61% of Americans don't know words to National Anthem?

McG

That does answer the 'where' question...how did I guess? I'll see if I can find some critique on these 'facts and figures' later on.

Your secret is safe with us.

Maybe they don't have good memories. Maybe they know more important things. Why do you care?

Another woman on the thread says: It's not patriotic to support an unjust war.

McG

Haven't found a critique of the piece yet. But, in any case, even going with the numbers this fellow suggests for the NY market (the single market which the writer addresses) air america is pulling about one half of the listeners that Rush pulls.

.... And bear in mind you can't get a much bluer audience than in New York City.

Jeeze, Tico, why are all the people in New York sad?

They live in New York City.

I'll go along with that . . . i was born there, but you couldn't pay me to live there . . . i don't care for cities . . .

Remember last October? :wink:

The thing about NYC is, the people may be miserable, but they'll never admit it. It's the best city in the world, and don't forget it.

(I'm from there, too, and will never return...)

NY is a great town...and anyone who thinks people from here are sad...are rather sad themselves.

As for people who lived here...have fled...and would never return...

...good riddance.

Don't mean that as an insult or a put down...just sharing the information that the town is doing fine without ya!

As for the Star Spangled Banner...I know the words and I am happy that I do. I doubt that has much to do with patriotism...and I doubt that patriotism has much to do with decency...or worth as a person.

Montana said, "Patriotism is over rated." She was being kind.

NYC is quite welcome to do fine without me, Frank. As for New Jersey, well....

Get a grip, Frank . . .

Tico wrote that "you can't get a much bluer audience than in New York City." So as to make things clear for you, i will point out that in context he was describing the city as being preponderantly liberal--and referring the the red state/blue state nonsense of the recent political campaign.

So i decided to be obtuse, and i asked him: "Jeeze, Tico, why are all of the people in New York sad?"

But you rant on, Frank, it's one of your few strong suits.

Well, I got thrown off A2K once before for telling you to go f**k yourself, Set...so I won't do that.

But come as close to it as you can...okay?

I am in love with this city. Funniest and least puffed-up policemen/women I've ever bumped into. People are friendly as hell, given one is oneself. Etcetera etcetera. Love the place.

Sounds like an alternative version of NYC (people friendly as hell?), blatham, but whatever....

Actually, I had a reasonably good time there the last visit I made.

d'art

It surprised the hell out of me. But I've found it generally so. Perhaps coming fresh to a place holds certain advantages.

Heehee - my friend arrived in NYC a day before I did when we stayed there.

She recounts the story of visiting a small park in the West Village where we were staying, and seeing strange li'l animals there.

She approached a cop there - and asked him what they were.

Her imitation of the stunned but kind expression on his face as he said: "That's a squirrel, ma'am." was priceless.

Then the poor fella had to say it again - cos she didn't understand the word "squirrel" in his accent.

Thank christ she knew what pigeons were, or I would have refused to go out with her, in case we met the same cop again.


May I add that I am both pleased and surprised that 61% of Americans do not know the words of your anthem

I hope the other 49% soon advance to the same state...

Would that result in a 110% success rate, Miss Wabbit?

I take it the humble squirrel is unknown in Oz?


How could i begin to explain to you why we describe a natural born goof-ball as bein' "squirrely?"

Maybe this will help. The common blue jay is the meanest, most aggressive bird in North America. I have seen squirrels calmly attack them repeatedly, chattering at them in a high-pitched voice all the while. Squirrels will chew you out on the least provocation, get right in your face if they can manage it, and don't care if you outweigh them fifty to one. Squirrels are, however, deathly afraid of the smallest, yappy dog in the park. Squirrels are the greatest boon to canine entertainment that pet owners in North America could want. The squirrels in my Sweetiepie's neighborhood are scrawnier and smaller than most squirrels, coal black and inclined to treat human beings with the contempt they so richly deserve. They, too, cherish a mortal fear of the least of dogs. When i worked at the University of Illinois, the grey squirrels who inhabited the trees around the quadrangle (think: the commons) were so contemptuous of humans, that if you did not watch them, they would come up and rummage through your lunch bag. If they succeeded in stealing your food, they'd run to a high place and then chatter and scold at you between mouthfuls of your sandwich. They use their forepaws almost as we use our hands, much like the racoon. The most common squirrels are brown, and largely urban or suburban. There are also red squirrels, and although extremely rare, white squirrels (there was a white squirrel living in Schiller Park in German Village, a neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio). They don't look like albinos, they are just white. Like the racoon and the coyote, the squirrel has thriven and multiplied enormously since the advent of dense human population centers.

Here, i know . . . if you want to get a good idea of what squirrely means, watch George Bush in an unrehearsed question and answer session with a crowd which had not been set-up for him in advance. Try to find some logic in what he says, and when you don't, think: "squirrely" . . .