Living in Canada is really cool. It’s probably close to what Heaven is like, honestly.

(If you are uncertain about this yourself, you can check out this post for 50 good reasons to agree with me.)

I will be honest… It does have it’s disadvantages, though.

For example:

Rogers wireless, my Canadian cell phone provider, reminded me (with an $1100 bill) that calling the USA is an “international” call.

Ouch.

So, deciding to put my Mensa card to use (joking… ), I devised a workaround.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. SKYPE
   1. Register for an Unlimited US & Canada Skype subscription. Total cost = $2.95/month
   2. You will also need a Skype Online Number. This costs $30/year or $9 for 3 months. Make sure this is a USA number.
   3. Open your skype application and set your forwarding to your Canadian cell phone:
      1. Click on: Tools -> Options
      2. Click on: Calls and check “Forward calls when I’m not on Skype” and and your cell #
      3. Set it to: “Forward calls if I do not answer within [0] seconds”
2. Google Voice
   1. Create a Google Voice account.  You will need an invite from someone who has one if you don’t already have one. (I can sell you one for about $1100…j/k) You will also need to do this from a US-based IP address. If you aren’t in the US while doing this, it won’t work. Hire a Virtual Assistant in the USA to do it for you.
   2. Go to Settings -> Phones and add your Skype “online number.”  Set this as your default phone to call when you use Google Voice.
3. Your Canadian Cell Phone Carrier
   1. Having the Unlimited Incoming Call option on your cell phone plan is ideal if you are making a lot of calls.
   2. You’ll need web-access on your phone. Some carriers require a data plan, others will charge you per use.

Those are the tools and settings. Once that’s in place, it’s really easy.

Making Calls

When you’re ready to make calls to the USA, or anywhere in Canada, just:

1. Open up your browser on your phone and visit https://www.google.com/voice.
2. Click on contacts and then choose your desired contact.
3. Click call and wait… your phone will ring – answer it, It’s Google! Once you answer, Google Voice will start dialing your chosen contact.

Since the call begins with an incoming from Google Voice, you don’t have to worry about watching minutes if you have the unlimited incoming option.

Limitations

The only limitations to consider are this:

• Your skype subscription has to be active to forward
• The mobile version of Google Voice will only let you call contacts that are already existing in your contact list. You’ll have to add them from your regular browser before calling from your phone.

Other Awesomeness

Your American/US-based friends can also call/text your Google Voice number without having to pay the international fees that it would cost if they were to reach out to you via your Canadian number.

Does this help? If so, please digg it or pass it along to your Canadian friends!

My name is Joseph, I am Canadian. (if you don’t get that inside joke right away, check out this post)

Anyway, this is an exciting time for just about everyone… it’s the 2010 Winter Olympics!  It is an especially exciting time for Canadians for 2 obvious reasons:

1. This years Olympics are on Canadian soil: Vancouver, British Columbia (See the map if you are new to Canadian geography)
2. Canada is going to clean up in the medals

To help everyone stay in touch with up-to-the-minute information on what is happening on the Canadian Olympic circuit I have compiled a list of Canadian Olympic Athletes on Twitter. Check it out here: http://twitter.com/JosephRanseth/canadian-olympians

I love how willing each of these athletes are to share with the world what is happening in the Olympic games.. the inside view is something that we haven’t been able to see in previous games, and it gives a new perspective on what the Olympics are all about. Best of luck in the competition!

This is perhaps the greatest commercial ever made… Originally an ad for Molson Canadian, it has become a national icon and declaration of all that is good Canadian.

My name is Joe, and I am Canadian.
Hey, I’m not a lumberjack or a fur trader.
I don’t live in an igloo, or eat blubber, or own a dog sled.
And, I don;t know Jimmy, Sally or Suzie from Canada, although I’m sure they’re real nice.
I have a Prime Minister, not a President.
I speak English and French, not American.
And I pronounce it ‘about,’ not ‘a-boot.’
I can proudly sew my nation’s flag on my backpack.
I believe in peace keeping, not policing. Diversity not assimilation.
And, the beaver is a truly noble animal!
And Z is pronounced Zed, not Z. Zed!
Canada is the second largest land mass, the first nation of hockey, and the best part of North America!
My name is Joe, and I am Canadian!

Sadly, most non-Canadians may not usually celebrate Canada Day…. despite the sacred & holy nature of this annual holiday.  (We can forgive them, though, eh?)

So, in an attempt to enlighten our non-Canadian neighbours (yes, note the Canadian spelling) I have put together a list of reasons why EVERYONE should celebrate Canada Day.  Here are some of the profound contributions to our planet made by Canadians. (WARNING, After reading this list you will yearn for honorary Canadian status)

• The Antigravity suit
• Balderdash, the awesome board game
• Basketball – Seriously, what would the world be without Kobe & the NBA Finals??
• Butter substitute (yuck)
• Computerized braille (sorry, this blog isn’t written in computerized braille…)
• Disintegrating plastic (AND we recycle like mofo’s)
• Ear piercer (I wouldn’t have been so cool in junior high if it weren’t for this invention!)
• Electric cooking range, that cooked my homemade pizza last night
• Electric car (North America’s first)
• Electric wheelchair
• Electron microscope
• Five pin bowling (If you dare say that 10 pin is better i’ll punch your nose)
• Foghorn - (yes, press play if you have never heard one)
• Green plastic garbage bags
• Ginger Ale (ever had a sore tummy? This stuff is liquid gold!)
• Goalie masks
• Green ink
• Heart valve operation (first performed)
• IMAX
• Instant potato flakes (barf…)
• Insulation
• Insulin (as diabetes treatment)
• Java, the programming language
• Jolly jumper – Man did I ever LOVE this one as a kid
• Kerosene
• Lacrosse (Canada’s national sport… surprised?)
• Lightbulb (first patented… and you thought it was Edison, didn’t you!)
• Liposomes (seriously, what would life be without knowing about liposomes…)
• Muskol (if you’re not from Manitoba, you might not know that this is mosquito spray)
• Newsprint
• Nursing Mother Breast Pads
• Pablum
• Pacemaker
• Paint roller
• Panoramic camera
• Pictionary
• Pizza pizza telephone computer delivery services
• Portable high chair
• Puzz-3D
• Retractable beer carton handle
• Rollerskates
• ski-binding
• Snowblower
• Snowmobile
• Snowplow (are you sensing a pattern yet?)
• Stanley Cup
• Superman
• Table hockey
• Telephone
• Trivial Pursuit
• Walkie-Talkies
• Washing machine
• Yahtzee
• AND, last but definitely not least…… zippers! (Sorry if you are Amish & reading this)

Which ones are your favorite? Did I miss anything?

Now that you know… go ahead, HUG A CANADIAN! Send some love to your favorite Canadian who may have in some way helped make you world a better place.