Where is everyone from??

[Neurion]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

Funny though, it rarely crosses my mind that the 'Downs is an American site, because nobody comes across as being all that different to anyone else. Do you have Barrows in the Americas? I know there is a lot of sacred rock art and I've seen pictures of earthworks, but I'd be interested to know if there are any actual barrows!

I think there are, actually.

Originally Posted by Encaitare

You're right. I wish I lived in Canada.

I hope you're being facetious...

[Fordim Hedgethistle]

Some Interesting Facts About Canada That I Have Already Inflicted On The Downs But Will Do So Again Here

Canada (unlike every nation in Europe and the United States) has never lost a war (including the one we fought with the US when we opened up a big old can of whoop *** on y'all).

The oldest corporation in the entire world is The Hudson's Bay Company (Canadian).

General Motors was founded in Canada, by a Canadian.

The telephone, the zipper, peacekeeping forces, and the Roberston screwdriver are Canadian inventions.

Canadian women are the best looking women in the world.

All Canadians are fleet of foot and possessed of extraordinary grace and intelligence.

(OK, I might have made that last one up.)

[Nimrodel_9]

Canada (unlike every nation in Europe and the United States) has never lost a war (including the one we fought with the US when we opened up a big old can of whoop *** on y'all).

Hey, we haven't lost very much!

[Beleg Cuthalion]

Originally Posted by Fordim Hedgethistle

The telephone, the zipper, peacekeeping forces, and the Roberston screwdriver are Canadian inventions.

You forgot the pacemaker, the electric pipe organ beloved of small non-guitar-playing church congregations everywhere, the G-suit, Howard Shore, Ngila Dickson and John Howe!

P.S. Peacekeeping's overrated. Like way.

[Gil-Galad]

Originally Posted by Beleg Cuthalion

P.S. Peacekeeping's overrated. Like way.

is it now...well one thing that caught my eye was not so long ago, maybe it was one of my teachers, but anyways, he said that if humans bled oil, U.S. will be the most humanitarian nation in the world...

[Neurion]

Originally Posted by Gil-Galad

is it now...well one thing that caught my eye was not so long ago, maybe it was one of my teachers, but anyways, he said that if humans bled oil, U.S. will be the most humanitarian nation in the world...

Try as I might, I can't seem to make any sense of that statement.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Shelob

There are the mound-builders, they lived along the Mississippi River at around the time of the middle ages. The mound-builders didn't quite build barrows they built ceremonial mounds (hence their name), but it's probably the closest in that sense...
In South America the Incas mumified their dead and continued to 'worship' them (but that's not really the best word...it's more like they treated them much the same as if they were still alive...spoke with them, brought them food, and I think there were some celebrations when they brought all their old rulers out of their tombs for the day)...
This is all I know off that's similar, though I wouldn't be supprised at 'barrow-ish' ideas appearing elsewhere in the americas...

I would suppose then, that the 'Mexican Day of the Dead' celebrations come from the Inca civilisation? That's interesting, as it is said that the ancient european cultures used to revere their ancestors by leaving food outside barrows and other tombs, even going so far as to hold celebrations in their honour, believing them to be very much still 'alive'. And in the UK there is Silbury Hill, which is seemingly nothing more than a huge mound built to 'enhance' the landscape for some spiritual purpose. Ii fascinates me how common ideas are found to be shared between cultures thousands of miles and years apart.

[Neurion]

Originally Posted by Gil-Galad

is it now...well one thing that caught my eye was not so long ago, maybe it was one of my teachers, but anyways, he said that if humans bled oil, U.S. will be the most humanitarian nation in the world...

Hey Gil! You still owe me an explanation!

[Encaitare]

well my teach says the U.S. are only in Iraq for the oil, they are totally ignoring all other things happening in the world, for example in sudan, no u.s. there to help them...no us.s gov't help for the tsunami either, all american-based private companies doing the help...

Perhaps your teacher is a wee bit misinformed...

Must ... not ... get ... political ...

[Neurion]

Originally Posted by Gil-Galad

when did i say that!?


well my teach says the U.S. are only in Iraq for the oil, they are totally ignoring all other things happening in the world, for example in sudan, no u.s. there to help them...no us.s gov't help for the tsunami either, all american-based private companies doing the help...

Ouch, and this person still has a teaching cerificate?

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Encaitare

Must ... not ... get ... political ...

Good advice.

Originally Posted by Formendacil

I'm probably risking the wrath of the Barrow-wight just by having replied, but I'm sure that an adept BDer will turn this thread back to its original source eventually. Or else send it packing to the Mirth forum.

You could always start a new thread in the Mirth forum.

In other words, please try to stick broadly to the topic at hand.

[Shelob]

Do you have Barrows in the Americas? I know there is a lot of sacred rock art and I've seen pictures of earthworks, but I'd be interested to know if there are any actual barrows!

Lalwendë
There are the mound-builders, they lived along the Mississippi River at around the time of the middle ages. The mound-builders didn't quite build barrows they built ceremonial mounds (hence their name), but it's probably the closest in that sense...
In South America the Incas mumified their dead and continued to 'worship' them (but that's not really the best word...it's more like they treated them much the same as if they were still alive...spoke with them, brought them food, and I think there were some celebrations when they brought all their old rulers out of their tombs for the day)...
This is all I know off that's similar, though I wouldn't be supprised at 'barrow-ish' ideas appearing elsewhere in the americas...

I haven't seen snow since my 7th birthday

Ainaserkewen
You Poor and Fortunate person...We get snow all but every year (and this year has been no exception--we've enough snow, and it was cold enough, that the other day I could go walk on the snow) and thanks to some misfortune of genetics I'm always colder than everyone else (so I spend every year from late September to mid May freezing) but I get to do fun stuff like make snowmen, go sking, and throw snowballs at my brother


And to all of you I present this final quote:

"A country is a piece of land surrounded on all sides by boundaries, usually unnatural." --Joseph Heller, from Catch-22

so think on that...

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Fordim Hedgethistle

Some Interesting Facts About Canada That I Have Already Inflicted On The Downs But Will Do So Again Here

Canadian women are the best looking women in the world.

Merci pour les autres

Thsi may help ... or not

http://www.aaaugh.com/jokes/cultural_differences.html

A varient of this was given me by my American flat mate several years ago. The situation has changes slightly in that we now have 5 terrestrial channels and we have managed to beat the Aussies occasionally ..... once notably (thank you mr Wilkinson )

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

http://www.aaaugh.com/jokes/cultural_differences.html

A varient of this was given me by my American flat mate several years ago. The situation has changes slightly in that we now have 5 terrestrial channels and we have managed to beat the Aussies occasionally ..... once notably (thank you mr Wilkinson )

Those are HILARIOUS!!! They have all four countries spot on.

I was especially fond of the sports portrayal. That is so true of us. We obsess about hockey from the start of the season, to the end of the season, and in-between. We obsess about the American teams playing for the cup named after a British Lord (Stanley).

Gil-galad, if no one else here, will well remember all the car flags sporting the Flaming C that were driving around our fair province last May and June.

Hmm... I wonder who would win a hockey game, Gondor or Arnor. Somehow I can picture a crowd of screaming, red jersey-clad Arnorians rowdily cheering on the Fornost Flames in a Game 7 game against the Pelargir Lightning....

*Sigh. Remembers the playoffs.... Even though that's the only hockey he's ever really paid any attention to.*

[Ainaserkewen]

Hmm... I wonder who would win a hockey game, Gondor or Arnor. Somehow I can picture a crowd of screaming, red jersey-clad Arnorians rowdily cheering on the Fornost Flames in a Game 7 game against the Pelargir Lightning....

Ah, but where would they get the ice?

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by Ainaserkewen

Ah, but where would they get the ice?

Well, if I remember my Silmarillion right, Melkor was a big ice-maker at one time. Perhaps the executors of the Utumno Estate (Messrs. Gorthaur, Balrog, & Smaug) sold the company. I can imagine the EHL (Elven Hockey League) having been interesting in purchasing it to provide an arena for the Lindon Canucks and the Rivendell Maple Leaves. Or perhaps Cirdan went into the ice-and-zamboni business after that disastrous foray into discovering the north-east passage. THAT was quite a mission. One king and two palantiri never seen again, and the Ring of Barahir saved only by a turn of luck...

Still, the great days of the EHL are long gone. Remember when Wayne Gretzndil played with the Annuminas Oilers? Pity they traded him to the Minas Tirith Kings....

[Ainaserkewen]

You have me in stitches Formendacil, I have to say Hockey has never been this amusing. Even the guy next to me is asking what the heck the EHL is. For the sake of pride, I didn't tell him.

Remember when Wayne Gretzndil played with the Annuminas Oilers? Pity they traded him to the Minas Tirith Kings....

Gretzndil!

I thought about someone getting steamed of how off topic we are with this Canadian Hockey theme, but then I thought, what is the topic again? Oh yeah, where everyone is from...I'm...uh, from Canada, if you didn't know that already.

[Gil-Galad]

Fornost Flames...thats great....