Why do you believe the quality of writing on ABCtales has gone downhill?

..."America-love it or leave it"! So you can't do both apparently. Someone should warn the hyphenated Americans incase it's a reciprocal arrangement. (Reminds me of, "You're either with us or against us..." Who did say that?)

"my teeth are too nice." Hahahaha! That's like a pair of buttocks being pulled open to reveal surgically removed piles: it's still an arse face. Incidentally (spot the pun, yanks), Basil Fawlty had a number of epithets for Sybil: "the dragon", "toxic midget", "my little nest of vipers", "my little piranha fish", "my little commandant" and — memorably — "a rancorous, coiffured old sow". Sound familiar anyone? Much love, :-)

My favorite is..."Don't piss on my boots and tell me it's rain'n" I think Jesus was the most notable to have used the "With us or against us" thing... Nobody ever had an original thought. Not even us hyphenated Americans. I'd still rather have all my teeth pulled with rusty pliers than listen to two Brits talk about the English languish tho.

I know I'm a good poet....but poetry, schmoetry, rowetry. What good is that when all things are called to account before the lord? Some politician back in the eighties caused a stir by saying Brits of Pakistani (or it may have been Indian) origin would demonstrate their allegiance (or not) by whom they support during an England vs Pakistani. We could by the same measure ascertain AG's allegiance by her support when USA play er...err.. no...no-one else plays yankee girls games... jude "Cacoethes scribendi" http://www.judesworld.net

Snitcher, you're gorgeous. The only surgery I've had on my teeth is one particular filling I've had since I was fourteen which has needed replacing a couple of times as it keeps cracking. The rest is down to having my grandmother haranguing me constantly as a child about dental care, and fluoridated water. RD, the postulation that, in order to be a good American, I must not rail against the stupidities of the government nor the stupidities of the culture AND have to live there, is, well, stupid. There is a whole thing about the 1st Amendment and being able to rail against the government without being hanged for sedition, ya know... but in the World Cup I will be cheering for England rather than the States, simply because the American team is painful to watch, and the women's teams are too...earnest...to be interesting! Missi, you'll find that actually I have MANY nice qualities, and I only bought a few of the smaller ones on sale at Woolworth's...

That's ALL we need! A self-absorbed yank born with a Hollywood smile. Rooney's crocked, Owen might be a doubtful, Prescott's waving his dick around like a rattle, and the last nail in the coffin is secret squirrel cheering for England. We're DOOMED. Doomed I tell ye. Woolworth's have always sold Quality Street.

I'll cheer -very- secretly, if you feel it'll help England's chances, Missi, but I didn't know Prescott was on the team -as well-. What a multifaceted man he is! I watched that interview between Maradona and Lineker (sp?) the other night, then dreamt about the blasted interview all night long. A terrible thing if one isn't a footie fan in the first place...

AG, I postulated nothing of the sort. If railing against the government was cause to be a bad American, then I would have long since been ejected. Your smack talk has many times been centered on normal folks in normal places, most notably, Kansas and New Mexico. Having spent times in both places, and knowing many folks from said states, I can indeed qualify your talk as "Smack" (depending of course, which side of your mouth it comes from) *little sticky out tongue thing*

Ah, I'm talking smack with a master. Don't forget I also love slagging off Florida. Having had the bonus of being born there, and having grown up (well, matured physically) in New Mexico, I -do- feel I am qualified to opine on both states and their denizens most vigorously. I can also rant about Arizonans, a particularly slagful bunch. But everyone knows Kansas is full of rednecks and shit-kickers, RD, that's not news. *wink wink*