Just returned from my sojourn to the states. Wonderful friendly people, and everything is so cheap. Gas/petrol, cars, clothes, musical instruments, eating out, houses, and cigarettes.
Mind you the natives are still complaining at the price of gas, a quarter of what we pay. Still a wonderful place, run by eejits admittedly, which is a shame.
The only music I encountered was at Capitol Hill, on the steps of the hallowed building. It was Cherry Blossom week in DC and this was being celebrated by five troupes of MORRIS DANCERS.
After all these years I get to Capitol Hill only to meet Morris Dancers. They were from New York, Washington and Phillie. One of them had a nice bodhran made in Orkney Island, which I was called upon to play on.
I spent some time on the Hill and at the White House but failed to spot CJ, Toby, Josh, Sam, Leo, or even President Bartlett.
How disappointing.
Joking aside, that is who I now acquaint the White House with, which is a bit scary.
"Just returned from my sojourn to the states. Wonderful friendly people, and everything is so cheap."
Are you sure you went to the right country?
As for complaining about gas prices, realize that we have to commute farther on average than people in most other countries, and public transit isn't very good in most places. We can't necessarily just hop on a train for work. I have some co-workers who may have to quit because the cost of commuting is leaving them in the hole.
So doing the same conversions from website data, that would put unleaded at the equivalent of $8.40/gallon (1.395/litre). But at least where I live, unleaded is sitting about $3.35. So still only slightly more than twice as expensive.
I hope you spent a lot of money over here and gave the service people some nice tips. Most of us are broke these days. Not the eejits who run the place. They've rigged the system real nice in their favor. Hmm. Not eejits after all I guess.
Actually, they were Morris Dancers showing us that the pork that they get from the budget is well spent.
Glad you had a good time. Were the Cherry Blossoms out? Or are we past that down there. I'm in New England and the trees are just starting to bud (barely).
I wish you hadn't done those conversions. Knowing exactly what petrol costs here, per gallon, makes me want to cry. Denial is not a river in Africa, and all that.
I can remember when unleaded was about $2 per gallon. *sigh*
People, especially in the States, are converting cars to electric motors and recharging each day from a power outlet in their homes from solar electricity. Something like 1c per kilometre, I hear.
When I last lived in DC - you had to worry about stray bullets
(upper NW ). If you got the sack - no more health insurance,
probably no dental if you had a job. On an ordinary income you
had to live in shared housing. You might be able to afford a loan
on a sub-compact car - but probably not. Rusty old beaters were
cheap - but good luck getting through the DC inspection. Oh,
I forgot about the price of auto insurance
Come to Australia - not perfect - but not much to complain about
either.
Your experience of Morris dancers reminds me of the first time we went to Ireland (in the days before the Internet so we couldn't do so much research - how did we all survive without it??) my wife and I took fiddle / harp / whistles and we didn't find a SINGLE session going on anywhere. But we found a lot of Karaoke - in fact that was the only live music we heard!
PS about the petrol / gas prices thing: you all DO remember that the US gallon is smaller than the ones in the UK, right?
I was gonna say, mhuppert, why in the hell do people want to live in the States. Nothing against the country at all, but for the average joe seems like a very harsh place to live.
Actually, for places for yanks to emigrate to, I would have thought Australia is actually ideal for them - as long as they aren't too sensitive about socialist governments. There's a lot of them here.
Glad you had a good time, bliss. How did you manage to get in? Left wing radical that you are! I went to see the mighty Dick Gaughan last weekend and he announced that he was only allowed in between wars, I guess he must be a lot older than he lets on! he sorta dashed my own hopes of ever getting there. BTW, Dick is playing in Barrys of Grange (near Sligo) this Fri, see you all there.
There was a period in the early 1990s where Australia had net immigration from the USA, the only country to do so I believe.
However, petrol in Australia is also more expensive than USA, and people have to commute just as far or further.
That is the way things are going. Electricity isn't free either.
bliss - I thought you would come back from your diplomatic mission laden with cheap US-made mandolins and guitars ...? Come on, you can tell us, we won't tell the revenue
Petrol is more expensive everywhere than the States, except possibly Saudi Arabia and Brunei.
Solar electricity is very cheap and getting cheaper with continuing improvements in solar panels; and if you produce more than your domestic needs you can actually sell it back to the coal-fired electricity grid suppliers. You could theoretically run at a profit and run your car and all household needs at the same time. The government isn't going to pay you to instal it though, as many think they should be doing.
As long as we rely on big corporations and governments to supply energy we will be paying for it big time. They are into either making profits or employing more civil servants.
I don't know why there isn't more immigration from the States.
Maybe the government should do a campaign there.
Yeah, right.
There is still immigration to Australia from the USA dd, but it has been counterbalanced by , for want of a better word, "globalisation" - so many career paths now end up at head office in USA, and the falling US$ makes Australia look less of a bargain.
Sure. Depends what you want out of life I guess.
At my stage, I can't think of anything worse then ending up in a corporate head office in the States - or anywhere else for that matter. Give me plenty of room, no cities, plenty of ITM and all those other things that make life nice.
It's not all corporate - just lots more opportunities in certain fields - music for one. Not for me either, but I can see why some young folk want to have a go.
Yes, I know it's not all corporate, but I notice you mentioned head office, so I guess that's what you're referring to, and hence my comment.
I didn't come down in the last shower, Bren.
Digh, for Americans with deep roots there, emigrating is
unthinkable, almost immoral. When my Aussie wife suggested
re-locating I couldn't think of a good reason not to. I saw enough
of the downside in Pittsburgh, Chicago and DC. But y'know
the USA is still the land of opportunity if you come out on the
winning side with your risk-taking. The music culture in cities
like Boston is amazing.
Sounds like a great place for a holiday - which I've actually done I hasten to add. Yes, NYC is like a country in itself, seemingly totally self-sufficient materially and psychologically, Boston always sounded very nice to me although I've not yet been there. I guess everywhere is a land of opportunity if you come out winning, mhuppert. What's it like there if you're not "a winner"?
Happy to hear you made it back safely. You're correct in that our fuel prices seem to be less than the rest of the world, sans perhaps the Middle East producer nations. Like many others I remember searching my big Detroit V-8 for coins that fell out of trouser pockets and coming up with sufficient money to buy enough fuel to "cruise" around all evening and buy enough beer to keep the thirst in check whilst doing so. High test was in the $.35 to $.40 range and a six pack of Bud (Central Jersey boy what can I say) was around $1.00 if memory serves correctly.
As Duijera Dubh describes in this quote; "Give me plenty of room, no cities, plenty of ITM and all those other things that make life nice." more and more folks I speak with have forsaken the "commercial ways" as they are of the opinion that the "system" over here has done just that to them.
I suppose we have unwittingly found ourselves at the bottom of the slop slide at the back of the castle once again. Although admittedly the "slop" has improved a tad from the days of rancid meat and plague infested water.
All that said I am of the opinion that sharing the resources of the world a bit more fairly, as it seems that's the attempt, as tainted by greed as it is, is appropriate, sans the greed anyway but that's a topic for another day. If that means that life styles over here need to roll back a bit then so be it.
Too bad you didn't get much of a chance to enjoy the music over here. The DC/Baltimore area is beaming with great musicians.
Duij:
It depends upon how you define "winner", of course.
Looking around me, I perceive a country where, in general, the system is not allowing "non-winners" to simply die off of disease or malnutrition while spending billions trying to build a bomb or letting all the 'Have"s fill off-shore bank accounts at the expense of the "Have-not"s and their children.
I know nothing valid about how things are down your way, but I am not displeased with a country where one of the main domestic issues is giving TOO much away to people, including non-citizens, with little in the way of skills or abilities to offer in return.
If I were out of work and penniless, I could still find a doctor, a shelter, and a meal most places across this rather large and daunting country.
How does that stack up against the rest of the planet?
"I was gonna say, mhuppert, why in the hell do people want to live in the States. Nothing against the country at all, but for the average joe seems like a very harsh place to live."
The US is a BIG country (okay, this sounds hypocritical from an expat) with enormous variety of lifestyles, politics, geography, etc. New York City, Florida, Vermont, Alabama, Seattle, Boulder, or Moab, as just a few examples, are totally different experiences. I don't think you can say, "Living in America is x" when your experience will depend on where in the States you live. Sure, it's government is being run by eejits just now but it is still a nice place to live, depending on where you are. Liberal towns like Boulder, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Berkeley, and so on would appeal to even Dick Gaughan, maybe.
Rook, sounds very similar to Oz. Except maybe - if you are out of work and penniless, you can still find a doctor, shelter and a meal - and the government would pay you for it, even if you have nothing to offer in return - to the annoyance of many, no doubt.
yeah Spear is right about the diversity. Rook, the US might
be a better place to live than China but it is well behind Australia,
New Zealand and Canada especially for an average person like
a teacher, policeman, carpenter, etc. And then there is that
awful 'right to bear arms' business ...
Emigrating to Australia for most Americans would require learning English, a big step. Fortunately I have 0-level Spanish and was able to manage.
I have always been fascinated with the USA, really 50 countries in one, with changing scenery and weather, and it is unfortunate that there is a lot of poverty to be found in the land of opportunity. This applies to all capitalist countries.
It is sad however that such friendly people have replaced the English as the most hated people in the world, all due to governments, and my children are English. Mind you I hate them.
Health care and poor wages seem to be the big problems. What really impressed me was the Big Rat which the unions placed outside buildings who employed non-union labour. I need a load of those.
I didn't buy any instruments, just strings, capos and such, and stole a few packets of plectrums. Levi jeans at $28, and a host of nike gear ranging from $5 to $3. Also buy one pair of shoes and get one free, all for $20.
out of work, sick and penniless in DC means camping out in
the DC General E.R. - maybe sleeping on a nice warm subway
grating after discharge -
Is that what happens to the winners or the losers.
About gas/petrol prices, what's ridiculous around here (Southern California) is that everybody complains and complains, but STILL DRIVE THEIR HUGE SUVs everywhere. Yep the "soccer Mom" needs an SUV the size of a metro bus to drive her 20-pound kid around town.
The other day on local TV a reporter was interviewing people filling up their vehicles. One was filling up an enormous Ford Excursion, complaining that she spends $300 a week for fuel.
If all these eejits would drive small cars a lot would be solved.
(I recently drove from LA to Phoenix AZ on one tank of gas.)
Everything, and I mean everything including the stars and stripes, that is available in the USA for sale is now made in China. Top quality stuff. Wall mart sells nothing but Chinese goods.
Undoubtedly the US sucks in terms of providing social welfare, though how much it sucks depends on what state and county you are in. I don't disagree that "liberal" in the States is a lot more "conservative" than "liberal" in the UK. Those terms get quite slippery, especially in US politics. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries liberalism was associated with the progressive movement, which demanded things like minimum wage, government regulation of industry, civil rights to various degrees. Progressives worked for reforms in everything from insane asylums (as they would be called in those days), prisons, factories, schools, and were instrumental in passing legislation like the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments, which made slavery unconstitutional and clearly enumerated that all citizens had equal protection of the law (okay, history didn't bear this out and the 14th Amendment was interpreted in all sorts of ways to support segregation for the next eighty years but I'd at least contend that the equal protection clause was a step in the right direction).
Conservatism was associated with laissez-fair policies towards industry and maintaining the "old order" regarding the civil rights of African-Americans, the poor, women, children. Many people labeled as conservative were Democrats in the South, who were rather unhappy with the way the Civil War had gone (Lincoln had been a Republican). The economic conservatives thought that government regulation would impair the economy and capitalism did best if left to flourish on its own. Darwin proved to be a great thing for their position (Origin of the Species was first published in 1859) as evolution was "scientific evidence" of the survival of the fittest and therefore a good reason for the government to not support those who weren't fit.
Nowadays liberalism in American politics is equated with socialism, which is lazy dialogue really, as socialism is a much more structured philosophical position. Liberalism is slippery, as I said before, and I think needs to be understood in context. Liberal as compared to what? Socialism is a specific way of structuring a government and society, outlined by the nineteenth century theorists like Engels and Marx. It technically means communal ownership of goods and was really intended to describe communal ownership of things like factories. Obviously any state can have socialist elements, like the NHS and welfare, without being a wholly socialist state.
Even that, I hasten to add, is a rather modern interpretation of that. There has been state funded and state owned social welfare related policies well before Marx and Engels started writing. For example, most of the mental asylums in Ireland in the nineteenth century (with the exception of Swift's Hospital in Dublin, funded by charitable donations and fees from paying lunatics or families) were created and supported by Westminster. Parliament first passed the legislation providing for them in 1817. Additionally Poor Laws in England and Scotland can be traced back to the eighteenth century. My point with this random history is that labeling social welfare policies or nationalized healthcare as "socialist," as modern and generally conservative politicians like doing these days, is a naff argument as such legislation as been around a lot longer than formal socialism.
I'm afraid that I'll never see America or any other country outside Europe.I can't get on a plane,I break out in a cold sweat if I even think about flying.
Glad you had a nice time! ...and yes, we're all screwed here, thanks for noticing, though if you've checked your own country's economies, you'll notice the busted credit bubble is global.
...which, again, makes things like governments actually caring for the citizens that pay for that government's existence even more important.
So if you're lucky enough to live in a place that does do that, rejoice and enjoy! However, my social safety net consists of leading a traveling minstrel show in a donkey cart rolling through the dust bowl 1935-style.
Our economy's going gangbusters, SWFL, despite the busted credit bubble, and nowhere like the number of house losses as you've unfortunately got there. Because it's going gangbusters, the government is increasing interest rates though, which is attracting huge foreign investment (as well as hurting mortgage holders), and this is pushing up the Aussie dollar to near parity with the US dollar, something not seen for something like thirty or forty years.
Plus, of course, most of Asia, is anxious to continue to buy our natural resources for the next two hundred years or more.
That helps.
What's that I remember seeing on a sweat shirt at an ITM session here a while ago - "Sun, surf and socialism". Yes, that was it.
SWFL, you guys will be supplying China with the plastic garbage pretty soon the way things are going. Then we can sell our real estate as well and buy up in the States.
We've got it all sorted, SWFL, don't you worry about that.
But don't worry, with the terms of trade between US and China, I'm sure the government will be able to arrange favourable green card working visas for yanks wanting to work seasonal in China. It's all fine, SWFL, don't worry about a thing.
"leading a traveling minstrel show in a donkey cart rolling through the dust bowl..."
NOW, yer talking, SWFL, can I come along too ? make it a painted gypsy wagon, maybe do some juggling, sell a bit of snake oil and patent elixir on the side....
next time try Chicago. For those who have not been here in the last 10 years, you would not recognize the place. Very cosmopolitan, but still freindly....We even tolerate the eejit 1 and his VP eejit 1, though no one in Chicago has voted republican here since Lincoln was president.
Yo did notice that there is a fire sale here for anything in the country with the cheap dollar. Did you buy any office buildings or major companies while you were here. They are not much more expensive than gas ($3.71 a gallon in Chicago yesterday).
When I was courting Herself in 1973/74 I used to borrow a buck for gas regularly. Gas as 27 cents a gallon.
"once you’re off the hamster wheel, you find you no longer need to overcompensate. You don’t need consumable solutions because your essential problem—your life sucked—is solved."
Well, at least there's a plan! I was wondering how that was going to shake out. I see the Bank of England and all the EU banks doing the same thing the US Fed is, throwing money at the ruling class to cover their credit bubble gambling losses so they can all go speculate in oil and food prices, driving those up instead.
Of course wolfbird! Come on along, you've got the spirit! I can still juggle a bit too, and yes, step right up and get your Dr. Wolfbird's Healing Elixir!
Very funny.
Geez, you guys mean to say that you only receive unemployment benefits for a temporary period - and you lose your health insurance. I've never received benefits thankfully I guess, but here I think they are paid permanently - and you get extra concessional benefits on top of government paid medical expenses.
Good luck living in the States!
Hey, yes, amazing article ! I only just finished reading the comments...makes this site look kinda tame by comparisom )
Is that a true representation of the 'real america' ??
I'll start working on the recipe, SWFL....'a complete cure-all for the human condition', ha,ha
You see, once they export all the jobs out of a country, they have a bind - no one's got any money to be a consumer, so the people selling you the goods start to lose money, and the government has to pay everyone to buy things or they lose their taxes and their jobs too and the bum falls out of the economy.
That's how it works folks.
Or, on the other hand, they can just level your house and shoot you, or force you out of the country so there's enough money for the small number who are left to be really well off, like Zimbabwe.
what a complete bull crap of an article..the guy whines about not having a job, then doesn;t try to find one...doesn't think he's getting paid what he is worth, but does not try to improve his situation...total blame game
guess he would ant to sue Micky D's for serving too hot coffee...
yep unfortunately that IS much of America, and everywhere else as far as I can tell
it's true that we do not have very good health care coverage, and what we have is very expensive..it's true that dubbya has screwed our economy by entering a useless war
but it's guys like this who just sit around and b*i*t*c*h about it instead of trying to improve their situation that irks me
and furthermore, this guy hates his job and everything else...well why in the h*e*l*l does he continue to do what he does...why did he choose his profession in the 1st place? bad decision making skills?
granted that not every day is going to be a party but grow up for chrissake
Well, Bodhran Bliss, if you come to Boston just about any time over the next four weeks or so you'll see morris dancers everywhere -- especially if you go to the Arnold Arboretum for Lilac Sunday on May 11. That prospect may or may not horrify you.
But I'll have you know there are many within the ranks of our local teams (myself included) who, once the dancing's done and the bells are off, enjoy a good session.
You are funny, Sunnybear. Didn't it ever strike you that the guy was intentionally winding you up ? You sound just like some of the comments posted there. The media thrive on making controversy. That's how they make money. Every week there's someone in the media who is the latest celebrity darling, the next week they getting torn to bits. It all makes entertainment for the masses. His words certainly succeeded in pressing your button.
Personally, I like to work hard, and I work all the time, doing stuff I enjoy doing. It's all stuff I do because I love doing it. But as for buying into the 'American dream' or the 'United Kingdom dream', stuff that !, it's just one big confidence trick, exploitation of the population to serve the interests of a tiny elite which uses every trick it can to deceive and confuse and manipulate the mass of the people.
I agree that the guy's position morally untenable, if he was a member of a smallish group. IMO, the rule should be 'no work, no food'. But that's under circumstances where everyone is known and valued, not some crazy Imperialist project run by war-mongering mega-rich headbangers.
>>People, especially in the States, are converting cars to electric motors and recharging each day from a power outlet in their homes from solar electricity. Something like 1c per kilometre, I hear.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: The Good old US of A
People are doing that, but your cost figures are off by about 1000 percent low. Running a car on straight electricity costs far more than running on gasoline because on one hand the batteries have a limited lifespan, and cost as much as the car to replace, and secondly because the cost of electricity(in terms of fuel used to make it) make it a cost-ineffective project. Using solar energy means that you can drive it about once per year, even in the desert. Unless you have a solar array that covers about 20 acres, at $100,000 per acre or better to set up.
Also, if you have had to wait behind some of those "hybrid" cars to get out of your way, the net cost in wasted gas is shameful.
I used to be a North West Clog Morris Dancer, with the infamous Gorton Morris Men. I didn't realise they had Morris in the US of A.
The diners are great inthe states, friendly and efficient, but the portions are massive. The free salad would probably do me in most places, let alone 32 ounce steaks.
Of course each state has its own government, the federal government just ensures there is less money in the budgets. But all of the peole I met were united on one thing, they hate paying taxes.
that's true wolf, but there are so many people who live their lives like that guy that it is just too pathetic
and these same folks are the ones living beyond their means..have to drive a new car to impress who?..have to live paycheck to paycheck because they overextend themsleves thinking someone will bail them out...
And these are just the teams that have Web sites.
We've even got kids doing it -- and every year in Boston they have their very own gathering: http://www.gingerale.org/
Diners are most certainly one of the best slices of "Americana" around. In my bachelor days, whenever I moved someplace new, one of my first tasks was to find the nearest "greasy spoon" where on Saturday morning I could go for a nice, leisurely (and probably unhealthy) breakfast and read the paper.
Then again, the year I lived in the UK, I always made sure I knew where the nearest fish & chip or kabob shop was!
"all of the peole I met were united on one thing, they hate paying taxes."
Did you give them some friendly advice bliss ? I mean, the answer is obvious. Organize a 'no pay week', where nobody pays any rent or taxes or mortgage or credit card repayments...even if only ten percent of the people did that, the authorities would be on their knees begging, and the people could re-negotiate the social contract on more favourable terms. That's what the rich and powerful do all the time. Right now, the British banks have pulled an astonishing trick. When they make massive profits they keep them, but when they screw up and make massive losses, they force the tax payers to bail them out, because the Government can't afford the risk of collapsing banks...
Do I assume you have a personal interest in property, sts ? I was being deliberately provocative...but I think it's a brilliant idea. Who was it who said "If you owe the bank a thousand, you're in trouble, but if you owe the bank a billion, the bank's in trouble". I simply don't understand why the American people put up with so much crap. And now we hear Hillary threatening to annihilate Iran. I really cannot imagine anything more stupid than that remark. It absolutely guarantees Iranian hostility and wrecks all attempts to work towards some sanity in international relations and any prospect of a moderate Iranian leadership. God help America.
Hillary threatening Iran? Bloody hell what next? Iran's playing a regional power game in which USA is only one player. Guess it plays well at home, though not among the session.org crowd I bet
I suppose Hillary was hoping to swing Pennsylvania voters with that aggressive rhetoric, but if she had wisdom, she'd have given a more measured answer to the question. The hard liners in Tehran will naturally use her words for propaganda to incite Iranian anti-Americanism. I find it staggering that any responsible adult can talk about annihilating another nation, let alone someone wanting to hold the most powerful political position. There can be no peace in the Middle East, Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, without Iranian cooperation.
After living in Arkansas since the 1970's, I don't think Hillary should be President. Yes, I was living here when her husband, Bill Clinton, seemed to be trying to set a record as the longest-serving governor of Arkansas. It was beginning to seem as if Bill Clinton would be governor-for-life when he announced that he was running for President.
Aren't they trying to rename Dingle back to the Gaelic??
BB-, by all means got to Boston and Chicago. I like both cities WAY MORE than Nuevo Yorko. Boston and Chicago still has this personal feel to it. An you do have to go to the correct coast and visit Berkeley and San Francisco, both really unique.
bodhran bliss I don't know how to break this to you.
Leo died. I don't know the details as I have not had a TV in years. I think Martin Sheen went to Ireland to study.
Glad you had a good time. It's odd hearing you say that everythings inexpensive here though, everyday I hear people complaining about the costs of gas and stuff. I guess that the government has made us pay less for ages and now they're bringing the prices up to the true cost. Clothes are EXPENSIVE!!!!! We haven't been able to but new clothes for like 5 years because of the cost. OH well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. It's a beautiful place.
The Good old US of A
The Good old US of A
Just returned from my sojourn to the states. Wonderful friendly people, and everything is so cheap. Gas/petrol, cars, clothes, musical instruments, eating out, houses, and cigarettes.
Mind you the natives are still complaining at the price of gas, a quarter of what we pay. Still a wonderful place, run by eejits admittedly, which is a shame.
The only music I encountered was at Capitol Hill, on the steps of the hallowed building. It was Cherry Blossom week in DC and this was being celebrated by five troupes of MORRIS DANCERS.
After all these years I get to Capitol Hill only to meet Morris Dancers. They were from New York, Washington and Phillie. One of them had a nice bodhran made in Orkney Island, which I was called upon to play on.
I spent some time on the Hill and at the White House but failed to spot CJ, Toby, Josh, Sam, Leo, or even President Bartlett.
How disappointing.
Joking aside, that is who I now acquaint the White House with, which is a bit scary.
# Posted on April 21st 2008 by bodhran bliss
Re: The Good old US of A
"Just returned from my sojourn to the states. Wonderful friendly people, and everything is so cheap."
Are you sure you went to the right country?
As for complaining about gas prices, realize that we have to commute farther on average than people in most other countries, and public transit isn't very good in most places. We can't necessarily just hop on a train for work. I have some co-workers who may have to quit because the cost of commuting is leaving them in the hole.
# Posted on April 21st 2008 by Screetch
Re: The Good old US of A
Glad you had fun bliss...
But just did a quick conversion of Irish prices for diesel fuel. A website showed €1.17/litre, which equals $7.03/gallon.
I payed $4.05/gallon for diesel yesterday. So yes, it's more expensive over there, but hardly "a quarter of what you pay" - more than half, even!
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Reverend
Re: The Good old US of A
Gas, lead free, costs about three dollars. It is twelve here. I live in Norn' Ireland. It also is run by eejits.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by bodhran bliss
Re: The Good old US of A
ahh, yeah... Northern Ireland...
So doing the same conversions from website data, that would put unleaded at the equivalent of $8.40/gallon (1.395/litre). But at least where I live, unleaded is sitting about $3.35. So still only slightly more than twice as expensive.
Unless the website data is wrong, of course...
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Reverend
Re: The Good old US of A
oops, your currency is probably GBP... my bad
$10.39/gallon...
But the dollar is weak right now...
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Reverend
Re: The Good old US of A
Those weren't Morris dancers--that was our Congress....
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Will CPT
Re: The Good old US of A
...could have been the lobbyists...
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by kennedy
Re: The Good old US of A
...probably both....
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Will CPT
Re: The Good old US of A
I hope you spent a lot of money over here and gave the service people some nice tips. Most of us are broke these days. Not the eejits who run the place. They've rigged the system real nice in their favor. Hmm. Not eejits after all I guess.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by sbhikes
Re: The Good old US of A
Actually, they were Morris Dancers showing us that the pork that they get from the budget is well spent.
Glad you had a good time. Were the Cherry Blossoms out? Or are we past that down there. I'm in New England and the trees are just starting to bud (barely).
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by grumblingoldwoman
Re: The Good old US of A
I wish you hadn't done those conversions. Knowing exactly what petrol costs here, per gallon, makes me want to cry. Denial is not a river in Africa, and all that.
I can remember when unleaded was about $2 per gallon. *sigh*
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by TheSilverSpear
Re: The Good old US of A
Ah, you youngsters! I can remember filling my VW bug for $3.00!
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by jtrout
Re: The Good old US of A
I didn't know that clowns were ever that cheap.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Screetch
Re: The Good old US of A
Ah, memories...1974....pumping gas in Nanuet, NY.... high test gas at 39 cents a gallon and people complaining that it was way too high...
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Greg the Piano Tuner
Re: The Good old US of A
People, especially in the States, are converting cars to electric motors and recharging each day from a power outlet in their homes from solar electricity. Something like 1c per kilometre, I hear.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: The Good old US of A
Or just buying a car made to run on electricity: http://www.daviselectriccars.com/
My pal loves her ZAP...
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Char B
Re: The Good old US of A
Well, SilverSpear, it's not like we didn't see it coming!
And if it helps you feel young, I used to pay under a dollar a gallon... jtrout may have me beat in age, though
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Reverend
Re: The Good old US of A
When I last lived in DC - you had to worry about stray bullets
(upper NW ). If you got the sack - no more health insurance,
probably no dental if you had a job. On an ordinary income you
had to live in shared housing. You might be able to afford a loan
on a sub-compact car - but probably not. Rusty old beaters were
cheap - but good luck getting through the DC inspection. Oh,
I forgot about the price of auto insurance
Come to Australia - not perfect - but not much to complain about
either.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by mhuppert
Re: The Good old US of A
Your experience of Morris dancers reminds me of the first time we went to Ireland (in the days before the Internet so we couldn't do so much research - how did we all survive without it??) my wife and I took fiddle / harp / whistles and we didn't find a SINGLE session going on anywhere. But we found a lot of Karaoke - in fact that was the only live music we heard!
PS about the petrol / gas prices thing: you all DO remember that the US gallon is smaller than the ones in the UK, right?
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Mark Harmer
Re: The Good old US of A
I was gonna say, mhuppert, why in the hell do people want to live in the States. Nothing against the country at all, but for the average joe seems like a very harsh place to live.
Actually, for places for yanks to emigrate to, I would have thought Australia is actually ideal for them - as long as they aren't too sensitive about socialist governments. There's a lot of them here.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: The Good old US of A
Glad you had a good time, bliss. How did you manage to get in? Left wing radical that you are! I went to see the mighty Dick Gaughan last weekend and he announced that he was only allowed in between wars, I guess he must be a lot older than he lets on! he sorta dashed my own hopes of ever getting there. BTW, Dick is playing in Barrys of Grange (near Sligo) this Fri, see you all there.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by strayaway
Re: The Good old US of A
There was a period in the early 1990s where Australia had net immigration from the USA, the only country to do so I believe.
However, petrol in Australia is also more expensive than USA, and people have to commute just as far or further.
That is the way things are going. Electricity isn't free either.
bliss - I thought you would come back from your diplomatic mission laden with cheap US-made mandolins and guitars ...? Come on, you can tell us, we won't tell the revenue
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Bren
Re: The Good old US of A
Petrol is more expensive everywhere than the States, except possibly Saudi Arabia and Brunei.
Solar electricity is very cheap and getting cheaper with continuing improvements in solar panels; and if you produce more than your domestic needs you can actually sell it back to the coal-fired electricity grid suppliers. You could theoretically run at a profit and run your car and all household needs at the same time. The government isn't going to pay you to instal it though, as many think they should be doing.
As long as we rely on big corporations and governments to supply energy we will be paying for it big time. They are into either making profits or employing more civil servants.
I don't know why there isn't more immigration from the States.
Maybe the government should do a campaign there.
Yeah, right.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: The Good old US of A
There is still immigration to Australia from the USA dd, but it has been counterbalanced by , for want of a better word, "globalisation" - so many career paths now end up at head office in USA, and the falling US$ makes Australia look less of a bargain.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Bren
Re: The Good old US of A
Sure. Depends what you want out of life I guess.
At my stage, I can't think of anything worse then ending up in a corporate head office in the States - or anywhere else for that matter. Give me plenty of room, no cities, plenty of ITM and all those other things that make life nice.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: The Good old US of A
It's not all corporate - just lots more opportunities in certain fields - music for one. Not for me either, but I can see why some young folk want to have a go.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Bren
Re: The Good old US of A
Yes, I know it's not all corporate, but I notice you mentioned head office, so I guess that's what you're referring to, and hence my comment.
I didn't come down in the last shower, Bren.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: The Good old US of A
Digh, for Americans with deep roots there, emigrating is
unthinkable, almost immoral. When my Aussie wife suggested
re-locating I couldn't think of a good reason not to. I saw enough
of the downside in Pittsburgh, Chicago and DC. But y'know
the USA is still the land of opportunity if you come out on the
winning side with your risk-taking. The music culture in cities
like Boston is amazing.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by mhuppert
Re: The Good old US of A
Sounds like a great place for a holiday - which I've actually done I hasten to add. Yes, NYC is like a country in itself, seemingly totally self-sufficient materially and psychologically, Boston always sounded very nice to me although I've not yet been there. I guess everywhere is a land of opportunity if you come out winning, mhuppert. What's it like there if you're not "a winner"?
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: The Good old US of A
Hey Bliss,
Happy to hear you made it back safely. You're correct in that our fuel prices seem to be less than the rest of the world, sans perhaps the Middle East producer nations. Like many others I remember searching my big Detroit V-8 for coins that fell out of trouser pockets and coming up with sufficient money to buy enough fuel to "cruise" around all evening and buy enough beer to keep the thirst in check whilst doing so. High test was in the $.35 to $.40 range and a six pack of Bud (Central Jersey boy what can I say) was around $1.00 if memory serves correctly.
As Duijera Dubh describes in this quote; "Give me plenty of room, no cities, plenty of ITM and all those other things that make life nice." more and more folks I speak with have forsaken the "commercial ways" as they are of the opinion that the "system" over here has done just that to them.
I suppose we have unwittingly found ourselves at the bottom of the slop slide at the back of the castle once again. Although admittedly the "slop" has improved a tad from the days of rancid meat and plague infested water.
All that said I am of the opinion that sharing the resources of the world a bit more fairly, as it seems that's the attempt, as tainted by greed as it is, is appropriate, sans the greed anyway but that's a topic for another day. If that means that life styles over here need to roll back a bit then so be it.
Too bad you didn't get much of a chance to enjoy the music over here. The DC/Baltimore area is beaming with great musicians.
All the best!
Peace,
Ed
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by ejsant
Re: The Good old US of A
Duij:
It depends upon how you define "winner", of course.
Looking around me, I perceive a country where, in general, the system is not allowing "non-winners" to simply die off of disease or malnutrition while spending billions trying to build a bomb or letting all the 'Have"s fill off-shore bank accounts at the expense of the "Have-not"s and their children.
I know nothing valid about how things are down your way, but I am not displeased with a country where one of the main domestic issues is giving TOO much away to people, including non-citizens, with little in the way of skills or abilities to offer in return.
If I were out of work and penniless, I could still find a doctor, a shelter, and a meal most places across this rather large and daunting country.
How does that stack up against the rest of the planet?
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Rook
Re: The Good old US of A
"I was gonna say, mhuppert, why in the hell do people want to live in the States. Nothing against the country at all, but for the average joe seems like a very harsh place to live."
The US is a BIG country (okay, this sounds hypocritical from an expat) with enormous variety of lifestyles, politics, geography, etc. New York City, Florida, Vermont, Alabama, Seattle, Boulder, or Moab, as just a few examples, are totally different experiences. I don't think you can say, "Living in America is x" when your experience will depend on where in the States you live. Sure, it's government is being run by eejits just now but it is still a nice place to live, depending on where you are. Liberal towns like Boulder, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Berkeley, and so on would appeal to even Dick Gaughan, maybe.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by TheSilverSpear
Re: The Good old US of A
Rook, sounds very similar to Oz. Except maybe - if you are out of work and penniless, you can still find a doctor, shelter and a meal - and the government would pay you for it, even if you have nothing to offer in return - to the annoyance of many, no doubt.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: The Good old US of A
By "liberal" do you mean socialist or conservative, Silver?
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: The Good old US of A
yeah Spear is right about the diversity. Rook, the US might
be a better place to live than China but it is well behind Australia,
New Zealand and Canada especially for an average person like
a teacher, policeman, carpenter, etc. And then there is that
awful 'right to bear arms' business ...
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by mhuppert
Re: The Good old US of A
out of work, sick and penniless in DC means camping out in
the DC General E.R. - maybe sleeping on a nice warm subway
grating after discharge
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by mhuppert
Re: The Good old US of A
Emigrating to Australia for most Americans would require learning English, a big step. Fortunately I have 0-level Spanish and was able to manage.
I have always been fascinated with the USA, really 50 countries in one, with changing scenery and weather, and it is unfortunate that there is a lot of poverty to be found in the land of opportunity. This applies to all capitalist countries.
It is sad however that such friendly people have replaced the English as the most hated people in the world, all due to governments, and my children are English. Mind you I hate them.
Health care and poor wages seem to be the big problems. What really impressed me was the Big Rat which the unions placed outside buildings who employed non-union labour. I need a load of those.
I didn't buy any instruments, just strings, capos and such, and stole a few packets of plectrums. Levi jeans at $28, and a host of nike gear ranging from $5 to $3. Also buy one pair of shoes and get one free, all for $20.
The dearest thing was the beloved Mets cap.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by bodhran bliss
Re: The Good old US of A
Levi jeans at $28, and a host of nike gear ranging from $5 to $3. Also buy one pair of shoes and get one free, all for $20. -
Sounds like Chinese prices.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: The Good old US of A
out of work, sick and penniless in DC means camping out in
the DC General E.R. - maybe sleeping on a nice warm subway
grating after discharge -
Is that what happens to the winners or the losers.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: The Good old US of A
About gas/petrol prices, what's ridiculous around here (Southern California) is that everybody complains and complains, but STILL DRIVE THEIR HUGE SUVs everywhere. Yep the "soccer Mom" needs an SUV the size of a metro bus to drive her 20-pound kid around town.
The other day on local TV a reporter was interviewing people filling up their vehicles. One was filling up an enormous Ford Excursion, complaining that she spends $300 a week for fuel.
If all these eejits would drive small cars a lot would be solved.
(I recently drove from LA to Phoenix AZ on one tank of gas.)
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Richard D Cook
Re: The Good old US of A
DD - shoes - buy one, get one free. Isn't that standard?
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Key Maniac Lad
Re: The Good old US of A
Everything, and I mean everything including the stars and stripes, that is available in the USA for sale is now made in China. Top quality stuff. Wall mart sells nothing but Chinese goods.
Remember when we used to sneer at Japanese goods?
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by bodhran bliss
Re: The Good old US of A
Undoubtedly the US sucks in terms of providing social welfare, though how much it sucks depends on what state and county you are in. I don't disagree that "liberal" in the States is a lot more "conservative" than "liberal" in the UK. Those terms get quite slippery, especially in US politics. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries liberalism was associated with the progressive movement, which demanded things like minimum wage, government regulation of industry, civil rights to various degrees. Progressives worked for reforms in everything from insane asylums (as they would be called in those days), prisons, factories, schools, and were instrumental in passing legislation like the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments, which made slavery unconstitutional and clearly enumerated that all citizens had equal protection of the law (okay, history didn't bear this out and the 14th Amendment was interpreted in all sorts of ways to support segregation for the next eighty years but I'd at least contend that the equal protection clause was a step in the right direction).
Conservatism was associated with laissez-fair policies towards industry and maintaining the "old order" regarding the civil rights of African-Americans, the poor, women, children. Many people labeled as conservative were Democrats in the South, who were rather unhappy with the way the Civil War had gone (Lincoln had been a Republican). The economic conservatives thought that government regulation would impair the economy and capitalism did best if left to flourish on its own. Darwin proved to be a great thing for their position (Origin of the Species was first published in 1859) as evolution was "scientific evidence" of the survival of the fittest and therefore a good reason for the government to not support those who weren't fit.
Nowadays liberalism in American politics is equated with socialism, which is lazy dialogue really, as socialism is a much more structured philosophical position. Liberalism is slippery, as I said before, and I think needs to be understood in context. Liberal as compared to what? Socialism is a specific way of structuring a government and society, outlined by the nineteenth century theorists like Engels and Marx. It technically means communal ownership of goods and was really intended to describe communal ownership of things like factories. Obviously any state can have socialist elements, like the NHS and welfare, without being a wholly socialist state.
Even that, I hasten to add, is a rather modern interpretation of that. There has been state funded and state owned social welfare related policies well before Marx and Engels started writing. For example, most of the mental asylums in Ireland in the nineteenth century (with the exception of Swift's Hospital in Dublin, funded by charitable donations and fees from paying lunatics or families) were created and supported by Westminster. Parliament first passed the legislation providing for them in 1817. Additionally Poor Laws in England and Scotland can be traced back to the eighteenth century. My point with this random history is that labeling social welfare policies or nationalized healthcare as "socialist," as modern and generally conservative politicians like doing these days, is a naff argument as such legislation as been around a lot longer than formal socialism.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by TheSilverSpear
Re: The Good old US of A
Sorry, that rambled a bit. I should get back to real work now.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by TheSilverSpear
Re: The Good old US of A
Tell me about it, BB. I can't afford to shop in the top department stores - everything's made in China.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: The Good old US of A
Mmm, Silver, I didn't imagine Lincoln was a Democrat.
Let's hope that survival of the fittest doesn't become survival of the fattest.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: The Good old US of A
I'm afraid that I'll never see America or any other country outside Europe.I can't get on a plane,I break out in a cold sweat if I even think about flying.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by dafydd
Re: The Good old US of A
There's always the QE2 or another cruise ship when you reach " a certain age"..
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Johannes J
Re: The Good old US of A
Glad you had a nice time! ...and yes, we're all screwed here, thanks for noticing, though if you've checked your own country's economies, you'll notice the busted credit bubble is global.
...which, again, makes things like governments actually caring for the citizens that pay for that government's existence even more important.
So if you're lucky enough to live in a place that does do that, rejoice and enjoy! However, my social safety net consists of leading a traveling minstrel show in a donkey cart rolling through the dust bowl 1935-style.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: The Good old US of A
I think that I'm almost at that "certain age" but not,alas,that "certain income".
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by dafydd
Re: The Good old US of A
Our economy's going gangbusters, SWFL, despite the busted credit bubble, and nowhere like the number of house losses as you've unfortunately got there. Because it's going gangbusters, the government is increasing interest rates though, which is attracting huge foreign investment (as well as hurting mortgage holders), and this is pushing up the Aussie dollar to near parity with the US dollar, something not seen for something like thirty or forty years.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: The Good old US of A
Plus, of course, most of Asia, is anxious to continue to buy our natural resources for the next two hundred years or more.
That helps.
What's that I remember seeing on a sweat shirt at an ITM session here a while ago - "Sun, surf and socialism". Yes, that was it.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: The Good old US of A
Sit tight DD. Remember, China can only afford to buy your resources because we buy their plastic garbage at Wal-Mart.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: The Good old US of A
SWFL, you guys will be supplying China with the plastic garbage pretty soon the way things are going. Then we can sell our real estate as well and buy up in the States.
We've got it all sorted, SWFL, don't you worry about that.
But don't worry, with the terms of trade between US and China, I'm sure the government will be able to arrange favourable green card working visas for yanks wanting to work seasonal in China. It's all fine, SWFL, don't worry about a thing.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: The Good old US of A
"leading a traveling minstrel show in a donkey cart rolling through the dust bowl..."
NOW, yer talking, SWFL, can I come along too ? make it a painted gypsy wagon, maybe do some juggling, sell a bit of snake oil and patent elixir on the side....
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by wolfbird
Re: The Good old US of A
Glad you got into the States.
next time try Chicago. For those who have not been here in the last 10 years, you would not recognize the place. Very cosmopolitan, but still freindly....We even tolerate the eejit 1 and his VP eejit 1, though no one in Chicago has voted republican here since Lincoln was president.
Yo did notice that there is a fire sale here for anything in the country with the cheap dollar. Did you buy any office buildings or major companies while you were here. They are not much more expensive than gas ($3.71 a gallon in Chicago yesterday).
When I was courting Herself in 1973/74 I used to borrow a buck for gas regularly. Gas as 27 cents a gallon.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by zippydw
Re: The Good old US of A
sorry the VP is eejit 2. This poor old Republic could not survive another eejit 1!
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by zippydw
Re: The Good old US of A
Gee, only another ten years in Iraq and the US dollar will be a real bargain. The whole world will be able to afford US office buildings then.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: The Good old US of A
"once you’re off the hamster wheel, you find you no longer need to overcompensate. You don’t need consumable solutions because your essential problem—your life sucked—is solved."
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/display.php?id=34682
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by wolfbird
Re: The Good old US of A
Well, at least there's a plan! I was wondering how that was going to shake out. I see the Bank of England and all the EU banks doing the same thing the US Fed is, throwing money at the ruling class to cover their credit bubble gambling losses so they can all go speculate in oil and food prices, driving those up instead.
Of course wolfbird! Come on along, you've got the spirit! I can still juggle a bit too, and yes, step right up and get your Dr. Wolfbird's Healing Elixir!
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: The Good old US of A
Great article, wolfbird!
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by TheSilverSpear
Re: The Good old US of A
Very funny.
Geez, you guys mean to say that you only receive unemployment benefits for a temporary period - and you lose your health insurance. I've never received benefits thankfully I guess, but here I think they are paid permanently - and you get extra concessional benefits on top of government paid medical expenses.
Good luck living in the States!
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: The Good old US of A
Hey, yes, amazing article ! I only just finished reading the comments...makes this site look kinda tame by comparisom
)
Is that a true representation of the 'real america' ??
I'll start working on the recipe, SWFL....'a complete cure-all for the human condition', ha,ha
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by wolfbird
Re: The Good old US of A
You see, once they export all the jobs out of a country, they have a bind - no one's got any money to be a consumer, so the people selling you the goods start to lose money, and the government has to pay everyone to buy things or they lose their taxes and their jobs too and the bum falls out of the economy.
That's how it works folks.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: The Good old US of A
Or, on the other hand, they can just level your house and shoot you, or force you out of the country so there's enough money for the small number who are left to be really well off, like Zimbabwe.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: The Good old US of A
'a complete cure-all for the human condition'
Yeah, 'uisce beatha'.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: The Good old US of A
what a complete bull crap of an article..the guy whines about not having a job, then doesn;t try to find one...doesn't think he's getting paid what he is worth, but does not try to improve his situation...total blame game
guess he would ant to sue Micky D's for serving too hot coffee...
yep unfortunately that IS much of America, and everywhere else as far as I can tell
it's true that we do not have very good health care coverage, and what we have is very expensive..it's true that dubbya has screwed our economy by entering a useless war
but it's guys like this who just sit around and b*i*t*c*h about it instead of trying to improve their situation that irks me
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Sunnybear
Re: The Good old US of A
and furthermore, this guy hates his job and everything else...well why in the h*e*l*l does he continue to do what he does...why did he choose his profession in the 1st place? bad decision making skills?
granted that not every day is going to be a party but grow up for chrissake
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Sunnybear
Re: The Good old US of A
Well, Bodhran Bliss, if you come to Boston just about any time over the next four weeks or so you'll see morris dancers everywhere -- especially if you go to the Arnold Arboretum for Lilac Sunday on May 11. That prospect may or may not horrify you.
But I'll have you know there are many within the ranks of our local teams (myself included) who, once the dancing's done and the bells are off, enjoy a good session.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by sts
Re: The Good old US of A
btw bodhran bliss, glad you had a good time...
I do!
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Sunnybear
Re: The Good old US of A
You are funny, Sunnybear. Didn't it ever strike you that the guy was intentionally winding you up ? You sound just like some of the comments posted there. The media thrive on making controversy. That's how they make money. Every week there's someone in the media who is the latest celebrity darling, the next week they getting torn to bits. It all makes entertainment for the masses. His words certainly succeeded in pressing your button.
Personally, I like to work hard, and I work all the time, doing stuff I enjoy doing. It's all stuff I do because I love doing it. But as for buying into the 'American dream' or the 'United Kingdom dream', stuff that !, it's just one big confidence trick, exploitation of the population to serve the interests of a tiny elite which uses every trick it can to deceive and confuse and manipulate the mass of the people.
I agree that the guy's position morally untenable, if he was a member of a smallish group. IMO, the rule should be 'no work, no food'. But that's under circumstances where everyone is known and valued, not some crazy Imperialist project run by war-mongering mega-rich headbangers.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by wolfbird
Re: The Good old US of A
>>People, especially in the States, are converting cars to electric motors and recharging each day from a power outlet in their homes from solar electricity. Something like 1c per kilometre, I hear.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: The Good old US of A
Or just buying a car made to run on electricity: http://www.daviselectriccars.com/
My pal loves her ZAP...
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Char B <<
People are doing that, but your cost figures are off by about 1000 percent low. Running a car on straight electricity costs far more than running on gasoline because on one hand the batteries have a limited lifespan, and cost as much as the car to replace, and secondly because the cost of electricity(in terms of fuel used to make it) make it a cost-ineffective project. Using solar energy means that you can drive it about once per year, even in the desert. Unless you have a solar array that covers about 20 acres, at $100,000 per acre or better to set up.
Also, if you have had to wait behind some of those "hybrid" cars to get out of your way, the net cost in wasted gas is shameful.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Ron Foreman
Re: The Good old US of A
I used to be a North West Clog Morris Dancer, with the infamous Gorton Morris Men. I didn't realise they had Morris in the US of A.
The diners are great inthe states, friendly and efficient, but the portions are massive. The free salad would probably do me in most places, let alone 32 ounce steaks.
Of course each state has its own government, the federal government just ensures there is less money in the budgets. But all of the peole I met were united on one thing, they hate paying taxes.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by bodhran bliss
Re: The Good old US of A
that's true wolf, but there are so many people who live their lives like that guy that it is just too pathetic
and these same folks are the ones living beyond their means..have to drive a new car to impress who?..have to live paycheck to paycheck because they overextend themsleves thinking someone will bail them out...
not even funny...just pathetic
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Sunnybear
Re: The Good old US of A
>I didn't realise they had Morris in the US of A.
http://morrisdancing.wikia.com/wiki/Morris_teams_in_United_States
And these are just the teams that have Web sites.
We've even got kids doing it -- and every year in Boston they have their very own gathering:
http://www.gingerale.org/
Diners are most certainly one of the best slices of "Americana" around. In my bachelor days, whenever I moved someplace new, one of my first tasks was to find the nearest "greasy spoon" where on Saturday morning I could go for a nice, leisurely (and probably unhealthy) breakfast and read the paper.
Then again, the year I lived in the UK, I always made sure I knew where the nearest fish & chip or kabob shop was!
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by sts
Re: The Good old US of A
"all of the peole I met were united on one thing, they hate paying taxes."
Did you give them some friendly advice bliss ? I mean, the answer is obvious. Organize a 'no pay week', where nobody pays any rent or taxes or mortgage or credit card repayments...even if only ten percent of the people did that, the authorities would be on their knees begging, and the people could re-negotiate the social contract on more favourable terms. That's what the rich and powerful do all the time. Right now, the British banks have pulled an astonishing trick. When they make massive profits they keep them, but when they screw up and make massive losses, they force the tax payers to bail them out, because the Government can't afford the risk of collapsing banks...
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by wolfbird
Re: The Good old US of A
Kebab shop.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by dafydd
Re: The Good old US of A
>Organize a 'no pay week', where nobody pays any rent
Um, careful there. Not every landlord/lady is part of the Evil Corporate Empire; no need to "punish" them as well.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by sts
Re: The Good old US of A
Do I assume you have a personal interest in property, sts ? I was being deliberately provocative...but I think it's a brilliant idea. Who was it who said "If you owe the bank a thousand, you're in trouble, but if you owe the bank a billion, the bank's in trouble". I simply don't understand why the American people put up with so much crap. And now we hear Hillary threatening to annihilate Iran. I really cannot imagine anything more stupid than that remark. It absolutely guarantees Iranian hostility and wrecks all attempts to work towards some sanity in international relations and any prospect of a moderate Iranian leadership. God help America.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by wolfbird
Re: The Good old US of A
"I didn't come down with the last shower, Bren.." - Duijera Dubh
Dubh! - If I've quoted you right - I thought the last shower in your part of the world was around 1910.
Either Obama or McCain strikes me as a better deal than that glossy woman.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by nicholas
Re: The Good old US of A
I thought he was being ironic, nicholas
Hillary threatening Iran? Bloody hell what next? Iran's playing a regional power game in which USA is only one player. Guess it plays well at home, though not among the session.org crowd I bet
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Bren
Re: The Good old US of A
Of couse I sussed that, Bren! I just like winding people up.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by nicholas
Re: The Good old US of A
I suppose Hillary was hoping to swing Pennsylvania voters with that aggressive rhetoric, but if she had wisdom, she'd have given a more measured answer to the question. The hard liners in Tehran will naturally use her words for propaganda to incite Iranian anti-Americanism. I find it staggering that any responsible adult can talk about annihilating another nation, let alone someone wanting to hold the most powerful political position. There can be no peace in the Middle East, Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, without Iranian cooperation.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by wolfbird
Re: The Good old US of A
WE should leave the US conservative/liberal name calling to Hannity and Limbaugh.
We all know that our president and VP are useless sacks of c**p. But that's got little to with the Music.
Unless they do a premptive strike on the Dingle Penninsula!
# Posted on April 23rd 2008 by zippydw
Re: The Good old US of A
After living in Arkansas since the 1970's, I don't think Hillary should be President. Yes, I was living here when her husband, Bill Clinton, seemed to be trying to set a record as the longest-serving governor of Arkansas. It was beginning to seem as if Bill Clinton would be governor-for-life when he announced that he was running for President.
# Posted on April 23rd 2008 by fauxcelt
Re: The Good old US of A
"Unless they do a pre-mptive strike on the Dingle Penninsula!"
They might do, since it's reported to be partly Sunni and mostly Shiite
# Posted on April 23rd 2008 by Bren
Re: The Good old US of A
Aren't they trying to rename Dingle back to the Gaelic??
BB-, by all means got to Boston and Chicago. I like both cities WAY MORE than Nuevo Yorko. Boston and Chicago still has this personal feel to it. An you do have to go to the correct coast and visit Berkeley and San Francisco, both really unique.
# Posted on April 23rd 2008 by I_Fel
Re: The Good old US of A
bodhran bliss I don't know how to break this to you.
Leo died. I don't know the details as I have not had a TV in years. I think Martin Sheen went to Ireland to study.
# Posted on April 23rd 2008 by TheMuse
Re: The Good old US of A
Martin was an undergrad at UCG (Galway).
Leo dead? What's the world coming to?
And Ralph Nadar would make the best president, but he doesn't seem to be getting much publicity.
# Posted on April 23rd 2008 by bodhran bliss
Good old Leo
I am not sure but I think his heart couldn't go anymore.
# Posted on April 24th 2008 by TheMuse
Re: The Good old US of A
Glad you had a good time. It's odd hearing you say that everythings inexpensive here though, everyday I hear people complaining about the costs of gas and stuff. I guess that the government has made us pay less for ages and now they're bringing the prices up to the true cost. Clothes are EXPENSIVE!!!!! We haven't been able to but new clothes for like 5 years because of the cost. OH well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. It's a beautiful place.
# Posted on April 27th 2008 by Chloë