Biggles<font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
I think that most 1st world countries are very wasteful, but you can't go around comparing the resources used by 1st world citizens and 3rd world citizen without taking many many other factors into consideration. There are simply too many other reasons for the differences.
Personally, of the Americans I have actually met only one has been bad, an exchange student. And she was only bad in that she didn't try to fit in, she just sat in her room and emailed her friends back in the US. I have yet to meet one of these so-called "bad" Americans. But I'm sure every other country has similar people.
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[b]Check out the writing skills of this person: [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/[/url][/b]
Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
I agree with biggles that the argument put by the "National Wildlife Federation" isn't helped by comparing resource consumption with Nigeria, but if you look at the site you'll see that Americans also consume more than twice the resources per capita than any western European country - and you don't see Italians living in mud huts (very often [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img] ) - so Randy is probably right. Here in the UK we hardly have the best record on this, but if you look at countries such as Sweden it's clear that it is possible to have an extremely high standard of living whilst (even because of) maintaining an environmentally responsible society.
As for there being "Bad Americans" as Biggles puts it, I never meant to imply anything of the sort. Someone can't be bad simply as a function of their race.
I was simply, and genuinely, upset by Americas' argument that it couldn't accept the Kioto agreement on the grounds that they need to increase resource consumption, given the fact that 5% world pop. are already consuming 25% world resources. I understand that many Americans are equally unhappy with this situation.
[Rant]
If I was to have a gripe at the U.S. specifically, it would be about Hollywood. Many people over the pond are getting increasingly fed-up of so called "Historically Accurate" blockbusters, with actors and directors saying that they are making historical documents "for bad or for worse". What we actually get are American isolationist jingoism, remaking history in Hollywood's image. Saving Private Ryan, Pearl Harbour, U-571, even Schindlers List were all about as close to historical fact as Mars Attacks was to the Apollo 13 mission. In U-571, for example, a true story about a team of British marines on a Royal Navy sub sacrificing their lives to capture an Enigma machine was turned into a team of Americans on an American sub. Incredibly, at the end of the film when they were rescued off Landsend England, it was by an American Plane!!
Does Hollywood think, perhaps, that Americans won't watch a film unless it has American heroes etc. After all, Speilberg refused to direct the Harry Potter film when the author insisted on an English kid playing the lead role (as in the book) - how petty can you get?
[/Rant]
Ignore the rant part if you like!? but it would be interesting to get an American perspective on this.
First off, DsDetective, just because a movie isn't histoically accurate, doesn't mean it is a bad movie *cough* Schindler's List *cough*. Americans (in general) wont watch a movie unless it has an "American" in it. It's the same reason no one will watch a theatrical movie during the first Shadow war. There is no human character anywhere. A small part of the population will go see it (B5 fans), but very few others will. No matter how good the movie is, if the hero isn't recognizable to the public, then it will fail. James Bond seems to defy this rule. This is where John Wayne-customer is always right-Bigger is better-All about me attitude comes in. The producers and directors want to make as much money as possible. So they usually make crap instead of art. True art seldom makes money.
Randy: My hometown of Portland, Oregon is like that. We are the first state to have a bottle bill, one of the first cities to ban styrofoam in fast food, the cleanist river for a city of our size (and bigger!), and a low amount of air polution. Outside of Northwestern Oregon, however, things start to become... not so great. I'm probably over reacting.
Lets not forget Independence Day. When the folks at Area 51 sent word to the middle-east, there as a british dude asking what WE (the americans) were going to do about the aliens. Its always what [b]WE[/b] are going to do about the bad guy. For once, it be nice to have a movie without the Americans saving the day...or atleast have it a JOINT effort! Sheesh!
Now as for movies being historically accurate...watch Men of Honor. The very person its about supervised the entire project to make sure its accurate. (watch the special thing in the extras section of the DVD if you don't believe me.) Pearl Harbor was partially accurate, even though they used modern-day ships in the big battle sequence at the harbor itself.
Before anyone asks, yes I am an American. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
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[b]Wesley[/b]: Worf, tell me what you know about attracting women.
[b]Worf[/b]: *roars loudly*
[b]Wesley[/b]: So you are saying i should roar?
[b]Worf[/b]: No. The women roar..... and hurl heavy objects.
[i]- Star Trek: The Next Generation[/i]
Biggles<font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
At least EarthDome is in Geneva, the logical place. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
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[b]Check out the writing skills of this person: [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/[/url][/b]
Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
Talk about the reasons why one must love this place. I ask for a simple heads up and I get 37 replys. More or less 3 of them containing some of the info I requested, the others, well...
I'm pretty convinced that if these forums could be summed up into one man, all the poor chap would have to do is ask for a glass of water when a green Aardvark with the inexplicable urge to kick himself in the groin would grow out of the guy's rear end and ask for a snow cone. Or something even worse.
We come in peace. -SHOOT TO KILL!
...and the insanity spreads... [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/rolleyes.gif[/img]
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Life is full of surprises. The ones reserved for me usually come wearing brass knuckles.
[This message has been edited by Data Crystal (edited 07-13-2001).]
Biggles<font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
See, that's the problem with page breaks. Now I have to go back to the last page to see what you are saying "ditto" to. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
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[b]Check out the writing skills of this person: [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/[/url][/b]
Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
Biggles<font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
Do not laugh at me! If it wasn't for me the AI would have killed you off! [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
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[b]Check out the writing skills of this person: [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/[/url][/b]
Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
croxis: Now all you have to tell me is should I take that as an insult or a compliment.
What part didn't you understand? All I was trying to say was that most of the people on these boards are all so down-to-earth crazy (me included), that if we'd be summed up in only one person instead of the 2000 / 2500 members we currently have, we'd be a sideshow freak for sure.
Let me guess... you didn't get that one either, right? [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/rolleyes.gif[/img]
Biggles: HAHAHAHAHAHA! (I'm laughing at you, in case you didn't catch that!)
Data Crystal: Take it as a compliment for stumping me, twice [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img] But I'm not saying I'm a master at English either. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/rolleyes.gif[/img]
[quote]Originally posted by Biggles:
[b]See, that's the problem with page breaks. Now I have to go back to the last page to see what you are saying "ditto" to. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]
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[b]Wesley[/b]: Worf, tell me what you know about attracting women.
[b]Worf[/b]: *roars loudly*
[b]Wesley[/b]: So you are saying i should roar?
[b]Worf[/b]: No. The women roar..... and hurl heavy objects.
[i]- Star Trek: The Next Generation[/i]
Biggles<font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
Don't make me moderate your ass! [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]
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[b]Check out the writing skills of this person: [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/[/url][/b]
Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
[quote]Originally posted by Biggles:
[b]Don't make me moderate your ass! [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]
Now you've done it. Now I'll only be able to think of you as some huge dark-skinned fellow with a voice so low some dogs can't hear it, something like Mr. T. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img] But hey, it beats being Galen's girlfriend. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]
[This message has been edited by David of Mac (edited 07-14-2001).]
i've been away for a long time. i had to hang out at spacebattles before i found the link to the forums, and am in a very spacebattles-y mood right now. and to top it all off, my shift buttons don't work right.
''/'' = question mark
''Thats because all the rich people are bad apples...''
is that so... my aunts and uncles on the mainland are rich [yes, all of them], why are they bad apples.
''Ignore the rant part if you like!? but it would be interesting to get an American perspective on this.''
it's just a movie.
''Lets not forget Independence Day. When the folks at Area 51 sent word to the middle-east, there as a british dude asking what WE (the americans) were going to do about the aliens. Its always what WE are going to do about the bad guy. For once, it be nice to have a movie without the Americans saving the day...or atleast have it a JOINT effort! Sheesh!''
it was a joint effort, unless the usaf decided to bring down that city destroyer for the australians, etc. oh, and that guy only asked what ''they plan to do'' after that other guy said we wanted to organize a counter offensive, clearly showing the americans wanted everyone else to know when they were able to attack the aliens and take them down. how is that not a joint effort/
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[url="http://www.thehungersite.com"]I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever." -Psalms 145:1[/url]
[url="http://www.firstones.com"]Greater than the death of flesh is the death of hope... The death of dreams. Against this peril we can never surrender." -G'Kar, Z'ha'Dum[/url]
[url="http://www.members.tripod.com/mtusa"]Untitled 04-29-01[/url] [url="http://www.firstones.com"]Respect my Firstone status.[/url]
[This message has been edited by MT (edited 07-15-2001).]
[quote]Originally posted by David of Mac:
[b] Now you've done it. Now I'll only be able to think of you as some huge dark-skinned fellow with a voice so low some dogs can't hear it, something like Mr. T. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img] But hey, it beats being Galen's girlfriend. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]
[This message has been edited by David of Mac (edited 07-14-2001).][/b][/quote]
Maybe Biggles has a Schwarzenegger syndrome instead. [Austrian accent][i] Don't make me moderate your ass [/i][/Austrian accent]
That's the image I got. Tee hee.
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Life is full of surprises. The ones reserved for me usually come wearing brass knuckles.
Biggles<font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
OK, now I'm just itching to try my new powers... [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]
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[b]Check out the writing skills of this person: [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/[/url][/b]
Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
I have a vested interest in America, (my girlfriend is one... and another 'project' all come from there ).
Underlying all the negative bullshite that seems to spring from America is based as far as I can see.. on the Media, both direct CNN style news... and the info/entertainment stuff as well. The powers that be in the mass media treat Americans like dumb bovines... regardless of what they are in reality... soundbytes, tiny attention span grabbing crap with instant gratification is all they produce, homegenised, pasteurised, de-ionised. decarbonised, deodourised mass consumer shite...
Games seem to be going exactly the same way... FPS are all the freakin same... and all about instant gratification, easy kills... easy answers, easy everything...
I guess if you spoon feed dumbed-down dribble all day every day... you cant expect your target audience to grow much beyond it...
It's ****ing sad... a nation of brain dead couch potatoes...
I'm sorry, but we're not a nation of couch potatoes. I live in a chair, and I'm proud of it! [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img]
Seriously, though, you are making some harsh generalizations about Americans. You are assuming that everyone wants exactly the same thing. That is a bad way of thinking. I also don't see how the latest fad somehow replicates our way of thinking. Before that, it was Real Time Strategy, and before that, it was something different. Things change. I just don't see what you really could have against this country. If anything, I would poke a bit more at the big Megacorporations that are fighting over the portions of our lives.
I think if you re-read his message you'll notice that he isn't making a harsh generalization about Americans, but a harsh generalization about American Media (Which is well deserved).
You have to remember Sanfam, that the rest of the world gets its impressions of the US either by the media machine which is driven in large part by the US portion, or by the American troops that come into countries to interfere on the behalf of the United Nations or it's own interests.
I can imagine all the problems that could be solved in the US, if we focused ourselves internally a little more.
I just feel that this country like all others before will crash from within eventually...
2 cents worth of my native Californian point of view:
It's hard to make generalizations about "Americans" because our population is changing so rapidly due to immigration. I’m not saying that this is a bad thing – just hard to keep track of.
Generally I've noticed a couple of things over the years about us.
We seem to have an anti-intellectual attitude. People who go to college and actually learn something - especially those who go to big universities - are held somewhat suspect by the masses. Most people don’t seem to want to think for themselves and would rather attach themselves to anyone who can talk a good line of BS and who caters to their general beliefs.
At the same time politicians exploit the short-term memories of the masses and their general naïveté in order to BS their way into office. Once in office they become self serving due to the high expense of running for office (and their own personal shortcomings). This puts politicians at risk for being swayed by special interests. We are also at risk because our population isn’t smart about who to put in office, and so we end up with what we deserve – people who are not necessarily the smartest out there, who often times have axes to grind, who are self serving, and who put money and power interests before social interests. I’m not saying they’re all like that. A few socially minded progressive politicians do sneak into the ring on occasion. Barbara Boxer from California comes to mind.
At the same time our culture of materialism has spawned mega multi-national corporations who worship profit and power and have little if any social consciousness. And there's no one to force them to have a social consciousness. The progressives are like a swarm of nats to them, at best.
Meanwhile the voice of the progressives is lost in the wind because a. it takes some knowledge to understand the problems we face, and b. progressives aren't trusted because they are seen as smart-assed college elitists.
In general the way I look at the people of the United States like this: we are under-educated, good hearted, soft-minded people taking for granted a constitution that outlines amazing ideals, while living a soft, wasteful life in a country with amazing potential for good. Much of the potential for good is being wasted while short-sighted, self-serving men control the reigns of the country. Unfortunately you can’t have an effective democracy with an uninformed, uninvolved population. We’re not bad people in general – just dumb and soft and exploitable.
Personally I fear for our country. I see the problems. I see how they can be fixed. But without an informed, involved populace – we may be in for a terrible ride, and because of the power of the United States, the rest of the world too. Somehow, the masses need to wise up before it’s too late.
Biggles<font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
Most of the 1st world countries are becoming like that. Their populations are becoming less and less interested in matters outside their own little worlds. This results in countries where just about anyone with enough money and the right connections can get into office and then serve their own interests quite happily, while the public only pays any attention when the media tells them to and even then not for very long. It's a dangerous world to live in.
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[b]Check out the writing skills of this person: [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/[/url][/b]
Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
What we need (and pardon my language) is something/someone to happen to slap everyone in the face and tells them to pull their heads out of their asses and realize that the universe doesn't revolve around them and that we must be kind to one another. How to pull this off, I don't know. But my future profession in Child Psychology might help. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]
Comments
Personally, of the Americans I have actually met only one has been bad, an exchange student. And she was only bad in that she didn't try to fit in, she just sat in her room and emailed her friends back in the US. I have yet to meet one of these so-called "bad" Americans. But I'm sure every other country has similar people.
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[b]Check out the writing skills of this person: [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/[/url][/b]
Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
As for there being "Bad Americans" as Biggles puts it, I never meant to imply anything of the sort. Someone can't be bad simply as a function of their race.
I was simply, and genuinely, upset by Americas' argument that it couldn't accept the Kioto agreement on the grounds that they need to increase resource consumption, given the fact that 5% world pop. are already consuming 25% world resources. I understand that many Americans are equally unhappy with this situation.
[Rant]
If I was to have a gripe at the U.S. specifically, it would be about Hollywood. Many people over the pond are getting increasingly fed-up of so called "Historically Accurate" blockbusters, with actors and directors saying that they are making historical documents "for bad or for worse". What we actually get are American isolationist jingoism, remaking history in Hollywood's image. Saving Private Ryan, Pearl Harbour, U-571, even Schindlers List were all about as close to historical fact as Mars Attacks was to the Apollo 13 mission. In U-571, for example, a true story about a team of British marines on a Royal Navy sub sacrificing their lives to capture an Enigma machine was turned into a team of Americans on an American sub. Incredibly, at the end of the film when they were rescued off Landsend England, it was by an American Plane!!
Does Hollywood think, perhaps, that Americans won't watch a film unless it has American heroes etc. After all, Speilberg refused to direct the Harry Potter film when the author insisted on an English kid playing the lead role (as in the book) - how petty can you get?
[/Rant]
Ignore the rant part if you like!? but it would be interesting to get an American perspective on this.
Randy: My hometown of Portland, Oregon is like that. We are the first state to have a bottle bill, one of the first cities to ban styrofoam in fast food, the cleanist river for a city of our size (and bigger!), and a low amount of air polution. Outside of Northwestern Oregon, however, things start to become... not so great. I'm probably over reacting.
was from a different country. Silly me.
I agree about Hollywood. I know that I'm in the minority on this one. But my educational background is film - so I'm not exactly in the mainstream.
Now as for movies being historically accurate...watch Men of Honor. The very person its about supervised the entire project to make sure its accurate. (watch the special thing in the extras section of the DVD if you don't believe me.) Pearl Harbor was partially accurate, even though they used modern-day ships in the big battle sequence at the harbor itself.
Before anyone asks, yes I am an American. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
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[b]Wesley[/b]: Worf, tell me what you know about attracting women.
[b]Worf[/b]: *roars loudly*
[b]Wesley[/b]: So you are saying i should roar?
[b]Worf[/b]: No. The women roar..... and hurl heavy objects.
[i]- Star Trek: The Next Generation[/i]
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[b]Check out the writing skills of this person: [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/[/url][/b]
Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
I'm pretty convinced that if these forums could be summed up into one man, all the poor chap would have to do is ask for a glass of water when a green Aardvark with the inexplicable urge to kick himself in the groin would grow out of the guy's rear end and ask for a snow cone. Or something even worse.
We come in peace. -SHOOT TO KILL!
...and the insanity spreads... [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/rolleyes.gif[/img]
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Life is full of surprises. The ones reserved for me usually come wearing brass knuckles.
[This message has been edited by Data Crystal (edited 07-13-2001).]
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[b]Check out the writing skills of this person: [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/[/url][/b]
Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
------------------
[b]Check out the writing skills of this person: [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/[/url][/b]
Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
What part didn't you understand? All I was trying to say was that most of the people on these boards are all so down-to-earth crazy (me included), that if we'd be summed up in only one person instead of the 2000 / 2500 members we currently have, we'd be a sideshow freak for sure.
Let me guess... you didn't get that one either, right? [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/rolleyes.gif[/img]
Ditto. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img]
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Life is full of surprises. The ones reserved for me usually come wearing brass knuckles.
Data Crystal: Take it as a compliment for stumping me, twice [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img] But I'm not saying I'm a master at English either. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/rolleyes.gif[/img]
[b]See, that's the problem with page breaks. Now I have to go back to the last page to see what you are saying "ditto" to. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]
Awwww, poor baby. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/tongue.gif[/img]
*smacks Biggles with a frenchman*
[img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]
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[b]Wesley[/b]: Worf, tell me what you know about attracting women.
[b]Worf[/b]: *roars loudly*
[b]Wesley[/b]: So you are saying i should roar?
[b]Worf[/b]: No. The women roar..... and hurl heavy objects.
[i]- Star Trek: The Next Generation[/i]
------------------
[b]Check out the writing skills of this person: [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/[/url][/b]
Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
[b]Don't make me moderate your ass! [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]
Now you've done it. Now I'll only be able to think of you as some huge dark-skinned fellow with a voice so low some dogs can't hear it, something like Mr. T. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img] But hey, it beats being Galen's girlfriend. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]
[This message has been edited by David of Mac (edited 07-14-2001).]
Biggles, you now have a figure to live up to!
''/'' = question mark
''Thats because all the rich people are bad apples...''
is that so... my aunts and uncles on the mainland are rich [yes, all of them], why are they bad apples.
''Ignore the rant part if you like!? but it would be interesting to get an American perspective on this.''
it's just a movie.
''Lets not forget Independence Day. When the folks at Area 51 sent word to the middle-east, there as a british dude asking what WE (the americans) were going to do about the aliens. Its always what WE are going to do about the bad guy. For once, it be nice to have a movie without the Americans saving the day...or atleast have it a JOINT effort! Sheesh!''
it was a joint effort, unless the usaf decided to bring down that city destroyer for the australians, etc. oh, and that guy only asked what ''they plan to do'' after that other guy said we wanted to organize a counter offensive, clearly showing the americans wanted everyone else to know when they were able to attack the aliens and take them down. how is that not a joint effort/
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[url="http://www.thehungersite.com"]I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever." -Psalms 145:1[/url]
[url="http://www.firstones.com"]Greater than the death of flesh is the death of hope... The death of dreams. Against this peril we can never surrender." -G'Kar, Z'ha'Dum[/url]
[url="http://www.members.tripod.com/mtusa"]Untitled 04-29-01[/url] [url="http://www.firstones.com"]Respect my Firstone status.[/url]
[This message has been edited by MT (edited 07-15-2001).]
[b] Now you've done it. Now I'll only be able to think of you as some huge dark-skinned fellow with a voice so low some dogs can't hear it, something like Mr. T. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img] But hey, it beats being Galen's girlfriend. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]
[This message has been edited by David of Mac (edited 07-14-2001).][/b][/quote]
ROTFLMAO! [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]
Maybe Biggles has a Schwarzenegger syndrome instead. [Austrian accent][i] Don't make me moderate your ass [/i][/Austrian accent]
That's the image I got. Tee hee.
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Life is full of surprises. The ones reserved for me usually come wearing brass knuckles.
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[b]Check out the writing skills of this person: [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/[/url][/b]
Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
Underlying all the negative bullshite that seems to spring from America is based as far as I can see.. on the Media, both direct CNN style news... and the info/entertainment stuff as well. The powers that be in the mass media treat Americans like dumb bovines... regardless of what they are in reality... soundbytes, tiny attention span grabbing crap with instant gratification is all they produce, homegenised, pasteurised, de-ionised. decarbonised, deodourised mass consumer shite...
Games seem to be going exactly the same way... FPS are all the freakin same... and all about instant gratification, easy kills... easy answers, easy everything...
I guess if you spoon feed dumbed-down dribble all day every day... you cant expect your target audience to grow much beyond it...
It's ****ing sad... a nation of brain dead couch potatoes...
sigh... and Aussies are not that far behind...
Seriously, though, you are making some harsh generalizations about Americans. You are assuming that everyone wants exactly the same thing. That is a bad way of thinking. I also don't see how the latest fad somehow replicates our way of thinking. Before that, it was Real Time Strategy, and before that, it was something different. Things change. I just don't see what you really could have against this country. If anything, I would poke a bit more at the big Megacorporations that are fighting over the portions of our lives.
I think if you re-read his message you'll notice that he isn't making a harsh generalization about Americans, but a harsh generalization about American Media (Which is well deserved).
[img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img]
You have to remember Sanfam, that the rest of the world gets its impressions of the US either by the media machine which is driven in large part by the US portion, or by the American troops that come into countries to interfere on the behalf of the United Nations or it's own interests.
I can imagine all the problems that could be solved in the US, if we focused ourselves internally a little more.
I just feel that this country like all others before will crash from within eventually...
:/
It's hard to make generalizations about "Americans" because our population is changing so rapidly due to immigration. I’m not saying that this is a bad thing – just hard to keep track of.
Generally I've noticed a couple of things over the years about us.
We seem to have an anti-intellectual attitude. People who go to college and actually learn something - especially those who go to big universities - are held somewhat suspect by the masses. Most people don’t seem to want to think for themselves and would rather attach themselves to anyone who can talk a good line of BS and who caters to their general beliefs.
At the same time politicians exploit the short-term memories of the masses and their general naïveté in order to BS their way into office. Once in office they become self serving due to the high expense of running for office (and their own personal shortcomings). This puts politicians at risk for being swayed by special interests. We are also at risk because our population isn’t smart about who to put in office, and so we end up with what we deserve – people who are not necessarily the smartest out there, who often times have axes to grind, who are self serving, and who put money and power interests before social interests. I’m not saying they’re all like that. A few socially minded progressive politicians do sneak into the ring on occasion. Barbara Boxer from California comes to mind.
At the same time our culture of materialism has spawned mega multi-national corporations who worship profit and power and have little if any social consciousness. And there's no one to force them to have a social consciousness. The progressives are like a swarm of nats to them, at best.
Meanwhile the voice of the progressives is lost in the wind because a. it takes some knowledge to understand the problems we face, and b. progressives aren't trusted because they are seen as smart-assed college elitists.
In general the way I look at the people of the United States like this: we are under-educated, good hearted, soft-minded people taking for granted a constitution that outlines amazing ideals, while living a soft, wasteful life in a country with amazing potential for good. Much of the potential for good is being wasted while short-sighted, self-serving men control the reigns of the country. Unfortunately you can’t have an effective democracy with an uninformed, uninvolved population. We’re not bad people in general – just dumb and soft and exploitable.
Personally I fear for our country. I see the problems. I see how they can be fixed. But without an informed, involved populace – we may be in for a terrible ride, and because of the power of the United States, the rest of the world too. Somehow, the masses need to wise up before it’s too late.
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[b]Check out the writing skills of this person: [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/[/url][/b]
Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras