I'm starting this thread, because shockingly.. there isn't one already. Or if there is, I couldn't find it. Regardless, this is a place to put all the stuff, jokes, cartoons, funny stories, whatever it may be.
I'll start it with this youtube funny. I put it on another thread, but I think it belongs here.
An American decided to write a book about famous churches around the world. For his first chapter he decided to write about American churches. So he bought a plane ticket and took a trip to Orlando, thinking that he would work his way across the country from South to North.
On his first day he was inside a church taking photographs when he noticed a golden telephone mounted on the wall with a sign that read $10,000 per call". The American, being intrigued, asked a priest who was strolling by what the telephone was used for. The priest replied that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 you could talk to God. The American thanked the priest and went along his way.
Next stop was in Atlanta. There, at a very large cathedral, he saw the same golden telephone with the same sign under it. He wondered if this was the same kind of telephone he saw in Orlando and he asked a nearby nun what its purpose was. She told him that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 he could talk to God. "O.K., thank you," said the American. He then traveled to Indianapolis, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Boston, and New York. In every church he saw the same golden telephone with the same "$10,000 per call" sign under it.
The American, upon leaving Vermont saw a sign for Canada and decided to see if Canadians had the same phone. He arrived in OTTAWA, and again, there was the same golden telephone, but this time the sign under it read "10 cents per call." The American was surprised so he asked the priest about the sign. "Father, I've traveled all over America and I've seen this same golden telephone in many churches. I'm told that it is a direct line to Heaven, but in every state the price was $10,000 per call. Why is it so cheap here?"
The priest smiled and answered, "You're in Canada now son, it's a local call".
Yeah, I haven't heard much about him lately. Once his wife figured out she was part Canuck, he got his entrance papers and he's been pretty quiet. Mind you, I'm not in the loop, so who knows?
My only question is about gardening. Is it possible to grow a tomato in the open garden in Canada? Every time wed be up there at a restaurant , the salads always tasted like the tomatoes were greenhouse grown and had all the flavor of wood pulp.
Years ago, I worked in the kitchen at the Hotel Frontenac and made salads. We had several dozen boxes of tomatoes that were separately picked and packed and boxed with tissue and placed in defined cubbies. These were all grown in New Jersey or Maryland.
Id think GM would have caught up with tomato husbandry. You could add the antifreeze genes of blueberries to the tomato and have a short season better tasting local crop.
Parts of Canada are south of the northern parts of the "lower 48." In those areas, you do have truck gardening. The problem is, their production is not sufficient to meet the demand for fresh fruit and vegetables of the entire country. Many of the things grown in southern Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia--such as tomatoes--are offered as premium products, at a higher price. You can find "grown in Canada" products in the produce sections of stores, but you're not going to find them sold in food service quatities to large consumers such as the Hotel Frontenac. Why should such places pay those higher prices? Why should the people who run the truck garden pass up the opportunity to get their better price?
When driving through Ontario to Toronto I noticed a large wine-growing area. Can we assume that Canadian wine must be prevalent? Certainly apples and maple syrup are abundant, too.
As a Lightfoot fan, yeah, he's around but he really a shadow of his former greatness. Unfortunately, in 2002 underwent surgery for a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, from which he had additional surgery in 2003. in 2006 he had a minor stroke which affected his guitar-playing. Fortunately, he rehabed from that. In 2011 he was still touring but limited. I've heard his voice and it's recognizable. His music I still play and it still gives me chills.
0 Replies
Setanta
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Tue 10 Jan, 2012 08:54 am
@Ragman,
There is a large wine growing industry in Ontario. I don't know if this is the case elsewhere, but i suspect that it is.
Yep, the Okanagan region, among others, of BC is famed here for its wineries. We can and do also grow tomatoes and other veggies and fruits which are generally sold at roadside stands and farmers' markets.
yeah. upstate NY and the area is rife with sweet winesd and white wines. It makes sense that thiose grapes do well in that climate. Thinking of that geographical Niagra area with its reputation for champagne-sparkling wine from upstate and Finger Lakes of NY.
However, what I'm surprised about is CN effort on the 'serious' red wines - that is a whole other kettle of fish. I believe they're making inroads on that too. Climatologically and know-how that is a surprise to me.
I think a lot of the Niagara penninsula wineries concentrate on ice wines because it's "easy" for them. If you can find a feed, either from CBC's web site, or on Sirius Satellite Radio, CBC does a wine show on the last friday of every month. I'll go get a link.
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Setanta
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Tue 10 Jan, 2012 09:37 am
The program is called Ontario Today, it airs from Noon to 1:00 p.m. EST, and on the last Friday of each month, Konrad Ejbich does a show on wine, including call-ins, and in which he frequently touts Canadian wines. You can go to the CBC Radio One web site to look for archived progarmming, or you can search specifically for Ontario Today. CBC Radio One is broadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 159.
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Ragman
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Tue 10 Jan, 2012 10:16 am
@Mame,
What about cherries? Aren't they also marketable there. After all WA state is huge area for growing ..and it's not far from that climate-wise.
In season, you can get cherries in Ontario. Probably other areas of the country as well.
One of the up and coming big deals is honey. One of the world's leading apiarists is at the University of Guelph. They run a terrific apiary program there. They recently inherited a Belgian monk's beehives. He had been selecting for gentle bees for many decades. They have his bee colonies on an isolated island a couple of hours drive north of Toronto.
Quebec is deservedly famous for its unpasteurized cheeses. cavfancier turned me on to them. Incredible.
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ehBeth
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Tue 10 Jan, 2012 10:58 am
@George,
The wines and hard ciders from Prince Edward County have created strong competition for the Niagara Region and B. C. wines in some categories. Some interesting microbreweries have also developed in the county.
At one of the cheese caves there, they do beer and cheese pairings that are wonderful. The whole terroir concept makes sense once you've had the chance to do some sampling.
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