Hey, Ralph - the shores of Tripoli are in Lebanon (the country in the ME) - whats the connection to the war of 1812 in your mind?
jh
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: [log in to unmask] 
  To: [log in to unmask] 
  Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2003 10:40 AM
  Subject: Re: Am I a republican? Do I dare to eat a peach?


  In a message dated 8/16/2003 10:15:17 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes:


    My son recently informed me that the US Marine Corp does not teach its
    members about the War of 1812, Interesting, but a little hard to believe, as I think that's where the line about "The shores of Tripoli" comes from as reflected in his friend who is a
    Marine not knowing anything about the War of 1812 Considering that nobody knows nothin about nothin these days, why would you be surprised that a jarhead doesn't know about the War of 1812?. David's reasoning is
    that they do not want to admit that we were beat by Canada, I don't think that was Canada; wasn't it the Brits?  And although They evidently had some initial successes, as I remember we eventually won, even if the Brownstone House had to be painted White.  Marcus Whiffen once told us about his first trip to the Capitol when he first came to the US from London (where the Architectural Historians saved St Paul's during the Blitz) to work at Colonial Williamsburg.  Anyway, the tour guide was showing their group around, and had just told them about how the Brits had burned Washington in the War of 1812, so Whiffen in a stage whisper asked his wife if she had a match.  Evidently, people still had senses of humor (rather than sticks up their ass) back then. the only country to do so, on US turf. You guys burnt all kinds of stuff while you were visiting -- made a lot of work for fire restoration
    specialists. And paint salesmen. Interesting idea to shut off our electric Last night they were saying it wasn't the Canucks, but the Ohioans or somebody from what was (mistakenly, in my opinion) referred to as the midwest who pulled the plug... please restrain from a full out invasion We already have enough aggravation, and would prefer to think that you geeks up there are our slightly dimwitted friends,  as opposed to a buncha whiny Frogs who got stuck in a frozen-over pond in our backyard.... then again -- would you be sending liberation forces?  Liberation from what? Being able to choose our own doctors, and paying through the nose for the privilege? Fuhgeddaboudit.  Besides, whose airforce bombed whose army in a foxhole and then barely bothered to apologize?  (Oops, I wasn't supposed to mention that, was I?)


  Ralph