What would you say if I were to tell you that in Quebec, Canada, the 13th of September is celebrated by non-Americans as “American Independence Day” — though more normally called simply, “Treizième de Septembre”…?
Their holiday commemorates the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812 — the same battle during which the British shelled Fort McHenry, and Francis Scott Key composed the poem that would become our national anthem. On this side of the border the battle is remembered in Maryland but not so much anywhere else.
The Quebecois celebrate Treizième de Septembre by going to American restaurants, drinking American beer, and singing American songs in their outraaaaageous accents.
Any Americans who happen to be in the province on that day are encouraged to play along, in hopes of free beer — even if it is only Budweiser.
I do think this New Zealand import could give a certain pseudo Mexican holiday a run…
Although I know a certain Armadillo would would drink the Possums out of the tree, roll them, and then engage in certain non consensual behavior that would get you expelled from most higher education institutions.
The Canadians and Americans pretty much fought to a standstill. Neither side was anything special. Taking towns and pushing each other out wasn’t that impressive. It was the British navy and marines burning down the port towns and kicking all that ass. It was the rag-tag American navy tearing the wings right off Bristish shipping and hitting them where it hurt (el walleto de dinero). And it was a bunch of irregular scoundrels and weirdos murdering down the Scots in N’awlins after the treaty was signed because news from the (other) continent traveled a bit slower pre Marconi. Wet hay bales and grape shot and a canal to duck into a is a real bitch for a marching army that shoots in formation. And the stupid yankees grabbed the artillery ship so the fire support never materialized to cover an advance and so it was a real bloodbath.
In the spirit of Meheeco’s Independence Day, Obama will celebrate Cinco de Quatro by eating a perrito.
Heh.
For years, granted, this was also years ago, I used to have a Bastille Day party. Which was mainly an excuse to drink beer and wine and bbq for my friends.
Well, I’ve lived on the Quebec border for thirty years, and I’ve never heard of it. Must be a localized thing, I guess…
Drin©o de Mayo, the day I revisit and revel in my lifelong love of… Cuervo Gold!
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DpLgJ7pk0X-s&v=pLgJ7pk0X-s&gl=US
Quebecois love rubbing Anglo Canadians’ noses in it like that. Contrary to popular belief, the Habs are pretty friendly to Yanks–because it irritates the crap out of the Anglophones. Every decade or so, Maclean’s does a poll about attitudes toward union with Our Neighbor to the South, and Quebec has the highest favorability toward it. Entirely, I’m sure, to piss off Ontario.
The Canadians have always danced several steps leftwards of us. Their gun control laws are coveted by our own Dirty Socialists, and their controls on free speech and expression might make even Castro smile. I look north to Canada and recognize a somewhat grown-up California. Somewhat.
True story: My wife and I once made the mistake of deciding on Mexican for dinner out on an evening that happened to be exactly one week after April 28. Didn’t realize why it was a bad idea until we found ourselves actually waiting to be seated in a place where normally it’s a little less than half full.
Note to self: never try to like a YouTube what’s seen on mobile and expect it to work on desktop, even if the URL says it should.
Here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLgJ7pk0X-s
Oh, and some salt for the rim…
You get three guesses to which young Coloradan lady wrote that. If you actually need ’em.
Budweiser? No way am I being nice to that bunch for Budweiser.
I myself celebrated two weeks ago.
Vientiuno de Abril!
Quebecois invade Florida every winter. It’s their last stand.
Mexican Independence Day is Sept 16 BTW.
Cinco De Mayo commemorates the Battle of Puebla in 1862 when some French guy was called in to replace the dirty indian president and his army got their asses whipped. Oddly Cinco De Mayo is most celebrated in the US and in mexican towns on the US border. (Sort of like how St. Patrick’s day is a much much bigger deal in the US than it is in Ireland.)
Got in a cab with drunk people and made it (through Detroit) to Windsor when I was 23.
I still have the scars.
Fascinating.
Thanks, Spock.
oh my
Obama Commences Presidential Campaign With Attack on… Sarah Palin!
Oops, that was actually in response to the original post. But your story sounds intriguing as well! ;-)
Even the SCOAMF realizes this campaign will be a cakewalk, so he’s just a bit wistful I’m thinking for what might have been: having to face a substantial opponent. If BHO had to face Sarah Palin, now there would’ve been the campaign for the ages!
As it is, well, meh. He’s got this one, and he knows it…
David Plouffe, a senior adviser to the president, said he was happy with the crowds at this point noting that they dwarfed those that turned out for Mr. Romney.
landslide – mittens
Wasn’t much of a story, Mike. It was just like, “Hey! I’m in Canada!”
Then the whole bar turned out to be pretty much made of wooden stuff.
I was amazed they allowed smoking.
Anyway, I carved my name into some load bearing beam thingy.
Take that Canada!
Then it was all, “This snow & ice sucks! When do we get to Cabo?!?”
Few countries are as uptight about smoking as the United States. The last time I visited Spain – about a dozen years ago – they allowed smoking at Madrid-Barajas Airport. I’m not sure that it’s still that way after eight years of Zapatero’s socialist idiocy, though.
“Few countries are as uptight about smoking as the United States”
ya know hitler was a smoking nazi. oh my goodwin.
And a vegetarian too, I’ve heard.
Its too bad Palin ain’t a Jew.
Mike,
I didn’t mean I was amazed they allowed smoking in the “is it legal/ politically correct?” sense.
This was way before that. It was 1996 (I think…I dunno, I drink the good stuff and, therefore, forget lots’a shit). I know Bill Clinton was still busy rape-fondling every women around him while jumping up & down about the Dot.Com economy he had jack shit to do with.
Anyway.
I meant I was in a 150 year old bar in Ontario that was basically an ancient dry wood tinderbox, and, if some jerk-off were to drop a lit cigarette butt in the corner, we were all gonna go up in a 5 Alarm fire.
I will say this though. They may have a problem with the letter “O”, but back then, the Canadians had the hospitality of the deep South. We just said, “We’re American”, and they started buying us beer.
Granted, it was Molson from old kegs and they had no concept of “pitcher of beer”, but it was free, had the desired effect, they were fun, and took me to the hospital later (they just say “Hospital”, there’s no “the”).
I was serious about the scars.
Did you know some of the metal sewer grates in Canada are serrated?
Slip the curb on one damn piece of ice…
WTF is that about Canada?!
Obama Commences Presidential Campaign With Attack on… Sarah Palin!
If this makes the MSM I think even
idiotsindependents will…ICEBERG STRAIGHT AHEAD!!!How about some numbers.
Columbus, OH. Population 787,000. Black population 220,000. Ohio State, 28,000 staff, 57,000 students. Giving an Obama base of 305,000 of which he drew 4.6% and needed to draw 5.9% to fill the place.
Richmond, VA being the state capital and only 100 miles from DC should also be a snap for him to fill any venue to overflowing.
One moment showed a clip of former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, followed by a shot of Obama brushing something off of his shoulder.
With his subtle little middle-finger move, one can only imagine.
‘Cause say what you will, the man’s a Class Act.
[…] jdw says May 5, 2012 at 8:16 pm Obama Commences Presidential Campaign With Attack on… Sarah Palin! Even the SCOAMF realizes this campaign will be a cakewalk, so he’s just a bit wistful I’m thinking for what might have been: having to face a substantial opponent. If BHO had to face Sarah Palin, now there would’ve been the campaign for the ages! As it is, well, meh. He’s got this one, and he knows it… ********************************************************************************************* Original post; This is really inexplicable. Why would President Obama campaign launch in Ohio include a video presentation which had an attack, on of all people, Sarah Palin? For a campaign that has also launched its new slogan “Forward” to jump back to 2008 is weird to say the least. Even odder is the nature of the attack on Palin. The utter condescension in the “brushing off’ clip of Obama is pathetic and will only serve to rile up Palin supporters encouraging them to vote against Obama when they may have decided to stay at home rather than vote for Romney. This does go to show that Palin lives rent free in the Dem’s heads, including obviously President Obama’s who, to the bewilderment of even Michelle Obama, chose to attack Palin at the White House Press Corps dinner. It also shows the depths of their hate for her and her ability to get under their skins to their detriment as the lash out at what to them is a two minute hate Goldstein figure. How can someone who they deem as “irrelevant and a has been” still command so much of their attention? The answer is they still fear her potential to destroy them. […]