America

[dbailey]

The minimum age most rental companies will rent you an automobile in the USA is 25 with some allowing as young as 21 but for a huge hike in the insurance premium costs.

However my lad found that at aged 18 and with a full UK photo licence plus his passport that he could hire a small van or truck rom U-Haul as long as he took out their standard insurance.

[9876543210]

savage560,

Originally Posted by savage560

Add texas to thet list too.They still tell me how "You Yankees never got into Texas!"I reply "Its a damn good thing we did'nt ,cause if the war lasted longer Gen.Sherman & Grant we on a roll & we'd of F'd you up!"

I don't think I made it into Texas back in the day but I can certainly believe that. I've been there several times since, briefly, and don't remember hearing any of that. But its probably because I was mainly in larger cities (Dallas, Austin, Houston and Huntsville) where that attitude isn't as prevalent. When I think back to that trip, I seem to remember hearing most of that in the small towns and villages where I spent a lot of time.

and dbailey,

His comment was 'don't you mean redneck riviera' ...

Oh yeah, that's what they call it. I'd forgotten. And it is pretty much true. The panhandle area is a bit different than the rest of the state. The people there are very much "Southern" whereas the rest of the state is now mostly transplanted Northerners. They have a name for them but I can't remember it. Snow.......something?

[keefriff]

Originally Posted by 9876543210

I'd almost bet that, since you've been to Florida, you were in Miami, which is mostly made up of northerners whom have moved south.

That is somewhat true but Miami is one of the most diverse cities in the US. The UN in 2004 ranked Miami as the city in the world w/ the greatest percentage of citizens born in another country at over 58%. Toronto was second. So yes, there are a lot of transplanted Northerners living in Miami and surrounding counties but I wouldn't say they make up the majority.

Originally Posted by 9876543210

savage560,
They have a name for them but I can't remember it. Snow.......something?

I think it is Snowbirds.

[9876543210]

keefriff,

Originally Posted by keefriff

That is somewhat true but Miami is one of the most diverse cities in the US. The UN in 2004 ranked Miami as the city in the world w/ the greatest percentage of citizens born in another country at over 58%. Toronto was second. So yes, there are a lot of transplanted Northerners living in Miami and surrounding counties but I wouldn't say they make up the majority.

Sounds reasonable to me. I just know that the Miami area is quite a bit different than the panhandle area.

Oh, I don't know if you've seen this, I just saw it a few moments ago. Forbes mag just came out with the "Most Miserable Cities in the US". They rated Miami #1. I wouldn't have guessed that.

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/am...ties-2012.html

I think it is Snowbirds.

Ah yes. That's it! Thanks.

[-Edge-]

Originally Posted by 9876543210

keefriff,



Sounds reasonable to me. I just know that the Miami area is quite a bit different than the panhandle area.

Oh, I don't know if you've seen this, I just saw it a few moments ago. Forbes mag just came out with the "Most Miserable Cities in the US". They rated Miami #1. I wouldn't have guessed that.

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/am...ties-2012.html



Ah yes. That's it! Thanks.

It is surprising that Miami is #1.

I lived in Michigan for 4 years. I was about 30 miles north of Detroit (#2) and 40 miles south of Flint (#3). Warren, Mi. (#10) was just a few miles away from my home.

I would have believed Detroit or Flint as #1. I left a lot of friends there when I moved away. I still talk to them frequently. Things have only gotten worse there.

[DTravel]

Originally Posted by 9876543210

Sounds reasonable to me. I just know that the Miami area is quite a bit different than the panhandle area.

Oh, I don't know if you've seen this, I just saw it a few moments ago. Forbes mag just came out with the "Most Miserable Cities in the US". They rated Miami #1. I wouldn't have guessed that.

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/am...ties-2012.html

Having driven in Miami it doesn't surprise me one bit. Then you get to add the hurricanes and tropical storms and the fact that, like New Orleans, it was built in the middle of a tropical swamp....

[scoundrel]

Originally Posted by Warren G

Yeah, well...I don't really think the Indians were were that savvy about combat formations...they just kinda' stumbled onto this one. Custer's Springfield rifles jammed in the heat of battle, against the Henry's and Winchesters. Just kinda bad luck. Custer won many battles, but, well, this wasn't one of them. I can't attribute this to any great kowledge or skill on the part of the Indians, just a coincidence of bad situations.

Actually, I reckon the Native American leaders deserve more credit than that, especially Crazy Horse, who was a really gifted tactician. The Seventh Cavalry had planned a three pronged pincer movement against the tribes camped on the Little Bighorn, and Custer commanded the sharp end of one prong of the pincer. He wasn't quite as tactically naive as people seem to think. He counted on being supported by General George Crook and a large force (about 1000 strong) of cavalry advancing from Fort Fetterman in Wyoming and by a smaller but still powerful force of about 570 cavalry under Colonel John Gibbon advancing eastwards into the Dakotas from Fort Ellis in Montana. But Crazy Horse did what Napoleon would have done and used the far superior tactical mobility of his men to defeat the US cavalry columns one at a time. Colonel Gibbon was too slow off the mark and his column was not in theatre until it was all over; Crazy Horse ignored him. General Crook advanced in better order than Custer and had excellent Crow and Shoshone scouts who saved his bacon by giving him enough advanced warning to deploy correctly when he was attacked, but even so he was bloodily repulsed and sent packing. This was the Battle of the Rosebud Creek fought in 17th June 1876, a 6 hour engagement which demoralised Crook and his forces partly because the Native Americans showed unusual willingness to accept casualties and press home their advantage rather than do a fade and conserve their limited resources as was their usual and perfectly sound technique. But Crazy Horse needed to achieve a decision at the Rosebud; it was imperative that Crook be driven off. He achieved this result and accepted the necessary casualties.

The Little Bighorn took place on 25th June 1876. I cannot ascertain whether Custer or his commander, General Terry, had been warned that General Crook had retreated back to base in disarray; 8 days should have been long enough to get a message through, but communications were difficult and messengers would have been riding through disputed territory where either side could suddenly run into trouble, so I don't know. Perhaps Custer hadn't heard about the Rosebud at all. If he had, it didn't make him understand the need to concentrate his forces or to scout the territory in front of him carefully. But Crazy Horse has batted off the threat which the original plan had intended would divide the Native American forces into several fronts, and was free to concentrate all his men on Custer.

It is not impossible that there were one or two West Point graduates on the Native American side actually. Crazy Horse never went there; he was self-taught. But lecturers at West Point have cited him as an outstanding leader of light cavalry and pointed out that he totally out-generalled all the US Army commanders, Crook, Terry and Gibbons, in order to get Custer exactly where he wanted him. One of the strengths of the US Army historically has been that it discusses its mistakes objectively and learns from them. One of the lessons it drew was that Native Americans can be really hard bastards and are actually worth having on the home team; many Native Americans distinguished themselves in American uniform in WW2, almost a lifetime after the Little Bighorn.

[Warren G]

Ok, scounds..I give...

I read the accounts of the battle, and a lot of the data on the decisions made are a bit sketchy...Custer did have an outstanding record hitherfore.
(Hitherfore)?

But I must yield to the only Englishman I have ever known that seems to know more about American history than any American I know..

kudos, my friend...

[billybunter]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7H6v...eature=related


Something light hearted

[donny1]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6iPZ4eETDo