From: turquoiseb <no_re...@yahoogroups.com> To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, August 3, 2011 2:11:59 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: The Post Count Follies :-)
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Bob Price <bobpriced@...> wrote: > > maskedzebra <no_re...@yahoogroups.com> > > > > Yeah, there's more man hugs down there, Bob, than up > > here. Two cowboys doing the Brokeback thing up here? > > You'd never get the dramatic conflict that you would > > there in the heartland of America. So, no script there. > > Not to forget the director was Chinese and the writer > an American Newfie. Bzzzzzzt? Connecticut is the Newfoundland of America? Not. Bzzzzzzt yourself, surprised Kevin Spacey was not aware that Annie Proulx lived in Newfoundland before writing SHIPPING NEWS. I've lived in Canada, and lived in many areas of the US and traveled it extensively, and IMO America does not *have* a counterpart to Newfoundland. There is simply no place as weird -- compared to the rest of America -- as Newfoundland is weird compared to the rest of Canada, or for that matter the rest of the world. Having also lived and travelled most parts of the world including the US and Canada I can say the geography of Newfoundland is most like the the majesty of Ireland and "Newfies" are some of the warmest and most welcoming people on the planet. I believe Annie Proulx would second that. I do agree we have nothing like it down south as I noticed a shortage of banjo players. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzae_SqbmDE There are reasons why Canadians have "Newfie jokes." The place is a genuine sociological oddity on steroids. Did you know, for example, that Newfoundland is the only place on earth where people barter backwards? I imagine "some" Canadians tell "Newfie" jokes for the same reason "some" American tell Polish jokes and possibly join the Tee Party. You go up to a fisherman who has a For Sale sign on his rowboat and you say, "That's a nice boat ya got there. I'll offer you $200 for it." The owner of the boat says, "My boat? Na. My boat's not worth more than $50." You say, "Surely it's worth more than that. I'll offer you $150 for it." Sooner or later you arrive at a price, the seller taking the low end of the bidding and the buyer taking the high end. Go figure. Seems you have yet to attend a "Dutch Auction." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_auction Add to that the fact that for many years Newfoundland was the only time zone in the world that was *half an hour off* compared to its neighbors, rather than the standard hour, and you've got quite a place. America just doesn't have any counterpart as far as I can tell, even in Arkansas or Kentucky. Texas might be close, because you can't really talk about its inhabitants *without* making a joke, but it's no Newfoundland. Having worked in Texas, sold services in Kentucky and noted that the largest company in the world and the only president to leave office with a surplus, in the last 30 years, are from Arkansas I can think of these places without thinking of a joke. PS: US military seem to have no problem with Newfoundland time keeping.
