one boring circle

laserman · « **Reply #20 on:** 11 Feb 2009, 04:28 pm »

Toronto is a beautiful city and I agree it reminds me a lot of Chicago (especially for Jazz). I have extended family in and around Toranto and holiday there in the fall every year. The folks in the area are very friendly and warm hearted. What amazes me is how much they know about everything USA. It was a little embassinging since I knew so little about Canada. Over the past few years I have made it a point to get smarter on what happens to our neighbors in the north. Last year, I even bushed up on their elections while they picked my brain about our election. OBTW, they are just as concerned about our economy as we are.

IMHO, Toronto rocks!

Lou

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #21 on:** 11 Feb 2009, 05:15 pm »

That did it. New or used, I'm never buying another GF product ever again.

Mike Dzurko · « **Reply #22 on:** 11 Feb 2009, 06:46 pm »

Two of my kids and I spent a day and a half in Vancouver two summers ago. We all agreed it was one of the most beautiful places we'd visited. Plan on spending more time there one day . . .

satfrat · « **Reply #23 on:** 11 Feb 2009, 10:25 pm »

Well most of Canada might be boring, hell so is Vermont, but is the power there as clean as the flowing water in it's streams? To my way of thinking, the less distractions there are, the more I can focus on music. I would rather live in a place where music lives in harmony with nature that say a place like NYC where music is an escape from one's outside environment. Long live Canada's environment... unless they have crappy power too. Then I'll stay where I am.

How's that for an audio spin on things?

Cheers,
Robin

anthony a. · « **Reply #24 on:** 11 Feb 2009, 10:35 pm »

i've never been to any of the praire provinces which im sure are beautiful if you like that sort of life, but i've been born and raised in toronto and love it. after recently being to nyc, the only thing i can say is that toronto is the same only somewhat smaller. same clubs, music, traffic, stores, etc. i do laugh insanely however, when some of my american cousins call me and ask how my neighbous in the igloos are doing. and the funniest part is that they are serious.

Syrah · « **Reply #25 on:** 11 Feb 2009, 10:38 pm »

I've always been amazed by the view, particularly in BC, that it is perfect, everywhere else sucks, how dare anyone suggest otherwise, and Torontonians are the arrogant ones - usually followed by "what do you mean culture?"

Let's face it, if you like mountains don't go to Toronto. If you like buildings older than you are, nightlife past 11pm, opera houses and Frank Ghery buildings - don't go to BC. It's not rocket science. To each his own...

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #26 on:** 11 Feb 2009, 10:38 pm »

Quote from: anthony a. on 11 Feb 2009, 10:35 pm

i do laugh insanely however, when some of my american cousins call me and ask how my neighbous in the igloos are doing. and the funniest part is that they are serious.

What do you live in to protect you from the elements then?

John

Philistine · « **Reply #27 on:** 11 Feb 2009, 10:46 pm »

Quote from: satfrat on 11 Feb 2009, 11:27 am

I can roll with that John,,,, I'm a little (but not too much) embarrassed to admit it but even tho my heritage is Canadian (my grandfather was from Quebec) and I only live 85 miles from the Canadian border, I have never been to Canada. It only seems right that before I die I should cross the border and visit the land of my ancestors.

I only wonder tho,,,, would my visit to Canada be as boring as this Circle? I jest.

Good Morning Canada!

Cheers,
Robin

Hey Robin, isn't 85 miles equivalent to a grocery store trip for you?
You gotta go, its just a day trip. We had to go to Ottawa for a visa renewal a few years and loved it, a cross between the US/Scandinavia & Scotland.
When I lived in Europe I used to joke that local news was Pittsburgh, national news was PA and international news was the US - wrong! In reality local news is my township, national news is Pittsburgh and international news is PA. Bottom line - Americans need to get out more.

NB
They might have some good coffee for you!

satfrat · « **Reply #28 on:** 12 Feb 2009, 12:28 am »

Quote from: Philistine on 11 Feb 2009, 10:46 pm

Quote from: satfrat on 11 Feb 2009, 11:27 am
I can roll with that John,,,, I'm a little (but not too much) embarrassed to admit it but even tho my heritage is Canadian (my grandfather was from Quebec) and I only live 85 miles from the Canadian border, I have never been to Canada. It only seems right that before I die I should cross the border and visit the land of my ancestors.

I only wonder tho,,,, would my visit to Canada be as boring as this Circle? I jest.

Good Morning Canada!

Cheers,
Robin

Hey Robin, isn't 85 miles equivalent to a grocery store trip for you?
You gotta go, its just a day trip. We had to go to Ottawa for a visa renewal a few years and loved it, a cross between the US/Scandinavia & Scotland.
When I lived in Europe I used to joke that local news was Pittsburgh, national news was PA and international news was the US - wrong! In reality local news is my township, national news is Pittsburgh and international news is PA. Bottom line - Americans need to get out more.

NB
They might have some good coffee for you!

Yea, I know Phil. I've always wanted to take a trip to Montreal or a journey thru Maine to New Brunswick.

Bill · « **Reply #29 on:** 12 Feb 2009, 04:16 am »

To Bob in St. Louis

I don't have any wilderness pictures of Canada but I have lots of New Mexico where I live.

To Everyone Else

I'm happy to incite some passion in this otherwise moribund Circle. I have always thought Canada to be a land of hockey rinks and donut shops eh?

satfrat · « **Reply #30 on:** 12 Feb 2009, 04:26 am »

Quote from: Bill on 12 Feb 2009, 04:16 am

To Bob in St. Louis

I don't have any wilderness pictures of Canada but I have lots of New Mexico where I live.

To Everyone Else

I'm happy to incite some passion in this otherwise moribund Circle. I have always thought Canada to be a land of hockey rinks and donut shops eh?

To you Bill

I always thought of New Mexico to be nothing but desert, full of illegal Mexicans and loading with taco stands.

Maybe you should start an equally boring New Mexico Circle so's to keep the Canadians company? You could moderate it yourself and maybe build up your post count to say 35 from such a Circle, all as equally boring posts as your last couple, eh?

Cheers,
Robin

Bill · « **Reply #31 on:** 12 Feb 2009, 04:55 am »

Satfrat

You're taking this way too seriously. I'm not sure why this is such a sensitive issue for you. I'll take the bait on your comments on NM. First of all, it is not desert in the true sense. It is mostly mountainous with high desert mesa. Secondly, there aren't too many illegal Mexicans. They can be found primarily in Texas, Arizona and California. Not many Taco stands here either.

Maybe you're just using irony with benign intent with your missives. Maybe then, I need to relax.

Go Leafs Go ( if they make the playoffs)

satfrat · « **Reply #32 on:** 12 Feb 2009, 05:07 am »

Quote from: Bill on 12 Feb 2009, 04:55 am

Satfrat

You're taking this way too seriously. I'm not sure why this is such a sensitive issue for you. I'll take the bait on your comments on NM. First of all, it is not desert in the true sense. It is mostly mountainous with high desert mesa. Secondly, there aren't too many illegal Mexicans. They can be found primarily in Texas, Arizona and California. Not many Taco stands here either.

Maybe you're just using irony with benign intent with your missives. Maybe then, I need to relax.

Go Leafs Go ( if they make the playoffs)

No bait Bill, sorry you feel that way. I was simply addressing your sarcasm with some of my own. Or are you the type that can dish it out but can't take it, eh?

No worries mate.

Go Bruins!

Cheers,
Robin

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #33 on:** 12 Feb 2009, 09:11 am »

Quote from: Bill on 12 Feb 2009, 04:55 am

Go Leafs Go ( if they make the playoffs)

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #34 on:** 12 Feb 2009, 11:38 pm »

I like Montreal! Had some porkchops with a prune sauce (doesn't sound too tasty, huh) in a Russian restaurant with some buffalo grass flavored Vodka. Never saw that on a menu before. A place on the west side. On my long walk back to my hotel encountered some hemp in the air passin a couple of cribs. Had a drink at a bar where the girl tending bar spoke only French. Lucky for me, she let me mix my own drink (the place was near empty) and brothers, she was totally beautiful! I got a memory for details.

Bill · « **Reply #35 on:** 13 Feb 2009, 02:58 am »

Somewhere on this thread, it was stated that Toronto is like NYC only smaller. By the same reasoning, is that like saying Hamilton is like Toronto, only smaller?

Just wonderin'

cujobob · « **Reply #36 on:** 22 Feb 2009, 12:26 am »

Toronto is a nice place to visit but I don't know that I could live there..my friends do currently. Many people are forced to live in tiny apartments/condos because everything costs too much...so I'd liken it to living in japan...without as much cool stuff...and ninjas.

I haven't seen a city I'd like to live in after having toured most everywhere...but many beautiful places to visit. Then again, I think living anywhere with snow is unnatural...and I live in Michigan haha..

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #37 on:** 22 Feb 2009, 06:15 pm »

Quote from: cujobob on 22 Feb 2009, 12:26 am

Toronto is a nice place to visit but I don't know that I could live there..my friends do currently. Many people are forced to live in tiny apartments/condos because everything costs too much...so I'd liken it to living in japan...without as much cool stuff...and ninjas.

I haven't seen a city I'd like to live in after having toured most everywhere...but many beautiful places to visit. Then again, I think living anywhere with snow is unnatural...and I live in Michigan haha..

Toronto isn't anywhere near the priciest city even in North America.....NYC, San Francisco and likely, LA, Boston, Washington DC and a bevy of small cities in California are as or more costly (measured as % of average income going to rent or mortgage costs)

One of the reasons Toronto is NOT expensive is because their banks (curiously not emulated by their impoverished southern neighbor

) typically loan 75% of a home's value and actually do exhaustive credit checks. Imagine that - banks that due their due diligence and minimize bad credit risks

...at the same time don't fuel home pricing escalation by 'juicing' the process. Something the US could learn a lot from (as our new President has accurately pointed out last week in meetings there)

Tokyo, Paris, London and probably a few others I'm not mentioning have NYC-like, nosebleed costing.

John

mantisory · « **Reply #38 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 12:12 am »

I have lived in pretty well every area of Canada west of Montreal (gotta get out to the maritimes some day!) and I would say that every place has it's highs and lows: BC has those beautiful mountains (but "BC is sooo beautiful" arrogance), Alberta has the wonderful mid-winter chinooks (but too many Albertans!), Saskatchewan has wonderful sunsets and super-clean air (but damn it's cold in January), Manitoba has...ummm...Winnipeg (don't knock it unless you've been there - it's truly a wonderfully vital and multicultural city, with many great musicians having hailed from there), and Ontario has just about everything else (including high real estate prices and INSANE traffic in toronto!).
That being said, this circle is pretty boring and I only heard about this thread because a member of my local audio group turned me onto the dissing of the circle - otherwise, there has been nothing but tumbleweeds rolling through here (like downtown Calgary after what, 5pm?)
cheers,
B

Bill · « **Reply #39 on:** 13 Apr 2009, 02:32 am »

Let's see... Go Jays Go ?