Canadian Politics: Boring beyond Belief, or just Dull and Tedious?

[caroljane]

IMMIGRATION TO CANADA HITS 50-YEAR HIGH

not everybody is impressed

-CP wire

As Canada welcomed more newcomers in 2010 than in any year since 1957, some oldcomers were voicing concerns about the immigrant experience so many are embracing.

"They don't know what they're getting into", said Iqbal Omaratenti, proprietor of Papa's Poutine and Souvlaki Hut in the burgeoning Gerrard St.-Chinatown section of Toronto. "Sure, you can come here and maybe you make a living, but can you get out again to go somewhere better?"

"Papa" as he is known to family and customers alike, admits that he has prospered with his business, founded on his unique Asian-fusion take on poutine.

"My son-in-law Gus he makes the souvlaki if they don't want the poutine," he says modestly.

But he turns sombre as he thinks of new generations who might repeat his experience.

"Twenty years in front of the deep fryer", he says."When we can afford vacation, my wives don't want to go to Las Vegas.Hardly even Falls View Casino. We go back to Islamabad to visit, and it's no better than when we left. My mother doesn't even approve I go next door to the Hag and Sporran to keep good relations with my best customers. I thought coming to Canada meant freedom."

But he concedes that there is hope for the young newcomer who is willing to work.

"Study hard and go to dental school," he advises."and stay single, like I didn't".

Edited February 15, 2011 by daunce lynam

[caroljane]

Note on pillow to P. Coates:

It has been noticed that you frequently refer to the "boringness" of he screen version of Ondaatje's "The English Patient". It is thought that you protest too much.

You're dreaming about Kristin Scott Thomas again, aren't you?

[Mike11]

[Philip Coates]

> You're dreaming about Kristin Scott Thomas again, aren't you?

No, wide awake dry humping only.

By the way Daunce, the all time high in immigration to Canada? It jumped from fifteen to twenty people?

(I just had to look up what a "poutine" is - DISGUSTING!!!. I hope the twenty immigrants aren't coming for the moose patties and other haute cuisine.)

Edited February 15, 2011 by Philip Coates

[caroljane]

> You're dreaming about Kristin Scott Thomas again, aren't you?

No, wide awake dry humping only.

By the way Daunce, the all time high in immigration to Canada? It jumped from fifteen to twenty people?

(I just had to look up what a "poutine" is - DISGUSTING!!!. I hope the twenty immigrants aren't coming for the moose patties and other haute cuisine.)

Poutine is gross. There, I've said it. I tried to like it, I really did, but it's just no use. I never even liked the Ur-version, French fries with gravy. Or even French fries really. And what Papa does to them at the Hut is beyond belief. You would think not even a Newfoundlander would eat it

but political correctness, and a rave review by the food critic of Toronto Life just before he went to rehab,ensure a steady demand.

[PDS]

Brothers Tony and PDS:

NO, there are no parallels with Gretzky AT ALL. He did not want to go to LA, he was sold down the river by that crook Pocklington. If he could've stayed in Edmonton Paulina would be married to a nice local boy by now, and Janet would just gamble normally at Bingo.

I am assigning you both extra readings in Religious History.

Nanook

Daunce: as (likely) the only non-Canadian on this thread who has ever played on three amateur hockey teams at once, and as someone who still has a sore kneecap due to an incident directly related to having one too many pregame Molsons back in my Glory Days of 1990 or so, I resent the implication of your remarks. I especially resent them because of their closeness to the mark.

By the way, I once quite by accident dined next to Pocklington at a Bannf restaurant back when the Oilers were on top of the world, and he was every bit the Turd you would think he would be (not that I was straining to overhear his conversations or anything...)

[caroljane]

Brothers Tony and PDS:

NO, there are no parallels with Gretzky AT ALL. He did not want to go to LA, he was sold down the river by that crook Pocklington. If he could've stayed in Edmonton Paulina would be married to a nice local boy by now, and Janet would just gamble normally at Bingo.

I am assigning you both extra readings in Religious History.

Nanook

Daunce: as (likely) the only non-Canadian on this thread who has ever played on three amateur hockey teams at once, and as someone who still has a sore kneecap due to an incident directly related to having one too many pregame Molsons back in my Glory Days of 1990 or so, I resent the implication of your remarks. I especially resent them because of their closeness to the mark.

By the way, I once quite by accident dined next to Pocklington at a Bannf restaurant back when the Oilers were on top of the world, and he was every bit the Turd you would think he would be (not that I was straining to overhear his conversations or anything...)

There is nothing too bad for me to think about that creature. I hope he gets stripped of his last stolen penny and goes to jail where he belongs.

Btw my son has made his works hockey team and will be playing the NHL oldtimers here next month - Claudio Lemieux, Rick Vaive etc. Their big road trip will be to Edmonton.

Carol

Iginla fan though

[caroljane]

Just to continue the hockey talk, with your indulgence, my own team the Senior Sizzlers has been on something of a winning streak lately. Most of the credit is due to our new goalie Rahida. She is not strictly a senior but she is Iqbal (Papa)'s senior wife, and she doesn't skate too well but she is so ample that she fills up most of the goalmouth.

[Selene]

Just to continue the hockey talk, with your indulgence, my own team the Senior Sizzlers has been on something of a winning streak lately. Most of the credit is due to our new goalie Rahida. She is not strictly a senior but she is Iqbal (Papa)'s senior wife, and she doesn't skate too well but she is so ample that she fills up most of the goalmouth.

Carol:

I heard that her team nickname is Poutine:

Etymology The Dictionnaire historique du français québécois lists 15 different meanings of poutine in Quebec and Acadian French, most of which are for kinds of food; the word poutine in the meaning "fries with cheese and gravy" is dated to 1978. Other senses of the word have been in use at least since 1810.^[7]

While the exact provenance of the word poutine is uncertain, some of its meanings undoubtedly result at least in part from the influence of the English word pudding. Among its various culinary senses, that of "a dessert made from flour or bread crumbs" most clearly shows this influence; the word pouding, borrowed from the English pudding, is in fact a synonym in this sense. The pejorative meaning "fat person" of poutine (used especially in speaking of a woman) is believed to derive from the English pudding "a person or thing resembling a pudding" or "stout thick-set person".^[8]

Phil:

As a courtesy to all of us, when you look something up, you could provide us with the link:

Poutine (/puːˈtiːn/; Quebec French pronunciation [putsɪn] (listen)) is a dish consisting of French fries topped with fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy or sauce and sometimes additional ingredients.^[1] Poutine is a diner staple which originated in Quebec and can now be found across Canada. It is sold by national fast food chains (such as New York Fries, and Harvey's), in small "greasy spoon" type diners (commonly known as "cantines" or "casse-croûtes" in Quebec) and pubs, as well as by roadside chip wagons. International chains like McDonald's,^[2] A&W,^[3] KFC and Burger King^[4] also sell mass-produced poutine in Canada.

Poutine

Adam

seems yummy to me, but I am thin

[caroljane]

Sounds like Rahida all right. You are correct, that is her nick. She is good-natured about it but says she would have preferred "Samosa", since the rink is the one place she can get away from her husband's constant experimentation with new gravy spices.

She is starting to move around a little in her goal, not always a good thing. Last night we were whomping the Yummy House Bubbletea & Squid Balls 5-0, but she got overexcited and scored on herself.

[Selene]

Sounds like Rahida all right. You are correct, that is her nick. She is good-natured about it but says she would have preferred "Samosa", since the rink is the one place she can get away from her husband's constant experimentation with new gravy spices.

She is starting to move around a little in her goal, not always a good thing. Last night we were whomping the Yummy House Bubbletea & Squid Balls 5-0, but she got overexcited and scored on herself.

Carol:

"scored on herself" isn't that illegal in the Catholic sections of Canada?

Adam.

[caroljane]

Sounds like Rahida all right. You are correct, that is her nick. She is good-natured about it but says she would have preferred "Samosa", since the rink is the one place she can get away from her husband's constant experimentation with new gravy spices.

She is starting to move around a little in her goal, not always a good thing. Last night we were whomping the Yummy House Bubbletea & Squid Balls 5-0, but she got overexcited and scored on herself.

Carol:

"scored on herself" isn't that illegal in the Catholic sections of Canada?

Adam.

Yes, it is, but luckily Fr. Jerome missed the game because of an interfaith conference at the Scientology Centre, so it's all fine. And we still won.

[PDS]

Just to continue the hockey talk, with your indulgence, my own team the Senior Sizzlers has been on something of a winning streak lately. Most of the credit is due to our new goalie Rahida. She is not strictly a senior but she is Iqbal (Papa)'s senior wife, and she doesn't skate too well but she is so ample that she fills up most of the goalmouth.

"She is so ample she fills up most of the goalmouth."

If Bronte played hockey with a fat goalie for a teammate, that's probably how she would have put it too.

[caroljane]

Dear readers, Mr. Harper burns his lamp late into the night, advancing his Treatise on Hockey slowly but surely. He is in correspondence with Mr. Peikoff as to whose tome shall be completed last; and the staff fear that he will discover, through some mischance, that the Duke of Dryden has already published such a work, entitled The Game, to considerable acclaim. Such a revelation would bring about storms, since His Grace is a Liberal, with all of whom the House of Harper has long been at variance, even unto enmity.

(I have elevated Ken Dryden to the nobility since he is the exemplar of Anglo-Canucki Menschianism, as Jean Beliveau is of the Franco variety.)

Edited February 16, 2011 by daunce lynam

[caroljane]

I love the song, but why is there no portrait to look at? Is it just too postmodern for me to understand?

[caroljane]

SECRET PLAN UPDATE

Overseas operations to implement the infiltration of Royal Families with Canadians are on target. Autumn has produced a Red-and-White Diaper Baby and the martyr Karen will close her eyes and think of Canada with Spencer (ugh). Prince Haakon of Norway is still resisting Dianne Lacroix of Carbonear, NL, but a the recent airlift of Screech to Oslo should do the trick.

The Maple Leaf Forever!

[caroljane]

DEEPEST SYMPATHY FROM

Your Brothers of the Sacred Igloo local 13

On the

CLOSING OF THE NORTH SYDNEY ARENA

Dear brother Joel,

Please accept our condolences on this sad occasion.

We also enclose two messages from friends abroad:

"What great games we had, what great guys and gals we had, I wish I was with them, I wish I was with them again." -A. MacGillivrey

"This is an end but just a new beginning/ Remember we rise again, and then we rise again" - the Rankin Family.

We would upload these messages but you know we have no wifi in the Igloo.

ISS,

Nanook McGuire

I have to do everything around here these days

[Mike11]

Ahh no way.

I used to go skating there in elementary and junior high.

[caroljane]

Ahh no way.

I used to go skating there in elementary and junior high.

Yes- really nice article in the NatPost today. they're moving to a bigger & better one, but, but.

If you could post the songs I would really like it, feeling very Atlantic this season.

[Mike11]

Let's see, Atlantic songs....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-PQbdmQRwc

How's that for irony?

[caroljane]

Let's see, Atlantic songs....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-PQbdmQRwc

How's that for irony?

Joel, you beauty! I adore and worship Stannie. The Privateers is my top karaoke. No irony. Beware ye who sail the seas for American gold --even Americans.

[Mike11]

There is a famous inaccuracy in that song.

What was it?

Hint: Its a biggie.

[caroljane]

Let's see, Atlantic songs....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-PQbdmQRwc

How's that for irony?

Joel, you beauty! I adore and worship Stannie. The Privateers is my top karaoke. No irony. Beware ye who sail the seas for American gold --even Americans.

God I loved that."She was broad and fat and loose in the stays"- sounds just like our goalie Rahida. God bless her all.

Anne Murray in Song of the Mira - please?

Carol

proud to be corny

[Mike11]

No Anne Murray.

How bout some people who used to live on rez at Dal?

Fine.... Anne Murray

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVNj9Pl-i7I

[caroljane]

There is a famous inaccuracy in that song.

What was it?

Hint: Its a biggie.

The cannonball only blew only one of his legs?

or something about Matthew Barrett--wrong name?

Or wrong pier?