Prince William & Kate...slyly join mile-high club! Whirlwind tour delights residents of Great White North!

There was a raucous cheer or two, a lot of pomp and circumstance, and - on occasion - a heartfelt moment when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge touched down in Ottawa day-before-yesterday for a whirlwind 10-day tour.


What was this?

Kate Middleton was caught alighting from the chartered jet without a fanciful hat atop her pretty head!

Off with it, eh?

Meanwhile, it didn't escape the keen eye of Royal-watchers that Her Highness was not outfitted in the chic ensemble she donned to catch her flight out of Heathrow.

Uh-huh!

Gossips whispered and speculated - but it was crystal clear to moi - that Wills and Kate must have slid between-the-sheets on the journey across the big pond - and in the process - slyly snatched up the golden opportunity to become members of the exclusive (elusive) mile-high club!

Indeed!

On the heels of their arrival in Ontario, the Prince wowed the swarming masses (who turned out in full-force) when he elected to address the Nation in both Official languages, English and French respectively.

How politically correct!

Then, the charming Royal - not only took a poke at his broken French - but promised to "work" on the subtle nuances required to master the romantic language.

"It will improve as we go on," he chuckled.

Not to worry, Wills; after all, the die-hard Quebecois may be fussy about "getting the language right" - but - your bold-faced attempt to make a legit effort to speak it obviously put you in the Frenchie's good stead.
"He just sounded so cute and adorable with his English accent. He did pretty good," one Canuck gushed from the sidelines in a crush that spread several feet deep.

First stop for the cuddly lovebirds?

The Royals visited the National War Memorial where they solemnly and respectfully placed wreaths on the sacred tomb.

Shortly thereafter, the handsome twosome trotted off to meet-and-greet with the Prime Minister - Stephen Harper - and his better-half (lovely wife Laureen).

Over the past couple of days the newly-crowned "Duke and Duchess of Cambridge"also participated in a glut of Canada Day celebrations which included a formal Citizenship Ceremony where each of 'em passed out miniature flags to beaming immigrants boasting full legal status in the country (July 1st).

After a much-anticipated trip to Prince Edward Island (where they displayed their culinary skills at a shin-dig or two) the Prince and Kate are expected to attend the opening ceremonies for the ever-popular Calgary Stampede (in the Province of Alberta).

Judging by the news reports spewing out over International media outlets, the Canadian hosts were awestruck by the mere presence of the delightful Royals in their midst.

So much so, in fact, that the Government whipped up a personal flag for the Prince to wave from inside the confines of the Royal Limousine.

The last time such an honor was bestowed on a member of the Royal family was decades ago when Queen E 2 (Will's grandmother) received the nod.

Is that kind-of-like getting a key to the city?

I trust that Prince William (and Kate, too, if she is not a tea-totler) will chug-a-lug a Molson's ale (or two) during the course of his celebrated trip across the country.

A Canadian brewskie?

Nothing like it, dudes.

Cheers!

http://www.thetattler.biz

Happy Canada Day...to all my fellow Canucks! Chug-a-lug, eh?

Canucks...riots in mellow "pothead" town of Vancouver a shocker! Peace & Love, dude!

Having resided in Vancouver (B.C.) for approximately ten years during my rebellious hippie youth, I was quite shocked when the news footage of riots in the picturesque respite by the sea flooded the airwaves on nightly-news shows this past week.

As comic Jay Mohr noted last night on a talk-show, Vancouver has always been "home" to a multitude of peace-loving anti-war potheads.

So, what gives?

What elements have crept into the fabric of society on the normally gentle Pacific Northwest Coast to trigger such an alarming violent reaction to a loss at a mere sports match?

I have always been proud of the fact "us" Canadians tend to be neutral, cool-headed, and all-round good sportsmen when it gets down to the nitty-gritty.

I expect that pundits North of the border - in the wake of the tragic turn-of-events - are blaming American influences from south of the border, shadowy foreign upstarts with ulterior motives lurking in the shadows, whatever.

If what happened this past week is a sign of what Canada is all about these days, for sure, I prefer to reside in the United States.

Even if I do miss the strong Canadian beer!

American brews suck, after all!

Later!

http://www.thetattler.biz





Riots in quaint pot-town a shocker!





Nudists catch rays at infamous Wreck Beach!

Canadian Buck soars...loonies & toonies get respect!

For the first time in 31 years, the Canadian dollar has finally been on par with the U.S. greenback...and chomping at the treasury to lurch past it.

Understandably, in the great White North, hockey-lovers are rubbing their hands with glee.

Canadians are jubilantly tossing a few beer busts with party favors purchased south of the border - no doubt - now that the Canadian buck has some kick to it.

Years ago, when I first moved to the California, the dollar generally trailed behind the greenback by a few pennies.

Although the copper often took a gentle roller-coaster ride - up a few cents, then down again - there was little consternation over the issue.

Over time - the gap stretched so - that the "Maple Leaf" stooped to a dismal 87 cents on the dollar and was being referred to with disdain as the northern peso.

Ouch!

When I returned home to Toronto one Christmas, the monetary system was in a disturbing state.

The Government had cast out the "dollar bill" and replaced it with a coin.

The face was graced with a fine-feathered Canadian friend, the Loon. Not as awe-inspiring or as commanding as the all-powerful American Eagle on U.S. currency, though. Perhaps for this reason - or dismal fiscal state of things - the coin became known as the "loonie".

To make matters worse, the Canadian mint banished the two-dollar bill and introduced a two-buck coin in its place. It was quickly dubbed the "doubloon", or more succinctly, the "toonie".

Although crafted with a breathtaking design, the beautiful coin is flawed.

Fashioned in two alloys - with an outer rim in silvery tones, and a brassy-looking interior circle - startled Canucks discovered by accident one day that if tossed against a wall in frigid, freezing winter weather - the center popped right out!

Loon-acy, alright!

My pet peeve? Once you pass a five-dollar bill to a cashier, you never catch sight of paper notes again...yeah, cashiers foist nothin' but flashy coins at ya!

It was kind of an unexpected windfall for waiters and bartenders, though.

American tourists, and other world-weary travellers, are not always aware that the change on the table may amount to a fistful of dollars; so, ignorant of the fact - and assuming the amount a paltry sum of a buck or so - they're prone to leave the change intact on the counter as a tip, none the wiser.

Do you think the congenial workers are aware of the fact tourists may be in the dark?

You bet your sweet bippy...why else would people in the service industry warm up so quickly to the new currency???

For me, the coins cause too much jangling in the inner recesses of clothes - and over time - wear holes in trouser pockets.

Give me the greenback any day, to fold crisply in a billfold, or slip with a flourish into a fancy money clip.

It's so much easier to pass the buck, too!