Coffee Spewed on to my Monitor over this one.

[badbadboy]

British Embassy in Washington DC apologizes for Tweet Celebrating the Torching of the White House 200 Years ago!

I deal a lot with Americans through my business interests and I know this faux pas by the Brits won't be forgotten for a long time.

I could hardly believe that anyone in the Diplomatic Corps would be so stupid!

http://www.canada.com/life/British+embassy+apologizes+tweet+celebrating+200th+anniversary+White+House+torching/10146883/story.html?__federated=1

The British embassy in Washington, D.C., was forced to apologize Sunday for a tweet playfully commemorating the 200th anniversary of the burning of the White House, when troops from present-day Canada ransacked the presidential palace.

The embassy’s official Twitter account drew the ire of many Americans when it poked fun at the events of Aug. 24, 1814 when British troops briefly occupied the American capital at the height of the War of 1812 between the two countries. President James Madison had already fled his official residence for the safety of Maryland when the Redcoats marched down Pennsylvania Avenue and found the White House empty. They dined, then looted and vandalized the building before piling up furniture and torching the place.

On Sunday, the @UKinUSA account posted a photo of a cake with a miniature White House on top, with a caption that read: “Commemorating the 200th anniversary of burning the White House. Only sparklers this time!”

 

[Ms Erica Phoenix]

British Embassy in Washington DC apologizes for Tweet Celebrating the Torching of the White House 200 Years ago!

I deal a lot with Americans through my business interests and I know this faux pas by the Brits won't be forgotten for a long time.

I could hardly believe that anyone in the Diplomatic Corps would be so stupid!

http://www.canada.com/life/British+embassy+apologizes+tweet+celebrating+200th+anniversary+White+House+torching/10146883/story.html?__federated=1

The British embassy in Washington, D.C., was forced to apologize Sunday for a tweet playfully commemorating the 200th anniversary of the burning of the White House, when troops from present-day Canada ransacked the presidential palace.

The embassy’s official Twitter account drew the ire of many Americans when it poked fun at the events of Aug. 24, 1814 when British troops briefly occupied the American capital at the height of the War of 1812 between the two countries. President James Madison had already fled his official residence for the safety of Maryland when the Redcoats marched down Pennsylvania Avenue and found the White House empty. They dined, then looted and vandalized the building before piling up furniture and torching the place.

On Sunday, the @UKinUSA account posted a photo of a cake with a miniature White House on top, with a caption that read: “Commemorating the 200th anniversary of burning the White House. Only sparklers this time!”

Oh that is hilarious!!! Factually SLIGHTLY incorrect, but hilarious. Prior to August 24, 1814, there WAS no White House. The residence of the president was formerly known as the Presidential Palace. The torching of the building left permanent smoke damage. After the restorations were completed, the stone was whitewashed. Thus, the restored Presidential Palace (which sounded awfully like where a king might live) was known forever after as the White House.

Thus endeth the lesson.

 

[twoblues]

I found it funny. I love that people got 'outraged'. Really? You're outraged over this and not the bajillion other more important things going on in the world?

...and they call the British "stuck up".

 

[Lo-ki]

Awesome..

 

[Ms Erica Phoenix]

I found it funny. I love that people got 'outraged'. Really? You're outraged over this and not the bajillion other more important things going on in the world?

America is allowed to celebrate their victories over whomever they like, as often as they wish, but woe betide anyone who points out that often though they pretend they won the war, they often lose many of the battles!

 

[Lo-ki]

What's a BAJILLION you might ask ????

"One bajillion is defined as the quantity 1042. That's right. Ten-to-the-Forty Two. Time to get started working out your conspiracy theories. But they're all wrong. It's just 1042. That's it. A bajillion bajillion (1084) is way beyond anyone's realm of comprehension. 'Nuff said."


http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/File:Weasels_ripped_my_flesh.jpg

 

[Ms Erica Phoenix]

What's a BAJILLION you might ask ????

"One bajillion is defined as the quantity 1042. That's right. Ten-to-the-Forty Two. Time to get started working out your conspiracy theories. But they're all wrong. It's just 1042. That's it. A bajillion bajillion (1084) is way beyond anyone's realm of comprehension. 'Nuff said."


http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/File:Weasels_ripped_my_flesh.jpg

42 being, of course, the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe & Everything!

 

[johnsmit]

Yes interesting . The USA celebrate the war of 1776 when they gained their independence
But don't like to be reminded they invaded Canada.. and lost
Of course they have been invading Canada ever since and own it

Timmys you terncoat

 

[hornygandalf]

You didn't think I could let this one slide..lol

Important thing to remember. It wasn't just the white house that was burned. US Capitol building, Library of Congress except for the US patent office.
"The War of 1812"

ooooh come back proud Canadians
To before you had TV
No hockey night in Canada!
There was no CBC (oh my god)

Ahhh yes... Arrogant Worms... my son's favourite Canadian musical group (at least, it used to be).
I've used this in class on more than one occasion.

 

[leoghaire]

Ahhh yes... Arrogant Worms... my son's favourite Canadian musical group (at least, it used to be).
I've used this in class on more than one occasion.

absolutely wrong. The song originally comes from the comedy troupe "Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie" who first presented the song over 20 years ago in a play titled, appropriately "The War of 1812" which was recently remounted at the Edmonton Fringe Festival. Wes gets quite pissed off when people don't realize the worms stole the song. I'm not Wes but I do know him

 

[hornygandalf]

absolutely wrong. The song originally comes from the comedy troupe "Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie" who first presented the song over 20 years ago in a play titled, appropriately "The War of 1812" which was recently remounted at the Edmonton Fringe Festival. Wes gets quite pissed off when people don't realize the worms stole the song. I'm not Wes but I do know him

Well, my bad then (though, I'm not a Canadian if that is any mitigation, nor have I been here 20 years). The only times I've heard this is from Arrogant Worms. Hope Wes got an appropriate settlement/compensation from the Arrogant Worms (make their name more appropriate now I know this) for this.

 

[uncleg]

Oh that is hilarious!!! Factually SLIGHTLY incorrect, but hilarious. Prior to August 24, 1814, there WAS no White House. The residence of the president was formerly known as the Presidential Palace. The torching of the building left permanent smoke damage. After the restorations were completed, the stone was whitewashed. Thus, the restored Presidential Palace (which sounded awfully like where a king might live) was known forever after as the White House.

Thus endeth the lesson.