"TITTER YE NOT"
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Words that could be confusing and embarrassing in the UK and USA.
Fag. A goody but an oldie.
In the UK 'fag' is a cigarette. So in the song 'It's a long way to Tipperary' the line
'As long as you have a Lucifer to light your fag'
is not a fundamentalist Christian's statement that all LGBTs will burn for eternity
in hell, but saying that you will always have a match to light your cigarette...'
Pissed. USA it's quite legal
to be pissed in a car in a traffic jam. In fact, in large cities sometimes you cannot help it.
For the UK, it means that
you have been over doing it 'down the boozer' (pub) and a kindly policeman will shortly flag you down and arrest you.
Ass. To the USA a member
of the horse family or a stupid person.
The word you guys are looking for in English is 'arse'.
Football. A classic example of our culture gap. The UK
football is what you call soccer.
USA football is what we call pointless. You probably think the same way about cricket...
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51st STATE MOVIE TRAILER
FOOTBALL NOT SOCCER
ENGLAND 51st State of America?
NEW YORK SITES
LONDON SITES
The "51st state, in post-1959 American political discourse, is a
phrase that refers to areas or locales that are – seriously –
considered candidates for U.S. statehood, joining the 50 states
that presently comprise the United States of America. The phrase
has been applied to external territories as well as parts of existing
states which would be admitted as separate states in their own
right.
The phrase "51st state" can be used in a positive sense, meaning
that a region or territory is so aligned, supportive, and conducive
with the United States, that it is like a U.S. state. It can also be
used in a pejorative sense, meaning an area or region is
perceived to be under excessive American cultural or military
influence or control. In various countries around the world, people
who believe their local or national culture has become too Americanised sometimes use the term
"51st state" in reference to their own countries.
Under Article IV, Section Three of the United States Constitution, which outlines the relationship
among the states, Congress has the power to admit new states to the union. The states are
required to give "full faith and credit" to the acts of each other's legislatures and courts, which is
generally held to include the recognition of legal contracts, marriages, and criminal judgments. The
states are guaranteed military and civil defense by the federal government, which is also obliged
by Article IV, Section Four, to "guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of
government".
Congress is a highly politicized body, and discussions about the admission of new states, which
typically take years before approval, are invariably informed by the political concerns of Congress
at the time the proposal is presented. These concerns include or included maintaining a balance
between free and slave states, and which faction in Congress (Democrats or Republicans,
conservatives or liberals, rural or urban blocks) would benefit, and which lose, if the proposed state
were admitted.
A flight from New York City to London covers over 3500 miles, but the two nations own a shared history and financial connection.
England is a little smaller than the combined states of Alabama and Georgia, but enjoys a massive population over 53 million that
would instantly make England the most populous of the United States.
England currently a member of the European Union, but has no plans to adopt the Euro, staunchly maintaining the Pound Sterling as its currency.
As the English monarchy becomes little more than a tourism-driven cliché, the identity of England begins to fade. The strong financial position and large population of England are quite attractive, making it a prime choice for a United States looking to extend its foothold onto another continent at the end of the 21st Century.
England has sometimes been called the 51st state due to the "special relationship" between the two countries, particularly since
the close cooperation between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill during World War II, and more recently continued during the premierships of Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, David Cameron and Teresa May.
In a December the 29th 2011, a column in The Times, David Aaronovitch said in jest that England should consider joining the United States, as the English population cannot accept union with Europe and the England would inevitably decline on its own. He also made an alternative case that England, Scotland, Wales should be three separate states, with Northern Ireland joining the Republic of Ireland and becoming an all-Ireland state.
Is England really "poorer than much-maligned Kansas and Alabama"? Er, not
quite.
England just loves confirming the worst about itself. Our tabloids thrive on
stories that portray the country as a teeming mass of greedy migrants and
workshy idlers, run by a parliament of elites in alliance with a small uber-class
of the 1%. The truth is rather more complex than that, of course, but no
newspaper will go broke telling the English that their country’s gone to the dogs.
Take Fraser Nelson’s bleak diagnosis in The Spectator of how England
compares to the poorest states in the U.S., which has been picked up widely by
media on both sides of the pond. If England were somehow to become the 51st
state of America, Fraser suggests, it would rank near the bottom:
“If you take our
economic output, adjust for living costs and slot it into the US league table then
England emerges as the second-poorest state in the union. We’re poorer than
much-maligned Kansas and Alabama and well below Missouri. Only Mississippi
has lower economic output per head than the UK; strip out the South East and
England would rank bottom.”
This may shock Americans who stick to an outmoded idea of the United
Kingdom as a scepter-ed isle of pageantry and gentility (though any Yank who
has ever visited an urban center outside of London on a Friday night will know
that it isn’t all tea and hunting parties). But are our poorest areas really
comparable to the worst of Mississippi or Alabama?
The statistics tell only part of the story, and it seems Nelson has rather skewed
them to favor his conclusion. In pure GDP per capita, the England ranks 21st
in the world. That’s behind the U.S., at 6th, but ahead of countries such as Italy,
Israel and Japan. When compared to U.S. states, it puts Britain in the lower half
of the table, nestled between Tennessee and Missouri.
It’s only when you adjust the UK GDP per capita for living costs—that is, when
you factor in that a dollar goes further in the U.S. than its equivalent in sterling does in England—that the English sink to the bottom
of the state-by-state listings.
But here’s the thing:
Nelson doesn’t appear to have attempted to factor in living costs within the U.S. The idea that a dollar spent in
New York goes equally as far as a dollar spent in Alabama is laughable, but the comparison he uses proceeds from that assumption.
In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics finds sizable regional differences in the Consumer Price Index, with the South some 21 points below the Northeast. There’s no easy way to work that differential into Nelson’s back-of-an-envelope study, especially as the
BLS doesn’t break down CPI by state. But isn’t it a little inaccurate to factor in the living costs of the UK and not the states used as a comparison?
Rhys Ifans 51st State Formula 51
It is also a little simplistic to equate poverty with GDP, which
measures business and government spending as well as individual
consumer behavior. Poverty is better reflected by rates of
joblessness, education level and life expectancy. Englands
unemployment rate is 6.6%, roughly comparable to New York (36th
among the states). The UK has a 91% high school equivalent
graduation rate, which would put it in the top 5 among states. And
Englands life expectancy at birth is over 80; that would rank it
among the top 10 states.
None of this is to say that England—an island of roughly the same
square mileage as Michigan, but with a population almost twice
the size of California—doesn’t have huge structural economic
problems, or its own areas of persistent blight. But it shouldn’t take
an oversimplified comparison to Mississippi to make residents see
them. Nelson does, however, get one thing absolutely right. If there’s one thing the English enjoy more than despairing at their own squalid state of affairs, it’s smugly noting that at least the Americans have it worse.
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The 51st State (also known as Formula 51 ) is a 2001 Canadian-British action comedy film. The film stars Samuel L. Jackson,
Robert Carlyle, Emily Mortimer, Ricky Tomlinson, Sean Pertwee, Rhys Ifans, and Meat Loaf. The film follows the story of an American master chemist (Jackson) who heads to the United Kingdom to sell his formula for a powerful new drug. All does not go as planned and Jackson soon becomes entangled in a web of deceit. The 51st State premiered in the United Kingdom on the 7th of December 2001. It was released worldwide under the name Formula 51 in October 2002, where it grossed $14.4 million, just over half of the budget.
In 1971, a policeman catches Elmo McElroy, a recent college graduate with a degree in pharmacology, smoking marijuana. Because of his arrest and conviction, he is unable to find work as a pharmacologist. In the present day, a drug lord called "the
Lizard" calls a meeting of his organization, hoping to sell a brand new substance invented by Elmo. The meeting goes badly when
Elmo, in a bid to escape from the Lizard's control, blows up the building, killing everyone but the Lizard. Vengeful, the Lizard
contacts Dakota, a contract killer, who previously killed the only witness in a case against the Lizard. Dakota initially refuses the hit, but accepts when the Lizard offers to clear her gambling debts and give her a $250,000 bonus.
Elmo leaves for Liverpool, England, where he meets Felix DeSouza, a local "fixer" who has been sent by Leopold Durant, head of
a local criminal organization, in exchange for two football tickets to a sold-out game. At the meeting, Elmo pitches POS 51, a synthetic drug that can be produced with minimal facilities and is 51 times as potent as other drugs. A second opinion from Pudsey, Durant's chemist, confirms Elmo's claims, and Durant gives him over a million dollars in bonds. Since it is $18 million short of the agreed payment, Elmo threatens to leave.
In a room across the street, Dakota is about to take a shot at Elmo's head when the Lizard calls cancelling the hit; not wanting to kill Elmo until he has the formula. Instead of killing Elmo, she is to kill anyone who meets with him. She switches rifles to an automatic weapon and kills everyone but Elmo and Felix, who is shot in the buttocks. As Elmo and Felix leave the hotel, a gang of skinheads
who seek the drug attack them. Elmo protects them with a golf club. Detective Virgil Kane arrives on the scene and gives a chase. He is soon lured into a game of chicken by Elmo, who escapes. Kane returns to the crime scene and demands 50% of Durant's deal with McElroy. A miscommunication leads to Durant's death.
FORMULA 51 THE 51ST STATE
SAMUEL L JACKSON ROBERT CARLYLE
Felix contacts a gun dealing club owner and drug distributor named Iki, promising him the formula for £20 million. As Elmo and Felix acquire the ingredients necessary for the drug's manufacture, all of which are over-the-counter products, the now-armed skinheads capture them. Elmo is un-flustered, as the skinheads claim they
have a lab, though it turns out to be a broken-into animal testing facility. Elmo makes two batches of the drug; one blue and one red. He claims that the red pill is the stronger version, and after he takes
one, the skinheads try it. While they are partying, waiting for the
effect of the drug, in the next room Elmo spits out his red pill. He tells Felix it is a powerful laxative; Elmo and Felix leave after throwing rolls of toilet paper to the incapacitated skinheads.
At Iki's rave club, Elmo initiates his deal and delivers the drug to
the waiting crowd. Kane and the police interrupt the deal and arrest
Felix. When Dakota appears, she reveals that her real name is Dawn and that she and Felix were romantically involved. She captures
leaves with him via the roof. Elmo gets the upper hand, suspending her over the edge of the roof. Having no choice, she strikes a deal with him and they escape from Kane. Meanwhile, Kane blackmails Felix during a police interrogation and forces himself into the deal with Iki, which Felix sets up for him.
Felix, Elmo, and Dawn meet Iki in a private viewing box at the
football game. This time, the deal is interrupted by the Lizard, who shoots Iki and demands the formula to POS 51. The Lizard celebrates with a drink, as Elmo reveals that the drug is a placebo
and POS stands for Power of Suggestion. Kane interrupts them as Elmo's cocktail, an explosive ingested by the Lizard, takes
effect. Kane is knocked unconscious and arrested, and the others escape. Dawn and Felix give their relationship another chance, and Elmo purchases a castle once owned by the man who owned his ancestors.
Screenwriter Stel Pavlou came up with the idea for The 51st State in 1994 while studying at university in Liverpool, loosely basing some of the characters on his friends. Pavlou described the idea of the film being based on Liverpool's history in the slave trade and transferring it to modern day in the form of the drug trade. Pavlou and his business partner Mark Aldridge showcased their idea at the Cannes Film Festival in France which lead to film development company Focus Films offering funding for development. Soon
the film caught the eye of Samuel L. Jackson, who eventually came on board as both a producer and star of the film.
Originally Pavlou budgeted at around £1 million and intended to direct it himself. Due to difficulty getting funding Pavlou stepped aside and took a co-producer credit while the matter was being resolved. After five years The 51st State was finally budgeted at $28 million, with financing coming from Canada and the UK via Alliance Atlantis and The Film Consortium.
Actor and film producer Samuel L. Jackson recommended Hong Kong director Ronny Yu to direct the film with belief that the film's overall style was suited to that of Yu's previous credits, such as his 1998 film Bride of Chucky. With the roles of Elmo McElroy (Samuel L. Jackson) and Felix DeSouza (Robert Carlyle) both secured, producer Andras Hamori suggested Meat Loaf to play the antagonist. This was approved by director Yu, who called the idea a "truly inspired piece of casting".
Almost all of the film was shot on location in Liverpool apart from the opening scene which was shot in Los Angeles, a driving
scene which was filmed outside of Liverpool in the city of Manchester, and another scene which was filmed at Cholmondeley Castle
in Cheshire. Major locations used in Liverpool included the River Mersey and docks, Pier Head, the India Building, Water Street as well as Liverpool Football Club's stadium Anfield. Other famous Liverpool landmarks can be seen throughout the film in the background such as St George's Hall and the Liver Building.
Production designer Alan Macdonald used the film's production base in Boundary Street to build various sets for interior scenes, as well as a vast disused warehouse space in Blackstock Street.
The film received a rating of 25% based on 102 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as a score of 23 out of 100 at Meta-critic
representing "generally unfavorable reviews".
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper called the film "a farce", giving the film one out of four stars, and particularly negative comments on the film's content and script. Generally positive reviews were given by both BBC and Empire reviewers, with Alan Morrison of the latter calling it "full-on fun" and that the film "goes beyond the boundaries" of British films. IGN.com also gave the film a generally positive review, concluding that "you get exactly what you pay for" and that the film was overall very "enjoyable".
The film had its world premiere on the 7th of December 2001, in London's West End Curzon Cinema. In total, the film earned over $14.4 million at the worldwide box office, $5.2 million of that in the U.S. and $9.2 million elsewhere.
NEW MODEL ARMY 51ST STATE
NEW MODEL ARMY 51st STATE
RECORD SLEEVE.
51st State New Model Army
Look out of your windows, watch the skies
Read all the instructions with bright blue eyes
We're W.A.S.Ps, proud American sons
We know how to clean our teeth and how to strip down a gun
We're the 51st state of America
Our star-spangled Union Jack flutters so proud
Over the dancing heads of the merry patriotic crowd
Tip your hat to the Yankee conqueror
We've got no reds under the bed with guns under our pillows
We're the 51st state of America
Here in the land of opportunity, watch us revel in our liberty
You can say what you like but it doesn't change anything
Because the corridors of power are an ocean away
We're the 51st state of America
The single "51st State," a critique of Britain's relationship with the United States, was a hit in Europe. To the impassioned cult of
fans, New Model Army were one of the best post-punk outfits Great Britain ever produced. Combining the gut-level force of punk with the anthemic political fervor of U2 and the Alarm, as well as the urban protest folk of Billy Bragg, NMA sounded like few other bands mining similar post-punk territory. Their attack was hard, spare, and precise, but as time wore on, they were just as likely to deliver modern-day folk-rock replete with acoustic guitar, violin, and harmonica.
Throughout their career, they have remained staunch advocates of the British working class, occasionally tempering their leftist,
anti Thatcher political fury with moments of personal introspection. Their shout-along anthems often borrowed the football-chant feel of Oi!, but NMA were far less given to rabble-rousing, instead aiming for intelligent dissidence. True, that could sometimes translate into preachy sloganeering, but NMA's best work earned them tremendous acclaim in the U.K., where their singles regularly placed in the lower reaches of the pop charts. U.K.-specific lyrical references, coupled with visa problems that sometimes made touring difficult, unfortunately ensured that they were all but ignored in the U.S. Still, they maintained a strong following in Europe, and leader Justin Sullivan managed to keep them going for more than two decades.
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THE THE HEARTLAND
In this song Matt Johnson of The The attacks the Right Wing Maggie Thatcher Conservative government of the 1980s, saying they were polarizing Britain to the point of violence by increasing the divisions between the classes. He also expresses his frustration at the UK's subservience to the US, saying Great Britain is the 51st state of the USA.
Matt Johnson said later of this song on the The The website:
"I suppose in a way that song was ahead of its time because the Americanization of Britain seems to have accelerated rapidly since then. You see and read about it commented on more and more, just about how much our little island is really losing or has lost."
Well it ain't written in the papers, but it's written on the walls
The way this country is divided to fall
So the cranes are moving on the skyline
Trying to knock down this town
But the stains on the heartland, can never be removed
From this country that's sick, sad, and confused
Here comes another winter of long shadows and high hopes
Here comes another winter waitin' for utopia
Waitin' for hell to freeze over
The ammunition's being passed and the lords been praised
But the wars on the televisions will never be explained
All the bankers gettin' sweaty beneath their white collars
As the pound in our pocket turns into a dollar
This is the 51st state of the U.S.A. This is the 51st state of the U.S.A. This is the 51st state of the U.S.A.
This is the 51st state of the U.S.A. This is the 51st state of the U.S.A. This is the 51st state of the U.S.A.
