This Olympic Closing Ceremonies are brought to you by, Mel Brooks?

Was it just me, or were the Closing Ceremonies just a tad....oh man...so many ways I can go here....Let's just say over the top, with a hint of stale.

I don't really want to be too mean here. I understand that much of what we saw last night was meant to show the world that we have a unique sense of humor, a wide variety of talent, and an endearing ability to laugh at ourselves. All things I applaud. So I did expect the Mounties to be on display, the Hockey glorification, I could even smile at the dancing canoes, and red-clad lumberjacks but when the giant inflatable beavers lumbered their way onto center stage followed closely by giant boobs with maple leaves on their backs my smile cracked a little.

The Facebook feeds were funny to read...at first people were very pleased with what they saw. There almost universal consensus that Neil Young's "Long May You Run," was a beautiful way to extinguish the Olympic flame. Bill Shatner got a lot of good-natured laughs, and Micheal J Fox just heightened the level of pride people expressed. But as the night progressed I started to see updates like:

"Are there any stereotypes left? All they need is an igloo and a totem pole?"

"I have never done acid, but I am pretty sure this is what an acid trip in Canada looks like"

"Is it me or is this a little too much with the canned jokes"

At one point I mused what the over/under would be on Celine coming out of her crypt to perform. She didn't.

All that aside, it was a good night. We should celebrate all the athetic achievements, and all the hard work that went into this year's games. I saw some of the best hockey I have ever seen, and it is kind of depressing to me now that I have to go back to the Leaf's version of our sacred game.

Sigh, I guess you can't win them all.

Happy Birthday Canada!

The best country on earth!

Happy Canada Day!

I am at home sick, but what the hey! It is a holiday.

And since I am not well, and I am kind of sooky I am going to ask you to do the work.

Tell me what being Canadian means to you.

Goodnight, moon

Wednesday night North Americans will witness the astronomical beauty of a total eclipse of the moon. The shadow of the Earth will loom over the full moon transmuting the pale orb into a sore red eye in the sky. That is of course, providing the weather is good and the skies are clear. Since I live 40 minutes outside Toronto, a clear sky is not a given.

The cosmic performance gets under way around 8:40 p.m. EST with the total eclipse by 10:00 And if you are late for the show there won't be another one visible from Canada for nearly three years - Dec. 20, 2010. Get your binoculars or telescope and get out there- grab your thermal undies too; it is damn cold out there.

Flying the Crazy Skies

Co-pilot 'falling ill' forces Air Canada emergency landing in Ireland Monday after he began "acting in a peculiar manner and talking loudly to himself..." Officials at the Irish airport confirmed that the co-pilot was admitted to the psychiatric unit of the Ennis General Hospital. No surprise there - I go a little crazy when I fly with Air Canada too.

What really made me laugh though was Air Canada's statement: "The captain and crew of AC 848 followed standard operating procedures in light of the co-pilot falling ill. The captain elected to divert to Shannon and landed without incident. At no time was safety compromised."

Really? The poor guy was playing with his lower lip and singing "It's Raining Men" in a keening falsetto and you don't think this posed any danger to the safety of passengers or crew?

It hasn't been a good week for Air Canada, this comes just days after they stomped their feet, proclaimed "It's not my fault I am always late!" and stormed off to their room.

Air Canada needs to take a long hard look at how it treats its staff, its customers and the equipment they own. The arse is coming outa her b'ys, and I am not sure how much longer she will hold together.

Share your Air Canada horror stories... I know you've got them...

RMR report on Zenn

This week Rick Mercer had a great report on the Canadian Zenn car. ZENN, the zero-emission, no-noise fully-featured electric vehicle:

Crowds line highway for fallen soldiers

You know, just when I think this province has nothing redeeming about it, something happens and I find myself stepping back and re-evaluating things, and perhaps cutting the Big Smoke a little slack.

Yesterday, overpasses along Hwy. 401 were again lined with a sea of red and white as hundreds of people gathered to honour the six soldiers killed in Afghanistan last week. They held Canadian Flags aloft, and draped them over the side of the overpass; they saluted, clapped and cheered the six hearses as they broke into view; a moving ribbon of black on the horizon.

This group of individuals was composed of Toronto paramedics, police, parents of soldiers overseas, and dozens of average citizens who thought it was important to take time out to thank and honour those who served their community abroad with their sacrifice.

To date, 66 Canadians and one diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan since 2002. Each time they come back, Canadians see the same sad rituals of the repatriation ceremony: stoic presence of politicians, the soldiers carrying caskets and trying to keep their emotions in check, family members who cling to each other as they watch each coffin unloaded and brought to the hearse, the salutes, and the tears. The lament for the young, brave, men and women whose lives were extinguished under stars they do not recognize.

At least we see it, and remember the cost of this mission. In the US, the government prohibits photographs of the coffins of U.S. troops returning home. They have the cost of the war in Afghanistan and Iraq counted down to the cent, but the human cost is taboo. While many Americans are appalled by this policy, it seems that coverage of Paris Hilton’s time in jail gets more media attention.

I have a friend from Newfoundland, Jeff Hogg, who has been to Afghanistan. He is among the lucky ones who have returned. Scarred, forever changed, but alive. He and his wife both know if the mission continues they will be sent back. It makes me ill to think that one day I could be joining those people on the overpass, saying goodbye to a childhood friend, but I am grateful too. Grateful that we have such selfless people in this country, people who continually serve, people who leave their lives; their loves to keep us out of harms way. I am grateful that I live in a province that can take time out of their busy lives to give a moment of thanks for their sacrifice. Grateful that I live in a nation that does not shirk away from the most devastating cost of war: the horrible price paid for peace and security.

Happy Canada Day!

When we lived in Korea, my husband and I were asked a lot of questions about Canada, on topics ranging from the silly: "Does everyone have blond hair and blue eyes?" or "Does it always snow?" to the more political "Do you like the United States?" And sometimes we came across a Korean whose English was quite strong, and whose sense of the world was stronger, and we would get the digger: "How is Canada different from the United States?"

Oh man that was tough to answer, mostly because what makes us different
is so hard to define. People have joked about the Canadian verses American identity for years. Some people are adamant there is no difference. American journalist Richard Starnes quipped, "Canadians are generally indistinguishable from the Americans, and the surest way of telling the two apart is to make the observation to a Canadian." The definition of a Canadian offered by The Econmist in 1993 is: "an American
with healthcare and no guns".

We have the stereotypes to consider as well: the beer drinking, toque wearing, polite, lumberjacks, living in an Igloo in the middle of nowhere Canadians 'eh. And do we ever rage against those! Rick Mercer, Newfoundland's native son leads the charge of that peculiar war with his show Talking To Americans. Rick pretends to be a journalist in American cities asking passers-by for their opinions on factitious Canadian news stories. I think I almost laughed myself into hospital the night I watched him ask a Harvard professor to offer his congratulations to Canada for going with a 24 hr. day. Dear God, my sides ache just thinking about it.

I can't really laugh too hard, the stereotype game is played on both sides of the border- and it can get nasty. Our version of the United States is quite often as ignorant as the fodder offered to us. And you know, it really doesn't help us to define who we are by who we are not. Though Mike Myers wouldn't agree with me. Of his home and native land Mike said: "Canada is the essence of not being. Not English, not American, it is the mathematic of not being. And a subtle flavour - we're more like celery as a flavour." Come on Mike, we are a little more flavourful then celery!

So how should we define ourselves? I have my own sense of Canadianess that I developed in large part while I was in Korea. And it is personal to me. It is bitter and sweet, it is rooted in a strong sense of national pride, tempered with that oh so Canadian polite modesty. Ahem. But who am I to say?

I came across this today: http://surveys.canada.travel/ca/en_ca/index.php and suddenly my Nasolacrimal ducts were leaking (not a lot, but enough). I think this sums us up quite beautifully. When you go to the site you will notice there are three options: you can listen to the whole thing, or read it, or you can watch a portion of it. If you would like my suggestion, I say listen while reading it and then watch it. Either way my friends, enjoy. And if you have a minute, tell me what being Canadian means to you.

Happy Canada Day!