The_Rev Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Agreed. The amount of people over here who laugh at Americans for not having passports seems to be based on the assumption that the USA is the same size as the UK rather than twice the size of western Europe so I think the BBC's comparison is worthwhile. It's about the same distance from John O'Groats to Lands End as it is from California's border with Oregon to California's border with Mexico. The USA is **** huge and that point really cannot be hammered home hard enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted October 30, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted October 30, 2012 To be fair, though, when I'm deciding whether an album from a band I have no experience with is worth buying, downloading, whatever, I do take a look at the track lengths. If there's a single song longer then eight minutes or more songs longer than six than shorter than four minutes, then I am very likely to decide that the album and band are worth trying out. Even within an artist's discography, this rule tends to serve me well, with amazingly few false negatives and false positives. But that's because you like that sort of music. So do I, as it happens, and I've done the same thing myself. But my point was about comparing apples with oranges. A really good short song (or a handful of them) can be better than any number of 20-minute epics. Some people would say that they almost always are - because they prefer that sort of music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legov Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Sorry, wrong thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legov Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 tbf, given the number of Britons who think they can squeeze New York, Disney, Vegas and Yellowstone into a one-week driving holiday (even a one-week holiday with internal flights is borderline for that itinerary!), I'm not sure that the BBC's condescension is unwarranted. (not commenting on any specific VT travelers... but VTers are, I suspect, smarter than the average Briton (which might have something to do with supporting Villa!)) Can you even do New York in one week or less? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted October 30, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted October 30, 2012 The Americans and passports thing though, isn't about the size of the country. We know that, and we also know that it has a fantastic range of climate and scenery. But the point is that it is more or less monocultural. Wherever you go in the USA, you get the American Way of Life. Other countries do have more challenging differences - politically, culturally, linguistically, historically, etc., etc. Going outside the comfort zone at least gives you a different view on the world. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Agreed. The amount of people over here who laugh at Americans for not having passports seems to be based on the assumption that the USA is the same size as the UK . Really? Where did you draw your quite wild assumption from? I think you'd have to be fairly deviod of material between the ears to not know that America is effing huge. I don't need a transposed image of a hurricane on a map of Europe to give me an idea of the scale of the thing. It's definitely condescending, although as someone noted, we're now in the age of X factor and Big Brother, so perhaps our collective intelligence has diminshed somewhat .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Spoiler alert I know I'm being stupid, but I don't 'get' a couple of things about the new James Bond film. How is it that you meet Miss Moneypenny in a film where M dies, yet the 2 play side by side in a number of other films? Does Judy Dench therefore portray 2 different Ms? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Really? Where did you draw your quite wild assumption from? It's purely anecdotal, maybe I just mix in circles with people who dont travel regularly. I mean obviously people know the states is big, but trying to highlight just how big is another thing entirely. Can you even do New York in one week or less? New York City? Never been, but I have always worked on the assumption that is basically the closest thing they have to London on that side of the pond, which means the answer is yes and no. You can see enough of the place to be satisfied, but you cant see everything. You probably cant even see everything if you live there because so much is going on. The Americans and passports thing though, isn't about the size of the country. We know that, and we also know that it has a fantastic range of climate and scenery. But the point is that it is more or less monocultural. Wherever you go in the USA, you get the American Way of Life. Is it? I cant imagine life in the north east is anywhere near the same as it is in the deep south or over on the west coast. They might all speak the same language and have all heard of the same celebrities, but I'd always thought that the place is extremely diverse culturally. Again, I might be wrong but New England seems to have more in common with jolly olde England than it does with parts of the bible belt or the flyover states. Anyway, being stuck behind a dustbin lorry in a one way system with nowhere to pass. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted October 30, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted October 30, 2012 Spoiler alert I know I'm being stupid, but I don't 'get' a couple of things about the new James Bond film. How is it that you meet Miss Moneypenny in a film where M dies, yet the 2 play side by side in a number of other films? Does Judy Dench therefore portray 2 different Ms? The Bond films don't have a consistent narrative - each film more or less stands alone and there are only fleeting references between films, usually throwaway ones. Further, Craig's tenure as Bond began with Casino Royale, which acted as a reboot of the whole thing - Casino Royale is supposed to act as a slate being wiped clean. Judy Dench's M in Casino Royale, QoF and Skyfall is a different M to the one that dealt with Brosnan, and so Moneypenny has never been known to her before. Frankly though, the Bond series plays so fast and loose with this stuff that you needn't worry about it (case in point, Skyfall makes lots of knowing references to Bond's previous 50 years, not least the DB5 being special to him... but when you consider that Craig comes into the role as a Bond that is meant to be new to the spy game, a newly made 00 Agent, it doesn't make any sense narrative/canon wise, but plays to the audience for a nice knowing reference). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Most people should understand that the US is huge. I always struggle with Australia, though. That place is also huge but so much of it is relatively untouched. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted October 30, 2012 Moderator Share Posted October 30, 2012 I always struggle with Australia, though. That place is also huge but so much of it is relatively untouched. Very similar to Adele until quite recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted October 30, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted October 30, 2012 Very similar to Adele until quite recently. Don't be ridiculous. She's from Essex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted October 30, 2012 Moderator Share Posted October 30, 2012 Dammit! I reserve the right to use comedic licence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Again, I might be wrong but New England seems to have more in common with jolly olde England than it does with parts of the bible belt or the flyover states. It's true, Boston and Birmingham (Alabama) might as well be different countries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HolteEndRob Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 RE: The thought of some British people not knowing or understanding how big America is, well it kind of works both ways. I once got into an argument with an American friend when I told him Texas on it's own is bigger than the UK. No matter what I said he wouldn't believe how small the UK is compared to America. I got an apologetic text a few hours after though as he must have gone and done some research! As for things that piss me off that shouldn't... when people wear glasses WITH NO LENSES IN!!! Basketballers like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade do this in interviews etc. What is the point? They look ridiculous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted October 31, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted October 31, 2012 As for things that piss me off that shouldn't... when people wear glasses WITH NO LENSES IN!!! Basketballers like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade do this in interviews etc. What is the point? They look ridiculous! When you are called LeBron or Dwayne, looking ridiculous is the least of your problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legov Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 It's true, Boston and Birmingham (Alabama) might as well be different countries. The Bible Belt as well as some of the more sparsely populated Midwestern states may be culturally a world away from the Northeast, but even if that were the case, that effectively just means that there are, broadly speaking, two or three geographical cultures in the US. In contrast, Europe has dozens of separate countries, most of which have a language and ethnic culture of their own. Also, I wonder how often people from the Deep South travel to NYC or LA. If it doesn't happen very frequently, then it would further suggest that Americans in general are culturally insular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legov Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 When you are called LeBron or Dwayne, looking ridiculous is the least of your problems. Well, the fans like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted October 31, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted October 31, 2012 Just had to knock up an email that's really pissed me off but shouldn't. I'm due a bonus for the job I was doing until about 3 weeks ago when my contract finished, and I've not yet received it (and had no idea when I was likely to). Emailing the guy I was doing most of the work for basically asking 'Um... wheres my bonus?' is an awkward balancing act given I don't want to appear either accusatory, presumptive, or desperate... but theres also a distinct chance it's not an inconsiderably sum of money so I kinda need to know when I'm likely to get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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