What? Canada Day Again?
Posted on July 1, 2009 Posted by John Scalzi 38 Comments
Hey, Canada! Happy birthday! Thanks for putting up with us for another year, man. You’re the best.
To mark the occasion, here’s Canada’s own Daniel Lanois. Enjoy.
[imeem music=”td7LZ45M8T”]
Oh. Canada.
They’re still there? I thought we invaded them a couple of years ago. Well, since we’re pulling troops out of the Iraqi cities, I guess we’ll have more available for that project.
The only reason Canada exists as a sovereign nation is that we don’t yet need the lumber.
Weird Al weighs in
Tumbleweed, speaking as a Canadian, I was pretty sure that in fact, the US troops are not needed for any invasion. The differences between Canada and the States is just a perception, instead of any kind of reality (unless you live in Quebec, in which case reality just takes on its own life :-). The invasion happened years ago with the invention of Hollywood.
Anyway, thanks for the mention about Canada Day.
I decided as a child that the song “O Canada” should be sung to the tune (and lyrics) of “O Tannenbaum” so now whenever I think of Canada, I hum that song. Just thought I’d put that out here. Because.
Actually the US is the only country that has ever invaded Canada. You Yanks never could handle the fact that some British colonies like British rule.
Let Operation Leaf Blower commence…we’re coming for your oil, natural gas, and timber!
Hang on a sec: if we invade Canada, where will American comedians come from?
Just asking.
As the boys from South Park so eloquently put it:
“Blame Canada
Shame on Canada
The smut we must stop
The trash we must smash
Laughter and fun
must all be undone
We must blame them and cause a fuss
Before someone thinks of blaming uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuusss”
But of course we need Canada—think of all those years us disgruntled liberals thought of it as an emigration destination! We may be pacified for now, but who knows what horrors lurk in the future.
In the darker years of the second Bush administration, I considered the possibility of emigrating; though my knowlege of the winters up there kept me from going too far with any plans.
Oh no, mention Canada and the perpetual (or so it seems) Internet fight of envy and insecurity breaks out again.
Why can’t folks on both sides of the border leave well enough alone, and not bait one another?
Yes, the USA did invade what is now Canada, but at the time is was a British colony. The USA saw land that they thought could be easily stolen because Britain was tied up fighting Napoleon’s armies. Hence the invasion in 1812. Sure there was some talk of impressment of US citizens by the Royal Navy, but that was the just then nineteenth century version of WMDs.
Canada did not win that one, it was Great Britain doing the fighting. All the big fights Boston (Star Spangled Banner, eh?), Washington (run Dolly, run), and New Orleans (pity the poor Cherokees) were fought by the British. Nor did the USA win. The whole bloody mess was a draw. In the end nothing changed.
Yes, Canada became a Dominion on July 1, 1867, but do you ever ask yourself why that came about?
It won’t be lumber. It’ll be water rights.
@Tumbleweed, @Jamie: Well, it’s not like you’ve tried before… I have full confidence that your next try will end up like all the others.
Happy Canada Day!
— Steve
PS: Like, sorry we torched your presidential mansion. We promise not to do it again, eh?
Canada: America’s Hat.
Also, best Penny Arcade evar:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/1/12/our-savage-frontiers/
Happy Birthday to the United States of America’s hat.
I think a fitting music reference would have been this song from the best Canadian rock band: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mwiURyX2B4
On the lighter side, there really is no need for the US to invade Canada, the US already owns most of it anyway.
Perhaps the Christian Taleban faction may wish to invade to put a stop to this terrible thing Canadians have done, accepted and in many cases, accepted the Same-sex marriage will not cause God to smite Canada.
On the whole, Canada welcomes the friendship extended by Americans, and wishes America a wonderful and proud Independence Day. Your friendship is appreciated.
American invasions of Canada have never worked.
As for Hollywood, it is an invader unto itself. No one’s quite sure how to get rid of it.
I’m celebrating Canada Day by watching NHL Free Agent Frenzy on TSN. Nothing like hockey on July 1 to remind me of where I live. Fireworks tonight, though, just for the heck of it.
Thanks for the good wishes.
D
All I know of Canada is that the woman in Montreal are hot, Toronto is a cleanner version of NYC, and that for most of their history Canada’s only goal was to keep those wet back Americans from moving North.
Go us!
No, no, the music should be http://www.lyricsdownload.com/worms-arrogant-forgive-us-we-re-canadian-lyrics.html.
Or, now that I think about it:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzCccvr2XIg.
Rather that post Rush, I will offer up the quintessential (IMHO) Canadian, Stan Rogers.
Yeah, happy birthday, eh?
O, Canada, we stand on cars and freeze!
Last I noticed Ft McHenry wasn’t in Boston but Balitimore.
Also the colonies that became the US invaded the colonies that became Canada duriing the revolutionary war. Benedict Arnold was one of the commanders.
Did you know there is a memorial to Arnold at West Point? All the revolutionary Generals have their coat of arms carved in the Old Cadet Chapel, one has been carved blank.
Happy Canada Day, from an expat librarian toiling away in the American infomines, making sure the wifi is up, that the books are evenly balanced between the right and the left, and that loud voices are calmed in the interest of civilized discourse. For a mere pittance, but at least I still have a job.
Cancon on the iPod, a Blue in each fist after work, and I will howl the national drinking anthem at the moon.
KuuurukukukukuKUku–kuuuurukuKuKukuku!!!
Allons-y!!!
Speaking of Arnold, FDR and Benedict Arnold were cousins. Distant, but cousins the same. http://www2.crocker.com/~jcamp/tsfam.html
Not that this has anything to do with Canada.
Except that The Marquesses of Dufferin were also cousins of both
http://cybrary.uwinnipeg.ca/people/dobson/genealogy/famous/Dufferin.html
Genealogy is fun, isn’t it?
Learn a little bit about the two solitudes:
http://www.nfb.ca/film/sweater/
See the country from the air:
http://www.nfb.ca/film/helicopter_canada/
Or just dabble in it all, as the NFB plans to make all its works available on the net:
http://www.nfb.ca
Well, we had a nice little parade down the main street this morning for Canada Day. The usual collection of town fire trucks and commercial floats.
I find that holidays are much more fun in small towns, than in a big city. A better sense of community, I guess.
Anyhow. Happy birthday Canada. I’m off to a little local pub for an afternoon BBQ and maybe a few beers.
Time to break out the Stan Rogers album- Happy Day, Canada!
Canada: the quiet loft over a great party!
Thanks John! On behalf of all Canadians, we were touched by your thoughtful birthday card, and were thrilled with the surprise party you threw at our workplace. Man, after 142 birthdays you’d think we’d have caught on to the trick candles by now, huh?
We’re also happy that you didn’t feel the need to make a tired, cliched joke about igloos or impending invasions. We’ve heard enough of those already. :)
America: Canada’s boxers.
“The Canadians. They walk among us. William Shatner. Michael J. Fox. Monty Hall. Mike Meyers. Alex Trebek. All of them Canadians. All of them here.”
Yes, it’s true. My wife is a Celine Dion fan.
Let the taunting begin. [Trudges off]
We’re not gonna invade, Peter. Farley Mowat might shoot at our planes.
Dear Canada,
Thank you for celebrating my birthday with such style.
Love and Kisses,
Random Michelle
Happy Birthday Canada!
But for the record, I’d have gone with The Tragically Hip…
Thanks Eh! Same to you guys this weekend.
There’s a joke that goes around about Canada being America’s hat. Very cute; now everyone also knows where America’s brains must be.