Is there such a thing as an idea man anymore? Or in my case, an idea woman? I like the idea of just sitting down and concocting things and then delegating someone else to put them together and make them happen. Oh, wait, maybe that’s what writing is. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. I had a video editor say something similar to me not too long ago. She said, “I admire writers, they can think up the wildest things – car bombs, alien invasions, the earth freezing, a talking teddy-bear – then they just write them down and someone else (technical people, mostly) make it happen.”
The thought made me smile. I remember one of the first times it solidified in my mind that I wanted to be a writer. It was while I was watching the film From Dusk Til Dawn. In the movie, Salma Hayek does an incredibly awesome, sexy, snaky, dance. She dances towards George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino. Now, in the real world – let’s be honest here – who would Salma Hayek most likely shack up with out of the two? I’m going to say George Clooney, just going out on a limb, here. But, she doesn’t. She goes for Quentin. Why?
BECAUSE QUENTIN IS THE WRITER.
That’s writer mojo.
So, I was sitting here the other day and I had an International Blog Challenge Idea.
The most of my stats-views come from America. After that, Canada. After that, Britain and some other English speaking places. It got me thinking. I love Canada. I love my snarky, Canadian, blogging friends. So, why don’t we all do something crazy?
Let’s start another feckin’ blog.
No one needs to do actual work, right? No one has actual responsibilities and commitments, right? Everyone’s got time on their hands, right? Okay, so you do have commitments and you don’t have time. But, let’s do it anyway.
Let’s start another feckin’ blog and let’s call it…
CANADICA
Canadica: Incredibly cocky and dripping with maple syrup.
There’s only one requirement – the blog posts should be about both Canada and America. One week written by a Canadian, the next week written by an American. The tone of the blog should be funny without being douchey. Lord knows, that’s a hard balance to reach. And if it is douchey, it should at least be funny. That’s it. That’s all we have to do.
Even the blog header should express this idea. For example, maybe it reads:
CANADICA…
Canadian tag-line: Mostly Canadian, Slightly American
American tag-line: We gave them the bulk of the name because we felt bad.
Canadian response: We deserve the bulk of the name, we gave you Mike Myers.
Etc, etc.
I mean think of the post idea possibilities? The differences between Canadian and American beer. The origins of curling. Canadian vs. American battle cries: for example, “America, feck yeah!” and then of course, “Canada, oh no.”
Now, of course, these are only thoughts from my point of view. It would be interesting / hilarious / mind blowing to read the ideas from “the other side.” The other side being Canada. I mean, I could do a whole two posts on Degrassi High alone. But, something tells me the Canadian pov on that would be even better.
So, I’m presenting the challenge. A blog called Canadica. One post a week alternating between American and Canadian writers. And who’s to say once this thing gets going that we can’t have an Aussie take over of Canadica or a Kiwi takeover of Canadica or a South African one. They sky is the limit.
Here’s how we start:
I’m throwing out the challenge to — Le Clown, Laments and Lullabies, Summer Solstice, Caption America, Speaker 7, and me.
That’s just the initial challenge. We all do one post each. After that, it opens up to a blogger of the Canadian or American blogger’s choosing. That chosen blogger does one week and then they pass off the next post / next month to other awesome peeps…for example, cristy, stace, transguy, veggie, shane, wendy, weebs, rob, jm, rubes, black door, etc, etc. (Please do not take offense if I did not include you. I’m only writing off the top of my head. The more strong writers, the better. So, if you like the idea, simply let me know, below.)
Eventually, we have hundreds of hilarious contributors to Canadica. A year down the road we have a Canadica Conference somewhere in Canada because it’s pretty and I would like to go there. (Especially after we obtain sponsorship and get to go there for free.) Okay, maybe that doesn’t happen, but wouldn’t it be goddamned fun if it did.
A Canadica conference held some place awesome like Montreal or Vancouver…where absinthe is legal!!!!!!
Undoubtedly, it will be wildly successful and a few years after that, we start our first bilingual site.
We call it:
MEXADAICA. or CANMEXICA. or AMERIMEXADA. or CANADICOICA.
I don’t think I need to tell you how completely awesome that would be.
Who’s in?
Come on, don’t say no! It might be fun…
I expect your answers, arguments, nos and yeses in the comments section, purty please. (Leave it to an American to be demanding, huh? Even though I consider myself to be a citizen of the world. You know, sort of like Noam Chomsky or some other pompous a-wad. And, I believe, Noam is a Canadian favorite…I’m just sayin’.)
As promised, a perfect example of what can happen if you just think and then write something up:
Sweet Mother 