Guitar Tricks - British People

PonyOne

06-16-2003, 04:11 PM

I'm an american dude who's lived in Seattle, central Oregon (desert, middle of nowhere... taught me a lot about solitude), Boston, and now Los Angeles... I think probably the coolest place I ever went was Stratford-Upon-Avon in England. The people were so un-be-frickin-leaveably nice, the setting was beautiful... hopefully someday I'll be a productive enough member of society that citizenship in the UK will be a viable option and I can get a home there.

I also stayed in Salisbury (was there for Mayday, great looking women and loads of partyin' hard), Oxford (also beautiful and friendly, cool music from there too) and London (what more can be said?).

I think that Britain is a pretty cool place. I've met a few people after I went who have been pricks toward America, which I don't really understand... don't blame all of us for the gov't. The predominant reaction I got from people was abject curiosity. I think I heard "where in the US are you from?" a half million times. When I told them Seattle, they were like "Oh yeah! Nirvana and Pearl Jam! Isn't it by California?" and when I said it was on the West Coast, they were like "cool, is it all deserty and does it have palm trees and stuff?" In one hostel, some movie was on that took place in New Mexico and the guy I'd been chatting with was like "so it looks like that then?" Cracked me up.

It's also funny how every other food product somehow claims that it's America's favorite, an American tradition, or America's #1... for the record, Royster's Crisps, those Bandito tortilla chips, and the American Fast Food DIner line of products do not exist stateside so they're being total liars. There is no Pepsimax here. And Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are not America's #1 chocolatey cofection... that'd be Snickers. I don't know if they're still doing that crap but i thought it was funny.

And IMHO the British music kicks ass... Speicals, Maiden, Blur, Supergrass, etc.

Displacer

06-17-2003, 02:13 AM

haha i thought this post was going to be slagging off us brits.

I'm from the UK originally, live in hong kong now.

I didn't like the UK whenever I was there, but I grew up in cities like glasgow and birmingham, last time i went back i headed to liverpool to see a friend, and that was just plain awful.
there are some great places though, unfortunately their are some terrible ones too. but thats like everywhere really.

as for british people i love them, but thats coz i am one hehe :P

kingdavid

06-17-2003, 10:25 AM

Right now I'm not in love with the Brits.The govt.(as well as America's) has put a travel advisory warning people of travelling to Kenya.We're listed as one of the 15 most dangerous destinations in the world.along with countries like(horror)Iraq and Israel and Haiti and Liberia.
Jesus Christ?!?!?
I'm a kenyan living in Kenya,and this advisory is utter crap.They're saying that we're a danger spot because of the potential terrorist threat thar exist here.THAT THREAT EXISTS EVERYWHERE,bloody ****ing!!!
So why I'm I raving?
It's ****ing up out tourism,that's why.And for an industry that earns a developing country 15% of it's GDP,that is something.Not to mention the ripple effect on other sectors.We've finally got us a govt. that is doing things right,and look what we get.
And considering that the arguments being put forward are utter crap,it really is madenning.
The worst terrorist hit to have been carried out in kenya was the 98 Us embassy bombin,in which some 250 people(officialy) died.Then there was the paradise hotel bombing last year at the coast(this attack also targeted an airliner,but it didn't work-both hotel and liner were israeli).Then there was the 1982 bombing of the Norfolk hotel in Nairobi.Just those three events,and suddenly we're what Britain is saying we are.Why didn't they put an advisory on America after sept. 11?Ok,maybe that wasn't really necessary.BUT STILL!!!
You might be thinking that if a country is safe,then you'd visit irrespective of what your govt. says.But the problem is,once an advisory is issued against a given country,then people travelling there do it at their own risk,and are not covered by their insurers.And that's when people chicken out.Plus you don't visit a country coz you sympathise for that country's tourism industry.
I think the American and british govt. are simply being callous about something that might be trivial for them,but isn't trivial for us.But then again,these are govt.s that started a war that the world's majority was opposed to,so I can't expect them to give a **** too much,can I?
Oh,btw(and I don't mean to hijack:eek:terror)your thread icecool,but I heard on CNN that Iran has some fishy nuclear weapons thing going on.Do I hear the hula?Aren't nuclear weapons WMD'?Aren't WMD's why Iraq happened?(Or had to happen).I'm all ears.And does it strike as abit odd Saddam couldn't hide his weapons before the war-coz if he could,America wouldn't have known about it-but after the war,he's hidden them so well?Hmn?Interesting.

[Edited by kingdavid on 06-17-2003 at 09:30 AM]

MikeP.

06-17-2003, 02:52 PM

Yeah I hate that British mentallity too about them hating Americans for the wrong resons. They should hate the govt. NOT THE PEOPLE! Yes I have been to England quite a few times. I also used to live in Spain (My wife is from Madrid) and go back every 6 months or so.

Now on a nicer note. Every British person I have met have been very friendly and helpful to me when I was there. Although when I hear them bashing Americans they just sound so ignoarant to me.....and most of them have never stepped on American soil before. A curiouse thing I have noticed is that some Englanders (Not all) even bash different cities (Or even neighborhoods) of their own.....almost a tribal feel to it. I'm not one to judge that as they understand what they are doing and live it. I suspect it could possibly be for Football (Soccer to us Americans)reasons. But I never questioned it for fear of being rude to them.

Speaking of ignorant: one of my wife's friends (From Spain) Believed the movie "Bowling For Colombine" to be for real and believed everyword she saw from it.

icecool

06-17-2003, 04:10 PM

I'd have to agree that generally, some truly ignorant people here do judge american citizens by what their goverment has done, and I think it is utterly ridiculous. However, it is wrong to say all people here have that mentality.

Tele Master

06-17-2003, 05:15 PM

My best friend is british, still has the accent and all. Hes an awesome guitarist, gets me into all these British bands that I've never heard of, and comes up with crazy songs. Hes awesome.

Displacer

06-17-2003, 10:55 PM

Icecool/MikeP

in the words of Sacred Reich

'You can't judge people by the government of their land, their flesh and blood like us, why dont you understand?'

love that song :P rock on!

[Edited by Displacer on 06-17-2003 at 10:00 PM]

PonyOne

06-17-2003, 11:08 PM

I think it's funny that so many British seem to think Americans are going to speak ill of them. Most Americans are pretty cool with them... why does everyone think we're such jerks...

I've met some people from the UK and Australia who have really gross prejuduces about Americans; we're all fat, stupid, lazy, ignorant, cowboys, drive cars that are 35 feet long and have lay-z-boy chairs, have like 20 guns, that there are trailer parks everywhere, that we're all totally racist... to quote Maynard Keenan of Tool, "before you point your finger..." But these people were the vast minority, most of the people from the UK, AUS, and most of the EU I've met have all been very nice, polite, and more than anything else, curious.

Oh and IMHO, the worst injustice to come from Columbine, was that I can't wear a trench coat without getting nasty looks now. People can be so friggin ignorant, everywhere.

Grub

06-18-2003, 04:39 AM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by MikeP.
[B]Yeah I hate that British mentallity too about them hating Americans for the wrong resons. They should hate the govt. NOT THE PEOPLE! Yes I have been to England quite a few times. I also used to live in Spain (My wife is from Madrid) and go back every 6 months or so.

I'm a Brit of mixed European background and have travelled around the US extensively and had a great time. Some people sucked but generally most were fine, particularly in Chicago. The thing I and many others dont like is 'corporate' America e.g. the anti-environment behaviour of companies like Exxon and the car manufacturers, dominance of big brands, crap TV shows etc. Unfortunately this is the only thing most people know about the US and not the real deal. Excluding MTV and chart crap, the US has given the world the best music e.g. jazz, blues, proper country, bluegrass, cajun, rock n roll..some of the best literature like Kerouac, Steinbeck, Chandler etc and the greatest TV programme in history THE SIMPSONS.

Dr_simon

06-18-2003, 07:05 AM

Yawn, when will people realize that these shocking generalizations are utterly pointless!

People are people, good or bad and where you are from is totally irrelevant. Something about where you are at not where you are from!

Wake up folks !

kingdavid

06-18-2003, 08:50 AM

There's good,bad,mean,generous,ignorant,enlightened,everything,nothing folks everywhere in the world.EVERYWHERE.

Incidents Happen

06-20-2003, 10:52 PM

The stereotype that alot of Americans have is that the brits are snobby.

I met one that was snobby, total bitch too...

But that's irrelevant, I've met a few brits, very friendly, not as many jerks, it seems.

now Germany, I've a friend who went to Germany, said he got spit on several times by different groups of Germans, they cursed at him "filty american, ignorant, arrogant, stupid" things like that...I believe him, partially because he's not a liar, and partially because there have been many many many anti-american riots in Germany in the past 6 months.

Go figure?

It's a stereotype, though.

Dr_simon

06-21-2003, 08:30 AM

Yes it is , this type of mindless stereotyping is at the heart of every sort of prejudice, -ist and -isum and for those who are "hard of thinking" that is a bad thing !!!!

Once again we see people tying to reassure them selves with what appear to be easy answers that requires a minimum of thought and provide a minimum of accuracy.....Makes me think of..... Homer Simpson !

I know plenty of Germans who wouldn't dream of spitting on / at any one. I also know Americans who are married to Germans and living in Germany....surprise surprise, no problem their either!

One of the cleverest people I know (and I have met a few) is American. On the other side of the coin an American soccer player once remarked, in conversation, after I had told them I was from the UK, that they thought that my English was very good ! That conversation didn't last very long !

[Edited by Dr_simon on 06-21-2003 at 09:19 AM]

Josh Redstone

06-21-2003, 08:53 AM

Just about everyone I've talked to or met from another country has been very polite and nice to me, and I made sure to return the courtesy. Its like everyone said, people just have these silly stereotypes in their head.
IE; I'm from Canada. The last time I remember using the word "EH?" is a few seconds ago when I wrote this sentence, but its still played on in almost every TV show around thats not made in Canada. (Not that it's not funny or anything.)
Anywhoooo, back to the topic, British people are cool. I dig the different flavours in the accents, and about half my family is from England.

Incidents Happen

06-21-2003, 12:48 PM

Originally posted by Dr_simon

I know plenty of Germans who wouldn't dream of spitting on / at any one. I also know Americans who are married to Germans and living in Germany....surprise surprise, no problem their either!

[Edited by Dr_simon on 06-21-2003 at 09:19 AM]

Right, what i was trying to get at was the spiral of hate, that's how it starts.

Somehow, somebody gets pissed off, and does something to somebody from a different country. That person then thinks that all people of that country hate him...he tells all his friends, and when his friends go there, they go as big jerks to these people, etc.

I wasn't taking a side, or anything. Just to make it clear.

PonyOne

06-22-2003, 02:55 AM

british people = ok
american people = ok
french people = ok
israeli people = ok
german people = ok
japanese people = ok
swedish people = ok
iranian people = ok
kenyan people= ok
chinese people = ok
latvian people = ok
egyptian people = ok
every type of people = ok

i just judge people on an individual basis... an asshole by any ethnicity is still an asshole, and a cool person by any ethnicity is a cool person.

And a hot chick by any ethnicity is A-OK w/me.

kingdavid

06-23-2003, 12:03 PM

Originally posted by PonyOne
..kenyan people= ok..:)
And a hot chick by any ethnicity is A-OK w/me.
Ugandan chicks,I'm told,have the best arse known to mankind.
Jlo has a big butt?PUHLEASE!!!
You find time and come around here,you'll see.
And remember that generally speaking,African women are big bodied,you know,buxom and all that.So when an African guy talks of nice butt,there's something to it,or should I say on it:D

educatedfilm

06-23-2003, 03:43 PM

I'm surprised, I thought it was gonna turn into a slag briton thread. I Live in England now, but i've spent 7 years in scotland, and i think i like it up there more, the poeple are cooler, a bit more eccentric...
British music I've always enjoyed more than american as a whole,but strangly enough my favourite bands are predominantly american...there seems to be greaet music made in the US thas a backlash to the very commercial market in the US... with us it'sless commercial, but this has ment that music that rebels looks pretty irrational. I hope this is making sense...
I'd like to go to the US, cos there seems to be loads of scenes any lay about bohemian student could feel right at home in...

Gainer

06-25-2003, 08:48 PM

I'm from Canada. British people rock! My (late)grandma was british, from portsmith or somethin'.

I'm wonderin', how do brits come out with such great bands?

Dr_simon

06-26-2003, 12:11 AM

Hey educatedfilm
We (me and Catherine) are coming back to the UK in the next 12 months or so (have to ship my studio from Iowa, that will be fun !) any how I will be spending a little time in Newcastle when I get back, let me know whereabouts you are and we can hook up for a beer or something !

Later dude
S

educatedfilm

06-27-2003, 05:17 PM

LOL, that'd be great! Just what time though? CosI'm seriously busy at the mo, as you can probably tell from my sporadic posts... I'm a first year medic, and the mother of all mothers of all mothers of exams is in a month..
But seriously, I'd love to meet and seriously chat with someone who knows their stuff when it comes to recording...
I'm not that clos to Newcastle, but i've got a friend based in North umberland (spelling?) I'd love to at least to chat to some one in the know...
keep me updated mate!

Dr_simon

07-02-2003, 07:17 AM

Northumberland.... Yep that where I grew up! I’m not going to be there for a while as I have just got another grant which means another year in Iowa investigating the role of mammalian and yeast Class C VPS complexes during membrane fusion. This project will keep me outa mischief for a while (yes I’ve been up since 5 O'clock this morning and I’m getting the first buss into work....Poooo !- sentiments you are probably far too familiar with !) however when we are next in the neighborhood, Ill give you a bell ! I have never taken Catherine to Scotland and I think she will love it !
Later Dude
S

The Haunted made me do it

07-02-2003, 07:26 AM

England is a crap country,well for music anyway.
Its very close minded,most of the young lads are into dance music,the lases are all a set of scruffy bitches from council estates.
And the wether is alwayssssss craaaap.

Good old blighty

Josh Redstone

07-02-2003, 11:42 AM

So you've watched "The Full Montey" as well?
:)

Dr_simon

07-02-2003, 03:04 PM

Well haunting dude, Im pleased I don’t share your opinion or your degree of poetic sophistication.

Have you bothered to look the beginning of this thread ? It appears not, or perhaps you have ignored it along with the last 40 yeast of "pop" culture.

The Haunted made me do it

07-02-2003, 05:15 PM

Sup.I listen to a lot of British music.
I know about the heritage and history of this countrys outstanding musical history.
Iam into Led Zepplin,Black Sabboth,The Deep Purple,Judas Preist,Moterhead,The Clash,Sex Pistols,The Damned,The Who,The Ruts,Maddness,U2,The Police,Crass,The Jam,Roots Manuva,Massive Attack,Potishead,Tricky,Goldie,Jeff Beck, etc etc,i could go on and on.
I understand what this country has done and achived all for rock/heavy metal(And other styles)of music.

The Britian i am talking about in my above statement,is the Britian of NOW and the Britain i grew up with.

Face it,This country is preety dam Gloom to say the least.
We do not pioneer the latest Big or exiting new bands anymore,Instead we choose to pioneer 4 chord un-original and uninspired crappy,studenty, indie rock bands.Witch in my opinion,is a dying scene.

But then of course,We have the amazing Drugless, dj dominated and once again uncreative Dance scene.Infact,id rather not go into that.

Iam sure most will agree,England is now filled with more young budding bands than ever before,but how many of them are truley good?How many of them are exiting the Americans and europeans(Like we always used to do)

Anyway,forget the British Music industry,The country sufers from crap wether for most of the year(Come on be honest!).
Its Citys are all preety dam ugly !lol,Apart from some of the more pictureesque villages in Yorkshire(witch of course are not citys)

Basicly,England is ****ing Crap,(Again,be honest lads)
Iam a young man,and yes i moan like Victor Meldrew(Even my ma told me)But iam just tired of living in this ****hole.
Surely,theres gotta be more to life than going down the local for a beer or 2.

ONE

The Haunted made me do it

07-02-2003, 05:19 PM

"Hey guys,

I was wondering what the rest of the world actually thinks of us British, and I thought, what better place to pose my question than the Guitar Tricks Forum!

So...state where you're from and what the general feel is towards the island!"

^^^Tne begging of the thread^^^^

Yea,i understand i rammbled on a bit,about some more or less unreleated bull****,but then again so what??
At least i tell The dam truth.

^Chacron^

07-02-2003, 05:44 PM

I see your point about un-original 4-chord-song-making bands....just one thing though:

Originally posted by The Haunted made me do it
[BAnd the wether is alwayssssss craaaap.

[/B]

How come then, I've been sunbathing every day for the last 2 weeks?

:p

Dr_simon

07-02-2003, 05:48 PM

Only from your perspective and according to your experience. The point Im trying to make is that shocking generalizations are very dangerous things.

The UK has some absolutely dreadful places, some of which I've lived in (hummm nice burning car to cheer me on my way to work in the morning !).

It also has some breathtakingly beautiful places. Their are some really small minded untrustworthy ****-heads who would steal your grannies glass eye given half a chance as well as some totally brilliant people some of which Im fortunate enough to call friends.

Just the same as the US.

So to reiterate, the point I have been trying to make right the way through this thread, generalizations are at best useless and at worst the cause of wars. My advice is avoid them at all possible costs.

Right Ill get off my soap box now !

howl rant stomp rant

The Haunted made me do it

07-02-2003, 06:53 PM

Hey,your very right

But england is ****ing bollocks

ONE

Dr_simon

07-02-2003, 07:22 PM

Chill dude or you will be moderated !

Josh Redstone

07-02-2003, 08:11 PM

So You read the beginning of the thread, what about the middle?
Generalizations like that are silly, and yeah, I'm not the first person to point that out, but anyway, do you actually know what your talking about?
Weather is not indicative to the crappiness of a country, and every country has good and bad music. And wether music is good or bad is in the eye of the beholder. Maybe you don't like Indie or Dance, but some people probably do, and they probably also think Britan is a pretty nice place.
And it doesn't rain all the time either.

The Haunted made me do it

07-02-2003, 08:12 PM

Chill?lol
Ok,I made my statement about England,so thats all there is to it.
Night night

The Haunted made me do it

07-02-2003, 08:17 PM

Once again your right.
Everybody is entitled to my opnions.
Trust me,i could write a good,detailed essay on England been one of the most Boring countrys with some of the most ignorant and small minded people,Trust me i could.Of course i know there is more to what makes a country "Crap" than simply the music and weather.
BUT,I have better things to do,bigger fish to fry.
And just because you dont like my opnion,theres really no need to slate it.
Seems to me through out this thread,there has been a could genral sense of Britsh Applause or admirance for this tiny,bull**** island.
I come along,and of course iam the 1st to slate it,and all hell brakes loose!
So ok,you dont like my view on England,so be it.
Nice talking to ya.

Josh Redstone

07-02-2003, 08:48 PM

Whatever toots your whistle.

[Edited by Josh Redstone on 07-02-2003 at 07:56 PM]

PonyOne

07-02-2003, 11:19 PM

Well, all this poetic beauty has really warmed my heart...

Are you still in England? I can tell you from personal experience that England is just the same as the US, and pretty much everywhere else in the world for that matter. You have London, which is cool, you have Oxford and Straford-Upon-Avon, which are beautiful (and the people in Stratford were awesome!), then you've got Manchester, which is... a pit. But we all knew that, right? What UK band hasn't written something about Manchester. Or Essex.

In the US, you have cities like Seattle (beautiful and friendly), LA (everything rolled into one), Chicago and Detroit (nasty, decrepit, falling apart, violent), Boston (rich and snooty) and then they lesser big cities down south; Oklahoma City, Mobile, Galveston, Orlando, etc, which is where most of the negative stereotypes about the US come from. And even these cities aren't really that bad.

Generally speaking a city or country is what you make of it. For every Brit I met in Britain who was like "your country is bollix, why don't you go round up some buckin broncos with your pickup" (most of them were in Salisbury) I met a hundred people who were totally polite, interested in the US, asked me where in the US I was from and what it was like, and offered to buy me a round (when I was 12, heheh) or bring my dad over for dinner.

In every country you'll find cool people and assholes (some more than others; if I went to Palestine, or to Oxford nowadays, for example, I'd get more hell than, say, New Delhi or Brooklyn). There are some people who will give you hell no matter who you are just because they've got a chip on their shoulder; the small-town fellow here in the US, who will be civil to pretty much anyone, but will remind you of how we saved your ass, or kicked your ass, and that we're still #1, and it must suck not being American. The Brit who rejoices in belittling people for not understanding his overblown Cockney and telling you that your country is worthless. The French guy who will call you a bastard and murderer. The etc etc etc etc. But I don't judge anyone, becuase again, for every asshole I've met from any nation, I've met fifty people from the same nation who are totally cool people (and I worked in an international hotel).

The weather thing, well, I dunno, that's a more personal thing... and as far as music goes, mainstream music sucks all over the world, so don't worry, it's not just you.

Incidents Happen

07-02-2003, 11:30 PM

speaking of moderating......

I'm thinking of asking Jon to hook me up with a position. Longjevity? 1100 posts worth of it!:)

:D

Pantallica1

07-03-2003, 12:26 AM

Chicago isn't that bad, I've been there on a few trips. Seemed like every other place I've been. Nice parts here, bad parts there. I wouldn't say it's decrepit and violent. Big cities usually have that quality. Don't know about LA never been there. St. Louis is the same way, nice here, dirty there, crime ridden there, free of crime here, it's like that with every town. Shoot, I live in a town with less than 10,000 people and we have that. There's one part of town that is just run down apartments and has nothing but hoosiers living there, but oh well.

The one major thing about Chicago that sucked, NO JACK IN THE BOX!!!! What's up with that?

PonyOne

07-03-2003, 06:08 AM

My family used to own Chicago (seriously, we were huge landowners and cofounders of Armor Meat Packing Inc, also laid down half the funds for the Art Institute Of Chicago... then my great grandmother's lack of business sense and my grandmother's spending habits killed that off), and I still don't like the place... I'm a big fan of urban exploration (i.e. breaking into cool abandoned old buildings), art nouveau and deco construction, and chicago is the place to go for that sort of stuff.

My family lived on the lake, eventually, but until then, they were on the southside... my great grnadfather insisted on living with the people who worked under him, and left the company when the other guys on top refused to institute the safety measures that were killing the people under him. I've been all around Chicago, and if you go to the wealthier areas on the lake, and many parts of downtown, it's beautiful. The best architecture, nice greenery (not downtown really... but...), etc. But if you go down to the heart of southside, yeeeeeech... no thank you dude... my g/f and i got lost there and were stupid enough to think the locals would help out a young Jewish couple with Massachuestts plates in a Saab get back to the freeway... we have a great pic of me standing by our car, next to some railroad tracks, with this burnt out car and some old washers & dryers & trash in the background, with the Cabrini Green projects raising up behind me... thanks, folks. Then the kids came and were like "yo, what the hell are you doin' here..."

In some of those areas, the city is so afraid to do anything, that the streets haven't been repaved since the 20's... and i'm talking main avenues, that are like half dirt with raised cement bumps popping out... lovely.

And I was always curious... what is it with the UK and dumping/abandoning/burning/pushing off docks/tagging cars?

iamthe_eggman

07-03-2003, 12:04 PM

ALL generalizations are WRONG!!!

Niklasl

07-03-2003, 01:12 PM

"all generalizations are dangerous even this one"
- some guy

[Edited by Niklasl on 07-03-2003 at 12:19 PM]

The Haunted made me do it

07-03-2003, 03:57 PM

When theres something strange,going on in the neighbour hood,who ya gonna call???

Id call the Ghostbusters

Josh Redstone

07-03-2003, 08:23 PM

This sure got confusing for some reason.

Incidents Happen

07-03-2003, 10:59 PM

This is what usually happens to long guitartricks threads, and I love it.

:D

Josh Redstone

07-04-2003, 06:24 PM

Our attention spans are only so long.....

u10ajf

07-06-2003, 08:32 AM

What is it with England and dumping/burning out/abandoning cars? Four things: 1)it costs money to get broken down vehicles to scrap yards. 2)the population density is high and everyone drives (except me it seems. 3)bored criminals who want some fun. 4) Built in bloody obsolescence, things that don't last so you can sell replacements regardless of the environmental cost, pioneered by Henry bloody Ford. But I'm not going to slag Americans for that.
As for my country (Britain, I'm English but live in Scotland)I'd like to get out of it for a while and see something new but there are lots of great people and places here. I'd like to see somewhere with more natural/semi-natural wildlife habitats and warmer countries are generally more biodiverse. I'm mad about wildlife you see, that was my degree, ecology.
I don't like British politics, we're too quick to agree with the Americans about which people to bomb and government taxes are going towards institutions supported by private spending. I don't think that's fair but in the 1980s lots of public utillities were sold off by the previous government so people could line their pockets with them. Now our "public" (private really) transport system is crap and the trains never seem to run on time.
I want to move to Canada cause my brother lives there and I need a change. Canadians seem really friendly to me, perhaps that's partly cause I know the difference between the Canadian and American accents. Canadians seem really pleased when people know they're not American! That said I have known some really great Americans and you guys have tons of great Rock music! You have so many beautiful national parks, I do hope they don't all get dug up for oil by your governing bastards.

Dr_simon

07-06-2003, 09:41 AM

Hey dude, I have a BSc in Ecology also, and I think we (me and Catherine) are the only married couple in the US that doesn’t own a car!

One thing, have you any idea how incredibly cold Canada can be ! I’m from Newcastle and I thought Scotland was cold until I moved to Iowa and Iowa is child’s play compared to Canada! Man, in Scotland the weather can be unpleasant at times but here it will just kill you stony dead ! Don’t think I’m Canada bashing ‘cos I’m not however before jumping in with both feet Id test the water first! My first winter in Iowa (2000) was a really long one with temperatures down to -25oF and it totally blew my mind!

Still, I share a lot of your sentiments and totally get your reasons for wanting to broaden your horizons. Clinton was in power when I moved to the US. And as for that puppet Blare, well Ill never vote Tory! My problem is that at the moment the Torys seam to have crept back into power via the back door by calling them selves Labor and now there is no opposition! Disgusting state of affaires! Schools borrowing money from each other, do me a favor !

(Please not my grumbles are specific and not generalizations!)

Josh Redstone

07-06-2003, 10:18 AM

I live in Canada, and the worst winter I ever saw was -35 celcius and we had an accumulated total of about 9 feet of snow.
But then, it can get just as hot. Just last week it was + 40.

Dr_simon

07-06-2003, 10:47 AM

I think that at that kind of temperature degrees F and degrees C mean the same thing...its bloody cold!

PonyOne

07-06-2003, 12:49 PM

Fortunately not all of our national parks have oil in them. If they did, Bush would probably put something before the house to try and get national parks converted to national oil supply areas, and with the new security measures, they'd be patrolled by thousands of armed guards, meaning there would be abso-frickin-lutely NO WAY to enjoy the places.

Personally I hate Bush. And I do truly mean hate. I think America is a great nation, not just for people born here, but for people who emigrate here as well. I had a coworker from Kosovo, and he & his wife got their citizenship just before July 4 (independence day), and he was so happy that he was going to be going and seeing the fireworks and everything. To me, Bush and the Republican party totally undermine the happiness of people like him; congratulations, you're an American citizen! Now prepare to spend 400% the cost of Canadian drugs for your medications, pay a few extra dollars here or there so that I can funnel it into one of my or my buddies' corporations... you know, competitive business!! He also did a hell of a job on the economy... economies do ebb and flow, it's just the natural way of things. But they don't tank as soon as a different party takes over, and starts tax cuts, and increasing military spending... life under Clinton was substantially better, now people talk about how terrible he was but aside from his personal things he wasn't that bad a president, probably the best we've had in the last quarter century.

The republican party seems to enjoy doing this; they have this smash-and-grab mentality. Get someone in office, destroy the economy, pocket a few billion, and then when they get a democrat in office, let them fix things, then run smear campaigns and blow things out of proportion, get one of our boys in office, and then plunder what's left from those great economies...

If you're really into nature and parks, the place in the US you really have to go is Washington State. It's one of the most environmentally diverse areas in the world. Within the state borders you have forests, deserts, plains, 2 different mountain ranges, a temperate rain forest, sand and pebble beaches, damn, it's beautiful. And then right in the middle of it all you've got Seattle, great music scene, beautiful place really, plus an outdoor downtown market (not a big deal in the EU but they're really rare here), cheap living, friendly people. I grew up there, and it's funny, because when you end up moving to a boring shallow pit like Boston you realize how much you took it all for granted. In Boston, nobody owns cars... I think that I was one of like 8 kids at my 3500 kid high school that had my own car, and 6 of em were Land Rovers and BMW's (there was one kid whose dad gave him a falling apart Honda).

u10ajf

07-06-2003, 12:57 PM

Dr Simon, you're an ecologist? No wonder we keep agreeing! I guess being from the North East perhaps partly informs your left leanings, after all Thatcher kept closing down the mines and inciting riots.
I know Canada's cold in winter but I want to do a summer work placement at Haliburton forest but they won't get back to me, I've sent them an email and a letter. I thought it was a match made in heaven. I'll keep badgering them. I like lots of Canadian musicians too: esp. Rush but also some Alanis Morisette, Jeff Healey etc. Toronto must have such a cool music scene!