What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
#331
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Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
Yes - now you're getting somewhere! One that shows all of them, regardless of whether they were BBC (the vast majority will be, of course) or not but also extend it into the 1990s. That way we can also watch Drop The Dead Donkey, Father Ted and Black Books in one convenient place
#332
Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
Yes - now you're getting somewhere! One that shows all of them, regardless of whether they were BBC (the vast majority will be, of course) or not but also extend it into the 1990s. That way we can also watch Drop The Dead Donkey, Father Ted and Black Books in one convenient place
#333
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Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
#335
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
#336
Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
Kids are taught that America is the greatest country in the world, its drummed into them on a daily basis so what do they have to strive for? They already have the best of everything so they don't need to do anything right ?
I live in one of the youngest states in the union, whenever fault is found here its met with "but we have only been a state for 50 years these things take time" They are totally unaware of the great strides the rest of the world has made in 50 years. To start with re-cycling does not exist here, being green is an alien concept, everything is disposable. The infrastructure in Alaska is dire, we have 1 road North of Anchorage to Fairbanks, in some places its like a 2 track and an a single accident can close it for hours, 1 road South which honestly doesn't go anywhere useful and 1 road East that heads out of state, this road is also akin to a 2 track in more than a few places, in places the Matanuska river is so close to the road a decent thaw/rainfall will cause a washout and what is being done? Nothing! because they have to let nature take its course.
And right now the circus that is the election run up, what a joke, candidates spewing ideas right out of the 16th century (the rape comment) and worst of all the news and media are running the whole thing, the American public really does believe anything the media tells them.
Lastly can i mention .... Honey boo boo ? OMG !
I live in one of the youngest states in the union, whenever fault is found here its met with "but we have only been a state for 50 years these things take time" They are totally unaware of the great strides the rest of the world has made in 50 years. To start with re-cycling does not exist here, being green is an alien concept, everything is disposable. The infrastructure in Alaska is dire, we have 1 road North of Anchorage to Fairbanks, in some places its like a 2 track and an a single accident can close it for hours, 1 road South which honestly doesn't go anywhere useful and 1 road East that heads out of state, this road is also akin to a 2 track in more than a few places, in places the Matanuska river is so close to the road a decent thaw/rainfall will cause a washout and what is being done? Nothing! because they have to let nature take its course.
And right now the circus that is the election run up, what a joke, candidates spewing ideas right out of the 16th century (the rape comment) and worst of all the news and media are running the whole thing, the American public really does believe anything the media tells them.
Lastly can i mention .... Honey boo boo ? OMG !
#337
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Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 157
Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
I sometimes wonder how different the US would be as a place - and collective personality - if something more truthful were taught about the Revolution.
For example, if most knew and accepted that it was actually a very close run thing and was more or less a series of defeats for the colonists until the French turned up, would there still be quite the same love of guns? Would the politics be a tad more nuanced and less binary if the Revolution was seen as a success due to the political astuteness of certain Founding Fathers?
I may be talking out of my bum-bum though.
(Granted the same could be said of the British but that's another thread entirely)
For example, if most knew and accepted that it was actually a very close run thing and was more or less a series of defeats for the colonists until the French turned up, would there still be quite the same love of guns? Would the politics be a tad more nuanced and less binary if the Revolution was seen as a success due to the political astuteness of certain Founding Fathers?
I may be talking out of my bum-bum though.
(Granted the same could be said of the British but that's another thread entirely)
#338
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Joined: Nov 2008
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Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
http://www.ktvz.com/news/NW-Bend-sho...ment-622945484
#339
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Joined: Nov 2008
Location: Seal Rock, Oregon
Posts: 842
Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
Basically, stick a load of chavs in a house and watch what they get up to. Then the "great British public" vote, via phone, for which one to kick out each week until, after 9 weeks, there's a "winner". From what my friend said, the phone votes count for naught, as the whole thing is pretty much planned out from the start.
#340
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
I've been stirring that pot on my local TV channel forum
http://www.ktvz.com/news/NW-Bend-sho...ment-622945484
http://www.ktvz.com/news/NW-Bend-sho...ment-622945484
#341
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Joined: Sep 2010
Location: Maryland (via Belfast, Manchester, Toronto and London)
Posts: 4,802
Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
My oldest daughter goes to uni in Canada. When she came back to the US for a visit after her first semester in Canada, she said "In the US, we're taught that the US is the greatest country on the planet. But there are people in Canada who don't believe that. They truly believe that Canada is the greatest country." This was a real shock for her. She gets to see the US with a different perspective.
This summer she travelled around Europe with her younger sister. It was an eye opener for them. They saw many things there that were done much better than in the US e.g. public transportation, mobile phones with SIMs, chip & pin credit cards, real discounts for students and minors, etc.
#342
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 157
Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
I've been stirring that pot on my local TV channel forum
http://www.ktvz.com/news/NW-Bend-sho...ment-622945484
http://www.ktvz.com/news/NW-Bend-sho...ment-622945484
#343
Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
One of my first jobs over here was as a landscaper at an Equestrian center/farm, myself and some other workers were sitting out eating lunch one day when one of the farm kids decided to have a go at my son who was helping with a painting project. He announced that America makes all the best and fastest cars in the world. When my son laughed and mentioned Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche etc his face went blank, he had no idea what they were. The kid was bought up in a town of maybe 1,000 people, his dad was the fire chief and his mom stayed at home and day after day he showed his total ignorance of the world around him.
My kids have travelled all over firstly through being in a military family and secondly visiting the US on vacation and I love that they still like to call the UK home even if it does have its faults.
My kids have travelled all over firstly through being in a military family and secondly visiting the US on vacation and I love that they still like to call the UK home even if it does have its faults.
#344
Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
So how many of you have got a variation of "What's it like to be living in a free country?". Maybe it's a Californian thing. My standard answer was "It's nice, but I thought I'd try living in America for a while." Usually went over their heads higher and faster than Concorde.
#345
Re: What's your LEAST favorite thing about the US?
Road design.
On my journey to and from work I navigate:
The Highways Agency would never allow any of it!
On my journey to and from work I navigate:
- On the highway - a two lane slip road that becomes a single lane slip road at the same time it merges into the right hand lane, on a bend, with no warning or signs. Suddenly five lanes of traffic becomes three at 60 mph.
- A toll plaza with a 6 lane highway out, cash toll booths on the right and a two lane exit a third of a mile down the road on the left. All the out of state drivers needing the exit frantically charging across four lanes of local traffic who have been motoring through the EZPass lanes at full speed.
- A three lane stretch of highway, where the overhead signage shows which lane you need to be in for which route with downward arrows indicating your lane. But there are five arrows pointing down and three lanes. No help whatsoever.
- A set of traffic lights for a two lane stretch of road, one lane filters right, one lane straight ahead. However, but three sets of traffic lights hanging overhead. Not clear which lane is on red or green (and I have sailed through a red completely oblivously, luckily nothing coming the other way)
- Joining a four lane highway on the left, ie into the fast lane.
The Highways Agency would never allow any of it!