Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Hey Friends!

I've been traveling over the last two days so that's why there have not been any new posts. I'm visiting in Whistler, British Columbia. It's really beautiful here and the people are all so friendly! Only have a moment to post right now, so I'll include more details tomorrow.

Hey Ubersehen, where in Canada do you live?

It's been....well...a bit different here. Have to adjust to the metric system and figure out what a blinking green light means! haha

I haven't seen many churches. In fact, the only one that I have seen so far was a kingdom hall of the Jehovah's Witnesses on the way from Vancouver to Whistler.

LOTS of construction going on along the route between the two cities. Maybe they are widening the road for the 2010 Olympics?

Welp...time for a nap with the hubby and then out to dinner!
Posted by Christinewjc at 3:50 PM

6 comments:

Peter @ Enviroman said...

Hi Christine,

Your comment at Blogger Tips and Tricks has been published and answered.

August 9, 2006 at 12:09:00 AM PDT
Christinewjc said...

Hi Peter,

Thanks for your prompt response to my dilemma! The funny thing is, the blogpost did, eventually appear the next time I checked it!

I'm glad that I found your blogger help site. I'm sure that I will be able to use it when I have more questions about Blogger!

Sincerely,
Christine

August 9, 2006 at 6:35:00 AM PDT
Christinewjc said...

Hi Phronk,

How far do you live from Whistler? It is beautiful here. Looks like quite a tourist spot. My husband and I are here for a business conference.

Hate to sound dumb but, what does "an advance green" mean?

Thanks for the metric system lesson. I think that it would have been better if the U.S. switched over, but we Americans really fought against it! You know the saying...hard to teach and old dog new tricks!

How do you like the universal healthcare system? I was shocked when we learned that the sales tax rate is 13%! And, I heard that the combined income tax rate is 50%! You're being taxed to death here!

We ate at "The Mill" by the water in Vancouver and loved it. We enjoyed watching the sea planes take off and land.

We got to Whistler yesterday at around 1:30 and had the best tasting mussels at a restaurant/brewery here (forgot the name of it).

It's drizzling outside, but my Hubby is golfing anyway this morning in a planned tournament.

So, I'm keeping busy ironing all my wrinkled clothes, paying bills online, chatting with my son and daughter via email and catching up on blogging!

I'm catching up on the news, too. I really miss Fox News though! I guess Canadians hate that channel and reject broadcasting it...figures. I didn't see MSNBC either. I'm stuck with CNN, the Communist News Network! Ha! J/K

August 9, 2006 at 6:52:00 AM PDT
Ubersehen said...

Hey Ubersehen, where in Canada do you live?

I currently live in Toronto, Ontario.

Hate to sound dumb but, what does "an advance green" mean?

I hope you've already asked someone this question so as to avoid any possible awkward traffic situations. An advance green is a flashing green light that indicates that you may either proceed straight through the intersection or make a left hand turn. While your green light is flashing, oncoming traffic will still have a red light and will not be entering the intersection.

I guess Canadians hate that channel and reject broadcasting it...figures. I didn't see MSNBC either.

Canadians don't necessarily hate Fox News or MSNBC(lots of people with cable or satellite tv still watch it), but we generally like to keep our local content, well, local. Same way you'd probably feel strange if some of the major U.S. television stations started encorporating CBC News into their daily schedule. It's also quite possible that many Canadians don't like Fox or MSNBC, but since we still air trash like Canadian/American Idol, Wind At My Back, and many other poorly made programs, it's likely that the reasons for leaving many of the American networks out of it are to do more with Canadian content laws and national pride.

How do you like the universal healthcare system? I was shocked when we learned that the sales tax rate is 13%! And, I heard that the combined income tax rate is 50%! You're being taxed to death here!

The taxes are comparatively high, but the benefits are enormous. Universal healthcare is a wonderful system that ensures that anyone who needs medical attention can get the help they need. I, myself, have required a number of trips to the hospital for varying reasons, and might not have been able to undertake them without this system. And, despite being "taxed to death", we still seem to remain a relatively wealthy country. The standard of living here is quite high... higher than the U.S., I believe, too.

August 9, 2006 at 12:09:00 PM PDT
Christinewjc said...

Oh, I see. Thanks for explaining the "advance green" thing. We have a green arrow for left turns at intersections in the U.S.

Can you turn "right on a red light" in Canada? And, what does a - inside an O sign mean? I'm an annoying tourist aren't I? heh heh

I also heard that the universal healthcare system causes huge delays in scheduling surgeries...is that true? And, I heard that the choice of doctor/surgeon/hospital is not as the patient sees fit but what the coverage dictates.

I could be wrong about all of this, but that is what I have heard from several people.

I remember hearing that The O'Reilly Factor is broadcast in some areas in Canada, but I don't remember which areas. He (and his show) was blasted in the Globe and Mail newspaper a while back...they really hate O'Reilly!

August 9, 2006 at 12:27:00 PM PDT
Ubersehen said...

Can you turn "right on a red light" in Canada? And, what does a - inside an O sign mean?

Unless there is a sign that indicates otherwise, you can turn right on a red light. And I believe the other sign that you're referring to is one that indicates that you cannot drive in that direction. If it's the same sign that you find on this page, that is.

I also heard that the universal healthcare system causes huge delays in scheduling surgeries...is that true? And, I heard that the choice of doctor/surgeon/hospital is not as the patient sees fit but what the coverage dictates.

I imagine that having surgery equally available to everyone would inevitably cause delays in the process, it's true. The government does it's best (I hope) to minimize these delays, and to appropriately prioritize necessary and time-sensitive surgeries. But universal healthcare covers more than hospital based surgery. With this plan in place, low-income families and senior citizens subsiding on very small pensions can afford to get smaller, but still important, things looked after, like regular checkups with the family doctor, optometrist and dentist. As far as not having the choice of doctor/surgeon/hospital, I'm not familiar enough with our health-care policy to know. Desiring specific doctors/surgeons/hospitals has never been a big concern of mine, so I've never looked into it.

I remember hearing that The O'Reilly Factor is broadcast in some areas in Canada, but I don't remember which areas. He (and his show) was blasted in the Globe and Mail newspaper a while back

I watch very little television, so I don't know what Canadian networks, if any, the O'Reilly Factor appears on. But because I'd heard a few things about O'Reilly and his show recently, I watched an episode and some clips from a variety of his shows and I'm not surprised that the Globe had a problem with him. The views he espouses tend to be a little too far to the right (not necessarily all the way to the right) and to be presented in too caustic and obtuse a manner for the tastes of Canada's more liberal news media.

I believe the Globe and Mail columnist that has likely been involved in the biggest instance of uproar, Heather Mallick, had this to say about O'Reilly:

"It was like talking to a manic child who had eaten 800 cherry Pop Tarts for breakfast. He kept interrupting, so that no point could be made that could win a reply, much less a reasoned response -- not so much a gabble of sound bites as a howling from Bedlam."

From the little I saw of him, I'd have to agree with Mallick's assessment of his constant overbearing interruptions. If the rest of his interviews are like this, I can't help but wonder: How can a host that behaves like this honestly hope to be "fair and balanced" in the manner that he has described himself?

...they really hate O'Reilly!

Well, O'Reilly certainly hates them. I get the feeling that the Globe and Mail, and Mallick in particular, are more likely laughing behind their collective hands at him.

August 9, 2006 at 4:20:00 PM PDT

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