Ya' learn something new every day, Bob! Everything of merit was invented in Scotland except the one thing that most think of when they think of Scotland! Who'd a thunk it?
I've made it a habit to be at home where ever I am.
As to the other, I guess maybe you should be talking to the government about that. Other than proudly serving in the military when I was younger and having dinner once with Bob Dole, I have very little to do with the U.S. Government. (Although a buddy of mine called the other day to tell me that he'd been duly elected as a trustee of his local township, which is funny because he never even knew he was running for that position.)
Ah! Couldn't see the forest for all the trees in the way. Too bad! You missed quite alot.
My horizons are already wider than you could imagine and I think I'll keep them that way. Frankly I'd rather go to the island or jungle in your other thread...
When the country you live in is roughly 1,500 miles by 3,000 miles in size then needing a passport becomes a moot point.
I've driven more than 2 million miles through the U.S., Canada and Mexico and never needed a passport.
It would be nice to live in Europe where one could conceivably drive through 10 different countries in 2 days, but I'll admit that it's kinda' nice to live in the U.S. where it might take a day and a half to drive across one state.
To say that "Europeans travel, Americans don't" isn't exactly accurate. True, the majority of Americans have never traveled abroad, but when traveling to another country is as easy as traveling from state to state here in the U.S., then it doesn't really count as "traveling."
And I'm not taking issue with the point of the post, merely showing that travel is a matter of perspective and the size/location of a country should be taken into account. (There's a whole lot more water between the U.S. and, say, Italy, than there is between France and Italy.)
I guess I don't understand your point. My ancestors were Scots Irish, but my family has been in America for nearly 200 years and I've never thought of myself as anything but American - Indeed, I agree with Teddy Roosevelt when he said "In this country there is no room for hyphenated Americanism." - I guess being an American or anything but a Scot is supposed to imply that we're somehow inferior? (I'm not taking the offense that the previous sentence would seem to imply.)
How many of those things on your list were actually invented/founded/conceived in Scotland? How many were invented/founded/conceived after the person had immigrated/moved somewhere else?
The (former) planet Pluto was discovered by a man from my home state of Kansas, but I can't remember what his heritage was and never realized that it mattered.
I'm really interested to see what other people would take with them. So many things are taken for granted these days that most folks wouldn't last a week without things that didn't even exist 125 years ago.
What about toothpaste? Eating utensils? Cooking pots? Aspirin? A hairbrush? A mirror? A compass? A map of the area? A blanket or sleeping bag? Nail clippers? A knife? Rope? Toilet tissue?
BTW, I'm just about the furthest thing from a nerd you'll ever encounter. I could exist quite well in/on the aforementioned island/jungle with only my wits and the practical knowledge I've already gained from similar experiences... But I do love to read and if reading would further hasten the knowledge of a particular eco-system who am I to pass it up?
Not needed. In almost any eco-system where pests are present, there are also plants that naturally repel those pests. It just takes a bit of looking around and noticing to discover which plants to use. (That's where a good book on the local flora and fauna would come in handy.)
My own location is listed as Claxton (Powell), Tn. I did that because we live in Claxton Community, but our mailing address is Powell. For those of us that use laptops (which I do when I'm on the road during the week) our "computer locations" and ISP's change with our physical locations so I kinda' doubt that they could really raise much of a stink just because my profile "location" says Tn., but my computer location happens to be Oh, Ky, Ga or the Carolinas...
Yep. There are folks here, literally from all over the world. My lovely wife, Jackson, (whom I met here on C.S. nearly two years ago) had a birthday last week and the birthday wishes came in from Ireland, England, Australia, New Zealand, and places I can't even remember.
At least two of the members here who have met and married are from different countries - she's from the U.S. and he's from England - and I'm sure there have been others as well.
Oh, and welcome to the forums! It gets a little weird in here sometimes. And sometimes folks get a little cranky, but mostly we're kinda' like a big, somewhat dysfunctional family.
Can't think of a single thing that I am not thankful for. Even the "bad stuff" has gone into making me who I am and bringing me to where I'm at at this point.
I hope everyone someday has as much to be thankful for as I do!
Since this was archived, I felt it was my civic duty to simply re-post it in its entirety. No need to thank me for this selfless contribution - Knowing that it will help get fellow CS'ers through the holiday season is thanks enough!
For those who still hold to the custom of making fruitcake every Christmas, I have found a WONDERFUL recipe guaranteed to be the best you ever tried. Be sure to read the directions VERY carefully, then... Enjoy!
Christmas Whiskey Cake
1 cup butter 2 cups sugar 6 large eggs 2 tsp. baking powder 3 cups flour, sifted 1/2 tsp. salt 1 cup Bourbon 1 pound pecans, chopped, 3 cups white raisins or candied fruit 1 tsp. nutmeg AND... A very large bottle of good bourbon whiskey
First, sample the whiskey to check for quality. Assemble all of the ingredients. Check the whiskey again. To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink it.
Repeat this step.
Turn on the electric mixer and beat one cup of butter in a large fluffly bowl. Add one teaspoon sugar and cream until beat. Make sure the whiskey is still okay... Try another cup.
Turn off the mixer. Beat six leggs and add to the bowl, then chunk in the cup of dried flute. Mix on the turner. Throw in two quarts of flour. Gradually pour in the cow. Add two dried anything. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters, pry it loose with a drewscriver.
Sample the whiskey again and check it for tonsistency.
Next sift two cups of salt or something... Who cares?
Check the whiskey again.
Now sift the nutmeg and your nuts. Add one table. And the spoon... Of whiskey, or something. Whatever you find left.
Cour another pup of viskey and spoon your mouth into some.
Grease the oven. Turn the crake pan to 350 degrees. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Pour the oven into the batter. Throw the bowl out out the window. Lick the batter off the floor, being careful not to will the sphiskey. Bake 300 minutes at 50 degrees. Finish the bobble of whishky and go to bed.
Sadly, most humans have lost touch with their instincts and have to rely instead upon intuition which I see not only as the expression of repressed instinct, but also the unconcious act of interpreting and acting upon circumstances which we've never heretofore encountered.
Not being like most humans, I enjoy and at times rely heavily upon instinct - especially when I am out and about in nature - and I appreciate and work at developing the intuitive sense which will (hopefully) someday lead to instinctive reactions.
When faced with a fight or flight situation and given the choice of flight, most humans will head downhill while most animals will instinctively head uphill. It took me a long time to understand why I always felt like going uphill when everyone else was headed for the creek bottom. After participating in "war games" in the military in the early 80's and having my unit "captured" in a ravine while I escaped by "instinctively" climbing the ridge, I don't wonder about it anymore...
Just to get things straight this year - The milk and cookies next to the front door are YOURS. The expensive brandy and good cigars next to the armchair are MINE!!!
The_Kansan Forum Posts (3,395)
RE: Stranded on an island or in the jungle
Well, that would definitely qualify as a luxury item!