Canadian Crossing

Daily Show measures impact of short trips into Canada

"How long were you in Canada" is a question U.S. border people ask those coming back from Canada. In my younger days coming back from Windsor, the answer was often given in hours, not days.

Jon Stewart took a shot at teasing President Barack Obama for only spending 7 hours in the country. In Stewart's "How Long Americans Stay in Canada Scale"

Here is the scale:

1 hour      Firecracker prescription drug run
7 hours     Diplomatic mission
10 hours   Underage Montréal bachelor party
10 days     Free agent contract with NBA Toronto Raptors
6.5 years  Grow the perfect mullet
Forever     Vietnam

Are your Canadian trips pretty short? In the comments section, let us know your shortest trip to Canada, and the reason you went.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Canuck Obama

Mike Myers wins three Razzies for "Love Guru"

They aren't the Oscars or the Independent Spirit Awards; in fact, the Razzies are the complete opposite of the Oscars.

Myers won 3 Razzies for worst picture, worst actor, and worst screenplay. I actually saw this movie, and while it had its moments, I'm glad I got to see it for free.

There was plenty of Canadian flavor in the movie, appropriate since Myers is from Canada. But the movie could have been stronger.

The good news? Halle Berry won a Razzie and later won an Oscar. The bad news? No Saturday Night Live cast member has ever won an Oscar.

How well did Obama in Canada? Tres bien

The trip was short, and mostly filled with charm. But President Barack Obama scored on multiple levels on his trip north of the border. While there are tons of serious subjects, there was time for charm.

More on this trip from this analysis I did for my day job. Enjoy Obama in Canada: a little talk, a lot of charm.

George W. Bush to visit Canada to give a speech

There are several shades of irony of George W. Bush taking his first non-U.S. visit to Canada. Bush is scheduled to give a speech in Calgary on March 17. The speech is not open to the public.

Bush could not be convinced to make an official visit to the country during the first four years he served as president, going against strong tradition. For example, President Barack Obama will make his first visit to Canada within a month of his inauguration.

Also, Bush may be limited in where he can travel, given speculation that in some countries, he could be arrested for war crimes. Canada is not one of those countries.

Calgary, in the province of Alberta, is about as pro-Bush a place as he will find in that country. The city is the core of the Conservative Party in Canada.

The other irony is that Bush has likely never been to Calgary before. His limited trips has centered around Ottawa, and on those visits, and any he possibly made before 2001, would have required a waiver for his DUI conviction.

The people running the speech seem to have great faith that Bush will get this waiver, though Bill Ayres recently was not allowed into Canada. Other left-wing protestors have also been banned from entering the country. 

Does 'Buy American' mean Canadian, too?

"Buy American" should mean buying American, right?

To add further confusion, there is a difference of opinion of what "American" means. In the U.S., America is considered everything within its border; the rest of the continent thinks America means the whole continent.

The latest stimulus bill has a provision requiring to "Buy American." But Canadians, who know what people in the U.S. mean by that, are concerned of potential protectionism. 

Canada is the U.S.' largest trading partner.

While the U.S. bill is a long way from passing at the moment, Canada wants to make it clear it will react if the protectionist moves are implemented.

But there is still a long way to go to see whether there is a major issue here on either side of the border.