug: Take off, eh!
Bob: Okay so that's our topic for today - so, good day!
Doug: Good day, eh.

Bob: What kids?
Doug: It's too late, eh, the show's over.
Bob: Let's go to Hortons for some crullers.
Doug: Make mine a pineapple glaze and I'm good to go, eh.

Jeez, how do I manage to kill threads when I do my Bob & Doug impression? Think I'll have a beer, eh.

Damn, that would hurt! Heh!

The real pain here, Eutrusca, is the fact that a vast majority of our perpetually half- drunken neighbors to the north actually posses a frozen trout for smacking purposes.

The real pain here, Eutrusca, is the fact that a vast majority of our perpetually half- drunken neighbors to the north actually posses a frozen trout for smacking purposes.
My Canadian fridge includes a Quebec Rainbow Trout.:p

My Canadian fridge includes a Quebec Rainbow Trout.:p

Any plans for it? It sounds good. Do you fish?
Trout and salmon are two of my favorites.

For eating-not smacking.

Any plans for it? It sounds good. Do you fish?
Trout and salmon are two of my favorites.

For eating-not smacking.
I really, really, like freshwater fish. I include Salmon as freshwater, even if they do go to sea.

I plan to eat it, silly. I keep the 'smacker' in a jar by the door.

I try not to fish if possible. Not that I'm opposed to it, it's just that there's a few too many recreational fishermen out there for me to feel comfortable adding any additional unnecessary squeeze to the ecosystem.

Personally, I'm against 'catch-and-release' fishing - I say if you catch it, you damn well better finish the job and get on with cleaning/eating it. Otherwise, it's just drinking beer in a boat.

Beleieve it or not, I win the confidence of fish and end up with them schooling around me in the lake up at my cottage. I can scoop up water with my hands standing in the water and end up with two or three wriggling baby Trout in my palms. It's quite a thrill when they don't fear you.

But I digress. Sorry. Sorry, Sin. Sorry thread. Boxcutters away.

I really, really, like freshwater fish. I include Salmon as freshwater, even if they do go to sea.



Personally, I'm against 'catch-and-release' fishing - I say if you catch it, you damn well better finish the job and get on with cleaning/eating it. Otherwise, it's just drinking beer in a boat.



I'm with you there. I never cared for hooking something then ripping the hook out and letting it go. Its seems like cruel sport and traumitizing something for a temporary thrill.
Catch one and respect it-clean it and eat it. Dont play with it or catch 5 and waste them next time your power goes out and they thaw or get freezer burn.
Or just drink beer in a boat and say thats what you're doing.

But I digress. Sorry. Sorry, Sin. Sorry thread. Boxcutters away.
No worries...all this talk of yummy fish just made me stop wanting to bitch anyway:p

No worries...all this talk of yummy fish just made me stop wanting to bitch anyway:p


Yeah- I could go for some salmon & tuna sushi right now... my wife wont eat it though,so its something I eat on my own when she and the kids are away

No worries...all this talk of yummy fish just made me stop wanting to bitch anyway:p
I can't help loving the fish. I've got fishing-folk blood... mitochondrial DNA, whatever... from either side of the North Atlantic, yearning to have my cellular needs met with tasty fish, especially the Salmon. My blue-painted Hebridean and Orkneyan (sp?) ancestors to the east, and my Miq'Maq ancestors to the west, all digging the fish-flesh flavour and heading out in boats to get some more.

No wonder I get my sea legs immediately. It's only when I get back to dry land that I get motion-sickness.

Oh my God. I just looked down at my hands and saw the boxcutters! Aieee!

(Begs forgiveness)

I don't think it is just sheer perversity on our part...when we look into these things, or find out by accident, we are outraged, and really upset that we hadn't heard about it somehow before. We hear more about what goes on in the US than what goes on in our own country.
It has to be a conspiracy by the vast government controlled media to keep you uninformed.

Alright, I know we like to laugh and point at our bumbling neighbour to the south, but JAYSUS we can be just too damn unconcerned with things in our own country sometimes!

What do I mean?

Well, certain things, such as anti-terrorism (http://www.parl.gc.ca/37/1/parlbus/chambus/house/bills/government/C-36/C-36_3/90168b-3E.html) laws, crushing new copyright restrictions, massive privitisation of public corporations, the introduction of differential fees at Universities (http://www.expressnews.ualberta.ca/print.cfm?id=3719), selling the rights to required exams like the LSAT, TOEFL and the GMAT to the US, all of these things just squeak by unreported, and unnoticed.

The point is, many of these things are as bad, or worse than things that go on in the States...issues that get huge coverage there, and engender protests...over here, it hardly causes a ripple.

In fact...stop someone on the street and ask them if Petro-Can and CN are crown corporations or private corporations. Few people are sure...and yet the CN is a symbol of this damn country...why don't we know? Because the deals made were blips in the media, and soon forgotten about.

Differential fees almost double tuition for people in certain faculties, and yet they often are swept in with little or no debate, and rarely make it into the news at all.

We sold off all our rights to required exams like TOEFL and the LSAT to the US...now you can only book the test through a US company, and you pay a US company the exam fee. This affects thousands of Canadians every year...and why exactly don't we care? How does it make any sense for us to do this?

So bloody well wake up my fellow Canuks...we don't complain nearly enough, and we have a false image of the wonders of our nation. So you don't want to be like our southern neighbours? SAY IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT!!!!
But... but... if it isn't on the nightly news, then it isn't important! Certainly if they aren't joking about it on the morning news, it's nothing to be concerned about! You worry too much.

Checking In With Bob & Doug Mackenzie

Bob: So, like our masses are corrupted, eh? That's why no-one goes to church no more. Well, that and you can't wear your touque inside the church, eh.
Doug: You hosehead! They don't go to church no more 'cause o' them priests what like the little kids.
Bob: Whose kids?
Doug: What?
Bob: Also it's 'cause no-one puts their snow tires on anymore and it's rough driving through the snow.
Doug: Take off, eh!
Bob: Okay so that's our topic for today - so, good day!
Doug: Good day, eh.

Bob: What kids?
Doug: It's too late, eh, the show's over.
Bob: Let's go to Hortons for some crullers.
Doug: Make mine a pineapple glaze and I'm good to go, eh.
Heehee!