Mabfan's Musings

Today, of course, is the 89th anniversary of the end of World War I, the "war to end all wars."

In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Today, of course, is the 87th anniversary of the end of World War I, the "war to end all wars."

In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Today our friends to the north are celebrating Canada Day, the anniversary of Canadian Confederation. Our own independence celebration takes place on Monday, of course, but I have a soft spot for Canada and Canadian culture, and so to all my Canadian friends, happy Canada day!

To all my American friends who have talked about either immigrating to Canada or pretending to be Canadian when traveling abroad:

Have you heard of Stockwell Day? Have you ever experienced the humor of Rick Mercer and his Monday Report? Do you know which hour contains only 22 minutes? Can you name Canada's ten provinces and its Prime Minister? Can you identify your favorite hockey team? Can you name a Canadian's favorite place to get donuts?

If not, consider reading camwyn's essay How To Pass For Canadian. It's an excellent primer on the sort of things you ought to know about if you want to make someone think you're Canadian, or at the very least, give our northern neighbors the respect they deserve by knowing something about their country.

For my Canadian friends out there, a sad day in World War I:

The Great Halifax Explosion

At 9:05 a.m., in the harbor of Halifax in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, the most devastating manmade explosion in the pre-atomic age occurs when the Mont Blanc, a French munitions ship, explodes 20 minutes after colliding with another vessel.

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The massive explosion killed more than 1,800 people, injured another 9,000--including blinding 200--and destroyed almost the entire north end of the city of Halifax, including more than 1,600 homes. The resulting shock wave shattered windows 50 miles away, and the sound of the explosion could be heard hundreds of miles away.