The Maple Leaf Lounge

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by Avro Arrow, Mar 14, 2018.

  1. Marc

    Marc Fleet Admiral Premium Member

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    they must be the ones dog fart didn't hire.
     
  2. Timewalker

    Timewalker Cat-lovin', Star Trekkin' Time Lady Premium Member

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    Well, now we know who will be in the new cabinet for Alberta. My MLA got picked for Minister of Education.

    While it's seen as an honor for a riding to have their MLA in cabinet (and a good practical thing for the extra visibility it gives that riding), this is not good. While she's one of the few whose pre-political work resume actually has something to do with the cabinet post she was given, it's for the wrong reason.

    There's been a back-and-forth here for years about GSAs (Gay-Straight Alliance groups). There are an awful lot of paranoid religious parents and groups and Catholic schools wailing that these are "ideological sex clubs" and they seem to have the notion that the intention is to turn their precious darlings into gay or transgender people (they also seem to think attendance is compulsory when it's the same as any after-school or noon hour extra-curricular activity that is entirely voluntary).

    Faith-based schools in Alberta get government funding, and so they're required to follow the official curriculum and whatever other rules apply to non-faith based schools. The only exception is that Catholic schools here are allowed to do an end run around the Charter of Rights and discriminate in their hiring practices on the basis of religion. Even a janitor in a Catholic school has to prove he's a practicing Catholic before being hired.

    So Jason Kenney and his new Minister of Education are reluctantly allowing GSAs for now (the Supreme Court said they had to), but they'd really prefer that the teachers out the kids who join them to the parents. Apparently the fact that it's not safe for some of these kids to let their parents know this information just whooshes right on by.

    There are numerous faith-based schools not in compliance with the previous government's orders to allow GSAs without outing the kids who join, and they were given an overly-generous amount of time to get this settled and done, or lose their public funding. Those schools must be relieved that we now have a premier who doesn't understand the concept of separation of church and state.
     
  3. Avro Arrow

    Avro Arrow Vice Admiral Moderator

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    So, um, apparently Canada is #3 in the world... for drunkenness.

    https://nationalpost.com/news/world...drunkenness-and-20-know-they-need-help-report

    I'm not sure whether we should try harder to lay off the bottle... or to try to make a run for #1! ;)

    The two countries that beat us? The US was #2, and the UK was #1. (Although note there were only representatives from 36 countries taking part in this "global" survey.)
     
  4. Timewalker

    Timewalker Cat-lovin', Star Trekkin' Time Lady Premium Member

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    Depending on what happens in the federal election in October, we very well might achieve #2.

    (not by my efforts; my worst beverage-related vices are Coke and Dr Pepper)
     
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  5. Marc

    Marc Fleet Admiral Premium Member

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    And a certain Ontario premier wants to have booze on sale everywhere at 9am in the morning.
     
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  6. Avro Arrow

    Avro Arrow Vice Admiral Moderator

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    Ugh, don't remind me. :crazy:

    I think I've mentioned on the board before that I can't drink for medical reasons, so I'm not going to be much help there either.

    It's five o'clock somewhere? :rolleyes:

    Ford doesn't even drink, himself. (I guess his brother hoarded all those types of vices in the family.)

    https://www.thestar.com/business/2019/04/26/why-is-premier-doug-ford-so-obsessed-with-liquor.html
    (Paywall, sorry!)
     
  7. Garak

    Garak Cruisin' Premium Member

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    Yeah if Trudeau gets in again it will be a disaster

    Scheer though is slowly turning into a wannabe Trudeau clone, it's been quite remarkable to watch

    Not a single decent candidate, except perhaps Maxim Bernier, although he sometimes comes off a bit too strong
     
  8. Timewalker

    Timewalker Cat-lovin', Star Trekkin' Time Lady Premium Member

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    Trudeau has been a disappointment, but I do not want a Harper clone (honestly, if you think he's not still pulling some of the back room strings both in Ottawa and in Edmonton with his lapdog Jason Kenney as our new Premier, I have ocean-front property in Red Deer to sell you).

    The only federal party leader I like right now is Elizabeth May.

    An interesting little article came up in this morning's CBC newsfeed:

    Mike Pence is coming Ottawa - but why hasn't Trump made a state visit to Canada yet?

    From my earlier participation in the comments section (sorry, not going to mention my name there), it's obvious that most of the comments can be summed up as "Trump, you're not welcome in Canada. Stay home."
     
  9. Owain Taggart

    Owain Taggart Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Maybe it's a blessing in disguise. In any case, I think it's going to be very interesting to see what Mike Pence does and I'm sure all eyes will be on him.
     
  10. Marc

    Marc Fleet Admiral Premium Member

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    maybe trudaeu could send Chrystia Freeland to meet pence.
     
  11. Avro Arrow

    Avro Arrow Vice Admiral Moderator

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    So I tried McDonalds' "Great Canadian Tastes" Chocolate Nanaimo McFlurry this weekend. It was good, and certainly chocolatey, but the flavour really didn't evoke "Nanaimo bar" in my mind. So in that sense, it was a disappointment.

    Also, I don't know if anyone is interested, but I'll throw it out there just in case. If anyone was hoping to get a pair of those Avengers-themed socks from the Post cereal promotion, but was short a code, I have one code available from a box of Shreddies. I will never use it (not into superheroes), so someone else might as well benefit. So the first Canadian (promotion is only in Canada) who asks for it via PM (not in thread, please), will get it. Just be aware that you need two codes to claim a pair of socks, and any claims have to be made on the promotional site by the end of the day on May 31.
     
  12. Timewalker

    Timewalker Cat-lovin', Star Trekkin' Time Lady Premium Member

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    I tried Nanaimo bars, and it turns out that I'm allergic to one of the ingredients. Not to mention that they have enough sugar in them to kill a diabetic in practically no time at all.
     
  13. Avro Arrow

    Avro Arrow Vice Admiral Moderator

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    Oh, sorry to hear that! :( Nanaimo bars are pretty awesome, IMO.
     
  14. Owain Taggart

    Owain Taggart Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Maybe there's a way to make them without sugar. Have a friend who's also diabetic who makes sugarless Buttertarts and they're amazing.
     
  15. Timewalker

    Timewalker Cat-lovin', Star Trekkin' Time Lady Premium Member

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    I found them far too sweet decades before I had to worry about diabetes.

    There was something about the chocolate or filling I was allergic to back then. Since that time I've come to learn which kinds of chocolate treats are safe, which are safe in small amounts, and which are not safe in any amount.
     
  16. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I've heard about Nanaimo bars (from watching Corner Gas, natch) but I have never eaten one. What do they taste like?
     
  17. Timewalker

    Timewalker Cat-lovin', Star Trekkin' Time Lady Premium Member

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    Imagine a dessert rectangle (I've never seen them cut in squares) that contains chocolate as the top layer, a middle layer that's like a combination of extremely sweet icing and pudding, and graham wafer bottom. It's insanely sweet.

    Some people love them. I can't handle them.
     
  18. Owain Taggart

    Owain Taggart Vice Admiral Admiral

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    It's sort of like custard dessert squares with a layer of chocolate on top. There are different variations such as vanilla and mint. I've heard there's also a name used for them in the U.S, but I forget what it is. Well, according to Wikipedia, an alternate name to them are Mabel bars.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanaimo_bar

    It is insanely sweet, as pointed out, and I'm not sure I'd be able to take the McFlurry version. Sweetness upon sweetness = too much sweetness.
     
  19. Avro Arrow

    Avro Arrow Vice Admiral Moderator

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    Like chocolatey heaven in your mouth! :D

    OK, they're not *that* good, but they're pretty good.

    But what they don't taste like is the Chocolate Nanaimo McFlurry! :p

    Interesting... I've made the mint version many times, and a version with a cherry-flavoured filling, but I always thought only the regular custard-flavoured version could be called a "Nanaimo" bar. Live and learn! :D
     
  20. Owain Taggart

    Owain Taggart Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Well, I think the regular version is the most common. The only other one I've had is the mint one, and I haven't heard of the cherry one until now.