Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: beet1e on October 07, 2002, 06:25:48 PM
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Going through these boards as one does, I notice on quite a number of occasions that when the inhabitants of one country wish to mock those of another, they choose a theme which leads to everyone being tarred with the same brush. When Americans want to mock the British, they might bring up subjects like personal hygiene, and the state of the nation’s dental health. It’s as if to say that ALL Brits have poor teeth, but of course while this is simply not the case, there are underlying reasons why this theme is used, and I will try to explain these now.
My parents were born before WW2, and have been able to tell me of the food and fuel shortages that existed during and after the war, and of the rationing that was needed to ensure that the country did not run out of supplies. Housing in post-war Britain was in a poor state. In some cities like London, Coventry and Liverpool, whole neighbourhoods were destroyed by German bombs, and people had to be re-housed, and so modern houses were built by councils and let to tenants while the old houses were bulldozed. But in the years leading up to WW2 and for some years afterwards, many people lived in small terraced houses. Historically, such terraced houses were built by factory owners in the Industrial Revolution (1760-1820) to accommodate their factory workers. When I was a nipper in the 1950s/60s, there were plenty of houses like that to be found in my home town of Leicester. There was no plumbing to speak of in those houses. There was no bathroom. There would be a tin bath in which folks might have a bath once a week in front of the fire, using water that had been boiled in kettles over that fire. There would be an outside toilet, but that would be shared with the neighbours living in one of the adjoining houses. So it’s small wonder that cleaning one’s teeth with an Oral B 35 toothbrush and Crest toothpaste with fluoride was not very high on the list of things to do, especially as the only running water could be found at the kitchen sink – a single cold tap (faucet) supplying cold water. Dentistry was not accessible for many families, and I always remember that we had a dentist come round the school because of this. Some kids’ teeth were in an appalling state, and it was then that I realised how privileged I was to have grown up with hot and cold running water. Another development since those dark days was the introduction of fluoride into the water supply. At a concentration of around 1½ parts per million, it was found to reduce caries – particularly in children. Yet more progress came in the form of school milk in the post war years. Each child got a bottle containing one third of an imperial pint of milk (6.66oz) every day, which increased the levels of calcium and helped bones and teeth. Again, I was lucky in having a mother who ensured that we got plenty of milk at home.
Attitudes toward dental care have been slow to catch up. Some might think that it’s *poofy* to use a toothbrush and/or dental floss, but then they pay a price. It becomes clear to me that the American derision towards Britain’s dental problems (coming from guys like Lazs and AKdejavu) is directed at these unfortunates who have yet to take dental care seriously. However, it is wrong for such mockery to be made with impunity, which suggests that the perpetrators see their own country through rose spectacles. And that is understandable, given that many Americans have never left their own shores and have no concept of life in European “pissant” countries, as Lazs would call them.
When I first moved to America, in the late 1970s, one of the first things I noticed was a preponderance of overweight people. This is by no means to say that ”all Americans are fat”, as that would be patently untrue, just as it is equally untrue to say that ”all Britons stink and have bad teeth”. I did note however, that the excesses that I saw in America far exceeded anything I ever saw at home. My ex-wife was from Chicago (Old Irving Park district – Irving/Pulaski for those who know it) and we used to visit every year. On our first day, we would walk up to Six Corners (Irving/Cicero/Milwaukee) by which time I would have spotted three or four people who were not just *a little on the large side*, but were hugely, massively overweight – 100% overweight. And I was fascinated by this, and why we should see this in the US but hardly ever here at home. I was eager to analyse the eating and exercise habits, and this is what I found.
Food!!! Food is cheap in the US, compared with the cost of food in “pissant” countries. Not only is food cheap, but food is readily available. At all times. 24/7. The Golden Nugget diner at the top of the road never closed, not even on Christmas. But not only is food cheap, not only is it available, but the portions are huge! Steak and Eggs – for breakfast! Do you want one egg or three? Up/over/scrambled – you choose. Toast, jelly, “English Muffin”... I’d never heard of English Muffin – until I went to America! Omelettes (made with three LARGE eggs) with cheese for breakfast. Potatoes cooked in oil. Pancakes dripping with maple syrup and/or whipped cream. Sausage, hash browns... all good stuff, but oh! the waistline. Then there are those promotional deals. On Monday night – dine with us and have the $7.99 prime rib dinner (12oz of meat) and you get a slice (by which they mean a portion cut at right angles) of strawberry cheesecake afterwards free of charge, or “gratis”, as they are fond of saying in America. It must have been in these years that I started noticing what people were eating, and comparing that with their body mass. I was able to figure out the things to avoid.
One girl who joined the organisation I was working at in 1979 had a trim figure and was quite attractive. OK, I fancied her. But she joined a team of middle aged women who would sit in the cafe at break time, gorging on sweet rolls – whatever the hell those are. (I’m not a sugar eater) It was so sad to see this girl lose her figure, because after three months she was as fat as the rest of them. The kids always seemed to have a polystyrene (Styrofoam) container in one hand, whose contents they sucked with a straw. Other kids would have their hand in a brightly coloured bag containing one form of junk snack or another.
The other downfall of some Americans is the car. Here in Britain, cars have become more available – hence more traffic – but the parking situation has not improved! We are accustomed to walking a few hundred yards or half a mile to go and eat, so we get more exercise. In America, you just pull into the parking lot at Burger King/Dennys/Dunkin Donuts, and roll from the car into the restaurant. I went to a Dunkin Donuts outlet once. I wanted a SINGLE (ie *one*) donut, and a cup of coffee. The server offered me a box of one DOZEN!!! (better price). I thought she was joking, but it transpired that some people do indeed consume a dozen donuts in one sitting. Why are American Police officers so fond of Dunkin Donuts? Even Americans themselves joke about this. I heard on a radio station once: Q. What test do Police drivers have to undergo? A. They have to be put in a traffic jam and beat the clock to find the nearest Dunkin Donuts!
I spent a few months working for a firm based in Denver a few years ago. All my team were accommodated at the Denver West Marriott hotel. It was an excellent hotel and the staff were great. But the dinner menu never changed. For most of us, it was difficult to avoid red meat and french fries, which seemed to be de rigeur in that area, as the alternative offerings were not very imaginative. At least in the western states like CA and AZ, you can order a sandwich, and substitute fresh fruit in place of french fries. But oh, the breakfasts. I had to be quite firm in avoiding all fat at breakfast time, so melon, juice and coffee was what I had. Even so, we all ended up putting on weight in the time we were there.
We have had our dental health problems because of austerity which persisted into the post war years. It seems like America has had an obesity problem for completely the opposite reason. It’s the land of plenty! Food is so readily available, and cheap. 24 hour restaurants, 24 hour grocery stores. It is a culture! In New York, folks go to dinner at one restaurant, and dessert at another. In the supermarkets and restaurants, there is so much choice – but it comes with a price, and that price for many has been obesity with all the problems that go with it.
I’m hoping to have enlightened a few people here. For those Americans who mock the state of British dental health (and you are indeed a minority) I have this to say: Do not think that you can mock the traits of a “pissant” country like ours with impunity! Or, to paraphrase a certain biblical passage, first remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will be able to see to remove the speck of sawdust from mine.
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I think Beet1e is facinated by Americans. :O
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Get in my belly!
-- Todd/Leviathn
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Two sides to that coin. The U.S. probably hosts more foot races and marathons than any other country in the world.
Running can make you lean and mean, but it 'aint gonna straighten your teeth!
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zzzzzzzzzz
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Originally posted by fdiron
Two sides to that coin. The U.S. probably hosts more foot races and marathons than any other country in the world.
Running can make you lean and mean, but it 'aint gonna straighten your teeth!
It could if you ran into a brick wall a few times :D
Something I've been known to do from time to time ;)
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Another cunning example of the uniquely pommie 'Chamberlain' move, AKA talk the enemy to death
:D
(p.s. someone needs to do a smiley with bad teeth for the pommies).
(p.p.s you yanks need to use the correct terminology, its not Brits, its Poms, or Pommies).
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LOL! Did you just take 4 paragraphs to say not to paint everyone with a broad brush and then procede to do that very thing yourself (in regards to dental care) by attributing it to the war?
Dude... I have never met you. I have no idea what your teeth look like... nor do I really care.
Its just funny watching your brits over-react every time dental care is brought up.
AKDejaVu
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good lord you never fail to amaze.
all that hate gonna burn you up.
nice post .
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Did anyone actually read that entire post? I stopped at the subject, skipped the reading, and went strait to this reply. Now I'm going to go eat a sammich.
SOB
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Did anyone actually read that entire post? I stopped at the subject, skipped the reading, and went strait to this reply. Now I'm going to go eat a sammich.
Oh! Well, thanks for the punt!
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AHHH ET A BEHBEY!!!
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Vulcan - you are clearly from down under, in which case you should be on MY side in this. :D
Another cunning example of the uniquely pommie 'Chamberlain' move, AKA talk the enemy to death
Why not? It worked for Lieutenant Columbo. LOL!
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Keep flying that flag, Beetle. :)
Yanks are fat.
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Well, it is true that seen from a statistical POV, Americans are one of the fattest, if not the fattest, nation on earth.
On the other hand, a helluva lot of yanks are exercise freaks. A helluva lot are vain mofos who care dearly about their looks and will go under the knife to keep or improve it.
And, on a sidenote: I don't give a jacks bellybutton about wether someone is fat or have bad teeth.
It's wether they skydive/scubadive/rock climb or not that cares.
With regards to finding a potential mate, I see it this way: I get what I have.
Since I am one ugly mofo, I'd get an ugly mofo back. That's why I'm single. No way I'd shag anyone as ugly as me :D
Thank random fluctuations in space time for beer, poorly lit bars and good roadkill. At least one night stands with better looking instances of female members of the human species are possible this way :D
So eat on yanks. Critisism about appearance may hurt, but it hurt the vain more than others, and that ain't too bad a deal :).
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(http://smilies.uniquehardware.co.uk/ups/jaxman/brittish.gif)
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I notice on quite a number of occasions that when the inhabitants of one country wish to mock those of another, they choose a theme which leads to everyone being tarred with the same brush.
This is the basis of 90% of humor.
Damn limeys, no sense of humor!
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Incredible, you typed all that and didn't fall asleep?
Put that on tape, it would put a crack addict in a coma.
Nice post Boretle, but get out of the house and talk to somebody. Just not when they are driving...
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Damn limeys, no sense of humor!
Yeah, Monty Python were a bunch of humourless dullards. Peter Cook? Pah! He might as well have been a politician. Spike Milligan? You what!? About as funny root canal surgery.
PS. It's spelt 'humour'. Try to remember that, I know it's hard. :D
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Man....all that talk about food makes me want to go to Whataburger.
So....the Brits have bad teeth because the Germans bombed all the toothpaste factories in WW2. I wonder what the French excuse for deodorant is?
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Yanks are all lewd ignorant who never fail to make fools out of themselves.
Argentinians are arrogant turds who cant speak true spanish.
Puerto Ricans are all uneducated baseball players who go around shaking their bomboms and killing each other with knives.
Aussies are all happy tards who go around hunting crocks, drinking Fosters and eating at Outback Steakhouse.
Canadians...
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... are just a bunch of c*$ts?
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Originally posted by Dead Man Flying
Get in my belly!
-- Todd/Leviathn
Hilarious! :)
Seriously, though, Beet1e brings up a couple of good points and leaves out a few:
(a) without fail, television commercials between 9 and 10pm will feature pizza, burgers, and tacos. The reason? The food industry knows that most people eat dinner around 7pm and will get hungry 2 to 3 hours later. They _want_ viewers to make that late-night snack run through the drive-thru window.
(b) running, as a sport and hobby, is in the minority. The premier professional sport in America is American football, which favors athletes carrying a lot of physical bulk and running short distances (very few runs are farther than 8 yards).
(c) the second-largest professional sport? NASCAR racing and other forms of motorsport. Big calorie burners there. :rolleyes:
(d) Americans only: Quick! Name a fast food that doesn't involve burgers, chicken, cheese, butter, or being prepared in a fryer. Now, when was the last time you ate there? How many times do you eat there in a given work week?
(e) American men see bulk as a sign of physical dominance - the bigger you are, the more manly you are. Its a social thing. Its no secret that American male business suit sizing is designed to allow for greater physical bulk than European cuts.
Those are just a few points to consider. I'm sure I'll think of more.
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Originally posted by Dowding (Work)
Yeah, Monty Python were a bunch of humourless dullards. Peter Cook? Pah! He might as well have been a politician. Spike Milligan? You what!? About as funny root canal surgery.
PS. It's spelt 'humour'. Try to remember that, I know it's hard. :D
Monty Python was so popular because they broke all the stereotypes...
They were Brits with good teeth and a sense of humor.
AKDejaVu
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Not true AKDejaVu.
Michael Palin was an horrendous bore, with the teeth of a walrus until major dental surgery and a 3 week acid trip.
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I was born in West Virginia...which if i remember correctly is one of the fattest states in the USA. In the town i live, there are far more fat chics than there are lean ones. I used to be really thin, then Burger King with their 99cent menu, etc...took me over 200 lbs. I am not fat in my opinion, but damn i like my food.
I like to go to my favorite bar and they have 25 cent hotwings (big ones not those BW3 skrawny bellybutton lamer wings) and 1.50 beers (22oz bottles of Bud) on thursday nights.
I can eat 16 to 20 of those wings + beer. THAT IS EXCESSIVE.
but i dont care. i like my food, i like my beer, and i brush my teeth after every meal.
i just wish women were overwhelmingly attracted to beer bellys and guys who can eat alot of wings....well maybe the heffers are...thing is..i have vowed not to play around with anyone fatter than my ex wife...she would get too much satisfaction out of seeing me scrambling around with some postle gutted bar queen.
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Originally posted by Dowding (Work)
Not true AKDejaVu.
Michael Palin was an horrendous bore, with the teeth of a walrus until major dental surgery and a 3 week acid trip.
Maybe... but he had the sense to get them fixed so the Americans would like him.
AKDejaVu
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Whilst Beetle seems to have a problem with someone's use of the word "pissant" and their jokes about dental hygene :D , he is spot on about daily exercise.
Growing up, I would eat 2 Quarter Pounders at McDonalds without blinking, and my Mom would still have to whip me up weight-gain shakes to keep my bones from sticking through my skin.
Why? Daily exercise.
Whether it was walking a quarter mile to school, walking my paper route, playing volleyball, etc., I always got lots of exercise. Then when I found beer and computer programming, that all changed. Now I have to watch what I eat and schedule time to exercise. Not only that, but Americans drive EVERYWHERE. When I go to the UK/Ireland it always seems odd to me to walk 10-15 minutes to the store/pub because I am so used to driving everywhere. Unfortunately, the American way of life relies heavily on the automobile.
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Originally posted by Dowding (Work)
Yeah, Monty Python were a bunch of humourless dullards. Peter Cook? Pah! He might as well have been a politician. Spike Milligan? You what!? About as funny root canal surgery.
PS. It's spelt 'humour'. Try to remember that, I know it's hard. :D
Whats interesting is how John Cleese claimed he moved to America because the English had lost their sense of humor (its not Humour either naaa)
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dang I lost my link to the argument clinic
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but but.. all Americans ARE fat ! hehe
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Why is it that most dental floss in the US is made in Ireland?
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Originally posted by Mickey1992
Why is it that most dental floss in the US is made in Ireland?
Why is it that Ireland exports 100% of the dental floss they manufacture?
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lol!
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I think beetle has made it abundantly clear why no one would want to live in such a pissant little country full of humorless, toothless, vehicle less , smelly little twits on a shrinking little island. besides... they drive on the wrong side of the road, talk funny and play AH in a truly boring manner. But hey.... to each his own. who am I to judge or deride?
lazs (who is not particularly fat)
Public Relations Officer for the BK's
ambassador of good will to what is left of britan.
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lazs (who is not particularly fat)
roflmao.. hehe.
wondered when someone might comment :)
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"Whether it was walking a quarter mile to school,"
Didn't strike anyone else as funny? A whole 1/4 mile?
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Originally posted by midnight Target
"Whether it was walking a quarter mile to school,"
Didn't strike anyone else as funny? A whole 1/4 mile?
You actually read that?
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Funkedup -
This is the basis of 90% of humor.
I love ya, Dude!
Creamo - Incredible, you typed all that and didn't fall asleep?
Of course I didn't fall asleep. I was already asleep. Hell, I can wind you guys up in my sleep - ROFLMAO! :D:D:D
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quote:
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Originally posted by midnight Target
"Whether it was walking a quarter mile to school,"
Didn't strike anyone else as funny? A whole 1/4 mile?
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lol.. yeah but I figured this wasn't the place to post about lazy americans that sit in front of the tube and/or computer for a majority of their lives :)
We had a tourist today actually complain because he had to walk DOWN a flight of stairs to get to his car!
why even bother coming to a ski resort (read; high altitude, steep slopes, gobs of stairs) with that attitude ?!?!?
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Originally posted by AKDejaVu
You actually read that?
Sometimes I even read your stuff DJ ;)
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I got red and sweaty just reading about him walking 1/4 mile. Don't they have cars over there?
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I think beetle has made it abundantly clear why no one would want to live in such a pissant little country full of humorless, toothless, vehicle less , smelly little twits on a shrinking little island. besides... they drive on the wrong side of the road, talk funny and play AH in a truly boring manner. But hey.... to each his own. who am I to judge or deride?
LOL Lazs! You're so funny when you get cross :) You've got all that anger inside you, and you just can't get it out. You're like an old man who's gone for a crap, and can't get his trousers (pants) undone when he gets to the toilet. :p :p :p
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beet1e
You were a "nipper"???
You were doing better when we all thought you had bad teeth.
eskimo
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I just got back from a business trip to Orlando Fla., home of the BIG MOUSE, heat and humidity. Also known as "Little London" (England) :) I had much opportunity to view the English in my home territory. Here is what I observed comparing them to the typical American tourist in Orlando:
1. Statistically, the English are just as likely to wear black socks with gym shoes/shorts as Americans.
2. Their children can be every bit as annoying if poorly disciplined.
3. Not too many marathon runners in the tourist crowd from either country. The women, whether English or American, did not resemble the modelesque women you see being so hip and cool on the streets of London or New York. The ones that did were either booth babes working the trade show; signing pics in the Penthouse and Huslter booths (a Convenience-store convention); or at the age where legal restraints come into play.
A bit off topic. This trade show is nuts. Imagine 900 exhibitors hawking everything you might find in a convenience store. Want some pizza or a White Castle Slider -- just walk up and grab some. Get some smokes at Phillip-Morris. You want Porn? Playboy or Juggs? Candy bars, pull some off the shelf in a simulated c-store booth and grab a Nestle’s Quick from the ice bucket cooler on the way out. A Guinness or a Bud, just go into one of a number of huge 40x40 booths and let one of the booth babes pour you one -- watch a game on one of the TVs if you have time. Coke, Pepsi, Sobe, ice cream, junk $1.00 store items… Hedonistic heaven for any fat American :), and undoubtedly a socially significant metaphor for something or another. Of course, I spent most of my time walking my feet into throbbing nubs in the exciting petroleum (wow, dispenser sumps!) and technology (gee, tell my about your new ATM!) section, which gave me valuable "exercise" for my lunchtime run to the “Twinkies” part of the show.
4. Their "English" was in many cases just as poor as bad Americanized English (not too many Oxford Dons in the crowd).
5. They enjoy their beer, just like Americans, and, sadly, perhaps even more.
6. They enjoy wuss sports (English football, or Soccer - Manchester United was on the tele) just like we enjoy wuss sports (baseball, or Chicago Bears Football. Actually, "enjoy" is a relative term where the Bears are concerened).
7. The native Orlando crowd in a seedy local "sports bar" I visited would have fit in just fine with a soccer hooligan rampage.
8. The English tourists had the same fishbelly white/sunburn red complexions as the Chicago crowd I was with after a few minutes in the sweltering rays.
9. Fashion and style. The English seem to shop at some euro-hypermarket equivalent of Wal-Mart, making it difficult to tell them apart from the American tourists (I'm a Target man myself, so I look down upon both :) ) again, not too many West Enders or Sohoites on the tour trolleys.
10. Hygiene. After a few minutes walking around in long sleeves and a tie in 90F/90% humidity, I had nothing to say about the matter.
Yes, we are all so very different.
Charon
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Why? U whinin pommie bastiges!
Originally posted by beet1e
Vulcan - you are clearly from down under, in which case you should be on MY side in this. :D Why not? It worked for Lieutenant Columbo. LOL!
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Beatle so first it's our whimpy cars and now it's we're fat, is it? Well, excuse ME for taking advantage of a society where it's possible to buy a thousand calories for under a buck. Do you have Krispy Kreme? Of course not- the application of greasy sugar on a Brit's cavity ridden teeth would cause a 911 call. If you had good teeth and were able to consume a Big Mac you, too, would be fat. Mick Jagger looks like an anorexic monkey and the only reason Elton John is plump is because he takes his protein rectally. Lazs speaks the truth.
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Hmmm.
I generally eat one meal a day.
Then again, I'm poor.
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John Cleese left Britain because the weather sucks over here 90% of the year. I don't blame him.
Besides, he hasn't done anything funny for 30 years, since Fawlty Towers. A Fish Called Wanda, being an exception. In all the other films I've seen, he must have gone with the script for the money - because the films were chronically unfunny. 'Rat Race' being the last one.
Anyway, Yanks should do more excercise. I've heard that the Earth has now developed an eccentricity in its orbit due to the obesity that is rife in American society. The 'critical mass' of this effect will be reached in 2020, when Dunkin' Donuts' profit is set to overtake the combined GDP of Western Europe. At this point, the whole of the Eastern Sea Bord will be consuumed in a mile high tidle wave.
Yanks! You have been warned! Get orf yur arsssses and go for a jog!
BTW - a 90 minute game of football would kill most of you lardarses.
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Hehe! The thing I like about writing threads like this one is the fireworks show. It is just like lighting a firework. The blue fuse burns and fizzles for some time and you wonder if you lit it properly (Pongo's post) and then the whole thing bursts into life!
Charon - Their children can be every bit as annoying if poorly disciplined.
Too right. :( I don't have any children myself, as they would be a hindrance when I want to visit various "pissant" countries. They enjoy wuss sports (English football, or Soccer - Manchester United was on the tele)
Yeah, I used to support Man. Utd., but it was never the same when Eric Cantona left. Eric himself was a "pissant" - from France, which became a monarchy as Eric was "Le Roi" - King. Fashion and style. The English seem to shop at some euro-hypermarket equivalent of Wal-Mart,
Could be Littlewoods, but I would not know about these things. :D Many of the people that Charon saw were probably from Council Estates - the areas to which people were shipped when they were displaced from their condemned homes.
Hey Charon, whereabouts in Chicago are you? I used to go to Wrigley Field whenever I was there and the Cubs were in town. An excellent afternoon out with cold beer (Old Style) and a hot dog. As for American "Football", most of the 4 hours is stoppage time. Boring as hell. Still, I'd be able to compose some BBS posts, as I would be asleep after the first 10 minutes.
Back to baseball - anyone know what became of Daryl Strawberry? Was he Mets or Yankees? And Mo Vaughn of the Red Sox?
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let me keep this simple and short so that beetle's ego will allow him to read the whole thing...
When it comes to england and things english.....If it was any good we would buy it and bring it over here.
The whole point of beetles rants is... "why do such cretins as the americans have everything and we have nothing?"
can't wait for his next wall-0-words on how what passes for socialism over there is so much better than what passes for capitalism here.
lazs
Public relations officer for the BK's
Ambassador of Good Will to what is left of britan for the BK's
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Hey Charon, whereabouts in Chicago are you? I used to go to Wrigley Field whenever I was there and the Cubs were in town. An excellent afternoon out with cold beer (Old Style) and a hot dog. As for American "Football", most of the 4 hours is stoppage time. Boring as hell. Still, I'd be able to compose some BBS posts, as I would be asleep after the first 10 minutes.
I used to live a bit North on the lake, at Foster and Sheridan where Lake Shore Drive ends. It was a quick hop on the Red Line to Wrigley. Since January, I live on the edge in the exciting suburb of Buffalo Grove. The Cubs are good for an afternoon of relaxing under the sun in pleasant setting, perhaps getting treated to the occasional Sammy So-So home run. You don't have to worry about too much excitement on the field to spoil the moment :) The same holds true for the White Sox, except their Stadium - thunderdome 2 - lacks the ambiance while providing the excitement of potential crime. I was with some die-hard Sox fans on the trip who were non-stop bad mouthing Wrigley until I reminded them of the time they got their car broken into at glorious Comiskey 2. Frankly, I could care less either way :)
I would have to disagree with your assesment of American football, unless the team you support lacks a pass rush, has certain receivers that can only occasionally catch the balls bouncing off their hands, and has an offensive coordinator that works for the first half trying to establish the running game with backs who "run to the hole" regardless of how many defenders are plugging it at the time.
Charon
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Originally posted by Raubvogel
Man....all that talk about food makes me want to go to Whataburger.
So....the Brits have bad teeth because the Germans bombed all the toothpaste factories in WW2. I wonder what the French excuse for deodorant is?
garlic ... or cheese
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Originally posted by beet1e
Back to baseball - anyone know what became of Daryl Strawberry? Was he Mets or Yankees?
He was with the Yankees. When he was in baseball, he ended up in court. When he was in court, he was out of baseball. He was in and out of drug treatment facilities and minimum security prisons and played some AAA ball for the Tampa Yankees because he wasn't allowed to leave the state for MLB games. He finally got busted for some vague, undisclosed violation of a drug rehab facility rule and went back to prison. Now its a toss-up as to which will kill him first: his drug habit, himself, or cancer.
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Lazs -
When it comes to england and things english.....If it was any good we would buy it and bring it over here.
You already did - the old London Bridge, Lake Havasu City,AZ. Closer to where you live, do be sure to visit the Pelican Inn, Muir Beach, CA (Marin County). It's an English pub that was rebuilt there. Above the fireplace, there's a painting of some Spitfires (ix) returning from having defeated a bunch of FW190s.
Charon - Comiskey Park! I used to work for a firm in Cicero (33rd & Central), and we were just a few minutes drive from the OLD Comiskey Pk. We would go for pizza at a place called the Home Run Inn. Happy days. :) I remember Steve Dahl of WLUP burning up a whole load of disco records at Comiskey Pk. I think he was fired, and their ratings plummeted.
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Originally posted by Dowding (Work)
John Cleese left Britain because the weather sucks over here 90% of the year. I don't blame him.
Besides, he hasn't done anything funny for 30 years, since Fawlty Towers. A Fish Called Wanda, being an exception. In all the other films I've seen, he must have gone with the script for the money - because the films were chronically unfunny. 'Rat Race' being the last one.
Anyway, Yanks should do more excercise. I've heard that the Earth has now developed an eccentricity in its orbit due to the obesity that is rife in American society. The 'critical mass' of this effect will be reached in 2020, when Dunkin' Donuts' profit is set to overtake the combined GDP of Western Europe. At this point, the whole of the Eastern Sea Bord will be consuumed in a mile high tidle wave.
Yanks! You have been warned! Get orf yur arsssses and go for a jog!
BTW - a 90 minute game of football would kill most of you lardarses.
Yea, but a 15 minute quarter of REAL football would kill most of you skinny little whats the word... pommies? :D.
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I know I've said this before but I feel the need to say it again.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland accepts no responsiblity for Beet1e and any of his views may not reflect the views of other British citizens.
(http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/extern/626629.jpg)
P.S. Funked up really did eat a behbey
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AH DEEED!
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swoop... met you briefly at the con... I am sure we would get along fine. You can move into my neiborhood... come on over... I'll buy you a gun or 6 and a musclecar and introduce ya to my dentist. You will fit in just fine.
lazs
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don't pass on the muscle car bro...
you'll never be the same after driving one !
.. and neither will she!
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Originally posted by lazs2
swoop... met you briefly at the con... I am sure we would get along fine. You can move into my neiborhood... come on over... I'll buy you a gun or 6 and a musclecar and introduce ya to my dentist. You will fit in just fine.
lazs
:) I'm sure we would.
Please dont buy me a gun though, after the time spend on the range with Puck, Rip, Curval and....er.....that other fella who's name I forgot but had a colt .45 with 280 g ammo......I'm almost positive I'd end up shooting someone. I'll never forget the story Udie came out with: "9mm or .45.......I never had to shoot a man twice with a .45" :eek:
And.....ya can keep the musclecar, I'll stick with my rice burning pocket rocket thanks.
Plus, my teeth are just fine appart from the missing one. :D Maybe a bleeching kit would be useful, all the caffine and nicotine takes it's toll.....
But no, I could never live in the US.......I love Arbies too much. Luckily we dont have Arbies in Europe or I'd weigh around 350lbs.
(http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/extern/640697.jpg)
P.S. EDIT: And Presidents choice cookies........*homer sound*
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Urchin - that's not football you play - it's some padded up, tight short wearing, face painted version of handball.
Besides, how many people on this board play your 'football'? So saying one sport is better than another is a moot point, if you don't actually play any sport at all. :D
PS. Rugby is better than American football if you like action.
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Actually Dowd, I used to think that about football as well......and I used to be a 2nd row forward......see, with Rugger you're not actually getting tackled that much and when you do it's generally only 1 or 2 blokes at once. In football these lads are getting pounded every play, 400lbs offensive liners jumping up and down on your head......without the pads there'd be deaths every game.
(http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/extern/640697.jpg)
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Sure Swoop, but take the pads away and you'd have rules to stop dangerous tackles... wait a minute... then you'd have... rugby! ;)
Besides, I was reading a couple of months ago about how the introduction of shoulder pads in Rugby Union has actually increased the number of injuries. Basically, players become over-confident and make tackles that they would otherwise be more cautious about.
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Dangerous tackles are what it's all about.
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swoop... you probly wouldn't like my 44mags then.
lazs
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Dangerous tackles... and no skill? :p
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Dowding, do you play sports?
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It remind me an horrible expression of our local slang (argot in french ...)
You will hate me dowding :p
seen here : http://www.notam02.no/~hcholm/altlang/ht/French.html
les Anglais (noun, masculine, plural)
the Redcoats (the Red Flag, etc...) French, as any other language, has numerous periphrastic and euphemistic expressions to indicate female menstruation, a phenomenon that our male-dominated societies, until recently, did not consider dignified enough to even mention in society. The image of blood leads automatically to "les Anglais ont débarqué" (the Redcoats have landed), which proves how much the French loved the English. Other potential phrases include "Ma tante Rose a débarqué" (Aunt Rosie's arrived), "j'ai mes fleurs" (i've got my flowers - roses, probably), "j'ai mes ours" (i've got my bears), or the flat and very BCBG "je suis indisposée", equivalent to "I'm sick" in English and "Ich bin krank" in German. To be fair, let's admit that Tampax and other tampons certainly changed the outlook on periods: until then, most women had to wear big chunks of linen between their legs, and male children were inevitably exposed to bloody rags in chamberpots or other sanitary fixtures, certainly reinforcing negative visions of menstrual blood.
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I play football every week, Ripsnort. I also snowboard, and have been known to ski. In my distant past, I played Rugby. Up until recently, I rowed competitively.
And Straffo - that's disgusting and offensive. ;)
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Having played both (granted, only at the intramurel level), here is what I think. You'll get a helluva lot better cardiovascular workout playing rugby. The whoopee game just never seems to stop. Also, there is *more* hitting in rugby, but it is a lot less violent. Rugby, in my opinion, is kind of like a mix between soccer and football (U.S. style). Football is a tougher game. You've got to be bigger and stronger to play football competitvely, compared to rugby (in my experience). People are looking to to take you down, and they are looking to take you down *HARD*. You might think that the only people that really get hammered are the wide recievers, running backs, and quarterbacks. Not true. You come around your end blitzing the quarterbacks blindside and a tackle pops you in YOUR blindside, and you feel it. I've hit the ground so hard that my teeth clicked (well, they would have but for the mouthpiece).. and thats on DEFENSE.
I saw a fair share of broken bones and other assorted injuries, but they tend to be a lot more severe in football. You'll get broken fingers, broken noses, maybe a ripped ear (which is rather disgusting to look at) playing rugby. I never SAW anything more harmful than that. Even playing at the intramural level in football, I saw a kid break a leg, a couple broken ankles, a buttload of hyperextended knees, a couple broken wrists, and other more minor injuries (sprains, pulls, etc.).
There is a reason that there are ambulance crews standing by at all college and pro football games.
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I'm only taking the piss. ;) It's a tough game, I'm sure.
I never played rugby at a really high level, but a friend did. Rugby League in fact, and he almost went pro. Anyway, the worst injury I've ever witnessed occured while watching his team. A guy basically was hit and spun around at a dizzying speed. Unfortunately, another player's knee got in the way, and the spinning guy hit this guy's knee with his cheekbone. Which shattered. The guy just started to scream like some stuck pig - I nearly vomitted. I've never seen someone in so much pain or make a noise like that. It was inhuman.
But football is my game. Love watching it, love playing it.