Archives for : Canada

SPACE!

Posted by :David Manly On : April 18, 2013
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Category: Canada, Commander Chris Hadfield, ISS, space

As many of you know, a Canadian is currently in space, in charge of the International Space Station. His name is Commander Chris Hadfield, and not only is he up there right now, but is letting us tiny Earthlings know about it!

Hadfield is also tweeting from space, sharing glorious photos from a viewpoint that many of us will never have the opportunity to see.

If you look here, you can see all the wondrous photos he has taken of every continent and make yourself feel simultaneously very small and yet so very large.

But that is not all Hadfield is doing up there. He is also doing science!

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has its very own channel on YouTube and is constantly putting videos up there for Hadfield explaining how the ISS works, experiments that are going on and simple activities that become a bit of a chose in space – such as eating, shaving, sleeping and even crying!

Here are just a few examples of the videos (click here to see them all).

What’s in a Word?

Posted by :David Manly On : June 26, 2011
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Category: Canada, Language, Words

I’ve always liked language, which could explain why I love to read, why I’m a journalist and tell stories to other people for a living. Language has always fascinated me, especially its evolution.

For example: My nephew came over the other day, and being that he is just over 1 year old, he is starting to attempt to make sounds and words. He doesn’t say much, but what he does, he says a lot!

As of now, his new favorite words are “bubble” and “apple,” with the standard “mama” and “dada” thrown in every now and then for a bit of variety. Watching him discover the different sounds that make up words in the English language is fascinating.

But, having spoken English since I was a young kid, it has made me wonder more about the language itself and the little idiosyncrasies that pop up everywhere you go across the world.

Take my home, Canada.

Since Canada is so close to the United States, it is understandable that they heavily influenced our language. However, we were also proud members of the British Commonwealth (and still are), so we also put in a bit of British into our language as well. Put those into a pot, add some maple syrup, a hockey stick and a dash of snow, and you’ve got Canada!

But, like any species left alone to the forces of change, the Canadian language started to evolve and reflect more and more of our beliefs and history until new words began popping up in our vocabulary. Slowly but surely, unique words began to worm their way into our language and become speech staples that Canadians use every day without thinking.

Those little words and phrases that are unique or different are almost like a bit of shorthand for the people in that country, but outsiders can become immensely confused. As a kid, realizing that not everyone knew how to get a “Timbit,” what “poutine” is, or what a “kerfuffle” is, can be a bit of a shock.

That is very first hint that the world is much bigger than you can possibly comprehend at that moment, and opens up great new worlds of imagination and brilliance. Eventually, you uncover the notion that while not everyone is identical, each person is unique and different.

That grand realization can change your point of view forever.

For example, here’s a bit of Canadian language to test you and your friends with (as long as neither of you are Canadian!):

Do you know what a “toque” is (pronounced as: tuke)?
What about “pop,” “serviette” and “garburator”?
What are “loonies,” “toonies,” and “beaver tails”?
And finally, what does “eh” (pronounced “ayyy”) mean?

The answers for what the words mean be found below.

There are lots of words out there that may mean something to you and your neighbors, but not to anyone else in a different country that speaks the same language. Pay attention to what you say, and you’ll be surprised how often these words come up!

Feel free to add some of your favorites in the comments.

Answers:
Toque – A knit or woolen cap usually worn in the winter
Pop– Carbonated non-alcoholic soft drinks like Pepsi or Coke. If you ask for “soda,” you’ll probably get soda water
Serviette – A napkin (from the French word for napkin)
Garburator – A garbage disposal found in your sink
Loonie – The Canadian one-dollar coin (so named because of the loon on it)
Toonie – The Canadian two-dollar coin
Beaver tails – Flat pastries that are deep-fried and resemble the tail of a beaver with a wide assortment of toppings including ice cream, powdered sugar and chocolate
Eh – Usually placed at the end of a sentence, akin to saying “right?” or “don’t you think”?

"I have a bad feeling about this"

Posted by :David Manly On : December 2, 2008
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Category: Canada, coalition, overthrow, politics

Dark skies and cold weather. Sounds like a normal Canadian winter day, right?

Well, this day is special:

It is hailing … not snow, but FIRE.
The sky opens up, and from its darkness erupts four figures riding horses.
Pestilence, War, Famine and Death … the Four Horsemen.

The seals have been broken, and the apocalypse is upon us.

I am, of course, referring to the new development in Canadian politics. Apparently, an election held just a short time ago wasn’t enough for some people.

Let me paint the scene from what I know so far:
Everyone dislikes Harper. Dion and Layton want to overthrow Harper. The Bloc are happy that they are being included. Dion and Layton want, with Duceppe’s support, to form a coalition government and overthrow the Tory minority.

Honestly…. wtf?

Less than 50% of Canadians voted in the last election, that said, a Tory minority still resulted from the usage of the DEMOCRATIC PROCESS!!!!

It is honestly similar to children arguing about who gets to play with which toy during Kindergarten recess. Sometimes, the teacher gives one kid more turns than they should at a particular toy.

HOWEVER, just because you do not like the outcome of how something ended, does not give you the right to complain and attempt to usurp the process and change the decision!!!

What’s going to happen? No one knows

What will the Governor General do? It’s a tough decision … but it’s about time she did something other than dress nice, jet around the world and wave.

Sadly, the only way to know is to wait until next week when the attempted coalition (Layton, Dion and Duceppe) meet with the Governor General.

I’ll be keeping an ear to the ground and a weathered eye on the horizon for the coming signs of the end of days.

Would make for a VERY interesting Christmas break though, eh?

And hey, this just occurred to me:
Four Horsemen … For primary party leaders.

I’ll let you decide who’s who 😉

A court is a court, of course of course, unless that court is a court of course, unless that court is the famous Ottawa Court!

Posted by :David Manly On : October 23, 2008
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Category: Big Bang Theory, Canada, Courthouse, murder, Ottawa

So, wanna hear what I did this week?

I FINALLY had my day in court!

It wasn’t for anything I did (not for lack of trying), but the whole program went to the Ottawa courthouse to learn how to be a court reporter. Fun stuff, right? WRONG!

We went there last Friday, and got a tour and had the opportunity to observe some live trails. I gotta admit, that was sorta cool.

The first trial was the Mental Health Court, in which a man was being sent for two months in a psychiatric hospital. Apparently, he suffered from schizophrenia and had delusions that he was an inventor that was about to inherit some money.
While the trial was interesting, it was also a bit sad. It was nice to see someone getting the help they need, and I wish I could see the follow-up two months from now to see if he has improved.

The second trial was a second-degree murder trial, where witnesses were being questioned. I thought this would be exciting, but I guess in my life, I should have known better!
Here is a sample of what happened.

Crown: So, when you intervened during this ‘incident’…
Witness: I didn’t intervene then yo, I broke up the fight latah!
Crown: Ok, so, when you intervened during the first incident…
Witness: I didn’t intervene. I didn’t do nuthin then.
Crown: Thank you. So, during the first incident, when you intervened.
Witness: *Stares at the Crown* I..did…not…intervene
Crown: While you were intervening, did you see anything?

HONESTLY, it was about 2 hours of this. The Crown just kept asking the same questions over adn over and over again. It’s like when a record skips, it’s entertaining for a bit, but then it starts to grade your nerves. So, I did what any student would do, I started falling asleep … IN A MURDER TRIAL!

Now, this week, we had to go to court on our own to investigate another trial and report on it. A few of us went into a domestic violence court, where there were 2 mini-trials occurring. I thought that it should be interesting to see a whole trial through to its conclusion. But, remember, what is the moral of the story? What I think will be interesting, is NOT. Trial 1 was adjourned because the Crown wasn’t there … the LAWYER WASN’T THERE! Honestly people, not very impressive.
Trial 2 was adjourned because the main witness could not be found. So, within a span of 2 minutes, I learned that the Canadian Justice System is kinda lazy, like me when I’ve eaten too much. “I could do it, but let’s wait and see what happens in a bit.”

Then, a friend of mine came up with an idea to go to the Criminal Courts to go see a marijuana growth operation trial. To be honest, it wasn’t that bad. The Crown was a little over-zelaous at points with his expert witness and had to be reigned in, but it was ok. And, never forget, the company was great.
Nothing like having lunch surrounded by four pretty girls and being the only guy 😉

As for the rest of my Ottawa adventure, everything is still the same. My grades hover in the realm of mediocrity, my food choices are slim, the climate is approaching what I like to call the next ice age, my money is sinking faster than the Loonie and my workload is so dense that if it was stacked upon one another, it would have it’s own gravity!

*Sigh* At least I have TV to keep me company… and with that, EVERYONE should watch the funniest show on TV right now. It’s called, The Big Bang Theory, and it is on Monday nights at 8p.m. on CBS.

Here are a few clips below 🙂

The Day In Which Democracy DIED

Posted by :David Manly On : October 15, 2008
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Category: 2008, Canada, Election, McGuinty, NDP

So, here are my adventures of what I had to do for an assignment on Election Day.

When all the MJ’s were told of what we had to do, I got a burst of inspiration. “Maybe I should follow a candidate around on Election Day. I’m sure that would be interesting.” Ohhhh, silly, silly David.

I told the professor, and he was VERY enthusiastic. Second mistake. A prof that is excited about something that you are going to do has a very high potential of being sorely disappointed.

So, I sent out emails to ALL the candidates in Ottawa South and Ottawa Centre. Of all the emails I sent out, like nine, I got 4 responses back.
Penny Collenette = NO
Paul Dewar = Nah, but you can come to his press events
Green party for Ottawa South = Sure
NDP for Ottawa South = SURE!

So, I decided to go to the NDP Ottawa South guy, and then I emailed my professor about when I should meet him, how long I should stay and if it is ok that I miss the quiz in the morning. He told me to forget the quiz and to have a good time!
SCREW MARKS! YAH!

I was told to call the NDP campaign headquarters on Election Day, and I figured that they would be busy from early in the morning until the polls close. So, like a good boy, I woke up at 7 a.m., had breakfast and called them at 7:30. No answer. Called again at 8…. NO answer.

Then I figured, they’ll be in there by 9, so I’ll just head on over there. After a brisk walk and a short bus ride, I arrive. And there’s this house that is falling apart, and seemingly supported by NDP signs. The colour of the signs, like an orange Creamsicle, really hurts your eyes.
It’s like the sun….. must…look…away!

And then, once my eyes adjusted, I knocked on the door. No answer. I called them. No answer. GREAT!
This went on for AN HOUR AND A HALF!!!!!! I was sitting outside the campaign headquarters, waiting, for an hour and a half. BUT, I did find time to do the puzzles and Sudoku’s in the Metro and 24 hours…. ohhh yah.

Finally, a volunteer let me in, which I interviewed. Imagine John Lennon wearing a pink tie-dye shirt. And that’s him.

The candidate eventually came, and I interviewed him. He was a nice guy, but he was dressed like he was going to audition to be a tree. Brown pants, and a dark green shirt with a brighter green jacket. I was waiting for a squirrel to jump out of his pockets to gather nuts for the winter.

Then, we went canvassing. In an apartment building. That’s right folks, we went to EVERY DAMN APARTMENT in an apartment building. Out of over 200 doors, 21 answered and did NOT slam the doors in our face. There were some interesting people.

A man, in his underwear holding a small dog in one hand and a Kleenex in the other.
A man, who sounded like Borat, said “The resident, she is asleep. We were busy making good time. She is a tired now. I will let her know.”
Or the woman who yelled at her dogs to stop knocking on the door.

After that, I walked back to my place and wrote the article.

Ohh, and in case you are wondering, the candidate lost SPECTACULARLY to David McGuinty …. he got 8% of the popular vote, compared to McGunty’s 50%.
Yah, it was CLOSE 😉

Election ’08: The MANLY Edition

Posted by :David Manly On : September 17, 2008
1

Category: 2008, Canada, Election, Elizabeth May, Jack Layton, Stépahe Dion, Stephen Harper

It seemed a little odd that a Canadian blogger, such as myself, has not written a blog regarding the current Canadian election. Hence, this posting.

As a journalism student at Carleton University, we are told that we must follow the election with great interest. I have been from the very beginning, when the campaigns were first launched. And here is my completely biased opinion of the main candidates.

Stephen Harper – A family man wearing an almost over-powering blue sweater-vest. Honestly, in all my years in Canada, I cannot recall such a blatant about-face to change the public’s opinion about the current Prime Minister. I knew he was married, but I was unaware that he even had children! Now, many people believe that he is the spawn of Satan, that he will bring about the End of Days, the Apocalypse, etc. I am not convinced about Harper bringing about the destruction of the world, I’m more concerned with that CERN super-collider revving up in October and destroying the world with mini-black holes! I can see why Harper’s PR person wanted this change, but the ADS are just annoying. He’ll probably become PM again, but I just hope he keeps his promises.

Stéphane Dion – I was watching CBC’s the National last night, and I saw a Liberal party advertisement that was actually pretty good. EXCEPT for the fact that Dion did NOT APPEAR in it. I’m being serious! What kind of campaign has a leader that doesn’t even show up in the ads? This perfectly encapsulates the Liberal campaign for me: DEFEAT HARPER, HIDE DION. Case in point: yesterday, his plane (another story…) had to make an emergency landing, and they basically partied with the press with drinks and food! The election isn’t very far away… a little focus would be nice. Like Harper, the Liberal PR people tried to re-envision Dion as an average Canadian who snowshoes, plays hockey and hunts… seriously? The candidates are NOT normal people…. so stop pretending you are! We ALL enjoy hockey… but focus on your campaign, Dion!

Jack Layton – As people probably know, I like Jack Layton. He seems to be a genuinely nice guy with a very grandfather-ish appeal. I applaud his platform and his drive to improve the environment. His ads are ok, but the 1984 like ad in Quebec is a little much. He is a party leader that deserves more respect and credence than he is usually privy too. That being said, the NDP will most likely not win this election because many people are not sure of his exact party position, other than the Obama-esque slogan: “Choose Change”. I believe more times should be spend focusing on what the NDP can do if elected, not how the NDP differs from the Liberals and Conservatives.

Elizabeth May – The Wild Card. She is a little bit of a firecracker, and I am excited that she will appear in the debates. The Green Party is finally getting some street cred! In no way, shape or form are they going to win this election, but I genuinely hope that they get a handful of seats and establish themselves as the party of a greener future!

So, here are out candidates:
Harper – Sweater-vested family man
Dion – The Liberal’s shadow
Layton – The Grandpa
May – The wild card

My vote is still up for grabs, as my main criteria is on the environment. Whiel it is only one vote, I will use it with pride. After all, in my humble opinion, only those who can vote hold the right to complain!

But enough about me….. How will you vote?