This is worth a look.........

http://www.snowboard.com/members/Tex...I=1&Mem=505338

Interesting but have you seen Michael Moores "Bowling for Coloumbine" ?
(it was on TV here last night)
Now that was very interesting, makes you thank god that i am not american and/or in america.

lol...we've always considered that movie the biggest commercial for Canada...

yes, but it is an eye-opener isn't it?

I agree it is interesting, but Michael Moore does have a clear agenda so you gotta take that into account when listening to what he preaches because it is very one sided.

Althogh it's "Tongue in Cheek" it reinforces the book "Fire and Ice

http://www.theglobalist.com/DBWeb/StoryId.aspx?StoryId=3501'

The UK is probably more American than Canada.

We also watched Bowling for Columbine last night. Powerful stuff although you have to bear in mind where Micheal More is coming from.

I think one of the most powerful indicators of the respective places of Canada and the US in the world is that US backpackers are told to pretend they are from Canada rather than be proud they are American. Mrs AX often had Americans trying to buy the 'Canada' badges from her rucksack when she was travelling.

I'm happy not to have to live in a security enclave, white middleclass ghetto. I do lock my house though! (Unlike those people in TO in the film)

I'm certain that this article has been posted in the distant past but it is a good one.

I recently worked with an American from the deep south. I felt a bit cheeky one morning and asked him how he felt about the Canadians recognising guy marriages. He just shook his head in discuss. I think he also said something about the Canadians going off the tracks or something to that effect. I just laughed on the inside as this was what I had expected....I'm not a shit stirrer, honest.

Hmm, but seriously, most of it is a load of bullsh*t.
The crime rate across rural America is no higher than across rural Canada, the difference is in the urban areas of which the US has far more and which are far bigger.

You simply cannot compare a country like Canada with 30 million people to the US with almost 300 million. It's just ridiculous.
It's like comparing a small town like Gloucester to Glasgow!

As usual you're letting your own negativity cloud the facts. Comparisons can be made, using statistical sampling i.e. rate/100,000 population

Here's some murder rates/100,000 pop'n for the US:

(1) Washington, DC 45.8
(2) Detroit 42.0
(3) Baltimore 38.3
(4) Memphis 24.7
(5) Chicago 22.2
(6) Philadelphia 19.0
(7) Columbus 18.1
(8) Milwaukee 18.0
(9) Los Angeles 17.5
(10) Dallas 15.8

Canada's worst city (Winnipeg) comes in at 4.9/100,000

Also, the % of murders by gun in the US is 65%, for Canada 33%.

Your statement re the crime rate across rural US vs rural Canada is wrong too, but I can't be bothered to put up the stats for that.

One statistic you might be interested in as your moving from T.O. to Manchester.

Murder rate for GTA 1.7/100,000 Greater Manchester 2.5/100,000.

Interesting in that a recent UN Survey (and it can be difficult to trust anything coming out of the UN at times) puts the following DEVELOPED countries in order of the most likely places to be a victim of serious crime

1. Scotland
2/3. Joint England and Wales
4. Australia
5. Canada

To my reading the common theme is that there is an awful lot of what one might call 'BRITISHNESS' in all of the above countries. Either decended from , occuppied by (sorry ... settled by, must practise my New Labour terminolgies) or born in.

General comment:
The British like American holidays, like the produce, like being bailed out twice in 2 world wars, like being friends when it suits but does that stop us thinking that in general they are crude people and horrible to the rest of the world. No it does not. Many 'BRITISH' people should address their own problems before critisising other nations. I am begining to dislike the nature of BRITISH BROADCASTING ETHICS!

Very OT I know, but good luck with the medicals tomorrow!!

Snowqueen