[V8] V8 and gas etc, etc

[Roger Woodbury]

Aroostook County here in Maine is about the size of New Hampshire and
Vermont together.  Not a lot up there except for a few folks, a lot of deer,
more moose and quite a few potatos.

Anyway, the story goes that a rancher from Texas was visiting a big potato
farm up there and was telling the farmer about his spread:  "Waaal, if I git
in my pickup and head east for two days, north for three days, west for two
days, and south for three days, that's about how big my spread is."

"Yup," said the Mainer.  "Had a pickup about that slow once, myself!".


And another thought that occurred to me when Steve mentioned that many
Europeans don't realize how large the US is from a driving standpoint. 

Actually, the Europeans used to have a very clear idea, but for about two or
three decades now, most European schools have ceased to teach history much
at all.  In the old days I am told, they used to play reruns of "How the
West Was Won" as an example of how large the US was.  Reruns of the movie
were shown just before they discussed "The French Effect" on land speed and
fuel mileage, giving as an example, that it would take one Tiger tank
exactly three and one half days and seven gallons of petrol to go from the
Maginot Line to the English Channel when there were seventeen French
divisions lined up in front of it.  (One half day less if there were thirty
seven French divisions lined up.). 

Roger