Trick or Treat

[JAS]

so never been to the US?

Nah buildings have a habit of falling down over there or earthquakes or twisters, or gangsters shooting people luv quiet little Oz meself

Hmmmm here in the UK it's binge drinkers that fall over, not too many earthquakes, believe we actually have more twisters each year than the US (just not so big) and our gangsters have an average age of about 15 as do their victims and they like knives as well as guns. Welcome to the 51st state

Don't worry, no need to feel left out I'm sure Oz can become the 52nd state

Regards
JAS

[Dutchy]

so never been to the US?

Nah buildings have a habit of falling down over there or earthquakes or twisters, or gangsters shooting people luv quiet little Oz meself

and what do they think of us (if they havent visited) -

deadliest snakes in the world
we kill people and put them in barrels
we kill hitchhikers
dip a big toe in the sea and the biggest sharks in the world will eat you
our PM does whatever GWB wants
our capital city is a hardly a city
Cyclones floor towns

[JAS]

Dutchy, you forgot one of the most famous ones...

The deadly spiders that hide under the loo seat and jump out and bite your bum

Regards
JAS

[Psyber]

I have never been to the US, and really can't think of anything I'd want to see there except maybe fly over some of the geological formations. Perhaps some of the old French settlements like Baton Rouge may be tempting, but not NY, LA, or Las Vegas by any stretch of the imagination. I am boggled by people I speak to who want to go to Disneyland....

I can imagine from things I have seen on TV that I might be more comfortable perhaps in Boston or some of the other more civilised parts around there, and I did talk to a pleasant visiting Professorial guy from Boston a few years ago, but there are higher priority places elsewhere in the world that I'd want to go to first. Paris, Prague, Budapest, Reyjavik, and Oslo, are on my list for 2008-09.

[Dutchy]

thanks for answering my question, all makes sense now...

[Psyber]

Dutchy, you forgot one of the most famous ones...
The deadly spiders that hide under the loo seat and jump out and bite your bum
Regards
JAS

Spiders: the Queensland tree funnel web, the Sydney funnelweb, and the Redback are our top three - the Redback you referred to JAS being a close relative of the American, Black Widow. I have always checked outside loos for Redbacks because they do lurk in them, but I accidentally put my fingers on one in my own garage feeling for the light switch. I felt something pea sized that was firm and silky smooth and moved, and I retracted fast and went back to the car for a torch. I was lucky I didn't get nipped she was guarding her egg sac on the base of the switch. However, their bite is rarely fatal for an adult. I have been bitten by a white-tailed spider recently - female, 18mm body - males are half that size. My arm was sore and I felt a bit woozy for a few days, but I was able to still work.

Snakes: 9 of the worlds top 10 venomous snakes live here - the King Cobra is number 10 - the first non-Aussie snake on the list. To quote an Adelaide Herpetologist I know, "The Common Brown is called the common brown because it is common - in SA one in every 4 suburban back yards has one." He then explained they live in families so it is more likely one in 16 backyards has four. But you rarely see them. They avoid people.

A cat we had once brought home a red-bellied black once then let it go on the verandah - that was a little disconcerting, and I admit I broke the law and killed it. The cat was unharmed.

[therisingblues]

I think I can relate to Dutchy's point of view a little, even though I haven't been to the states and still hold some prejudices against their culture.
With the Halloween thing, I was die hard against it before I came to Japan (almost 7 years ago), and I used to take delight in recounting my childhood experiences, to the odd seppo I met here, of kids getting ragged at school because they had been fool enough to go door knocking on Halloween night.
However, there is a general supposition amongst Japanese people that all foreigners celebrate Halloween, and it became increasingly difficult for me to disappoint them. It eventually became easier to learn a couple of things about the event, and with that I have actually come to enjoy making up ghost stories and spreading the season's spirit.
Now when I read how other Aussies feel about Halloween on this forum, I can't really criticize them for their views, as I was probably thick amongst the most extreme before I opened my eyes a bit. That would be hypocritical of me. But I definitely hear where Dutchy is coming from.

[locky801]

so never been to the US?

Nah buildings have a habit of falling down over there or earthquakes or twisters, or gangsters shooting people luv quiet little Oz meself

and what do they think of us (if they havent visited) -

deadliest snakes in the world
we kill people and put them in barrels
we kill hitchhikers
dip a big toe in the sea and the biggest sharks in the world will eat you
our PM does whatever GWB wants
our capital city is a hardly a city
Cyclones floor towns

and just to think most of them happen in sleepy little Adelaide

[RustyCage]

so never been to the US?

Nah buildings have a habit of falling down over there or earthquakes or twisters, or gangsters shooting people luv quiet little Oz meself

and what do they think of us (if they havent visited) -

deadliest snakes in the world
we kill people and put them in barrels
we kill hitchhikers
dip a big toe in the sea and the biggest sharks in the world will eat you
our PM does whatever GWB wants
our capital city is a hardly a city
Cyclones floor towns

Koalas that drop out of trees onto tents of hot European chicks.

[redden whites]

and the lower your socio-economic orientation the more likely you are to like US cars and styles. Hence the Labo[u]r Party.

Pure magic possibly the greatest post ever...made my day.Possibly explains why Australia missed the golden age after the war(Look what Germany and Japan did) as Menzies sold us out to Britian for nearly a generation.