Friday, March 23, 2007

It's Good to be Canadian!

Open my wallet and after the moths fly out of the paper money compartment one can see that's its contents are fairly standard. Credit cards, debit card, social insurance card, KISS Army membership card, library card, semi-naked snapshots of Patrick Swayze circa "Roadhouse"...wait how'd they get in there? Not mine, I assure you. I'm more a "Point Break" kinda gal.
One of the most important things in my wallet has got to be my OHIP card. "Ontario Health Insurance Plan" that is. OHIP. And Oh, it is indeed hip. So hip that if I somehow manage to break a hip, all necessary medical attention to remedy it is free of charge. F.O.C. 'Cause in Canada we have free medical coverage. Not everything is covered, but let's just say that most Canadians rushed into emergency rooms will be exempt from shouldering the financial burden of such an unfortunate visit.
The guy who did much to put this whole wonderful health care system in effect was a legendary politician and gentleman named Tommy Douglas, who was recently voted our "Greatest Canadian" by a nation wide poll, a vox populi, if you will, spoken out all Canadian-style, eh?
Tommy passed away in 1986. His daughter Shirley, is quite the grande dame of Canadian theatre. Shirley's son, and Tommy's grandson, has been known to save the world in a 24hr time period on a regular basis. Fictiously of course, but nonetheless, hella convincingly.
C'mon you know I'm talkin' about Bauer. But really I'm not. Talkin' about Kiefer.
He just doesn't register as actor/Jack/star for me. He's all about the gear. Major guitar fanatic. That's how I enjoy him most.
Check out Kiefer's and partner Jude Cole's studio and independent record label collective known as Ironworks. Impressive!
Equally impressive is Kiefer's X-mas tree surfing. X-tacy to watch! What a rock star thing to do. He shouldn't be embarrassed of this. He should OWN it! AND, make it a yuletide tradition.

The catchy tune, "How Fast" is by one of Ironworks' artists, Rocco Deluca and The Burden. Most of the clips are culled from the documentary "I Trust You to Kill Me" which chronicles life on the road with Rocco and Co., and Kiefer working it as road manager (before the band fired him!) OOOooo the intrigue! But apparently Kiefer was cool about it.
Apparently, Kiefer is just that in general, cool. Classy and gracious.
Grandpa Tommy would be proud.

currently listening to: The Replacements, Pleased to Meet Me

6 comments:

Todd and in Charge said...

Great post -- didn't know that about Kiefer, I dug the straight guy act he pulled in that movie with Dennis Hopper, Flashback.

Faerie said...

LOL They had some of that special on VH1 or something. It was entertaining and I felt bad for Big K at the end....

Im not a huge 24 fan because it would require me to think and watch TV ... but I do like him ...

(**COD leaked... *veins are about to pop*)

Allan said...

I didn't know that either...I like him. He recently gave a speech explaining that torture is wrong and he is only playing a character on TV. It was a nice gesture, I thought.

Hey E, I gave you an award. It's on my blog.
*powerchords!*
A

Jay said...

Yahoo for free health care.

Godwhacker said...

Health care south of the boarder (The US, not Mexico) is seriously AFU (Military acronym for "All F++cked Up). A totally free market system has a natural price control effect and a single payer system (like Canada) has streamlines costs and provides universal coverage. Here, we have the worst of both worlds :(

bonjourtristesse said...

hey all!
Todd...anything with Dennis Hopper, I'm there, but somehow Flashback remain on my "Gotta see" list. Hopper in Blue Velvet is disturbing, but brilliant!
Invisible! "Big K"...love it! I don't really watch 24 either...I did once listen to Pink Floyd's the Wall for 24 hrs straight...
Allan!THANKS THANKS THANKS!!!!! Allan, you have done wonders for my ego...I adore you!

Jay! good to see you! We are lucky eh?

GW! I like FUBAR as well. (effed up beyond any repair)In Canada we use it to describe our metalhead burnouts. How does it work in the States? Do you get a bill in the mail or do you have to pay when you leave the hospital? I gotta do my research...

thanks y'all!