Webbo Posted 29 August 2013 Posted 29 August 2013 For further reading on how Americans and "Brits" interact and see each other, Sarah Lyall's recent take on her 18 years living in London working for The New York Times may be an interesting piece: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/08/18/opinion/sunday/ta-ta-london-hello-awesome.html (Apologies for the mobile-optimized link) That was a good read.
Zingari Posted 29 August 2013 Posted 29 August 2013 $2.13 an hour! Full time on that is less than Jobseekers allowance There's many that would welcome that shite here
Zingari Posted 29 August 2013 Posted 29 August 2013 why is this thread only for Brits! we're two nations divided by a common language .
RonnieTodger Posted 29 August 2013 Posted 29 August 2013 Things Americans have done that I hate: Ask me for directions without saying excuse me first and not making eye contact because of big stupid sunglasses. "Where's Baker Street?" in a loud nasally voice. "..." "Where's Baker Streeet?" a bit louder. "Huh?" As I vaguely realise they might be talking to me, despite not looking at me. "Where's Baker Street?" "Er... me?... Er... Just down that way." No thanks either Thought that the Beatles and the Spice Girls were from the States, seriously even when asked about the Scouse accents or the Union Jack dress. Didn't believe "learned" with the emphasis on the "ned" was a weird as she had never heard of it, assuming that she had therefore heard all of the words ever said ever so anything else outside of that couldn't therefore be a word. Whilst watching a family guy episode where fat people at fat camps start eating the other fat people, "That really happened. It did. Fvcking fat people!" But these are annoying individuals and I am pretty sure that list would be a lot longer if I thought of all the things British people have done in the last week that I hate. I also have a list of great things that Americans have done that I have personally experienced, most involve sex, so I won't go into too much detail. Some advice to the OP, make your blog more personal, what personal insight and experience do you have on these things, it was a bit of a generic list, and you really shouldn't write like you speak for all of us "Brits". And yet you see no problem with calling them Americans? Or differentiating between Canadians and Americans? I didn't start this thread. Are you trying to start an argument, or are you just an idiot? Geography is one of my stronger subjects.
Webbo Posted 29 August 2013 Posted 29 August 2013 Not knowing where a fanny is! Do you think if I put on an American accent I could use that as an excuse?
sphericalfox Posted 29 August 2013 Posted 29 August 2013 we're two nations divided by a common language . Having lived there, worked there, and studied there, I can concede that I have picked some Americanism in my time, some I've kept, but pretty much I destroyed any semblance of a culture that is so very very inward, and destructive from my being. I don't hate Americans, I have American family, and friends. Not all Americans are stupid or ignorant either. Also I've met some lovely Canadians, and some dreadful Canadians, they are not at all unlike their North American cousins.
rico Posted 29 August 2013 Posted 29 August 2013 Do you think if I put on an American accent I could use that as an excuse? Works for me!
Captain... Posted 29 August 2013 Posted 29 August 2013 I didn't start this thread. Are you trying to start an argument, or are you just an idiot? Geography is one of my stronger subjects. Just pointing out that Canadians are also Americans, they live in America, so do people from Mexico and Argentina. So it is no different to compare Scots with Brits, as it is to compare Canadians with Americans.
Vacamion Posted 29 August 2013 Posted 29 August 2013 Can't believe there has been no mention of religion in this thread. The US seems to be full of God botherers in a way that Northern Europe just isn't. Significant numbers of them really and truly believe that the planet is less than 7,000 years old, that evolution never happened and that Jesus will return in their lifetimes. If you said stuff like that in public in the UK, people would generally edge away from you with this face There is no way that an atheist could ever be elected President of the USA, even though their constitution was drafted with the intention of separating Church and State. I have loved my trips to the USA, but their religiosity weirds me right out.
Rincewind Posted 29 August 2013 Posted 29 August 2013 Well there are a few nutty fundies about but it is a big country. if we were the same size they'd be Derby fans. Problem is they go into politics and get elected which is even more scary. Does amaze me that they were founded by secularists yet the fundies insist that they are speaking for them. But having not been there I have not met enough to hate them all.
Zingari Posted 30 August 2013 Posted 30 August 2013 Can't believe there has been no mention of religion in this thread. The US seems to be full of God botherers in a way that Northern Europe just isn't. Significant numbers of them really and truly believe that the planet is less than 7,000 years old, that evolution never happened and that Jesus will return in their lifetimes. If you said stuff like that in public in the UK, people would generally edge away from you with this face There is no way that an atheist could ever be elected President of the USA, even though their constitution was drafted with the intention of separating Church and State. I have loved my trips to the USA, but their religiosity weirds me right out. How very true , it seems a real paradox and it's often confused me. Maybe the very reason it appears not to be a ruling that one "needs" to be a christian somehow gives it greater sanctity. ( not sure if that's the best word to make my point but i can't think of anything better to explain what i mean)
Webbo Posted 30 August 2013 Posted 30 August 2013 Well there are a few nutty fundies about but it is a big country. if we were the same size they'd be Derby fans. Problem is they go into politics and get elected which is even more scary. Does amaze me that they were founded by secularists yet the fundies insist that they are speaking for them. But having not been there I have not met enough to hate them all. They weren't founded by secularists , they were founded by strict protestants who were escaping persecution in Europe.
Alf Bentley Posted 30 August 2013 Posted 30 August 2013 Their Geographically stupid outside of their own continent, that can be said about a lot of British people as well. Good point that hadn't occurred to me. Easy to overlook the fact that they live in a country that is almost a continent. Nearly all Americans will know where California, New England or Mexico are, just as nearly all Brits will know where France, Ireland or Spain are. Do a lot more Brits than Yanks know exactly where Guatemala, Libya, Afghanistan or Korea are, I wonder?
Kitchandro Posted 30 August 2013 Posted 30 August 2013 Plenty of things annoy me about them but I love the country in general. I agree with a lot on here about tipping, it shouldn't be expected. Although I should say that generally the service in America is worthy of a tip.
Rincewind Posted 30 August 2013 Posted 30 August 2013 They weren't founded by secularists , they were founded by strict protestants who were escaping persecution in Europe. OK I'll give you that. but the document they produced was in a way. According to this many were Freemasons. They did not want the constitution to be based on Christianity. http://www.nobeliefs.com/Tripoli.htm
Webbo Posted 30 August 2013 Posted 30 August 2013 OK I'll give you that. but the document they produced was in a way. According to this many were Freemasons. They did not want the constitution to be based on Christianity. Because the country was founded by people escaping persecution they didn't want to persecute any other religious group, which is a noble aim. http://www.nobeliefs.com/Tripoli.htm Although many secular and atheist groups today support and fight for the wall of separation, this does not mean that they wish to lawfully eliminate religion from society. On the contrary, you will find no secular or atheist group attempting to ban Christianity, or any other religion from American society. Keeping religion separate allows atheists and religionists alike, to practice their belief systems, regardless how ridiculous they may seem, without government intervention. That's simply not true, any kind of prayer is banned in schools and public buildings in many parts of America as a result of court action from activists.
Jordan Posted 30 August 2013 Posted 30 August 2013 Because the country was founded by people escaping persecution they didn't want to persecute any other religious group, which is a noble aim. That's simply not true, any kind of prayer is banned in schools and public buildings in many parts of America as a result of court action from activists. That's false. Prayer is most certainly allowed in school and public buildings.Students can, say, form their own prayer or Bible study groups on premises on their own time. What's not allowed are endorsements of one faith by government employees or organizations. Examples of what could be considered unconstitutional are public school-mandated prayer times and judges displaying the Ten Commandments in their courtrooms.
Captain... Posted 30 August 2013 Posted 30 August 2013 Good point that hadn't occurred to me. Easy to overlook the fact that they live in a country that is almost a continent. Nearly all Americans will know where California, New England or Mexico are, just as nearly all Brits will know where France, Ireland or Spain are. Do a lot more Brits than Yanks know exactly where Guatemala, Libya, Afghanistan or Korea are, I wonder? I even know where Djibouti, Burundi and Bhutan are, but that is me, I'm a bit of a maps geek. I was watching some shit on BBC 3 last night about Geordies with jobs or something and the hair stylist was exposing her lack of knowledge about anything, amongst this stream of stupidity she guessed that the capital of Norway was Switzerland, and the capital of Italy was I. Like normally intelligent United-Statesian, they don't make good value for a reality show or youtube video, so you don't hear so much about them.
Merging Cultures Posted 30 August 2013 Posted 30 August 2013 I've left after six years in Baltimore. The level of paranoia was terrible. But with so many murders each year no wonder.
Zingari Posted 30 August 2013 Posted 30 August 2013 That's false. Prayer is most certainly allowed in school and public buildings. Students can, say, form their own prayer or Bible study groups on premises on their own time. What's not allowed are endorsements of one faith by government employees or organizations. Examples of what could be considered unconstitutional are public school-mandated prayer times and judges displaying the Ten Commandments in their courtrooms. Yes I can see why that is so . It would be virtually impossible to have any sort of trial with the Charlton Heston epic film blasting out in the background and him shouting at the idolaters and parting the red sea with with his big stick while the Egyptians are all screaming like big girls because they're getting a bit wet .
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