Canada Dry Ginger Ale 
Though the red and white of Canada's flag is usually the dominant colour scheme for the big party in Ottawa on July 1, blue seems to be all the rage this year - a good, solid Conservative blue, to match the government in power.
Workers have been erecting the main stage for festivities this week on Parliament Hill. By yesterday, it was evident the favoured hue seems to have definitely shifted from red - which also happens to be the colour of the Liberal party, the Conservatives' arch-rivals.
I'm in the `Shwa today because my "little Ethernet connection" problem turned out to be a mother. The friggin' motherboard's gone! I've got no access at home. And now we're looking at a new computer. But nooooo. It's never just one thing. We're reassessing our entire e-life, or i-life, or e-lifestyle or something. We have to think about the entire house instead of simply replacing the laptop. Wireless network, of course. But what are we going to use the network for? Do we want digital radio? Satellite radio? HDTV, an Apple-TV? What the heck, as long as we're at it let's think Blu-ray. Ok, ok, I know we don't have to make all these purchases at once but we do want to anticipate how we might, use the thing for the next five years or so. Sheesh.
We're on the road so I've chosen a drink that will get us waved through the RIDE Program (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) spot checks. While I was at a traffic light I noted the influence of the McLaughlin family around here. There's General Motors, descendent of Sam McLaughlin's original buggy factory. Sam's family is commemorated by a museum, an art gallery, a library, a high school, several streets, the Boys Scout camp, the Girl Scout camp and in many, many other ways.
Today's drink comes from Oshawa, invented by Colonel Sam McLaughlin's pharmacist brother John J. McLaughlin. JJ's Toronto bottled soft drink was first marketed under the name "McLaughlin Belfast Style Ginger Ale" in 1890. Each bottle's label had a map of Canada and a picture of the noble beaver featured prominently. In 1904 the recipe was refined and the product renamed "Canada Dry". The champagne of ginger ale was a good mixer for illicit booze during the prohibition and was marketed as a non-alcoholic alternative to sparkling wine. This year is the 100th anniversary of the Canada Dry Crown logo.
Sadly Canada's iconic soft drink is no longer owned by Canadians. Britain's Cadbury-Schweppes saw a good thing and bought the brand quite some time ago.
Belated best wishes to those who have already celebrated Fête nationale du Québec or St. Jean Baptiste Day (as it is listed on the Canadian Heritage Celebrate Canada webpage.)
We've got some celebrating to do today and throughout the long weekend. Please be careful out on the roads, and when using fireworks.
Canada turns 140 and The Next Agenda turns 1. Happy Birthday! Thursday Next and Bionic will be accepting presents and handing out slices of cake beside the snack table.
I'm looking forward to all the good things that will take place in the next year. So let's raise a glass:
To Canada!
To The Next Agenda! And too all who sail in her.
Cheers!
PS But officer why do I have to blow in the straw? Mom, Mom it's not right. It's just not fair.
