Good thing Quebecois aren't raging xenophobes, huh Boogie? Cuz no colored folks have EVER experienced racism in Quebec.

Hence the term "relative". For someone who's not from the U.S. (note, I'm not from Canada either, just went to school there), it seems like people obsess about race an awful lot in this country, which suggests it's still very important. Apparently the folks at the BBC have noticed this phenomenon too: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1217752.stm

Of course, every country has racists, but Canada is a far more racially peaceful country than this one. Segregation is still a serious problem here. My husband is Hispanic and very dark skinned (often mistaken for Indian here because so many people inquire about what he "is"), and had a wonderful time in Quebec. Thought they were the friendliest people he'd ever encountered. He was rather shocked to learn that Quebec is considered by many to be rudest part of Canada.

I never said Canada was perfect (no place is), but this country could learn a lot from what's going on up there if only people could get over their "we're #1" arrogance. I noticed you had nothing to say about all those other points I made. Can't imagine why that would be the case.

Fence up the north border of America... now!

"ugh. that country."

Yes, what a despicable land, what with their groundbreaking moves towards legalizing prostitution and marijuana, taking a "harm reduction" approach to hard drug abuse (i.e. not throwing people in jail for using drugs, but instead trying to get them off the poison), not to mention universal health care, outstanding public education, highly subsidized university education (Canada's university graduation rate is double that of the U.S.), relative racial peace, and a generally far higher quality of life than in the U.S.

I have lived in both Canada and the U.S., and get a real kick out of Americans who try to look down their noses at Canadians. Maybe you should get off your high horse, shut up, listen, and learn from them.

If the Canadian 'universal' health care is so great, why do people come to America to pay $ 35,000.00 out of pocket to get surgery?

Because it is a need-based system. So basically if you need a new hip to walk, but its not threatening your life immediately, you are on a waiting list to receive help. So Canadians are choosing to come here where they have the choice to pay, so that they dont waste years of their lives being immobile or living with pain.

All the Canadian nationals I know tell me "Pray to God that you DONT get universal healthcare..."

The fact that ANYONE, regardless of income or employment status, can get a hip replacement is what's great. I do agree with you, however, that health care in Canada has some troubling issues that need to be addressed. As far as countries with universal health care (that would be all developed nations OTHER than this one, which is an embarrassment in itself), Canada is far from the best. On the flip side, keep in mind that a hell of a lot of Americans travel to Canada to purchase prescription drugs, so it's not like health-based travel between the two countries is unidirectional.

"All the Canadian nationals I know tell me "Pray to God that you DONT get universal healthcare...""

I find this surprising. Not calling you a liar or anything, but all the Canadians I speak to about this issue are more than willing to express their gratitude for having access to health care whenever they need it. I had health coverage through my grad. student program up there and was very pleased with the services I received. I could always get in to see my doctor the same day I called, when necessary, and was treated very quickly the one time I had a serious emergency. Further, the only people who ever touched me in a doctor's office were RNs or doctors. Here you are mostly handled by people who often speak poorly, have a bad attitude, and have received less than one year of training as a physician's assistant. When you finally do get to see a doctor they seem distracted and want to rush you out because time is money. I rarely go to the doctor here because, frankly, the experience really sucks.

^Meant as a reply for matty.

canada=not america.

this is so stupid. jersey shore doesn't even translate to canada.

ugh. that country.

“ugh. that country”

Yes “that country” can only hope to one day replicate America’s greatness which is manifested through Jersey Shores…

What a pathetic display of people. Kill it with fire.

I'm so embarrassed.

Where's "the WASP"???

http://wanderingbrooklyn.wordpress.com/

So what will be the actual equivalent of Canadian "Jersey Shore" be?

All of the assclowns come from Vancouver (NY), yet they try & blame such behavior on Surrey (NJ)?

That seems to be the way with Jersey Shore.

@openheads

I think we need to differentiate here between "roughnecks" and douchebags.

The type of phenomenon that both JS and now this new abomination capitalize on is way more predominant in LI and NJ because they are heavily dependent on the accouterments of suburbia: private transportation, self-centeredness, and cultural bleakness.

IOW, only if you live and commute in your own private bubble, and spend massive amounts of time in front of a TV building your own idealized version of what urban life is, can you come up with such an idiotic spectacle of narcissism. Hot tubs, ridiculous amounts of beauty parloring, and all this other schit that you see on JS are a luxury to most NY'ers because they have to share their living and working spaces with all kinds of people. By the time that any NY cultural phenomenons get to the outside world they have been so grossly deformed by suburban America that it would be hard to pin them down on us.

Besides the Jersey Shore happens in NJ for a reason...RIGHT? When they come up with a show this idiotic and call it "The Brooklyn Waterfront," then maybe you can talk. Until then you will have to own up to your douchebags; whether of the Weight Room king, or the Wall Street kind, or the Club A-holes, and so on...

In fact you have SUCH a plethora of douchebaggery in your glorious state that it would take a whole encyclopedia of taxonomy to properly classify!

such a defensive NJer you are. don't act like your state isn't full of juiceheads and the women who love them

"such a defensive NJer you are. don't act like your state isn't full of juiceheads and the women who love them"

Huh?

New York is & will always be the mecca & Medina of meatheads. The NY media & NY'ers themselves can try & pin it on New Jersey, but........ The truth is truth.

I really do find it amusing how much effort NY'er take in attempting to blame their negative cultural byproducts on NJ.

Please. Lawn Guyland, Staten Island, Westchester, Swaths of Queens & Brooklyn. You hold down the crown as far as guinzos are concerned. NY is big on trying to make perception reality, but you can't do that with people who actually know the truth.

In his/(her?) defense, the majority of the cast is from Staten Island...but one could argue that SI is neither NJ nor NY (who wants it?)

also, lol@Canadians using specific ethnic terms. "Vietnamese" "Czech" would just translate to "Asian" and "Eastern European" here.

also, lol@Canadians using specific ethnic terms. "Vietnamese" "Czech" would just translate to "Asian" and "Eastern European" here.

I don't get it. Why is that funny?

It's funny to me because it shows the difference between how Canadians and Americans view minorities.

Or their differences in geographic knowledge.