i sense some hostility toward americans and it actually kind of pisses me off to be placed into the stereotype. I honestly dont think being "american" makes me any certain way, be it loud or over the top..... i simply would say thats my personality or actually, i would say thats the Italian in me...



.... i was thinking more like OPRAH WINFREY... haha jk

anyways, in regards to what ive highlighted in green. i think youre right and its actually quite disturbing. i would have to say im offended by much of the perception of others about americans. its appalling to me

I have no hostility toward America or Americans at all. I was merely conveying the perception of Americans by most Non Americans around the world. I live in an area highly poppulated with tourists in the summer, many Americans. Like every bunch there are some cool ones, and there are some thank have the superiority complex which at times gives citizens of the USA a bad name



Cloesup was bang on the money... if only there were more like him! All I can say is that the Bush administration has a lot to answer for in regards to America's worldwide image

hahaha, fuckin funny!

As for the rest of this. I tend to stay away from debates on religion, politics, or nationality, but since I'm a posting addict I'll weigh in.
I don't think most non-americans have a problem with americans as individuals. I think it's more that people have a problem with the US's international policies but I think a lot of Americans feel the same way as well. I only live an hour from the border and have met TONS of Americans. Some fit the stereotype, most don't. Hell most people here are American and seem pretty cool.
And plus, yeah America is the last great superpower so of course they are up on a pedestal for every other country to scrutinize and sometimes be jealous of in some respects.
As a Canadian, I feel we are VERY much influenced by the US, mostly because we get so much of our tv and movies from south of our border. But at the same time we draw influence from the UK to as we still have ties, much like Australia, plus we have a rich culture all our own that most people outside Canada don't realize because we get lumped in with the USA due to our geogrpahy.
As far as the Queen, we are part of the Commonwealth, so the queen is on a lot of our money and the monarchy makes royal visits here, but that's about where it ends. There isn't much of a push to sever ties with Britain becuase it is there pretty much just for show. The only complaint most people have is the public money spent on Royal visits here, but personally I don't give a shit either way. If the government didn't waste money on that, they'd waste it on something else.

Canada has a rich cultural history? When I think of famous Canadians, the first name that comes to mind is Dudley Doright. Isn't he on the Canadian five dollar bill?

hahaha, my point exactly.

(and it's the 10 dollar bill, stupid )

Or ,as it's known in Maine, the $7.50 dollar bill. Whenever I put my change into the change-counting machine at the bank, it always spits back the ones from Canada. I think it's trying to tell me something. I read that Canada might change over to wooden currency. The only hold-up is they can't find enough "artisans" to carve Dudleys profile on 50 million coins.

lol, what's next, our subamarine with the screen door?

don't be silly...

...they replaced it with plywood months ago

We have a beach in Maine that's about twenty miles south of Portland that's called Old Orchard Beach. Every summer it gets over-run with Canadians taking their summer vacations. Some of them have been taking the same cottages for 50 years in a row. To get a job in any of the bars or restaurants, it helps to speak French. After Labor Day, they all go home, along with the Massholes. The next wave is the cruise ships that bring all the leaf-peepers. Once they leave, we have the state pretty much to ourselves, except for the skiers, snowmobilers and hunters. They don't call Maine "Vacationland" for nothing. I'd prefer all the tourists just fly over and throw their wallets out the window and keep going. Maybe I should have posted this in the "Rant" thread, but it's too late now.

I thought you were quoting it from the Travel Maine website

that's better

Tourists are like ants at a picinic. Just something you have to put up with to enjoy the outdoors. Except ants won't stop you every fifteen minutes and ask for directions.

Just squash them under your boot.

And for ants, use Raid.

If it weren't illegal, we'd hunt them like deer and moose. Except there won't be a one per permit limit.

my grandparents have a house in Bathe and I love it there. Its been in our family for as long as i can remember and we always have family reunions in Maine. aside from the deathly onslaught of mosquitoes, its great.

annnddd im a Masshole... proud of it too!!!

Link.

Damn, where'd you find that? Does it say anything about tourists being a cheaper cut than regular humans? It would be sorta like substituting pigeon for chicken.

I can find anything(and often do)

hmmm that might be tricky though. What happens if your carcass were sent out of state. Would they get a discount for you being a tourist cut of rib eye?

It would be like a Maine lobster. Top dollar when sold out of state, two for $15.99 when sold locally. Mainers are just a higher quality product.

It's obvious how he found that site. I'm sure when he was searching for man beef, man meat, and things like that, he was expecting to yield quite different results than man meat for nutritional consumption.