Archived comment by Arlene:
Raleigh, NC has red wolves, well, they're based on red wolves but the statues are all different colors. So we have the red wolves re-released in NC & NC State University Wolfpack campus in Raleigh. Gee, that wasn't exactly a wild leap to choose wolves.

Archived comment by Furnace:
My saying for this has become a wise motto:
Regular playfighting
sidesteps
random aggression!

(It's something to see a couple of 50 yr olds giggling and wrestling...)

Archived comment by sirwes:
eww, this was the creepy dude w/ the camera guy. well that's you get for being in Monroeville.

Archived comment by Megan:
MONROEVILLE! COOL! I LIVE IN MURRYSVILLE, WHICH IS LIKE 5 MINUTES AWAY FROM MONROEVILLE! YAY! Eve was talking to someone who I could possibly know... Did you stay in the Radison? That place is a total rip-off. Isn't Monroeville boring? Pittsburgh is so much more amusing, although the parking is outrageous...

Archived comment by jesse:
i dont think their...equipment...was lifted, im certain that would have attracted public attention. i dont think they're female, either. i think they're just androgynous, anatomically incorrect painted fiberglass horses.

Archived comment by Lea:
Or maybe they're *gasp* not male horses? That would be a nice change.. :)

Archived comment by steff:
perhaps your horses don't have testicles because they've already been - ah, lifted? and while we're doing sculpture of farm animals, we simply CANNOT forget the annual iowa state fair butter cow.

Archived comment by fair_n_hite_451:
Calgary had cows, and Toronto had mooses (meese?). I actually put in a bid on the moose that was decked out in the Leafs jersey, but it sold for a ridiculous sum of money ... and I'm not sure what I would have done to have it shipped out here anyway.

My favorite cow was the one covered in pennies. I can't imagine why people pried some of them off - I mean how much work is that to go to for a few cents?

Archived comment by Ben:
Oooh, yeah, they had these ceramic fish out infront of the Needless Markup at Copley Square that were for artisic display / eventual auction. They were also around the city, but I saw these ones all the time. I thought wow: why not just get an expensive paper mache pink flamingo.

Archived comment by jesse:
as for those bison in edmonton, a number of cities have similar things. in my lovely hometown of rochester, ny (of which im very proud and fond), we've got horses. each horse is sponsored by a local business and decorated by a local artist. they're on public display for something like six months, after which they'll be auctioned off. seems like the same idea. but none of our hourses have testicles.

Archived comment by Ben:
Suzanne, Having done my time above 10,000 ft with little problem I probably stand as an exception for most east coasters. But then again, I'm in better shape than most, and used to high stress physical excercize with oxygen depravation, so I have an advantage...

Archived comment by Ben:
Deliverance was filmed on Lake Hartwell along the South Carolina / Georgia border - not in Appalachia... I used to live 25 minutes away from the house...

Archived comment by Sheep:
Then I guess these are copycat, uh... castrators.

Archived comment by dave:
Sheep, my memory fails me at this point, but there is a town in the northern part of New South Wales here in Oz that has Bulls as their mascot. There are a couple of anatomically correct brass statues of them at the entrance to the main shopping street. As I understand it, the castration and souveniering of these statues costs the city quite a sum each year.

Archived comment by Susanne:
Hey Sheep, I have to agree with you that the
Sierra Nevadas have some crazy elevation. Not to
mention that East Coasters tend to just pant and
wheeze a lot when they come here. Not that I have
anything against the East Coast, or the people who
live there. But they do have some pretty weak
lung capacities.

Archived comment by Sheep:
Deliverance?

"Ya got a purdy mouth, boy..."

*shudder*

Archived comment by Pan:
Ben - There are places in the Appalachians where people are WAY inbred. That movie - what was it called?- where the four guys canoe down a river and one of them gets stuck like a pig by some crazy gun toting inbred crazy-stupid redneck? That movie wasn't that far off for some of the very remote places. I have a friend that worked for the Red Cross doing community health surveys for WHO or something. She has some wild stories to tell.

Archived comment by Sheep:
Oh man, this is THE BEST segue ever.

SPEAKING of stockyard sculpture, everyone needs to read this story right now.

This is better than alcohol!

Archived comment by emily:
I'm in vermont, baby, and that's the only place I want to be. beautiful, liberal, small...
ok, so maybe this argument is a lot easier to make in the warm days of summer than during some of our april snowstorms.

Archived comment by Marla:
Sheep & Tal: ahh, yes, that's right! How could I forget such an artiste who has challenged and revolutionised the area of stock-yard sculpture!!

Nikki: NOOOO!! Not destructible!! I can't believe that ACT govt have actually allowed a sculpture which arguably may be classified as erotica to be placed in a public area! (Its on city walk, right in front of subway and david jones, near the merry-go-round!!)

Obsidana: I AM NOT PROUD OF WHERE I USED TO LIVE!!! Years ago I lived in the country and I have blocked most of it out and I went to visit my grandparents last weekend and went for a walk down the street. Fine, I was wearing a lot of black. Fine I was wearing a funky green 1960's $10 coat. Fine I was wearing what I like to call "My 50's housewife skirt". Fine I was wearing my docs. BUT WHY DID THIS PROVOKE STARES AND CHILDREN SINGING AT ME (They're all suffering from inbreeding depression, I swear!!)!!!

M:)

Archived comment by TigerBaby:
being a native texan (1) and a girl (2) I would have to wholeheartedly agree that yes, we texas girls can whoop some ass when needed :) Of course, having 6 brothers is also a factor...

Archived comment by Sheep:
Some things:

Marla, Tal: Never heard of Sheeponardo da Wooli?

Ben: My GRANDMOTHER hiked the Appalachian Trail last year. Plus, the Sierra Nevada in California are technically taller that either the Rockies or the Appalachians, by virtue of Mt. Whitney, highest point in the lower 48. And it's only like 50 miles from Death Valley, the lowest point. Now that's elevation!

Ian: Having lived in Houston for a long time, I'd have to agree with your statement. Texas girls scare the crap out of me.

Archived comment by Ian:
I'm from Houston Texas, and I can tell you from experience that a Gulf Coast girl will win hands down everytime. Why? It's Texas, we all carry guns remember?

Seriously though, I'm a big guy (read that as 6'2" ex american football lineman) and most of the girls I've dated not only could, but did kick my ass.

As for town suckage? How about a town 100 miles in radius with 6 million people living in it that rarely has anything to do for under 30 bucks.

Archived comment by Obsidiana:
You mean there are people out there who are...proud of where they live? Now I love my Albany, the lovely capital of New York State, but proud? We call it Dullbany, Smallbany, Hellbany, and "the armpit of the world". There's even an Albanysux.com website. Everyone talks about what an awful, miserable, depressing place Albany is to live.

Archived comment by Jon:
edd, you are one lucky guy.

Archived comment by edd:
It usually is not my idea! But after a few drinks, they get this silly notion in their heads. The best thing about it was that the wrestling match would actually lead to sex. Yeah buddy!!

Archived comment by Ben:
hmmm, edd is wrestling women... Does this remind anybody of Andy Kaufman?

Archived comment by edd:
The girls from Texas will wrestle you at the drop of a hat. I have wrestled with many, many girls. Just because I am short, the girls mistakenly think they can take me. I take'em on one-on-one or en masse. The only bad thing is the scratches they leave upon my skin. Makes for some interesting conversation given that the scratches are obviously from a woman. Watch out when wrestling Hispanic girls, they never give up!

Archived comment by Ben:
Mike, I've got four years left to start it (thus meeting a life-goal of mine). Next year I'm taking another mountaineering course in preperation of my other life-goal: the seven peaks (think seven continents), so really I've got three years left to start. But I'd be more than happy to help you if I can. If you need local food and gear drops for New England, feel free to holler. I've also got some names and emails of people who have done it if you need them.

Archived comment by Mike:

The AT rocks. Im planning on hiking it this spring.

Archived comment by Ben:
East coast, west coast - who cares? I mean, what the real problem is is the Rockies/Appalachian debate. Yes, the rockies are bigger. Based on size alone, no easterner can debate that. They can point out that the Appalachians where once bigger (geological history) than the Rockies are (or ever were), and that only through millions of years worth of "experience" are the Appalachans any smaller. Sure the rockies are bigger now, but its like a twenty year old professional athelete picking on a sixty five year old senior citizen with dentures, who still holds some world-class records.

Then we come to beauty. For starters, lets just discount this category completely - beauty is strictly subjective. For every beautiful place found in the rockies, one of equal beauty can be found in the appalachians. It becomes an excercise in futility and name calling.

Then we come to the PCT/AT debate. The AT is longer - hands down. Plus it is considered more challenging (especially between NH and ME). West coast trails are better groomed, and generally easier, unlike the leg breaking minefields found along the northern AT.

The Appalachians are commonly referred to as 'hills' by Rockies people, this could not be further from the actual truth. Most trails up the mountains start at significantly lower altitudes, which make the difference in start/destination longer, and overall change in elevation greater than many trails in the rockies.

Lastly, the Appalachians have Mt. Washington - home of the most sever weather ever recorded. Boo yah, grandma!

Archived comment by Nikki:
hey Marla. umm......sheep sculpture? why was i not informed of this highly destructable sculpture.....i'm out of the canberran-loop. Thats almost as bad as being from Adelaide. Though i'd have to say i'm more of a sydney girl myself. Melbournes crazy, who changes to the left lane to turn right??? What IS that?!? end rant.

Archived comment by talshadar:
I think what Sheep meant was that his cousins 'posed' for it :-)

Archived comment by Marla:
OH they so did NOT sheep!!!

...did they...?

M:)

Archived comment by Sheep:
Hey! My cousin sculpted that!

Archived comment by Marla:
The Melbourne/ Sydney thing is great (because Melbourne wins out hands down every time!!!)

But then again � I too am apart from it all since I too (Hey Nicki!) live in Canberra! Because of the whole 100 years since Federation thing and sheep paddock thing we have this god awful sculpture of two sheep who are getting pretty intimate in the middle of the city.

One night some friends and I were walking by and someone had put a ciggarette into the hoof (?) of one of them.

It is so NOT classy :)

Archived comment by Sheep:
And having lived on all three (continental US) coasts, I think I'll go with the West Coast.

"Wish they all could BE California girrrrrrrrrrls..."

Archived comment by Sheep:
Nothing wrong with sheep paddocks.

For the record, I'm in the 6.36% of IP's readership that mooches an internet connection from the school. It's only a 56K but it's not often Berkeley gives you anything for free, so I'll take it.

Archived comment by Angel:
Monroeville??? Eve, you were REALLY close to my neck of the woods. Like about half an hour away. That seems so weird for some reason. :o)

Anyway, I'll just go on record as saying that I have wrestled with quite a few guys, and I've been told that I'm "stronger than I look." Which, I think, means that guys assume
"little" = "weak", and are then surprised when they get their asses kicked. ;o)

I'm not exactly on any "coast", but I guess I'd have to side with the East, being a PA girl and all.

Archived comment by dave:
Well Nikki, I wouldn't like to think that you summed up Adelaide based on going to Salisbury.

That would be like making an assumption on what someone looked like from their armpit (or worse).

As I said though, either you enjoy living somewhere or you don't. I happen to love Adelaide and all its little quirks.

Archived comment by Nikki:
yay for being from Australia. Yah we do have that whole Melbourne vs Sydney thing going on. I'm on the neutral side, what with being in Canberra "sheep-paddock" capital. Having just returned from a visit to Adelaide, i'd have to say it wouldn't be my choice of dwellage. Its a mish mash of every capital city in Australia with some dodgy govvo housing tacked on the side (damned pov salisbury bums)

Archived comment by may:
0.14%: .il (Israel)

Mememememememe! :)

IP rawks.

Archived comment by Eve:
So since someone was curious about how many viewers are from countries besides the US, here's the best breakdown I've got from page stats. This is by ISP, (so obviously if there's a bunch of people in france using AOL.com, they won't show up as being french.) But it's a rough estimate for the curious.

43.21%: .com (Commercial)
22.43%: .net (Network)
18.68%: [unresolved numerical addresses]
6.36%: .edu (USA Educational)
2.02%: .au (Australia)
1.65%: .ca (Canada)
1.36%: .uk (United Kingdom)
0.71%: .nz (New Zealand)
0.56%: .us (United States)
0.47%: .de (Germany)
0.42%: .org (Non-Profit Making Organisations)
0.23%: .gov (USA Government)
0.19%: .nl (Netherlands)
0.17%: .mil (USA Military)
0.16%: .hk (Hong Kong)
0.15%: .za (South Africa)
0.14%: .sg (Singapore)
0.14%: .il (Israel)
0.11%: .dk (Denmark)
0.11%: .sa (Saudi Arabia)
0.10%: .se (Sweden)
0.08%: .jp (Japan)
0.07%: .my (Malaysia)
0.07%: .es (Spain)
0.06%: .ie (Ireland)
0.04%: .tw (Taiwan)
0.04%: .be (Belgium)
0.03%: .th (Thailand)
0.02%: .is (Iceland)
0.02%: .id (Indonesia)
0.02%: .fi (Finland)
0.02%: .hr (Croatia)
0.02%: .gr (Greece)
0.02%: .ru (Russia)
0.01%: .ar (Argentina)
0.01%: .at (Austria)
0.01%: .int (International)
0.01%: .it (Italy)
0.01%: .si (Slovenia)
0.01%: .ph (Philippines)
0.01%: .no (Norway)
0.01%: .na (Namibia)
0.01%: .eg (Egypt)

Archived comment by dave:
Well, I am from Australia and to be honest, couldn't care less about the whole east v west thing. Here we have a big Sydney v Melbourne thing apparently. I say apparently because I am in Adelaide and the state that lies in has an inferiority complex about virtually any other capital in the country.

I really fail to see the point though. Either you enjoy living somewhere or you move in my book.

Archived comment by Bajayo:
Alas, Triton, you weren't, or much aggravation would have been spared in your last presidential elections.
Caesar, I'm from Jerusalem (the original one).

Archived comment by triton:
I'm in Miami, does that count as abroad?

I'm mean, really, we are not part of the USA.
I'm sure we've been granted the status of independent banana republic...

Archived comment by Pan:
Hey!!! Hey now listen, I spent most of my formative teenage years in San Francisco and I hurt myself in many a mosh pit at the Mabuhay Gardens and The Stone on Broadway. And other less memorable clubs. Less memorable because I was too drunk to notice where the band was actually playing. In the punk scene on Haight St. and Polytech (after it was abandoned and before they tore it down to build yuppie apartments) there were lots of girls who participated in the maltov cocktail tournaments, the beating up of catholic school girls, so we could steal their skirts (they look good with combat boots) and the breaking down of doors and walls for 'renovating' our deluxe squat - Polytech. If it had only had hot water.........

Archived comment by Montygirl:
fair_n_hite - I think caesar meant to ask "how many IP readers are not from the US (actually live *as* a broad?)

And as for us Midwestern girls - We'll let the coasters do all the fighting ... we'll be happy to keep their boyfriends company, too! :P

Archived comment by Mike:
Caesar,

I know people from other countries must be sick of it by now. I mean, even you guys realize the west coast is just weak...

Archived comment by fair_n_hite_451:
Well, being Canadian, I'm neither "from the US" or "living abroad". wahoo! I win.

Canadians: The world's "crack-slipper-through'ers"