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An Exceptional America
A few years ago, Stephen Frye toured America and produced an Englishman’s guide to the States. Perhaps sometimes we think that America influences the cultures of other countries to their deficit. Or at least that is what we are told to believe. And yes, like all neighbors, we have dirty laundry on the line. But this little clip is priceless. Frye, who I suspect has pretty much seen it all, is dumbstruck. He is left grasping for words to describe what’s taking place around him. We are ridiculous – and wonderful. What a great country. Hope abides.
Please stick through the ‘circus’ music toward the middle and get to the money shot near the end. It’s priceless with a flyover that really delivers.
No fan of the SEC (Go Hokies!), but our southern brethren delivered the goods on this one.
Published in Culture
Final shot = awesome.
Awesome! A Happy 4th to you!
WDE!
Reminds me of this, too:
Loved the clip. It would be interesting to know if he observed any high school football in Texas. I haven’t been to a high school football game in Texas, but those who have been tell me Texas high school football is not a sport, it’s a religion. I am willing to be corrected by any Texas Ricochetti who think what I was told was an exaggeration…or an understatement 🙂🙂🙂
Happy Fourth of July!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈
High school and college football is the primary religion in all of the South.
Amen
New neighbor moves in in the South:
“What religion are you?”
“I’m a ‘Bama fan!”
“Ohhhh…” *Walks away.* *Prepares plan to drive heathen from the neighborhood.*
WDE!
Most of the fans would also sing the national anthem in lovely four part harmony before kick off.
The first time we took AUSon to a game. He said, “I thought you were being overly nostalgic when you called it a village. There are over 85K people here. But-singing together, walking back to Toomers, I understand now.”
Local darby indeed. It was the Iron Bowl, where the joy or misery of living in the state for the year is decided.
*Edited to add War Damn Eagle. It should have been understood but there are some anti-SEC folks here. 😉
Europeans don’t always grasp America, especially our go big or go home attitude. And that’s because we’re a big country.
If you drive 640 miles in Europe, you could go from the capital of the Czech Republic to Paris. If you start on the east coast of Texas and go 64o miles to the west… well, you’re in Texas.
Too many think America is New York, Washington or Los Angeles. Unfortunately, we’re getting a bit like that ourselves.
Sore losers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owTPZQQAVyQ
I don’t think Europeans really get how big America is. The UK is the size of 1-2 states.
You can fit 2 EUs with enough room for 3 UKs tossed in in the US.
So If you take the idea of a local Darby, this would be comparable to the largest soccer game among UK teams.
A guy I used to work with lived in St. Louis for a while. While he was there, some Germans were visiting for a couple weeks on a plant tour. One day they told him they were looking for something to do for the weekend, and were thinking about driving over to see the Grand Canyon.
Drive nine hours in Britain: You’re under water.
Drive nine hours in Germany: You’ve crossed the country east to west, or most of it north to south.
Drive nine hours in Texas: You’ve made it from Austin to Lubbock.
Drive nine hours in Russia:You’re still in Russia.
Drive nine more hours in Russia: You’re still in Russia.
Drive nine more hours in Russia: You’re still in Russia. God help your wretched soul.
Which is enough to make West Texas a paradise.
Russia has a lot of land and a population smaller than Bangladesh.
This is kind of why I’ve lost interest in a round-the-world trip that would include train travel from London to Vladivostok. I would plan stops where we’d stay a couple of days (and in Russia you have no choice but to plan them ahead of time) but there would be so much time spent on a train, especially from Moscow to Vladivostok. Not enough time to get out and touch the places. I’d still do it, given enough lifetimes to live, but there are other things to do, too.
Just invade Russia. If Wilson could do it, so can you!
Polar Bear Monument, White Chapel Cemetery, Troy, MI — Memorializing the men of the United States Armed Forces who invaded Russia back in Wilson’s Administration.
Two gentlemen traveling cross country by train were discussing their respective states, Connecticut and Texas. The Texan remarked that one could board a train, sleep overnight, and wake up still in Texas. The other responded: “We used to have a slow train like that in Connecticut.”
Wrong route. The Czechoslovak Legion might be a better model. They entered from the west and exited at Vladivostok.
By the way, thanks for the photo of that monument. I knew that many or most of those soldiers were from Michigan, but didn’t know there was a monument like that. I may make a point of going to see it. I’m not sure if Google’s suggested bicycle route would be the way to go, though.
If you do, let me know. I live 2-1/2 miles south of there.
Edited to add: Also, I took that picture, so feel free to use it. It’s my copyright.
That’s a very nice photo. One problem with going by bicycle is I often end up at places when the light isn’t right for getting photos like that. It also makes it hard to get together with other people, because it’s hard to predict my arrival times. So maybe this should be a visit by other transportation. We have relatives in the area that we go to see now and then, but never by bicycle. It would be nice to meet you in person, too.
That cemetery has some interesting memorials and sculptures. They have another one that may represent the death of Baldur, if I remember rightly.
I was in San Angelo in September a few years back for work. We went out to eat on Friday night and I expected a long wait at seven o’clock. We got right in and I commented to the waiter my surprise. He said that every one had come at five and was now at the game. I replied that I forgot we were in Texas.
I think El Paso is closer to San Diego than Houston and Houston is closer to Tallahassee than El Paso. My first time to San Antonio I saw a road sign for El Paso, something over 500 miles. I was amazed that you could fit Kansas longwise in there with room to spare.
Here’s an interesting exercise. Someone swapped countries so that population ranking equals land mass ranking. America is one of four countries that wouldn’t have to move.
Many years ago I drove from Albuquerque to Nashville in one shot. It took about 25 hours. Thirteen of those hours were spent in Texas.