Eddie Izzard - British vs American Movies

Anyway. So, erm... Yes. So, I... We're known in Britain for making the smaller films. Lately we've pulled out of that with Trainspotting but the smaller film, the Room With A View With A Staircase And A Pond type movie. Films with very fine acting but the drama is rather sort of subsued - subsumed? A word like that. Sub-something or another. Just sort of folded in. Everything's people opening doors:

"Oh, I'm... Oh."

"What?"

"Well, I... Oh."

"What is it, Sebastian? I'm arranging matches."

"Well, I thought you..."I'd better go."

"Yes, I think you better had."

And you can't eat popcorn to that. Whereas if the film did any bit of business in America, some decent bit of business, then Hollywood would remake it and up the budget by 50 million and it would be called The Room With A View Of Hell! Staircase Of Satan... Pond Of Death. And have people open the door:

"You're fucking in here all the time, in here with the fucking matches!

"What are you fucking doing with the fucking matches?"

"Don't talk to me that way! You fuck my wife? You fuck my wife? You fuck my wife? "You fuck my wife? You fuck my wife?"

"I am your wife."

"That don't matter. I say again. You fuck my wife?"

"All right, yes. I fucked your wife. I am your wife and I fucked her."

"Daaah, you're gonna... Fucking matches, I can't get... I'm gonna drive round town and put babies on spikes."

Thboom! Hooha-hooha-hoo. Floom! Zi-zi-zi.

"Oh, no! Space monkeys are attacking."

A whole new part of the film.

"Hoo-hoo-hoo! Whaaah!" Poom! Poom! Poom!

"Damn, it's jammed.”

"Janine? I love you, really. Even though you fucked my wife."

"A fucking handbag.With a brick in it. It's the Queen! Don't know who that is. Yeah."

We play bad guys in Hollywood movies because of the Revolutionary War. The French, who were on your side in the Revolutionary War, they play more esoteric characters. Their characters go,

"I am Pierre. I have come from Paris. I have come to have sex with your family."

"Help yourself. Because of the debt of honor to General Lafayette."

You know your own history, yeah? You don't know who he is, do you? The Spanish-American War? The French Banana War? What? Revolutionary War. Hung out with Washington. Lafayette. Street named after him in New York. We play bad guys. Take The Empire Strikes Back from the Star Wars trilogy. The Death Star, just full of British actors opening doors and going,

"Oh, l'm... Oh."

"What is it, Lieutenant Sebastian?"

"It's just the rebels, sir. They're here."

"My God, man. Do they want tea?"

"I think they're after something more than that, sir. I don't know what it is but they've brought a flag."

"Damn, that's dashed cunning of them.

"Ah, Lord Vader."

(Heavy breathing)

(Deep voice) "Hello."

He was only impressive cos he had that James Earl Jones voice.

"I am Vader. The Force is strong with you."

If he had a much more...

(Camp cockney) "Ello".

"Look, I'm Lord Vader and just pay a-bloody-ttention, all right?

"Luke, the Force is strong with you."

"Is it?"

"Yeah."

"Who told you that?"

"Some bloke.

"He said the Force is really rather strong with you."

"How strong?"

"Er, as strong as a small pony."

"That's quite strong, that is."

The film would never have fucking worked, would it? Yeah.

Saturday Night Live - Vicky Christina Barcelona parody

What the Americans think about British accents

Is Europe a Country?

Americans are NOT stupid

Amish faceless dolls

The Amish are known for their strong religious beliefs that are reflected in their simplelife style. They do not use many of our modern day conveniences. They live much like people did in the early 1900's. Their strong beliefs influence every part of their lives, their dress is plain and simple, and so are the dolls they make for their children.

In the Bible, in Exodus and Deuteronomy, it says you are not supposed to make any thing (to worship) that is in the image or likeness of male or female. That is why Amish do not put faces on their dolls. It is also not uncommon for both the girls and the boys to have dolls.

The Amish

Not far from the hustle and bustle of city life live the Amish of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. These deeply religious people shun the conveniences of modern society to live a simpler life where transportation is a horse and buggy and horsepower really means horsepower.

The Amish are very devout and take seriously the biblical commands to separate themselves from the things of the world including electricity. Power comes from propane, kerosene, wood, coal, or natural gas.

As the world around the peaceful farmland changes, so have some of the traditions of the Amish. Transportation is no longer limited to horse-drawn buggies. "There is a division among the Amish over the automobile. One group got automobiles, another group kept the horse and buggy. we just simply name them old order -- drive the horse and buggy, and the new order -- drive the automobiles. They have electricity, they have meeting houses and they don't have green shades."

But many traditions remain. Amish children attend one-room schoolhouses through grade eight and farming is the mainstay of Amish life. There are normally two horses on a farm for buggies. Several mules are kept for farming. Milking is one of the most important sources of income on the farm.

Many Amish leaders believe their separation from the outside world strengthens their community. And that community is thriving. Despite what many on the outside would describe as a backwards lifestyle, the Amish population in Lancaster County has almost tripled over the past half century.

Stephen Fry interviewed by Craig Ferguson

Martin Luther King Jr Day

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a United States holiday marking the birthdate of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., observed on the third Monday of January each year, around the time of King's birthday, January 15. It is one of four United States federal holidays to commemorate an individual person.


King was the chief spokesman for nonviolent activism in the civil rights movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. He was assassinated in 1968.


The campaign for a federal holiday in King's honor began soon after his assassination. Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed in 1986. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.

The Great American Melting Pot

Elections ... the American way

http://learning.loc.gov/learn/features/election/home.html

A useful tool to understand the American voting system.