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Just Another Coincidence, #782 When they move the DMV in Springfield, Selma wonders "where will we do the 3-point turn?" she's told, "just do it on Bayly." So, is it just a coincidence that Ontario's version of the DMV, the MTO office, is located on Bayly Street in Pickering? Chicken & Egg, #151 Sometimes it's hard to tell if The Simpson's are stealing story lines from Ontario, or if Ontario is stealing story lines from The Simpson's. Here's an example: In the 1990's, Springfield's state legalized gambling, and Monty Burns built a casino. In the 1990's, Ontario legalized gambling, and the Rama nation built a casino in Orillia. The question is, which one came first? It started off innocently enough. It was just a simple conversation with a pretty brunette at a hotel bar in Las Vegas. But that pretty brunette and I shared something in common. Nothing big, just a hometown in southern Ontario. But that little hometown played a big part in this girl?s life, and it had become an even bigger part of the television series she had been contributing to for years. Pick up a copy of Pickering is Springfield, and find out how a humble little, small Ontario town, became fodder for countless episodes of the greatest television series of all time. Order it now, on Amazon.com. Pickering Geography Lesson, #82 In an early episode of The Simpson?s, Bart thinks he?s Evil Knievil, and decides to jump over the Springfield Gorge. The Gorge is just another unique, identifying feature of Springfield. And as a brief lesson for those that don?t know, a gorge is a valley or canyon that has been carved out by millions of years of glaciers and river erosion. For a more local example of a gorge, just look at the Rouge River Valley which makes up the western boundary of Pickering. Yes, it?s a massive, massive gorge. Just one more geographical similarity between Pickering and that fictional town of Springfield that we all love so much. Pickering Geography Lesson, #12 Springfield is in a latitude that enjoys four, distinct seasons. So does Pickering. Okay, this is a fairly simple similarity, but we?re going to start off small. This certainly doesn?t pinpoint Pickering on a map, but it does count alot of other cities out of the running. Snow days and heat waves, not to mention autumn leaves and cool spring days are woven into various storylines of The Simpson?s, and that?s what life is like in Pickering. Pickering Geography Lesson, #226 Springfield is located next to a large body of water, with a marina for boats and yachts. Lots of episodes of The Simpson?s include references to the large body of water on which Springfield resides. There?s the episode where Homer and Marge make out in the lighthouse, and of course, the sea captain is definitely a recurring character. Well, Pickering is on the shores of Lake Ontario, which is part of the largest fresh water system of lakes in the world. Furthermore, all you have to do is follow Liverpool Road until it doesn?t go south anymore, and you?re at the marina, with lots of boats, and lots of pretty yachts. Landmarks, Landmarks, Landmarks #42 The Frenchman?s Bay Lighthouse Is it just me, or does the lighthouse in The Simpson?s look remarkably similar to the historic, old lighthouse that stood at the foot of Frenchman?s Bay? Surely it?s just my imagination working overtime. This image was taken from the Ajax Pickering Archive, at www.pada.ca. Check it out! Stolen Story Line, #33 Mono-rail, Mono-rail, Mono-rail Did you know that until Scarborough was annexed, the Toronto Zoo wasn't actually in Toronto? It's actually located in the North-East corner of Scarborough, bordering on the Rouge River Valley, Pickering?s western edge. Many of the animals in the Canadian exhibit roamed over the Scarborough-Pickering border and into the Rouge River Valley. To get visitors to this more remote location, a monorail was used; well, it was used until it started experiencing brake failures in the 1990?s. Finally, after a crash that injured 60 people, some quite seriously, the monorail was permanently parked. In the famous monorail episode of The Simpson?s, the monorail?s brakes fail, and it goes flying out of control. Funny, but that's exactly the same thing that happened to the monorail that ventured into Pickering's Rouge River Valley. Yes, like Springfield, Pickering has a dysfunctional monorail. Both Pickering and Springfield can claim a monorail system that was shut down due to brake failure. Yeah, just another coincidence. Landmarks, Landmarks, Landmarks #91 The MacDonald-Cartier Freeway: Highway 401 What is the name of the big highway that runs through Springfield? Well, American towns don?t have four-hundred highways, right? They have interstates, like I-69 and I-53. Only Canadian cities have 400 highways like the 401, the 404 or the overpriced 407. But wait, the highway that goes through Springfield is the 401? The exact same highway that goes through Pickering, Ontario. What?s more, The Simpson?s jump on the 401 to get to Capital City. And which highway do you jump on when you want to get from Pickering to Toronto, the capital of Ontario? Well, you jump on the 401 of course, just like you would in Springfield. Pickering History Lesson, #72 Springfield was Settled in the 1790?s In which decade was Pickering settled and established? If you guessed the 1790?s, you?d be right. Pickering was first surveyed in 1791, just five years before Springfield, which was settled by Jebidiah Simpson in 1796. That?s a pretty small margin of error, ?if you ask me, and most people do.? Just Another Coincidence, #88 Pickering?s Coat of Arms The Springfield coat of arms has: ? a spinning atom ? a star ? an ear of corn, representing agriculture Pickering?s coat of arms has: ? a spinning atom ? the sun (which is a star) ? a sheaf of wheat, representing agriculture Oh, and the Springfield coat of arms also has a beaver on it too, but I couldn?t figure out what a beaver had to do with Canada, other than it being the national symbol and all. Just Another Coincidence, #327 Big League Baseball in the Capital When Homer makes waves as the mascot for the Springfield Isotopes, he heads to Capital City, to learn from the big league mascot, the Capital City Goofball. So, the Capital City in The Simpsons has a big league baseball team. So, how many other states, or provinces for that matter, have big league baseball team in their capital cities? Think of the capital cities of just a few states, and see if those cities have major league baseball teams. Just try to name a few. New York Yankees? Chicago Cubs? Detroit Tigers? St. Louis Cardinals? Los Angeles Angels? Cincinnati Reds? Philidelphia Phillies? Tampa Bay Devil Rays? Kansas City Royals? Houston Astros? Well, those are all good guesses, but they?re all WRONG . None of those cities are state capitals. Unlike Canada, American states usually make their capital cities smaller, meeker cities. In Canada, practically every provincial capital is the biggest city in the province. (By the way, in The Simpsons, the capital city is said to be the biggest city in the province.) Very few state capitals actually have a major league baseball team, taking almost every state out of the running as the true inspiration for the fictional city of Springfield. Of course, Pickering is just a short drive on the 401 to Toronto, where you can go to the Rogers Center, and watch a Toronto Blue Jays game. Pickeing is Springfield. Toronto Sports Trivia Where did Babe Ruth hit his first professional home run? Do you know the answer to this question? If you answered Toronto, you?d be right. Yes, another great moment in American history is actually a Canadian one. By the way, Americans say Abner Doubleday invented baseball in 1840. It was actually invented in Canada in 1838. Canada issued a stamp commemorating 150 years of baseball in 1988; do the math. Anyone that thinks baseball was invented by a Yank is DoubleDayDreaming. Just Another Coincidence, #164 Toronto vs. Capital City The Simpson?s Capital City is the largest city in the state, which is actually quite unusual, especially if Springfield is located in the United States; but then again, we all know that it really isn?t. Toronto, Ontario?s capital is the largest city in the province. Too bad it?s governed by a bunch of Liberal dorks. Crazy Distances, #30 Just 30 Short Miles Away When The Simpson?s drive to Capital City, the sign says that it is 30 miles away. 30 miles equates to 48 kilometers, and 48 kilometers is the exact distance between Pickering and downtown Toronto, which is the capital of Ontario. Crazy Distances, #8 How far away is Branson, MO? When The Simpson?s have to go to Branson, MO, Lisa complains: ?Branson, Missouri? That?s a thousand miles away.? So, if you were to guess, within a margin of error of fifty or sixty miles, how far away Pickering Ontario is from Branson, Missouri, how far would you guess? If you guessed a thousand miles, you?d be well within the margin of error. According to Mapquest, Branson Missouri is 1052 miles away from Pickering. Of course, if you took a few back road short-cuts along the way, I?m sure you could round it right off to an even 1000. Mapquest it if you don?t believe me. :) Chicken and the Egg, #16 About The Worlds Largest Tire Fire The ?largest tire fire on the planet? happened when 14 million tires went up in flames in Haggersville, Ontario. No, it wasn?t Pickering, but it was in the same province as Pickering, not all that far away. Of course, anyone that watches The Simpson?s knows that the Springfield Tire Fire is a recurring gag, making appearances in episode after episode. So, the question is, what happened first? Did Ontario have a tire fire, and then it appeared in the Simpson?s, or did it happen first in the Simpsons, prognosticating the future for Ontario? Where is the real Springfield? Lots of towns and cities around the world claim to be the inspiration of the fictional town of Springfield. Over the past few months, I've seen some really lame attempts by mayors and government representatives to claim the crown by citing similarities such as "the man the owns the paper mill in town looks alot like Monty Burns," or "we have a donut factory, and we all know that Homer Simpson likes donuts." Even worse, towns with no similarities at all, except the name, are claiming the crown. "We are named Springfield, and we have a 7-11, so we must be the town on which Springfield is based." For the most part, these claims are pretty non-conclusive. I can give you about a thousand similarities between Pickering and Springfield that are way better than these lame claims. Plus, there?s the inside information as well, but we won?t even get into that. Here are just a few similarities between Pickering and Springfield. The list goes on and on, way beyond what?s listed here. I?d love to post every one of the little similarities I know of, but alas, I am way too lazy. M o r e C a n a d i a n s >> > M o r e C a n a d i a n s >> Just Another Coincidence, #1 Who Runs the Nuclear Power Plant? Who runs the nuclear power plant in the Simpson?s? Mr. Burns? Monty Burns? Charles Montgomery Burns? The middle name of the character that owns the nuclear power plant was taken from the very name of the street that the nuclear power plant is on in Pickering, Ontario. Yes, the nuclear power plant in Pickering is located on Montgomery Park Road, right across the street from Montgomery Park. MapQuest it if you don?t believe me. It?s all true. Buy The Darn Book! It?s Only Ten Bucks!!! Well, those are just a few of the many pieces of evidence that you will find to prove that Pickering is Springfield. Of course, I didn?t figure this all out on my own. I had help. And it?s a pretty good story as to how I came across this information. If you want more evidence about how Springfield is really Pickering, well, all you have to do is watch the show. But if you want to find out how I know all this, well, you?ll have to pick up a copy of the book. It?s a short book, and it won?t take you too long to read. And it?s only ten bucks. I mean, that?s a pretty good bargain. Order it now. On Amazon.com. Canadian Contributors The late Phil Hartman played Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz Phil Hartman Bret Hart Donald Sutherland Robert Goulet Alex Trebek Paul Anka Dave Thomas Scott Thompson Elvix Stojko Tim Long and Joel Cohen? ? Robert Goulet plays himself. [ 1F08 "$pringfield" ] ? Donald Sutherland played Hollis Hurlbut (the museum curator) [3F13 "Lisa the Iconoclast" ] ? Paul Anka plays himself. [3F04 "Treehouse of Horror VI" ] ? Bret "The Hitman" Hart plays himself [4F17 "The Old Man and the Lisa" ] ? Dave Thomas (SCTV fame) does the voice for Rex Banner.[4F15 "Homer vs. the 18th Amendment" ] ? Alex Trebek [5F07 "Miracle On Evergreen Terrace"] Scott Thompson (Kids in the Hall) [(EABF12 "Three Gays of the Condo"] Frank Gehry (Architect) [(#GABF08 / SI-1608 "Seven Beer Snitch")] ? Elvis Stojko (Figure Staker) [(#JABF01 / SI-1801 "Kill Gil, Volumes 1 & 2")] Tim Long William Shatner Joel Cohen Simpsons creator Matt Groening also has links to Toronto. His pre-Simpsons comic strip, Life in Hell, got picked up in the Toronto alternative weekly Now. P h i l H a r t m a n , ( 1 9 4 8 ? 1 9 9 8 ) Phil Hartman (September 24, 1948 ? May 28, 1998) Born in Brampton, Ontario, Phil Hartman was one of the funniest, most understated and underappreciated comedians of our time. Along with acting and stand up, Canada?s Phil Hartman was also a voice over professional, comedian, graphic artist and writer. He first came to widespread attention in the late 1980s and early 1990s for his roles on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, afterwards going on to motion pictures, frequent roles on the animated The Simpson's, and a major part as "Bill McNeal" on the sitcom NewsRadio. On the Simpson?s, Phil Hartman was the voice of everyone?s favorite attention whore, Troy McClure, and attorney at law, Lionel Hutz. On May 28, 1998, Hartman was murdered by his wife, in his Encino, California home. While he slept, his wife entered his bedroom with a revolver and shot him multiple times in and around the head Rest in Peace, Phil Hartman. Comedy misses you. B r e t H a r t ( C a l g a r y, A l b e r t a ) I was lucky enough to see Bret Hart?s debut wrestling match in Maple Leaf Gardens, like, 100 years ago. Nobody knew who he was, but he totally lit the place up. He played himself in Season 8, on the episode ?The Old Man and the Lisa?, [4F17] Bret Sergeant Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, and part of the Hart wrestling family. In the course of his career, he is best known by his ring name Bret "Hitman" Hart (alternatively spelled "Hit Man") - adopted from boxer Thomas Hearns. He also used the monikers "The Excellence of Execution" (originally dubbed as such by Gorilla Monsoon), "The Pink and Black Attack" and perhaps the most resounding, "The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be" (derived from the 1984 film The Natural, which starred Robert Redford). One of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he claimed seven World Heavyweight Championships during his career. Hart claims to be the greatest wrestler of all time by citing three facts: that he never seriously injured an opponent through any fault of his own; that, in the course of his career with the World Wrestling Federation, he only ever missed two shows, both as a result of traffic and flight difficulties; and the claim that he rarely refused to job. A l e x T r e b e k ( S u d b u r y , O n t a r i o ) ?Older than what? Dirt? I hope you lose!? I remember Alex saying that to a contestant on the really cheezy television show Pitfall, about a million years ago. The thing was, the person he said that to actually did lose. It was good television, though. In Season 9, Alex plays himself in the episode, ?Miracle on Evergreen Terrace.? George Alexander Trebek (born as Giorgi Suka-Alex Trebek [1] on July 22, 1940) is an Emmy Award-winning Canadian-American television personality and game show host who's best known as the host of the game show Jeopardy! since September 10, 1984. He has hosted numerous game/quiz shows and has appeared in television series, usually as himself. P a u l A n k a ( O t t a w a, O n t a r i o) In season 7, Paul Anka plays himself in ?Treehouse of Horror.? Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s, with hits songs like "Diana," "Lonely Boy," and "Put Your Head on my Shoulder." He went on to write such well-known music as the theme for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Tom Jones' biggest hit, "She's A Lady", and the English lyrics for Frank Sinatra's signature song, "My Way." Donald Sutherland (Saint John, New Brunswick) In Season 7, Donald Sutherland plays the museum curator in ?Lisa the Iconoclast.? Of course, he?s best remembered for his role in the classic movie MASH. Donald Sutherland was born in Saint John, New Brunswick. He got his first part time job aged 14 as a news correspondent for local radio station CKBW Radio in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. He then studied at Victoria College, University of Toronto, and graduated with a double major in engineering and drama. He had, at one point, been a member of "UC Follies" comedy troupe in Toronto. He changed his mind about becoming an engineer and subsequently went to England to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. R o b e r t G o u l e t Although he was born in Lawrence, MA, Robert was raised in Canada, he had his first professional appearance in Edmonton, went to the University of Toronto, and he hosted a program for the CBC. So, that pretty much makes him Canadian. Robert Goulet played himself in the Season 5 episode named $pringfield. Dave Thomas (St. Catherines, Ontario) Man, I remember being a kid and staying up late to watch SCTV, with the simple hope of seeing a 2 minute Bob and Doug McKenzie skit. Bob and Doug McKenzie were a pair of fictional Canadian brothers who hosted "The Great White North", a sketch which was introduced on SCTV for the show's third season when it moved to the CBC in 1980. Bob is played by Rick Moranis and Doug is played by Dave Thomas. "The Great White North" (originally known as "Kanadian Korner") was a panel show that played upon Canadian stereotypes. Bob and Doug, two dumb beer-swilling brothers wearing heavy winter clothing and toques, would comment on various elements of Canadian life and culture, frequently employing the interjection "Eh?" and derisively calling each other a "hoser." Among the topics discussed were snow routes, the Canadian-built robot arm on the Space Shuttle, the inappropriateness of bedtime stories about dog fights, and "why there aren't enough parking spaces at take-out doughnut shops." The sketch was conceived when SCTV moved to the CBC television network. Each episode to be broadcast on that network was two minutes longer than those syndicated to the United States. The CBC network heads asked the show's producers to add specifically and identifiably Canadian content for those two minutes. Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas thought that this was a ridiculous request, since the show had been taped in Canada, with a mostly Canadian cast and crew, for two years. The request inspired them to create a parody that would incorporate every aspect of the humorous stereotype of Canadians. The segments were videotaped at the end of a day's shooting, with just Thomas and Moranis and a single camera operator. The sketches were for the most part improvised on the set, and after doing several such ad-libbed bits, they would then select the best ones for use on the program. In Season 8, Dave does the voice for Rex Banner in the episode ?Homer versus the 18th Ammendment.? Scott Thompson (North Bay, Ontario) In season 14, Scott Thompson makes an appearance in the episode ?Three Gays in a Condo.? Scott Thompson (born June 12, 1959) is a Canadian television comedian, best known for his time as a member of the comedy troupe Kids in the Hall. Thompson was born in North Bay, Ontario, Canada, and grew up in Brampton, Ontario. He is the second oldest of four brothers. He attended Brampton Centennial Secondary School and was a student there at the time of the 1975 shooting massacre. He enrolled in York University but in his third year was asked to leave for being 'disruptive'. He joined the comedy troupe The Love Cats and while performing with them met Mark McKinney. In 1984 he became a member of The Kids in the Hall. That troupe's series aired starting 1989 on the CBC in Canada and on HBO in the United States, but moved to CBS for the fourth and fifth seasons. Openly gay, he became best-known on the show for his monologues as the effeminate, Truman Capote-esque Buddy Cole, as well as his appearances as Queen Elizabeth II. Elvis Stojko (Newmarket, Ontario) Elvis Stojko is a Canadian Figure Skating Champion. He was on Season 18?s episode ?Kill Gill.? Moe makes a statement about figure skaters, and Elvis sets Moe straight, saying he has a girlfriend in Vancouver. Moe then has the classic retort: ?Made up girlfriend, made up city.? Stojko won silver medals at the 1994 Winter Olympics and the 1998 Winter Olympics. He won the World Figure Skating Championships in 1994, 1995, and 1997. He also won the Canadian Championships in 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2002. In 1995 he suffered a serious ankle injury at the Canadian Championships but was determined to compete anyway. He began his short program but was not able to complete it due to the injury, and was awarded a bye to the 1995 World Championships. His 1995 World Championship skate is regarded as one of his most impressive competitive outings because his injury had not fully healed, yet he was able to complete his full routine. Stojko did not participate in the Canadian Championships in 2001. His silver medal in the 1998 Olympics was earned after a very difficult performance. Stojko had suffered a groin injury and he was also recovering from the flu that had struck many other athletes during the games. He was unable to take strong painkillers because they might have caused him to fail a drug test. He did not tell the media of his groin injury, and this only became obvious when he doubled over in pain after his long program. He found it too painful to skate during the medal presentation ceremony and limped onto the podium wearing sneakers. He chose not to attend the World Championships that year because he did not want to make his groin injury worse. After the Olympics, though, he gave an interview about the performance and started to cry when he heard people call him "gutsy" and "full of courage". Tim Long and Joel Cohen? C?mon! Buy The Darn Book! It?s Only Ten Bucks!!! Okay, that?s just a few of the Canadians who have appeared on the show. It doesn?t even get into the Canadian writers and stuff like that, but I?m just too lazy to go into that. The thing is, the big Canadian Connection isn?t all the Canadian actors that have been in the Simpson?s. The big connection is the fact that Springfield is based on Pickering, Ontario. Yes, Pickering is Springfield. Of course, if you want to find out all the intricate details about how I found this out, you?ve got to buy the book. Now, it?s only ten bucks, and I gotta tell you, it?s a bargain at twice that price. Plus, it?s short, and a real easy read. You?ll love it. Buy a copy. Heck, buy two or three. I won?t stop you. :) Order it now. On Amazon.com. The Italian Bob (#HABF02 / SI-1702) - On their trip to Italy Bary asks Lisa about the Canadian flag on her back pack, to which Lisa responds "Well, some people in Europe have the impression that America has made some stupid choices in the past o' five years... so for the next week I am from Canada." Midnight Rx (#FABF16 / SI-1516) - Homer and Grandpa start smuggling drugs in from Canada when drug costs get to high in the United States. In Canada they meet up with Grandpa's contact who gives them a Health Care card and says "taken that to any pharmacy and you'll get enough drugs to make Regina look like Saskatoon". Also on one trip you notice the welcome sign to Winnepeg that says "we are boring here, what's your excuse?" ? "Catch'em if You Can" (#FABF14 / SI-1514) - On Niagra Falls Homer and Marge are about to go over the edge, and Canadian and United States Coast Guard are fighting over who should help them: ? American Coast Gaurd: Back off Canadians we got them ? Canadian Coast Gaurd: You back off hosers, they are in Canadian waters, eh' ? American Coast Gaurd: Beat it you puck smacking maple suckers! ? Canadian Coast Gaurd: Take a hike you Shatner stealing Mexico touchers! "The Regina Monologues" (#EABF22 / SI-1417) - When Homer is talking to the Queen he makes the analogy of the United States being Englands children, "I know we don't call as ofthen as we should, and we aren't as well behaved as our good two shoes brother Canada, who by the way has never had a girl friend... I'm just saying." "Bart vs. Lisa vs. 3rd Grade" (DABF20) - Bart help's Lisa with her homework on Canada with the mnemonic: Quiet Nerds Burp Only Near School. Which helps you remember the four founding provinces of Canada. Quebec, New Brunswick, Ontario, & Nova Scotia. "A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love" (CABF18) - When Mr. Burns returns with the champagne and his girlfriend and Homer have already left, he passes an arcade machine called "Nuke Canada". "Skinner's Sense of Snow" (CABF06) - The Simpsons watch the cirkus "Cirque de Puree". The pamphlet for the circus states: "As French-Canadians, they don't believe in refunds or exploiting animals for entertainment"; much to the disappointment of Homer. "As Good As Lisa Gets" (AABF03) - The Otto posses as a comptroller says at an assembly "What she [Lisa] just did took courage, and where I come from, Canada, we reward courage." "The Bongo Show" (5F15) - Bart is doing a newscast about missing birds and says "Some say the birds flew to Canada, others say Toronto." "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo" (AABF20) - Canadians appear on Japanese game show where they are covered in scorpions and the host laughs "Sting those Canucks!". Homer watching, laughs and yells "Take that, you stupid hosers!". Shatner Stealing Mexico Touchers!!! In the episode, Catch ?Em If You Can, Homer and Marge must be rescued before going over Niagara Falls. The exchange between the US and Canadian Coast Guard is as follows: Americans: Back off Canadians we got them Canadians: You back off hosers, they are in Canadian waters, eh' Americans: Beat it you puck smacking, maple suckers! Canadians: Take a hike you Shatner stealing Mexico touchers! Is Toronto in Canada? When I tell people that Springfield is based on Pickering Ontario, part of their disbelief is founded in the fact that Springfield can?t be based on a Canadian town. This may be true. BUT, according to The Simpson?s, Toronto, which includes Pickering as the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), is not part of Canada. This is what Bart says when doing a newscast about missing birds: "Some say the birds flew to Canada, others say Toronto." So, there you go! According the The Simpson?s, Toronto isn?t necessarily part of Canada. If people argue that Springfield can?t be based on a Canadian city, well, you?ve got the proof that Toronto, according to the Simpson?s, isn?t actually part of Canada. And hey, as the greatest Liberal Prime Minister of Canada once said, ?a proof is a proof is a proof.? So, if it?s not part of Canada, what is it a part of? Oh, perhaps that fictional land where Springfield actually resides. How Many Canadians Does It Take? How many Canadians does it take to make a hit, American TV show? Lots, that?s for sure. It?s funny, I do quite a bit of work in the US, and I meet some really great Americans. However, it seems that all of the truly great Americans are, well, CANADIANS. I mean, I do alot of Java programming, so it was no surprise to find out that the inventor of Java, James Gosling, hails from Calgary. And of course, I love television and comedy, and all the great comedians are always Canadians ? you know, the Jim Carreys, the Mike Myers, the William Shatners. Okay, Bill Shatner wasn?t really a comedian, but did you ever see him act? Well, it?s no surprise that Canadians represent the glue that keeps the Simpson?s horse together. Here?s a short list of some of the Canadians that have been on the show. This list is by no means exhaustive, and it doesn?t even include Canadian writers for the show, like Tim Long, or all the Canadians behind the scenes that do loads of work and never get credit for it. Seriously, all of the greatest Americans are Canadians; just ask Shania and Avril if you don?t believe me. What?s for Lunch? After seeing the Canadian Film, Naked Lunch, Nelson says: ''I can think of at least two things that are wrong with that title" Winnipeg When travelling through Winnipeg, the welcome sign says: "we are boring here, what's your excuse?" F r e n c h C a n a d a When attending a performance of the French circus crew, "Cirque de Puree,? Homer gets a pamphlet that reads: "As French-Canadians, they don't believe in refunds or exploiting animals for entertainment.? In another episode, not wanting to talk to Marge, Homer says: "Canada to hold Referendum. Sorry Marge can't talk now." Can?t Talk Now Not wanting to talk to Marge, Homer says: "Canada to hold Referendum. Sorry Marge can't talk now." T h e P r o v e I t T o Y o u r s e l f Q u i z Still not convinced that Springfield was based on Pickering, Ontario? Well, take a stab at this little quiz. It?ll not only test you on your Simpson?s and your Pickering trivia knowledge, but it?ll also help demonstrate that Springfield is indeed based upon Pickering. It?s only ten questions, so give it a shot! W e ? r e a L i t t l e S l o w Why the young boy was in remedial classes with Bart: "I moved here from Canada, and they think I am a little slow, eh?." I think that was an insult. :( R e g i n a a n d S a s k a t o o n Apparently, Matt Groening?s father was thought to be from Winnipeg, but upon further inspection, records reveal that he may actually have been born somewhere in Saskatchewan. Here?s a little Saskatchewan quote from the Midnight Prescription episode. When given a Canadian health card for free meds, Grandpa is told: "taken that to any pharmacy and you'll get enough drugs to make Regina look like Saskatoon". International Travel You know, when I travel to Europe, I always put a US flag on my knapsack or luggage. That way, when I?m rude and ignorant, people just fluff it off as me being ?just another ignorant American.? Funny, but Americans do the exact opposite, as Lisa does in The Italian Bob episode. When asked about the Canadian flag on her stuff, Lisa says: "Well, some people in Europe have the impression that America has made some stupid choices in the past o' five years... so for the next week I am from Canada." Homer Comparing Canada to the US (to the Queen) "I know we don't call as often as we should, and we aren't as well behaved as our goody two shoes brother Canada, who by the way has never had a girl friend... I'm just saying." Founding Provinces In Bart vs. Lisa vs. 3rd Grade, when Bart helps Lisa remember the founding Canadian provinces for her homework, he gives her this little ditty: Quiet Nerds Burp Only Near School So, the four founding provinces are: Quebec, New Brunswick, Ontario and Nova Scotia. Monty and Canada In the background of one episode, we see that Montgomery Burns has a video game called Nuke Canada. Sounds more like something you?d hear from South Park. W e ? r e a L i t t l e S l o w Why the young boy was in remedial classes with Bart: "I moved here from Canada, and they think I am a little slow, eh?." I think that was an insult. :( W e ? r e a L i t t l e S l o w Why the young boy was in remedial classes with Bart: "I moved here from Canada, and they think I am a little slow, eh?." I think that was an insult. :( Q u o t e s a n d R e f e r e n c e s Seeing that the father of the originator, Matt Groening, was a Canadian, and many of the writers from the show are Canadian, it?s no surprise that the Simpsons is full of Canadian quotes and references. Here are just a few of my favorites> I t A l l A d d s U p , D o e s n ? t I t ? It all adds up, doesn?t it? And these are only some of the similarities between Pickering and Springfield. Storyline after storyline, reference after reference, and quote after quote has something to do with Pickering, Ontario. Pickering is Springfield. Tell your friends. And if they don?t believe you, have them take the quiz as well. And have them buy a copy of the darned book! It?s only ten measly bucks. You Don?t Need a PayPal Account to use PayPal Okay, the very best way to get my book is to pay through PayPal. The cost? A measly ten bucks, and that includes all the tax, shipment costs, packaging, and delivery fees. Yes, it?s an incredible bargain, but that?s what I?m all about, giving people bargains. And just so you know, you don?t need a PayPal account to use PayPal. You can just put the book in your PayPal shopping cart, and use the credit card option to pay. Seriously, it makes it so easy. PayPal does all the security stuff, the charge goes to your credit card, and I send the book to you in a fast and loving manner. It doesn?t get much better than that! When you buy from me on PayPal, the business name is something like Amazing Books Cards and Collectibles. I used to sell all sorts of Tim Horton hockey cards, and comic books on eBay. Don?t let the business name throw you off. It?s really me, Cameron McKenzie, behind the scenes! Or Buy Through Me, from Amazon.com You can also buy the book through amazon.com. Yes, dot-com, not dot-ca. Sorry, but my distribution channels only allow the U.S. Amazon to stock my books. Of course, that means you get dinged with a hefty shipping charge on top of the actual book price. To minimize that, I discounted the book heavily on Amazon. Still, when it?s all said and done, you end up paying more on Amazon than through PayPal, but it?s up to you. Just buy the darned book! It?s cheap, no matter which method you use to buy it. And it?s a great read. You won?t be disappointed! Snail Mail Payments If you can?t buy the book through Amazon or PayPal, you can always just send ten buck through the mail. Just send it to: Pickering is Springfield c/o Cameron McKenzie 390 Queens Quay West Apartment 2003 Toronto Ontario Canada Canada Post payments usually arrive to me in a week, and the book gets delivered in about a weeks time after that. It works! T e l e v i s i o n a n d R a d i o A p p e a r a n c e s From college radio stations, to guest spots on such Canadian staples as Pamela Wallin Live, Cameron McKenzie is an entertaining and memorable guest. Cameron McKenzie is currently filling in his media schedule for the remainder of the summer. To have Cameron make a guest spot on your television show, radio program, or even for various public speaking engagements, simply contact media relations at: D i s c e r n i n g B o m b s o n O s h a w a The novella ?Pickering is Springfield? is actually just one story in a collection of shorts, poems, and digital photography that was all packaged together in an exciting collection called ?Discerning Bombs on Oshawa.? Always writing, I got to a point in 2006 when I had about five books about three-quarters of the way done, and I was starting on a sixth. The stories were compelling, and I wanted to get them into print, so I took the most compelling stories I had and made shorts or novellas out of them. Furthermore, the short-story format made it easy for me to slide in some of my somewhat disturbing poetry from time to time. Furthermore, after each story, I threw in some of my digital photography, giving the book a little bit of color and flair. Overall, I think it?s a highly artistic piece. If you found ?Pickering is Springfield? to be an enjoyable read, pick up a copy of ?Discerning Bombs on Oshawa.? You?ll enjoy it, and the stories will really make you think. I guarantee you ? it?s not what you think. Poems and Stories from Discerning Bombs include: The Most Selfish Man in the World Pickering is Springfield Fred?s Ashes Social Entropy Head Tapping Che Depredating Xanadu The Hate Lines The Exegesis of the Downhill Slide About a Pretty Girl Discerning Bombs on Oshawa It?s not too often that you?ll find a collection of stories, photographs and poems that were inspired by life in the Durham Region. You?ll enjoy it. Trust me. Pick up a copy of Discerning Bombs. You won?t regret it.