"so my editor asked me to ask you..."

gullyj · **Posted:** Mon Jan 05, 2004 5:19 pm

These are the last two graphs of a Toronto Star story about Canadian government activities during last summer's blackout based on an FOI request for federal documents:*A call from a New York Times reporter in Albany to emergency officials in Ottawa asking whether "Canada's open-door immigration policy translates into terrorist threat to electrical grid."
The hand-scribbled message says the reporter talked editors out of doing the story.****Sounds like even NYT editors listen to talk radio*****

RimRat · **Posted:** Mon Jan 05, 2004 10:55 pm

Jeeze, Canuck. Did some yobbo actually call Ottawa with that question? That's unbelievable. Especially if it was assigned. But he/she probably also believes the 9-11 hijackers came into the US from Halifax, Saddam Hussein was behind the attack and the power failure started in Ontario. Oh yeah. And you can go skiing in T.O. in July. Probably listening to the junior senator from New York too much.[ January 05, 2004: Message edited by: RimRat ]

jjmoney62 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 06, 2004 11:14 am

I can say with total honesty that I didn't understand one word of either post in this thread.Is it another cultural divide?

Wayne Countryman · **Posted:** Tue Jan 06, 2004 6:03 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by jjmoney62:
I can say with total honesty that I didn't understand one word of either post in this thread.Is it another cultural divide?<hr></blockquote>you're not alone in this, jj.

RimRat · **Posted:** Tue Jan 06, 2004 8:51 pm

Ok, I thought Canuck might jump in here, but I guess not. The reference to the power outage should be clear from the events of last August. The NYT reporter who called Ottawa was using the oft-stated (and unproven) innuendo that Canada has a porous border and that there was a connection with this "fact" and the outage. Also, there is a widespread belief (in the US) that some of the hijackers involved in the World Trade Center attack came in through Halifax, Nova Scotia. This is not true and was debunked at the time. The reference to Saddam Hussein is predicated on poll results that show many Americans believe he was behind the attacks. Also not proven. The reference to the senator from New York was to Hillary Clinton, who also has reportedly said that the hijackers came in through Canada. She also said in interviews during the blackout that it started in Canada. To my knowledge, she has not rescinded either statement.As for the T.O. references ... that was probably away too inside, and I apologize. T.O. is Toronto, and there's a standing joke about people coming up from the U.S. in July with skis on the roofs of their cars.

paulwiggins · **Posted:** Tue Jan 06, 2004 8:58 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by RimRat:
Ok, I thought Canuck might jump in here, but I guess not. T.O. is Toronto, and there's a standing joke about people coming up from the U.S. in July with skis on the roofs of their cars.<hr></blockquote>
I got that one. I think I watch too many movies.

SeaRaven · **Posted:** Tue Jan 06, 2004 11:56 pm

Blame Canada! Blame Canada!

RimRat · **Posted:** Wed Jan 07, 2004 3:57 pm

Now THAT made me laugh, SR, right out loud. Profoundly disturbed some napping co-workers.

car copy · **Posted:** Thu Jan 08, 2004 4:38 pm

I've always heard the joke about US travelers going to Canada in July with their ski wear, but I've never seen one do that.

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