Talking to Americans

by Martha Edwards on

Canadian TV is has a pretty poor reputation, but there’s one notable exception: Rick Mercer’s Talking to Americans., which is a regular feature on the show This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Now, this might not seem so amusing to some residents of the US, but to us Canadians, the funniest thing in the world is poking fun at how little Americans seem to know about our country, despite being our closest neighbours.

Talking to Americans has been on for a while, and this is only a small sampling of the funny things Mercer has gotten Americans to say. Other gags:

  • Mercer telling Chicagoans that Canada was thinking of changing its name to Chicago and asking them what they thought of the idea
  • Getting Americans to say that Edmonton should be bombed (A particular favourite of mine since Edmonton is the Shelbyville to my hometown, Calgary.)
  • Asking Americans if they thought Canada should get a Navy even though its landlocked.
  • Getting Americans to congratulate Irish Canadians on finally gaining the right to vote.
  • Convincing Americans that during the past 30 years, Canadians used branches and pine cones as voting tokens in elections.

Starring Brad Pitt … and Southern Alberta

by Martha Edwards on

Drive an hour outside of the city limits of my hometown of Calgary, and you’re apt to come across some of the most beautiful scenery you’ve ever seen. From rolling foothill’d prairieland to towering, ragged mountaintops that are so high they block out late-afternoon sun to vibrant desert hoodoos, we seem to have it all (well, except for warm winters and beaches — I wish.) So it’s no surprise that Hollywood comes here often to shoot movies which call for wild, expansive, breathtaking scenery.

Ever see Brokeback Mountain? How about The Assassination of Jesse James? Legends of the Fall? Though none of these films are actually set in Alberta, they were all filmed here, under the endless prairie sky. And in each case, the scenery plays a starring role in the film — how can it not?

I’m embarrassed to admit that it took seeing it in the movies to make me realize how gorgeous this part of the world is. Being a habitual city-dweller, it’s hard to see much beyond pavement and rooftops and headlights. It took seeing it through someone else’s eyes to realize that not far from my own doorstep lies pure, divine heaven on earth.

Photo of the Day (1-1-08)

by Martha Edwards on


Happy New Year, readers! I decided to start the year off with a photo from my home country, Canada. This old abandoned car with a maple leaf sticker could have been taken anywhere but it reminds me so much of the rolling rural townscapes of home. Thanks to PDP Photography for sharing.

Want to share your photos, either of home or away? Join our Gadling Flickr Pool.

Canadian shoppers skirt duty, leave skirts

by Grant Martin on

During this holiday season, scores of Canadians have been crossing the border to do their clothes shopping, in order to take advantage of the favorable exchange rate. But to avoid paying the duty on the items as they cross back into Canada, many of the shoppers have been shedding their old clothes and wearing the new ones on the trip back. Sneaky devils.

What happens to the old clothes? According to an AP story, “The old clothes get left behind in parking lots, dressing rooms and restrooms at malls and shopping plazas…”

One mall employee reports, “Oh, we found shoes out in the parking lot. Old shoes. We’ve had people come in and say ‘there’s shoes in your parking lot.'”

Apparently the music of Celine Dion is not the only garbage Canadians have left in the United States. Zing!

Wildlife causing car accidents is on the rise and it’s not cheap

by Jamie Rhein on

When the black bear crossed the road in front of my car when I was on my way to Washington, D.C. this summer, I was astounded. He made his ambling dash across the six-lane highway near Cumberland, Maryland. I may have still been in West Virgina, but I do know I saw a bear.

Animals crossing roads is happening more and more frequently which is increasing the likelihood of hitting one. One reason is because of an increase of people driving on rural roads. As people move out of cities into suburbs or further out than that, they are on these roads more.

My dad who lives on a mountain in upstate New York about 10 miles out of New Paltz has met two deer at least. His were more grazes, but there still was an impressive amount of damage. Every time I visit, when I’m driving, particularly at night, I pay close attention to any glint of eyes I may see that could warn me. The statistics of animals meeting up with cars or vice versa highlights why you might see so many carcasses on the side of the road in some places.

In Montana there has been such a problem lately that the state is looking for ways to use methods that have cut down on car and animal collisions in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. Building overpasses and underpasses for animals to cross the highway safely has helped cut down accidents by at least 80 %.

The problem with cars and animals meeting, is not just the fact the animals get killed, but people don’t so so well either. In the past year, 200 folks have died in car meets animal crashes. Then there is the cost of fixing a car which can range from $8,000 to $30,000. The most recent statistics cite 300,000 accidents a year. In Pennsylvania, the state with the highest incidences, there about 97,000 per year. Most involve deer.

A naturalist at Blacklick Woods, one of Columbus’s metroparks told me two weeks ago that black bear are on the move from West Virginia and are ending up in Ohio. Ohio already has a high deer population. The moral of this story is, when you see an animal crossing sign, wherever you are, pay attention. The sign isn’t kidding. [via New York Times]

The photo by saiynte7777 and posted on Flickr was taken when he was on his way to Alaska. The bear originally was just on the side of the road and the car was stopped.