Search results

...are way too long. You have to sit there at the lights while every man and his dog passes with their flashers going. Not so in England. Yes, you should give way to the hearse and one, or perhaps two, immediate family vehicles but you have gone way over the top here. In England, funeral...

I am going for a heart scan tomorrow at an American hospital. Just routine, apparently, but fingers crossed nevertheless. I will be going armed with two of my usual. The first is when they ask for insurance. I always say public option. The second is when they ask why I am there. The...

Though I have never seen it nor tried it, I imagine Moonshine must be cheap. But does it taste nice? I buy liqour for the taste and not the price. But if it tastes good and is cheap then that would be a win-win. And why is it illegal?

One of the things where America really does do a poor job compared to Europe is on homelessness and mental illness. The situation really is appauling in America. The system is set up so that people can and do get left behind. So I'm forced to see homeless people on the streets and...

And so they should after it seems your heavy handed police may have hit a vet on the head with a tear gas cannister. Tear gas? Against American civilians? Who's training these guys? It's a national disgrace. You should all be ashamed. My advice is to hire police who can handle...

Is America still living under the legacy of prohibition? It seems senseless to limit alcohol sales to certain times or certain stores. Are there those among you who still view saloons as "evil"? I'm worried that American parents of the prohibition era have passed down their beliefs, so...

Lots in the news today. A proposal to give US visas in exchange for buying a home. I say bring it on! And Gadhafi's demise. England did all the heavy lifting while America sat on its hands. Mission Accomplished. And on time.

I have been boiling up about this all week. I was not allowed to renew my driving license by mail because the DMV "does not have a social security number on file for me" and they don't issue new licenses without proof of legal residence. So I had to go down there in person and join the...

For about four weeks in the year America has the most fantastic weather. It's about two weeks in the Spring and two weeks in the Fall. The rest of the year is either too hot (thanks to American-made global warming) or too cold (because of the jet stream). But today was one of those...

I can't see a problem in these difficult times with a flat rate tax on the collection box. It's not as if they create jobs. The car parks are big enough and packed full on Sundays. But as always I'm open to opinions. Should we tax churches? And if not, why not?

Having had a few exchanges with Americans recently, I'm a little worried that America doesn't quite understand the concept of democracy. It seems that some individuals here do not want to be told what to do by Government, even if the democratic process means that they must abide by the wishes...

He probably wouldn't like my views on guns and taxes, but Americans on the American news have been arguing that Chris Christie (an American) should not run for President in 2012 "because of his weight". Such an issue would never be discussed in Europe and yet Americans think it's fine to...

I get fiscal conservatism. Some people want to pay taxes. A few greedy people do not. But social conservatism in America of all places has me baffled. What you essentially have, if my understanding is correct, is a group of people that want the rest of us to live by their values. And...

If you guys ever go to England, I guess you had better learn some English. So here goes. A SHOPPING TROLLEY

In America, able-bodied Americans too lazy to walk can be seen riding the electric handicapped shopping carts around supermarkets. Brave Europeans would have something to say about that if that happened in Europe.

Europe I just got back from Europe. To find the tangled mess that is your overhead power lines. It was also my first time to go through a full body scan at the airport. Putting those in cost you $3 billion. I forgot to take off my belt. The American behind me tut-tutted. Why do...

Ever noticed how those arguing for "personal responsibility" are never ugly, poor, old or ill? Well, it doesn't work. At least not for those that are left out. The number of Americans living in poverty rose to a record 46.2 million last year, official data has shown. This is the highest...

I was in a country that did not have TV at the time, so heard about it on the radio. For about half an hour I thought it was a radio drama. And then, for at least a day, I thought air traffic control had screwed up. The world was a better place before then. More friendly. More...

We all know that fireworks can be fun, but they are dangerous and in some States they are (perhaps rightfully) banned. So, I've been thinking. How can Americans have fun on the Fourth without getting their fingers burnt? Well, in England when I was growing up we had "indoor fireworks" and...

My backyard slopes upwards quite steeply. In the middle are six concrete steps that go up to follow the grade. Do the steps need a handrail? And, if so, do they need handrails on both sides?