Free Republic

…while watching out for cattle guards They don't do the red carpet down here — their boots would just mess it up. But when George W. Bush has a new world leader over to the ranch, there are certain niceties to be observed. So, the Red Bull gift shop has the Canadian Holy Bears — complete with biblical passage (Psalms 72:8: "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth") and "God Bless Canada" tag — on its shelves and a yet-to-be-unwrapped Canadian flag ready to hang from its window....

If you were paying close attention, you probably noticed the administration appeared to be caught a bit off-guard on this. The following may explain why.

Can you imagine working for a company that has a little more than 300 employees and has the following statistics: 30 have been accused of spousal abuse. 9 have been arrested for fraud, 14 have been accused of writing bad cheques. 95 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses. 4 have done time for assault. 55 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit. 12 have been arrested on drug related charges. 4 have been arrested for shoplifting. 16 are currently defendants in lawsuits. 62 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year. Can you...

U.P. sticker still a hit after 20 years Published Tuesday, December 7, 2004 1:03:45 PM Central Time The Associated Press MARQUETTE, Mich. (AP) -- Since their inception 20 years ago, "Say Yah to Da U.P., Eh!" bumper stickers have been sold in the thousands and are seen from Los Angeles to New York. Creator Jack Bowers said the idea came from a spoof of the state's 1982 "Say Yes to Michigan" campaign. "The Kerry/Edwards and Bush/Cheney stickers will be gone long before our sticker," said Bowers, a 58-year-old Marquette resident. "I mean, what other bumper sticker has lasted this long?"...

NELSON, B.C. - A community in the B.C. Interior has become a flashpoint for American anger over its plans to honour draft dodgers and deserters who fled to Canada to avoid the Vietnam War. The City of Nelson had announced earlier this month it would erect a bronze monument and hold a two-day festival in July 2006 in tribute to the war resisters. Then the FOX-TV network picked up the story, sparking widespread indignation across the U.S. Dr. Juergen Dankwort was a Vietnam-era conscientious objector who came to Canada, and he says the people of Nelson should stand firm on...

OTTAWA, Aug 25 (Reuters) - It was damned bastards last year, "idiots" this year. Canadian Member of Parliament Carolyn Parrish had said she hated "damned Americans" and called them bastards in the run-up to the Iraq war. She found a new moniker, idiots, on Wednesday in discussing the planned U.S. missile defense system. "We are not joining the coalition of the idiots. We are joining the coalition of the wise," the Liberal legislator told a small group of demonstrators.

Judge found dead mouse in beer A US judge is seeking compensation after finding the body of a dead mouse in a bottle of beer. Judge Randy Anglen says he screamed and screamed when he saw the mouse - after finishing the bottle. Anglen, a judge in Hollister, Missouri, drank the bottle of Miller Lite at home one night after finishing work, reports the News-Leader. He drained the last bit into the sink, so he could put the bottle in his recycling bin, but heard a 'plop' as he put the bottle on his worktop. When he peered into it,...

Toronto, ONT – According to the latest Ipsos-Reid/CTV/Globe and Mail poll released today, three quarters of Canadians (74%, up 3 points from 71% in December 2003) believe that Canada made the right decision by not going to war with Iraq.

Holy whah! Some Yoopers fear colorful dialect may be fading By JOHN FLESHER The Associated Press 2/21/2004, 7:50 a.m. ET HOUGHTON, Mich. (AP) — Dan Junttila is a proud Yooper. So proud that he teaches a course at the local middle school on the history and culture of his beloved Upper Peninsula. So he would mourn if one of the most notable characteristics of da U.P. — dat colorful way of talkin' dey got up dere — were to fade away, eh? Holy whah! "I love the dialect," says the 51-year-old Junttila, born and bred in the western U.P.'s mining...

<p>OTTAWA — Jean Chretien (search) said he was proud of his decade in office as Canada's (search) often combative prime minister prepared to give way Friday to Paul Martin (search), a conservative former finance minister who has pledged to seek smoother ties with the United States despite strains over Iraq.</p>

'I don't know who taught him to fly, but they didn't tell him to check the gas'. A 25-year-old man is facing several charges after his plane, reported stolen from an airfield in Maine, crashed into a Montérégie field yesterday morning. The man, a Livingston, Me., resident, suffered only minor injuries in the accident. He had been flying a Cessna without a pilot's licence or flight training, said Constable Manon Gaignard of the Sûreté du Québec. For unknown reasons, the man left a private airport, near Turner, Me., about 6:30 a.m., running out of gas three hours later above St....

OTTAWA (CP) - Some of the first patients to smoke Health Canada's government-approved marijuana say it's "disgusting" and want their money back. "It's totally unsuitable for human consumption," said Jim Wakeford, 58, an AIDS patient in Gibsons, B.C. "It gave me a slight buzziness for about three to five minutes, and that was it. I got no other effect from it." Barrie Dalley, a 52-year-old Toronto man who uses marijuana to combat the nausea associated with AIDS, said the Health Canada dope actually made him sick to his stomach. "I threw up," Dalley said Monday. "It made me nauseous because...

Subscript only at Fox. I usually don't post such, but this one was to good to pass up, IMO. Plus Chretien thrice-changed explanation for the blackout.

Ontario won't enforce gun registry law Sterling calls it 'badly flawed' Says Ottawa should prosecute CAROLINE MALLAN AND RICHARD BRENNAN QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU Ontario is refusing to prosecute anyone who fails to register a rifle or shotgun because it's a dumb law, Attorney-General Norm Sterling said yesterday. Ontario joins Nova Scotia and three Western provinces in refusing to have anything to do with the federal gun registration law that so far has cost more than $1 billion. Sterling told reporters if Ottawa wants to prosecute the "misdirected" law, then it should fall to federal prosecutors. "They should take the responsibility...

A question: Which sports broadcast drew the largest American television audience on Easter Sunday? A PGA Tour special on CBS or an Arena Football League game on NBC?The answer: Neither. A one-hour NBC telecast, tape delayed by a week, of the world curling championships earned a 1.2 rating (about 1.2 million U.S. households). That was higher than arena football (.9) and the PGA special (1). "Easter Sunday is always a tough day to get an audience," said Jon Miller, vice-president of programming for NBC Sports. "But curling did well. I was impressed."The curling show, which featured three Canadian broadcasters,...

Canadian Briefs The Associated Press 3/19/03 8:51 PM Liberal members of parliament warned to toe Chretien line, support more gun registry spending OTTAWA (AP) -- Liberal members of parliament are facing a double-barreled warning they could be kicked out of caucus, or even forced into an unwanted general election, if they try to deny further funding to the controversial federal gun registry. Party sources say Prime Minister Jean Chretien made it clear at a caucus meeting Wednesday that he expects backbenchers to toe the line when the House of Commons votes next week on whether to approve another $59 million...

A prominent criminologist has slammed a claim from Industry Minister Allan Rock that the controversial gun registry will save 1,240 lives in a decade. Mr. Rock -- who introduced the registry when he was justice minister seven years ago -- spent much of last week defending the program and its billion-dollar cost overrun revealed last week by Auditor-General Sheila Fraser. At one point, he said the registry had saved 300 lives a year. In Vancouver last Friday, he repeated the claim that the registry has had a direct impact on the number of gun-related deaths in Canada. "You have to...

Kerb-crawlers to avoid court if they pick up used condoms Men caught picking up prostitutes in Canada can avoid going to court by clearing the streets of condoms and needles. Police in Calgary say members of the cleaning crew will have to wear orange overalls so they stand out easily. Vice squad officers came up with the idea after consultation with residents. The Calgary Sun says the job of clearing up condoms and needles usually falls to local firefighters. Officials from Corrections Canada will train the clear-up crews how to handle needles safely. Staff Sergeant Dean Young, of Calgary vice...