[UA] 10 Most American Things

[Robert Rossney]

Ville Halonen wrote:

>I'm kicking off a Twinpeaksey campaign in a few weeks -- a small North-
>state town, take elements from TP and every other small town story out 
>there -- inspired by a rerun, and as a non-American locating his campaign 
>in the States, I'd like to know: what are the most American things that 
>every European should include in his/her (UA) campaign set in the States? 
>
>I know the dangers inherent to the question, as the USA is pretty darn big, 
>but my wish is to collect some stereotypes from which to expand, which to 
>use as color, and which quite probably serve some nasty occult purposes.
>  
>

How about the dollar that George Washington threw across the Potomac?  
That'd be a particularly powerful talisman for a plutomancer or 
cliomancer to get a hold of.  (Particularly since dollar coins didn't 
exist at the time, and where Washington was supposed to have 
accomplished this deed the Potomac is almost a mile wide.)

There's a lot that's UA about old George.  The one thing everyone knows 
about him is his honesty:  that his father asked him if he'd chopped 
down the cherry tree, to which he replied "I cannot tell a lie" and 
admitted he did.  That story is of course an utter fabrication.  Also, 
here's a guy who was really on track to be the True King of America, and 
yet...he walked away from the job.  (A fun thing to run down is to 
figure out why it is that not only is there a town named after 
Washington in just about every state, but that Cincinnati is named after 
Washington.)

Also - and this is something we've forgotten about Washington now that 
we think of him as the guy with wooden teeth posed all statesmanlike on 
the dollar bill - he was a BADASS.  For instance, when he showed up at 
Valley Forge, his colonels were quarreling over who had authority and 
who was in command, and he rode up, jumped off his horse and *beat the 
crap out of both of them*.  Granted, it's not Abe Lincoln accepting a 
duel to the death and then stipulating that it be fought wih cavalry 
broadswords in a pit (true fact!  not made up!) but it's still pretty 
impressive.

Bob Rossney
rbr at well.com