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Canada's Conference Board Found Plagiarizing Copyright Report
An anonymous reader writes "There is a storm
brewing in Canada as the prestigious Conference Board of Canada has
been caught
plagiarizing US copyright lobby group documents in a report on copyright
reform. The report was funded by the Canadian copyright lobby as
well as by the Ontario government. The Conference Board has acknowledged
some errors, but stands by the report, while the Ontario government admits
spending thousands of dollars and it now wants some answers."
Turnitin.com eh?
Laws against common assault are no longer being enforced by the police in my Canadian city. If you can't afford to pay the courts to charge them out of your own pocket, nothing will happen to your assailant. So, basically, the police are there to enforce your economic slavery. They are not there to protect you. Incidentally, they just hired 50 more of them here.
-1 Uncomfortable Truth
It's a sincere form a flattery.
Why, plagiarism is highly illegal Cory and Trevor! You shouldn't plagiarize, Cory and Trevor!
Those quotes were stolen from our hardworking corporate lobbyists without acquiring the relevant content licenses and now it's time to exact a settlement from the Canadians.
Once again, the copyright lobbyists are eating themselves like an ouroboros lawyer. Are they going to hire Lars Ulrich to explain us why it's alright to pirate your own work when you've been so adamant about suing the pants off everyone else?
As a Canadian, my first reaction to reading this story on /. was "what is the prestigious Conference Board of Canada?" I mean, I know what the "Ontario government" is and the "US copyright lobby" and "Canadian copyright lobby" are self-explanatory terms, but I'm not familiar with the Conference Board of Canada. When I read it here, I thought maybe it was an agency of the federal government.
Anyway, I little digging turns up that the Conference Board of Canada is basically a non-profit think-tank, that is funded on a per-service basis. So private groups and governments will pay it to research a topic and publish a paper on it. It also holds conferences and does research reports on its own. According to their official website, their areas of expertise are "running conferences", "conducting, publishing, and disseminating research", "economic trends", and "public policy issues". It is affiliated, but legally separate from, the U.S./international "The Conference Board, Inc. of New York".
They state: "Objective and non-partisan. We do not lobby for specific interests."
Atheism is a religion to the same extent that not collecting stamps is a hobby.
Dear Mrs Morissette,
Please pay attention. This is ironic.
Thank you.
... the definition of irony :)
THE HONOUR OF THE KNIGHTS - CC Licensed Sci-Fi Novel
"...some of the cited paragraphs closely approximate the wording of a source document."
Closely approximate???!! Hell, they're word-for-word copies right down to the bullet points. They are not in quotations so they aren't really citations.
This really makes me sad because it shows an external corporate influence in Canada's affairs that would have Americans screaming if the reverse was true.
If you don't want to repeat the past, stop living in it.
You didn't expect them to actually work for their money, did you? Here's the way these things work: the government pays a lot of money to an organization for policy "consulting", so they can have a report which recommends doing what the lobbyists wanted them to do in the first place.
The report is a foregone conclusion. The $15,000 is spent to passing the blame, not on any actual work, and for a politician, it's money well spent. You can't really blame the conference board for plagiarizing their report, usually nobody bothers reading those things anyway.
It's great work if you can get it. You get to sit around, getting paid to accept blame for public policy. Except since you're just a private individual, there's no actual responsibility or consequences involved. Meanwhile, the politicians can point at you, defusing any potential scandal by claiming they're just doing as was recommended by the "experts" and if they made a mistake, well it was well intentioned and they did their best.
Now I can defend against all those cheating accusations in college!
My Comic : www.ourbadidea.com
Blame the artist for all mistakes!
Fernando Poo!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrBZeWjGjl8
"Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act." -- George Orwell
I for one bow down to our new plagiarizing copyright lobby overlords. And on a brighter note this summer looks set to be a scorcher!
Crisis? What crisis? And they're hiring too!
Props Canada, you show those stupid american companies what being a pirate is all about!!
This is the reason why we have to have very close fact-checking standards for legal and academic publishing. It's quite possible that if someone hadn't truly caught this then someone would be quoting this material as reliable information. It's actually quite frightening when you consider how much "reliable" material is out there that truly has basis neither in fact nor reality.
I like losing arguments, it just means that I can take your point and make it my own.
The Canadians are always so stuck up about their way of life, but they're liars just like the American.
True, except we're not all fat from eating cheese. And we don't shoot our allies instead of our enemies. Aside from that, it's the same.
I bet you've never been north of the 49th and are talking straight out of your ass. Have you ever met a Canadian in person?
These aren't "the Canadians" talking, it's an independent, not-for-profit organization that just happens to have "Canada" in their name.
That's redundant. Canadian's ARE American's. They just aren't US American's
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
Americans would scram if there was Canadian influence in the affairs of external corporations?
An anonymous reader writes "There is a storm brewing in Canada as the prestigious Conference Board of Canada has been caught plagiarizing US copyright lobby group documents in a report on copyright reform. The report was funded by the Canadian copyright lobby as well as by the Ontario government. The Conference Board has acknowledged some errors, but stands by the report, while the Ontario government admits spending thousands of dollars and it now wants some answers."
Oh dang it!! I'm Canadian and I just did it again...
"Question everything, including this!" - http://technoracle.blogspot.com/
The summary is incorrect in that at this time, the Ontario Government has yet to seek answers into how the funds it provided were used. The questions posed are by Michael Geist as to what the Minister responsible should be asking.
It's simply Fair Use between assholes.
"...some of the binary files on my hard drive closely approximate the sound of a copyrighted song."
Hey, after all, MP3 is lossy ...
Interview with Richard Syrett, a Canadian talk show radio host.
~ awaiting spiritual enlightenment ~
what if Canada gets sued for copyright infringement.
Politics is Treachery, Religion is Brainwashing
Like I always say (having borrowed the phrase from my former boss), "Why Improvise when you can plagiarize?"
I am surprised this is even newsworthy. If the Canadians want to borrow phrases from other countries' current laws, then that should be simply a compliment to the originating country.
The Kai's Semi-Updated Website Thingy
What is wrong with you people? If someone said "I hate Iranians" and "I hate the French", everyone would be in an uproar.
But you bash Canadians and Americans and it's entirely OK? Eat shit, hypocrite.
I could have sworn Canada was the 51st state. We just haven't gotten around to adding another star on the flag.
Just because you are wrong and I called you out on it doesn't mean I am a Troll.
Read it again.
Americans would scream (yes, the 'e' is there) if Canadian corporate interests interfered with US internal matters.
The reality, of course, is that they do as does corporations from all over the world. Suitable screaming thus ensues but nothing is really done.
If you don't want to repeat the past, stop living in it.
Michael Geist writes: Update (5:15): Brian Jackson of IT Business reports that the Minister's office acknowledges spending $15,000 on the report. It plans to follow up on the issues raised in my post.
davecb@spamcop.net
That's redundant. Canadian's ARE American's. They just aren't US American's
...yet. But at the rate at which they're adopting our IP law over the muffled murmurs of the citizenry, how long will it take? First you control information...
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
It's just that, well, Canadians are not a terribly divisive subject.
It'd be like if someone loudly decried cotton. Very few people would be legitimately offended by that, because on the whole no one has a strong opinion about cotton.
This is the kind of crap that results from a casual disregard for plagiarism in schools. It's awful here in the states, and I imagine just as bad in Canada. Copying that freshman assignment leads to copying conference reports later on in life. Any form of plagiarism is corrosive to real progress.
It's usually at this point that I like to remind Americans that Canada is the only country to succesfully attack the White House, and there are still scorch marks on the walls of that hallowed building to commemorate it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_of_Washington
So keep it up skippy. We're a feisty lot. Don't fall for that "Canada is a peace loving country" crap either. Hockey is our national sport.
Skot Nelson music is my saviour / i was maimed by rock and roll
I still find it strange that Canada considers itself an independent country and not a territory like Puerto Rico or Guam. What with letting our moronic politicians and corporations run your government for you. We're fighting too many fights right now, it's your chance to tell us to piss off.
-Lifyre
I'll meet you at the intersection of "Should be" and "Reality"
Hockey is our national sport.
Actually, it's Lacrosse.
Actually thats Lacrosse
Poutine.
Acutally, so far Canada has resisted adopting American IP laws. This is just the American lobby groups trying harder than ever to get Canada to adopt them.
God save our Queen, and Heaven bless The Maple Leaf Forever!
"We just realized we could produce more content by borrowing from and building on the work of others. Ow! C'mon, guys!"
True, but they felt so bad about it afterwords that they apologized a lot and finally burned down their own Parliament buildings about a hundred years later.
That's one of your national sports, and only for the past fifteen years. Before 1994 Canada's only national sport was Lacrosse, a game loosely based on an old First Nations game in which hundreds of participants would run around a field beating each other with long sticks while ignoring a small ball. Modern Ice Hockey is just a pale, polite shadow of Lacrosse.
Apparently you have a blatant misunderstanding of what nutrition does vs abundance.
Actually unhealthy folks (3rd world) tend to be fatter, contrary to the image of the starving skin and bones somalian children. Healthier folks SHOULD be skinnier. However, us americans are fat people who eat too much, thus all the healthy food in the world doesn't help when you have your 4th portion.
Both lacrosse and hockey are Canada's national sports. We have a split personality.
Just because you are paranoid does not mean that no-one is out to get you.
hence the reason for pepsi throwback
Natural Sugar FTW!!
Posting anon since I don't want to take the karma hit for flaming.
You sir, are a gigantic flaming asshole. We've lost over 100 soldiers in Afghanistan fighting a war that you started and left for us to clean up. So go fuck yourself sideways with a rake.
To be fair they only got their independence from the UK in 1982.
It's usually at this point that I like to remind Americans that Canada is the only country to succesfully attack the White House, and there are still scorch marks on the walls of that hallowed building to commemorate it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_of_Washington
So keep it up skippy. We're a feisty lot. Don't fall for that "Canada is a peace loving country" crap either. Hockey is our national sport.
Contrary to popular Canadian belief....no Canadians were ever involved in the attack on Washington. The members of that attack were all from the British Isles.
Stop believing this crap, and we'll stop saying you eat whale blubber and live in igloos all year round.
This is true, however...
The Burning of Washington forms the background to this portrait of the Rear Admiral George Cockburn
You guys rocked our most sacred building, however, it was done by a guy who has the most hilarious job title and last name in known existence!
Hockey is our national sport.
Actually, it's Lacrosse.
Frankly, the point still stands. Perhaps even better.
Demanding constant attention will only lead to attention.
Look. Language evolves. If you asked a group of people what the term American refers to, I can guarantee you that the majority of people will think of denizens of the United States of America.
You want to refer to somebody from the Americas? Call them a North or a South American. And besides, no Canadian wants to be called an American.
Cynical Idealist
Contrary to popular Canadian belief....no Canadians were ever involved in the attack on Washington. The members of that attack were all from the British Isles. Stop believing this crap, and we'll stop saying you eat whale blubber and live in igloos all year round.
Semantics. Obviously since Canada didn't exist as an independent country until 1867 and the White House burned in 1814, Canada as it is now could not have been involved.
However, if you think there were no people involved that were born on what is now Canadian soil, then you are mistaken. Yes, it was British soldiers simply because Upper and Lower Canada were British colonies, and not all were sent from Britain itself.
Tesla was a genius. Edison however was a overrated hack who liked to torture puppies.
North and South americans? You're going to piss off all those people in central america. :)
Yeah. Anyone watched a lacrosse game? Friggin' brutal. Moreso than hockey, nowadays, due to all the NHL anti-fighting rules.
Canada: The US's more awesome sibling.
...while the Ontario government admits spending thousands of dollars...
That's some serious cash... I mean, almost twelve US dollars!
Dude, we were just placed on your "anti-piracy watchlist." There was even a story or two about it on /. So I hardly think we've "adopted your IP laws." We just happen to be part of the two over-arcing international copyright agreements.
Canada: The US's more awesome sibling.
It is entirely OK. The reason is because we are not a bunch of pansies that wilt in a stiff wind.
Yes. Hockey is the more recent...but as has been pointed out above watching a Lacrosse match makes a hockey game look about as passive as Baseball...America's favourite past time.
(For the record, baseball is my personal favourite "major" sport...if you define "major" as having a professional league in North America."
Skot Nelson music is my saviour / i was maimed by rock and roll
...due to all the NHL anti-fighting rules.
Which were only put in place to increase the appeal of the sport in the US. We like our fighting in hockey
.there is enough of everything for everyone.
There's nothing strange about it. You can have my country as a "territory" when you pry it from my cold dead hands, because I will always be a Canadian.
I find it strange that any citizen with a choice chooses to live in a country that has a death penalty, a history of drafts in offensive war time, and a gun lobby that's so powerful it scares politicians.
If it were me, I'd have gotten the hell out as soon as Reagan was elected. (If Harper ever gets a majority up here I may well try to flee as well...)
Skot Nelson music is my saviour / i was maimed by rock and roll
...copyright laws plagiarize YOU!
Everywhere in the Americas (and most of the world, I don't know where you are), American == resident of the USA.
When speaking in english. In spanish, saying "americano" instead of "yanqui" or "estadounidense" sounds kinda odd, and we usually refer to the continent when saying "america".
I agree that english-speakers should stop bitching about "american" vs "US american" or whatever.
Yeah. Would you choose a neurosurgeon who pokes around people's brains in his spare time? I wouldn't.
I know this, and you know this. Which is why minor league hockey's slowly gaining in popularity. But that doesn't change that on a professional level, NHL's more wussy than lacrosse.
Canada: The US's more awesome sibling.
That depends on how you define your terms.
Canada was granted its independence by most definitions in 1867. This was when we became self-governing (when a "responsible government" was installed.")
1982 was when we got our own constitution. Though it's often called the repatriation of the constitution this is not stricly true...you can't "re-" what you didn't have in the first place. It was the patriation.
The United Kindom has no such document, so arguing that we were not "independent" until the achievement of that document is fairly misleading. A constitution is not required for an independent nation state (unless you're going to argue that the United Kingdom is not independent.)
Skot Nelson music is my saviour / i was maimed by rock and roll
It was the British Army who sacked Washington, I don't think Canadians can really take credit for it... just saying.
Just because you are wrong and I called you out on it doesn't mean I am a Troll.
You're terribly out of date. American football is the most watched sport in America.
Baseball is America's "national pastime," but that's little beyond a marketing term at this point.
Moderators: Before moderating a comment Insightful/Informative, check to see if a child post has already refuted it.
Everywhere in the Americas (and most of the world, I don't know where you are), American == resident of the USA.
When speaking in english. In spanish, saying "americano" instead of "yanqui" or "estadounidense" sounds kinda odd, and we usually refer to the continent when saying "america".
Yes, but we are communicating in English here. And in English, unfortunately, in most contexts "American" refers to people or things of the USA only. Words like "americano" or "americain" or even "american", in languages other than English, are not the same word as the English word "American". Yes, they are very similar (or even identical) in spelling and pronunciation, and they have the same origin, and they have related meanings, but they are different words in different languages.
Criticizing the use of the word "American" in English because the word "americano" has different meanings in Spanish is like someone saying that the word "pain" refers to a very uncomfortable and distressing physical sensation, but I say, "That's only true in English. In French, pain means bread."
Atheism is a religion to the same extent that not collecting stamps is a hobby.
I'd wager the money and time allocated to the project were spent playing Team Fortress.
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
Natural sugar tastes different, but it doesn't have any nutritional benefit over HFCS. Hell, HFCS tastes sweeter to a lot of people. I personally prefer the taste of the throwback sodas, but I don't think for a moment that it's any healthier. Just check the calorie counts.
My blog. Good stuff (when I remember to update it). Read it.
Afghanistan was a cesspool that generated terrorists, and had a government that oppressed and routinely terrorized it's own people, and was the breeding and operational ground for the 9/11 attacks. It's only slightly better now, but it is better. On the other hand, Iraq was just Bush being an idiotic, imperialist douche riding the anti-Muslim wave. Very different countries, very different wars.
My blog. Good stuff (when I remember to update it). Read it.
Not exactly. The British burned Washington. Canada was still a colony at the time.
I draw a similar distinction between the help the Colonies received from Bourbon France to the help given by the United States to the Republic of France. Same borders, WAY different "nations".
"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
Contrary to popular Canadian belief....no Canadians were ever involved in the attack on Washington. The members of that attack were all from the British Isles.
Stop believing this crap, and we'll stop saying you eat whale blubber and live in igloos all year round.
Semantics. Obviously since Canada didn't exist as an independent country until 1867 and the White House burned in 1814, Canada as it is now could not have been involved.
However, if you think there were no people involved that were born on what is now Canadian soil, then you are mistaken. Yes, it was British soldiers simply because Upper and Lower Canada were British colonies, and not all were sent from Britain itself.
Actually, they were all British regulars from Britain....
Battle of Bladensburg
Canadian's ARE American's.
Canadian's what are American's what?
You wont get a unbiased report from anyone including the Conference Board of Canada. Regardless of saying they are not biased. They knew exactly what they were doing was wrong. They just didn't think they would get caught. In the end... The truth always prevails.
Chalk one up for the copyright lobby groups. Even if their supporter was not telling the truth in the report. No one cares, just so long as the argument looks good.
Doesn't Canada (that grey, nameless expanse of of land north of the USA depicted on US school room wall maps) have a liberal attitude to file sharing thereby open to plagiarism?
Additional information has come to light since the original posting. Some interesting blog posts from:
"Hockey is our national sport."
I could have sworn it was "Curling".
Or "Curling while getting hammered" being the national sport, and regular "Curling" being just "a sport".
Yeah. Sure. It's usually at this point that I like to remind everyone loyal to the Queen that the only reason we didn't take over Canada, is that when we got to the most northern part of Minnesota everyone just said "Fuck it, this is too cold, no one wants to live here."
As a Canadian, I break it down like so, if you live in the US, you are American. If you live in Canada, you are North American, if you live in the Mexico region, you are Central American, and if you live in South America, you are South American.
That being Said, I agree with Thirty-seven.
Wrong, many people in South America take offense to the use of "American" to describe solely the U.S. That's why it's called "Estados Unidos" most of the time
"breeding and operational ground for the 9/11 attacks"
You mean the White House Right?
Lets not forget the Blue Dot.... Apparently if Americans take an interest in a sport they must change the rules and add blue dots in order for it to be accepted.
American: "Man this is much easier to watch with a blue dot on the puck"
Canadian: "WTF is this FU@king blue dot, is this a joke. Saddle up the moose we are paying FOX a visit."
Well frankly I don't give a shit. We are respected around the world and are quietly proud of our country. America, not so much respected.
Example: Americans wearing Canadian flags on backpacks abroad.
Not so funny meow is it.
That was the British.
I didn't claim it was anything but a marketing line.
Football's not a sport, at least not as practiced in the NCAA or the NFL. Football amounts to a human trial on every possible growth hormone known to science.
Anyway, that's WAY off topic. I just wanted to defend my country's honour...something I feel compelled to do regularly when I visit the U.S....which I'll be doing in about month (assuming Homeland Security doesn't find this and label with a terrorist.)
Skot Nelson music is my saviour / i was maimed by rock and roll
Unlike glucose, fructose is almost entirely metabolized in the liver. "When fructose reaches the liver," says Dr. William J. Whelan, a biochemist at the University of Miami School of Medicine, "the liver goes bananas and stops everything else to metabolize the fructose." Eating fructose as compared to glucose results in lower circulating insulin (pancreatic beta cell insulin release is controlled only by blood glucose levels) and leptin levels, and attenuation in the suppression of ghrelin postprandially.[53] These hormones are implicated in the control of appetite and satiety, and it is suspected that eating large amounts of fructose increases the likelihood of weight gain.[54] Excessive fructose consumption is also believed to contribute to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.[55]
Also, consider this Newscientist article, this one, and if you want more, have a look at an article published in "The Journal of Clinical Investigation" about a link between HFCS and Diabetes in April.
Yes, that's exactly what I meant. Say, did our shipment of tinfoil hats come in yet?
My blog. Good stuff (when I remember to update it). Read it.
You're actually both wrong.
It's both hockey and lacrosse.
See the National Sports of Canada Act
There is another kind of evil which we must fear most, and that is the indifference of good men. -- Boondock Saints
Frankly, the point still stands. Perhaps even better.
Yep. Hockey is just gentleman's lacrosse, on ice.
The ice part allows the sport to be played (virtually) year round, while lacrosse can only be played during the one week of summer.
"If you are going through hell, keep going." - Winston Churchill
I find it strange that any citizen with a choice chooses to live in a country that has a death penalty, a history of drafts in offensive war time, and a gun lobby that's so powerful it scares politicians.
I rather like the fact that this Canadian's guns scare the politicians of his adopted country, the U.S.A.
I've been a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. since 2006, and intend to apply for citizenship in 2011.
The only thing I ever got from Canada was:
1. No, you can't deduct the mortgage interest on your home.
2. No, you can't file jointly because your spouse stays home to raise your home children -- damn you denying daycare workers jobs!
3. No, you don't have the right to free speech, bare arms, or otherwise criticize the government unless we tell you you can.
4. No, you don't have title to your home in Ontario, we maintain a record of your tenancy in our government database. You car either.
5. No, you can't spend your money to save your life. Get in line for "free" health care.
6. And lastly, who the hell are you to be so rich as to be able to pay a kid to mow your lawn?
Do not mistake transient governments for the principles on which a nation is founded. I'll take "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" over "Peace, Order, and Good Government" any day, even if I have to blow the head off of some daft politician to preserve it. Hell yes, I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees.
But, I suppose this is something suckers of socialist pablum don't get.
In Liberty, Rene
Hockey is our national sport.
Actually, it's Lacrosse.
It's both. Hockey is the official winter sport, Lacrosse is the official summer sport. Check out the National Sports of Canada Act:
http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/ShowFullDoc/cs/N-16.7///en
You have to wonder how much time the politicians used up drafting this. The curling lobby must be pissed.
The attack was led by Rear Admiral Cockburn. And you had to flee because of rain. Let's just say the whole thing was less than fabulous for your side.
I know what you did last summer. Just kidding, I don't work at the NSA.
No kidding! Lacrosse is hardcore[WS]!
But... the future refused to change.
Lacrosse is our national summer game. Hockey is our national winter sport.
Two out of three ain't bad, eh? Canada had a draft during both WW I and WW II. WW II, at least, was an offensive war (aren't all wars offensive?) given that Canada declared war on Germany without having been itself attacked and before Germany declared war on Canada. For WW I, Britain kindly declared war on Germany on Canada's behalf (immediately after which my Grandfather enthusiastically enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force at the age of 16).
See? That's what happens when one day you suddenly wake up Canadian. You actually go ahead and pull some of those dusty Canadian history books that you've ignored for years off of your parent's bookshelves and start learning something about your "native" land.
FreeSpeech.org
Canada was granted its independence by most definitions in 1867. This was when we became self-governing (when a "responsible government" was installed.")
The difference Theory and Practice ...
In Theory, the Monarch of Canada appoints the Governor General. The Governor General convenes Parliament and dissolves Parliament. A bill passed by Parliament becomes law only after the Governor General proclaims it so in the name of the Monarch. The Governor General remains in office until the Monarch of Canada appoints a new Governor General.
In Theory, we do not have "responsible government" in Canada even today.
In Practice, the Governor General is whoever the Prime Minister says should be the Governor General. The Governor General convenes Parliament when the Prime Minister says that Parliament should be convened. The Governor General dissolves Parliament when the Prime Minister says to dissolve Parliament. The Governor General proclaims an act into law when the Prime Minister says it should be proclaimed (few Canadians realize just how close our Prime Minister is to being a dictator for the (up to) five years he is in office).
In Practice, the Province of Canada got "responsible government" in 1848 (not 1867) when Lord Elgin replaced the executive council with a cabinet nominated by the party that won the majority in the legislative assembly. The Province of Nova Scotia had succeeded in getting "responsible government" slightly earlier.
1982 was when we got our own constitution.
Not exactly.
Canada, like many countries in the world, does not have a single document which is its constitution. The British North America Act of 1867 joined the provinces into the Dominion of Canada and affirmed in law the form of "responsible government" which was already in place. The Statute of Westminster in 1931 gave us Canucks full autonomy. 1982 was when the Constitution Act added the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to our "constitution" (among other things).
Hockey is our national sport.
Actually, it's Lacrosse.
We all know that's just to confuse the Americans.
What? No flamebait yet?
In Liberty, Rene
I live in (and was born in) Canada and I agree. I'd adapt the US constitution in heartbeat if was an option here.
What did you expect? After all, they're Canadians!
You know, the ones that copy DVDs and music with no penalties and say they're paying for it with a "tax" and then they bring their video cameras into the theaters all the time.
I read it in a report by the Conference Board of Canada!
Peter predicted that you would "deliberately forget" creation 2000 years ago...
No just physics textbooks......
Please... Don't fool yourself with the tough slogans. You're absolutely no threat to anyone, including the corrupt politicians running the country. The government ignores you and robs you daily and there's not a damn thing you're going to do about it.
> 1. No, you can't deduct the mortgage interest
> on your home.
That wouldn't have anything to do with the massive housing crisis would it? Perhaps people overextending themselves on mortgages, drunk on cheap credit and tax deductible interest.
No...no...I suppose it wouldn't.
> No, you don't have the right to free speech
This is patently untrue. It's explicitly enshrined in the charter of rights and freedoms. Section 2b.
> bare arms
You have the right to bare arms, it's just not recommended in December or January.
You also have the right to bare your breasts in public, should you choose to do so:
http://www.niagarathisweek.com/news/article/112115
If what you meant was "bear arms" you have those rights as well, but there are restrictions. There are restrictions in the United States as well, ours are just more reasonable (unless you consider private ownership of automatic weapons whose sole purpose is the killing of human beings a "right" in which case, I'm kind of glad you're there and I'm here.)
> 4. No, you don't have title to your home in
> Ontario, we maintain a record of your tenancy
> in our government database. You car either.
Also patently untrue, though there are exceptions when houses are built on public lands. You have title to your house.
I do with our constitution more firmly enshrined property rights, but our courts have upheld them well.
As for your car..you have title. Just because you have to register it (and provide proof of insurance) doesn't mean you don't have title. Vehicles are registered in states as well..or do you think those licence plates get handed out on the street at random?
> 5. No, you can't spend your money to save your
> life. Get in line for "free" health care.
People always cite this without the flipside: hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt because you were hit by an uninsured driver? Because you were born with a genetic heart defect?
Our system isn't perfect, but healthcare is a right not a privilege for those who can afford it.
I'll take our system over yours, though I'll work to improve it.
Free healthcare is a myth anyway: most provinces charge a monthly fee, waived for low incomes. In BC it's $52/month.
So no flamebait. If you like it where you are, by all means stay. It's your choice.
I've made mine.
Hockey is our national sport.
Actually, it's Lacrosse.
Don't forget that Canada is the biggest country for Curling... pretty intimidating stuff. It keeps the Americans out knowing many Canadian households are armed with brooms.
A quote from the report in TFA refers to "ilicit downloads" in the billions, at 65 times the "legal download" rate.
As I recall, Canada charges a tax on recording media to pay the content producers for copies of copyright works made on them. Seems to me that, if the downloades burn the downloaded content onto such taxed media (or have purchased enough taxed media to hold it - and left it empty or used it for other purposes) they've already paid for the content and the download should be licit.
Note that this is NOT legal advice. (And I suspect the MAFIAA have gotten the Canadian legal system set up so they can double-dip already, so attempting this will still get you hosed.) But it seems like an interesting question to bring up whenever they cry about the amount of "illicit" downloading and ask for still MORE dips into your pocketbook.
Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
Heh, yeah. Good luck with that.
"Oh, I was gonna participate in the riot, ya know, but, um, there's this awesome new reality TV show on now, and I've watched, like, the first three episodes, and I needed to find out if Jerry and Mel were going to beat Sasha and Paula to Vatican City, or if maybe Dean would get there first, and anyway my cousin Rebecca wanted me to record it for her, and she said it was probably gonna rain anyway, so..."
If what you meant was "bear arms" you have those rights as well, but there are restrictions. There are restrictions in the United States as well, ours are just more reasonable (unless you consider private ownership of automatic weapons whose sole purpose is the killing of human beings a "right" in which case, I'm kind of glad you're there and I'm here.)
Actually, I'm pretty sure this was the exact intention of our founding fathers, that the people would be armed and able to cast off future dictators or criminals.
"Socialist pablum?" Dude, put the Fox News down before you hurt yourself.
Also, "bare arms" = short sleeves. I am exercising my right to bare arms at this very moment. You probably meant "bear arms", aka "carry arms". While it's not in the Canadian constitution, there are plenty of guns in Canada and you know it.
While we're at it, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms most certainly includes freedom of speech and religion. And I personally criticize the shit out of my municipal, provincial and federal governments on a regular (and public) basis. And I do so safe in the knowledge that they can't do a THING to me in retaliation. Jesus, did you sleep through grade 10 civics?
All things considered (seriously, you plan to "blow the head off some daft politician"?!?), I'd encourage you to apply for US citizenship as soon as you're able. I hear the Appalachians are lovely this time of year.
Actually, they were all British regulars from Britain....
So you really believe that not one of the British soldiers was born in North America? What were the locals doing? Just watching the British troops stroll through?
Tesla was a genius. Edison however was a overrated hack who liked to torture puppies.
Definitely. Lacrosse was originally played with skulls.
Politicians are, for the most part, cowards.
Assassinations are wonderfully effective vehicles for change IF there is sufficient civil unrest.
A single bullet started WW I.
There are four boxes used to maintain liberty: soap, jury, ballot, and lastly, ammo. Emphasis on lastly.
In Liberty, Rene
> No, you don't have the right to free speech
This is patently untrue. It's explicitly enshrined in the charter of rights and freedoms. Section 2b.
Try waving a Canadian flag in Quebec on July 1, when the Meech Lake accord died.
You'd be arrested on the bogus charge of "inciting to riot".
In Liberty, Rene
> 5. No, you can't spend your money to save your
> life. Get in line for "free" health care.
People always cite this without the flipside: hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt because you were hit by an uninsured driver? Because you were born with a genetic heart defect?
Our system isn't perfect, but healthcare is a right not a privilege for those who can afford it.
A right? Really?
Then, why can't I spend my money for better care?
When my son, an American, needed a doctor in Ontario, I could pay, and he'd go to the head of the line, specifically because he was a citizen of a foreign country.
As for the cost, almost anyone who works has health insurance in the U.S. And, state hospitals can't turn away anyone for an inability to pay... but, no one wants to be treated there because they're about as bad as Canadian public hospitals.
In Liberty, Rene
> 4. No, you don't have title to your home in
> Ontario, we maintain a record of your tenancy
> in our government database. You car either.
Nope.
WA is a title state, and has specific exemptions for importing cars from foreign countries and non-title states. Ontario does not title vehicles.
Do not confuse registration with title.
In Liberty, Rene
if there IS a heightened rate of unauthorized downloading in canada, it's worth noting that shows and clips which are offered for free to US residents via streaming sites like nbc/disneys HULU.com and tv networks own webpages like mtv.com block canadian access to all content. that doesn't leave many alternatives for me if i want to watch a particular SNL clip etc... (the conspiracy theorist in me wonders if this is a tactic to push canadians to download in the hopes that the actual figures will approach their exaggerated figures). besides, is it really stealing when you are already giving it away?
yeah, but the funny thing about claiming that we canadians "attacked the white house" is that we never held it for long enough for that claim to hold any serious weight.
"yeah.. dude! we burned the white house. ok, let's go home, eh?"
conquest only really counts if you're still there when the books are being sent to the publisher.
As with anything, there are good and bad think tanks just like there are good and bad research groups. There are good think tanks which might occasionally have bad employees that take shortcuts. The reputable ones at least get their key facts and figures correct and properly attributed. The best thing to do is to read every report whether it comes from a think tank, an academic institution, or the government with a critical eye. This is what peer review is.
... actually, lacrosse is our national sport ... it's like hockey with more blood and violence.
In B.C., our fascism is green.
Since the landing party that did it sailed in straight from Britain after finally putting Napoleon in his place....yes, I would believe that no one from North America was in that damned fleet.
Aren't US American's what?
WTF are they going to say when I kill that POS that keeps beating me up and getting away with it. I told them to protect me, they refused, I defended myself. The greatest need guns comes because the police aren't there to protect you, and can't, and it's been ruled that they don't have to. BUY A GUN FOR SELF DEFENSE.
When an officer of the law breaks the law they are no longer acting as an officer of the law and need to be dealt with a
A "think tank" is just a group of non-experts who organize expert-produced information despite their lack of qualifications and understanding of the topics they discuss. They can dig up sources satisfactorily, but they get into serious trouble when they try to draw conclusions. Friends don't let friends believe a word written in a think tank.
Most powerful lobby groups out to disenfranchise the majority of a nation's populace will fund/establish "Think Tanks" which will report themselves as "independent" or "Unaffiliated", but which have the express purpose of legitimizing their agenda by releasing pseudo-statistical and pseudo-scientific reports.
"think tanks" essentially are designed to find creative ways to backfill propaganda.
VLC FOR MAC IS DYING! IF YOU DEVELOP, PLEASE SAVE IT!!
The reason people use US American is that they generally don't wish to insult the rest of the people living in either North or South America ...
Of course, as the rest of the world knows well, to most of those in the US of A, there is no rest of the world, or if there is, it doesn't count!
Don't forget, those of the US of A have a baseball competition called the World Series ... totally ignoring the rest of the world as the players are all from the US of A!
Truth, Justice, and the American way. (Quote from the old Superman series)
'England is the only country to successfully attack the White House'.
There, fixed that for you.
The actual armies that attacked Washington and burned the White House were the 85th Light Brigade (Bucks Volunteers) and the East Essex 44th (both from England).
They had been stationed in Jamaica and Bermuda (respectively) when Major General Robert Ross took command of them.
Now, back to smoking your dope you peace loving Canuck. :-)
There's no such thing as the "British Isles". There's just one island called Britain. Ireland is a completely separate island which is why Northern Ireland is part of the UK but is not part of Britain.
The term "British Isles" is an offensive term that is meant to assert ownership over a foreign nation.
As for the cost, almost anyone who works has health insurance in the U.S.
This is patently untrue. Only ~70% of employed persons had employer provided health insurance as of 2006, down from ~75% in 2000. That leaves 30% of employed persons scrambling to cover the cost on their own. Since most of the non-covered employees are in the lower income ranks, they simply can't afford private coverage.
FreeSpeech.org
That wouldn't have anything to do with the massive housing crisis would it? Perhaps people overextending themselves on mortgages, drunk on cheap credit and tax deductible interest.
There is no evidence that mortgage interest deductibility contributed to the current crisis. What the deduction tends to do is raise the general price level of all owner occupied housing above what it would be if there were no such deduction and thus prices lower income households out of the market. Remember, a married couple that does not itemize deductions has a standard deduction (2009) of $11,400, so they must be paying about that much in interest and local taxes per year to break even vs. the standard deduction.
FreeSpeech.org
Don't forget, those of the US of A have a baseball competition called the World Series ... totally ignoring the rest of the world as the players are all from the US of A!
Hey, you managed to be wrong twice in one sentence! First, because there are two Canadian teams, second because even I, who loathes baseball as well as football and basketball, know that there is a significant amount of the players that are not from the USA.
To be more precise: Overall, 28.0 percent of the 818 players (748 active 25-man roster players and 70 disabled or restricted Major League players) on April 5th rosters were born outside the 50 United States, representing 15 countries and territories. The all-time highs occurred in 2005, when 29.2 percent (242/829) of Opening Day players were foreign-born, and in 2007, when 246 players were born outside the U.S., totaling 29.0 percent of all players. Last season, 239 players from a pool of 855 were foreign-born, also totaling 28.0 percent. [...] In addition, 3,335 of the 6,973 Minor League players under contract -- 47.8 percent -- were born outside the United States, the same percentage as last season (3,356/7,021). Minor League players span 41 countries and territories, up from 36 one year ago.
On top of all this, you have these comments about the egotism of the US even though you are Australian. Have you seriously ever took a step back and looked at your country? In terms of ego, Australia is basically an order of magnitude greater than the US. The main difference is that the rest of the world just generally ignores them. And I say all that even though I like Australia (and will be there in a couple of months!) Imagine what the people who like Australia about as much as you like the US say...
Moderators: Before moderating a comment Insightful/Informative, check to see if a child post has already refuted it.
They are wonderful most times of the year they're aren't clogged with snow. But honestly he sounds like he'd be more at home in a place like North Dakota where you can dig in and hide from people. Don't get me wrong I love being able to own guns and personally think that a militia is ineffective without modern weapons (the principle behind the 2nd ammendment) but some times people don't realize that shooting someone just makes a martyr.
I'll meet you at the intersection of "Should be" and "Reality"
There's only one Canadian team. The Montreal Expos moved to Washington, D.C. a few years ago.
That was a helluva a team though.
Point taken. As said above, I really try to avoid spectator sports as much as possible. I guess it also proves the point as to just how commercially unsuccessful pro baseball in Canada can be.
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Football's not a sport, at least not as practiced in the NCAA or the NFL. Football amounts to a human trial on every possible growth hormone known to science.
My perspective, as a guy who likes to play few sports (raquetball, tennis, ultimate frisbee), is that sports like american football, soccer, basketball, baseball, etc. is that they're all about a bunch of genetic freaks, anyway. I lost interest way before the hormone stuff.
And FYI, what you said about football is at least as true for baseball. It's the one that's come under scrutiny for widespread doping recently.
Good luck in the US and I hope TSA treats you ok. Nationalism is the opiate of the masses.
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Do not mistake transient governments for the principles on which a nation is founded. I'll take "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" over "Peace, Order, and Good Government" any day
I'm stealing that
See the Pictures of the Flood of '08
While this thread is extremely off topic already (which I have zero problems with), I would like to mention that you are permitted to write "fuck" here.
Express yourself! With fucking profanity!
The Terms of Service even warn about it:
"Each user, by using SourceForge Sites, may be exposed to Content that is offensive, indecent or objectionable. Each user must evaluate, and bear all risks associated with the use of any Content, including any reliance on the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of such Content."
As a Canadian, I break it down like so, if you live in the US, you are American. If you live in Canada, you are North American.
I never hear the term North American as applied to people, just the continent. Here in central California, we always refer to the country. Canadian, Mexican, American. I would be bothered by the use of the term American to refer exclusively to citizens of the US, but AFAIK none of the other North American countries used "America" in their full official name. Mexico is the "United Mexican States", the US is the "United States of America", and I can't find a longer name for Canada on Wikipedia.
...if you live in the Mexico region, you are Central American
I dunno. I've always heard the term in reference to the countries south of Mexico but north of Columbia. Latin America seems indicate all countries south of the US, including Mexico and South America.
...you peace loving...
Is that supposed to be an insult? One can prefer peace without being a pacifist.
I could have sworn Canada was the 51st state.
It would likely be broken up into multiple states. Along the territory borders, at the very least.
Central America is part of North America.
Do not mistake transient governments for the principles on which a nation is founded. I'll take "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" over "Peace, Order, and Good Government" any day
I'm stealing that
HEY! I ROT26 encrypted it in a digital medium and claim copyright! I'm gonna send a DMCA smackdown your way. :-)
Just kidding! An attribution would be nice, if you chose to use it, but not necessary. Now, if it makes you rich, I expect 10%.
In Liberty, Rene
As for the cost, almost anyone who works has health insurance in the U.S.
This is patently untrue. Only ~70% of employed persons had employer provided health insurance as of 2006, down from ~75% in 2000. That leaves 30% of employed persons scrambling to cover the cost on their own. Since most of the non-covered employees are in the lower income ranks, they simply can't afford private coverage.
And, a state hospital will not turn them away.
Of course, they'll get care on a par with what Canada offers.
In Liberty, Rene
44th were from East Essex stationed in Bermuda, 85th were Buck's Volunteers raised by the Marquis of Buckingham in England, stationed in Jamaica.
Major General Ross came and took control of them and they were the ones who attacked and burned Washington.
None of the British regiments either raised or stationed in Canada took part in the attack on Washington as they were defending Canada at the time. (You have to remember, they couldn't afford to take troops from there as the US had invaded part of Canada ... not much of it though).
The British troops that attacked Washington were shipped to the US by Admiral Cockburn from the West Indies.
I did post all this yesterday but my comment seems to have been modded to hell ...
Brought back an apparently consciously repressed recent memory of an article alleging Georgia's mental health commission committed the very same [faux pas] last year..
Giving them the bennie of a doubt, guess one could a-ssume they were just early adopters carrying the concept of retweet to the next level...
I comment, therefore I am (procrastinating elsewhere)..
Oh fuck that!
Your national sport is sucking our dicks you big lot of patriotic pussy farts.
Are you kidding? I agreed with you
I agree that english-speakers should stop bitching about "american" vs "US american" or whatever.
Yeah. Would you choose a neurosurgeon who pokes around people's brains in his spare time? I wouldn't.
Americans would scream (yes, the 'e' is there) if Canadian corporate interests interfered with US internal matters.
You mean the way we all screamed and rioted and burned the Canadian embassies when MCA/Universal, an arm of Quebec based Seagram, played a major role in lobbying for the DMCA in 1998? Please. Nobody here cares that much.
If a job's not worth doing, it's not worth doing right.
Hockey is our national sport.
Actually, it's Lacrosse.
Actually, it's both:
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/National_Sports_of_Canada_Act
Hockey is our winter sport while lacrosse is our summer sport.
Even the lacrosse people concede the point:
http://www.lacrosse.ca/default.aspx?cid=84&lang=1
"We believe that in lacrosse and hockey, our two National Games, we have the best moral, physical and mental developers of any games known to the athletic world."
A.E.H. Coo, President
Canadian Amateur Lacrosse Association
April 12, 1926
Revised January 1995
Good grief.
First, you're full of crap. I've filled out 'transfer of ownership' forms, and that's that.
Regardless, why on earth would it matter if you have a piece of paper showing title for your car?
I don't have a piece of paper showing that my TV is mine, yet it is. The same goes for about 1000 other piece of property that I own. I show ownership through possession, and through lack of contest over ownership, and through sales receipts (hand written or otherwise).
So, even if your silly complaints about title paperwork were correct, they are meaningless, since no one would have logged title.
"that would have Americans screaming if the reverse was true."
- I doubt that. As an American I think we're just as gullible to this BS as anyone else, and we're rapidly becoming sheep who accept anything that is dumped on us.