Where's the sticky for us to teach us about the politics?

[luckytxn 2,265]

you don't live there either, do you?

and there's only 6 last names in town.

If it is a big town.

[luckytxn 2,265]

Thought I better warn you also that if you ever hear a song playing and it played by what sounds like two Banjo's playing. DO NOT go into the woods to find the source. In fact stay out of the woods especially if you are wearing anything that could make anyone mistake you for a domestic animal.

[Ban Hammer 13,619]

get used to hearing "yus not fum roun hea izu?

Edited July 10, 2011 by charles!

[luckytxn 2,265]

get used to hearing "yus not fum roun hea izu?

After that it will dawn on her why in America we have the right to bear arms.

[Krikit 1,165]

Spam post removed.

Scandal, that was a very helpful post. Thank you.

[Stuart and Thea 95]

I'm a Missourian. Generally speaking, you are moving to a bellwether state. How ever the country votes, Missouri will vote. The cities of Missouri generally lean towards democrats while rural areas lean towards republicans.

In reality both parties are actually quite similar on the political spectrum (with the exception of the tea party element of the republican party). For instance they are not nearly as far apart as the Labour Party, the Tories, or the Lib Dems of Britain if you are familiar with their system.

Good stuff! And just for fun, are you saying that the country would have preferred McCain over Obama and the last vote was just an anomaly? Missouri voted McCain in, so maybe they're losing their touch.

Here's what you need to know.

There is no Governor General, the President is the Head of State. It is a Republic, not a Constitutional Monarchy as is Canada.

The two legislative bodies (Senate, House of Representatives) are both elected chambers unlike Canada in which the House of Commons is elected and the Senate is appointed.

In the US there are three co-equal branches of Government - the Executive (President, Cabinet, and the various departments of the Federal Government), the Legislative (House+Senate), and Judicial (the US circuit courts, appellate courts and Supreme court). This formal three-way split differs from the Canadian parliamentary system in which the legislative and executive functions are both largely unified in Parliament, and the ruling Government is composed of the largest party (or parties, in a coalition or minority government) of MPs. This has practical effect: In the US there is often tension between a President and Executive Branch and members of his own party (e.g. Obama and Congressional Democrats don't always agree). This rarely happens in Canada since the Prime Minister and his Cabinet are also sitting MPs in Parliament.

US Elections are called for on a pre-determined date. Canadian elections are either called by the Prime Minister whenever it seems politically expedient to do so, or they occur when a government falls on a non-confidence motion. Such concepts are alien in the United States. Elections for members of the House occur every 2 years, for the entire body. Elections for the Senate occur every 2 years but Senators are elected for 6 year terms. This means each 2 years a third of the Senate is elected. The President is elected every 4 years. Elections always take place on the first Tues of November. There are no term limits for Congresscritters, however a President is Constitutionally limited to two 4-year terms.

The words to the Pledge of Allegiance are "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all". Canada has no such pledge.

Canada has two official languages in which the federal government may serve you. The United States has no official language, but will offer governmental services in English as well as many other languages such as Spanish, Urdu, Hindi, Tagalog and more based upon demand.

The US Constitution is a framing document that is almost as old as the Republic. The Canadian Constitution dates to the 1980s when Pierre Trudeau was finally able to get political buy-in from the provinces (particularly Quebec and the western provinces) to charter a Constitution and retire the British North America Act, which had been the country's founding charter.

Canada has had universal health coverage since Tommy Douglas introduced it in Saskatchewan and it's been in all provinces since the 1960s. The US is on the verge of getting a watered-down form of universal health coverage without a single-payer model in 2014, unless the Supreme Court strikes it down first.

Canada has better donuts.

The US has better microbrewed beer.

Loonies and Toonies jangle in my pocket too much. I prefer paper bills rather than too many coins.

BTW - I am a dual US/Canadian citizen. It is possible to hold citizenship in both countries.

Thankyou VERY much, this was perfect! I've read it twice already, and spent an hour discussing it on the phone last night, with NO rambling!!

I'm sorry about the universal health care, we never should have done it the way we did. It looks good, but it's so abused...

Can you please either pm me with some good microbrews, or hijack the thread for a minute more with some? I love my microbrews here and have no idea about American ones, but your beer for export makes me cry. I really cry for the Americans that drink it... they just don't know...

Thought I better warn you also that if you ever hear a song playing and it played by what sounds like two Banjo's playing. DO NOT go into the woods to find the source. In fact stay out of the woods especially if you are wearing anything that could make anyone mistake you for a domestic animal.

My first trip to Missouri was a canoe trip down a river in Mark Twain National Forest. I was terrified the entire time that I'd hear that...

get used to hearing "yus not fum roun hea izu?

I've already been told that if I start saying 'you ins and we ins' he'll leave me!

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

In the Branson area don't be surprised if you see most of the people look alike whether female or male.

What? The women all have long black hair and full beards, and wear nothing but flannel shirts and blue jean overalls? That might explain why I didn't notice that many local females around Waynesville that one weekend I spend off post.

[Ban Hammer 13,619]

tell him you want to go snipe hunting

study up on rattlers, chiggers, wasps, black widows, and brown recluses.

[luckytxn 2,265]

What? The women all have long black hair and full beards, and wear nothing but flannel shirts and blue jean overalls? That might explain why I didn't notice that many local females around Waynesville that one weekend I spend off post.

Trust me the area around Fort Leonard Wood is way more genetically diverse than what this poor girl is going to see.

[luckytxn 2,265]

Good stuff! And just for fun, are you saying that the country would have preferred McCain over Obama and the last vote was just an anomaly? Missouri voted McCain in, so maybe they're losing their touch.

Thankyou VERY much, this was perfect! I've read it twice already, and spent an hour discussing it on the phone last night, with NO rambling!!

I'm sorry about the universal health care, we never should have done it the way we did. It looks good, but it's so abused...

Can you please either pm me with some good microbrews, or hijack the thread for a minute more with some? I love my microbrews here and have no idea about American ones, but your beer for export makes me cry. I really cry for the Americans that drink it... they just don't know...

My first trip to Missouri was a canoe trip down a river in Mark Twain National Forest. I was terrified the entire time that I'd hear that...

I've already been told that if I start saying 'you ins and we ins' he'll leave me!

The trip in that canoe sounds like you were safe somewhat as you had men around. The men were the ones in danger though.

It does concern me that he doesn't want you to learn to speak to the locals around there and communicate. This can be an attempt to start isolating you. But again it may his way to try and protect you, hard to say but please watch yourself and be on the lookout for other tries at suppression.

I for one like that he seems to be making an attempt at creating a branch to the family tree. (I even understand the reasoning here at why he had to go to another country to make this attempt work)

[scandal 951]

Can you please either pm me with some good microbrews, or hijack the thread for a minute more with some? I love my microbrews here and have no idea about American ones, but your beer for export makes me cry. I really cry for the Americans that drink it... they just don't know...

I tend to like very heavily hopped ales and IPAs, also Belgian style beers and HeffeWeizen/wheat-beers.

If your tastes are different you may still find you like the offerings of these breweries, or else find ones more to your liking.

Microbrews tend to be regional so you won't find the ones L list here in all areas of the country. These are probably in-fact too large to be "microbrews" in that they have multi-state distribution. They are all however excellent craft brews. True microbrews are usually brewed in a brewpub that serves them on the spot or allows you to buy a growler to take home but don't have any distribution facilities. Within a few miles of my house there are 3 excellent such local establishments.

My favorite craft IPA is Lagunitas from Petaluma CA.

Another amazing brewery is DogfishAles of Delaware with their 60-minute and 90-minute IPAs.

Also Bell's Oberon Ale and Two-Hearted Ale from Michigan deserve honorable mention.

Here in Chicago we have Goose Island which makes a very nice wheat beer (312) although their IPA is sub-par, in my view. Their more upscale Belgian-style crafts (e.g. Matilda) are awesome though.

The situation in Canada I find is much more homogenous and lacking in character. Ontario does have Upper Canada Brewery and Sleemans, but to me neither is as inventive (or hoppy) with their brews. Lately I find that "craft beer" in Canada has come to mean Alexander Keiths which I find quite disappointing. Not bad, but nothing to rave about.

Please don't think that American beer is nothing but Miller Lite and Coors Lite. Nothing could be further from the truth.

That's like saying all Canada has is Molson Canadian and Labbats Blue, which we know is not the case.

[Stuart and Thea 95]

The trip in that canoe sounds like you were safe somewhat as you had men around. The men were the ones in danger though.

It does concern me that he doesn't want you to learn to speak to the locals around there and communicate. This can be an attempt to start isolating you. But again it may his way to try and protect you, hard to say but please watch yourself and be on the lookout for other tries at suppression.

I for one like that he seems to be making an attempt at creating a branch to the family tree. (I even understand the reasoning here at why he had to go to another country to make this attempt work)

Hahaha, he lives there, but he's not from there, so no worries. He's actually a retired pro golfer running a resort there, and he has told me how they talk. He's lived all over the country, and Branson so far seems pretty 'normal' to him. From my trips, I've seen my share of the toothless and incomprehensible, and heard a lot of "huh?" when I've tried to talk to them!

I tend to like very heavily hopped ales and IPAs, also Belgian style beers and HeffeWeizen/wheat-beers.

Thanks for all the links, I will have to attend a beerfest there if there is such a thing, to sample them all.

As to Canadian microbrews, you've missed two of my faves : Mill Street Brewery and Huether Hotel/ Lion Brewery who makes a killer Adlys Ale that I will sorely miss when I go. I'm not sure you can get their beer bottled, but if you're ever in Waterloo, you need to pop in for a pint!

[scandal 951]

As to Canadian microbrews, you've missed two of my faves : Mill Street Brewery and Huether Hotel/ Lion Brewery who makes a killer Adlys Ale that I will sorely miss when I go. I'm not sure you can get their beer bottled, but if you're ever in Waterloo, you need to pop in for a pint!

Thank you!!

My son is a student at University of Waterloo so we go there often. I was there in April and again on Memorial Day weekend in May, and we're probably going again in August. I'll definitely check out Heuther next time I'm there, and I'll try Mill Street next time we're in Toronto. I really appreciate the recommendations :star:

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

I tend to like very heavily hopped ales and IPAs, also Belgian style beers and HeffeWeizen/wheat-beers.

If your tastes are different you may still find you like the offerings of these breweries, or else find ones more to your liking.

Microbrews tend to be regional so you won't find the ones L list here in all areas of the country. These are probably in-fact too large to be "microbrews" in that they have multi-state distribution. They are all however excellent craft brews. True microbrews are usually brewed in a brewpub that serves them on the spot or allows you to buy a growler to take home but don't have any distribution facilities. Within a few miles of my house there are 3 excellent such local establishments.

My favorite craft IPA is Lagunitas from Petaluma CA.

Another amazing brewery is DogfishAles of Delaware with their 60-minute and 90-minute IPAs.

Also Bell's Oberon Ale and Two-Hearted Ale from Michigan deserve honorable mention.

Here in Chicago we have Goose Island which makes a very nice wheat beer (312) although their IPA is sub-par, in my view. Their more upscale Belgian-style crafts (e.g. Matilda) are awesome though.

Great taste in beers, scandal. I'm a big Lagunitas fan too. Maybe I'll go get a pint this afternoon now that I'm thinking about it! I'd also like to put in a big thumbs up for pretty much ANYTHING that comes from the Deschutes Brewery in Bend, OR. I lovelovelove their Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Inversion IPA.

[_Simpson_ 250]

Is there a thread in here that explains American politics? The different kinds of Democrats and Republicans, and how if there's only two political parties, they can still have so many different kinds? Lol, preferably to someone that is used to a parliamentary multi party system? My fiance thinks it's too hot of a subject to discuss with me, even though we seem to be on the same page politically, it just seems to rile him up when he's talking about it... something about too many dumb@sses in government, and if I was Mexican I'd already be in the States, and how the citizen applying for the petition is treated more unfairly than a foreigner that wants to come there to take a job from and American, why should we have to wait this long so that their petition goes through first? (yes, it rambles on like that, lol!)So, is there someone that wants to point me to the best thread, link? I suggest that a politics and religion forum should have a sticky at least explaining what the most common religions in the US are, where the heads are, and another one explaining the political system, lobby groups and the like. I only know what I DO know from watching the West Wing, do you really want that to be how I learn??

Beware there is no shortage of people here that can make stupid sound good. This is a place to bring your opinions not gather them. Very little good comes from debates here, mostly because people purposely try to be divisive.

Must be new here. Do you really think you should learn all about religion and politics from this forum?

Edited July 10, 2011 by _Simpson_