PocketRocket

Glad you did. It wouldn't be the same without you.

Nonsense??? Now Kimmy, that really cuts me to the core. Manning, despite labels applied to him by others, always seemed, to use your word, milder. To watch him speak, he had the air of an man of intellect. I don't much pay attention to labels applied by others, I like to form my own opinion, and I always liked Manning, from the first time I saw him speak. Voted for Reform on a couple oocasions. Harper, and this is my opinion alone, simply gives me the creeps. Manning always SEEMED to recognize the necessity to temper his own beliefs to suit the political landscape and the times. Harper SEEMS to be biding his time until he gets in power, at which point he'll force his beliefs down our collective throats. This is the way it SEEMS to me. Personal perspective, that's all. But a lot more people seem to be alarmend by Harper than they were by Manning.

I would actually like to see the Tories come to power for a while. But Harper is not the man to take them there. Too many people simply don't trust the man. I think the biggest mistake the party made was letting Preston Manning be removed as leader. Canadians outside of the west were finally starting to take him seriously, and he had a sort of credibility that Harper lacks. Nope. I'd like to see the Tories in, but not with Harper at the helm.

Ah, but the title of this thread is not "What did Trudeau accomplish", but rather "Why do people remember Trudeau fondly??" I was addressing the question posed in the thread title.

All this blue quickly grows tiresome. Got anything in a fuscia, with yellow accents???

Hey, pal, if "Canadian" doesn't work for you, try drinking Laurentide. It's even made in Quebec so that should make you happy. Yeah, and Bouchard said that his being elected would be the death of Canada, and Perry-Zoe said his armpits would be the death of Canada, and you guys just keep on predicting the death of Canada, all the while each of you dream of being the new Dictator Francais. News flash, the day Quebec separates is the day Bush starts rubbing his hands together and thinking about how long it'll take him to acquire this new territory. You'll end up just like Puerto Rico, if not becoming outright the 51st state. I wonder how much the USA will care about helping you to maintain your proud French culture??? Uh-huh. Go suckle a bit more at the teats of Francophone insecurity. The inferiority complex of the Quebec francophone community is beyond compare.

I used to occasionally have troubles with forums wherein I'd type out a post, and then when I hit "submit", something or other stupid would happen and I'd lose my post, then have to start over again. When you're as long-winded as I am, this can be very annoying. I often spend up to an hour creating a single post. Occasionally they turn out to be novellas, much to my dismay. So, what I do now is copy/paste any quote I'm using to Wordpad. There, I can edit and add comments however I desire, then I just copy/paste back to the "Reply" box, and submit. This way, if anything happens, I still have my entire post backed up on Wordpad. This also allows me to create posts where I use multiple quotes from various posts.

Trudeau was not afraid to take it on the chin. He backed down from no battle. Yeah, he did some things that were, or have become, unpopular. But, Trudeau was that rarest of brids, A Leader. Someone who people would follow willingly, not simply because of his position. I recall the tv coverage of the FLQ crisis. I was just a kid, but still I could grasp what was going on. I was fully aware that imposing martial law was something Trudeau was doing at considerable political risk to himself, and when he said "Just watch me", that was the moment I became a Trudeau fan. Many of his policies I disagree with in retrospect, but the man and his family seemed to fascinate the public, and not just in Canada. Love him or hate him, no one seems to be indifferent. Can't say that for a lot of other politicians. Really. Who recalls, with passion, the likes of Joe Clark, or Bill Davis, or Ed Broadbent or What'shisname, or That Other guy???? This country has a long history of blase Prime Ministers. Pierre was certainly not one of those.

Hey, gotta start somewhere, and a good idea is a good idea. So what does that say about the voters??? Hey, me too. My hemaerroids were diagnosed, and then removed, all within 3 months. Wonderful service. Now I'm a perfect a$$hole All humour aside, I am sorry for your family's loss. I'd say this would describe the whole political system, not just health care.

Why Kimmy, how can you be so jaded??? Is not the improved blueness improvement enough??? It's a glorious blueness, the likes of which has not been seen since thursday. Wait, that's today. Well, I like the new "Quote" function.

Unimpressed. The speech was flat and predictable. The replies from the other party leaders were equally flat and predictable. We have a sad slate of candidates for our next election. As a side note, I've been reflecting on the state of affairs in the past few years. I think this whole scandal is going to turn out to be a good thing for Canada in the long term. The Liberals needed to have a bit of the steam knocked out of them. Ever since Mulrony left the PC's in shambles, it's been virtually a one-party country. This episode will probably go a long way toward levelling the playing field. We're going to see a significant change in the entire political landscape over the next several months. It's a shaking-up that the country, IMHO, has needed for a long time.

Hey, isn't there another thread about Mad Cows??? Isn't that what we're discussing in this thread??? Coulture should be tested immediately. BTW, exactly how much of the cow's brain has to be removed to do the test??? It doesn't really matter, I suppose. Whatever is in there, she's not really using anyway.

Now how could you DARE suggest that the US of A would do anything other than play fair, and observe all the rules and agreements made under the NAFTA??? Of course they've never had a case of Mad Cow. None of the cattle ranchers have dandruff, either. Just ask them.

SLAVIK44: I have a bit more time today, so I can address your quite funny post in more detail. Please keep in mind that MOST comments are made in the spirit of humor and are not meant to cause offense. Gee, and here all along I thought the whole point of these forums was to bitch. You're certainly doing your share. Hmm. If the parking meter was invented in 1932, it's unlikely it was invented by anyone born in the 30's, and absolutely guaranteed that it wasn't invented by anyone born in the 40's or later. So, this is a null argument. BTW, these days if you don't pay your parking tickets, they eventually take away your license. Another null argument. There's nothing like logical debate. In this is nothing like logical debate. Last two times I got parking tickets, I didn't swear at anyone. But, seeing as how I was legally parked both times, and the tickets had been issued in error, I brought them to the appropriate place, and had them nullified. Those tickets in my past which WERE valid, I happily paid. Well, not happily, but paid without complaining. Kinda like hockey, if you break the rules and get caught, you pay the penalty. Still not invented by anyone in the specified age group. Besides, I don't drink beer. I prefer Crown Royal, and I do not drive while drinking. Might spill some. Ah yes, the good old US of A, where in many states it's perfectly legal to have a beer in your hand while sitting behind the wheel on the freeway. Fortunately, I live in Canada, where drinking and driving is not viewed so favorably Sorry, I only own rifles, no handguns. But still, it's unlikely that the Colt was invented by someone 6 years or younger. LSD, on the other hand, I have done, but not for over 25 years. Keep in mind though, it was invented, by your own words, in 1943, and so someone born in 1930 was still only 13 years old, and probably had nothing to do with it's invention. (Actuall, LSD occurs naturally in a variety of sources, so it really wasn't "invented". A process to synthesize it was.) 1952, so that makes our child born in 1930 still only 22 years old, and an unlikely candidate as the inventor. Even if he was a hippy. He may, however, have been out at the time painting flowers on his Volkswagon, invented (I believe) in 1939 (correct me if I'm wrong). I prefer Wendy's, better yet, Subway. Also, if you've ever done LSD, you will know that you simply DO NOT lose consciousness. Just TRY to go to sleep. Forget about it. Well now, personally, I am 5'7", and weigh in at 152 lbs, my ideal weight. You know, that just MAY have been invented by someone in the age range we're talking about. If he was born in 1930 that would make him 44. Possible. If you could cite a source for the name of the inventor, and his date of birth, you may actually have at least one valid point in this post. Judging from you demeanor, and your evident contempt for anyone born during the specified time frame, I can only assume that you were born later than the 70's. Therefore, by the logic you have presented in this paragraph, it is likely that you are the offspring of such a mating as you have described here. If so (and I specify "if so"), is your dad still that ugly??? And is your mom still earning a living on her back??? Haven't needed it so far (touch woody, er WOOD, yeah, wood), but it's nice to know it's there. Thanks, kids. See, wasn't that easy??? I actually thanked another generation for it's contribution without casting any aspersions on them. Now, I think I'll go adjust my halo Oh, one last thing, another "habbit" as you put it, of my generation, was paying attention during English classes. That's why most of us can spell

Damn. That means we're all going to have to share a smaller piece of the Pi

I agree that for some kids, perhaps even most kids, it works. In my case, it would have been a waste of time. As a kid, I would NOT have spent the timeout ruminating on what I had done, but rather daydreaming, or simply resenting how I was hard-done-by. SOME kids, not all, require a heavier hand, just as some adults do. I do not advocate wholesale beatings of children. Far from it. But if a sane and well-reasoned parent feels a slap on the hand is necessary, they should not be subject to legal punishment. Currently, even a slap on the hand is considered assault.

For a government of Quebec to pose a simple, straightforward question, worded in such a way as to confuse every reader, and then tell the reader that we have "already achieved" the sovereignty on which the reader is being asked to vote, without ever making it clear that the vote itself is intended to tear Quebec away from the rest of Canada, is a betrayal of trust forced upon the people of Quebec and Canada. Just out of curiosity, who did you vote for in the last Quebec Provincal Election???

But it's a nice warm summer rain

Hi HUGO: It sounds like you got to him. Good story. Thanks. It was definitely fun. I'm not sure if I'd say "most" of the time, but absolutely a lot of the time, yes. If an individual loses his/her job, then it's probably his/her own fault. If a huge facility employing thousands of people simply closes up, then I would have to disagree. A couple points here. Regarding the toy gun, I was brought up in a hoouse FULL of toy guns. I played soldier. I played "war". I played Cowboys and Indians. Just about every game I played as a kid revolved around shooting people with a toy gun, with the exception of games like "Tag" and a few other childhood favorites. But my dad was a hunter. He gave all of us some very sombre talks on firearm safety. I knew the correct way to carry a rifle, the proper way to climb over a fence with a rifle, just about everything they teach you about firearms safety, before I was 8 years old. And by 8 years old, I was a better shot with a rifle than many experienced shooters are today. We were taught respect for the firearm, and respect for the lives of those around us. We were taught to NEVER point a weapon at someone, even in fun, even if we were ABSOLUTELY SURE it wasn't loaded. IOW, we were TAUGHT. Now, the parents of "violent" kids may or may not have taught their kids at all. Sometimes a kid is just plain ornery and refuses to learn. I was a borderline ornery, and hyperactive, kid. A lot of times I heard what I wanted to hear, and ignored the rest. My dad, and after he passed away too young, my mom, knew how to get my attention. A smack behind the ear usually did the trick. Or a swat on the rear with a yardstick, or a green tree switch, or a piece of extension cord, or a belt, or whatever was close at hand. No question about "child abuse" in those days. You were allowed to spank a child. Some kids do not need to be spanked, they listen when spoken to, and obey what they are told. I was not such a kid. If I was being brought up today, under the "no spank" laws which we now have, I probably would have turned into a public menace (moreso than I am now, LOL). Hell, they sometimes needed to whack me just to get my attention, sometimes as punishment when I had stepped too far over the line. The whacks taught me 2 important things, firstly, to listen. Second, that every action has it's consequences. Nowadays, a hyperactive kid either just goes on trashing the house while the parent stands patiently saying "Don't do that, that's not good". Or else they put the kid on ridilin. Yeah, putting a kid on a behaviour modifying drug will teach them how to cope with life later on. Basically, we have a whole generation of people teaching their kids that if you do something wrong, you have to take a "time out" for ten minutes, or that you get to go to your room and play video games. We are teaching them that if life is running a bit too fast, that you can take a pill that'll help you play nice with your friends and teachers. We are certainly NOT teaching them about coping with life.

Up until a couple years ago, I made my living as a sound tech, doing live sound gigs for a variety of bands/performances/events. i had the pleasure of working with a couple fine native musical acts. One of these bands, based in Northern Ontario, did a gig one weekend on a reserve. A couple hours before the show began, I accompanied them to a graveyard, wherein the childhood friend of one of the singer/songwriters in the group was buried. The singer had written a song for his friend which he performed at the funeral a few months earlier. On the lad's headstone, they had engraved the words from the chorus of the song. I found these words inspiring, in a non-denominational sort of way, and have always remembered them. I pass them on to you, and to your Grandmother. "On the wings of an eagle he(she) flies, to meet his(her) creator". I think that about sums it up for any religion. Digby, my condolences on the loss of your Grandma. May she find peace, warmth and happiness on the other side.

Has anyone else noticed that the person who started this thread, with unsupported claims and numbers, has failed to make another appearance in the thread, or indeed anywhere in theses forums??? He/she is a one-post wonder, This is his/her ONLY post. Can you say "troll"??? Judging from the way the thread has progressed, he/she trolled quite successfully.

I would not have had the courage to ask him that question. That you were able to do so in such a way as to provoke informative conversation gives me reason to admire you. I've learned something new today. Thanks. I had an uncle who was a fisherman, so I've heard this term. But hey, good thing you didn't say "Put the rope around the niggerhead". They might have instead put it around yours This is EXACTLY the kind of thing I'm talking about. I'm surprised that we haven't yet, as a group, been re-named "The Hu-Person Race". "Human" is obviously referring to men. Even that most classic of sci-fi series "Star Trek" corrected, politically, it's introduction narrative from "Where no man has gone before" to "Where no one has gone before". Personally, I have gone where no man has gone before. The women's washroom in the Royal York. And believe me, once I had "gone" there, no "one" wanted to "go" there for at least twenty minutes after I had finished "going" RB had a point with her post about everyone apologizing to the young black woman. I have a certain level of discomfort when I'm with anyone who is different from the myself and the people I normally associate with. This is not necessarily restricted to racial groups, but does include them. I just get a bit more sensetive. It is in my nature to not want to cause offense to someone, unless I actively dislike the person. With different groups, different things can cause offense. But I do not see this "political correctness" trend as being the answer. I see common sense and consideration as being a better answer. A black fellow I work with rolls his eyes every time he hears someone refer to him as "African-Canadian". In his own words "You know, "Black" is a lot easier to say, and takes a lot less time to write".

Slavik44: Hilarious post. I love it. Except for...... This. If you've ever done LSD, You would know that you simply do NOT lose consciousness when high on LSD. Being part of THAT generation, I am aware of little things like this. As to whether I know from personal experience shall go unrevealed

To keep the original post uncluttered, I though I'd add a brief comment in a separate post. Is it just me, or does it seem like kids simply do not go out and play anymore??? I live in a secluded little area, only ten houses on my street. Lots of open space all around. Access by only one road, and the area is virtually unknown to almost everyone. There's an area with trees, it's like a miniature forest. In my childhood, I would have been out there with a handful of friends doing the "cowboys and indians" thing, or living some other childhood fantasy. In other words, having the sort of fun that only an imaginitive kid in a copse of trees can have. The area looks like it's never seen a kid. I take my dog for walks through there. No candy wrappers, no half-built treehouses or forts, no footprints in the sand. In my day, this was a dream playground. The kid next door does, however, have a Playstation, and is rather obese, as are most of the friends that I occasionally see visiting him. What's wrong with this picture????

I don't often start new thread. This is the second in 2 days. I received this as an e-mail this morning, one of those "pass it on" things, but I thought it is interesting enough to include here....... TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's !! First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms....WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them! Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law! This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL! And YOU are one of them CONGRATULATIONS! You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good. And with those that are so fortunate as to know what they missed