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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 9, 2011 - 06:54pm PT
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Ding! Ding! It's Sir John Alexander Macdonald, our first prime minister, from 1867 - 73, and again from 1878 - 91.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_A._Macdonald
He was a rather colourful character. Like many politicians of his time, he was an alcoholic. His successor, our second prime minister, was Alexander Mackenzie, a rather dour fellow. He once accused Macdonald of being drunk in Parliament, to which Macdonald responded "The people would rather have Macdonald drunk, than Mackenzie sober".
Now, who's in this photo?
Hint: His first language was French.
Useless hint: I went to an elementary school named for him.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 9, 2011 - 11:02pm PT
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Yup, that would be Sir Wilfrid Laurier, who was our prime minister from 1896 - 1911. Our first native French-speaking prime minister. He's on our $5 bill - Macdonald is on the $10 bill.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfrid_Laurier
Matthew seems to have figured out the prime minister shtick. So here's a photo of someone who wasn't a Canadian prime minister, but is known nation-wide.
In the background, parliament in Ottawa.
Not very useful hint: He was a close colleague of the grandfather of someone who posts on SuperTopo.
Reminder, Canadians, those who've lived or worked in Canada, those who've married Canadians, and other ringers aren't eligible to compete.
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Chief
climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
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Hey MH. TD?
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 9, 2011 - 11:33pm PT
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Clarifying hint: Tricouni's grandfather.
Come to think of it, my grandfather knew the fellow in the photo, too.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 10, 2011 - 12:21am PT
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Well, perhaps Matthew is flummoxed, or is taking the night off. I'll try to think of some more unhelpful hints.
In the meantime, here's an easy one, who many Americans now living may remember.
He more usually wore a bowtie. He is also probably the only Canadian prime minister ever to be physically manhandled by an American president - a president who apparently didn't know that our boy was a champion athlete.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 10, 2011 - 12:54am PT
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Ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys, we have a winner! Isn't it nice that Matthew is playing along, humouring a frostback?
Yes, the photo is of Lester B. Pearson, better known as Mike Pearson, our prime minister from 1963 - 68. Like Laurier, he was a Liberal. The fellow in the photo that has flummoxed Matthew was a minister; Pearson's father was a minister.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester_B._Pearson
In spring 1965, Pearson give a talk at a university in Philadelphia, where he suggested that the US halt bombing of North Vietnam, and seek peace by other means. A few days later Lyndon Johnson, a coarse, cunning bully, shook Pearson by the lapels and said "How dare you come into my living room and piss on my rug!" One of the few times that the US Secret Service has considered intervening to protect someone from the president.
As Pearson played rugby, hockey, lacrosse, basketball, and semi-pro baseball in his youth, he probably could have pummelled Johnson in any case.
And Pearson knew one hell of a lot more about international matters than Johnson. He was Minister for External Affairs from 1948 - 57, and a career diplomat before then. Pearson had a major role in the founding of the United Nations and of NATO, and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957, for his work on the Suez crisis of 1956, and inventing UN peacekeeping forces.
Not only that, Pearson never had a majority government, but still managed to bring in national single-payer medicare, a national flag, our centennial celebration in 1967, and a bunch of other stuff.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Apr 10, 2011 - 02:48pm PT
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With the playoffs upon us do they suspend campaigning for the duration?
Like wouldn't it be totally a waste of time and money?
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 11, 2011 - 12:22am PT
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Still no nibbles?
Bound to stir up discussion once he's identified. But virtually all Canadians will fiercely defend him, except maybe for wannabe neocons and a few MDs. And no, it's not Gordon Lightfoot, or for that matter John Kenneth Galbraith, Neil Young, Paul Anka, Wayne Gretzky, or Celine Dion.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 11, 2011 - 01:30am PT
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Born in Scotland! And once the amateur lightweight boxing champion of Manitoba. Plus he's the grandfather of Kiefer Sutherland.
Digressing slightly, our man's colleague was the leader of their party in parliament at the start of World War II. There was a debate in the house on whether Canada should enter the war, and he was the only MP to vote against it. (Both men were ordained ministers.) The then prime minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King (lots of history in that name) then said "There are few men in this Parliament for whom I have greater respect than the leader of the (ABC Party). I admire him in my heart, because time and again he has had the courage to say what lays on his conscience, regardless of what the world might think of him. A man of that calibre is an ornament to any Parliament."
Too bad more politicians aren't as graceful.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Apr 12, 2011 - 10:51am PT
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Bruce, I think you forgot Newfies.
And I've always wondered why if y'all take such umbrage at most things
Yankic y'all can't wait to retire to Florida.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Apr 12, 2011 - 11:22am PT
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Malemute, ya been to Florida? There's almost as many of yous guys there as
there are retired New Yorkers! Hell, 10 or 15 years ago they didn't even
offer Canadian bacon on pizzas. Now ya gotta pay 'em to not put it on!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Apr 12, 2011 - 11:38am PT
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Malemute, agreed on all counts! But it still is a worthy destination in order
to see exotic boids and snakes, my uncle, and pasty-white Ontarian filles. :-)
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Apr 12, 2011 - 12:37pm PT
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That is a good quote although worldly cynicism expressed as ennui borne
of ignorance could be interpreted as not having a clue.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 12, 2011 - 05:25pm PT
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So the great debate is tonight, when the four leaders of parties with seats in parliament do their shtick on television. In a Canadian moment, it was rescheduled, so as not to conflict with the hockey playoffs.
If nothing else, during the debate, Harper is expected to show his ignorance of parliamentary law and the history of his party. He may have been out behind the barn when god was handing out the brains, but his own political party is a classic example of a coalition, a shotgun marriage between the Progressive Conservatives and the Reformers. And he himself tried to gang up with the Bloc Quebecois in 2004, to form a government - although the Liberals were then the largest party.
In our system, if someone goes to the governor general after an election with credible evidence that she/he can command the support of a majority of parliament, at least in the medium term, then the governor general is pretty much obliged to allow it. It would be unusual for that not to be the party with the most seats, or for the leader of that party not to be prime minister, but it's not impossible.
Harper will also rant about his fantasy law and order agenda. My guess is that he won't do very well outside his protective bubble.
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Tricouni
Mountain climber
Vancouver
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Apr 12, 2011 - 06:43pm PT
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My guess is that he won't do very well outside his protective bubble.
I hope he crashes and burns, but I'm not hopeful....
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 13, 2011 - 02:28am PT
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Did anyone listen to or see the debate? What happened?
It started at 4:00 PM Pacific time (8:30 in Newfoundland and the Labrador - or are they 5 1/2 hours ahead?), and went for two hours.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Apr 13, 2011 - 09:23pm PT
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Wow - Harper has really rocketed into the lead, according to the Toronto Sun poll this morning. A majority government is now a distinct possibility, and yet when the campaign began a majority appeared remote.
I like Harper. Our Finance Minister Jim Flaherty lives just down the street from me. I really need to go have a beer with him sometime. He lives in a regular house, his kids go to regular school. Do you suppose Ben Bernanke lives thus?
In Canada, you vote for the guy in your riding - there is no opportunity to vote for the Prime Minister himself. So my vote goes to Jim. Each guy who gets elected [and some guys are girls] gets a seat in the House of Commons. The dude who leads the party with the most seats becomes the Prime Minister. The only people who voted for him would be the guys in his own riding. In fact, you can become Prime Minister in Canada without getting a single vote! If the current PM quits, and your party elects you as the leader, you're PM. How about that, eh? I believe this happened with John Turner. He was PM, but had no seat in the House of Commons. Accordingly, one of his Liberal friends quit his seat, so they could hold a by-election [not a bi-election, though this happens from time to time in Toronto] and Turner could get himself a seat.
So, Anders:
1) Who are you voting for? Evidently you don't like Harper. Accordingly you can vote for Iggy-Liberal - a total wanker who quotes Chairman Mao and just doesn't "get it". Maybe you like him? He seems to contradict himself daily while simultaneously shoot himself in the foot. Or Jack Layton, a pinko-pseudo-commie NDP socialist, although voted most popular to have a beer with. Or maybe the Green Party - you're from BC - with some girl as a leader who they won't even let go in the Leaders' Debate? Surely you're not voting Bloc Quebecois? [Voice of Leslie Neilson: "And don't call me 'Shirley' "]Maybe you're a closet Separatist? Maybe you have other things in your closet? Well, then....?
2) Did you make it onto the Board at Mountain Equipment Co-op? If so, I have a couple-three thousand dollars' worth of used gear to return for store credit directly to you, because Ottawa Doug won't let me send it to him any more!
Is it Friday night yet? Seems like it...
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 14, 2011 - 01:33am PT
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In answer to Pete's questions, but remembering that he's 1/2 American:
1. I don't know who I'm voting for yet. It usually makes little difference in my riding, which consistently elects liberals (usually Liberals), and has for decades, both provincially and federally. Including a prime minister/leader of the opposition (Turner), and a premier (Campbell). A few times we've had a moderate NDP MLA, and once a Conservative MP, but they were exceptions. Overall, Ignatieff's Liberals seems somewhat preferable to Harper's Conservatives, although a renewed Conservative minority might be tolerable.
2. MEC results aren't announced until its annual meeting, in two weeks. As I wasn't able to put much effort into campaigning, I'm not overly hopeful, but can always try again next year. Maybe the catalogue photo, plus a more concerted campaign, would do it. (And losing the awful photo I used this year.)
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hamie
Social climber
Thekoots
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Apr 14, 2011 - 01:48am PT
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C'mon guys, loosen up. You're all way too serious. It's all a bunch of nonsense. I always vote for the NDP, and for Anders. Simple. Now back to climbing.....
H.
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Hoser
climber
vancouver
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Apr 14, 2011 - 11:31am PT
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Dude everyone has heard, this clean corner thing just put it over the top. I guess it hasnt made it to the boards yet but I heard your pretty much getting the chop. You might as well go collect all your bolts and retire...if you need a place to hole up till it blows over give me a call.
Saw someone with a new cedar, they are going to replace your bolt with it...
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