What are the important cultural differences between Canada and the US?

[taxme]

Well, at least that is a giant evolutionary step forward from

We don't need a logical decimal system of measurement based on natural units invented by a Frenchman, much better to have a chaotic system standardized by an Englishman. I miss the rod, furlong, finger, hand, palm, cubit, fathom and barleycorn.

Interesting side note, the Anders Celsius (Dutch) temperature scale is almost as old as the Daniel Fahrenheit (Swedish) scale but was used more commonly in scientific communities and didn't become part of mainstream society until the 1960's/70's. Fahrenheit's original scale was based on the temperature of a brine (salt water) solution freezing at 0° and water freezing at 32°, human body temperature was assigned 96° as this made divisions on the thermometer easy (64 divisions between water freezing and body temperature). It was later decided to set the boiling point of water as 212°, which meant a slight revision was necessary for the body temperature. Celsius's scale started from day one with water freezing at 0° and boiling at 100°, no revisions were necessary.

What I miss in all of this is what system is not foreign?

Ya, uhmm, ya ok, what? Oh for petes sake, just give me back my miles per hour and my 80 degree fahrenheit temperatures back. The metric system was forced on Canadians by papa Trudeau without asking us first. Canadians did not ask for it. Fahrenheit was working well for Canadians for decades. I cannot imagine how much the taxpayer's had to fork out to change our imperial measurement system to the metric measurement system. But then again, when did any politician really give a hoot about how much tax dollars will be blown on many of their stupid programs and agendas that no one ever asks for.

From bilingualism to multiculturalism, to foreign-aid, to changes in our immigration policy, the bringing in of tens of thousands of refugees, and implementing the metric system, all of those mentioned were forced on the Canadian taxpayer by papa trudeau and his gang of liberals who didn't give a care as to how much all of those mentioned above would cost the Canadian taxpayer in the next several decades. It was all just a part of the french liberal program and agenda to try and destroy all things associated with Britain and the WASP. Papa Trudeau virtually destroyed a country that was not in his image of what Canada should be. His son will now finish the job. Today Canadians now reap what papa Trudeau has sown. :angry:

[?Impact]

Today Canadians now reap what papa Trudeau has sown.

You forgot to add: Get off my lawn

[Bonam]

Ya, uhmm, ya ok, what? Oh for petes sake, just give me back my miles per hour and my 80 degree fahrenheit temperatures back.

Really? Of all the things to whine about, you pick the metric system? It's clearly superior in every possible way.

[taxme]

You forgot to add: Get off my lawn

Too late. Sonny Trudeau already took my lawn, and built a playhouse for refugee kids.

[taxme]

Really? Of all the things to whine about, you pick the metric system? It's clearly superior in every possible way.

It worked fine for me way back when I was growing up. It was the superior system to me. It was the used measurement system at the time and no one that I know of ever complained about it or wanted it gone as far as I know. I hate the metric system because it was forced on me. I don't like things that are forced on me. I start to "whine" about them.

[Bonam]

It worked fine for me way back when I was growing up. It was the superior system to me.

Try doing some scientific calculations with it some time. It quickly will stop working for you.

Also, no one is stopping you from using neanderthal units in your daily life. If someone asks for your height, give it in cubits or hands or whatever. If someone asks for your weight, give it in stones or turnips or whatever. If someone asks how fast you're going, tell them in furlongs per fortnight for all anyone cares.

[taxme]

Try doing some scientific calculations with it some time. It quickly will stop working for you.

Also, no one is stopping you from using neanderthal units in your daily life. If someone asks for your height, give it in cubits or hands or whatever. If someone asks for your weight, give it in stones or turnips or whatever. If someone asks how fast you're going, tell them in furlongs per fortnight for all anyone cares.

The only scientific calculations that I would need to know is to how long, and how high, and how wide will the walls be in my new house. I could get along just fine using inches and feet and yards and get my house built. I do not need metric measurements to build a house. Besides, when one plays golf in Canada or one watches a Canadian football game it is all done in inches, feet, and yards. In many cases homes are still being built in inches, feet and yards today. It's only neanderthal to you because you prefer to live in metric, and you think that it is the best measurement system around. I don't agree with you. Canada was built up on the imperial measurement system, and all went well. Homes were built and are still standing that were built using the imperial system. It made no sense to go metric when our biggest trading partner used imperial as we once did. If one is in business and one has to deal with a country that used metric then things would get built and converted into metric and all was well. I go to the States a lot, and I haven't yet seen any neanderthals walking around down there. Where are they all hiding?

Anyway, I guess whatever the government forces on you then you are quite happy and ready to just accept it without a whimper, eh? Typical attitude of most most Canadians. The dictator governments that Canadians keep electing in Canada always like to force their pet programs and agendas on Canadians without ever asking them if they want any of those programs and agendas or not. Like I said earlier all those programs and agendas like multiculturalism, bilingualism, foreign-aid, refugees and metric have cost the Canadian taxpayer's hundreds of billions of tax dollars. But this constant blowing of our tax dollars by our illustrious leaders on their pet projects just never seems to phase those spendthrift crazy people the slightest.

Maybe you don't give a darn about how your tax dollars are blown but I certainly do, especially if they are for programs and pet agendas that no one ever asked for nor needed. It all comes down to as to who is the boss in this country, and who is going to control the purse strings. Will it be the taxpayer's or will it be the politicians? I think that the latter have shown that they do not know how to use Canadian tax dollars wisely. Sad indeed.

[JamesHackerMP]

Could someone tell me please, what is POUTINE?

[TimG]

1 hour ago, JamesHackerMP said:

Could someone tell me please, what is POUTINE?

https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=poutine

[Michael Hardner]

Apparently another big cultural difference is that Canadians use Google to get knowledge.

[cybercoma]

11 minutes ago, Michael Hardner said:

Apparently another big cultural difference is that Canadians use Google to get knowledge.

Americans do too. They're just incapable of understanding anything due to chronic underfunding of their education system.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Michael Hardner said:

Apparently another big cultural difference is that Canadians use Google to get knowledge.

Maybe some people just like to chat.

[JamesHackerMP]

actually I put "poutine" into google and it didn't come up with anything that was a definition.

[JamesHackerMP]

And we put more of our GDP into education than most other western nations, by the way.

Actually: have you tried putting any single word into Google, say, "titties" and see what happens? Then you understand why I was lazy enough to just ask.

Edited October 22, 2016 by JamesHackerMP

[eyeball]

50 minutes ago, JamesHackerMP said:

actually I put "poutine" into google and it didn't come up with anything that was a definition.

It's french fries, cheese curds and gravy...disgusting, in a word.

[cybercoma]

31 minutes ago, eyeball said:

It's french fries, cheese curds and gravy...disgusting, in a word.

It's not originally gravy. It's brown sauce. Gravy is a concoction of filthy imposters outside Québec.

[TimG]

1 hour ago, JamesHackerMP said:

actually I put "poutine" into google and it didn't come up with anything that was a definition.

I put poutine into google (link above) and I got wikipedia at top with a side bar including a picture and a pretty clear description.

Maybe you spelled it wrong.

[JamesHackerMP]

Ah.  But at any rate, if I hadn't misspelled it (a possibility, though I am uzhully purty gud @ speling) we would not have had this fascinating conversation about poutine, eh?

OK, no....I lied: I just felt like asking because that was far more sociable than just googling it.  (Funny how "to google" has become a verb.)  Perhaps that is one of the differences between our cultures: we like to "chat" more?

[JamesHackerMP]

Anyway: besides Poutine, are there really major differences in culture, food-wise, between our two nations?

[cybercoma]

1 minute ago, JamesHackerMP said:

Anyway: besides Poutine, are there really major differences in culture, food-wise, between our two nations?

Yeah. We don't do barbecue even remotely as well as any of the bbq regions in the US.

[JamesHackerMP]

Do you have backyard bbq's? Propane/charcoal sort of thing?

[cybercoma]

Yes, of course....but I'm talking about BBQ culture. Huge smokehouses and whatnot. Kansas City, Carolina, Texas. You've got different regions with different types of BBQ. People BBQ here but we don't have a regional types of BBQ and we're not known for BBQ like those places i just mentioned. There's people who do that cooking here but they're emulating it. Just like you have restaurants in the states who make poutine, even though it's a Canadian concoction. 

[?Impact]

On 10/21/2016 at 8:25 PM, eyeball said:

It's french fries, cheese curds and gravy...disgusting, in a word.

 

My thoughts exactly...

 

... until I tried it. It is the best, most wonderful, most fabulous, etc. You haven't lived until you had [good] poutine. Unfortunately if you have it too often you won't live too long. It is also the most artery clogging, high calorie, junk food in existence. 

 

p.s. The best place to find poutine is some rural poutine truck in Quebec. I haven't searched around Drummondville, where I believe it originated.

[eyeball]

1 hour ago, cybercoma said:

 

Yes, of course....but I'm talking about BBQ culture. Huge smokehouses and whatnot. Kansas City, Carolina, Texas. You've got different regions with different types of BBQ. People BBQ here but we don't have a regional types of BBQ and we're not known for BBQ like those places i just mentioned. There's people who do that cooking here but they're emulating it. Just like you have restaurants in the states who make poutine, even though it's a Canadian concoction. 

I'd argue there's a pretty healthy bbq/smoked fish culture out on the west coast.

[cybercoma]

4 hours ago, eyeball said:

I'd argue there's a pretty healthy bbq/smoked fish culture out on the west coast.

That is nothing like St Louis, Kansas City, or any other US centre of BBQ culture, but yeah. I could go for some smoked salmon.