Just In Case!

Somebody completed the project survey midday on Monday, the 18th. The person indicated that s/he was interested in being interviewed, but then provided no contact info. In the event that you, the reader, are the this person - please send me a note at us2canada@gmail.com letting me know how to contact you. Thanks! We now return to our regularly scheduled programming...

Sunday Evening

This is just a quick note of thanks to those of you have have responded to my call for participants. Much as I'd rather put this on the front burner, I don't anticipate doing anything further until well into the new year. I've got to finish grading and then try to wrap up the other manuscript... But, rest assured, you will be hearing from me!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch - okay, the early 20th century four-square. This will be a busy week. P's last final is Tuesday. Yea! 5YO can't believe that after Friday he has two weeks off from school! But, before that it's lunches and parties and baking, oh, my.

In other news... One of my cyber-pals, C, and his family, landed this weekend. Although already living in Canada, they took a little day trip to land. Congratulations! And, as anyone in our little world of US2CA blogs knows, Emilio was granted asylum. A really huge congratulations to Tom and Emilio!

Well, it's off to bed for me. Still trying to beat this cold before vacation arrives. Have a great week!

Research Assistance

As regular readers might recall, I'm a sociologist by trade. I'm also close to finishing my current book and have been thinking about my next endeavor. I've been wanting to do something "personally meaningful," but that still offers something to the discipline. After seriously weighing the pros and cons, I've decided to do some exploratory work on a project aimed at learning more about US citizens who have decided to move to Canada. If I can garner enough interest, I will do in-depth interviews aimed at learning more about their decisions, what "made the difference," etc.

If you are interested in helping out, please go here. I've also started a separate blog as a means to maintain various resources, comments, etc. I don't know how much it will be used initially, but I want to keep my own comments about my experience separate from the more "project-oriented" writing. Although there's not much there now, it's called Magnetic North.

I would be very appreciative if you would be willing to participate and if you would forward the info to your immigrant or immigrant-to-be friends far and wide.

Thanks!

Oh, noooooo!

So, P is in the midst of final exams. First semester of law school. She gets up this morning, fires up the computer - the one with all her notes, course outlines, practice exams - and... nothing. Well, not exactly nothing, but a screen full of pretty colored vertical lines. No wallpaper, no icons, no screensaver, just lines. Talk about a student's nightmare. And, not only did she need the data, but they take exams on their laptops. Well, one call to Apple Care, one trip to the Apple Store, one trip to CompUSA, and twelve hours later we have one new PC notebook - with the data that we were able to transfer from her PowerBook to mine - and one PowerBook with a questionable future. You see, the estimate to fix it is $350. Given the original cost of the thing or the cost to replace it with a new MacBook, that wouldn't be so bad. But, that only gets her a 90 day warranty on the repair. So, with computers becoming obsolete within days of walking out of the store, we figured she'd get a low-end PC notebook, buy the extended coverage, and have a computer good for the rest of school. By then we'll be several more generations down the road and she can get the one she really wants.

Now, this may sound completely unrelated to immigration and, yeah, it pretty much is. But, here's the connection. As I understand it, when we land, with our Goods to Follow list in our hot little hands, we will list all our property, with serial numbers where applicable. But, if we're then in the US for another couple of years and, say, buy a new computer, we won't have owned that at landing. Technically, as I understand it, we'd have to pay import duty - or whatever they call it - on anything we acquired after landing. Is that correct?

I also hear tell that they don't really check your stuff. That if we have a laptop packed inside, e.g., the boxes and boxes of books, who would ever know? Now, let's be clear - am I paranoid or what? - I'm not saying we'd do this. But, hypothetically speaking...?

Books and Movies for $100, Alex

What I've been doing since deciding not to make myself crazy over work...

Why We Fight
"WHY WE FIGHT, the new film by Eugene Jarecki which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, is an unflinching look at the anatomy of the American war machine, weaving unforgettable personal stories with commentary by a “who’s who” of military and beltway insiders. Featuring John McCain, William Kristol, Chalmers Johnson, Gore Vidal, Richard Perle and others, WHY WE FIGHT launches a bipartisan inquiry into the workings of the military industrial complex and the rise of the American Empire.

Inspired by Dwight Eisenhower’s legendary farewell speech (in which he coined the phrase “military industrial complex”), filmmaker Jarecki (THE TRIALS OF HENRY KISSINGER) surveys the scorched landscape of a half-century’s military adventures, asking how – and telling why – a nation of, by, and for the people has become the savings-and-loan of a system whose survival depends on a state of constant war."

Sir, No Sir!
"In the 1960’s an anti-war movement emerged that altered the course of history. This movement didn’t take place on college campuses, but in barracks and on aircraft carriers. It flourished in army stockades, navy brigs and in the dingy towns that surround military bases. It penetrated elite military colleges like West Point. And it spread throughout the battlefields of Vietnam. It was a movement no one expected, least of all those in it. Hundreds went to prison and thousands into exile. And by 1971 it had, in the words of one colonel, infested the entire armed services. Yet today few people know about the GI movement against the war in Vietnam . . . . The film does four things: 1) Brings to life the history of the GI movement through the stories of those who were part of it; 2) Reveals the explosion of defiance that the movement gave birth to with never-before-seen archival material; 3) Explores the profound impact that movement had on the military and the war itself; and 4) The feature, 90 minute version, also tells the story of how and why the GI Movement has been erased from the public memory."

North to Canada: Men and Women Against the Vietnam War
"While we may never know the exact number of Americans who chose Canada over Vietnam, an estimated half-million men and women went north as a result of their opposition to the war. Despite President Ford's amnesty and President Carter's pardon, some of these exiles never returned. This book, which focuses upon those who remained in Canada, offers a resister's eye view of the most traumatic war in American history. Dickerson blends resister interviews with an account of the historical events that served as watersheds for these young Americans.

Dickerson answers the question: Whatever happened to the men and women who went to Canada? With contextual information regarding the policies of both the U.S. and Canadian governments towards the war and its resisters, Dickerson offers evidence that a generation of America's "best and brightest" was lost to Canada. His inclusion of female resisters contributes a new perspective to the debate that continues to rage more than 25 years after the withdrawal of the last American troops in Vietnam."

I highly recommend all three of the above. They are all compelling for a variety of reasons.

And again...

December 12, 2006
Pastor Quits After Revealing Same-Sex Relations
By Neela Banerjee

The senior pastor of a suburban Denver evangelical church resigned Sunday after admitting to having had sexual relations with men. The move apparently came after the pastor was confronted by another minister in his church who had been alerted by an anonymous caller, The Denver Post reported.

The resignation of the pastor, the Rev. Paul Barnes, from the pulpit of the 2,100-member Grace Chapel megachurch in Englewood came by way of a tearful, 32-minute videotaped address to his congregation.

His departure occurred a month after the Rev. Ted Haggard quit as president of the National Association of Evangelicals and senior pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs when a former male prostitute disclosed that Mr. Haggard had had a sexual relationship with him.

Dave Palmer, the associate pastor of Grace Chapel, told The Post that the church received a call last week from a person who had overheard someone speak of “blowing the whistle” on other evangelical ministers in clandestine homosexual relationships, among them Mr. Barnes. Mr. Palmer then spoke with Mr. Barnes.

For the entire article visit The New York Times.

Those Wonderful Exceptions!

This semester I've been teaching a course for students who spent last Spring semester abroad. Most of them whine about the reflective work, don't see why it's required, etc. But, as with most classes, every now and again a bright light, an exceptional student, appears. One of the assignments is a project - the parameters are very, very broad - in which the students must share something of their travels with others. They can present to another class on campus, visit an elementary school, write an article for publication, etc.. This year one student did a terrific slide show, one gave a talk to a Philosophy class, another did some mixed-media paintings. But one really impressed me. AEB spent last Spring in Sevilla, Spain and has created a short, 6-8 minute, audio piece from her experience. It is available here. Check it out!

BTW, I hesitated to post this because I would hate for my students to be able to work their way back to this blog, but I just can't resist sharing this. That being said, if you listen and comment, just don't mention who sent you. Thanks!

26 Years Ago

John Lennon
9 Oct 1940 - 8 Dec 1980

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Rock My World

"The Dixie Chicks' 'Taking the Long Way' was nominated for album of the year while their single 'Not Ready to Make Nice' is up for both song and record of the year."

They have got to be so pumped! Talk about validation!

More on Marriage

See what the group, Canadians for Equal Marriage, says about the vote here. Thanks, Jo, for the heads-up!

Vote in Parliament

Government motion on same-sex marriage is defeated
December 7, 2006 - 3:31 PM ET

A motion to reopen the same-sex marriage debate was easily defeated in Parliament on Thursday, as expected.

MPs voted 175-123 against the controversial motion tabled by the ruling Conservatives.
The motion had asked the government to introduce legislation to restore the traditional definition of marriage without affecting civil unions and while respecting existing same-sex marriages.

The motion never had much hope of passing, as the Bloc Québécois and the NDP were forcing their members to vote against it.

Liberals were allowed to vote freely on the matter, but most members were expected to oppose the motion.

The vote should put an end to parliamentary wrangling about same-sex marriage, at least for now. Prime Minister Stephen Harper had said a vote to defeat the motion would settle the matter.

See the complete article here.

Love Story

I hesitate to contaminate my blog with these images, but I got a chuckle out of this. The original e-mail was titled, "A Love Story in Four Pictures." Enjoy.

Well, I thought it was funny!

Make-You-Gay Warfare

In the course of doing some research today, I came across this tidbit. Seriously. The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network posted it to their site in January 2005, but this was the first I'd heard of it. It's funny, pathetic, and scary, all wrapped into one.

Pentagon Confirms Report of Planned Gay Conversion Chemical Weapon
WASHINGTON, DC – A spokesperson for the Department of Defense has confirmed a report that Air Force officials proposed developing a gay conversion chemical weapon in 1994. The proposal, part of a plan from Wright Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, was to develop “chemicals that effect (sic) human behavior so that discipline and morale in enemy units is adversely effected (sic). One distasteful but completely non-lethal example would be strong aphrodisiacs, especially if the chemical also caused homosexual behavior.”

“The Air Force’s proposal is delusional, homophobic and offensive,” said C. Dixon Osburn, Executive Director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN). “Gays and lesbians serve in the United States armed forces and in the militaries of our closest allies. They do so as part of a formidable fighting force. The assertion that a gay opponent would be somehow less effective in combat is outrageous. No one questioned the battle prowess of Alexander the Great because of his sexual orientation.”

The Pentagon has said the proposal was never implemented. Details of the classified proposal were revealed by Project Sunshine, a watchdog group which monitors chemical and biological warfare agent development.

"Brief remorse over move to Canada"

Brief remorse over move to Canada
One can head north as a political protest, but political climates can change.
David Drucker

My wife and I awoke, as usual, to NPR. Before political correspondent Mara Liasson got to the end of her first sentence, I knew the news was disastrous. George W. Bush had been reelected.

"Honey," I said, "remember when we talked about moving to Canada?"

I'm sure a lot of other dyed-in-the-organic-wool liberals muttered something similar that dark morning in 2004, but unlike most of them, we meant it. Plan A: John Kerry wins, we build that dream ski house in Vermont. Plan B: Move to Vancouver.

So, Plan B it was. We'd had enough of Bush, the direction the United States was going, and this was the last straw. Never mind that we lived in Cambridge, Mass., arguably the most liberal city in the bluest of the blue states. We were packing our bulk granola into our diesel Beetle and heading out.

Eight months later, we were settling into a new home and jobs in British Columbia when Canada had its own election. For those unfamiliar with the Canadian system of government, the prime minister is elected by parliament -- not every four years but after losing a no-confidence vote. After a few of those, there was a parliamentary election in January, which led to the election of a new prime minister, Stephen Harper, of Canada's Conservative Party.

Harper ran on cutting taxes and turning a federal child-care program into a monthly payment per child. The opposition's negative campaign ads sounded eerily familiar: He supported Bush's war in Iraq, was against signing the Kyoto environmental accord and wanted to "reexamine" gay marriage (which is legal in Canada). A shiver rippled down from our berets to our Birkenstocks.

Then, a few weeks ago, we awoke, as usual, to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Before CBC morning-show host Tom Allen got to the end of his first sentence, I knew: Back in the United States, the Democratic Party had won control of the House and the Senate.

"Honey, did we make a big mistake?"

By "big mistake" I mean not the kind in which you switch lines at Whole Foods and the line you'd been in suddenly starts to move. We're talking big mistake like selling all of your stock in Ben & Jerry's the day before Unilever buys the company.

But it turns out that Canadian conservatism can look awfully liberal. So far, Harper -- derided as "Bush lite" -- has, for instance, introduced a partial tax credit for monthly transit passes. The Conservatives have proposed a Clean Air Act for Canada, and although it's not ideal, it's still something. Harper said that these new laws would "institute a holistic approach that doesn't treat the related issues of pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions in isolation." When was the last time you heard any U.S. politician utter the word "holistic"?

Did I mention universal health care? Even Harper seems committed to keeping that.

We've come to the conclusion that the United States has drifted so far to the right that any self-respecting Canadian Conservative would be considered a raving liberal in Washington. Stephen Harper is no George W. Bush. We may not agree with him, but we don't feel ashamed every time he opens his mouth. We might yawn, though.

So we're staying in Canada. But good luck with that new Congress, eh?

David Drucker is an information architect in Vancouver, British Columbia. He wrote this article for the Los Angeles Times.

Star Tribune

South Africa

First to make it legal: Gays wed in South Africa
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP)

Vernon Gibbs and Tony Halls got hitched Friday in South Africa's first same-sex wedding, a day after the government made the marriages legal.

The couple, who run a guest lodge and animal rehabilitation center on the southwestern coast, donned their game-ranger outfits and went down to the local home affairs office in the town of George.

In front of marriage officer Petro Kruger, they exchanged rings and were pronounced a married couple.

"It was so amazing. So quick and easy. I can't believe it. I am so happy," said Gibbs.

South Africa on Thursday became the first country in Africa, and only the fifth in the world, to legalize same-sex marriages, despite opposition from political parties and religious groups.

The Civil Union Act went into effect a day ahead of the December 1 deadline set by the country's Constitutional Court, which required the marriage law be changed to ensure equality for gays and lesbians.

Go here for more.

FBI/Police Certificates

Daniel wrote: "If I may, a question about the police clearance from Germany -- I have lived outside the U.S. as well. You said that you have it already; did you submit this with your application and this another one with a later date or is this the first time? The reason I ask is that it was hell getting this document for me and I have submitted it with our application. Will I have to go through that again because the first one 'expired'?" In response, I thought I'd post about that and clearances in general.

Unlike some of you, upon the advice of our attorney, we did not submit FBI, state, or foreign clearances/police certs with out original application. In April, 2006 - eleven months after applying - we were advised, in anticipation of the IA, to make application for FBI clearances. We did so and received them, date stamped 24 July 2006. As such, they will probably be sufficient for our visas because - barring some unknown disaster - they will be less than one year old when we submit remaining materials.

As I've probably mentioned, I was really, really, really hoping that we would not be asked to obtain state police certificates. The "official word" is that you will need them from each state in which you've lived for six months or more since the age of 18. For me that would have been six certificates. Ugh! But, again, we were advised to hold off because of the timeline. It also appeared - judging by those who have gone before, but gone recently - that they might not ask for them at all. That was, in fact, the case - and I hope it doesn't change or that will really throw a wrench into things!

Finally, I knew that having lived in Germany (then, West Germany) for over three years obligated me to get a police certificate from the Germans. Again, we were advised to wait a bit. Fortunately, the Germans were - no surprise - amazingly efficient. Clear info was available on-line and I received my certificate within two weeks of sending the application! It's amazing to me that I received the German cert from Germany in two weeks while the FBI cards took 13!

Funny side story - it cost 13 euros. It would have cost me $50 to get a wire for 13 euros so I took a 20 euro note that I had in my drawer and sent it in. I know it's risky to send cash through the mail, but I figured it beat paying my bank a small fortune. Not only was it no problem, but the Germans asked for the information they would need to wire 7 euros to my account. I've probably thrown the entire bureaucracy into a tizzy, but I took the "I'm so glad to have the cert, you can keep the 7 euros" approach. My German friend swears that some clerk is probably going buggy at not having received the exact amount or been able to post a credit.

I haven't seen info about expiration of foreign certificates, but here's my thought. What the other country is saying (you hope) is that you have no police record there. The request is based not on your travel to the country, but on having lived there. Thus, using my case as an example, although I have traveled to Germany since 1981, I've not lived there since 1981. So, if you can follow this logic, since they've already "reported" on my record, or lack thereof, for the period during which I lived there, it shouldn't "expire." Now, if I were living there now, I can see where that would be different. But, doing it again next year wouldn't produce a different result because the time period being addressed remains the same. This, of course, is not the case when it comes to living in the States and the FBI clearance. I feel like I should have written that better; hope you get the idea! All that being said, I don't know that logic prevails...

That's it for now! If you haven't visited in a while, be sure to scroll down as there's been a flurry of posting lately. Cheers!

Gay marriage debate set...

From globeandmail.com

Gay marriage debate set for next week
Tenille Bonoguore
Globe and Mail Update and Canadian Press

Having just waded through the matter of Québécois nationality, the Conservative government is preparing to reopen the same-sex marriage debate.

Same-sex marriage will be back on the parliamentary agenda on Wednesday as Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivers on his promise to revisit the issue.

The House of Commons will debate whether to reconsider the current law permitting gay and lesbian couples to marry which was passed last year on the back of court rulings deeming it unconstitutional to deny same-sex couples that right.

The debate on Bill C-38 will be followed by a vote before the House breaks for the Christmas holidays.

The motion is not expected to directly challenge existing legislation but may ask if parliamentarians are willing to repeal or amend the law.

During the election campaign, Harper promised to hold a free vote in the Commons on whether Parliament should revisit the issue. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said he is willing to abide by a decision by the Commons to let the current law stand.

Peace Wreath

The guys over at Life Wthout Borders had posted a story about the peace wreath. Here's a welcome follow-up:

November 29, 2006
Pro-Peace Symbol Forces Win Battle in Colorado Town
By Kirk Johnson

DENVER, Nov. 28 — Peace is fighting back in Pagosa Springs.

Last week, a couple were threatened with fines of $25 a day by their homeowners’ association unless they removed a four-foot wreath shaped like a peace symbol from the front of their house.

The fines have been dropped, and the three-member board of the association has resigned, according to an e-mail message sent to residents on Monday.

Two board members have disconnected their telephones, apparently to escape the waves of callers asking what the board could have been thinking, residents said. The third board member, with a working phone, did not return a call for comment.

In its original letter to the couple, Lisa Jensen and Bill Trimarco, the association said some neighbors had found the peace symbol politically “divisive.”

A board member later told a newspaper that he thought the familiar circle with angled lines was also, perhaps, a sign of the devil.

The peace symbol came to prominence in the late 1950s as the logo for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, a British antiwar group, according to the group’s Web site. It incorporates the semaphore flag images for the letters in the group’s name, a “D” atop an “N.”

Other people have said the upright line with arms angled down, commonplace in the United States in the Vietnam War, especially, has roots in the early Christian era, representing a twisted or broken cross.

Mr. Trimarco said he put up the wreath as a general symbol of peace on earth, not as a commentary on the Iraq war or another political statement.

In any case, there are now more peace symbols in Pagosa Springs, a town of 1,700 people 200 miles southwest of Denver, than probably ever in its history.

On Tuesday morning, 20 people marched through the center carrying peace signs and then stomped a giant peace sign in the snow perhaps 300 feet across on a soccer field, where it could be easily seen.

“There’s quite a few now in our subdivision in a show of support,” Mr. Trimarco said.

A former president of the Loma Linda community, where Mr. Trimarco lives, said Tuesday that he had stepped in to help form an interim homeowners’ association.

The former president, Farrell C. Trask, described himself in a telephone interview as a military veteran who would fight for anyone’s right to free speech, peace symbols included.

Town Manager Mark Garcia said Pagosa Springs was building its own peace wreath, too. Mr. Garcia said it would be finished by late Tuesday and installed on a bell tower in the center of town.

The Details

Thought that some of you might find this of interest:

The following documents have been requested for submission to the Canadian Consulate General in Detroit, by February 17, 2007:

1. Payment of the Right of Permanent Residence Fee. This is the landing fee, which must be paid before your visas can be issued. It is applicable only for you and P, and the total amount is USD$890.00 ($445 + $445), and should be paid by bank draft or money order, in favour of "The Canadian Consulate General".

2. Copies of your medical examination receipts.

3. Proof of Settlement Funds. You must be able to show that you possess a minimum of CAD$15,563.00 in funds that are unencumbered and easily transferable to Canada. The funds should be in your name, or joint bank accounts with your partner. Original and up to date bank statements and/or letters from your bank confirming the exact amount should be sufficient.

4. Original FBI Clearances for you and P. The clearances issued in July 2006 should be acceptable, as they are less than one year old.

5. Original Police Certificate from Germany for you. Please be reminded that if the document is not in English or in French it must be accompanied by a certified translation.

State police certificates have not been requested, and are therefore not necessary for submission.

********

Ask me how glad I am that they cut the RPR fee! And, before your heart stops, remember that the CAD$15,563 in settlement funds are for a family of three, not just two.

I'm glad that it looks like we won't have to get FBI clearances again and I'm really glad about the state police certs as I would have had to get six of 'em! I already have the cert from Germany.

We've made appointments for physicals for Monday, 8 January. I know that most folks want to rush out and get them right away, but I'd rather have a month to get through exams, etc. and relax - see early posts re BP! We'll still be within the time range and then we can go while 5YO is back in school. Make a day of it in the 'burbs!

I think that's it for now. Woo-hoo!!!!

Okay...

We're waiting for the materials that will tell us how much time we have for medicals, what we need to get now (e.g., proof of funds), whether we need new FBI cards (they're not four months old yet). The letter should be sent via FedEx in the morning so... soon!

I thought I'd post a note about the medicals here rather than as a comment. As folks suggest, there is a bizarre array of prices for the exam. There are only two places here that do them so shopping around isn't really an option. One place gets about $400 and I've heard good things about them. The other guy charges about $300 and seems creepy. I called one of the two people in Thunder Bay and he charges CAD120 plus CAD42 for the x-ray. But, it's 8 hours away. By the time we figure gas, hotel, etc. it's a wash and we only get to visit to beautiful downtown Thunder Bay. Now, if it were summer, or Toronto...

I checked nearby states and there is nothing in Wisconsin, one person in Des Moines, IA and one in Rapid City, SD. That's about 7 and 9 hours respectively. So, given that it's winter and the possibility that we get called back... I think we're just going to suck it up and go with the local for $400. You can't help but think that it's all about supply and demand when places with more providers are charging so much less. Grrrrr...

I'll just be glad to get it over with. I have BP issues (can ya' tell?) and here it is the end of the semester and the holidays. Oy! I'm hoping to be able to schedule them for the first week of January after a weekend in the country snowshoeing. Then, since the office is about 45 minutes away, I'm going to have P drive and listen to relaxation music - not the Dixie Chicks! - on the way down. Seriously. I have a plan. Keep your fingers crossed. I'm sure the follow-up would be fine, but I'd love to walk in there, get 80/120, and be done with it.

Well, off to class where tonight's activity is for the students who have returned from semester abroad programs talk with those getting ready to leave about the stereotypes about Americans that they encountered. Should be interesting to hear what they have to say!