An Australian Definition of a Canadian - Written by an Australian Dentist

You probably missed it in the local news, but there was a report that someone in Pakistan had advertised in a newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed a Canadian - any Canadian.

An Australian dentist wrote the following editorial to help define what a Canadian is, so they would know one when they found one.

A Canadian can be English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. A Canadian can be Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, Arab, Pakistani or Afghan.

A Canadian may also be a Cree, Metis, Mohawk, Blackfoot, Sioux, or one of the many other tribes known as native Canadians. A Canadian's religious beliefs range from Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu or none. In fact, there are more Muslims in Canada than in Afghanistan. The key difference is that in Canada they are free to worship as each of them chooses. Whether they have a religion or no religion, each Canadian ultimately answers only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

A Canadian lives in one of the most prosperous lands in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms which recognize the right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.

A Canadian is generous and Canadians have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return. Canadians welcome the best of everything, the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best services and the best minds. But they also welcome the least - the oppressed, the outcast and the rejected.

These are the people who built Canada. You can try to kill a Canadian if you must as other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world have tried but in doing so you could just be killing a relative or a neighbor. This is because Canadians are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, can be a Canadian.

Pins

It struck me tonight as I was sorrta watching President Bush present his State of the Union Address, that many men wear a lapel pin on their suit.

It is obvious the President Bush bore a lapel pin of an American flag, as he should. Many however wore pins of other symbols.

The practice of wearing pins is not limited to politicians, we see them everywhere all the time.

When I watch TV I try to establish the root of the pin. Well I only have a 27” screen so seldom am I able to see the design.

I, for example at times wear my twenty-five year Blacks service pin it has a small diamond in it and I am very please to port it.

I also have the privilege of wearing the square of an installed master of the Masonic order.

These pins we wear are often earned BUT as we may well wear our hearts on our sleeves we wear our pride on our lapels

RedHeads

After their baby was born, the panicked father went to see the obstetrician.

"Doctor," the man said, "I don't mind telling you, but I'm a little upset because my daughter has red hair. She can't possibly be mine."

"Nonsense," the doctor said. "Even though you and your wife both have black hair, one of your ancestors may have contributed red hair to the gene pool."

"It isn't possible," the man insisted. "This can't be, our families on both sides had jet-black hair for generations."

"Well," said the doctor, "let me ask you this. How often do you have sex?"

The man seemed a bit ashamed. "I've been working very hard for the past year. We only made love once or twice every few months."

"Well, there you have it!" The doctor said confidently. "It's rust."

Where’s My Kilt ?

Happy Robbie Burns day
Robbie Burns the great bard of Scotland.
With the middle name of Shaw I offer the following meal grace.


Some hay meat and canny eat
Some nay meat that would eat,
But we have meat,
And we can eat….
So let the Lord be thankeeed.

Keith’s List

There is a movie currently in release that deals with the final wishes of two dying cancer patients (The Bucket List (as in kicking the bucket))

I haven’t seen the movie but I understand the premise.

With exception of number one in no particular order my bucket list is:

# 1 Spend more time with Dave (my brother) and his special friend Kathy.
#2 Pass a New Years Eve in Times Square
#3 Spend some time in a HOT climate( as oppised to at Canada’s coldest).
#4 See a man spaced launch (maybe to Mars)
#5 Own a Towncar (Lincoln)

Should be more huh ?

Thanks Mister

Hi all its been a while and I found one I had to share:

A man finds his seat in the theater, but it's too far from the stage.
He whispers to the usher, "This is a mystery and I have to watch a mystery close up. Get me a better seat, and I'll give you a handsome tip."
The usher moves him to the second row, and the man hands the usher a quarter.
The usher looks at the quarter and then leans over and whispers, "The wife did it."

Happy Sunday

Gate 67

Things change.
I have decided (well it’s my blog) that on the 6th of the month instead of site of the month I have decided to present Keith’s DVD of the month.
This month it is The Terminal, with Tom Hanks.(shot in Mirabel by the way)
Let me know
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362227/

Got a Scrapper ?

Ten years ago today there was a weather phoneme that had never been seen in eastern Canada and the East coast of the United States.

Several storms collided and cause an ice storm never ever seen before.

Over five days more frozen rain fell then usually falls in years,

Ice was everywhere. It covered sidewalks, roads, cars, and more importunately power lines.Power towers fell like match sticks and radios stations went silent.

Regions of the province were without electricity for not just hours or days but the aftermath of the storm regions were with out power for weeks. Many retail operations were shut down and areas of the Montreal downtown were SHUT !!! Disaster relief centers where people could find food & shelter and a bed abounded

The store where I was working in Dorval was powerless for four days.

As a silver cloud to this story, my apartment had power (how boring is that?)
But my friend Wayne in Chateauguay had no power. Now Wayne being Wayne saw the glass as half full. As a result there was a party. There was a fire in the fire place and supper on the Bar Bq. Not just a few friends there but I am sure there was at least thirty people, eating, laughing, and signing off key. Wayne was without power for as I remember over two week. Best party I was ever at So for the storm of ’98 a tip of the hat to Wayne, Jocelyne, Terry and Wendy.

Can it happen again?? Maybe.

So that things are in perspective, close to thirty people died as a result of the event. To the family and friends of those people God bless.

http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-70-258/disasters_tragedies/ice_storm/

First Groan of ‘08

I don't usually pass on news like this. I know how busy you all are but sometimes we have to pause and truly remember what life is about...so pass on this sad, sad news. . . There was a great loss today in the entertainment world. The man who wrote the song "Hokey Pokey" died. What was really horrible is that they had trouble keeping the body in the casket.
They'd put his left leg in and.. .well, you know the rest

The Pony

A father asked his young daughter what she would like for Christmas. She said that what she wanted more than anything else was a baby brother. And it so happened that on Christmas Eve her mother came from the hospital clutching a baby boy.

The following year, the father again asked his daughter what she would like for Christmas.

"Well," she replied, "If it's not too uncomfortable for Mommy, I'd like a pony."

Send Out the Dogs

Happy New Ears
Yesterday Montreal experienced a third major snowfall of the season.
I remember when I was a kid that an event such as this would bring joy to the heart and send me off to the streets to build fort on the curb.
Then the years passed and snow removal has become terrible. This year seems to worse.
then years passed. I fully appreciate the amount of work this situation must impact.
But I am fatigued at having to be a Tlingit mountain goat to negotiate knee high snow to cross the street.
Some how, they seem to get the snow off the road but then getting off the street takes days and days
Surely when the sidewalk ploughs pass they could plow a small passage way on each corner.
And perhaps its escaped some planning but blue color workers aren’t even making areas around fire hydrants, that’s gotta be wrong.
Be well and welcome to the third year of Keith’s Thoughts.