The Chat Thread II: Chat Harder

Balladeer wrote:

I have little respect for patriotism.  Loving a country because you were born there is a stupid reason to love it.

But the reason this country is so awesome is because I was born in it!

beemoh wrote:

Balladeer wrote:

I have little respect for patriotism.  Loving a country because you were born there is a stupid reason to love it.

But the reason this country is so awesome is because I was born in it!

I was going to say I agreed with you Balla... but Beemoh's put in a better answer there. Britain is awesome because Beemoh comes from there.

I would never automatically agree with anything British without justification. But... when it comes to international sporting events, of course I support the team that is from where my family is from. (Also, I get Germany as a backup here). And one thing I did love about Britain; how nice everyone was during the Olympics.

So what did the drunk Aussie say to a gamer?

For Balla.

I've said before I'm not big into countries and patriotism, but I do agree with the values which are considered British; politeness, tea, binge drinking, and when sports is happening, it feels nice for everyone to be supporting the local lads. And sure, footballers are paid a lot but the alternative is communism. Are you a dirty red, Balla?

Meh...

• I do agree with politeness, but the British can take it to extremes.  I much prefer someone who speaks out when something's amiss, to someone who won't dare say something because it's not polite.
  
• Tea is amazing.  No arguments there.
  
• I loathe the binge-drinking culture.  Wanton destroying of the liver, the resulting behaviour (including loudly bellowed out-of-tune songs), puddles of stale vomit in people's path the night after...  And the latter two points contradict politeness anyway: what's polite about leaving vomit pools for others to step in?  I do partake on occasion, but always by accident, and I always regret it afterwards.

So more or less fifty-fifty, which is how I feel about British culture as a whole.  Better than American culture though!  

As for sports, I'll admit that if you're interested in the sport anyway, it helps to have patriotism.  Reduces the problem of who to support to a triviality, and fosters a sense of community among your fellow supporters.  I'm interested in cricket, and so support England.  But would I "get behind the lads" if I wasn't interested in what they were doing anyway?  Would I ****.

shanks wrote:

So what did the drunk Aussie say to a gamer?

"GNamer", apparently.  Because it's like "g'day", I guess?  You'd have to check with Xelviar.  Anyway, it made me smile.

What's wrong with American culture.

USA USA USA USA USA

O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight
O’er the ramparts we watch’d were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there,
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream,
’Tis the star-spangled banner - O long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore,
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion
A home and a Country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash’d out their foul footstep’s pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand
Between their lov’d home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with vict’ry and peace may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the power that hath made and preserv’d us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto - “In God is our trust,” 
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

masofdas wrote:

What's wrong with American culture.

...

“In God is our trust,”...

That, for starters. Not trying to be anti-religion here (Andyman), just anti-American religion.

I love how the dollar bill says "in god we trust" and the stuff about being secular and nobody seems to think that's an issue.

Star-Spangled banner was made there national anthem in 1931 and God We Trust as a motto in the 50's when religion would be more of the norm.

Yeah, but the modern US was founded by people trying to escape religious persecution, setting up new lives in a new country where they'd be free to practise what they wanted while Protestants and Catholics were going mental at each other in Europe all the time. I think what Buska is getting at is that church and state are meant to be separate, that it's a country that prides itself on freedom of speech... But God damn you if you be anything but an honest Christian. Can you imagine a non-Christian president being elected? Hell would have frozen over.

Rum Rapture wrote:

Can you imagine a non-Christian president being elected? Hell would have frozen over.

But.. but.. Barack Obama is a muslim! Fox News told me so!

But then the states coined Happy Holidays not to offend anyone.

Also when did hell freeze over Rummy.

Outside of orthodox Christianity President's, Mainly Unitarian or Deism
George Washington 1st
Thomas Jefferson 3rd
James Madison 4th
James Monroe 5th
John Quincy Adams 6th
John Tyler 10th
Millard Fillmore 13th
Abraham Lincoln 16th
Ulysses S. Grant 18th
William Howard Taft 27th
Dwight D. Eisenhower 34th

Unaffiliated
William Henery Harrison 9th
Andrew Johnson 7th
Rutherford B. Hayes 19th

Unbelievers
Martin Van Buren 8th
Zachary Taylor 12th
Chester A. Arthur 21st

masofdas wrote:

But then the states coined Happy Holidays not to offend anyone.  

Also when did hell freeze over Rummy.

Outside of orthodox Christianity President's, Mainly Unitarian or Deism
George Washington 1st
Thomas Jefferson 3rd
James Madison 4th
James Monroe 5th
John Quincy Adams 6th
John Tyler 10th
Millard Fillmore 13th
Abraham Lincoln 16th
Ulysses S. Grant 18th
William Howard Taft 27th
Dwight D. Eisenhower 34th

Unaffiliated
William Henery Harrison 9th
Andrew Johnson 7th
Rutherford B. Hayes 19th

Unbelievers
Martin Van Buren 8th
Zachary Taylor 12th
Chester A. Arthur 21st

For one, religions like Unitarianism are still Christian. If the others weren't Christian, sure, I didn't know that. But even if they weren't officially "Christian", they also hadn't sworn to any other religion, or indeed said they were atheist, meaning people could still assume they maintained Christian values. I guess rather than saying "Hell would have frozen over" I should have said "Hell will freeze over". Every president for over a century now has been a Christian and I don't see that changing any time soon.

And a facile greeting doesn't really have anything to do with how Christianity itself is ingrained in American politics.

Yeah they all had Christian values even I've got some Christian values even being a atheist. The happy holidays bit was they don't say Merry Christmas do they even though it's a Christian country.

I think a lot of people still say Merry Christmas. There are always conservatives whingeing about the political correctness of it come Christmas every year. (Though you get that in the UK too.)

I got myself a chrome book today, loving how super quick it is to browse this fine site (and others) though I'm still getting used to the keyboard and its various shortcuts.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you our esteemed leader the Honorable Prime Minister Tony Abbott!  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE0G4ykv8os

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

Sarcasm aside:

Birthday Thread buggered for anyone else?

Yup.  Jay's included a massive image that's mucked it up.

Honestly, chaps, please don't try and break the forum.  Because you might succeed, to the point where an admin. can't fix it.  This software isn't the most robust of things.

If Jay can't clean it up himself, we may have to start another birthday thread.

EDIT: Okay, fixed it using AdBlock.

Ah, I didn't realise it had knackered the thread. It was all fine when I left it, just your typical giant Reggie face, but not thread-destroying. Apologies!

You can't stop his massive face.

Trying to write the last essay of my OU module. Hungover from two days of drinking (with another planned tonight) knackered from doing a fun run dressed as Spidey this morning, not really that into the subject and crippled by lethargy. I'd almost forgotten why I hated school.
The worst part is, this is probably the best one I've had to do. It's a genuinely interesting subject but the fact that I have to write about it ruins it.

That was always my problem at school, especially in English. "This is a really interesting and culturally relevant book... which I have to read, so I'll grind slowly through it with minimum enjoyment."  

Well, at least kids won't have to do that with To Kill A Mockingbird any more!

Don't even get me started on the Tories again.