This year, apparently due to the fear of terrorism (which is apparently the new communism), the CBC’s Canada Day celebrations were moved from their traditional venue on Parliament Hill in Ottawa to our humble Charlottetown waterfront. I took in some of the festivities and have a few observations to make:
- The entire night felt less like being at a live event, and more like participating in the production of a television show – which I guess it was. There were even commercial breaks via jumbo-tron. Who are we trying to entertain? Ourselves? The idea of connecting the whole country via satellite seems like a good one. However, rather than making me feel connected to the rest of the country, it left me feeling disconnected from the people and events around me.
- I gathered further evidence of my soon-to-be-famous law, Garrity’s Inverse Law of Congregational Intelligence. The law states that the intellect of individuals in a crowd decreases exponentially as the number of individuals in the crowd increases.
- Jimmy Rankin put on a great show.
- Smoking in public places should be banned.
- I love watching fireworks. There’s something simple and good about bright lights and loud noises. Having a live soundtrack from Rufus Wainwright was a nice touch (though I’d love to see him in a better setting).
I’m a little uncomfortable with the entire idea of Canada Day. Celebrating the country is fine – it’s a pretty good one. It’s the whole concept of pride that strikes me as odd. I don’t feel proud to live in Canada. I feel fortunate, glad, and appreciative, but I haven’t really done anything to deserve living in such a wealthy country.
The obligatory gold-medal Olympian in the ceremony made a comment about the rest of the world being jealous of Canada. I’m sure his intentions were honourable, but given how wealthy Canada is compared to so much of the world, I think this is insensitive. Yes, it’s great that we have doctors, clean water, freedom, and wealth, but I’m certainly not glad that these attributes make us unique.
Happy Canada Day.
“This year, apparently due to the fear of terrorism (which is apparently the new communism) ” -Steve
Wow, you’ve got that right. And you don’t even live down here in the ‘States! All I have to say is Yowzers at least it’s not yet illegal to vote for the Green Party
I just returned from the celebrations Steve summarized. I agree with Steve. Here are some more points.
Notes from the North Shore.
Even though my three year old insisted on going to see some guy dressed up as a TV turtle, most of us avoided the official Canada Day in Capital Zone and participated in the North Rustico one instead. The parade’s big event were horses. Being 10 feet from skitterish horses being followed by the car from Wayne’s Stockcar Repair was to say the least soemthing that focuses the mind. Once, the potential for a recreation of a unintended cavelry charge were passed, neighbours who dressed up their business trucks drove slowly by and had their kids throw candy as they passed. We scooped up a Halloween’s worth. Then there was the naval cadets band. They seemed to be playing three different tunes at one time – two marches and something somewhat like reggae – so that was neat. Then it was over and we went home twenty minutes after it started. At night, after a backyard BBQ, I sat up, looked up from my book and watched a respectable fireworks from bed. No government official spoke to me, no one read a scripted exhortation about pride and no one got a cheque for consulting on the events. I had chow-chow that someone I know made with my BBQ while sitting on the lawn in the back yard.
Peter Rukavina points out an important phenomenon of the events that I overlooked in my post: folding chairs. They were everywhere. I even had one – and I never have anything!
During the ceremonies, I took a peek at the label on my chair:
I’ve never been so proud to be Canadian.
I cant agree with you more Steven. Last night we were watching the show along side one of the CBC cameras (right where Jono and Boomer did their so called lobster jokes) and half way through the show a lady next to us lit up. #1. Im not a smoker and #2. I cant stand being that close to somebody that does.
I do remember commenting last night about the commercials. At one point we just finished watching a number of advertisements and then Boomer comes on the stage and says the rest of the Country just went to a commercial break does that mean they just watched two sets worth?
Just because someone wins a gold medal shouldn’t automatically qualify them as a good T.V. host
Yes, I must admit I was thinking that exact same thing but then again, I have also wondered why somebody that competes on survivor instantly becomes a celebrity and gets invited to award shows. Survivor is no different then any other game show.
As for Pat Binns and his new found talent of poetry .. I was probably laughing more at him rather then with him. A simple speach would have done just fine.
Monday night was the only event I attended over the weekend so I dont know what the traffic was like except for last night. Just before the fireworks started we started to move in the direction of our car and watched them from a distance. We got to the car around 11:20 parked on Dorchester St. It was 12:25 when I finally got to the Esso at the end of the North River Rd. I think thats the longest trip through Charlottetown of my life.
We stayed home and watched Life as a House. It sounds like we had a much better time. It’s a great movie.
Peter, I’m just wondering how do you decide which mass commercial phenomenon you participate in whole-heartily and which ones you avoid like the plague?
Even though I watched the entire celebration/production from the comfort of home, I gathered a lot, if not just as much, of the details that Steven has discussed.
I won’t try to group my thoughts in nice, flowing paragraphs; instead I’ll continue the unordered list mania:
Also, I look forward to hearing more about Garrity’s Inverse Law of Congregational Intelligence; it is very clear that people are affected by the amount of people around them. As the crowd number increases, so does the “Go With The Flow” attitude, which can be linked to the intelligence level theory stated in Steven’s law. Fascinating.
In agreement with Garrity’s “Inverse Law of Congregational Intelligence”, I witnessed a teen scuffle during the fireworks last night. A number of slow-witted teens started into fisticuffs and then as the cops broke up the situation, the kids divided into small groups to vainly discuss with furrowed brows who had been disrespected and what it meant to their world view. Does Steven’s law apply directly to the enitre high school environment as this situation and my own experience in grade school might suggest?
Ryan – You picked up nicely on my bullet list format. I made the post late on Monday night and was too tired-lazy for for my usually flowing prose.
My folding chair does not have any logos/emblems on it (just that little “made in china” tag I mentioned earlier).
As for Garrity’s Inverse Law of Congregational Intelligence – it’s all about taking credit for obvious ideas and naming them after yourself. Just wait – I’m practically a guru.
Steven is describing Fletcher’s Law of Claiming and Naming Obvious Phenomenon.
This law was hastilly thrown together by myself before anybody else claimed it. A more technodynamic name will be assigned to it.
I got home from work tonight to find two new folding chairs sitting at the bottom of the stairs. I guess my family just joined the folding chair phenomenon.
Ryan, you can’t make an assertion like “lobster jokes will never be funny” and expect it to go unchallenged. So here’s ten lobster jokes to get the ball rolling. I say we keep making them up and posting until someone comes up with a funny one.
What do Lobster children call the one who brings them gifts on Christmas Day?
Sandy Claws
A Catholic, A Jew, and a kosher lobster walk into a restaurant on a Friday. Only two walk out.
How many lobsters does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
So far, no lobster has been trained to accomplish this feat.
Why did the lobster cross the road?
To distance himself from the melted butter.
Whats the difference between a lobster sandwich in 2002, and a lobster sandwich in 1902?
About four rungs on the Social Class ladder.
You might be a redneck lobster if:
-youve been boiled.
-theres discarded and abandoned cars, trucks, tires and sofas in the water where you live.
-youve mated with a cousin or sibling.
-just before youre put in the pot, you hear the following: Yall are gonna taste right good.
There once was a lobster from Tignish
Who, before he died, had just one wish:
That this boundary dispute
Would get the big boot
And instead of lobster, theyd fish fish.
How do you make a male lobster cry?
Like all arthropods, the nervous system of the a lobster is very primitive, and contains far fewer nerve cells than our nervous systems. The nerve cells are grouped in clusters called ganglia. A lobster has no cerebral cortex, the area of the human brain that perceives pain. Despite this, male lobsters will cry if kicked or punched in the nuts.
How do you make a female lobster cry?
Have her watch Sleepless in Seattle.
Whats the easiest way to get blond lobsters into the pot?
Tell them its a hot tub.
I rather lobsters on my piano….
Than crabs on my organ.