Happy Canada Day! / Happy Fourth of July! July 1, 2017 9:59 AM   Subscribe

Have a Happy Canada Day! Have a Happy Fourth of July! Have a nice weekend. Whether you're Canadian, American, or whatever. I hope you're having an awesome day. Be safe. Cheers.
posted by Fizz to MetaFilter-Related at 9:59 AM (46 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite

Happy Canada Day!
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 9:59 AM on July 1, 2017


Happy Canada Day!

🍁
posted by Fizz at 9:59 AM on July 1, 2017


"....In short, the flames kindled on the 4th. of July 1776, have spread over too much of the globe to be extinguished by the feeble engines of despotism. On the contrary they will consume those engines, and all who work them."

-Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, September 12, 1821.
posted by clavdivs at 10:49 AM on July 1, 2017 [1 favorite]


Oh Canada! *trumpet sounds*
posted by mightshould at 11:15 AM on July 1, 2017




Oh Canada! *trumpet sounds*
posted by Fizz at 11:36 AM on July 1, 2017 [1 favorite]




I'm working on the 4th (but I'm getting double-time and a half) so I took today off.
posted by jonmc at 11:52 AM on July 1, 2017


jonmc, I'm working right now as well and also getting double-time and a half. Not particularly thrilled about that fact but money is money and I have tomorrow off, so at least there's that.

I'll be celebrating tonight with some video games and a beer. Mostly looking forward to that.
posted by Fizz at 12:11 PM on July 1, 2017


Today is the first day of a four-day weekend of whooping it up (I have the 3rd and the 4th off both, and just got paid both my first paycheck for my new job and my last for my last job, and said last paycheck included 2 weeks of unused vacation time).

Today I've been pre-stocking the house with prepared foods of various kinds, so most of the rest of the weekend I can just sort of graze or plan picnics or stuff like that without having to do actual prep work. I've even concieved a plan to actually attempt to fry chicken.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:19 PM on July 1, 2017 [3 favorites]


O Canada ... Now that's a national anthem.

And one of a country born in peace.

When are you going to annex us ?
posted by y2karl at 12:45 PM on July 1, 2017 [1 favorite]


Happy Canada 🇨🇦 Day!
My usual "dog under the flag" pic didn't turn out so great today.
posted by chococat at 12:59 PM on July 1, 2017 [2 favorites]


It's pouring rain here, which is okay. I enjoy thunder and lightning.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 1:03 PM on July 1, 2017 [1 favorite]


chococat, what a good dog, the best dog. :D
posted by Fizz at 1:07 PM on July 1, 2017 [1 favorite]


jonmc, I'm working right now as well and also getting double-time and a half. Not particularly thrilled about that fact but money is money and I have tomorrow off, so at least there's that.

Bro, that doubletime and a half, will buy a lotta beer.
posted by jonmc at 1:13 PM on July 1, 2017 [1 favorite]


Years ago I arranged "O Canada" for solo guitar. Musical MeFites are welcome to give it a shot.

Score (PDF)
Notion MP3

(Jeez, I really ought to record this eh.)
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 1:13 PM on July 1, 2017 [3 favorites]


Bro, that doubletime and a half, will buy a lotta beer.

Yup, I plan on drinking the following beer. It's in the fridge at home waiting for me.
posted by Fizz at 1:21 PM on July 1, 2017


Looks spiffy. I'm drinking a Modelo Chelada and chasing it with MGD.
posted by jonmc at 1:28 PM on July 1, 2017 [1 favorite]


My usual "dog under the flag" pic didn't turn out so great today.

Actually, that's a great pic!
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 1:29 PM on July 1, 2017 [1 favorite]


Hey! I just went to the naturalization ceremony of my Canadian friend who became a US citizen last week (she is a tenured prof in the US and her parents emigrated there from India so as a self-proclaimed "brown person" she thought it was a good idea) and she and I always celebrate Civic Holiday together in August.

I have definitely been on the bandwagon of "fuck this US administration in particular" as most of you also are but I was struck by how non-Trumpian the ceremony was and how happy I could (still) manage to be for people coming to the US from Syria, Cuba, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. Many things are incredibly crappy right now but it was nice to be in a room of people who gave a shit about the principles the US supposedly stands for and not all the aggressive anti-social nonsense we've been seeing. It was a shot in the arm for me and will give me some energy to not just want to punch people all through the 4th of July (tiny town's tiny parade will also help)
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 1:34 PM on July 1, 2017 [8 favorites]


As a whatever, I'm wishing all y'all a lovely [rest of the] weekend. I'm going to the beach, myself. Too cold for swimming but it will still be pleasant.
posted by Too-Ticky at 2:28 PM on July 1, 2017


Four day weekend but mostly just hanging at home and getting some painting done in the dining room which we haven't been able to use for many months while it's been under construction. Monday's my birthday so we're going out to eat at a new British/Indian fusion restaurant in the evening. On the fourth the neighborhood association cordons off one block buys beer and wine, sets up grills and everyone brings side dishes and desserts and parties in the middle of street.
posted by octothorpe at 3:40 PM on July 1, 2017


Surely a British-Indian fusion restaurant is just an Indian restaurant?
posted by biffa at 4:36 PM on July 1, 2017 [1 favorite]


I think it's like indian food.... just boiled until the naan is both brown and mushy.

Canada Day has seen pretty nice weather in Victoria today. We rode bikes to the lake with the dogs, went for a swim and are heading for a 'dinner party' that is merely the flimsiest excuse to eat too much ice-cream.

Have a great weekend y'all.
posted by mce at 5:39 PM on July 1, 2017


We've agreed to bring food over to a friends house, and help them tidy up so we can have a big board games, BBQ, 4th of July thing on Tuesday.

Our friends have a proper house, with plenty of space to entertain, but they also have a very messy toddler. We live in a teeny apartment, with a nightmare of a parking situation, so it's a win-win for both of us. I thought we were gonna have like 7-10 people, but now it might be more like 15, so I'm terrified. But also excited. (I'm a very conflicted introvert at the moment.)

But anyway, Sunday, I'm gonna make a chocolate ganache cake, because I couldn't settle for brownies like a normal person, and then I also want to make a raspberry jam-whipped marscapone-blueberry layered tart. Because I don't know how to set limits (and I really like to bake).

Monday, I' m working, but lots of people are gonna be out, so I'm hoping I can get some one-on-one time with my filing. Or at least a quiet day.
posted by PearlRose at 5:47 PM on July 1, 2017


It's surely going to be a nice long weekend. Up at the lake, enjoying the sun. Here's some fun facts about the 4th of July, and the US Army. It's always nice to remember history, and what our country has been through since it's founding. But launching fireworks, grilling, and having fun with friends is always an enjoyable time.
posted by ZypDon54 at 5:53 PM on July 1, 2017


Happy Canada day!

I have a goofy schedule this year in that I am working on Monday but off Tuesday. I also didn't really think ahead about how everything is closed today when the bank holiday is Monday? I bought groceries Friday night but not really things with which to make meals? I've eaten a lot of wheat thins today is what I'm saying.
posted by janepanic at 6:34 PM on July 1, 2017


Happy Fourth of July!
I've been on a crochet flag kick, so I've finally started to taper off and do other projects during the last few days.

One niece's son is in Afghanistan, another niece is moving this weekend with her husband and two children to North Carolina where he will be stationed between tours. So they got flags, and crocheted blankets to keep them warm and well-loved.

I thought about going all-out for a couple of cot-sized bedspreads, but then I thought wait a minute -- what if some jerk makes a big deal about an almost-american-flag bunched up on the floor? Not cool. So hopefully these can be in a nephew's kit and remind him of home.
posted by TrishaU at 10:38 PM on July 1, 2017


But anyway, Sunday, I'm gonna make a chocolate ganache cake, because I couldn't settle for brownies like a normal person, and then I also want to make a raspberry jam-whipped marscapone-blueberry layered tart. Because I don't know how to set limits (and I really like to bake).

(rolls up to your house with ten cookbooks, five silicone baking pans, seven tubs of fancy-ass candied flower petals turned into sprinkles and an apron)

Hi. We should compare notes sometime.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:33 AM on July 2, 2017


And actually, PearlRose's comments on baking got me thinking about a whole lump of stuff...

I'm kind of fond of a Youtube channel that's an Irish Buzzfeed clone, where most of the videos feature a regular roster of Irish actors and comedians taste-testing stuff. They posted one yesterday of Irish people tasting July 4th treats, and all of the things they gave them to eat were just, like, things decorated with red/white/blue frosting or whatever. And they were all kind of baffled about what made everything distinctively American aside from the decoration.

And then this morning, NPR had a bit about Canada Day with novelist Stephen Marche, talking about how Canadians don't wear their patriotism on their sleeve, and how that may be to Canada's credit. And - yeah. I think many here in the US focus on the sizzle rather than the steak, unfortunately, so we do stuff like, instead of trying to preserve and exalt our more traditional foodstuffs (the same Irish channel did a taste-test of Southern desserts and they looooooved them), we go all flag-colors on everything to sort of prove "Yay we are patriots". While I wouldn't be surprised to hear that here and there there would be people trying to do little maple-leaf cupcakes or whatever, for the most part....Canada doesn't do that.

Stephen Marche this morning speculated that people clung to their patriotism when they were feeling more deprived of other things, and I'd buy that. I also laughed out loud when he said that "we don't have ultra-patriotism, we have good hospitals instead".
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:52 AM on July 2, 2017 [1 favorite]


I have a lagniappe, from that Irish channel - they have a running bit where they get a couple of them totally smashed and ask them to explain something. Here is their attempt at explaining the founding of the United States.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:05 AM on July 2, 2017


biffa: "Surely a British-Indian fusion restaurant is just an Indian restaurant?"

No, it's one of those high-concept Noun & Noun restaurants presumably mostly staffed by americans.
posted by octothorpe at 9:15 AM on July 2, 2017


OMG a fellow Facts. enthusiast! Empress Callipygos, I love that channel! And their reaction to the July 4th treats was hilarious. I actually felt bad for them when they ate the strawberries because they looked so stricken.

Yesterday we were at a few different Canada Day barbecues and there was a lot of discussion about the ambivalence so many of us are feeling around celebrating a day that for many indigenous people is a reminder of continuing colonization (especially during this Canada 150 business). I know at least in the circles I run in, it's a good vaccination against ultra-patriotism.

Because of the controversy around Canada 150, I wasn't sure whether there would be as many First Nations people at our municipal celebrations as usual (and there is usually a big First Nations presence at Canada Day in the park), but from my estimation it looked about the same. Our city tried (and was at least partly successful in) addressing potential tension by showcasing Indigenous musicians, artists and dancers as the majority.

Stephen Marche this morning speculated that people cling to their patriotism when they were feeling more deprived of other things, and I'd buy that. I also laughed out loud when he said that "we don't have ultra-patriotism, we have good hospitals, instead."

At one of the gatherings, we were talking about elder care, and one man mentioned that his father had had to stay in the hospital for over one hundred days. "And I didn't pay a penny for it," he said. "Thank God for the Canadian health care system. That would have bankrupted me if I'd had to pay for it." We all nodded solemnly. That was probably the most specific reference to Canadian patriotism I heard all day.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 2:36 PM on July 2, 2017


I'm glad I imparted some baking in the thread. I'm pleased to report that the chocolate ganache cake is delicious. (Or at least, the frosting is.) Death by chocolate is the best way I can describe it.


The tart will have to wait till tomorrow. My kitchen can't take another round of dishes.

But I really like baking. When I go on vacation, I'm the one hauling back a suitcase full of weird spices and ingredients.
posted by PearlRose at 7:05 PM on July 2, 2017


When I go on vacation, I'm the one hauling back a suitcase full of weird spices and ingredients.

(stares)

Meet me in your MeMail. We have information to trade.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:58 PM on July 2, 2017


Spice traders. How...Dune of you.
posted by jonmc at 8:02 AM on July 3, 2017 [2 favorites]


Spice traders. How...Dune of you.

Bless the Maker and His water
Bless the coming and going of Him
May His passage cleanse the world...
The spice must flow
posted by Fizz at 8:57 AM on July 3, 2017

Bless the Maker and His water
Bless the coming and going of Him
May His passage cleanse the world...
The spice must flow
Well, now I have a new text for framed needlework in the bathroom.
posted by zamboni at 11:12 AM on July 3, 2017 [1 favorite]


also, apropos of nothing, this video of Irish metal Band Mama's Boys cover of Sham 69's "If The Kids are United," (filmed on a Belfast council estate) warms the heart of the overgrown headbanger in me just like blew away the 13 year old nascent headbanger. Rock on.
posted by jonmc at 11:43 AM on July 3, 2017


Have been in the US of A for 4 x 4th of July so far (Chicago, Grand Haven in Michigan, Oxford in Ohio, Grinnell in Iowa). Always a good time; I love fireworks, quirky parades, cup holders on everything, air con when it's needed, and foods that would cause my doctor to sharply inhale in disapproval.

Disappointed am not making it five this year; hopefully next. Wishing everyone in our former Western Colonies a most splendid day.
posted by Wordshore at 9:59 PM on July 3, 2017


I'd met my mom's boss once and we talk and he's got three girls and thinks I am great. My mom put me on a bus from DC to Toronto. I think she wanted to get rid of me.

I don't sleep. Weird shit happens on buses and I'm 14.

He's got this duplex walking distance to his office on Younge and it is unlocked. There's a sunny note telling me to make myself at home and I look in every room. Guy's got Warhols. I sit on the couch and there is a bubbling fishtank with tomatoes growing out of it. Never seen hydroponic anything and that's where I fall asleep.

This is Timothy Snelgrove's house. I've been what we now call a barista for him since I got my work permit at 12. My mom has been managing the Tyson's Corner location for him since shortly after it opened. Guy got flunked on his MBA cause nobody thought his idea would work but it did and he's got thirty locations now and a radio station.

So he tries to put me in at locations very different from the one I work at and this is cool. His long term employees are impressed because it's all about getting out of each other's way in a tight space and I can do that dance. Wish I could remember the locations for you Canadians. I had a blast. He'd dump me here and there for four hours and talk to me about the business in between and he VIPed me into an early Martha and the Muffins show and I met Jane Siberry.

How could anybody not like this guy? He left me at his radio station for six hours. Sorry I'm making you work so much but we're going sailing with my old college roommate this weekend. I'm having fun and he tells me I'm fun and everybody thinks I'm fun.

So we get in his old Volvo and head out to Georgian Bay with Paul who has just had his grandmother's spectacles refitted with his prescription. It's a CS 22 and off we go into what looks like a minor weather event and I wind up tied to the wheel in rain gear while they take the mast down and it's my first time and you gotta watch out for that boom thing but it's fine. Still fun.

Next morning we come back to Killarny and boats were lost that night and people are waiting on the docks and so glad to see us coming in and they want to know what we saw and I have the beginning of the idea that we just survived something. He calls my mom and tells her I was so calm. I didn't know what was happening. Of course I was calm.

So happy birthday Canada! My first trip there was great and I like knowing there is somewhere to go.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 7:02 AM on July 4, 2017 [1 favorite]


Happy days of explosions that freak out our dog!
posted by filthy light thief at 2:54 PM on July 4, 2017


My cousin's kid decided to have his wedding on Canada Day so that is what I ended up doing on Saturday night instead of going up to Ottawa or at least going to see fireworks come out of the CN Tower. I can't complain about this on Facebook because they are all on Facebook so this will do.

Why would someone ruin a long weekend like that? And maybe it would be OK if it was Canada's 149th or 151st birthday but the 150th? Actually while the fact that it was the 150th makes it worse, having your wedding over Canada Day weekend, or any of the 3 other warm-weather long weekends (Victoria Day, Civic Holiday and Labour Day) is inexcusable in any year. Then during the wedding the groom's brother (which also makes him my cousin's kid) comes up to me and says, oh we're going to have a post-wedding lunch at a restaurant tomorrow, can you make it? I told him we were busy, which was true, but I just wanted to grab him by the shoulders, shake him hard and ask why he wanted to ruin my family's long weekend.

Why?
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 6:06 PM on July 4, 2017 [1 favorite]


Comrade Doll and I (who reside in the US) have spent all week in Toronto, staying with family in the Cabbagetown neighborhood. It's been great. It's not just the fireworks and the fests and everyone being in a really great mood with strangers saying "Happy 150th!" as you walk down the street. It's being in the middle of the most fantastically diverse population either of us has ever seen and for that not to be a big deal. Men holding hands, Sikhs in turbans working as bicycle police, moms in hijabs sightseeing with their kids, middle class white folks chatting with Rastafarians in the line for Brazilian ice cream, Cambodian people chilling out next to Russians at Tim Horton's, a pair of handicapped friends scoots by in wheelchairs... and the lovely and simple slogan--on signs, in windows, on lawns, on shirts--that "Canada is for Everybody."

As Americans living through our current climate, it was like a big warm hug.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:28 AM on July 5, 2017 [4 favorites]


Comrade Doll's aging Hungarian/Romanian mom thought it was all proof of the end times.

But y'know... generations.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:30 AM on July 5, 2017 [1 favorite]


This is the future liberals want, to which liberals shout "hell yeah!"
posted by filthy light thief at 7:06 AM on July 5, 2017


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