I open my email today, on what is possibly the most beautiful day of the year weather wise, to see an article forwarded from a friend with the subject line: “How Canada Stole The American Dream“.

Who’s not going to read an article like that on Canada Day?

The article was published in Maclean’s Magazine, which is The Canadian equivalent of Time but with a large portion devoted to Canadian centric issues; you know, polar bears, ice fishing, snow shoeing, and drinking some pretty fantastic beer.

The essential premise of the article is that a group of Maclean’s staffers have been compiling reports on everything under the sun comparing the two nations on a per capita basis. It seems they scoured through anything from surveys, consumer reports, census reports, polls, scientific studies, policy papers and consumer databases.

Some of their main discoveries were quite amazing;

• Canadians have more sex, more adventurous sex, yet surprisingly less teen pregnancies or STDs.

In an article in the same issue, Canada is referred to as the Insatiable North, but surprisingly its reported that nearly 1/3 of American girls are pregnant before the age of 20, making the US teen pregnancy rate the highest in the Western world. This is not a statistic I’d want in my record books. The biggest culprit seems to be the US school system and the clear opposition to informing American children about the options and benefits of birth control. As many US states seem to get their sexual education curriculum from old Leave It To Beaver episodes, promoting abstinence as the only course of action, Canadians are more willing to educate their children fully and engage in open discussion.

• Canadians are much healthier than Americans even though we pay half as much for health care, and sometimes not even that much

There is obviously a huge divide in the US over the issue of universal health care which I will leave for another time, but a few things always stick with me when this issue comes up. I just can’t believe that in the US you have to PAY to have a baby. That alone blows my mind. I understand those that luckily have insurance are probably covered, but that a c-section is somewhere around the $15,000 mark, not including pre-natal care is completely insane to me. I’d appreciate if someone could give me some more concrete numbers for this, or even some feedback on why some Americans wouldn’t want universal health care. I am clearly bias because I’ve enjoyed many free visits to emergency rooms, family doctors and specialists throughout the years and not paid one cent. So like I said, when it comes to a rational, logical argument for not wanting a universal system, I personally just don’t see.

• Canadians get married later in life. Partly because we’re less traditional, less religious, and well…because Quebec leads the world in common-law couples. (Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?)

• Americans stay put in their country while Canadians travel the globe

This stat I have to say is skewed in favour of Canadians and not quite fair. The majority of our ‘out-of-country’ travel is to the US, which totally makes sense to me. If I was an American, I know I’d much rather stay in my own country and go to Disneyland or DisneyWorld than head north of the border to see what Saskatoon has to offer. I mean, I love where I’m from, and I’m uber-proud to be a Canadian, but every year from December-March when the snow and temperature is falling fast, find me my passport and get me the hell out of here.

• Even though median family incomes are nearly equally between U.S. and Canada, Canadians carry less debt and work fewer hours. Making us richer in overall time and value.(and these stats were taken from before the subprime disaster)
  

I think the issue of debt is one of the biggest epidemics facing Americans and Canadians alike. It seems for both countries, the problem begins at university. I moved to another city for my university years and my costs for one year was just over ten thousand. Luckily, between some terrific summer jobs, a few ‘fundraisers’ (see: parties) I ran, and the money my parents had saved for my school, I finished university completed debt free. I will always be grateful to my parents for this. But some are not as fortunate and so beings the perpetual cycle of debt. With $40,000 of debt on your shoulders out of university, most people are heading straight into the workforce whether you like it or not, and typically into jobs you’d rather not have. Couple this with the US being the ultimate ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ consumer society and you have credit card debt to tack along to your lifestyle.

It seems both sides of the border we’ve created a culture where people are made to feel inferior if they don’t have the newest shirts, this season’s shoes or the latest i-gadget. We seem to be taking hefty steps backwards from what’s really important, and sacrificing quality of life to move towards a continent that thinks a Sex In The City mentality is normal. You are not who you wear just as you are not what you drive.

So though it was great to read about how Canada, and Canadians at large have grown and prospered as a country over the past few decades, this certainly is not a reason to sit back on our laurels. I think its time for both countries to take a look at one another and instead of competing in a game of endless statistics, we need to learn from one another and grow together.

On this gorgeous day, I want to send out a Happy Canada Day to Canadians abroad or at home celebrating with family and friends, and enjoying the wonderful lifestyle we’ve worked fewer hours to achieve. And ya, congrats on the extra sex as well.

Ooooooooooooooooo Canada.

Today was a particularly sad morning, and not just because I realized it was Monday. I opened my Gmail account to see an email from a friend with a subject line I hoped was some sort of sick joke, “RIP George Carlin”. The body of the email said all that could be said, “Damn shame. At least we got to see him, live”

There is an excellent article about Carlin’s life and misadventures I read on Yahoo News. Click HERE to read it.

George Carlin’s biography and material has molded and influenced some of the greatest stand-up acts of our time. Even Jerry Seinfeld touches on this briefly in his documentary “Comedian”. Good comedy comes from a place of angst and unrest with the world around you. It comes from a strong mind and a strong opinion. (You’ll notice comedians like Dane Cook lack both). Carlin and other great comedians see the absurdity and the senseless acts of genocide and hypocrisy in human life and have used comedy as a voice to speak out.

George’s typical routines center around his disdain for religion, the unaccountable nature of politics, and overall commentary on the state of societies the world over.

George Carlin was certainly the consummate cynic, but he’s probably done more to change the point of view of North Americans than any cheerleader for positivity ever has. Sure Extreme Make Over- Home Edition may give you a new house and a roof over your head, but Carlin will make sure you’re paying more attention to your kids and the things that matter in life instead of your new 50″ Plasma TV and Cadillac Escalade.

Its been said that George Carlin has not only made us laugh for almost 40 years, but he’s been making us think as well. Carlin seemed to take a specific pride in his ability to finger point the backwardness in what humans prioritize and associate with value. In pointing out these absurdities George always claimed, “When you’re born, you get a ticket to the freak show. When you’re born in America, you get a front-row seat.”

Several great lessons in hypocrisy I’ve always enjoyed are in bits Carlin have called “Pro-Life is Anti-Women” and The Sanctity Of life (I’ll put these clips at the bottom of the post as well).

At one point, Carlin mentions how Catholics are primarily against abortion, and also very against homosexuality, “Well, who has less abortions than homosexuals?!? Leave these fuckin’ people alone. They are guaranteed to NEVER have an abortion. You think these two sides would be logical allies.” Seriously, take 15 minutes and watch these clips from beginning to end, they’re hilarious. Its easy to see Carlin’s genius at work within the wording, reasoning, and language he chooses in his act. Well, unless of course its your opinions he’s taking aim at, then you’ll likely be royally pissed off. But I think that is what good comedy is. It states a strong and intelligent opinion and doesn’t apologize for it. And if you feel strongly enough to get angry and upset, hopefully you’ll take a moment to evaluate what you’ve heard and see if your own views stand up according.

So I’d like to take this post to say a big Thank You and Goodbye to George Carlin for providing many generations of thinking and reasoning teenagers and adults with ways to laugh at the world around us. Because its typically those that notice there are things to laugh at that are willing to try to make it better. Even if its one person or one show at a time.

Thank You Mr. Carlin.

To get a full picture of George Carlin’s Life and Entertainment Career, WikiPedia also has a full and seemingly accurate write-up.

Let me begin by saying I think voting is the most important and powerful right a person can have in their country of residence – but sometimes the process gets utterly ridiculous.

If you haven’t heard yet, Dalton McGuinty, the Premier of Ontario is promising (see: Bribing) all Ontarians a new Statutory Holiday in February for all the “hard work”  we all did in Ontario to help with the deficit left by the Progressive Conservatives. And surprise surprise there’s an election scheduled for this October 10th.

I bet in grade school McGuinty was the guy that promised if you were friends with him and not some other kid he’d let you borrow his bike and video games anytime you wanted. Only that when you agreed you’d find out he owns a girl’s banana bike and an Atari.

Here’s are 2 brief articles from The Hamilton Spectator and The Toronto Star today summing up the latest in the evolution of this new phantom holiday.

My favourite argument against this holiday is the BILLIONS and BILLIONS of dollars that will be somehow drained from the Canadian economy if all of us little working monkeys have one more day away from the office. Can you fathom if we had -gasp- another TWO days off? Perhaps the province might simply implode? Or maybe that would invoke the second coming of Christ? Fire. Brimstone. “BACK TO WORK!!”

If you look at some European countries, they have many more statutory holidays, not to mention their minimum paid days leave starts at 20, where ours is a paltry 10. As I’m sure everyone can attest, when you’re overworked you’re usually useless at the office anyways because all you feel like doing is strangling everyone around you.

Canadians need another day off. And for us men who usually suffer at the hands of Valentine’s Day, we could use another day to consider if its necessary to buy that $75 chocolates and flowers combo or maybe its time to hit the singles bars again.

People used to petition for another statutory holiday in June, even Labatt’s started a petition a few years back. And I’ll be honest, during that time you better believe my fridge was stocked with Blue and Blue Light. At least now the Liberals are getting a little more creative and promising a February holiday so most people won’t notice they’re using the same tactic as a beer company to swing votes.

I’ve always valued my vote dearly, but the direction politics has taken the last few years has me thinking I may want to re-evaluated my own voting process. Essentially, I can’t remember the last time I voted in a specific direction and received anything for my troubles. With this in mind, I think its time I started treating the election process like the first week of University and look for the party willing to give me the most “free shit”. Or maybe I should treat them like the beer companies they’re stealing their marketing ploys from. Ya, that’s it, whatever political party provides me with the most humourous commercials, news, and entertainment has my support.

So far the Liberals far and away have my vote this October 10th. But if the Conservatives come out with free Ipods for everyone, I may have to re-evaluate my position.