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-   -   Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans (http://www.corfid.com/vbb//showthread.php?t=20793)

charlene 02-22-2010 10:48 AM

Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans
 
classy Tom Brokaw does a lovely piece here:
hope you enjoy and learn something new - even the Canucks here might learn something new...

enjoy.



RM 02-22-2010 01:24 PM

Re: Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans
 
Geez.....now I feel bad about the U.S. hockey victory last night. It was a great game. Canada appeared to have the superior team, and it took a remarkable performance by the American goalie for the U.S. to emerge victorious.

What I learned at Corfid today :

Canada was in WWII before the U.S.
Operation 'Yellow Ribbon'
Canada's participation in the 'Iranian Hostage Crisis'
90% of Canada's population lives within 100 miles of the U.S. border

I have a question about the part where the Ambassador Bridge, connecting Windsdor with Detroit, is mentioned :

In the tune "Let it Ride", Lightfoot wrote :

"I knew a man from Windsdor
Went to Detroit every night
And stateside of the tunnel
Customs agents gave him flight"

Is a tunnel also involved in the connection ?

jj 02-22-2010 01:41 PM

Re: Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by RM (Post 159186)
It was a great game
....
Is a tunnel also involved in the connection ?

oh, i was asking in another thread if americans got to see the game (Live, is what i really meant)

ahh, don't feel bad...goaltending and a speedy team too....you may have done us fans a favour ie. we get to see an extra game now:)

and yeah, the tunnel has quite a history:

http://www.dwtunnel.com/Content.aspx...tunnel-history

RM 02-22-2010 02:04 PM

Re: Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by jj (Post 159188)
and yeah, the tunnel has quite a history:

Thanks for that......I learned a lot today.

Recess !!

charlene 02-23-2010 09:39 AM

Re: Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans
 
Always happy to enlighten...
;)

Miller was awesome in net the other night..

I have come across many Americans who aren't aware of Canada's involvement in any wars let alone being in the second world war before the u.s. and heading up many major battles. Many are (or were) unaware of Canada's involvement in Afghanistan, some thinking we are over there just to look nice and be polite..
;)
I remember back around 19 or 20 years ago when my son was in grade 2. I bought yellow ribbon and small Canadian flag pins for him to take to school to hand out to his classmates and friends at school to wear on their coats and we made a huge ribbon for the front of the school.

Hockey is a major thing up here, no doubt, but anything involving ice is..!!
Curling, skating, ice fishing, sledding, etc.... we are defined by the geography and climate of this country.

RM 02-23-2010 01:22 PM

Re: Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by MistyMoppens (Post 159205)
The only Olympic sport I've been able to catch so far has been men's and women's curling.

I enjoy watching that too.

I heard a sports-talk-host quip :

"Curling is a combination of bowling and housecleaning".

charlene 02-23-2010 01:47 PM

Re: Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans
 
it's all about the 'sweeping'...
lol
and a hell of a lot harder than it looks..

fezo 02-23-2010 02:41 PM

Re: Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans
 
Oh, i can see how hard it can be.

I'm planning on trying a home version with a roomba and a couple of swiffer mops and let the kids have at it. Would be the cleanest the house would be in years!

I love watching curling. i don't know if that would still be the case if I didn't ahve to wait four years for it. It's like bobsleds and such for me. every four years it's great.

jj 02-23-2010 02:52 PM

Re: Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by RM (Post 159191)
Thanks for that......I learned a lot today.

Recess !!

hey, it's spelled 'Windsor'

Detention!!


but seriously, thanks for the curling quote, never heard that....the more i learn about this the more i realize how little i know....i am throwing terms (shot rock, in the house, hit and roll) around lately though trying to impress the water cooler crowd with my know how, aka NO how

in the USA you make classic sports films like "The Natural" "Field of Dreams" "Ragin Bull", etc, etc

....in Canada we have:

YouTube- Men with Brooms trailer

jj 02-23-2010 03:22 PM

Re: Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans
 
ps) we have the world's tallest free standing structure (that has a working elevator) ...yes, we build reliable elevators....and not so reliable hydraulic torches

ps2) as for that elusive search for an identity or brand that can be marketed (which i have very little interest in), in case any missed it, here is the little poem that was part of the recent opening ceremonies

YouTube- We Are More

i can't say i was moved to tears but it did inspire me to start a neck beard

jj 02-23-2010 03:34 PM

Re: Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans
 
1 Attachment(s)
Quote:

Originally Posted by RM (Post 159226)

"Curling is a combination of bowling and housecleaning".


it's also a combo or golf and basketball

like golf, some participants opt to wear stylish slacks

like basketball (ok, a slower version), there is a shot clock you can monitor in the background...for basketball i believe it is 0:24 ....for curling i believe it is 75:00

charlene 02-23-2010 03:41 PM

Re: Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans
 
those guys get their pants from the same place John Daley the golfer gets his..oh my..

and I loved Men With Brooms..but then again I am a Paul Gross junkie.he can just stand there with his red serge on pretending to be Benton Fraser and I'm hooked.
;) http://paulgross.org/indexhigh.htm

RM 02-23-2010 04:11 PM

Re: Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by jj (Post 159230)
in Canada we have

I see you corrected YOUR typo......and that's a good thing.......'Canda' would have been cause for immediate expulsion.

I also have a beef with the pace of a curling match. I think the shot (?) clock be set at 1:00, with no time outs.

jj 02-23-2010 04:22 PM

Re: Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by RM (Post 159238)
I see you corrected YOUR typo......and that's a good thing.......'Canda' would have been cause for immediate expulsion.

knew you'd be on that like a hawk...well, ya can't blame me for missing an eh

Jesse Joe 02-23-2010 08:26 PM

Re: Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans
 
[quote...jj] ps) we have the world's tallest free standing structure (that has a working elevator) ...yes, we build reliable elevators....and not so reliable hydraulic torches[/quote]

Hate to correct you jj but then again I might be wrong, working elevator ?



http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=a0y2YCmWL8lc



jj 02-23-2010 09:22 PM

Re: Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans
 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worl....html?ITO=1490
:eek:

Jesse Joe 02-24-2010 06:20 AM

Re: Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans
 
Thanks jj I knew your mentioning of working elevators had something to do with it, had not heard about that. :)

jj 02-24-2010 12:01 PM

Re: Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Jesse Joe (Post 159252)
Hate to correct you jj ...


not as much as i hate to be corrected, lol

Jesse Joe 02-24-2010 02:48 PM

Re: Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans
 
:biggrin:

podunklander 02-24-2010 05:53 PM

Re: Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans
 
I had known about Canada's involvement in WWII before the US...but BOTH these countries (and others) turned their backs on Spain in 1937 and could have stopped Hitler way sooner. And neither tried to stop the Franco regime.

We've always been proud of our Canadian roots in my family and have never thought poorly or less of Canadian people, culture, etc. I don't know everything there is to know about my own country, yet alone another. It's always nice to learn something new.

I just found out last more last week @Pratt & Whitney in Canada when I came across a book on the subject.

charlene 02-24-2010 06:12 PM

Re: Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans
 
The Germans could have stopped Hitler too....
Glad to hear you have never thought poorly or less of Canadians..
;)
Learning new things is what life is all about....I just wish I could keep up!


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