Only in America

[Brentwood]

http://gawker.com/video-cop-pulls-gun-on-teens-reportedly-ha ving-snowbal-1683102500 (http://gawker.com/video-cop-pulls-gun-on-teens-reportedly-having-snowbal-1683102500)

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

[Brentwood]

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

I have kept that vow and am much the happier for it.

[redgunamo]

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

[redgunamo]

Somebody once described a certain type of European, Brit especially though certainly not exclusively, because of the language, I suppose, who has never forgiven America for the opportunity they themselves missed in not taking the plunge and going over there and making their fortune, way back when they were young and juicy.

The chance passed them by and now they're stuck with the essential colourlessness and futility of rat-racing and mortgage-paying in some cold grey town instead of living it up in their Hollywood villa with the endless sunshine and the swimming pool and the dollybirds and more cash than they can ever use.

You encounter these in Paris cafes, for example, holding forth with a particular bitterness and resentment about their recent family trip over the pond, including the well-worn claim that Americans have no culture, an idea they have become all-too familiar with having spent the past three weeks at Disneyland or in New York eating giant hamburgers, seemingly oblivious to their own lack of imagination and, indeed, irony.

Actually, all those famous Euros who have had great success over there have to continue mouthing off about how perfectly awful the place is, I think, merely to stop people tearing them limb from limb at the airport on their return "home".

[Brentwood]

Have you ever had the misfortune of holidaying alongside Americans?

[Brentwood]

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

immigrationers - to whom I was tempted to point out that we're supposed to be on their side.

There was also a game of college football on TV. College football. The US airforce did a flyby. This caused much whooping and cheering.

College football.

[redgunamo]

Holidays for me means staying in my own house and dispatching the wife and kids somewhere distant.

Perhaps that's where you're going wrong.