Harya t'day?

One of my favorite books is Mark M. Orkin's "Canajan, Eh?" -- a humorous look at Canadian pop culture disguised as a glossary of "Canajan," the true language of English-speaking Canadians.
I bought the book during an early 1980s' trip to British Columbia -- or "Brish Clumbya" a.k.a. "Bee See."
Orkin pokes gentle fun at his fellow Canadians by pointing out the quirks of their dialect. The definition of "Broodle," meaning savage or cruel, for example, offers the following common sentence: "I tellya, Rick, the Leafs' lass game was sumpm broodle."
I thought about the book frequently today, as I was awash in "Canajan Content."
I cleaned some of the house in anticipation of a scheduled Super Bowl party while listening to a pair of Canadian playlists I have compiled for my iPod.
The playlists feature 52 Canadian artists, ranging from The Diamonds (and their 1950s classic "The Stroll") to Arcade Fire (with recent indie hit "Neon Bible") with plenty more in between. All the old favorites are present and accounted for, including Hank Snow ("Nova Scotia Home"), Bryan Adams ("Summer of 69"), Rush ("Tom Sawyer"), Payola$ (the underrated "Eyes of a Stranger") the Diodes ("Tired of Waking Up Tired") and Neil Young ("Cinnamon Girl").
I have also been reintroduced to some fabulous songs I had forgotten, including "Echo Beach" by Martha & The Muffins and "Don't Stop" by Chilliwack.
Oh sure, Anne Murray ("Snowbird") is there, as are Gordon Lightfoot ("Sundown"), Leonard Cohen ("Avalanche") and Bruce Cockburn ("Wondering Where the Lions Are").
There is also room for The Band ("The Weight") and the Be Good Tanyas ("It's Not Happening"). I also included such guilty pleasures as "Sunglasses at Night" by Corey Hart and "The Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats.
I opted for "These Eyes" by The Guess Who instead of "American Woman" and "Takin' Care of Business" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive instead of "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet." I also chose "Willy" by Joni Mitchell instead of any of the other possibilities.
Sorry, but I deliberately neglected to include any Shania Twain or Celine Dion. The New Pornographers ("The Laws Have Changed"), The Demics ("New York City") and The Weakerthans ("Aside") are included. I had to include The Tragically Hip's "Wheat Kings" and Wide Mouth Mason's "Smile." Don't worry, Saskatoon readers, Irish Plantation Orchestra is there, too.
Sloan's "The Rest of My Life" is a centerpiece of the playlists, as is Tom Cochrane's "Life is a Highway." His original is so much better than the Rascal Flatts cover that it is ridiculous.
I probably should clean more of the house, but I think I might listen to more Canajan -- er, Canadian -- music instead, eh?