Culture: Two nations divided...

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

I'm from Ohio. We moved out here 2 years ago. I must say these crazy Utard (we say that too) mormons are rediculous about drinking! bar here closes at 12:30.. who does that!!!! beer is 3.2.. all shots are measured.. no more than one shot per drink etc etc.

You can get regular liquor from the liquor store. Actually not a very well known fact because you have to ask.. but when you get up to the counter you can ask and purchase everclear... 4.99 a bottle here. Thats usually what we buy. When you go to the resturaunt they wont allow you to get a drink unless you order food.

just crazy stuff! if you have a friday night or sat. night free. head down to mesquite to eureka.. best seafood buffet.. ever

May have to check the buffet out, the RIO in Las Vegas also has an all seafood buffet that I have been wanting to try.. I drive through Mesquite everyday commuting to work, and back. I drive 206 miles a day, and that would give me a reason to stop other than hitting Smiths for groceries. Nothing happening in Utah's Dixie, and very little culture(small art scene). Zion/Springdale is the only spot I have seen so far that has potential, but that will have to wait till it gets warmer. Cedar City seems to have more going on with the various festivals.

Funny how Utah as a different alcohol content for the beer sold there. I wonder how the breweries handle that. I grew up next to a very large Anheuser Busch brewery in Fairfield CA.

Many folks have mentioned the culture shock that they experienced moving to Southern Utah.

I would have to say that an Englishman traveling to Utah would be hard pressed to find any pub like thirst quenching, although I have heard some talk recently about them revamping the liquor laws.

[Nutty Saddler]

Going off the food & drink topic...

Are the majority of Americans still proud to be American ?

We brits have been pushed into not being proud to be British - we have been told that being pro-british is BAD - and it was the last government that has pounded this message into us over the last decade or so . We are told that if we have a national identity ( i.e. English , British etc ) this will alienate other nationalities , that if we are pro- Church Of England this will alienate other religions and the list goes on ... we have a whole generation who have grown up who have no idea what it is to be a brit.

When I read news stories about mothers being beaten unconcious on a bus because her pram accidently bumbed into someone else - and the other 80 passangers stood by and did nothing ( none of them even came forward to identify the man responsible ) , this does not make me proud of what my country has become .

When I read news stories about drunken teenagers vomiting , peeing , spray-painting war memorials etc .. this does not make me proud to be British

If I were to shout aloud that I AM BRITISH and fly the Union Flag in my garden , I would be visited by the local council and police , to be told that I am in danger of inciting racial tensions and must stop what I am doing or I will be arrested

In short I am NOT PROUD OF MY COUNTRY ANYMORE , I was born in Scotland , both of my parents were born in England , 3 of my grandparents were born in England ( the 4th was Canadian - her grandparents moved to Canada from th UK ) , so I am about as british as they come ( yet I am not allowed to say this in public or I will be labeled a racist) - so it must speak volumes that over 60% of my family does not reside in the UK.

When I watch TV that is set in the US I see the Stars & Stripes in every school , police station , government building , US service personnel, Police , Fire dept etc have the flag on their uniforms , we see children making the Pledge to the US at the begining of the school day and I get the feeling that , on TV at least , the US citizens are proud to be Americans.

Is this real or just what we see on TV

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

I hadn't realized that was happening in the UK. Sorry to hear that.

Yes, I would say that most of us are very proud to be Americans, although that there are some that would like to see some of what you described.

We have that whole political correctness thing going on where we don't dare offend anyone.

We have some people that are apathetic to others plights, usually in the big cities where people don't want to get involved-thank you lawyers. Although it does happens all over at times.

Being a tool maker / machinist it really hurts me to buy items that are made overseas, when I know that they could be made here. But how do you compete with a communist country that provides rent free manufacturing buildings, and a steady supply of almost free labor? I want to see MADE IN USA on what I buy. I want to support fellow American workers. It was the USA's industrial might that helped turn the tide, and eventually help win WWII. The Germans made around 1,300 Tiger tanks, we cranked out 50,000 Shermans.

It didn't sit well with me that Obama was going around the world and apologizing for us being "arrogant Americans". If America is sooooo bad, why do we have so many foreigners wanting to immigrate here?

I have a big problem with how they don't want to enforce immigration laws, and are considering amnesty for the tens of millions of illegals that are here. My great grandparents immigrated from Germany in the late 1800's, and became US citizens the right way. Even a lot of legal immigrants are opposed to the amnesty.

I gotta run, late for work, catch this later.

[Nutty Saddler]

If you want to look at a historical perspective Great Britan no longer exists

When my grandparents were born the Royal Navy was twice as powerful as any other navy in the world

When my parents were born the Royal Navy had the capacity to LEND the USN an aircraft carrier

and when my children are born the Royal Navy is going to have to borrow ships from the French to defend our nation properly

All this aside I would like to still ask - are YOU proud to be an American and do Americans have any issues with national identity , because in the UK there are serious doubts about what it means to be British and if it is allowed to be proud to be so.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

To answer your query directly, YES, I am proud to be an American.

There are some who are ashamed to be, but I am not one of them , nor are my friends. The small (7,200 pop.) semi rural community I live in also has a lot of pride in being Americans. We have a great Veterans Day parade, we vote in large numbers, the local paper has articles that show the good that America does, and you see flags all over town.

Las Vegas Nevada has the second largest Veterans Day parade in the U.S.

I believe that even with its faults, I do live in the greatest country there is.

I am not happy with some of the current politics, but we still have the power to change that.

To the detractors I have said, fine, if it is so bad here move to another country.

[ferret]

I hadn't realized that was happening in the UK. Sorry to hear that.

This isn't happening in the UK. I suspect the "british press" refered to is one newspaper favoured by neo nazis and gullible bigots who are too stupid or too lazy to think for themselves. Yes we do have some vandals and criminals who do appaling things, just like every other nation on the planet, but these are a small minority.

If anyone wants to fly the union flag no one will stop them. If you want to shout "I am proud to be british" you may get some funny looks from your neighbours, but no one will stop you. Not many people do either, as we are a bit reserved and as an Island nation we know what country we are in.

As for "Great Britan no longer exists" , that's utter crap. A nation is it's people, not a few boats. Great Britain has enriched the world with It's creativity in arts and science. Other nations have achievments which they are proud of, but this relatively small nation has been disproportionatly blessed with talent.

The country may be in a mess at the moment, but we've been through tougher times and come out stronger and will again. I am proud of my nations past and have faith in it's future. I wouldn't live in any other country. I may not wave the flag often, but I don't need to. When you know you are the best you don't need to flaunt it.

[SilverBear]

My father owned a Morris Traveller, and they were described by Dame Edna Everage as 'half-timbered' cars - presumably for people who live in half-timbered houses!

I was once commissioned to make a pair of leather suspenders for a guy in the States . . . it took a while for me to realise that he wanted a pair of what we call 'braces' to hold up his trousers (not pants)! Our definition of suspenders would have been inappropriate!

And as for 'Time Team' . . . I've followed the programme for the last 15 years, and finally this year I was invited to take part in some of their digs, but they're not due for broadcast until January 2009. They'll probably take a lot longer to reach the US!

This is a fascinating thread, and reinforces George Bernard Shaw's observation that the USA and Britain are 'two nations divided by a common language'!

Ok I did a quick image search for British Suspenders and the only thing I saw out of place was to hold up stocking on women. Is this what you mean by suspenders over there?