I’m turning things over to Gus today to host the Open Mic. He’s a tough moderator, but he’s in a pretty good mood this morning. He hasn’t gotten into his stocking yet.
So, enjoy yourselves today and don’t eat too much. I hope you got everything you wanted for Christmas and I hope that whatever you do today brings you joy.
Peace!
Jonco – Please, enough with the snow falling…
Merry Christmas to all!
In the comments to “Where B&P readers are from,” paul in boca asked for our impressions of America. I agree with Maoman that this would be a great topic for discussion here. I encourage you to refer to the original post for the specific questions asked by paul.
On a related note, I would like to propose a second topic: Should we care what others think?
Happy Christmas Santy Gus!
I’ll do a cut and paste, if y’all don’t mind:
“I am extremely interested in hearing comments from those of you in other countries about your impressions of America, about what you think we do right, and what we do wrong, in the world. (To the world? For the world? Against the world? With the world? Out of this world?)
If you could visit the USA for 48 hours, where would you go, and why? What would be the one thing you would change about what we do in this country? What is the one thing we do that you wish was done where you live? Is there any hope for this country?
Thanks to all, and Merry Christmas.”
Rogue:
Absolutely we should care. Personally, I think that kind of attitude is what turns most of the other people on the planet
against us.
marry Christmas all.
take 2
MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL
Merry Christmas, Jonco! And to all your readers!
Marry Christmas everyone! Paul in boca that is sorta a heavy subject for my drop in Xmas hello and I missed the OP. I shall be back tomorrow to throw in my 2 cents
Gus, you make the cutest Santa. You are a special puppy with a great daddy.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to all. Hope Santa brought everyone something very special this year.
Heres to 2010, may the new decade bring true happiness to everyone.
Merry Christmas to you and your’s, read your blog for awhile now..had to chime in for a big thanks for all you do..very much a motorcycle man myself =)
I got drunk and spent the night with an engineering buddy of mine working on a new computer design. It was the best x-mas ever!
I started to answer the questions, then realise ten thousand words would not be enough.
America, I love your enthusiasm, confidence, can-do attitude.
I hate your xenophobia, your ignorance of the worlds beyond your borders, your fear of that which is not American.
Where would I go in 48 hours in America… I’d go to the girl I love, in Texas, and spend every minute with her.
What would I like to see change in my own country.
I’d like to see a Britain whose government listened to its people, and I don’t want to see our rights, freedoms, and ancient laws overruled by the european union.
I’ve been thinking. What exactly are “reindeer games”?
DJ, I think this is one of their favorites.
And, they love to play with elves.
Paul: You’ve posed a brilliant question, America has so many amazing qualities that show it to be a very good country, your cultural diversity, your humour and the fact that certain individuals don’t take themselves too seriously. However, there is also the obvious flipside (and this may cause offence, for which I’m sorry) due to the cultural diversity, there is far too much bigotry between these said cultures with people trying to lay blame for various issues at the doors of each other. Then there’s also the major “blame” culture, that has spread from America all around the world, whereby if you injure yourself and feel that someone else is at fault, you then go and sue them, what happened to the principle of thinking maybe it was your own fault for not looking where you were going or paying attention?
And one last fault from America, Celebrity. Why do the exploits of pompus, over-paid, over-indulged individuals have to be front page headline news when there are people out there, doing what they do, selflessly, everyday that actively changes and improves others lives, who go without recognition? This all seemed to start with E!, etc…
As for changes in my own country (UK), I’d have to agree with Soubriquet and say that we need a government that is more interested in the common man, than lining their own Irmine lined pockets. Also, our borders need tighter controls, to reduce the number of people illegally entering our country and placing further stresses on our already stretched resources, plus, the people who are on the dole for long periods who can SO obviously work need to have their benefits reduced over time to incentivise them to go and find work (and I do appreciate that there are people who are unable to work through ill health, etc or who are living in areas where there is near to zero work)…
Oh and Gus, when my wife and I have children, you’ve helped me to answer the age old question of how Santa can fit down the chimney, I can say he’s a petite, cute, white pup….
Gus: Bailey wishes you a “woooof wuf wooooooof”
Back at ya Bailey… “ruf wooof ruuuuf”
😉
Gus
A very Merry Christmas to all of my B&P friends! Jonco, a special thanks goes out to you for creating and maintaining the best web site on the entire internet. Yes, you are even more important than Google! Keep up the good work! We all love you here.
soubriquet – We are not xenophobic, it’s just that you foreigners scare us.
soubriquet and Matt H – The funny thing is that the things you dislike about the US are actually the very things that many of us here in the US dislike about ourselves. I also have no use for mindless, self absorbed celebs, idiots who sue others for their own idiocy and the people who create and foster racial divides (including our own president). Of course for most of us here in the US, we are especially appreciative of our friends the Brits. Thank you for your support!