Reader Tips

Reader Tips 61 Comments

In 1908 Robert Stanley Weir’, the son of a Scottish immigrant, composed the lyrics to O Canada. The words we sing today – at hockey games, mostly – are a slightly altered form of one of the three original verses, but tonight we get the full deal: from a 1914 Edison Wax Cyclinder recording, here’s New Brunswick native Harry McClasky (who recorded under the pseudonym Henry Burr – an apt name, considering his bracing, lightly-trilled, Presbyterian Scots delivery) singing the complete and original version of O Canada.
Happy Canada Day, ye stalwart sons and not-so-gentle maidens. You are invited, as always, to provide your Reader Tips in the Comments.

61 Replies to “Reader Tips”

  2. “Moi? Non…”
    From the Telegraph: “List of French who collaborated with Nazis to be published online.”
    “Thousands of French citizens who collaborated with the Nazis during the Second World War will be unmasked when police reports from the era are finally made public and published online
    “Since the liberation of Paris, the details of the collaborators have been kept hidden in cardboard boxes in the basement of the police museum in the French capital.
    “But now all of the files – which include information passed on to the Nazis by those who lived during the occupation of 1940 to 1944 – will be scanned and published online.”

  3. Goddamit, it’s Dominion Day, and we sing the real “O Canada”, not Trudeau’s version.

  5. That’s exactly right, KevinB. And on that note, did you read the post, or listen to the song?
    Erm…Happy Canada Day!

  6. EBD
    Thanks for that, I had no idea O Canada was that old and had never heard the original version.
    I must have missed that elementary school history class.
    Syncro

  7. “Hube,” at Colossus of Rhodey, on Chavez-loving filmmaker Oliver Stone’s ilk:
    “I’ve always been fascinated by well-to-do lefties who just don’t get it. Are they so enamored by the professed ideals of people like Chávez that they purposely block out the actual results? Or do they actually approve of the results — jail for political differences, massive barriers to free speech, etc. — at least in the short term, so that the ideal can be reached?
    “I’ve come to the conclusion that there are essentially two types of people who support people like Chávez, Castro, et. al.: Very well-to-do ‘progressives’ (usually foreigners) and the very destitute (usually natives). People in the middle usually want nothing to do with these thugs. I can understand the destitute…”
    The rest here.

  10. Thank you Vitruvius. Tsk, Tsk, EBD, you should know better.
    The song that should be the national anthem, if only ’cause it kicks ass on the pipes

  11. Happy Dominion Day, tomorrow, everyone….
    Just kicking back, savouring life on the majestic wild coast of V.I. Does it get any better?

  12. To be clear, SDH, I didn’t call it “Canada Day”, and I didn’t call it “Dominion Day”. I’ve been in this argument for years now [1], [2], & [3], and it doesn’t work for me any more. Our Canadian Forces salute Canada Day and the new flag: that we must respect. History is important too, thus we also celebrate Dominion Day and the Red Ensign. You, or at least most of you, have the ability and strength to do all those things: neither need be exclusively argued simply to score ideological cheap points.

    And furthermore, personally I think that The Log Drivers Waltz should be our national anthem, but I’m not going to be so crass as to get into a fight over it on Dominion of Canada day itself. That’s just a waste of opportunity to celebrate. All the best to you and yours, have a great summer, everyone.

  13. “Tsk” all you want, SDH, but O Canada is our national anthem – albeit, based on our our citizens’ recently-flaunted tendencies, “Brass In Pocket” might just be the more appropriate choice…

  16. I wonder if the Nazi collaborator list will include those whom the left wanted to blackball, for political reasons, after the war.
    There were many years of payback in France, when the rise of the left was beginning to take place.
    I can see many of the left’s ideological enemies being placed on that list.
    Same thing happened in Greece and Italy as well as other places..

  18. Why, thank you very much tom, (11:27 pm). Now we have a real image of ‘T’. For a while there, I once thought he was an idiot….

  20. I can only just recall fragments of a number, having something to do with maple leaves and Montreal, performed by a cowboy singer, a Slim Somebody-or-other.
    “The girls came out and did a dance called ‘The Maple Sugar Swing’,
    With a maple leaf here, and a maple leaf there, and a handkerchief on a string.”
    Now that would be an anthem to make every man stand up and salute.
    A Happy Canada Day to all up North.

  21. EBD @ 11:01, was that a 57 Cady? BTW, that rendition of O Canada sounded great, considering it was done in 1914.
    Billy Stewart does a great job of Summertime, although here on the back 40, rather than livin is easy, during the summer it is work work work.

  23. Entertaining to have been following John Hawkins and his refusal to allow the “Joe Clark conservative”, David Frum to be linked to Hawkin’s blog ads. Hawkins doens’t consider Frum to be a conservative. heh heh!

  27. Yes, thanks for that one, Revnant Dream:

    UN Spokesperson: “It comes down to a vote, really, you know; resolutions are passed by a simple majority, so if you have enough countries you can pass a resolution.

    Interviewer: “So, in theory, a majority could pass any resolution…”

    UN Spokesperson: “Oh, happens all the time! Absolutely! I mean, if you get enough countries who hate semolina pudding, you can have it classified it as a crime against humanity…”

    Money quote from the comments:
    “Get all the world’s dictatorships to vote together with a minority western representation and suddenly – BAM!- it’s the ‘will of the world.’ If that wasn’t a horrifying and sick concept, I’d be following my statement with ‘ha ha ha’…”

  30. Happy Dominion Day. Thanks for the 1908 recording Vίt.
    One day in about grade five our principal told us that we wouldn’t be singing The Maple Leaf Forever in assembly anymore. He said that some people in Eastern Canada didn’t like the lyrics. Now that I think about it, that was probably the beginning of a proud Canada turning into a politically correct society which strives to offend no one and apologizes to all those who demand it.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxOhk4Lk9aE

  31. cantuc: Thanks for posting thatarticle – not a good development – sad. I wonder if their English headquarters will be located in the proposed Cordova Mosque next door to Ground Zero in New York – would not be surprised in the least. New Yorker’s will be hearing the call to prayer 5 times a day – they will need an english translation of their propoganda for all their new converts.

  34. Some words of praise for the federal government from Plan Canada’s president:
    At the same time, I see good reasons to be encouraged (about the maternal health initiative). One is that most people were unaware of these issues six months ago. Today, they are clearly understood by many, thanks to the extensive media coverage received. For far too long, the richer countries of the world have turned a blind eye to the 8.8 million preventable child deaths each year and the fact that pregnancy is a death sentence for some half million teenagers and women around the world. That maternal and child health was chosen as the signature issue for a world leaders’ summit was a breakthrough and the momentum this creates is irreversible.
    I’m proud of Canada’s role as midwife to this breakthrough. I applaud our government’s determination to draw the world’s attention to this tragedy and to back up a call to action with $1.1 billion of new money. The public dialogue that began in January – when Stephen Harper announced this G8 focus – will have lasting impact. There’s been lively debate in the media, in community discussion groups, in formal conferences and workshops, and around dinner tables – as Canadians educated themselves on the issues and considered what to do in response.

  36. I had no idea O Canada was that old
    Parts of it go back to the eighteenth century. The melody borrows heavily from the music that Mozart wrote in 1791 for the beginning of the second act of The Magic Flute, or, if you prefer, Die Zauberflote, the last opera that he completed. Good thing to borrow from.
    Happy independence day to our good neighbors to the north.

  37. The death of the Euro and the rise of common sense over the rule of Brussels.
    “Even a rabbit-breeding club has to submit its agenda items two weeks before a meeting, so that the members can be prepared,”.
    http://tinyurl.com/25earvj

  38. One better on the Chatham Kent councillor facing charges; Steve Pickard. Not only is he the current federal Liberal nominee for Chatham-Kent-Essex his father was the long serving MP for the same riding; Jerry Pickard.

  39. Everybody! Happy Dominion Day!
    tom, I got a distinctly gay vibe off the “gentleman” (aka the why-guy) in that video.
    In his black, “To Resist,” T-shirt, was this foul- mouthed idiot an outrider for the Black Bloc or just a refugee from Church Street?
    Jeesh.

  40. Memories of a fellow traveller. For some people, the Empty Quarter evoked the Gulag. For me, it brought back memories of 1980s Kabul under the Soviet occupation and also Tehran under siege when terrorist bombs were popping off everywhere, sending the bigwig mullahs behind barricades of concrete blocks, which ordinary mortals approached at risk of being arrested, if not shot.

  41. You were perfectly clear Vitruvius.
    The “Dominion” part is, in my opinion, the most important part of today. 143 years ago the British North America act came into force and laid the foundation for our country.
    All Canadians should celebrate those aspects of this great country which they hold most dear, but we should never overlook those great men who formed our fair Dominion with the stroke of a pen.
    EBD, no offence was intended in my gentle chide. My apologies if any was taken.
    A safe and happy Dominion of Canada Day to all.
    A very respectful Memorial Day to all the Newfoundlanders.

  42. Power Line (link below) is one of the best blogs out there, especially for keeping tabs on the serial offences of the Obama administration and other Democratic thugs, like the masseuse’s pal, Al Gore.
    “Meet J. Christian Adams” is an altogether damning expose on the utterly despicable—actually criminal (that’s the usual for Obama and his Chicago posse)—reverse racism being perpetrated by Obama’s Department of Justice (sic), which is doing cover for Black Panther criminals. The interview by Fox News’s Megyn Kelly, a lawyer herself, is excellent.
    The exposes of Elena Kagan—be very afraid if (actually, when) she’s confirmed—are eye opening—but not so mind boggling: what else would one expect of someone with her impeccable liberal credentials?
    AND, days ago, on June 29th, Power Line featured the Canadian hero who tackled one of the Black Bloc thiefs—or maybe just a camp follower. Yes, I hope this fine citizen’s identified and recognized. Notice all the creeps on their phones, who just walked by? Disgusting.
    Power Line—the proprietors? three savvy, conservative lawyers—is a treasure trove of first rate reporting and analysis. Good-bye CBC, CTV, TVO, etc. We haven’t watched them in years. Power Line and Fox have improved our brain power and blood pressure altogether! Go to:
    http://www.powerlineblog.com/

  43. Farmerboy, when I lived in Southwestern Ontario, Jerry Pickard was my MP (dear G*d).
    He was spewing typical Librano crap all over the papers, so I called his office. Boy, did he not like the fact that I knew what I was talking about and that I was calling him on his mendacity. He got all hot under the collar and, as per usual with the leftards, began to verbally assault me. I called him on that too.
    At that point, to his credit, he backed off and admitted he was being abrasive with me and apologized.
    Pickard was not a smart guy but a Liberal tool who spouted all the Librano talking points ad nauseum. I’m not surprised his son is in trouble; he would have been a kid who grew up with an entitled, left-lib view of the world and all of the wrong ideas that go along with it.

  44. Re: The Enraged Shopper
    Obviously fake, I’m surprised nobody picked up on it. Look at what the guy was wearing: a T-shirt with a big red star on it; with a peace sign superimposed; and a slogan that said “(something) to resist!” This isn’t a shirt an ordinary shopper would wear, but a protester, on that day, certainly would.

  48. Obama and his manipulation.
    ” Barack Obama defended his record unemployment rate today telling an audience in Racine, Wisconsin: “Unemployment is at 9.6%. At least it’s not at 12, 13 or 15 percent.”
    Well, that’s comforting… Considering he promised it wouldn’t rise above 8%.”
    Incredible. The arrogance of this man continues to stun me.

  49. Posted by: Eskimo at July 1, 2010 12:26 AM
    Does anyone but Frum himself and MSNBC actually consider him to be a conservative?

  50. Could be more riots today:
    Quebec-based protest group to mark Canada Day with G20 march:
    The Anti-Capitalist Convergence group, which earlier this week accused Toronto police of targeting Quebecers during last weekend’s arrests, has called for a “demonstration against police repression” beginning at noon on Thursday in Square St-Louis.
    Mr. Francoeur said he hopes 1,000 protesters from unions and student groups will march in solidarity with those who were arrested — of the more than 450 protesters who traveled with the Anti-Capitalist Convergence on the bus from Montreal, only about 125 returned, the group has said.
    http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/06/30/quebec-based-protest-group-to-mark-canada-day-with-g20-march/
    From there website:
    PROTEST THE CRIMINALIZATION OF DISSENT IN TORONTO!
    ORGANIZE A SOLIDARITY PROTEST IN YOUR CITY!
    Ottawa (J30), Hamilton (J30), London (J30), Windsor (J30), Winnipeg (Ll1), Québec City (JL1), Lyon (France, JL1) and others cities will also hold solidarity demonstrations
    http://www.clac2010.net/
    By far the most successful of the Anti-Capitalist Convergences has been the one, based in Montreal, best known by its French acronym: CLAC (Convergence des Luttes Anti-Capitalistes). Originally formed to coordinate protests at the Quebec City Summit of the Americas in April, 2001, it continued to operate afterwards, and provided the engine for the Take the Capital! protests the following year.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Capitalist_Convergence

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