Ya, and all the Canadians I speak too, love Obama and kow him better than our own boring Prime Minister!. Many at my work still have the Obama Screen Savers on their computers. Canadians are obama crazy:)
This would be the perfect time for them to annex us :D.
I wouldn’t be surprised if most people wouldn’t even notice - as you said, herman, there’s a lot more interest and talk about Obama than Harper… :mrgreen:
Personally, I wouldn’t mind if the States Annexed us. I mean, think of all the Pluses: No long lineups to shop at Buffalo and dam good wings a hop skip away in Cheetagwaga, buying liquor at a normal American store instead of the current dam Ontario government store which are far and sparse to find in Toronto (and close early on Sunday), better tv stations, stonger currency, buying stuff in Imperial instead of the stupid Metric system, and last but not least, a government that people finally give a dam about that can introduce real change!
Well, I agree with some of your points. But talking about the metric system - it’s the superior system, if anything the US should get rid of their stupid Imperial system (whoever invented it must’ve been an idiot, though I’m sure he had his reasons…) and use the system that actually makes sense. It’s much easier to learn and apply.
Also, keeping public health care would be nice…
I found this article in the Toronto Star today which I think is true of American impression on us Canadians and perhaps why the Americans will never Annex us…!!
A big ol’ howdy and bonjour Canada! How are you?
We know, we know, it’s been a while. Sorry about that.
We have been, per usual, rather self-absorbed lately, what with our historic elections and our economy in freefall. But, hey, good news. Did you hear? We’re coming to visit.
We’ll be in Ottawa on the 19th. Hope you can make it. We hear mid-February is a lovely time of year there.
Look, Canada, before you get your hopes up about this trip, there’s something we need to tell you. We’re not sure how to put this so we will be brutally direct, as is our way. We’re just not that into you.
There, we said it. We feel better already.
You’ve always been there for us, Canada: after the Sept. 11 attacks and now in Afghanistan. We appreciate that, really we do. But still, we’re just not that into you.
It’s not personal, really. It’s geopolitical. You’re just too … nice. Nice doesn’t get our attention. Threatening gets our attention, and you, Canada, are anything but threatening, except on the hockey rink, of course, but we don’t take hockey all that seriously.
If you really wanted us to notice, you should have gotten all gussied up in that Taepodong outfit (it worked for North Korea) or maybe flashed some weapons of mass destruction – real or imagined, it’s all the same to us.
Let’s face it. We’ve been bickering a lot lately – over Afghanistan and NAFTA and that silly softwood dispute. Plus you think we hog all the water, which we probably do.
We admit we’ve been avoiding you lately. But can you blame us? Your loonie is loony. Up one day, down the next, then up again. We’ve got plenty of that yo-yo action right here on Wall Street. We don’t need to go north for it.
Also, many of us Americans – especially those in their 20s and 30s – tell surveyors they find Canada a “boring” place to visit.
I know, I know, how can a country with both Cirque du Soleil and Don Cherry possibly be described as boring? What can I say, Canada? Our amusement threshold is very high.
So is our capacity for selfishness. Our pending “Buy American” campaign hurts you. We feel your pain, Canada, really we do, but we’ve got to look out for Number 1. And we all know who Number 1 is.
Perhaps what we have here is a classic failure to communicate. The fact is, we don’t know you Canada. And no wonder: American newspapers no longer maintain bureaus in Canada.
Not that we paid much attention when they did. Most of us couldn’t name your prime minister or, for that matter, your capital city. Is this kind of ignorance any basis for a relationship?
If we know you Canada (and we’ve already determined we don’t) you’re probably blaming yourself. You always do. Unlike us, you’re so modest and self-effacing. It’s endearing.
Remember that joke you like to tell us? How do you get 50 Canadians to leave a swimming pool? By making an announcement: Will all the Canadians please leave the pool. See, you find that funny. We don’t get it. That’s why, Canada, it’s best we go our separate ways.
I know what you’re thinking: You can change, America. You’ve elected a new president, one who is all about change and re-engagement with the world.
Don’t believe it, Canada. Nations, like people, don’t change easily. We’re been around for more than 200 years. We’re a bit stuck in our ways.
No, Canada, we’re just not that into you and probably never will be. Don’t fret, though. You’re better off without us. We were very much into Iraq (still are) and look how that turned out.
Besides, Canada, you’re too good for us anyway.
The truth is we envy you, though of course we never admit that to anyone, not even ourselves. We envy your health-care system. We envy your prudent, sober banks. We envy your restraint on the international stage. We envy your very happiness. We envy everything about you. Except your weather, of course. Nobody envies that.
So, chin up. We can still be friends. After all, you are so close; we’re practically neighbours.
Yes, we’re still friends – and best trading partners for life too! And you will continue to send us your best comedians, won’t you?
Haha, so very true. Though I’ll have to say that they really wanted Canada back in 1812 
Give me a second and I’ll look up John Cleese’ announcement to the USA.
Got it. I know it’s a long one, but it’s really worth it. Keep in mind it dates back to 2004 (IIRC):
:mrgreen:
[i]To the citizens of the United States of America, in the light of your failure to elect a competent President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective today.
Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories. Except Utah, which she does not fancy. Your new prime minister (The Right Honourable Tony Blair, MP for the 97.85% of you who have until now been unaware that there is a world outside your borders) will appoint a minister for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire will be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
- You should look up revocation in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up aluminium. Check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it. The letter ‘U’ will be reinstated in words such as ‘favour’ and ‘neighbour’, skipping the letter ‘U’ is nothing more than laziness on your part. Likewise, you will learn to spell ‘doughnut’ without skipping half the letters. You will end your love affair with the letter ‘Z’ (pronounced ‘zed’ not ‘zee’) and the suffix ize will be replaced by the suffix ise. You will learn that the suffix ‘burgh’ is pronounced ‘burra’ e.g. Edinburgh. You are welcome to respell Pittsburgh as ‘Pittsberg’ if you can’t cope with correct pronunciation.
Generally, you should raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. Look up vocabulary. Using the same twenty seven words interspersed with filler noises such as “like” and “you know” is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. Look up interspersed. There will be no more ‘bleeps’ in the Jerry Springer show. If you’re not old enough to cope with bad language then you shouldn’t have chat shows. When you learn to develop your vocabulary then you won’t have to use bad language as often.
- There is no such thing as “US English”. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter ‘u’ and the elimination of -ize.
- You should learn to distinguish the English and Australian accents. It really isn’t that hard. English accents are not limited to cockney,upper-class twit or Mancunian (Daphne in Frasier). You will also have to learn how to understand regional accents - Scottish dramas such as Taggart will no longer be broadcast with subtitles. While we’re talking about regions, you must learn that there is no such place as Devonshire in England. The name of the county is Devon. If you persist in calling it Devonshire, all American States will become shires e.g. Texasshire, Floridashire, Louisianashire.
- Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as the good guys. Hollywood will be required to cast English actors to play English characters. British sit-coms such as Men Behaving Badly or Red Dwarf will not be re-cast and watered down for a wishy-washy American audience who can’t cope with the humour of occasional political incorrectness.
- You should relearn your original national anthem, God Save The Queen but only after fully carrying out task 1. We would not want you to get confused and give up half way through.
- You should stop playing American football. There is only one kind of football. What you refer to as American football is not a very good game. The 2.15% of you who are aware that there is a world outside your borders may have noticed that no one else plays American football. You will no longer be allowed to play it, and should instead play proper football. Initially, it would be best if you played with the girls. It is a difficult game. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which is similar to American “football”, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like nancies). We are hoping to get together at least a US Rugby sevens side by 2005. You should stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the ‘World Series’ for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.15% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders,your error is understandable. Instead of baseball, you will be allowed to play a girls’ game called rounders, which is baseball without fancy team strip, oversized gloves, collector cards or hotdogs.
- You will no longer be allowed to own or carry guns. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous in public than a vegetable peeler. Because we don’t believe you are sensible enough to handle potentially dangerous items, you will require a permit if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
- July 4th is no longer a public holiday. November 2nd will be a new national holiday, but only in England. It will be called Indecisive Day.
- All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap and it is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean. All road intersections will be replaced with roundabouts. You will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time,you will go metric with immediate effect and conversion tables. Roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
- You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips. Fries aren’t even French, they are Belgian though 97.85% of you (including the guy who discovered fries while in Europe) are not aware of a country called Belgium. Those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut and fried in animal fat. The traditional accompaniment to chips is beer which should be served warm and flat. Waitresses will be trained to be more aggressive with customers.
- As a sign of penance 5 grams of sea salt per cup will be added to all tea made within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, this quantity to be doubled for tea made within the city of Boston itself.
- The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all, it is lager. From November 1st only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer,and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. The substances formerly known as American Beer will henceforth be referred to as Near-Frozen Knat’s Urine,with the exception of the product of the American Budweiser company whose product will be referred to as Weak Near-Frozen Knat’s Urine. This will allow true Budweiser (as manufactured for the last 1000 years in Pilsen,Czech Republic) to be sold without risk of confusion.
- From November 10th the UK will harmonise petrol (or Gasoline, as you will be permitted to keep calling it until April 1st 2005) prices with the former USA. The UK will harmonise its prices to those of the former USA and the Former USA will, in return, adopt UK petrol prices (roughly $6/US gallon- get used to it).
- You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you’re not adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults. If you’re not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you’re not grown up enough to handle a gun.
- Please tell us who killed JFK. It’s been driving us crazy.
- Tax collectors from Her Majesty’s Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all revenues due (backdated to 1776).
Thank you for your co-operation and have a great day.
John Cleese[/i]
Let’s Recap:
We had a Secretary of Commerce that withdrew his nomination due to corruption charges (Bill Richardson)
We have a tax cheat for Secretary of the Treasury who files his own taxes (Timothy Geithner-but he meant to pay)
We had a tax cheat nominee for Chief Performance Officer who withdrew under charges (Nancy Killefer)
We had a nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services who withdrew under charges of cheating on his taxes (Tom Daschle)
We have a CIA boss with absolutely no experience (Leon Panetta)
I am just brimming with confidence up to this point
Well, at least the Criminals in the Obama Cabinet are disguised and discarded before they get into power. Didn’t work that well under Bush…
They are all criminals, they are politicians no matter which party they belong to.
It is a bad start because no president in history has made such bad inital choices for cabinet members. I hope it is just a fluke.
We will challenge you to prove how your pronunciation is in the correct form when English as a language is just centuries of mutilation of the German language not to mention that present day English in the UK is vastly different from Old English. We are just the next step in the evolutionary process, don’t be jealous. This also applies to the spellings with extra letters that serve no purpose. :lol:
Last time Great Britain tried to take our guns you got run into the Atlantic Ocean. Want to try that again, really?
Anyone who must import cars from other countries has no room to talk about our domestic vehicles. Furthermore don’t try to claim there is any logical reason for driving on the wrong side of the road. We have support from around the world on this.
To this day it still isn’t clear if French Fries originated in France or Belgium but it is rather clear they weren’t from the country of Chip. At least we have a logical reason for our name for them.
American “beer” deserves more credit, they use horse piss thank you very much. However, until the Germans or the Czech teach you how to make beer you have no room to criticize. Unless you would prefer to learn from the Irish. :lol:
The Tax collectors from Her Majesty’s Government will promptly be receiving a history lesson from 1940 to 1945 thereafter they shall return to the UK to collect taxes for the USA saving the UK after we had to fight for our own independence from the very nation we saved. :army:
As opposed to what? An administration that was composed almost exclusively of ex-oil executives that then used a national tragedy to invade the country --brimming with oil of course and in the Middle East where the vice president’s ex-company was specifically geared to gov’t contracting during a time of crisis or war-- that had nothing to do with said terrorist attack?
Well first off I’ll say I am not trying to drum up support for Bush or anything merely pointing out that the beginning of this new administration of “change” certainly isn’t instilling much confidence. No president in history has made such bad choices for cabinet member and we have had some bad ones in the past. If those bad presidents made better cabinet choices (at least on paper) and still had such bad terms this just scares the hell out of me.
Bush may or may not have gone into Iraq for the right reason but I still believe it was the right thing to do for no other reason that if the United Nation imposes sanctions on a country and that country can just ignore them with no consequences what is the purpose of sanctions in the first place? Also people should take a note from history here. There is a dictator in history that disobeyed international sanctions after his country was defeated in war, built up his military, had ambitions on conquering surrounding countries, and was fond of executing anyone that got in his way. The problem was England and France appeased that dictator until he had built up enough strength to conquer most of Europe and start a World War.
You can argue that Obama’s transition suffered due to the economic crisis and the selection of Timothy Geithner would not have been made if he weren’t considered a genius and the only one competent enough to tackle the economic crisis. And you can’t judge his cabinet until they’ve been in action for while. I would say that Bush’s choices, while made in a far more seamless manner, turned out to be flailing incompetents such as Donald Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, etc…
Bush may or may not have gone into Iraq for the right reason but I still believe it was the right thing to do for no other reason that if the United Nation imposes sanctions on a country and that country can just ignore them with no consequences what is the purpose of sanctions in the first place?
Um, they weren’t ignoring sanctions. Iraq was suffering a great deal from them. And it’s pretty suspicious that the only country “ignoring sanctions” is one with one of the largest untapped oil fields…
Also people should take a note from history here. There is a dictator in history that disobeyed international sanctions after his country was defeated in war, built up his military, had ambitions on conquering surrounding countries, and was fond of executing anyone that got in his way. The problem was England and France appeased that dictator until he had built up enough strength to conquer most of Europe and start a World War.
Um, he did what? Saddam didn’t build up his military, it was a crumbling shell. All Bush has done is make Iran much stronger by removing their mortal enemies. And the gov’t we have in place was run by a militia that didn’t seem to have much problem murdering and torturing their enemies for crimes like being a Sunni and living in the wrong area…
England and France “appeased” a dictator? Right! I guess the US corporations that made more money than they did during “oil-for-food” were just trying to stop the 500,000 or so Iraqi children that died as a result of sanctions…
BTW, why did we get rid of Saddam, then allow a notorious terrorist (who murdered over 300 people on Pan Am 103) Qaddafi stay in power? Because the US has supported plenty of dictators as long as they “play ball.”
That certainly would be a plausible reason but there are also a few holes in it. If Geithner was a genius why couldn’t he pay his taxes? Also he is only one of the ones that were listed. You certainly can’t judge the cabinet until it has been tested but looking at previous cabinets that turned out to be a bust or were good; they all had nearly every member approved off the bat (not just Bush but Clinton, Bush Sr, Reagan, Cater etc.) it still doesn’t inspire confidence. Like I previously said I hope this is just a fluke.
They were ignoring plenty of sanctions. Not letting UN inspectors do their job, flying in and shooting at aircraft in the no fly zone, maintaining the illusion of weapons of mass destruction. (Saddam Hussein admitted in his trial that while he didn’t have any he went out of his way to create the illusion that he did in an effort to deter Iran)
Yes Saddam was rebuilding his military. His army and air force were decimated in ’91 but they weren’t quite an empty shell. The International Institute for Strategic Studies had the standing Iraqi Army at 250,000 in 1997, by 2003 it was up to 375,000. Not the million man army of 1991 but increasing none the less.
Oil for Food wasn’t appeasement, it was greed. People made money and Iraq got food – win/win situation. The big corporations didn’t do it out of the kindness of their heart but they sure love it when they can make money and do some people some good.
300 is less than 20,000 but remember we tried to kill Qaddafi, F-111s leveled quite a few of his palaces and killed his son. After that he kind of kept quiet for a long time and is just now starting to be heard from again.
We have a good topic going here but if we are going to continue we may want to move it, it is getting slightly off topic for this thread.
Ah, just read the US are now among the elaborate group of nations that destroy books as an act of national policy, using health hazards as the meagre excuse.
Haven’t heard of that yet. Can you post a link?
This is just an example of stupidity of bureaucracy, not Obamaspecific.
http://www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/cpsia.HTML
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act is written in such a way, that basically every childrens book published before 1985 is now to be destroyed cause it doesn’t meet the safety standards. It is illegal to trade them or even give them away. Jeez, I wonder how I managed to grow up reading all the books while I was young.
There are those that might not want Obama for President as per this news article.SHOCKING!!!
TheStar.com | Canada | Russian bomber intercepted on eve of Obama visit
Russian bomber intercepted on eve of Obama visit
Two CF-18 fighter jets sit on the runway at the Canadian Air Force base in Bagotville, Que., in this file photo. Email story
Print
CF-18s turn back aircraft as it approached Canadian airspace
OTTAWA–Canadian fighter jets were scrambled to intercept a Russian bomber discovered on the perimeter of Canadian airspace just hours before U.S. President Barack Obama visited Ottawa last week.
Defence Minister Peter Mackay said it is difficult to say whether Russia was up to “mischief” or whether it was pure coincidence, adding the entire world would have known Canadian security efforts were centred on the capital in the days leading up to Feb. 19.
“It was a strong coincidence,” Mackay said.
MacKay is holding a news conference this morning with the chief of the defence staff and the commander of Norad to announce the news.
CF-18s took off from Cold Lake, Alta., on Feb. 16 after Norad detected the bomber headed for Canadian airspace.
The Russian planes were turned back before entering Canada’s airspace by fighter jets using “internationally recognized signals.”
Mackay said Russian planes have been encroaching on Canadian sovereignty on an “upward scale” in the past several years.
Canada has asked Moscow for advance warning when such trips are scheduled, MacKay said.
“To date we have not been given notice.”
Russian aircraft regularly probed into North American airspace during the Cold War and Canadian and American fighters routinely tracked the snoopers and escorted them back into international air space.
Such flights were suspended for years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but resumed in recent years as Russia pushed its claim on the Arctic and oil wealth allowed the country to spend more on its military.
Last summer, then-foreign affairs minister David Emerson said Russian intrusions into Canadian air space had greatly increased.
With files from The Canadian Press
Mwahaha, the first awakenings appear in the blogosphere.
http://ashizashiz.blogspot.com/2009/02/bullshit-express-whistle-stop-tour.html
The next couple of years will be pretty funny for me since I love to say: told you so.