Post: #76

Peter Hitchens is my favourite writer.

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Post: #77

(05-19-2014 06:30 PM)cardguy Wrote:  Peter Hitchens is my favourite writer.

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I like it when they roll him out on political talk show as a kind of "pantomime villain".

I'd love to see him debate against the 3 leaders of the main parties or even better Tony Blair. I'd like to see how they would respond to his questions

Post: #78

He is the pantomime villain on 'Question Time' - yet he always gets the biggest laughs and the most applause.

And then everybody goes back to voting for the three main parties.

Odd.

I don't give a fuck anymore. But when I do - Peter Hitchens is the only one who talks common sense.

His blog is amazing - he really gets into deep and interesting subjects about literature, communism, politics, travel, diplomacy, geopolitics, war, history and religion.

He had a proper old fashioned education as well. It is amazing the amount of stuff he knows that has been lost forever to the younger generations.

Post: #79

Yeah I read his blog as well its down at the moment which is annoying.

I like his insights on Marxism as he really understands what the aims and objectives are as he was a Trotskyist in the 60s.

Yeah I would of loved a proper education (even though i went to a reasonable comprehensive school) as some of the stuff he writes on his blog goes over my head especially the literature sections

Post: #80

My parents watch a UK show called Doc Martin on American Public Television.

Talking with them the other day they asked me, "So, sometimes when a person's walking away, the other person mutters 'Chaucer.' Why do they call someone an old English poet. English are so silly, etc."

It took me a minute and then I said, "I think they're calling him a 'tosser'."

I explained that it was roughly the same as calling someone an "asshole" over here.

In real life it really is shocking how polite the English were when I visited.

American Mid-West - Low on manners, high on friendliness.

American Northeast - Slightly higher on manners, slightly lower on friendliness.

England (At least the south, where I visited) - So goddamn polite that they seem friendly.

US is still an optimistic place, as has been noted, but by the time generation Y reaches baby-boomer age we'll put on a decent dour show of our own. One more round of globalization...

Post: #81

(05-19-2014 07:46 PM)Baldwin81 Wrote:  Talking with them the other day they asked me, "So, sometimes when a person's walking away, the other person mutters 'Chaucer.' Why do they call someone an old English poet. English are so silly, etc."

Have to laugh at the typical American misconception of the English as being Olde Worlde ponderers of poets when in fact they are more likely to be uneducated chavs...

Post: #82

(05-19-2014 07:55 PM)RawGod Wrote:  Have to laugh at the typical American misconception of the English as being Olde Worlde ponderers of poets when in fact they are more likely to be uneducated chavs...

We may be chavs but at least we are passionate about our clothes style.

Post: #83

Did somebody mention Chavs?

Post: #84

@ Cardguy. True what you said about VOLUME car production....all the major ones are Japanese owned (Honda, Nissan, Toyota) or Tata owned JLR.......sad state of affairs for British industry.

Post: #85

(05-19-2014 08:32 PM)cardguy Wrote:  Did somebody mention Chavs?

Kinda reminds me of these ruffians:

Post: #86

Peep Show is so awesome.

It is like the twisted dark brother of 'The Office'.

Post: #87

What a fine piece of scholarship from the London School of Economics:

Little Britain filled with 'figures of hatred' not figures of fun says study of hit comedy show

Quote:'Little Britain does far more to promote racism, sexism, homophobia, ageism and classism than it does to satirise them - though it does do that from time to time.

....

'This backward step in comedy seems to mirror the cultural shift we have seen from a feminist sensibility to the post-feminist culture of lads' magazines.'

Post: #88

This would make a good RoK article if there was a need to stir up controversy.


Another example of US vs UK 'patriotism' culture - in the USA, people get arrested for damaging the flag, in the UK people campaign to stop you flying the flag.

These are both extreme examples, but I don't believe that anyone would believe it if you swapped the story locations.

"I'd hate myself if I had that kind of attitude, if I were that weak." - Arnold

Post: #89

We see the flag as a piece of material, not a symbol.

If some group of Muslims want to burn our flag then we're not going to be upset. What upsets us is that the government and liberal pussies make it illegal to have them chucked out of the country back to where they came from.

How many muslims would picket the return home of US Marines? How many of them would be alive 10 minutes after the Marines see them?

Post: #90

Any Brits have experience gaming in the U.S. ? A lot of dumb American girls have antiquated beliefs that Brits are quaint old world types with class, sophistication, and romantic inclinations.

I bet you guys would do great in American middle/upper class/hipster hangouts by coming strong with class game like James Bond. There's an awful lot of dumb American girls out there who will fall for this shit, enough to carve out a niche I assume.

At any rate I extend the warm American welcome to come pump and dump dumb American girls.

Post: #91

(05-19-2014 02:46 PM)Basil Ransom Wrote:  I know a guy who worked at a software company in London, and he said everyone would get drunk at lunch and do zero work in the afternoon. How common is this there?

Typical of Fridays, especially in the City. Don't expect to speak to a banker, trader or IT consultant who works in finance on a Friday afternoon. They go to the pub for lunch and that is pretty much the end of the working day. Other days not so much. Long hours, supposedly working, but many are just putting in face time.

By the way, if you ever find yourself competing with a British company for a contract, say, you'd be better off just forgetting about this thread and similar ones. Like I mentioned not only is football a game of two halves, but the country that invented it is also a country of two halves. In business if you misunderstand which half you're dealing with you're going to "get your ass handed to you" in American terminology. In other words don't believe the hype that you are dealing with lazy idiots. They exist, but they are the "other half" and not who you'll be dealing with.

Post: #92

(05-20-2014 06:52 AM)El Chinito loco Wrote:  Any Brits have experience gaming in the U.S. ? A lot of dumb American girls have antiquated beliefs that Brits are quaint old world types with class, sophistication, and romantic inclinations.

I bet you guys would do great in American middle/upper class/hipster hangouts by coming strong with class game like James Bond. There's an awful lot of dumb American girls out there who will fall for this shit, enough to carve out a niche I assume.

At any rate I extend the warm American welcome to come pump and dump dumb American girls.

I'm not British. At least not for the last 100+ years. But I have a pseudo British accent, lived there for some time in the past, and am somewhat "Culturally British". Even Brits ask whether I was sent to school in Britain (I wasn't).

America is indeed good for guys with British accents. One of the reasons that New York is probably my favourite global city. Even there, where you'd think people would be jaded, it gives you a leg up. Obviously it's not like you just say something and girls invite you up to their apartment because they dig your accent, and think you must be smart/sophisticated and so on. It's more that they give you more latitude than they would a similar American, or person from a place with a less appreciated accent. Probably a bit like being a somewhat good looking guy, rather than an average looking one. It gives you a leg up, but obviously doesn't seal the deal by itself.

Post: #93

Britain has a shit load of amazing culture to be keep alive, but of course, as discussed at great lengths before, they seem more interested in 'diversifying' their countries by third worlders. A shame really, but Rome got sacked by goths and other germanic/saxon tribes too and those barbarians went on to form Germany and Britain. I'd still prefer it if the UK didn't turn into a Balkanized mess.

Post: #94

(05-20-2014 09:15 AM)Bad Hussar Wrote:  America is indeed good for guys with British accents. One of the reasons that New York is probably my favourite global city. Even there, where you'd think people would be jaded, it gives you a leg up. Obviously it's not like you just say something and girls invite you up to their apartment because they dig your accent, and think you must be smart/sophisticated and so on. It's more that they give you more latitude than they would a similar American, or person from a place with a less appreciated accent. Probably a bit like being a somewhat good looking guy, rather than an average looking one. It gives you a leg up, but obviously doesn't seal the deal by itself.

I concur with this and I've been hanging out to my accent for dear life. It definitely works with lizards and they have openly said they are turned on by it. I have a London accent though..

Doesn't work in Miami though

Post: #95

Does the opposite to work for Americans in Britian?

Post: #96

I didn't know they'd fallen this far:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/childr...-olds.html

Post: #97

(05-20-2014 10:49 AM)Mentavious Wrote:  Does the opposite to work for Americans in Britian?

Yes from my experience.

Post: #98

(05-20-2014 06:52 AM)El Chinito loco Wrote:  Any Brits have experience gaming in the U.S. ? A lot of dumb American girls have antiquated beliefs that Brits are quaint old world types with class, sophistication, and romantic inclinations.

I bet you guys would do great in American middle/upper class/hipster hangouts by coming strong with class game like James Bond. There's an awful lot of dumb American girls out there who will fall for this shit, enough to carve out a niche I assume.

At any rate I extend the warm American welcome to come pump and dump dumb American girls.

Yes. And it's like fish in a barrel...!

There are indeed two very different sides to the UK. The side Cardguy has so eloquently described, and the (unfortunately) smaller and decreasing side of the country that are educated, smart and entrepreneurial and still create some of the worlds leading ideas and businesses. Whether this is enough to stop its slide into a messy melting pot of cultures and sink into a lowest common denominator society. I'm not so sure.
But I also believe there is a huge middle 'class' (another British phenomenon) that are a silent majority (relative to any other single socioeconomic denominator) who are a spring starting to get wound up enough to push back, it's only a matter of time. Whether that comes too late. Who knows.

I'm lucky, i was born into the right half, not privileged otherwise but i have never ever wished i was born somewhere else. And i've experienced living in many of the great cities of the world.

Post: #99

(05-20-2014 06:52 AM)El Chinito loco Wrote:  Any Brits have experience gaming in the U.S. ? A lot of dumb American girls have antiquated beliefs that Brits are quaint old world types with class, sophistication, and romantic inclinations.

I bet you guys would do great in American middle/upper class/hipster hangouts by coming strong with class game like James Bond. There's an awful lot of dumb American girls out there who will fall for this shit, enough to carve out a niche I assume.

At any rate I extend the warm American welcome to come pump and dump dumb American girls.

I have a British accent and I’m not white, so a lot of people see my skin colour first and don’t notice my accent. It doesn’t click in their minds that I could be born and raised in UK since I don’t appear to be a “real British person” in the eyes of many Americans.

The problem with trying to talk to people in bars with loud music is that they concentrate their energies on trying to figure out what you’re saying rather than your accent. I live in Los Angeles and I think a lot of people in LA are pretty used to British accents. A lot of the Los Angelinos I’ve spoken to know at least one British person, so hearing the British accent is not a big deal to them. I’ve got bangs from women who’ve just moved to LA from places like the mid-west. I’ve always wondered how I would do in place like the mid-west, Texas or Atlanta.

Another issue in LA is that there’s a LOT of people there who are not American, either from Asia or from Latin countries – again, they’re too busy trying to figure out what I’m saying rather than noticing my accent.

It also depends on the woman – I’ve heard a few say they couldn’t care less about the British accent…but on the other hand I’ve got lots of bangs from online dating because of my accent. I remember one time talking on the phone to a white American woman. It was just a normal conversation and nothing sexual. I got her to my place and I was inside her within 30 mins. She told me that she had already decided to bang me when she heard my voice on the phone. Apparently just hearing me speak had made her wet!

(05-20-2014 10:49 AM)Mentavious Wrote:  Does the opposite to work for Americans in Britian?

I don’t think the American accent is a big deal in London. I used to work in central London and I would spot American tourists in the streets daily. Outside of London, definitely.

Post: #100

Observations from an Australian:

- London is seen as a separate city state to Britain. London is the 1st world, the rest of Britain is poor. Salaries of £15k are not unusual in some parts - for adults! London is rich, successful, international, vibrant. Britain is an ageing, impoverished, boring backwater. Housing could be 1/4 cheaper up North, there's no jobs there. This economic and cultural disparity simply doesn't exist in Australia where Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane are more level.

- Retail industry is strong and sophisticated.

- Housing is crippling the national economy. It will end in tears.

- See the book Who Owns Britain to see the truth on land ownership rates among aristocracy. Some of the wealthiest UK men simply own vast tracts of land which they inherited.

- Brits are obsessed with TV

- They are anti-social at work. Try inviting a work colleague to leave their desk for a half hour to sit down for lunch in the canteen.

- Much bigger divide between privately and publically educated.

- Chains dominate town centres.

- Immigration is always in the papers. Country exerts almost zero control over its borders vs Australia.

- So much CCTV

- Some really trashy newspapers.

- Very, very PC compared to Australia.

- So many taxes - council tax, TV licence, inheritance tax, 20% VAT, high tax rates on personal income even with low earnings.

- The rich / poor divide in UK is far, far greater

- Credit where it's due : comedies, music, film and TV, and pubs are world class