Taking sides: UK vs US

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Americans: talk too loud, invade countries, don't let you smoke in restaurants, don't know much about other cultures, have crap coffee

British: no water pressure in their showers, not exactly unfriendly but hard to get to know, public transport and restuarants too expensive, boringly brag about how much they drink

Tough call but if I had to live in one of these countries, the U.S. wins on account of the weather

― An Australian, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 11:57 (twenty-two years ago)

This is really about Sydney and Melbourne, isn't it?

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:00 (twenty-two years ago)

U.S. wins on account of the weather

Methinks there might be quite a erm range of weather over there? Their books are bound better; ours have better covers.

― Enrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:01 (twenty-two years ago)

not exactly unfriendly but hard to get to know

That's what makes us so great!

― Freedom Dupont, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:05 (twenty-two years ago)

This is my Kingdom, and I'll not have you knocking it!

― Her Royal Highness Queen Kate (kate), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:06 (twenty-two years ago)

"This is really about Sydney and Melbourne, isn't it?"

Damn! You're probably right. Sydney = L.A., Melbourne = London

I just can't stand endless drizzle, it makes me want to commit suicide.

― An Australian, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Move to Seattle then. WHOOOOOOPPPPPPSSSSSSS!!!!!!!

― Skottie, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:11 (twenty-two years ago)

the UK cos we are the world leaders in crockery drainage

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Stop squeezing me for your facking green fairy liquid that you don't even rinse off!
http://www.entertainmentcaterers.com/images/leprechaun.jpg

― Skottie, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:13 (twenty-two years ago)

My ex-girlfriend's English, and when I met her she only showered about three times a week. Is this normal among the peoples of the British Isles?

― An Australian, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:15 (twenty-two years ago)

That's preposterous. No one showers that often.

― Skottie, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:17 (twenty-two years ago)

We take baths, old boy.

― Enrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:17 (twenty-two years ago)

on account of the low water pressure. Of course the low water pressure depends on how far below the treatment works you are. Gravity is still a fantastically cheap and efficient way of distributing water, you don't believe me, go look at a river.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Friday night is bath night.

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:24 (twenty-two years ago)

When I lived briefly in London, in Willesden to be more precise, there was no proper bathroom at all in my shared flat. There was a portable shower thing in the kitchen that looked like a portaloo. Hot water seemed to be a random occurrence, and water pressure was reduced to a slow drip. Anyway, it all gave me a much clearer insight into British stiff upper lips and British attitudes to hygiene.

― An Australian, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Having lived in Willesden and seen the way that Australians slept about twelve to a room, it may be that most of the hot water was used up, probably washing off the vomit after going down the spotted dog.

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Americans live twelve to a county. That's why we need lots of cars and all of the oil in the middle east.

― Skottie, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:30 (twenty-two years ago)

You see, this wild concept of "most of the hot water was used up" does not compute with me. I've always lived with a constant supply.

― An Australian, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:31 (twenty-two years ago)

yeh ffs you can hardly base your notions of British attitudes to hygiene upon your experience as an Australian living in North West London. your landlord was probably not British and never even visited the place for starters. my new house has two bathrooms and a power shower. gosh how upscale.

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:32 (twenty-two years ago)

like barry

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I liked London, I hated Willesden. There was something depressing about it.

― An Australian, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't have anything near permahotwater, but then I live in a converted boatshed. Which gets rather damp and cold. We won the war, you know.

― Enrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:34 (twenty-two years ago)

i agree that Willesden (tho really i mean Harlesden, stoopid Junction) is depressing

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:35 (twenty-two years ago)

It's a $hithole mostly, although there are a few nice bits, like the parks and .... erm....
Willesedem that is, not Enriques house

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:35 (twenty-two years ago)

The junction and everything between it and Old Oak Common and North Pole is a thing of Wonder.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:36 (twenty-two years ago)

There was something depressing about it.

Could it have been the 11 other vomit-covered australians in your room?

She may be Australian, she may be the alien. Send her to me.

― Skottie, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:37 (twenty-two years ago)

"We won the war, you know."

We helped. But we didn't compromise on our constant hot water supply.

― An Australian, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:37 (twenty-two years ago)

You see, this wild concept of "most of the hot water was used up" does not compute with me. I've always lived with a constant supply.

But it's not a foreign concept to Americans, either, even if you've lived much of your life in a two-story suburban house with a boiler the size of a Dalek.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:37 (twenty-two years ago)

(Actually, larger than Dalek...)

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:38 (twenty-two years ago)

i've found that the weather in london is way nicer than it is in michigan. far more mild. and i'd rather take a couple months of drizzle compared to driving off the roads for months on end during the various blizzards.

we have a neat electric shower thingy so we always have hot water. actually, this bathroom is the largest ever.

however, american breakfasts are fantastic. they just don't 'get' waffles here. same with tex-mex food

― colette (a2lette), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha, it has just occurred to me that my six most recent houseguests (3 of whom are Australian and 1 American) have witnessed my SERIOUS mould problem in the bathroom (no need for pets, I have billions of little friends living around my bath and many more on the ceiling where I can't reach with bleach) and experienced my dodgy combi boiler which should provide constant hot water, but which has a habit of going icy cold when you're covered in shampoo and shower gel. I do have a mixer tap in the kitchen though.

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:42 (twenty-two years ago)

"Could it have been the 11 other vomit-covered australians in your room?"

When it comes to drinking to the point of throwing up, I really don't think we have anything to teach the British. I'll see your Australians in Willesden and raise you 3,000 brawling, lobster-red pommie yobs in Bondi!

― An Australian, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Is that before or after we win the rugby?

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:45 (twenty-two years ago)

DAMN, I'VE JINXED US, WE WILL BE GUBBED BY WALES NOW, SOB!

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:45 (twenty-two years ago)

The junction and everything between it and Old Oak Common and North Pole is a thing of Wonder.

i hate it because there are currently roadworks (LIKE EVERYWHERE BLOODY ELSE ON MY REGULAR LONDON ROUTES) obscuring the 266 bus stop. and there should be an Old Oak station for North Acton to interchange with thus giving me access to the Silverlink without having to get that fecking bus (they always insist on changing drivers just 2 stops after i get on).

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Knowing Willesden as you seem to, i am sure that it is fair to assume that the rest of the UK is exactly the same as your experience! jeez!

― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:46 (twenty-two years ago)

"Is that before or after we win the rugby?"

Unfortunately, I don't think we Aussies have it in us to win this year. But England's been a bit disappointing too. I've a funny feeling the French might come through.

― An Australian, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:47 (twenty-two years ago)

"Knowing Willesden as you seem to, i am sure that it is fair to assume that the rest of the UK is exactly the same as your experience! jeez!"

What! You're telling me Willeden isn't a microcosm of your great British nation?!

I lived in Oxford as a kid. I've travelled around the country a bit. The pissy shower thing is a cultural constant.

― An Australian, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Are Americans really loud? I've never noticed it before.

― Mandee (Jerrynipper), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:53 (twenty-two years ago)

you've been very unlucky with your showers then An Australian. i've never had one that bad.

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:54 (twenty-two years ago)

that said, given our apparent love for water conservation perhaps it's a good thing.

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Me either!

x-post

― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Are Americans really loud? I've never noticed it before.

You need to live somewhere touristic like... Oxford... where it is unnaturally misty and rainy and damp (and beautiful, romantic, mysterious etc)

― Enrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, I won't let my egregiously poor experience with British plumbing diminish my admiration for your fine country. Once global warming really gets going, I'll gladly come back and live somewhere that's not Willesden. Clapham maybe.

― An Australian, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 12:59 (twenty-two years ago)

*sigh*

― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:00 (twenty-two years ago)

the other end of the Antipodean Arc :)

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Once global warming really gets going, I'll gladly come back and live somewhere that's not Willesden. Clapham maybe.

If we let you!

― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Clapham is Australian? I didn't know that. I have this funny feeling that a population exchange is under way. There seem to be more Brits in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney than Australians.

― An Australian, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:05 (twenty-two years ago)

(imagines pinkpanther with placard and megaphone outside Clapham Housing Association)

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:06 (twenty-two years ago)

"If we let you!"

You can't stop me. I hold a UK passport. Mwa-ha-ha!

― An Australian, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:07 (twenty-two years ago)

you think that can stop us? silly boy!

― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Clapham is the southern end of a crescent (including Wandsworth, Earl's Court, Shepherds Bush, Queen's Park and Harlesden) that reaches back to Willesden in which you will find the vast majority of Australians residing in London it seems.

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I had a nice drink in a pub called The Sun in Clapham once. Followed by tapas at a Spanish bar nearby, the name of which escapes me.

― An Australian, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:10 (twenty-two years ago)

*sniggers*

― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:11 (twenty-two years ago)

*looks down, but no, his fly is done up*

OK, so what's the joke?

― An Australian, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:12 (twenty-two years ago)

What is this Spanish Bar of which you speak?

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:22 (twenty-two years ago)

We totally whooped their ass in the Revolutionary War.

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:30 (twenty-two years ago)

What is this "Revolutionary War" of which you speak?

― Her Royal Highness Queen Kate (kate), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:31 (twenty-two years ago)

That time with the guns. Some had knives.

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:32 (twenty-two years ago)

The American War Of Independance? A mere footnote.

― Her Royal Highness Queen Kate (kate), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Today I hate everyone, neither country wins.

― Nicolars (Nicole), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Or the Revolutionary War. Ka-pow!

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:41 (twenty-two years ago)

"What is this Spanish Bar of which you speak?"

It is/was on the high street, not far from a pizzeria whose name I think was Marco's. I'm thinking this bar's called Rachel's, but that's hardly a Spanish name so perhaps I've got it wrong.

I also remember a jolly few pints at the Bread & Roses after a vigorous swim at the pool down the road.

― An Australian, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:46 (twenty-two years ago)

America sucks because there are no cats in America and the streets are filled with cheese.

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, well...i just found out from my mother that one of my cats was ripped apart by a mountain lion or something. Tore its head clean off. Great news to start a day off with.

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Americans: talk too loud, invade countries, don't let you smoke in restaurants, don't know much about other cultures, have crap coffee

"Talk too loud": That's because we have to shout over all the progress that's happening herein. Continually. (Or we could all have mothers like mine, who constantly prod us to "speak up" or "speak louder".)

"Invade countries": No we don't. We liberate them. Difference! :)

"Don't let you smoke in restaurants": Dependent on the location, this one is. My city just recently enacted new ordinances that would make restaurants have to meet stringent guidelines in order to have a "smoking" section. But by default, most restaurants locally are "smoke-free". Thank God! (Though there is some kind of insanity behind banning smoking in bars, IMHO.)

"Don't know much about other cultures": I don't know about that. We're all so many different cultures and peoples that we're all too keenly aware of differing cultures. If you were to run into me on the street, you'd probably think I wasn't American. But *surprise*, I am!

"Have crap coffee": I've had excellent coffee. I've had bad coffee. This happens. Good coffee can be found herein, again IMHO. But I end up relying on soft drinks for most of my caffeine intake. Robert D. Kaplan put it best when he said that coffee has a destabilizing effect on one's stomach in a hot climate. This is true. I live in a climate that could accurately be described as "hot" 75% of the year or so. Yay for sodas!

― Many Coloured Halo (Dee the Lurker), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry to hear that, Spinktor the Unmerciful. Where in America did your cat live?

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Greenville, SC. Parents moved there about 2 years ago or so.

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:54 (twenty-two years ago)

:-( I lived there for a year.

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Is it me, or didn't the British WIN the American War Of Independance?

It's just that some of them were called 'Americans' afterwards.

― mei (mei), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 13:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Regardless, we have stars on our flag now.

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:00 (twenty-two years ago)

The Canadians stayed loyal to Us, after all!

― Her Royal Highness Queen Kate (kate), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Canadians and their war-mongering.

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:02 (twenty-two years ago)

We mean, what about the War of 1812?

― Her Royal Highness Queen Kate (kate), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:04 (twenty-two years ago)

You didnt fare so well agains the Mongolians though.

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:10 (twenty-two years ago)

We have craps that are bigger than the UK.

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I just had to explain to my instructor why i had just bursted into laughter...now im the asshole. Great.

We have craps that are bigger than the UK

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:15 (twenty-two years ago)

...why i had just bursted...

Wow. I dont know what happened there. Sorry. Re-reading that line makes my head hurt.

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:16 (twenty-two years ago)

let us not forget the war of 1812-1815, when the british basically urinated all over american soil and burnt most of the public building in washington DC. a bit more effort from us and you guys would all be drinking bovril for breakfast

― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Num num!

― Sarah (starry), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:27 (twenty-two years ago)

"I'll have a pint of the black stuff"
"You can't drink a pint of Bovril!"

― Sarah (starry), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Euw bovril!

― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:28 (twenty-two years ago)

slackers! finish the job you lazy gits!

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:28 (twenty-two years ago)

The answer is Germany you fuckfaces.

― Allyzay, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:30 (twenty-two years ago)

No one asked for your opinion, Ally. Go back to work.

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:31 (twenty-two years ago)

America does have the kraft-genius that is Taco John's though. well at least in the North West. So i'm willing to put history aside for that.

― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:32 (twenty-two years ago)

"Our tax dollars at work"

― Allyzay, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Um, Momus lives in Germany now

― TOMBOT, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:34 (twenty-two years ago)

I am not letting one man ruin my opinion of an entire race! He's not even actually German.

― Allyzay, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:35 (twenty-two years ago)

TOMBOT makes me hate Alabama. And that seems fair.

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:35 (twenty-two years ago)

I am not letting one man ruin my opinion of an entire race!

Said in re: Germany -- has a kind of icky feel, no?

― Enrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Momus is all things to all men. I'd like to think that theres a small part of him inside all of us. Including the Germans

― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, if you're totally lame, Enrique.

― Allyzay, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Enrique's no? was entirely too latin.

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:40 (twenty-two years ago)

ANYWAY, Germans.

― Allyzay, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:43 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm German, Ally. Perhaps you should reconsider your Deutschlove.

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 14:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, if you're totally lame, Enrique.

Oh, okay. Germans != race anyways. < /feverish efforts to repress inner Burchill>

― Enrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 15:04 (twenty-two years ago)

oops, trust me, you are such a nonissue in my mind that your statement doesn't really affect me at all.

― Allyzay, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 15:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Ah, snap!

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 15:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Hey! This is my thread. Behave yourselves and be nice to each other. Discuss the relative merits of America and Britain. Discuss shower water pressure and Spanish bars in Clapham. Discuss how the major problem of Clapham is the lack of 137 buses. Now I'm going to bed, goodnight.

― An Australian, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 15:51 (twenty-two years ago)

What is bovril?

― Nemo (JND), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 15:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Now I'm going to bed, goodnight

That made absolutely no sense to me until i read his/her handle...

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 15:53 (twenty-two years ago)

'beef tea'

bet that sounds like fun out in california or wherever.
not a universally adored dish.

― Enrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 15:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Is that just like drinking beef soup broth?

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 15:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Dunno. It's rank, whatever (if healthy). cf Marmite.

― Enrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 15:55 (twenty-two years ago)

How does it differ from bouillion?

― Nemo (JND), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 15:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Dunno, you can't say 'bouillion' in a thick Glaswegian accent with quite the same effect.

― Enrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 16:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Aye.

― Nemo (JND), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 16:07 (twenty-two years ago)

It has the texture of honey and the appearance of v. dark chocolate spread. You put a spoonful of it in a mug of hot water and stir. It helps you survive a winter afternoon of deadly non-league nil-nil draw. This is Bovril.

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 16:26 (twenty-two years ago)

"Snap" is the funniest response to anything ever.

― Allyzay, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 16:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Both countries have fine people in them and reasons to be there. Simple!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 16:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Peace monger.

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 16:28 (twenty-two years ago)

:-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 16:28 (twenty-two years ago)

THE UK IS SHIT, BRING ON IT FUCKFACES.

Except they stole my Tracer Hand? What is that about? That's really sad and disheartening.

― Allyzay, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 16:29 (twenty-two years ago)

UK roxx u r all anglophiles

― Matt (Matt), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 16:30 (twenty-two years ago)

UK is obviously better because

A) we can spell
B) we can hold our booze
C) Americans have no sense of irony hahahhahahhhaha do you see I've now made up for our relative and absolute decline in the past 70 years hoorah for me and that famed brit wit fnar fnar look you've got Bush in charge oho yes, regard our infinitely superior marauding fucknut yes...

― Enrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 16:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Americans have no sense of irony

That's Canadians (-ennes).

― felicity (felicity), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 16:37 (twenty-two years ago)

"marauding fucknut" is the best definition of Blair ever

― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 16:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Id like to drop off a few rough-necks from Compton/E-LA in Europe...see what happens. I saw a bunch of dudes this summer in Germany that dressed tough, but were like 110lbs...wonder what they'd be like in Lands Down?

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 16:55 (twenty-two years ago)

'Bunch of dudes in Germany that dressed tough', eh?

Your Compton pussies wouldn't last five minutes against our West Ham fans, bizzotch -- just cos you all get free guns on graduation from 'junior high' or whatever you call it doesn't make you hard, alright? ;)

― Enrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 17:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Obviously the question of which country is better should be settled by a game of basketball.

― Nemo (JND), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 17:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Or rounders -- sorry 'baseball'.

― Enrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 17:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, baseball would be good, too.

― Nemo (JND), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 17:03 (twenty-two years ago)

or even better, football.

― felicity (felicity), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 17:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Or egg-on-a-spoon race.

― Nemo (JND), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 17:11 (twenty-two years ago)

< /Bill Hicks>

― Girolamo Savonarola, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 17:35 (twenty-two years ago)

I would estimate you can smoke in 95% of American restaurants, albeit in a separate section at times.

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 17:44 (twenty-two years ago)

― All your UK are belong to Fluff, Wednesday, 5 November 2003 18:39 (twenty-two years ago)

I smell the Amazing Randy.

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 18:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Does it smell like urine and desperation? Yep, that's Randy.

― NA (Nick A.), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 18:41 (twenty-two years ago)

You didn't let me answer the question.

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 5 November 2003 18:42 (twenty-two years ago)

The US won this argument, right?

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Thursday, 6 November 2003 17:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, me thinks so.

― nick number 2?, Thursday, 6 November 2003 17:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I've never been to England so at least for me it'd be a )&*$#&*)$ change of scenery... people are so much less maddening when you're not used to their habits yet. Do Londonoars drive better than Chicagasites?

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Friday, 7 November 2003 01:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Yanno, you can find some different scenery within the US.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 01:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Eh... but if I'm going to put my claustrophobic self in motery vehicles for a long time, I might as well go all the way and wind up in another country, not just another state.

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Friday, 7 November 2003 01:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Plus, don't you find you seem less odd to people when you're abroad? People can just chalk you up to "wacky foreigner!" status. Insert "speak-for-yourself-witch" joke below.

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Friday, 7 November 2003 01:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Do Londonoars drive better than Chicagasites?

Oh my god, NO - they are so much worse. Chicagoans drive like a bunch of 80-year-olds compared to Londoners.

― Kerry (dymaxia), Friday, 7 November 2003 02:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Last time I checked 80 year olds couldn't drive for shit. Or they shit while they drive. I forget which.

Ann, you need to go out to the country, then the rural folx attribute any weirdness to being a city girl. Then they tar and feather you.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 03:17 (twenty-two years ago)

the uk wins

when i went to the states the customs guy looked at me, sneered, made condescending comments about my job, my money etc, acted like i was gonna try and stay illegally. i wanted to sneer back about how i'm from australia mate: why would i want to live in your poxy country.

when i went to the uk i got a flat with all the hot water i could need. it was piped all around the building so my flat was warm. and when i went to ask for some kindness regarding my inability to pay the council tax the council started paying my rent for me too!

― gaz (gaz), Friday, 7 November 2003 03:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, it's not like Americans have a reason to be wary of foreigners coming into their country.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 05:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Erm, no, why would they? Oh, sorry I forgot -- the US is the only country ever to have been attacked. Silly me!

― Enrique (Enrique), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:06 (twenty-two years ago)

On that scale, by immigrants living within its borders, has there been another?

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Oops, bookmark this thread for the next time you're wondering why people think you're a cockfarmer.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Immigrants who were cleared to live there. And who were known to the security services. Only a hundred years ago the US recognized itself as a place for immigrants; it seems really weird to go round carving the place and people up into 'immigrants' and others.

― Enrique (Enrique), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I mean, yeah, the US is being bombed by AUSTRALIANS all the fucking time!

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Well we all know about Australians! Menace.

― Enrique (Enrique), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Hey I didn't say he was right in being wary of an Australian, as they don't put the brightest people at custom stations. So you are cordially invited to blah blah blah.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:15 (twenty-two years ago)

AKA Why ILE sucks part 243232

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, but non-whites on the other hand...

― Enrique (Enrique), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:16 (twenty-two years ago)

No, this is "why lazy generalisation of immigrants sucks".

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Oops, I'd tell you to go fuck yourself only I suspect you couldn't find your arse and you'd end up rooting your elbow instead.

― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:19 (twenty-two years ago)

OTOH, if I was plotting a terrorist attack on the US I would recruit people of a color and a nationality that is NOT known for its terrorism, wouldn't you?

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:20 (twenty-two years ago)

And which people wd that be? Seems to me every country/'race' has its terrorists. Like the Cribs Bloods CIA and KKK.

ARF!

― Enrique (Enrique), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Who's making generalizations about immigrants? I swear, I sometimes think people interpret things here in the way that makes the poster look the most sexist/stupid/etc.

Exactly Enrique! Customs officers need to be suspicious of everyone, esp those crafty Aussies.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I mean, the whole POINT of your first post was to defend bone-headed US customs officials, justifying their actions because for all they know Gaz could have been a potential suicide bomber or whatever. Doesn't this strike you as a massive rhetorical leap? I think even the dimmest of officials can tell the difference between a possible Islamic militant and an Aussie.

OTOH, if I was plotting a terrorist attack on the US I would recruit people of a color and a nationality that is NOT known for its terrorism, wouldn't you?

...

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:23 (twenty-two years ago)

This is so typical it hurts. Oops says something mindbendingly/wrong offensive and then spends the rest of the thread protesting that that wasn't what he meant at all.

― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:25 (twenty-two years ago)

its ok oops. it was 94 btw people. and we do have a local who is now imprisoned by US authorities for joining the taliban.

― gaz (gaz), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:26 (twenty-two years ago)

In what sense 'joined the Taliban' in the US? Did he go round buying stinger missles from the VA farmboys?

― Enrique (Enrique), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, either they're being bone-headed and think all 'dem foreennors' are the same.
Or they're not being prejudice, and treating all foreigners equally.

Offensive? What is offensive? Jesus Christ. Continue patting yourself on the backs for outing another bigot. Congratulations, your Merit Badge is in the mail.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, it's not like Americans have a reason to be wary of foreigners coming into their country.

Oops, let me explain this to you VERY SLOWLY. The US does not have a problem with "foreigners coming into their country". It has a problem with religious fascists attacking their interests from inside and outside the country. Your defence of the customs officials conflates the two as if there is no difference whatsoever (especially among a nationality hardly known for its Al Qaeda sympathies). Do you really not understand how this couldn't be interepreted as stupid at best and quasi-racist at worst?

And to be honest, for someone who gets held back and searched EVERY TIME I go through an airport because of my appearance, I generally find this attitude a little hard to take.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Also, we all noticed you shuffling over from defending the customs officials to attacking them. Very sneaky.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Standard Oops strategy that.

― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I can defend him and attack him.
Defense: He's wary of foreigners
Attack: He can't differentiate the thread posed by an Aussie from that of, say, a Saudi

Was that SLOW enough for you?

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, it's not like Americans have a reason to be wary of foreigners coming into their country.

Oops, if you weren't defending the customs officers, why resort to openly confrontational sarcastic statements?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:37 (twenty-two years ago)

And excuse me for having conflicted thoughts on the subject, as I don't claim to have everything figured out like most of y'all, but yeah, if I was Osama I'd give some Aussies heaps of cash and use them as operatives.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Matt, I could see where he was coming from, even if he was being overly vigilant.
I don't know what was going through his mind, and what how he was instructed to treat people coming into the country.
Also, we do have a drug problem.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Good thinking batman! Maybe it was the Saudis behind the whole 'Shining Path' lot all along. Ingenious!

― Enrique (Enrique), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:42 (twenty-two years ago)

So smartass, you're saying that wouldn't be a good strategy for a terrorist group?

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Also, we do have a drug problem.

Er, wtf has this got to do with anything?

― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Not really, cos the whole thing for terrorists is process. They didn't want the WTC to be blown up -- they wanted to do it themselves. And money doesn't always make the nut -- it takes real insane commitment to want to kneecap a taxi driver/blow up a bus of schoolkids.

― Enrique (Enrique), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:46 (twenty-two years ago)

You're a smart lad, Ricardo. You should be able to figure it out.

An Aussie working for an Islamic terrorist group wouldn't have to physically carry out violent acts in order to be a threat.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually, no, I can't. Would you like to spell it out for me?

Also, wouldn't an AMERICAN be even better than an Aussie? Ah no, silly me, I forgot that the only threat to America is from nasty immigrants.

― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Terrorism is not the only concern of customs agents. They deal more with drugs on a day-to-day basis.

And yes, an American would be better, but they're not coming through customs, now are they?

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:54 (twenty-two years ago)

The ludicrous thing about this argument is the notion that Gaz's customs official actually thought he would be a potential terrorist. US airport security wasn't that tight or they wouldn't have let people on planes with big knives in their hand luggage in the first place. What Gaz ACTUALLY said was:

when i went to the states the customs guy looked at me, sneered, made condescending comments about my job, my money etc, acted like i was gonna try and stay illegally.

Now, its perfectly possible that this was just one wanker. I'm not interested in attacking or defending him, particularly. It's Oops' assumption that de facto suspicion of foreigners is in some way part of the job that bothers me.

The idea of Osama Bin Laden deliberately using white Aussies as terrorists is such a silly avenue to go down that I'm not even going to bother with it.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:57 (twenty-two years ago)

enrique here

― gaz (gaz), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, I know that drugs are smuggled into the country. That hardly justifies being specifically nasty to non Americans. Oh, but again, I forgot that on account of immigrants being the only danger to America, that no US citizen would ever try and carry illegal substances through customs.

― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:58 (twenty-two years ago)

or here haha

― gaz (gaz), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:59 (twenty-two years ago)

de facto suspicion of foreigners is in some way part of the job that bothers me.

It's not part of their job. It IS their job. They are nasty to and intimidate everyone. They DO try to intimidate Americans coming back into the country.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 09:59 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm sorry, I came rather late to this thread but I'm trying to figure out why training anyone to be a terrorist operative is a good idea.

― Catty (Catty), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Oops, selective quoting does your argument no favours.

― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:01 (twenty-two years ago)

IOW, They're nasty to EVERYBODY. It's their job. Complaining about that is like complaining about the bus driver making so many stops.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Healthily vigilant and professional != nasty and intimidating.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:01 (twenty-two years ago)

I would like to remind you of your original post:

Yeah, it's not like Americans have a reason to be wary of foreigners coming into their country.

― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh sorry Ricardo:

The idea of Osama Bin Laden deliberately using white Aussies as terrorists is such a silly avenue to go down that I'm not even going to bother with it.

Betta?

(xpost haha for US Customs agenst it does!)

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Look, I know you are a thick twat Oops, but surely you can see that defending intimidatory actions towards a person going through customs by pointing out foreigners flew planes into the WTC is the problem here, NOT the specific behaviour of a customs official.

― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:05 (twenty-two years ago)

In other words: WHY did you defend his actions on the grounds of Gaz being foreign?

― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I love you too, and if you'd look back you'll see that Enrique brought up the WTC attack.

Obv you're not American. If you were, you'd notice that xenophobia is on the rise. Everything to do with 'protecting the homeland' (yes, i hate that phrase) has been stepped up. It's silly to complain about increased security w/r/t people--ALL people---coming into the country when everybody and their mother knows why it has been increased. Now, whether it has gone too far and has been over-generalized is a different argument. One which I think I'd be on your side.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:13 (twenty-two years ago)

What "problem with foreigners" were you referring to if it wasn't the WTC attack?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh come off it, the WTC attack was strongly implied by what you wrote.

You're still not answering the question I posed. Maybe you didn't read what I posted, so I'll ask it again. Why did you defend the actions of the customs official on the grounds of Gaz being foreign?

― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, that and the general xenophobia, which was around even before WTC.
Nice use of quotes there.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I did answer you:

IOW, They're nasty to EVERYBODY. It's their job. Complaining about that is like complaining about the bus driver making so many stops.

Also:
Everything to do with 'protecting the homeland' (yes, i hate that phrase) has been stepped up. It's silly to complain about increased security w/r/t people--ALL people---coming into the country when everybody and their mother knows why it has been increased.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:22 (twenty-two years ago)

N1tsuh to thread! Please!

― Mark C (Mark C), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:24 (twenty-two years ago)

That answer would've have done if you'd posted something along the lines of 'well, things are a bit tense right now so customs officials are being particularly rigourous in their behaviour towards everyone'. But you didn't. You specifically picked out foreigners.

― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Right you got me. I hate all you foreigners. Also, I hate gays.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Hang on - Oops, what the fuck time is it where you are? Are you drunk?

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:31 (twenty-two years ago)

(I took a huge nap and now am procrastinating while studying for the GRE)

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Oops - stop trying to reduce this to some sort of binary argument - its not a case of automatically hating all foreigners vs wanting to throw the gates open and let everyone travel freely. Pointing out the inherent racial insensitivity in your original comment is not the same as branding you a fascist, and I think you know that very well, so kindly quit it with the "I hate all you foreigners" stuff please.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Um, foreigners come in all races don't they?

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Anyway, I'm a ignorant twat. Why do you care if I'm racist? Isn't that what you expect?

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:38 (twenty-two years ago)

The sad thing is, I do expect it from you. It still bothers me though, it bothers me a lot. In particular, the way someone who has frequently come across as a creepy bigot has been accepted as part of this community is deeply upsetting to me.

― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:45 (twenty-two years ago)

I think y'all are reading into and assuming too much. So when I say "foreigners" you think "oh he means dark-skinned foreigners". I have no control over how people misinterpret what I say, and if you want to persist with the delusion that I am both a bigot and a homophobe, so be it.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:48 (twenty-two years ago)

So when I say "foreigners" you think "oh he means dark-skinned foreigners".

That's your misinterpretation, not ours.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:53 (twenty-two years ago)

What? I wasn't the one who thought it was racist.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Dear christ oops, can anyone hand you a pneumatic drill so you can dig yourself in even deeper!?

― Sarah (starry), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:56 (twenty-two years ago)

It is perfectly possible to be racist or racially prejudiced against people of the same skin colour to you, incidentally (institutionalised British Europhobia to thread!)

I don't think you are racist, btw, I think you are insensitive and ignorant with regard to the way you go trampling into these arguments, which is a different thing altogether.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:56 (twenty-two years ago)

By racists I mean "fully-blown overtly racist".

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:57 (twenty-two years ago)

And I think you are oversensitive and snobbish. Tally ho!

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Snobbish?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 10:59 (twenty-two years ago)

And no, this is not a nu/old ILX thing before you say so, I couldn't care less about that. What annoys me is the way you say things like "Yeah, it's not like Americans have a reason to be wary of foreigners coming into their country" and then refuse to apologise or even accept there is anything wrong with that statement.

I mean, if you were a Brit politician or a football manager and said that you'd have been sacked.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:02 (twenty-two years ago)

MDC OTM

― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Aren't customs officials sort of always assholes, though?

― Mandee, Friday, 7 November 2003 11:04 (twenty-two years ago)

So, they don't have a reason to be wary? Again, saying there's a reason doesn't mean people have not gone overboard in their response to any real or imagined threats.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Are you even going to address what Matt has just said?

― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I just did.
That's the second time you've done that, Ricardo.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:09 (twenty-two years ago)

It's the american way to be scared of furrigners.

― Mandee, Friday, 7 November 2003 11:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Perhaps customs officers are assholes because then anyone with something to hide is more likely to be intimidated into revealing their hand?

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:10 (twenty-two years ago)

It's because you keep missing the point Oops.

― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:10 (twenty-two years ago)

disagreeing w/the point != missing it

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:11 (twenty-two years ago)

I was gonna come on here and get all snarky about the fact that the UK does not consist of just Engerland, there are 3 other countries you lot always forget in your UK analysis!
I see, however, that it seems to have moved onto something more serious and I will now go and participate in a more lightweight thread....

― smee (smee), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Can we agree that a) custom official are often arseholes and b) they may well be justified in this, providing it's non-prejudically done?

― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:14 (twenty-two years ago)

(Yes, there's London, Preston and The Sticks).

― Sarah (starry), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:16 (twenty-two years ago)

And no Oops, yet again you did miss the point, or if not, deliberately skated round it by carefully omitting the word 'foreigner' from your reply.

― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:17 (twenty-two years ago)

AMERICANS ARE WARY OF FOREIGNERS
ESPECIALLY CUSTOMS AGENTS WHO ARE ADMITTING THEM INTO THE COUNTRY

By saying that, I am not arguing that it is RIGHT to be wary of and harass all foreigners. That's just the facts, jack.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Good god man, this is ridiculous! You did not make a bald statement of fact, so stop trying to pretend that you did.

― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Statment of fact: Americans have a reason to be wary of foreigners coming into their country.

Now, ONCE AGAIN, this says nothing about the validity of that reason. Christ, the shit that gets taken as offensive around here.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I reiterate.

What annoys me is the way you say things like "Yeah, it's not like Americans have a reason to be wary of foreigners coming into their country" and then refuse to apologise or even accept there is anything wrong with that statement.

I mean, regardless of intention, do you really, honestly, not understand how that can be construed as racist?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Furthermore, you just dropped that line confrontationally into this thread without any attempt to put it into cultural context until you were called out on it.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Anyway, this is going round in circles now, I give up.

This is the first time I've ever gone after a poster like this - I always thought I was quite a mild-mannered ilxer.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:35 (twenty-two years ago)

So you want me to apologize for you misconstruing it?

I reiterate. Foreigners come in all races. Since when did 'foreigner' become a racist word? Please turn down your Racist Detection knob a tad. K thanx.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Oops, can you really, truly not tell the difference between these two sentences:

Yeah, it's not like Americans have a reason to be wary of foreigners coming into their country

AMERICANS ARE WARY OF FOREIGNERS
ESPECIALLY CUSTOMS AGENTS WHO ARE ADMITTING THEM INTO THE COUNTRY

― Ricardo (RickyT), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:39 (twenty-two years ago)

one is snarky
one is annoyed

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:43 (twenty-two years ago)

one is in all caps, too

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:44 (twenty-two years ago)

And one of them in its very snarkiness carries an implication that the person you were responding to was wrong and that the wariness is justified.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Whether you intended it or not the implication is there, and for you to just go around shouting "well, it's YOUR fault for being too easily offended" rather than just owning up to this is immature at best.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Y'know, in a sense I started this.

Can we get back to joshing with each other about our bad teeth and your idiot electors?

― Enrique (Enrique), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:50 (twenty-two years ago)

liberace was american

thus UKers win

― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:53 (twenty-two years ago)

I just meant that anyone coming to the US shouldn't be surprised when hassled. I don't know even know what I would've been telling gaz he was wrong about. I dunno, is saying there's a reason for something equivalent to justifying it? I mean, there's a reason why someone would kill his wife, but pointing that out doesn't justify it.

Bob OTM

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:54 (twenty-two years ago)

should be "but pointing it out isn't justifying it".

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:55 (twenty-two years ago)

wayne newton is also american. and barbara streisand
3-0

― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:56 (twenty-two years ago)

USUK is just two thirds of Angrael, the Anglo-Israel alliance. The liquid engineering of Angrael works thus: hot water starts in Israel, then comes gushing over the whole body politic of the US. Finally, if there's any left over, it comes trickling, lukewarm and feeble, from broken, half-cocked shower heads in Tony Blair's Britain.

― Momus (Momus), Friday, 7 November 2003 11:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Thread for another day:

Mentions of Palestine vs Mentions of Chechnya

― Enrique (Enrique), Friday, 7 November 2003 12:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Bin Laden lived in Willesden for a while. Is this relevant? I don't care. I think I might buy the Cat Stevens CD at lunchtime.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Friday, 7 November 2003 12:06 (twenty-two years ago)

We won?

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Friday, 7 November 2003 12:38 (twenty-two years ago)

What's wrong with Liberace?

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 7 November 2003 13:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Liberace was an American Gladiator. Turbo's rival if i remember correctly.

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Friday, 7 November 2003 13:29 (twenty-two years ago)

This thread is funny. *I* got hassled last time I came back into the US. Lots of Americans get hassled at airports, often because they look, uh, "foreign".

Not defending the customs people AT ALL. I'm just saying...

Whereas when I went to the UK, I was waved right through.

― Kerry (dymaxia), Friday, 7 November 2003 13:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I hear its because we realize the glory that is white socks with every combination of clothing.

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Friday, 7 November 2003 13:53 (twenty-two years ago)

OTOH, if I was plotting a terrorist attack on the US I would recruit people of a color and a nationality that is NOT known for its terrorism, wouldn't you?
Swedish Islamic Death Commandos to Thread.

(if someone doesn't already have a band named "Swedish Islamic Death Commandoes", I publicly claim it as of 11:27am on Nov 7th 2003.)

[ Insert Notary Public Seal Here ]

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Friday, 7 November 2003 16:27 (twenty-two years ago)

It's nice to know that condescending comments about people's jobs will cut the chances of terrorist attacks. Can I just add that I'm with Ricardo here - I think we have been too tolerant of someone who seems only different from what we loathed about some other trolls in degree, not kind - his debating strategy and level seems very similar to Calum's, for instance. The fact that he is not deliberately trying to be offensive doesn't seem to me to be a big improvement, though i should be fair and admit that most of his offensiveness is much lower key than this, or the great homosexual debate which I remember as his debut. Still, he is the only regular who I have now concluded is racist, sexist and homophobic, albeit maybe not highly so in any category, an unusually complete set on ILE.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 7 November 2003 20:31 (twenty-two years ago)

To the stake!

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 20:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I think it's time this thread returned to its true topic!

This is really about Sydney and Melbourne, isn't it?

― Skottie, Friday, 7 November 2003 20:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Dear God, this is a depressing thread.

Oops, I STRONGLY recommend developing tact. Even though it may be too late.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 7 November 2003 21:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Tact is for when you care to not offend overly sensitive people.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 21:22 (twenty-two years ago)

First time anyone has ever called me that! Hurrah! (I suspect the same may be true for Ricardo and Matt DC too.)

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 7 November 2003 21:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Tact is for when you have basic social skills!

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 7 November 2003 21:32 (twenty-two years ago)

wait a minute, is everybody gonna let Momus's Prime-Minister-of-Malaysia schtick just slide right on by?

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Friday, 7 November 2003 21:38 (twenty-two years ago)

I think that's in the queue, J0hn.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 7 November 2003 21:41 (twenty-two years ago)

ah very good, carry on then

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Friday, 7 November 2003 21:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Tact is for when you care to not offend overly sensitive people.

haha this is the last thing you shout at people when they pick up their drinks and get the fuck away from you. along with 'hey man, i tell it like it is,' and 'i'm not yelling, i'm just saying, is all'

(xpost: ?? where is that?)

― typo acapulco (gcannon), Friday, 7 November 2003 21:53 (twenty-two years ago)

True geoff, perhaps I should've said tact goes out the window after being called an ignorant cockfarming twat.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 21:57 (twenty-two years ago)

i don't think you can chicken-egg your way out of this.

― typo acapulco (gcannon), Friday, 7 November 2003 22:00 (twenty-two years ago)

out of this? like i've been caught with my hand in the cookie jar? okay then, i submit to my punishment. (check out matt's first comment to me though)

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 November 2003 22:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I am quite hungry.

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Friday, 7 November 2003 22:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Tact is for when you care to not offend overly sensitive people.

Honestly, i's political correctness gone MAD, I tell you.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 22:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Tact is for when you care to not offend overly sensitive people.

Honestly, it's political correctness gone MAD, I tell you.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 7 November 2003 22:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Tact is for when you care to not offend overly sensitive people.

Honestly, it is political correctness gone MAD, I tell you.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 7 November 2003 22:25 (twenty-two years ago)

OT rather, but has the magazine Mad ever gone politically correct? Just wondering.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 7 November 2003 22:27 (twenty-two years ago)

William Gaines would roll in his grave!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Saturday, 8 November 2003 02:44 (twenty-two years ago)

I just really want to be able to hold up a copy and shout "It's Mad gone political correctness, I tell you!"

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 8 November 2003 11:25 (twenty-two years ago)

J0hn D's 'Prime Minister of Malaysia' comment is coded guilt-by-association: I am apparently being anti-semitic when I say 'hot water starts in Israel'. (Meanwhile on the 'pretty bukkake' thread Mr D is busy filing charges of 'objectification of women' against me. Do I detect a pattern here?)

Once and for all, to say that Sharon's Israel is currently totally out of line in penning the Palestinians into a virtual cage in their own land is not to be anti-semitic! What would Sharon need to do before Darnielle was willing to condemn Israel's behaviour? And how would his condemnation then differ from mine? Does the fact that Sharon is Israel's head of state, and Israel is populated by jews, mean that he can do no wrong? Is Mr D really willing to let his 'left wing' political sensitivities about never criticizing anyone if they happen to be jewish lead him to support (or remain silent about) the most right wing government on the planet? The last champions of apartheid?

The 'objectification' line didn't fly on the bukkake thread, and the 'hands off Sharon, he's jewish!' line won't fly on this one. Your Victim Politics benefits no-one, J0hn, and especially not the people you so kindly designate 'victims'.

― Momus (Momus), Saturday, 8 November 2003 11:31 (twenty-two years ago)

A cage for Palestinians, International Herald Tribune

― Momus (Momus), Saturday, 8 November 2003 12:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Perhaps J0hn has taken to heart this lesson from the Chofetz Chaim (Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan, The Chofetz Chaim, 1838-1933):

'The Chofetz Chaim begins by correcting the single biggest misconception, a point so crucial that it is expressed in the chapter’s very first words: It is forbidden to relate derogatory information about a person even if the information is true. Chofetz Chaim continues: Our Sages, of blessed memory, define this activity as loshon hora. The recounting of true derogatory information about another is the classic case of loshon hora.

Now, if this derogatory information were about the speaker’s brother, father, son or daughter, he would surely be much more reluctant to share it with us. The justification that it’s true would be overshadowed by the natural protective feeling we have for people whom we love.

The Chofetz Chaim begins his sefer by telling us, It does not matter if it is true. Hashem wants us to be as protective of every Jew’s reputation as if he or she were our own brother or sister. Just as one would be loathe to spread negative information about one’s sister or brother, regardless of the fact that the information is true, so too, should we be loathe to spread negative information about any Jew.'

― Momus (Momus), Saturday, 8 November 2003 12:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Jewish literary critic Ran HaCohen, however, disagrees.

― Momus (Momus), Saturday, 8 November 2003 12:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Ran HaCohen on anti-semitism:

'evoking Jewish victims of the past to defend Jewish victimisers of the present –remember that Israel has one of the mightiest armies on earth – is a moral fault on a par with, and embarrassingly similar to, anti-semitism itself.'

― Momus (Momus), Saturday, 8 November 2003 13:02 (twenty-two years ago)

A reader's comment to the Jewish Prophecy FULFILLED! blogsite:

After all we have gone through as a people for 4000 years, so many tyrants under whom we have lived who have brutally mistreated us, to live in an an age when the leaders of the most powerful nation of the world cares so deeply for this small people, as many presidents have, is amazing. It had a feeling of holiness to it -- of feelings God's words that 'those that bless the childen of Israel will be blessed.'

A slightly less rosy-tinted view of the same phenomenon.

And so on.

― Momus (Momus), Saturday, 8 November 2003 13:14 (twenty-two years ago)

anyhow to focus on the question at hand, I love so much about my country, yet there is hardly any such thing as Indian take-away to be found in it outside of NYC, so England wins easy. Hell, if all England disappeared except for the Curry Mile in Manchester, it'd still win pretty handily.
What crap. We have a neighborhood like that in Chicago. And since I've been to London, I know I'm not missing much in that department.

― Kerry (dymaxia), Saturday, 8 November 2003 15:48 (twenty-two years ago)

"Ann, you need to go out to the country, then the rural folx attribute any weirdness to being a city girl. Then they tar and feather you.

-- oops (don'temailmenicelad...), November 7th, 2003."

Actually, I was born and raised out in bumblefuck, Wisconsin, where I didn't get half the "what-the-fuck-is-wrong-with-your-freaky-ass?" bullshit that I get from uptight shit-driving SUV-obsessed Chicago fucks. Unfortunately, the weather back home was even more miserable than it is here, and I couldn't find a job to save my life. "Average" northwoods people are, in my experience, weirder and in a lot of ways more open minded than most suburban art students could ever be in their wildest fantasies.

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Saturday, 8 November 2003 22:26 (twenty-two years ago)

haha - ts: momus vs. pat buchanan (ie. scots vs. irish)(irish win btw)

― cinniblount (James Blount), Saturday, 8 November 2003 22:36 (twenty-two years ago)

also, how come people who bitch about the amount of aid the us gives israel don't bitch about the amount of aid the us gives egypt? oh right, jews

― cinniblount (James Blount), Saturday, 8 November 2003 22:38 (twenty-two years ago)

I mean in terms of 'ugly alliances to criticise the us for' israel's pretty far down the list (behind saudi arabia, egypt, russia, the uk)

― cinniblount (James Blount), Saturday, 8 November 2003 22:39 (twenty-two years ago)

but hey, jews

― cinniblount (James Blount), Saturday, 8 November 2003 22:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Blount - Momus's stance has absolutely bugger all to do with anti-semitism really and more to do with fashionable targets among the Left at any given time (Israel is a perennial favourite, obviously, possibly with good reason).

Enrique OTM upthread wrt Palestine/Chechnya. WRT Saudi/Egypt - taking sides - brutalising your own people vs brutalising a percieved Other.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Sunday, 9 November 2003 00:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Blount must really love the feel of that Pat Buchanan ventriloquist's doll on his knee, because he keeps getting it out.

― Momus (Momus), Sunday, 9 November 2003 00:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Momus's stance has absolutely bugger all to do with anti-semitism really and more to do with fashionable targets among the Left at any given time (Israel is a perennial favourite, obviously, possibly with good reason).

'Fashionable' suggests the left is just following hemline trends. Well, I guess an electrified perimeter fence imprisoning people in a tiny fraction of their own land is a 'hemline' of sorts.

But again I have to ask, just what would Sharon have to do before we could condemn his actions without being called 'anti-semitic'? At what point would his identity as brute and bully trump his 'master identity' as jew and therefore, apparently, 'eternal victim'? Or can that point simply never be reached?

― Momus (Momus), Sunday, 9 November 2003 01:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Nobody likes to think about Israel because it inevitably raises two wrist-slitting questions: 1.) Oh help, will the human race ever learn ANYTHING or will the new students always get hazed just because the seniors got hazed when they were younger? and 2.) Are people ever genuinely disinterested when it comes to anything that isn't trivial?

If you gather: in light of WWII, already an international historical obsession, the painful irony of the current situation is what makes U.S. military aid to Israel both so easy to obsess over and hard to think rationally about. PANT! PANT! JEW-HATER!!!!!!!

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Sunday, 9 November 2003 01:18 (twenty-two years ago)

see also: us aid to turkey (ie. is it just the irony factor of 'victims turned oppressors' that makes everyone harp on the us-israel relationship while giving much shadier relationships a free pass)(does the us give armenia aid? what's armenia's human rights record?)(ie. when certain people with already sketchy backgrounds single out israel and ignore turkey, russia, egypt, the uk, etc. you gotta wonder 'well what's the diff. between israel and these others? oh right, jews')

― cinniblount (James Blount), Sunday, 9 November 2003 01:26 (twenty-two years ago)

that said ann very otm with 1) (some sort of historical abused child syndrome?)

― cinniblount (James Blount), Sunday, 9 November 2003 01:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Try, if you will, this little exercise in parallel world brainstorming. Let's imagine a world where we delink 'Angrael'. The US backs away from Israel and Britain backs away from the US. Maybe it's an implementation of that 'humble foreign policy' Bush promised in his election debates, or maybe it's a sort of horrified recoil as the three states recognise how their interdependence pushes them into neo-imperialism. The reasons don't matter. Let's just say it happens.

Now, you may come up with different results, but in my model the Israelis are forced to develop a self-sustaining economy that's actually attuned to the small Mediterranean country they're in. They're forced to get along with their neighbours. Something similar happens in Britain, which has to integrate into Europe. Not a bad world, that.

― Momus (Momus), Sunday, 9 November 2003 02:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Or Israel makes its money by selling its sophisticated weaponry to every tin pot dictator that can pony up the cash.

― nickn (nickn), Sunday, 9 November 2003 02:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Or Britain does

― cinniblount (James Blount), Sunday, 9 November 2003 02:10 (twenty-two years ago)

While we're at it, could somebody get the French to slip into some more seductive diplomatic technique? Or at least explain to Chirac that Bush has been called a moron so many times that insulting his intelligence does nothing but egg him on at this point. (UberCynic sez he and his bank accounts already know that.) It would be so nice to see somebody slipping around with velvet ego-mufflers and silky admonitions...

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Sunday, 9 November 2003 02:40 (twenty-two years ago)

'Fashionable' suggests the left is just following hemline trends. Well, I guess an electrified perimeter fence imprisoning people in a tiny fraction of their own land is a 'hemline' of sorts.

Momus, I basically agree with you here... I don't think many people are denying that Sharon is an brutal heavy-handed mass-murdering fucker. But surely you'd agree that Israel/Palestine as a problem is given media coverage disproportionate to that of, say, Congo or Chechnya or, indeed, Turkey or Egypt. This is as much to do with media fashion than anything else (I'll exclude Zimbabwe here, because in terms of 'causes', that is the Israel of The Right).

Ultimately, I don't believe it really has as much to do with the fact that there are Jews involved as the very visible presence of the US in the background. Maybe 'fashion' is the wrong word, but there are certain whims and trends prevalent on the more cynical side of the Left - removal of Saddam Hussein was a very popular cause among Socialists up until the point when the US-UK decided they didn't like him any more.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Sunday, 9 November 2003 12:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Equally, Momus's concentration on the US-UK's imperialist impulses and that the UK should integrate more with good old pacifist Europe overlooks the not-exactly-small problem of France's imperialist impulses.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Sunday, 9 November 2003 12:19 (twenty-two years ago)

i think the americans customs officials are very interesting. i was unprepared for the zealousness and zeal with which they do their job. the other countries i have been to have been cordial at customs, so it was quite a shock when i came to the us for the first time.

when i arrived i was interviewed for about 20 minutes, i was told i didnt have enough clothes for my duration and that this was suspicious, one of the officials was concerned about the david foster wallace book i was reading, and asked me some questions about that also.

there were many questions about my job

i came away with the impression that the vigour they put into their job was more to do with them thinking i was going to become an illegal alien than anything to do with my potential terrorist ambitions.

i also do not believe that it is productive to argue with oops on this kind of matter. although oops is a friendly and respectful person much of the time, i'm not sure that his ability is so strong in this kind of area. although it is unclear whether this is an intentional device or not, i have found the absence of flexibility or ability to listen means that discourse becomes impossible. i think his pronouncements are nice to look at, but are not really worth engagement

― charltonlido (gareth), Sunday, 9 November 2003 12:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Ha - Momus declares that Israel controls the U.S. and Britain (or whatever that spiel was supposed to mean); J0hn D. calls him on it ("is everybody gonna let Momus's Prime-Minister-of-Malaysia schtick just slide right on by?"); and Momus spazzes out with a flurry of threads:

Once and for all, to say that Sharon's Israel is currently totally out of line in penning the Palestinians into a virtual cage in their own land is not to be anti-semitic!

Heh - but that's not what you said, of course.

Heh - that's not what J0hn said, either.

Why so defensive, Momus? Why so furiously backpedaling from your initial claim?

― Sam J. (samjeff), Monday, 10 November 2003 00:03 (twenty-two years ago)

You really should work for Fox News, Momus, you've got the rhetorical style down perfectly: create a smoke screen of furious attacks on things your opponent didn't say, and defenses against accusations he didn't make. (You've also shown yourself to be skilled at calling people who disagree with you immoral hypocrite "sickos.")

― Sam J. (samjeff), Monday, 10 November 2003 00:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Well said Gareth, and it brings up a small aside I feel worth mentioning.

I came away from that whole exchange thinking "shit, I hope I never say something I word a little badly on this board, I'll obviously be ripped to shreds and judged for it, even if it is plain arguing certain political semantics isnt my strong point".

I next to never engage in these so-called "intelligent" arguments, the ones some people wish there were more of - because some of you make it extremely intimidating to do so, with your demands every little ambiguity be stamped on and floodlit.

Just, I dunno - keep that in mind, maybe? *shrug*

― Trayce (trayce), Monday, 10 November 2003 00:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Momus declares that Israel controls the U.S. and Britain (or whatever that spiel was supposed to mean)

If you don't understand, don't paraphrase. 'Angrael' is my name for an alliance between Israel, the US and the UK. On the one hand 'Angrael' is just a sci-fi cautionary tale. In other ways, it's all too real.

Taking sides: Angrael versus Europe?

― Momus (Momus), Monday, 10 November 2003 00:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Angrael v Europe: WWII... backwards.

― Momus (Momus), Monday, 10 November 2003 00:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I love it when people come up with clever names they hope will catch on. It reminds me of Paul Ince insisting that his teammates call him 'the Guv'nor'.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 10 November 2003 01:08 (twenty-two years ago)

He said tackling was better than sex.

Momus is like my stereotype of a college student except he has done the reading for 7 or 8 more degrees.

― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 10 November 2003 01:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Ah yes - that got me wondering about the sexual equivalent of the sliding tackle and the professional foul.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 10 November 2003 01:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Momus is like my stereotype of a college student except he has done the reading for 7 or 8 more degrees.

Nonsense, I've hardly read anything. I'm like a college student, only 20 years older and with a more stupid hairstyle.

http://www.imomus.com/dailyphoto101103.html

― Momus (Momus), Monday, 10 November 2003 01:38 (twenty-two years ago)

You should have seen some of the mature students on my course. Really, you'd have fitted in great.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 10 November 2003 01:40 (twenty-two years ago)

They were a pain in the arse in seminars, though.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 10 November 2003 01:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Momus is the Lenny & Squiggy of ILx

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 10 November 2003 01:44 (twenty-two years ago)

http://lennysquiggy.tvheaven.com/Sounds/perverts.wav

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 10 November 2003 01:45 (twenty-two years ago)

If we can isolate this thread (because I haven't read any of oops' other misdeeds) I am still greatly confused as to why people are ripping oops apart. His comment was a pretty general and much heard one in terms of terrorism and just immigration and customs enforcement. I have to ask ridiculous, kind of easily misinterpretted to be offensive questions all the time to foreign nationals, even Swedes and Canadians.

― Carey (Carey), Monday, 10 November 2003 02:07 (twenty-two years ago)

fucking swedes trying to bring in their filthy meatballs.

― Carey (Carey), Monday, 10 November 2003 02:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Swedish Islamic Death Commandos II: When Laplanders Attack!

Coming to a theatre near you.

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Monday, 10 November 2003 02:14 (twenty-two years ago)

They were right to give Gaz the 3rd degree though - those damn sydneysiders, you can't trust them with ANYTHING ;)

― Trayce (trayce), Monday, 10 November 2003 02:27 (twenty-two years ago)

whaaa? i was just about to agree with your comments upthread Trayce, but now? *hmmph*

i thought the thread was pretty light-hearted up to that point, and oops jibe was just a jibe...and then *kapow*, er, what?

― gaz (gaz), Monday, 10 November 2003 02:36 (twenty-two years ago)

btw - a pedantic point, but had it been introduced earlier maybe all of the shouting wouldn't have happened: the WTC terrorists did not go through Customs as the flights they hijacked were all DOMESTIC flights.

― hstencil, Monday, 10 November 2003 02:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I mean like DUH.

― hstencil, Monday, 10 November 2003 02:58 (twenty-two years ago)

but to answer the question, I have not been to the UK but I think I'd like it a lot (aside from that not rinsing the dishes thing).

― hstencil, Monday, 10 November 2003 02:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry gaz, you know I'sa just joshin ;)

Good point stence - also, gaz did (quietly) point out his customs experience was in 1994, well before any of this current terrorist hoo-ha.

― Trayce (trayce), Monday, 10 November 2003 03:13 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah I know, just felt like being a pedant.

And for bitchiness' sake, I'll point out that I've had my stuff rudely searched by Spanish airport security upon leaving two times now, but hey I still love Spain and would go back in a minute if I could. One rude person in a country /= all people in a country

― hstencil, Monday, 10 November 2003 03:16 (twenty-two years ago)

and that wasn't directed at anyone in particular, just saying.

― hstencil, Monday, 10 November 2003 03:22 (twenty-two years ago)

The customs officers in the UK were hilariously uninterested in me. I told them I had food to declare (well, it was vegemite and bikkies) and they laughed and said "this isnt Australia you know - just go through!".

I wasn't sure wether to be relieved or insulted! =)

― Trayce (trayce), Monday, 10 November 2003 03:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I mean in terms of 'ugly alliances to criticise the us for' israel's pretty far down the list (behind saudi arabia, egypt, russia, the uk)

What the fuck planet are you on?

― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 10 November 2003 10:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Trayce, it wasn't really the original comment that caused the fight, more Oops's persistent inability to acknowledge that what he posted might have some dubious connotations. Admittedly, the fact that I think the guy is an utter prick did colour my reactions somewhat.

― Ricardo (RickyT), Monday, 10 November 2003 11:13 (twenty-two years ago)

seven years pass...

I don't understand what's so goddammed funny.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gzj1OF7d9m4

―  (Pleasant Plains), Tuesday, 26 July 2011 15:06 (fourteen years ago)

I mean, they're the ones who drink tea from gas cans.

―  (Pleasant Plains), Tuesday, 26 July 2011 15:06 (fourteen years ago)

five years pass...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3782563/I-lost-husband-sacred-ground-m-disgusted-British-stag-cause-outrage-taking-selfies-NAKED-BLOW-DOLL-Ground-Zero-eve-15th-anniversary-9-11-police-order-leave.html

― pplains, Sunday, 11 September 2016 01:18 (nine years ago)

one year passes...

OK, fine. Limeys win.

https://i.imgur.com/8fMzRjL.jpg

― pplains, Saturday, 20 January 2018 04:06 (seven years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.