Moving To Canada!

There are a lot of Americans saying they will move to Canada if Doctor Trump becomes Doctor of the Free World. A lot of Americans are going to get up, FINALLY get their passport, drive to Canada and lay claim. This is great news. Canada has been waiting for this day!

'You want to come over here SOLELY because you don't like who's running things? Well hell yeah! Come on in and grab a seat!'

Before Americans do move to Canada (which I believe will NEVER happen. Not even one American) there are a few things they should know about Canada if they REALLY do want to move there. 

1. You Can't Just DO That

Canada, much like America, is a country. Canada, much like America, is a country that has rules and regulations and such. You cannot simply get to the border and go 'I'm American, which means I'll stay here as long as I want.' Nope. Not how it works. You have to fill out forms. You have to pay money. You have to have a reason that you are immigrating to another country. And how long are you going to live there? For four years until the owner of Chipotle or whatever runs for President and beats the owner of Golf Courses? Canada isn't a couch.

'Is it cool if I crash here until my landlord leaves the building?'

'Yeah, sure. Couple weeks?'

'Was thinking four years.'

'.... Step into my office, sir.' 

2. We Use Kilometres And It's Better

When I was young and I heard the song 'I can't drive 55', I thought '55 isn't even fast!' I like the song, but what the hell? Was Sammy Hagar going through a school zone? Was he on a road with speed bumps? Pick it up, Sammy! Found out later it was 55 miles an hour, which IS fast, but doesn't SOUND fast. In Canada kilometres are used, not miles. On a highway, you can drive 110 km an hour. Now, what sounds like you're going faster? 110 or 55? 110! That is the answer! Every time! Get used to REALLY GOING FAST. And not buying gallons of gas, buying litres. This will be one of the many greats reasons to be in Canada. No you can't buy a handgun to stash in your glove box incase their are people listening to loud music at the gas station, but you can DRIVE 110 ON A HIGHWAY. I mean, COME ON. 

3. Fahrenheit is toast. Get ready for Celsius. 

ZERO MEANS FREEZING! ZERO! IN WHAT REALM DOES IT MAKES SENSE TO HAVE 32 BE FREEZING?! STOP THE MADNESS! And we have. Canada stopped the madness years ago. And if Americans DO move to Canada (which is not going to happen), they can stop the madness as well. 

4. It's 'Moose' no matter how many there are

Moose's, Moosey's, Moose-i-. NONE of those make sense. If you see one more, or a hundred moose, it's moose. That's it. And you WILL see moose. Everywhere. In your backyard, in the trees in the park, in the library, on the highway, in cars beside you on the highway. Moose are EVERYWHERE.

5. Canadian News Isn't Scary

If you are leaving America for Canada, be prepared for the news to get a little different. America's news is constantly 'Look out for this! Look out for that! Your food is bad! Terrorists are everywhere! Don't travel! Don't stay in your city! Don't drink your water! Don't drink other people's water! Don't look people in the eye! Don't avoid eye contact with crazy people because they take it as a sign of aggression!' Canadian news is a little bit different. You might see a top story about hockey nets on city streets, or another replay of Bautista's bat flip. There could also be some stories about some real crime, but it but it won't be run on a loop with four people continuously talking about this crime means the end of the country and world as we know it. 

6. Canada Also Speaks English

I know a lot of Americans think it's just a french party in  Canada. They think when they get there they are going to have to bring 'that english language with 'em' but we have it. English has been in Canada since it began. We also have some french speaking places, and fun fact, if you speak to ANYONE in French in Canada, they have to hand you ten dollars. So learn some of that language you hate and start a new career!

7. Not Every Single Thing In Canada Is About Race

And NO, THAT IS NOT BECAUSE CANADA DOES NOT HAVE BLACK PEOPLE.

'Ahahha, very funny. There are black people in Canada. Yeah right.'

THERE ARE BLACK PEOPLE IN CANADA.

'... Really? Okay. So how does every conversation not turn into a conversation about race then?'

IT JUST DOESN'T. NOT EVERYTHING IS ABOUT RACE. 

'Okay.... So if someone at a restaurant asks my white friend if he wants the bbq chicken special, and he says no, I can't say something like 'You don't like chicken huh? Racist.' Or if he's black and he turns down the chicken special, I can't do 'WOA, a black man turning down chicken?! That's gotta be a first!'

... PLEASE STOP. THESE JOKES ARE STUPID. YOUR FRIEND JUST DOESN'T WANT THE BBQ CHICKEN SPECIAL. PLEASE STOP THIS. 

'.... I don't think I want to move to Canada.'

I DON'T THINK YOU DO EITHER.

Watched The Academy Awards One Time

I wanted to watch and watched the Oscars once. Jurassic Park was out and THAT year I wanted to watch. THAT year I had a dog in the fight. Jurassic Park. Jurassic Park is still one of my favourite movies, but as a nine year old? It was the greatest thing that ever happened. So that year, I wanted to watch the Oscars. In my mind, Jurassic Park HAD to win best picture. What in the hell else could win?! I mean, the movie had DINOSAURS. REAL dinosaurs that you could touch. Not 'real' real obviously, but an actual dinosaur was made. I didn't see any of the other movies that year that the Academy said were better than Jurassic Park. You weren't telling me, a nine year old, that The Fugitive was a better movie than Jurassic Park. You kidding me? Eat my shorts. Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones chasing each other around? NOPE. Dinosaurs. Where in the hell were the dinosaurs? In Jurassic Park, that's where. You weren't telling nine year old me that Schindlers List was a better movie that Jurassic Park. Oh, I'm sorry Spielberg, but you already MADE a great movie this year. It's called Jurassic Park. THAT'S the one that needs an award. Not a very well made movie about an awful time in history. NOPE. Where are the dinosaurs? In Jurassic Park, that's where. 

What I didn't know as a kid, was that the Academy awards are not for movies like Jurassic Park. Too big. Too fun. Too 'really? COME on.' If Jurassic Park had been the only movie that came out that year, the Academy STILL wouldn't have given it Best Picture. It would have been given to a sad Drunk Driving commercial or something. 

'And the winner of Best Picture this year is... God. No movies were made? Oh, just not movies that are the way you like them to be? Okay, well, the winner for best picture is, that commercial where a cook slips and pours boiling hot water on himself due to an unsafe work environment.' 

The Academy Awards are reserved for 'good movies', movies where a guy plays a mentally challenged person. Movies where a woman plays a person who believes she's a tree and lives in the park. A movie about a sick OL janitor who can cure cancer by throwing a mop at patients. Sad movies where people cry, get emotional, leave their kids on what they think is a slide, but is actually a wood chipper and then they have to take their little wood chipped piece kids in bags to school and family functions. 

'Wood chip pieces?.... Are Wood Chip pieces here?'

'They are, Ms. Alberts, but they are Wood Chips. They can't raise their ha....'

'Was I TALKING to you, Curtis? No, so just sit down and keep sending in that slop you call 'homework'. Now, WOOD CHIPS. ARE. YOU. HERE?'

The Academy also loves movies where actors are alone. Where? Who cares! As long as they are alone. Alone in the woods! Alone on an island! Alone in space! Alone in their own head! Alone in a dumpster behind sizzler! Alone on a beach!

'I just think it's amazing to watch a man talk to a rock as if it's his wife for two hours. Or a woman befriend a branch of a tree. I mean, the human condition is so present here. When are we at our best? WHEN WE ARE ALONE MAKING FRIENDS WITH DUST AND DIRT AND SANDWICH WRAPPERS AND SUCH. THAT'S when.'

Point here is, I don't think the Academy Awards are for us. 'Us' being regular people who walk the earth, like things, have jobs and bills and try to have a good time. Not saying that the movies the Academy likes are not also liked by us, but that movies that are liked by us are almost NEVER liked by the Academy. A fun movie, for example, will NEVER win an Academy Award. Fun movies are able to win a surf board at the 'Bunch Of Movies That Whatever' Awards. A movie like The Dark Knight is able to win a golden Shrimp Boat at the 'Holy Hell! Movie Awards!' show. But the Oscars? No. 

I could be very wrong, but I don't think that anyone who picks the nominations for the Oscars is, or has ever been, a real part of society. Were they ever bored just cruising the mall for something to do? Have they ever just scrolled through Netflix looking for something they never find? I don't think so. I don't think these 'people' were ever people. They have always floated high above. They have always drank white cranberry juice. They have always had people open their car doors. They have always studied the art of acting, and the thought that it has to be serious and sad to be a 'great' movie. 

Which I think is why the movies that a lot of people like, they could care less for. I think to some degree, they look down on the people who like these movies that many people like. If movies that are not loved by the Academy could be kept out of the theatre, I think they would love that. 

'How can a REAL movie be shown in the same building as 'Fart Bus 5: Who Farted? WE ALL DID!' I just think it should be shown in a gutter, or a junk yard, or on the bottom of a hobo's shoe, NOT in the same building as a great acted and directed movie such as 'The Alonementing', one man's beautiful journey from childhood to dwelling alone in a closet weeping under pieces of clothing. Now THAT is cinema.'

I've never really understood the allure of watching awards shows. Rich people getting MORE awards for their work as if tons of money is not enough. And if they DON'T win an award, they are still winning. THERE ARE NO LOSERS AT THE OSCARS. IN THE CROWD, ON THE STAGE. NO WHERE. The only difference between watching these and watching a bank hand out bonuses is that the actors have at least given us some form of entertainment. The bank has not.

Twitter @nathanmacintosh

'If you die, fine, but I have to text while driving!'

Every time I drive to a show out of town, I see people texting and driving. I'm not talking about in the city, people will check their phone at a red light. I'm talking that I constantly see people on the HIGHWAY, Checking their phones, slightly moving into a new lane until they catch themselves and switch back, doing SIXTY FIVE.

'Maybe you're only driving on highways that very important doctors drive on, Nathan?'

Thought of that. Looked at the signs, and found out that's not the case.

'Maybe you're driving on the private highways that are used exclusively by surgeons and EMT's?' Nope, just the regular old highways where a dude who works at Ruby Tuesdays doesn't think he needs to give all of his attention to the speeding ton of metal he's driving. The same highways as you, and the same highways that we should all be paying attention too while DRIVING ON THEM. 

Other people on the road have to be put at risk because you have to respond to a 'what you doing?' text? Others have to maybe become toast because you're typing 'Nothing. Just driving. You?' THAT'S important enough to put people's lives on the line, including your own? THAT'S important enough to take your eyes off of controlling a huge piece of metal that you're SITTING IN? 

There are fines for texting while driving. I've seen some as high as $300. Do I think that's enough? Nope. No way. You should be taken right off the road for texting and driving. PIT maneuver by the police. Swerved into a ditch the way you were going to swerve another family off the road if you kept texting. That too far? Fine. The punishment should be being locked away for two weeks. Two weeks in jail, WITH your phone. Keep it, BUT, no charger. That is the ULTIMATE punishment for people who can't get off their phone. Having to ration use? They can't deal with that. 

'Ah man, I can only like two pictures on Instagram a day. How am I going to survive?! You can't treat people like this! Take me out back and shoot me! SHOOT ME!' 

Everyone knows this is bad, but some people just don't care. Now though, car companies are putting wifi in their cars. WIFI, IN THEIR CARS. Nobody will be putting their phone down.

'Do you know whey I pulled you over? You were texting while driving.'

'Yeah, but officer, I have WIFI?'

'... Huh.... Well give me your license and network password. I have sports scores to check while I run your plates.'

Worst is, some people aren't even texting! Some people are NOT even responding to 'important' texts. Some people are just scrolling through twitter or instagram. Some monsters are out there scrolling through pictures of asses while switching lanes on a highway. Kids to the right of them, mothers to the left, and they are pressing the heart icon on a grilled cheese sandwich. Liking status updates while DRIVING AN AUTOMOBILE. 

'I agree, Timmy. It IS cold out here today. Cold out here as it is in my heart, where I believe I'm the only one on this two lane speed fest.'

Some people are for SURE sexting while driving. Some guy is rock hard, pressing send on eggplant and fire combination emojis while switching lanes. 

'If I get to you before I cause a four car pile up, my GOD the dick I'm gonna lay down.'

The numbers of accidents caused while someone's driving drunk and the numbers for accidents caused while someone is texting while driving have to be pretty close. HAVE to be. Texting while driving is worse. It's worse because when you're drunk, you barely know what's up. You wake up wondering what happened the night before. 'Did I drive? Oh Christ.' You don't wake up that way after texting. 'Did I respond to ALL of those texts? Jesus. I hate myself.' 

ONLY time texting while driving is okay is if you're drunk. If you are drunk, you are not of sound mind. Other than that, get it together, man. Put your phone down. Stop sending '100' emojis. Focus your blurred over, vodka'd up head on the road.

Commercials for drunk driving say 'hey, get a cab, and you can throw up in someone else's car.' They don't attack texting and driving like that. They never say, 'Get an Uber and text your face off on your way home, AND throw up in someone else's car.' Why not? Should be.

'Look, you're an ape who can't put down the shiny thing even while operating a motor vehicle? Great. Call this person, sit in the back of their motor vehicle, and use your ape hands to text other apes about nothing. Be responsible.' 

Twitter @nathanmacintosh