Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Canada	Have we talked about Wegmans yet? I think we have...	QUOTE (thetreble @ Oct 27 2008, 02:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> DeadPool, it's definitely a Western thing. Many westerners I have met think Ontario is full of a bunch of snob, American-like peoples who literally are rich and are basically a-holes. It is not just my roommate and friend I have experienced this from in the past. There are definitely a few other encounters I have had, whether it be comedians or songs written, etc. I don't think you can be the best judge of it when you haven't been in Canada that long and also aren't from Western Canada or Eastern Canada. That is certainly no dig at you, but when you have 25+ years experience in the situation, it may seem a little different to you than an outsider. Perhaps I haven't been in Canada that long, but I do know human nature. The U.S. has had more than its share of issues like this. Just because you happen to meet some people in the past who were from Western Canada and didn't care for Ontario (and the Canadians living there), that doesn't mean all Canadians living in the western provinces are like that. Perhaps some people in Alberta or BC have met some Ontarians who were complete jerks. Does that mean all Canadians who live in Ontario are like that? Of course not. If you want Canadians elsewhere to stop thinking incorrect ideas about Ontario, perhaps those from Ontario should do the same with those from other provinces. It works both ways, after all. I also find it somewhat amusing that I'd be told that "I couldn't judge Canada" based upon my limited living experience here, while many of the Canadians in this forum have judged the United States and lack very much living experience there. That does seem a bit hypocritical, doesn't it? Edited by DeadPoolX, 27 October 2008 - 04:18 PM.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-10-27 16:16:00
Canada	Have we talked about Wegmans yet? I think we have...	QUOTE (thetreble @ Oct 27 2008, 07:02 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> WEGMANNSSSS!!! WOOOO! Best store ever, although very expensive. They have amazing sandwiches there and just foods in general. Also Nev, you are not alone in the Ontarians not being real canadians thing. My first year roommate at university was from Alberta and she made sure I knew I was only 1/2 Canadian all the time. She is one of my best friends in life now, but man...did she really know how to get me going with the whole "ontarians can't fit their head through the door" comments. That seems kind of odd that Albertans would say that, considering Alberta sometimes threatens to "join the United States." My wife, whose originally from Alberta, told me she's never heard of anyone labeling Ontarians as "half-Canadian" or "Little America." I'm sure it's a person-by-person issue, rather than a provincial one. I think it's like how some Americans refer to states such as Maine or Minnesota as "part of Canada."	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-10-27 11:11:00
Canada	Have we talked about Wegmans yet? I think we have...	QUOTE (Sprailenes @ Oct 25 2008, 09:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> ####### NY is hogging them all! Probably because it's close to Ontario. Lots of New Yorkers take trips to Ontario (particularly Toronto) while many Canadians from that province visit New York. I'm sure their stock of British foods is based on the overall clientele. In fact, if you look at the numbers, Wegmans is mainly in the northeastern United States. That's pretty damn close to Canada. Where do more Canadians live than anywhere else in the country? Ontario, that's right.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-10-25 21:42:00
Canada	being a US citizen	QUOTE (Danielle-Justin @ Oct 23 2008, 05:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well let me clarify, I suppose she would eventually go for it at some point. However, at this point, we are more focused on getting TO that point Who knows, if things really went bad here (United States) for some reason, I could move to Canada then. My wife has similar concerns. She seems to think that if she becomes a U.S. citizen, the United States could prevent her from returning to Canada. Overall, I think they're unfounded (after all, if the U.S. government detains citizens, what's to stop them from doing the same to permanent residents?), but if she doesn't want to become a U.S. citizen some day in the future, then that's her choice. The most logical reason I can see for avoiding U.S. citizenship is that once you become a citizen, you are responsible for declaring your income (and therefore get taxed on it) to the IRS, regardless of where you live. So if you two ever did move to Canada -- and she had come a U.S. citizen -- she'd be responsible for taxation coming from a country she no longer inhabits. Granted, the same situation would occur to you, but you were born a U.S. citizen, so there was no long and drawn out process to become such.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-10-24 01:48:00
Canada	Any french people living in the usa in here?	I'm still amazed that I could read and understand most of what was written here. I know it sounds like I'm boasting, but you see... I was virtually retarded in my French class! I still can't speak or write it, but I guess I can read it well enough. Edited by DeadPoolX, 21 August 2008 - 05:36 PM.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-08-21 17:35:00
Canada	Any french people living in the usa in here?	QUOTE (KingCan @ Aug 20 2008, 12:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (DeadPoolX @ Aug 20 2008, 12:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hey, this is pretty cool. I'm extremely rusty when it comes to my French (I'm far better with German) but I was actually able to read and understand most of what was written! Nice to see another fellow Texan in here! I'm originally from Houston, but now I'm in Canada. I did the reverse of what many have done here (i.e. immigrate to the U.S.) as I've immigrated to my wife's country in Canada. It was quicker than going with U.S. immigration and we figure we can always come back to the United States at a later date. The point was getting together as soon as possible.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-08-20 18:08:00
Canada	Any french people living in the usa in here?	Hey, this is pretty cool. I'm extremely rusty when it comes to my French (I'm far better with German) but I was actually able to read and understand most of what was written!	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-08-20 12:59:00
Canada	OT question	I don't know if you and your husband will go for this idea, but since you're in a small apartment, get a cat right now. Maybe a dog later on. However, since your husband really likes dogs -- and he's bored out of his mind waiting for the time in which he can work -- why doesn't he volunteer at your local animal shelter? This way, he can spend some time with dogs (many of them need help!) and do something during the day that keeps him busy.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-10-25 22:07:00
Canada	When you tell people you are from Canada	QUOTE (~Nini~ @ Oct 24 2008, 02:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (DeadPoolX @ Oct 24 2008, 02:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I've often heard questions asked by both Americans and Canadians over the immigration process. Many in both countries have the mistaken belief that crossing the border to live is as easy as a simple "wave and a wink." Another question I've heard a lot is about citizenship. It seems a lot of people -- from the U.S. and Canada -- think that if you move to another country, you automatically lose your status as a citizen. And definitely, I do agree with you. A lot of people who have asked about the immigration process have been surprised at how complex and arduous the journey is. A couple of my American friends went so far as to say that they presumed I was automatically a citizen, simply because I was married to an American. To be fair, until my husband and I decided to get married, I didn't have a single clue about the Canadian immigration process either - it really does go both ways. The problem is that many years ago, if an American citizen married a foreigner, the foreign spouse would automatically gain citizenship. I believe this changed sometime during one of the wars, since a lot of American soldiers were arriving home with their new "war brides." I'd also imagine that the population growth in the U.S. has something to do with it, as well. While Canada may have a somewhat "easier" immigration process, its total population is less than the state of California. Plus, there's far less illegal immigration. Something interesting to note is that for quite a long time, the process to get a passport was far easier in the United States. There's no such thing as "guarantors" and no references are required, which means all Americans have to do is fill out a form and mail it. U.S. passports do take longer to process, but once again, there's more people to handle. Passports in the United States also last 10 years, whereas a Canadian passport is only good for five. QUOTE (Reba @ Oct 24 2008, 06:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Canada is multi-cultural, America is the melting pot. ie: if you move to the US you are expected to melt/assimilate into American society. In Canada you are encouraged to keep your own native culture, which then enriches Canadian culture. Honestly, I much prefer the Canadian multi-culturalism. Maybe that's the idea (or the intention), but it rarely works out that way. The U.S. has been called a "melting pot," but anyone who has some knowledge of American history/politics, will realize that individuals rarely assimilate. There are plenty of sections within cities that have been culturally influenced. I see the U.S. as a nation full of many warring factions, all trying to get what they feel is owed to them. There would be far fewer lawsuits (and politically correct nonsense) if people didn't attempt to "keep to their own" and actually merged together.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-10-25 18:09:00
Canada	When you tell people you are from Canada	QUOTE (~Nini~ @ Oct 23 2008, 09:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Danielle-Justin @ Oct 16 2008, 04:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> While I guess you have to be light-hearted to take them, the "eh" jokes or comments get real old after awhile...and I'm the American. Whether or not it bothers her, I don't see many Canadians making a lot of similar comments towards Americans when visiting Canada. I'm not bitter, I just think that some people here (America, not Visajourney) need to be a little more mature or less closed-minded. Oh, I couldn't agree more. Often when I tell them I'm from Vancouver, I hear comments like, "Wow, I hear it's a beautiful city! You must really miss home." (Which I do, but you know how it is!) More often, I get the "CANADIA EH?!" joke. My ethnicity is Chinese, so often I get jokes from both cultures. It never ends I think the worst reaction I ever got was when my mother-in-law was talking to one of the secretaries at her work about me and the immigration process. Her response was, "Why would she need papers? Isn't Canada a state?" I've often heard questions asked by both Americans and Canadians over the immigration process. Many in both countries have the mistaken belief that crossing the border to live is as easy as a simple "wave and a wink." Another question I've heard a lot is about citizenship. It seems a lot of people -- from the U.S. and Canada -- think that if you move to another country, you automatically lose your status as a citizen. As for poor reactions to being Canadian... my wife hasn't really received very many from my family. Sure, there are some Canadian jokes, but thankfully, my family members have at least enough tact to keep such comments at bay when she's around. The one person who did poke fun at my wife was a cousin of mine. That didn't really surprise me, however. He can be a real jerk to everyone, so whether or not my wife was Canadian, he'd probably have found something rude to say.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-10-24 01:55:00
Canada	When you tell people you are from Canada	QUOTE (canadian_wife @ Oct 18 2008, 07:54 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I taught High School in RURAL, poor Georgia for 3 years and I got such comments as: "Wow, Canada..thats kinda like a whole other country" ~ Yah, kinda "Did you vote for George W. Bush?" ~ Uh, no Canadians can't vote in US elections "You're the first foreigner I've met" "Do you have apple pie in Canada or is that just an American thing?" ~ I hear they actually have apple pie in places like Europe "Do you have July 4th in Canada...wow really, I thought only Americans had July 4" ~ Yes, our calendar doesn't just skip over July 4 And I even had one mother pull her daughter out of my US History class because I not American and thus, could not properly teach her daughter the history of the US. This was also the same woman who complained to the school board that I was teaching that the Union won the Civil War. She honestly thought that the South won! It's people like that who end up giving Americans a bad name. Fortunately, most of us aren't like that (or at least, quite that off the wall). To be fair -- and I hate doing this in regards to morons -- I can see why these kids, especially in a poor and rural area, would think those things. Within the U.S., there are tons of comments about how Canada is "practically the same as the United States" and the U.S. media (in fact, the media all over the world) so heavily concentrates on U.S. politics, that many would probably think "everyone votes in American elections." This is becoming disturbingly true, since illegals sometimes vote now, even though that's against the law. The phrase "American as apple pie" probably leads many to believe that apple pie is an American phenomenon and when that kid asked about July 4th, he didn't mean the actual date, but "Independence Day" or "The Fourth of July," as we tend to refer to it. The one point I can't understand is how that mother believed the Confederacy won the Civil War (has she ever read a history book or are those considered Union propaganda material?) and that just because someone isn't American, they can't teach U.S. history. If that's the case, how can anyone teach a course on world history or any nation, ethnicity or culture? It simply doesn't make sense; of course, I doubt she does in most cases, either.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-10-19 13:22:00
Canada	When you tell people you are from Canada	QUOTE (Danielle-Justin @ Oct 16 2008, 03:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> While I guess you have to be light-hearted to take them, the "eh" jokes or comments get real old after awhile...and I'm the American. Whether or not it bothers her, I don't see many Canadians making a lot of similar comments towards Americans when visiting Canada. I'm not bitter, I just think that some people here (America, not Visajourney) need to be a little more mature or less closed-minded. I think most of the problem really lies with the media. I know, that's an "easy" out, but look at how Hollywood uses and reuses stereotypes. If they're not rehashing geographical or cultural stereotypes, they're making use of gender-specific ones instead. Whether or not the public finds this amusing isn't the point. The issue is that people are consistently exposed to these stereotypes, many of which can be quite negative. Using Canada as an example, when Hollywood looks at Canada, what do they portray? Ice and snow, with people bundling up to keep from freezing to death. Even worse, many characterizations of Canadians rely on ideas that are extremely old, such as RCMP officers always wearing their dress uniforms and riding horses. Then there's the idea that Canadians all speak French. While knowing French is probably a good idea in some cases, the predominant written and spoken language is English (that's a mixture of both the British and American versions). But it's considered far more amusing by Hollywood to have a "somewhat dopey French-speaking or accented Canadian RCMP officer pushing his way through the tundra on dogsled while on his way to his igloo." To be fair, Hollywood does this to everybody, specially the U.S. itself. I'm originally from Texas and thanks to the old westerns that were popular in the 1950s and 1960s, many people still believe Texas is a dry desert wasteland, sparsely populated with little towns where cowboys ride horses and stop in at the local saloon and get into gunfights." These same individuals are often shocked when they visit and find out that Texas has forests, swamps, and mountains, in addition to the major cities looking and acting like any other busy and crowded urban center. Houston, where I was born and grew up, is actually the fourth largest city in the United States, but ask people about on the west and east coast (particularly those in the northeast) and they'll imagine it's nothing more than a general store, motel and a gas station. I won't say there aren't stereotypes about other places, too. Many think all Californians are "surfers" (or in San Francisco's case, extreme leftist lunatics) or that the Deep South is comprised of nothing more than redneck hicks who believe the American Civil War is still being waged or that the midwest only has "low-educated, but often friendly, farmers" and that the northeast are all self-important snobs who're completely full of themselves. Granted, the above was strictly about the United States, but it's easy to see the stereotypes elsewhere. For instance, what about the Indian (as in from New Delhi, not a member of the Cherokee nation) operating a 7-11 or any other convenience store? Many often think that the Japanese are either "samurai-like" or complete wacko perverts. The Irish and Russians are thought to be drunkards and the citizens of England are either "emotionless, stodgy and in the upper echelon of society" or they speak like Eliza Doolittle, from My Fair Lady. It's also interesting to note that for years, whenever Hollywood needed a "foreign villain," an English accent would be used, since it's considered "different, but still understandable." This was partially George Lucas's reason behind making Imperial officers in the Star Wars films speak that way, too.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-10-16 15:56:00
Canada	Returning to Canada	QUOTE (trailmix @ Nov 16 2008, 11:23 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> My Husband's application was an inland application - it took 6 months from start to finish - that was 8 years ago. While I agree with a lot of what you have said today Deadpool - you have said it before and you said it again - about Canada being lax about who they let immigrate - I just don't think that is true and if there is any question of that you might want to ask Delicia about how lax they are (or aren't). Just so the OP knows, shouldn't imply to people that it's that easy for everyone to immigrate. Oh and I can't believe you haven't been able to clear up the name issue yet! Well, the reason I feel Canada is a bit more easy-going on immigration is that it's practically supporting the country. Canada has a negative birth rate, so immigrants are necessary. Looking at the U.S., which has so many people it's virtually overflowing, with more births happening every day and an illegal alien issue, it's no surprise that immigration would be tougher. The U.S. doesn't need immigrants the same way Canada does. You're right, however, that I shouldn't indicate that immigrating to Canada is a breeze. It's not, but it is easier than U.S. immigration. As for my name... the Canadian government absolutely refuses to budge. According to them, my landing document specifies my name, despite other evidence I have and using my name for nearly 30 years. I couldn't believe they made me pay an extra fee to correct their mistake on my SIN card. My PR Card just arrived three months after my initial landing, which -- as I said before -- has my name incorrectly written on it. They won't change it, of course, since the Canadian government says that's my real name!	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-11-16 11:40:00
Canada	Cleanses and Detoxes	SpiritAlight, I'm sure you knew what I meant when I referred to toxins; if you didn't, then I'll explain. More often than not, when someone speaks of "removing their bodily toxins" with detox formulas or cleanses, they seem to believe that some sort of "hocus-pocus witch doctor-created snake oil cures" will suddenly solve all of their problems. I've even heard such claims that after a thorough detox, a diabetic would no longer need their insulin any longer (among other ridiculous proclamations). Yes, of course I realize there are toxic chemicals in the ground and water, and depending on the source, various edible products as well. As for pharmaceuticals, those are often -- but not always -- beneficial, since they've been designed to help us. Contrary to popular opinion, just because something is "natural," that doesn't mean it's safe. In fact, there are thousands of items in nature that are are lethal to us. Even if you look to the whole "natural is always good" ideal, you must know that many medications are derived from natural substances. Most have been processed and altered, of course, but that's merely a safety precaution. When developing drugs, it's in the best interest of the patient that medication be designed with humans in mind. Furthermore, it's sometimes a good idea to have medication do more than one job, so the patient has fewer pills to take and therefore, a smaller chance of forgetting to take their medication. Edited by DeadPoolX, 03 April 2008 - 10:36 AM.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-04-03 10:35:00
Canada	Cleanses and Detoxes	It's not surprising you'd lose weight on any sort of "detox" or "cleanse." Essentially, you'd be eliminating excess waste from your body and believe it or not, water and fecal matter can cause a great a deal of bloat, while adding to your overall weight. I don't believe that any of these detox or cleansing programs will really do whole a lot. At most, they'll act as non-medicinal diuretics and laxatives. That's not an all together bad thing, but it can cause some potential problems too. For instance, if you're on prescription medication that needs to be absorbed through your digestive tract and you're suffering from a form of diarrhea, that medication may not get probably utilized. In some cases, this might not be too important, but if the medication is something to prevent epileptic seizures or pregnancy (as an example), you'll want to make sure your medicine is working properly. The whole "removing toxins from your body" idea seems a little flaky to me, but that's why I've chosen not to do it; if someone else elects to try it, then that's their choice. More than anything, I believe any positive effects gained from this process would be psychosomatic.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-04-03 08:07:00
Canada	Drop in Canadian tourism could hurt jobs	Airlines are hurting badly. Ever hear this old joke? "What's a good way to become a millionaire? Invest a billion in an airline!" With the U.S. dollar doing as badly as it is and the way airlines generally lose money as a business, they're looking for any possible way to cut their losses. Since the airline industry loses far more money than it takes in, many airlines are looking to merge, which could be a good or bad thing (although probably mostly bad). Currently, the airlines do as little as possible for the passenger and there are many competitors -- if the market shrinks and these airlines know Americans have little choice in choosing who to fly with, they'll raise prices, lower service and care even less about their passengers than they do now (if anyone could imagine that's possible). What I've found the best thing to do (aside from what Kathryn did) is to sometimes take different flights on multiple airlines. That sounds counter-intuitive and it's often much more complex, but sometimes it's easier and less expensive overall. It depends on the airline, bags (whether or not you're checking anything) route, travel date (time and day) and airport, since an airline's hub will offer more flights, but also be far more crowded for that particular airline. IAH (Houston, TX) for instance, is Continental Airline's main hub and there have been times where the lineup to check-in and go through security at Termina C (which is reserved solely for Continental) has been backed up so far, it's gone outside and wrapped around the building, as if people were waiting to get into a nightclub. One time, I found it worked out better in terms of both time and money to take a combined Continental/WestJet flight, instead of flying Continental all the way, using another U.S. airline in addition to or instead of Continental, or even Air Canada. It was a lot of work to figure out the schedule, but in the end, it was worth it. Oh... and one quick note: even though United Airlines is partnered with Air Canada, you can only check-in online with United if you're within the United States. Otherwise, you have to check-in at the airport. I've never had that problem with Northwest or Continental; I can't speak about Delta or any of the others, since I haven't flown on them to or from Canada. Honestly, I think Air Canada is the best airline to fly with regarding Canada. Then again, I'm biased, since I really like their personal video screens (which is something I've never seen on any economy flight with a U.S. airline). Edited by DeadPoolX, 05 June 2008 - 01:55 AM.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-06-05 01:53:00
Canada	Is it TRUE?	QUOTE (KarenCee @ Jun 8 2008, 04:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (DeadPoolX @ Jun 8 2008, 03:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (trailmix @ Jun 8 2008, 09:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> How do you know that over eating is the main culprit regarding the obesity 'problem' in the U.S.? The fact that an entire nation is affected would seem to me to indicate a much bigger problem - see paragraph above. That's simple -- the United States is obsessed with "supersizing" meal portions at cheaper prices. While this seems like a good economic solution for those on a budget, it can -- and often does -- amount to children and adults eating far too much. Buffets have also become extremely prolific across the American landscape, which are quite inexpensive to eat at and offer patrons as much as their stomachs can handle. While everyone has different meal requirements (some people need to eat more than others and men generally have larger appetites than women), there's very little reason for people to stuff themselves silly. Filling your stomach up to the point where you have to "waddle" out of the restaurant is ridiculous. To make matters worse, people are eating very unhealthy food as well. Studies have shown that one out of three American children eats fast food every single day. Fast food in moderation is fine (just as anything else), but when it becomes an everyday habit, health problems are bound to occur. Health professionals point towards this and overeating as some of the reasons why Type-II Diabetes (previous called "Adult Onset Diabetes") has been showing up so often now in children, when it used to primarily attack adults. If you don't believe me, compare the portions served up in the United States versus those in Canada. My wife was amazed at how large the meal and drink sizes are here when she last visited. She admitted some chain restaurants in Canada tend to offer up large amounts of food, but that's generally to cover up the fact the quality of their meals are subpar. Most places, she said (including coffee shops), had smaller sizes than their American counterparts. Not every child though...and thank the gods my child isn't one of them. I watch her diet like a freaking hawk. I have to...she has epilepsy. She's skin and bones. I am overweight, but it's surely not from overeating. I dislike eating so much I feel that I need to "waddle" out of the restaurant. I can go to a buffet and eat a normal meal. I don't go back for seconds...or thirds. I am overweight because I have PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome. Ever hear of it? It has totally screwed up my endocrine system. My T2 Diabetes is a result of part genetics and this bloody disease. And no, I'm not using my health as an excuse. Anyone that knows me and has witnessed me eating will tell you that I do NOT overeat. At times my husband tries to get me to eat more. I watch my diet not only because of my weight, but because of the diabetes. When we do eat fast food, it makes me feel sick afterwards so I tend to not want fast food much at all. Statistics like this don't always show the small margin of people who have other issues that cause weight gain like mine. Overweight people also get judged pretty harsh these days...the old adage "just push away from the table" doesn't fit the norm for all overweights....not anymore. I'm not trying to sound crabby...just wanted to put out another viewpoint from someone that this generalisation doesn't fit. I'm sorry if I sounded overly critical before or like I was lumping everyone who was overweight into one category. I realize that not everyone who has weight issues is that way due to overeating. I've had to fight the "battle of the bulge" my whole life as someone with hypothyroidism. In short, that means my thyroid gland doesn't work as well as it should and -- among other details -- makes it difficult for me shed excess pounds while enabling me to put on weight much easier than the so-called "average" person as well. So believe me when I say that I know there are numerous medical causes for weight gain. However, these issues are in the minority. Most people who are overweight are such due to poor eating habits and a lack of exercise. In the past two years, I've lost about 80 pounds and if someone such as myself (with the aforementioned hypothyroidism) can do it by concentrating on a proper diet and getting in some good exercise, then I'm sure quite a few people who lack my problem could achieve even greater success.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-06-08 17:45:00
Canada	Is it TRUE?	QUOTE (trailmix @ Jun 8 2008, 09:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> How do you know that over eating is the main culprit regarding the obesity 'problem' in the U.S.? The fact that an entire nation is affected would seem to me to indicate a much bigger problem - see paragraph above. That's simple -- the United States is obsessed with "supersizing" meal portions at cheaper prices. While this seems like a good economic solution for those on a budget, it can -- and often does -- amount to children and adults eating far too much. Buffets have also become extremely prolific across the American landscape, which are quite inexpensive to eat at and offer patrons as much as their stomachs can handle. While everyone has different meal requirements (some people need to eat more than others and men generally have larger appetites than women), there's very little reason for people to stuff themselves silly. Filling your stomach up to the point where you have to "waddle" out of the restaurant is ridiculous. To make matters worse, people are eating very unhealthy food as well. Studies have shown that one out of three American children eats fast food every single day. Fast food in moderation is fine (just as anything else), but when it becomes an everyday habit, health problems are bound to occur. Health professionals point towards this and overeating as some of the reasons why Type-II Diabetes (previous called "Adult Onset Diabetes") has been showing up so often now in children, when it used to primarily attack adults. If you don't believe me, compare the portions served up in the United States versus those in Canada. My wife was amazed at how large the meal and drink sizes are here when she last visited. She admitted some chain restaurants in Canada tend to offer up large amounts of food, but that's generally to cover up the fact the quality of their meals are subpar. Most places, she said (including coffee shops), had smaller sizes than their American counterparts.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-06-08 14:22:00
Canada	Is it TRUE?	While I don't eat very many chocolate bars (or chocolate in general) nowdays, I can tell you all that Hershey's does have a "higher quality" line that goes beyond their standard fare. If you're merely looking at the chocolate bars you can pick up at Wal-Mart or CVS, then you're bound to run into some ####### candy. You can't realistically expect to get top-notch food at discount stores or pharmacies. Now maybe one of the reasons I rarely come across problems regarding chocolate is because I don't milk chocolate. I detest it and I only ever eat dark chocolate. It seems to be far more difficult (but not impossible) to screw up the process of creating dark chocolate over milk chocolate. Dark chocolate is also carried by companies that are generally considered to be "better" and even Hershey's has a line of chocolate that's "finer quality" as well. The reason milk chocolate is more prolific is because it's less expensive to create (that's no surprise) and since it has a "sweeter" taste, children and many adults tend to prefer it over dark chocolate. Like dark chocolate, however, there are different types of milk chocolate. This accounts for why and how the "same" kind of chocolate could somehow taste different in the United States and Canada. Oh and I know many of you seem to think HFCS is a "product of the devil" or some such nonsense, but it's really no cause for alarm. In fact, HFCS is fairly harmless. The problem with quite a few American food items is that they have both HFCS and sugar. If something has only HFCS or sugar, the results aren't that bad -- neither one is truly worse than the other. However, if both are present at the same time, the end result is twice as harmful as one of those alone and apparently, quite a few American products have both of them in it. This helps to account for the "obesity problem" in the United States (although overeating itself is still the main culprit). Just so you all know, I didn't pull the above out of my rear-end. Try reading a book called "The Omnivore's Dilemma." The author talks extensively about this issue. Come to think of it, the author writes about a number of subjects that anyone living in the U.S. should probably know about, considering his books deals with food and we're putting that inside our bodies.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-06-08 04:17:00
Canada	Is it TRUE?	QUOTE (cattattude @ Jun 4 2008, 06:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (*Marilyn* @ Jun 4 2008, 12:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (cattattude @ Jun 4 2008, 11:13 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Oddly enough, I asked this to my husband last night, and he said its false you can get Smarties in the US. Or at least you could in WA and AK. is he thinking of these? just found this... QUOTE Smarties are not distributed in the United States, except by specialist importers. The Ce De Candy company manufactures a hard, tablet sweet under the name Smarties, which is unrelated to the Nestlé product. http://en.wikipedia....rties_(Nestlé) Yup, you were right - he assumed I was talking about Rockets, he had no idea what a CDN Smartie was - besides his wife of course That's odd. Not that he wouldn't know what Canadian Smarties are, but that states such as Alaska or Washington wouldn't have them readily available. I'd generally think states that share a border with Canada (such as Washington and Alaska) might be more inclined to sell the Canadian version. Of course, just because your husband hasn't seen them sold, that doesn't mean they aren't for sale somewhere in those states. I've seen Coffee Crisp (which is, by all accounts, easier to find) here in Texas, so if a state this far from Canada might have some Canadian candy, it's highly likely northern states would as well. What I've found increases your chances of finding Canadian food items is looking in less "mainstream" stores. For instance, I've never seen anything that isn't local (i.e. Texan or just generally American) in places like H.E.B., Kroger's or Randall's; however, when I've looked in Whole Foods Market and Central Market (the latter of which is a Texas-only chain), I can find products from all over the globe, including Canada. So while it's entirely possible that Canadian Smarties exist in the United States, finding them might take some serious research.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-06-05 01:33:00
Canada	I'm going to Disney!!	*** WARNING! LONG BUT INFORMATIVE POST! *** Disney World, huh? While I haven't visited since 1993, I have been there at least twice (maybe three times -- I sometimes get Disney World and Disneyland confused a little bit, since I've been to both). Some things have probably changed a bit, but overall, much of it is likely the same. One word of caution: you're heading to a Disney theme park after school has been let out. That's exceptionally dangerous, since families across the nation (and many outside of it) will be there lining up to go on the rides. So expect to have long waits unless you plan out ahead of time which rides you want to go on, get there early (preferably sometime very close to when the park first opens) and dart around the park to all of the most popular rides first. I realize that seems counterintuitive at first. You'll probably want to look around a bit and maybe see what rides are available in your immediate vicinity but that's a mistake. If you get there early, WDWR won't be too crowded yet, so the extremely popular rides won't have long wait times; sometimes, they won't even have any at all! If you follow my instructions, you'll get to go on the rides you want (assuming any of them are some of the most popular rides) before the lines get so long you'll have to wait an hour or longer in the hot afternoon Florida sun. There are four main parks within what is officially called "Walt Disney World Resort." I say "officially" since at nearly everyone refers to it as "Walt Disney World" or merely "Disney World." Anyway... the parks are as follows: The Magic Kingdom -- more or a less a clone of Disneyland (with a few differences in ride selections and experiences). Epcot Center -- a science fiction oriented park that looks towards adventure and the future; it also includes the World Showcase. Disney's Hollywood Studies -- think of this as Disney's answer to Universal Studios, since runs on a similar theme. Disney's Animal Kingdom -- a safari-based park where the idea is to experience "wild animals" without unnecessary danger. The only section of WDWR I haven't been to is DAK (it opened up in 1998). Honestly, I don't mind having missed it, since I can't see how viewing so-called "wild animals" in captivity (when they're supposed to be running free while we view them on a safari) would be entertaining at all. But it obviously works for a lot of people. If you have young children, the Magic Kingdom will hold the most appeal for them. It's definitely the most "kid friendly." Even if it's just you two, but you're "kids at heart," you'll probably still enjoy some of it, especially the classic rides. If you want my advice, here are the "best" rides in the Magic Kingdom: The Haunted Mansion (Liberty Square) Pirates of the Caribbean (Adventureland) Jungle Cruise (Adventureland) Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Frontierland) Splash Mountain (Frontierland) Space Mountain (Tomorrowland) Peter Pan's Flight (Fantasyland) Snow White's Scary Adventures (Fantasyland) The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Fantasyland) In general, young children tend to enjoy the Jungle Cruise and the last three in Fantasyland far more than adults. Of course, it depends on the child too. When I was a kid, I loved Space Mountain, but that might be because I had to remove my glasses and since that rollercoaster is in the dark, it didn't matter if I could see anything or not. Once again, I don't know if you have any kids with you, but just as a precautionary measure, you should know that some of those rides have been known to scare young children. The two main culprits are usually the Haunted Mansion and the Snow White ride, interestingly enough. I've always like EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) better than the Magic Kingdom, but then again, I've a geek. There's far fewer rides than in the MK, but I think most of them are better overall. With the exception of the World Showcase (which aren't really rides, but more like "miniature lands"), they're all science or sci-fi in nature, so if that's "not your thing," you may not enjoy at least some of EPCOT. My recommendations for rides in EPCOT are: Spaceship Earth Innoventions Universe of Energy Mission: SPACE Test Track The Seas with Nemo and Friends What most people focus on in EPCOT is the World Showcase. As I said before, it's a collection of "mini-lands" that sort of represent their countries. The reason I say "sort of" is because much of what tends to be shown often relies on stereotypes. This doesn't mean that negative stereotypes are necessarily employed, but for the most part, guests are shown a characiture of whatever country they're visiting. For the record, Canada is among the World Showcase and yes, many stereotypes were put into the creation of the Canadian pavilion. As an example... totem poles, NHL jerseys, maple syrup (is Disney really hoping people are going to take home three ounces worth of syrup now or what?), lumberjack-style clothing, and a "variety" of stuffed animals, including moose, elk and beaver. While that may seem pretty sad, the other countries didn't got off lightly either. The countries that have pavilions are... American Adventure (I'm still not sure why this even needs to be here, since WDWR is within the U.S.) Canada China France Germany Italy Japan Mexico Morocco Norway United Kingdom There's not much I can say about Disney's Hollywood Studios, except that it's really just Disney's version of Universal's theme park. If you were to look at the two side-by-side, you'd see some very startling similarities, beyond those you'd expect to see in two theme parks. So anyway... here are the rides and attractions I think I worth visiting: The Great Movie Ride (Hollywood Boulevard) Star Tours (Backlot) Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! (Backlot) Jim Henson's Muppet Vision 3D (Backlot) Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show (Backlot) Studio Backlot Tour (Mickey Avenue) The Magic of Disney Animation (Animation Courtyard) Rock'n'Roller Coaster (Sunset Boulevard) The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (Sunset Boulevard) I can't right anything about Disney's Wild Kingdom, since I've never been there. I'm sure there's more than enough information about it online or elsewhere, should you really be interested in going to see it. I'd also like to state that I completely glossed over any restaurants (there are many) within the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT Center, and Hollywood Studios. Most of the places there to eat won't be five-star dining, although if you're careful, you can find some pretty nice restaurants within the park. The most important thing to remember when dealing with Disney (or any theme park) is that you should only buy food there when you really, really have to do it. Disney knows that once you're inside, you're not going to feel like leaving, so you're only option to eat is with them, which means they'll raise their prices higher than normal (i.e. popcorn and soda at the movies). The best solution to counter this is to bring snacks with you, which is easy to do if you're a woman and have a decently sized purse. Depending on the number of days you'll be going to WDWR, you may or may not have time to do even a third of what I listed. When I went years ago, I was a kid and my family stayed for a week. So we had plenty of time -- even so, we never got to do "everything" so if you're planning on being at the park for a couple of days, mark down what's most important and just do that. You'll need to schedule a lot of your time when dealing with a place like WDWR, since it's extremely hectic, especially when there are tons of families with even more crazed kids running around, clamoring for their parents to take them on every ride they see. Edited by DeadPoolX, 09 June 2008 - 07:19 PM.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-06-09 19:15:00
Canada	Speedometer in km/h in the USA	I don't see why it should. Most vehicles today have both mph and km/h on it. In the U.S., miles are larger since we use those, but in other countries (Canada included), I've been told that km/h is larger. Either way, the other unit of measurement is there too.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-06-09 20:07:00
Canada	The other side of the fence...	QUOTE (Eric_and_Corinna @ Jun 8 2008, 01:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ooo...Red Lobster in the South is good though...at least it was in Texas. But you have Joe's Crab Shacks in Florida..."Joe's Got Crabs!!" I'm the USC and I've been to Red Lobster and Joe's Crab Shack here in Texas. I didn't really care for either of them, but then again, it's been years since I've been there. The last really good "regular" seafood restaurant I've been to was Truluck's (no t-shirt, jeans, sneakers; you need to dress nice and if you're going on a weekend, reservations are a must!) and for "cajun" I recently went to Denis's, which is far more relaxed than Truluck's (although I'd recommend against wearing shorts). The thing to remember about a city like Houston is that it's right near the Gulf of Mexico so we have access to a lot of seafood (the number of seafood restaurants here is practically limitless) and since we're so close to Louisiana, we have tons of cajun places too. That's one thing I'll definitely miss when I go to Vancouver is the lack of good cajun, since I'm accustomed to having it whenever I want. I'm positive Vancouver has some fantastic restaurants (I love sushi, so I'm set in that capacity), but I've heard that cajun is difficult to get in Canada.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-06-08 14:34:00
Canada	Happy Canada Day!!	Canadian questions -- 6/10 American questions -- 10/10 That's not much of a surprise, really. I thought the U.S. history questions were incredibly easy, but then again, I know a lot about my own country. Obviously, I know a little less about Canada. I think it's become the "norm" for Canadians to actually know more about the U.S. than Canada (or at least both equally). At the end of that quiz, it says that many Canadians are having the same issues, where they can recognize American history but have trouble with Canadian history. I'd have to imagine that's due to the American media being so prevalent and vocal. After all, I'm sure quite a few Canadians could at least somewhat recognize the names of former U.S. presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln or Franklin D. Roosevelt. How many Americans could pick a Canadian Prime Minister's name out of a lineup? Probably not too many.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-07-01 09:11:00
Canada	How to Tell You're in Canada	QUOTE (thetreble @ Jul 6 2008, 01:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I guess it depends on the bank and where the bank is located. I know some towns here in jersey still have blue laws. Do you like WaMu deadpool? I am thinking of switching banks. Yeah, I do. The other two banks I've worked with are Bank of America and Capital One and between the three of them, WAMU is definitely the easiest to deal with. They also seem to have the best deals, overall. Having said that, BOA and CO often have better credit cards, but no one says you need to get a credit card from your bank. I don't. QUOTE (IR5FORMUMSIE @ Jul 6 2008, 10:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (DeadPoolX @ Jul 5 2008, 05:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> That's pretty neat. I like that. Just a couple of very minor additions: 1. Esso supposedly stands for "Eastern States Standard Oil." In 1971, the name changed to Exxon in the United States, but it remained Esso everywhere else in the world. What happened was Esso had a number of similar-sounding competitors and in the end, after a tough antitrust settlement, the name Esso was dropped (along with the competitors who were merged into what used to be Esso) and Exxon emerged. None of this occurred in countries outside the U.S., however, which is why Esso remains in use outside American borders. Actually it was on January 1, 1973 that Exxon started to appear and the competitor were some of the remnants of Standard Oil itself but why quibble over details, the last Esso sign in the US came down in 1976. Some states had Esso (S O) stations which Exxon bought in 1941 from Standard Oil which was broken up in 1911 as a consequence of the 1890 Sherman Antitrust Act. John D. Rockefeller who maintained interests in Standard Oil, Esso and all the other baby companies made a killing when Standard Oil broke up. Exxon (Standard Oil of New Jersey) and Mobil (Standard Oil of New York) were both part of Standard Oil that was split in 1911. BTW, Imperial Oil in fact sold gas in the western US until the 1950s. Imperial is 70% owned by ExxonMobil. Damn, you're right. I wonder why I kept thinking it was 1971... Oh well. It doesn't matter much now, does it? In the U.S. it's Exxon and outside of it, it's Esso. It seems a little weird to me to see Esso (since I'm so used to Exxon), but my wife had no idea Exxon and Esso were the same company. My parents did, of course, since they were around to see the name change.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-07-07 10:11:00
Canada	How to Tell You're in Canada	QUOTE (pegbert64 @ Jul 5 2008, 05:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (*Marilyn* @ Jul 5 2008, 06:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> * When you step on someone's foot, he apologizes. (This really happened.) Ha, that is funny, and TRUE! I still do that..... sort of like "I'm sorry that my foot was in your way so that you had to step on it." The mail on Saturday thing still gets me confused, since the mail is NOT delivered on Sat in Canada, but the banks ARE open. In the US, its the reverse....... mail IS delivered, but banks are CLOSED. More than once I've told my husband that I'll run to the bank on Saturday.... only to be reminded that it will be closed Right...... mail = yes, bank = no...... gotta get that straight! That's odd. I've lived in the U.S. my entire life and I've obviously had Saturday mail, but I've also been able to go to my bank on Saturdays as well. I suppose it depends which bank you use, though. I have Washington Mutual, which seems pretty flexible compared to the other options I've seen.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-07-06 12:27:00
Canada	How to Tell You're in Canada	That's pretty neat. I like that. Just a couple of very minor additions: 1. Esso supposedly stands for "Eastern States Standard Oil." In 1971, the name changed to Exxon in the United States, but it remained Esso everywhere else in the world. What happened was Esso had a number of similar-sounding competitors and in the end, after a tough antitrust settlement, the name Esso was dropped (along with the competitors who were merged into what used to be Esso) and Exxon emerged. None of this occurred in countries outside the U.S., however, which is why Esso remains in use outside American borders. 2. The Hudson's Bay Company is operated by an American. In a sense, it's run by two Americans. The first American to control it was Jerry Zucker, but he recently died due to cancer, so his widow (Anita Zucker) took over the position for him. What makes her unique -- besides being the second American to run HBC -- is that she's the first woman to ever be in-charge of it in the company's very long history.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-07-05 17:31:00
Canada	How Canada Stole the American Dream	QUOTE (*Marilyn* @ Jul 7 2008, 10:07 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> again no one here is saying that Canada is better then the US in every way I think you might be misreading stuff too.. Perhaps I am. It's certainly possible on the Internet, where vocal tone, emotion and body language are all absent in conversation.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-07-07 10:13:00
Canada	How Canada Stole the American Dream	QUOTE (Kathryn41 @ Jul 6 2008, 12:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE . . . and any Canadian who truly believes that Canada is superior to the U.S. in every way is gravely mistaken. What a very interesting statement! So, you expect Canadians are to think the opposite? That if Canada isn't superior than the US, than the US is superior? Why does it have to be a competition?! Why not just recognize that there are differences and accept that? Why do you have such a problem with allowing Canadians to be Canadians and to love their country? Why do you feel the need to keep trying to tell us we are wrong for valuing our country, our heritage , our identity and say we are supposed to prefer the US? (Hmmm, were you the speech writer for General Hull back in 1812 in one of your previous incarnations trying to 'save us' from our delusions? ). You don't read very carefully, do you? Look again. I said "superior in every way." What does that mean? If you think I'm stating that Canada is inherently inferior to the United States, you've misread me. All I'm saying is that Canada isn't "superior" in every way which is something that shouldn't have to be spoken or written. Unfortunately, it seems that such commentary needs to be made here, as the pro-Canadian rhetoric says otherwise. There are some things that Canada does better than the U.S. and there are others that the U.S. does better than Canada. You might want to read a little more carefully next time before jumping to conclusions. Edited by DeadPoolX, 07 July 2008 - 10:03 AM.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-07-07 10:00:00
Canada	How Canada Stole the American Dream	I think the Canadians here need to read American Myths: What Canadians Think They Know About The United States by Rudyard Griffiths. The author is a columnist with the Toronto Star and a regular political commentator for CityTV. In 2006, The Globe and Mail recognized him as one of Canada's top 40 Under 40. It's an absolutely terrific book and points out the many misconceptions that Canadians have about the United States, some of which have been propagated by the Canadian government in an effort to promote a sense of Canadian well-being and separate themselves from the United States. No, it doesn't vilify Canada and make the U.S. look the "land of milk and honey, where the streets are paved with gold." However, it makes sure to note that Canada is far from a "bed of roses" and any Canadian who truly believes that Canada is superior to the U.S. in every way is gravely mistaken. The link above is for Amazon.com, but I'm sure it's on Amazon.ca as well and Barnes & Noble or Chapters as well. It seems to sell out pretty fast, so if you're interested in it, I'd recommend grabbing it quickly.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-07-06 12:22:00
Canada	How Canada Stole the American Dream	QUOTE (thetreble @ Jul 5 2008, 10:34 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> First of all, no offense, but who are you to come in and think you can settle all these "misconceptions" like we are a bunch of idiots that need a-talking to? I'm not trying to offend you and I read all of what you wrote. You are entitled to your opinion but don't come in and say you are clearing up misconceptions with "facts". I'm merely pointing out some of the inaccuracies that have been stated in this thread regarding American history. I'm sorry if you don't like that, but I'm not telling you how Canada was formed (and incorrectly too, I might add). QUOTE (thetreble @ Jul 5 2008, 10:34 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I do not believe any of us took the article in Macleans Magazine 100% seriously. Obviously there is bias in the article based on audience. Please do not treat any one like they are stupid. Most of us said we thought the article was interesting. Yes, and that very interesting article has been taken far too seriously and factual as well. As I said before, anything written like that (whether American or Canadian) should be taken with a "huge grain of salt." QUOTE (thetreble @ Jul 5 2008, 10:34 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Also, you are talking about me when I said I went to Canada on a recent vacation and forgot how great it was. Are you forgetting I lived there for 23 years and worked and went to school there full time for years? You are telling me that I don't know what my social life WOULD be like if I lived there, worked there, etc. Isn't that a little bit silly not knowing someones history to make a comment like that? I still loved canada and had a better social life when I was doing mundane tasks every day! Now that I live in New Jersey, it isn't even safe for me to be out by myself past it getting dark out. How can I have a social life if there is a good chance of me getting mugged at night coming into my house? That is my experience that I can draw from an article that says Canadians have a better social life. I don't even bother going to bars in New Jersey for fear I might look at someone the wrong way...female or male. Were you married in Canada or were you single? That can make a big difference? I'd also imagine you spent far more time in Canada when you were younger (i.e. during your college years), so the chances of having a more exciting social life would have been greater and had little to do with the location, but your overall situation. Even if you only looked at your locale, you should realize that there is a huge difference between someplace like Toronto and most places in New Jersey. That'd be like comparing New York City or Los Angeles and Nanaimo or someplace else that's relatively small. The good news is that since you're in NJ, you're very close to New York. So if you're inclined to do so, it's a short drive to someplace far more lively and entertaining. QUOTE (thetreble @ Jul 5 2008, 11:00 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> take it and use it as you like. DeadPool, I know you are Canadian and again, I wasn't trying to attack you in any way. I know my post was kind of aggressive and filled with a little bit of tension. I just wanted to point out to you that a lot of us are educated and it's not like we fictionalize stories of Canada's or America's birth, or the fruition of the two nations. We all have our own take on history, especially when it is ours. First of all, I'm not Canadian. I'm the USC; my wife is Canadian. Second, I'm extremely picky about history. I'd be attacking someone for getting Canadian history wrong too. Having your own take on history isn't really a good idea. There's historical fact and historical fiction. People can believe whatever they want, but that doesn't change what has occurred. QUOTE (CBR @ Jul 5 2008, 11:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Kathryn41 @ Jul 5 2008, 08:52 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Heheheehe, it bears repeating . . . "Canadians will understand and Americans will go 'huh'? (i.e won't understand).' What an interesting collection of reactions to what was posted as an 'interesting' article . What are we Americans not understanding? There have been quite a few incorrect generalizations made about American history (canadian too btw) and culture here. Some pointed out by deadpool and eric and corinna. I think a point needs to be made that all these Canada is better than the US sentiments are driving an unnecessary wedge. In general I find all the Canadians here and people I've met while visiting my fiance are wonderful people...well educated, kind, having good values, funny etc... overall people I would like to know. When these comments fly around it honestly pi$$es me off (and my fiance too...he made me add that). I don't see Americans making the same crappy attitude comments about Canada. Yes, this is the Canada forum, but it's an immigration website. Aren't we Americans welcome here in the Canada section if we're marrying a Canadian? Can't we focus on the good, focus on the positive similarities? Why do we have to constantly endure a negative attitude? Why can't we all just be friends dammit? I have to agree with this. Maybe the Canadians here don't mean to be antagonistic with some of the comments (just as some Americans don't mean to be with pro-American sayings), but given the multicultural nature of this board, it's bound to rub some people the wrong way. Granted, this is the Canadian Forum and I understand that many Canadians are homesick. However, there's probably a better way to say "nice things" about Canada without bashing the United States in the process. Both are great countries, so I don't see the need for the competition. My wife dislikes it as well. I'm sure that doesn't mean whole lot (since none of you have met her), but there really isn't a good reason to purposely hurt relations between Americans and Canadians.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-07-05 12:06:00
Canada	How Canada Stole the American Dream	Okay, I need to address a few misconceptions here... 1. The United States was not founded by immigrants fleeing religious persecution. Those that did leave Europe left long before the U.S. was ever created and in fact, set up their own small towns; they had neither the means nor the capability of starting their own country. Colonies were formed and eventually ended upp belonging to the British Crown. It was only later, in 1776, that colonists decided that they had enough with English rule (mostly due to unfair practices, such as "taxation without representation") and the Revolutionary War began. So the United States was founded by men such as George Washington, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, etc. These men were hardly running in search of religious freedom. In fact, religion wasn't on their minds very much at all (many of them believed in Deism). They simply wanted England to take them and their countryman in the colonies seriously and respect their rights -- and if that wasn't going to happen peacefully, they were going to make it happen forcefully. 2. I fail to see how an article in Maclean's Magazine is any more relevant or trustworthy than an article in the Wall Street Journal or Newsweek or Time Magazine. In other words, if and when a Canadian magazine says that Canada is "so much better" than the United States, the message should be taken with a huge grain of salt and not immediately accepted. The same is true when an American magazine writes about how great the United States is when compared to other countries. The point I'm making here is that it's highly unlikely very many magazines -- if any -- will be objective about their country of origin when comparing it against other countries. They'll know their reading audience and the writers themselves will probably be citizens of that country anyway. So unless the Canadians on this board are ready and willing to accept whatever Newsweek may say (even if it is positive about the U.S. but negative about Canada in the process), I don't see how any of you can also accept Maclean's Magazine as gospel. 3. Someone, much earlier on in the thread, mentioned that Canadians have much more interesting social lives. Well, this person also stated that they found this out on a trip back to Toronto for a few weeks. What that indicates to me is that they live and work in the United States. Their day-to-day life (i.e. go to work, grocery shopping, laundry, etc) is all done there. That's not very exciting, now is it? However, when they went back to Canada for a vacation -- where they wouldn't be working or doing any mundane tasks -- they'd get to experience far more fun social activities. Now something seems amiss here. It looks like to me that these two aren't being compared properly, since you can't look at any vacation or trip as an accurate gauge of an area (while you're there, you don't do the normal ####### you do when at home -- you're there to have fun). So I'd say this was a very unfair comparison, which would be just as unfair as if someone came from a city in Canada, where they normally live and work, and visited the U.S. for a vacation, where all they did was socialize, have fun and party. The two wouldn't be comparable at all. 4. Finally... yes, I do think there are some insecurities on the part of many Canadians. There seems to be this constant urge for Canadians to point out how "good" they are (or at least, how good they think they are) at the expense of the United States. If the U.S. can be insulted or hurt in the process, it seems so much sweeter to many Canadians. That seems pretty juvenile, doesn't it? Let's say that Canada is better in numerous ways than the U.S., okay? Does anyone think acting in such a manner makes Canadians look good? If anything, it breeds resentment. It's practically the same thing that Americans are accused of doing -- running around, thumping our chests and screaming out how "great we are" to the world. If you know you're great, who cares if anyone else knows? Does recognition -- Canadian, American or anyone else's -- really matter? You know and probably so does anyone else who's smart or the least bit important to you. Telling people from other countries how great your nation is (and how awful theirs is) isn't going to help relations, and I'd think Canada would have learned by now from the mistakes the U.S. has made in the public relations field.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-07-05 09:36:00
Canada	What NOT to say to a USA border Agent!	QUOTE (emt103c @ Jul 5 2008, 12:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm a USC, was visiting my hubby in Canada frequently. The U.S. border guards would always ask me why I was in Canada, and I would reply, "Visiting my husband," to which they ALWAYS replied, "What is HE doing in Canada?" I always, without missing a beat would say, "He's Canadian." Which always got a strange look, but no more questions. . .it doesn't strike me as their business why HE'S there, aren't they supposed to be worried about me? Haha, so what's wrong with your answer?? On an off-topic note, my husband was born in Pakistan, and immigrated to Canada, where he got citizenship. . .so his visa gets issued, after months of Admin. Processing, and security checks and we get to the border with his immigrant visa, and what do they spend all their time questioning him about?? WHY HE LEFT PAKISTAN 10 YEARS AGO! If he carries a passport for Pakistan, and if he ever visits. . . don't we think this might have been covered in the original processing? *sigh* That reminds me of one time I was heading back to the U.S. from YYC, a U.S. Customs Officer decided to ask me a number of questions, including, "How much money do you have on you" and "What did you do in Canada?" I momentarily toyed with responding in a sarcastic manner, since he couldn't keep me from entering the United States; however, I wisely decided against it. While I knew he couldn't legally stop me from going home, he could detain me, have me searched, arrested and probably make my life a living hell before letting me go. I'm sure I would've missed my plane too, which would've been a real hassle as well. But honestly... what did it matter to him what I did in Canada when I was coming back to my home country? Asking me questions like that just seemed like a formality at best and at worst, a complete waste of time (both his and mine). Edited by DeadPoolX, 05 July 2008 - 04:52 PM.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-07-05 16:51:00
Canada	What NOT to say to a USA border Agent!	QUOTE (*Marilyn* @ Jul 4 2008, 02:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> yeah almost every time my hubby came up to visit me he got "interrogated" at the Vancouver Airport... one time they sent him over to secondary inspection and the lady asked him why he was there and hubby said i don't really know.. the lady checked over his things and just sent him on his way... Never go through YVR if you're looking to visit your Canadian boyfriend/girlfriend, fiance(e) or spouse. They go absolutely crazy there. I've heard YYZ is just as bad or even sometimes worse. I suppose that makes sense, though. Both Vancouver and Toronto probably receive the most people and therefore, the highest number of foreign visitors.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-07-05 09:40:00
Canada	Sarcasm	Honestly, I really have trouble seeing how this is an "American vs Canadian" thing. It merely depends on the person. Some individuals are more likely to enjoy certain types of humor over others. That doesn't mean they're from "Group A" or "Group B." If you've noticed most of the people around you enjoying one kind of humor over another, maybe it's not because they're Canadian or American, but because you like that type of humor, so you surround yourself with others who share a similar sense of humor. The same is generally true of interests, as well. Human beings like being around others who are most like them. There's nothing inherently American or Canadian about that. Edited by DeadPoolX, 07 August 2008 - 02:26 PM.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-08-07 14:26:00
Canada	Sarcasm	I think you guys might like The Onion News Network. It constantly makes fun of the U.S. (and the world, in general) in an absolutely hilariously manner (that's so ridiculous, it's somehow non-insulting). That link brings you to their website, where they have tons of articles written online and many videos as well. Originally, The Onion was simply a newspaper parody (actually created in newspaper format) and later collected in larger books, sold in stores like Barnes & Noble, Borders or on Amazon. There's very little reason to buy the hard copies today, since everything you could want is online and the books are often very large, which makes them impractical for traveling purposes. There's also an "Onion Movie" which plays on the majority of their articles and videos, so if you're a die-hard Onion reader/watcher, the movie may not be too entertaining (my brother, who's been a fan since the early days said the movie held few surprises for him), but if it's all new for you, then I'm sure it'll be pretty funny. One warning: Not everything on the website is necessarily "work-safe" (it all depends on what you're viewing) and some articles/videos might best be described as "politically incorrect."	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-08-06 10:54:00
Canada	Sarcasm	QUOTE (Reba @ Aug 5 2008, 06:15 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I know a lot more sarcastic Canadians than Americans. Generally speaking, Americans don't seem to get sarcasm, at least not the ones I work with Oddly enough, I'm far more sarcastic than my wife, and I'm the USC and she's the Canadian. Many people I've met have been taken aback by what I've said and then I've had to explain it to them (which, unfortunately, ruins it). My sense of humor is difficult to pick up on unless you know me, so maybe that's part of it. I tend to have a more dry and straight-faced sense of humor, which I have to admit, is unusual for Americans.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-08-05 10:24:00
Canada	Sarcasm	QUOTE (Emancipation @ Aug 4 2008, 11:16 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (thetreble @ Aug 4 2008, 11:10 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Emancipation @ Aug 4 2008, 12:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I was actually thinking that CDNS used sarcasm a little more perhaps? Perhaps it's more dry humour that i'm thinking of though.. I just know when I make a joke (sometimes including sarcasm) people never get it My husband does not get most Canadian comics. I will be laughing up a storm and he is like..I don't get it. I think it has to do with the dry humour. Canadians have more of a sense of British humour than American humour. I think generally speaking American's laugh at other people better than they laugh at themselves. . most CDN humour that I find hilarious usually includes making fun of something about CDNS tee hee. That makes sense, actually. Look at the general position of the United States and Canada. Americans (and I'm including myself in this) tend to believe we're the "king of the hill" (and in many walks of life, we are; we're just not in all areas), so much of our humor centers around making fun of others we consider to be "lesser than us." Canada, on the other hand, often gets made fun of, so if nothing else, Canadians have developed a thick skin and learned to laugh at themselves. Having said that, Americans can laugh at themselves, but often believe it's "only okay to do so" if another American does it. In addition, I actually do like British humor -- I'm a huge Monty Python fan. My sense of humor is a bit warped too, so I'm not sure if it's characteristic of the "average American."	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-08-04 11:24:00
Canada	POE Officiers	I don't think there's one "catch-all" solution, really. What I mean is that sometimes "friend" might be the best answer and other times, "boyfriend" would be instead. It primarily depends on the officer you're dealing with, since some are much easier to handle than others. Unfortunately, you probably won't know what you have there until it's too late. One option is to watch and listen how the Customs Officer deals with others in the lines before you. Try to get a feel for which one might be the "easiest" to work with that day. They're human too and maybe one or two of them have had a rough day at home. That shouldn't carry over to the job, but it often does. Something else I've found -- and I know this will sound sexist and I apologize for it ahead of time -- is that female Customs Officers tend to be tougher than males. I'm not sure why, but this also seems to be the case when dealing with police officers too. I think female law enforcement personnel often feel like they need to be "tougher" than their male counterparts or they'll be seen as "weak" simply because they're women. So it might just be a case of overcompensation. Whatever the reason, I've noticed that NINE TIMES OUT OF TEN, male Customs Officers are less trouble than female ones. The bottom line is just do what comes naturally and always have plenty of evidence proving your relationship, ties to home and visa paperwork (if it's currently processing). The less nervous you appear, the fewer questions they'll ask. So if you feel more comfortable saying "boyfriend" then do that; likewise, the same is true with "friend." The point is you want to draw the least amount of attention to yourself as possible.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-08-03 16:54:00
Canada	Fun fact about your Canadian credit and moving here	QUOTE (Emancipation @ Aug 7 2008, 08:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I hear you.. been there felt that.. there are so many levels where this moving to the US has bugged me, and this is one HUGE one that my hubby has heard rant after rant about I think what frustrates me the most is I know how things work in Canada, and at times like this -it points out ever too clearly that we're in a new country and we have to learn many of the "for granted" rules all over again. I love that they don't think Canada's "foreign" credit rating is reliable.. That's what I find funny.. Canada appears to be more "international" to the US than the US is to Canada.. I think (may be wrong cause i've never immigrated to canada) that CDN's seem more open to US business, banking etc. than the US is to Canada's. HELLOOOOOO global economy train.. all on board !!! (Uncle Sammy that includes you) Just so you know, it's the same deal if immigrating to Canada. I'm the USC and instead of her coming here, I'm going there. It's much quicker and easier to immigrate to Canada than it is to the U.S. (case in point: it only took three months, from start-to-finish, to complete the entire visa process and I'm moving up there a week from today), so we chose that route. We'll probably be coming back to the U.S. at a later date, but we wanted to be together as soon as possible, so this worked. As for credit cards... I've spoken with various banks and CC lenders and it's all the same story, unfortunately. My credit rating (which is fantastic in the U.S.) counts for absolutely nothing in Canada. I'm not happy at all about this and I'm planning on keeping my American credit cards, in addition to whatever Canadian credit cards I may pick up along the way. It's odd that Canada and the U.S. have such a lack of communication. The credit bureaus used are the same, so theoretically, the U.S. should be able to pull up a Canadian's credit report and vice-versa. I believe it all comes down to laziness. The banks don't feel like doing the "extra work" involved, so they make everyone start from scratch. I'm printing out my U.S. credit report and showing it to the Canadian banks when I get there, this way they'll have virtually no excuse -- they don't have to do any work. The information will be right in front of them.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-08-07 14:21:00