Country Discussion: USA

[ChicagoToffee]

Everything to say about the States. Loads good, loads bad. We're supposedly working towards "a more perfect union". We've been working at it for close to 250 years and are still nowhere close.

Better guests than hosts - maybe the truest stereotype about Americans. We're awful guests. I'm chalking that up to having oceans on both coasts - we don't have to deal with anyone else. Two hours by train gets you from Chicago to Springfield, IL. Two hours by train gets you from Paris to Brussels or Berlin.

I don't think there's a more diverse place - culturally, ethnically, geographically... The American Dream still exists, if only in myth and aspiration.

Lots to love, lots to criticize and lots to detest, lots to poke fun at.

 

[sdk]

TexMex, NewMex and ArizonaMex are sound tho each quite different.

California, not so much.

Hold on there! I will not hear the Mexican restaurants of my native Golden State traduced!

I'd like to sample more widely among the TX, AZ, and NM variants but I wouldn't survive the current heat index. I live in Massachusetts now. I suspect if MassMex existed, it would take the form of chowda. Good Brazilian food though.

 

[Gwladys St. Glory]

I feel we embrace feelings and chaos here in GOT, and our Yankee Doodle country invading perfected teethed have a nice day y’alls bring this in bucketfuls. Take the Americans away from GOT and you have a soulless shell.

Plus consider this. Who in their right mind would never mind support Everton, but “get them” as these apache murdering fundamentalists do? They’re up early doors to get behind the toffees with as much vigour and commitment as any of us. The gigantic masochists.

"Coffee Toffee's"

 

[verreauxi]

Been watching this....


Beautiful place and it's not hard to see why certain political factions appeal to the people there when others offer them absolutely nothing bar cultural vilification and further poverty.

Appalachia as a cultural region is pretty amazing. It also gets stereotyped with lot of white poverty; and to be sure, there is lots of poverty in this demographic (and oxy/meth) but there is a lot of diversity, including stuff you are not likely to expect like an LGBT+ community, progressive artists and farmers, and Jewish, and African-American communities. Berea college gets a special should along these lines.

As an eco-region it is one of the most biodiverse temperate (not tropical) regions in the world.

 

[verreauxi]

Hold on there! I will not hear the Mexican restaurants of my native Golden State traduced!

I'd like to sample more widely among the TX, AZ, and NM variants but I wouldn't survive the current heat index. I live in Massachusetts now. I suspect if MassMex existed, it would take the form of chowda. Good Brazilian food though.

I lived in Mass (both Boston and Falmouth) for about 5 years. Never found any good Mexican food anywhere but the Portuguese/Brazilian communities were an unexpected surprise.

 

[Gwladys St. Glory]

TexMex, NewMex and ArizonaMex are sound tho each quite different.

California, not so much.

A Chimichanga is where it's at....originated in Tucson, AZ apparently. Some guac, sour cream....sheeeeeeit

 

[SerenityNigh]

There’s 4 of us stopping for one night at the end of September it’s a stopover between Little Rock and Dallas , I was curious if there were any museums or galleries to visit either when we arrive in the afternoon or before we leave in the morning. We’ll probably stay in The Holiday Inn Express Downtown.

There is an art museum (Norton) and it’s decent. The HIE is next to festival plaza which is nice when there is something going on. Downtown area is mostly dead but I have been told Stray Cats is a fun jazz (or piano?) bar, although I have no idea if it’s any good.

There is a local coffee (Rhino) with a few stores. Southern Maid donuts was a favorite of Elvis and worth buying a dozen if they are hot. Dripp donuts downtown is good for food truck style donuts.

For lunch the local favors are Herby Ks (shrimp poboy), Strawns (diner), or Monjunis (hearty Italian but the best are sandwiches; muffuletta and poboy). For dinner the local favorite is Superior Grill (Mexican) but Fat Calf Brasserie is a fun upscale joint.

It’s not going to be crawfish season so I don’t have any recommendations of that sort.

 

[WA Toffee]

Been watching this....


Beautiful place and it's not hard to see why certain political factions appeal to the people there when others offer them absolutely nothing bar cultural vilification and further poverty.

I don't pay too much attention to US politics so I may have this horribly wrong, but it seems that the right wing party is a lot more popular with the lower socio-economic groups, but the left wing one is more popular with the well off.

That seems to be the wrong way round to me

 

[SerenityNigh]

Had a couple of friends wind up in Houston for periods. One hated it. Couldn't get on with the culture and essentially being forced to drive everywhere. She reckoned the only areas with sidewalks were the expat areas where she lived. She and her husband moved back when his contract ended as they were miserable.

My other mate is still out there and has gone full native. Owns a truck, guns, a ranch, and laps up right wing conspiracy theories.

I guess you either get it or you don’t. I do worry about the second friend, some of the stuff he comes out with if I catch up with him is truly odd.

To be fair Houston is an awful place to end up even if you’re a Yank

 

[mmmmsnouts]

I don't pay too much attention to US politics so I may have this horribly wrong, but it seems that the right wing party is a lot more popular with the lower socio-economic groups, but the left wing one is more popular with the well off.

That seems to be the wrong way round to me

The lower groups have been brainwashed by talk radio and idiotic TV, and the well off ones haven't

 

[SerenityNigh]

Mate England is currently playing a sport where they stop to drink tea

This might not actually be as terrible as it sounds. As a former runner the idea of stopping for food was ridiculous but now I’ve taken up cycling in my middle age and the idea of stopping half way for coffee is one I like very much.

 

[SerenityNigh]

Yeah I get that too. It’s not for me. I do think a lot of it is less about trophy hunting and more about pest control/defence for some too. Admittedly probably not the majority

It’s ingrained culture for many, although I definitely have relatives who aren’t far removed from hunter gatherers.

 

[sdk]

I don't pay too much attention to US politics so I may have this horribly wrong, but it seems that the right wing party is a lot more popular with the lower socio-economic groups, but the left wing one is more popular with the well off.

That seems to be the wrong way round to me

When people talk about how the Republican Party have been winning the working-class vote, they're not really talking about the working class, but of the white working class. The working class as a whole tend to vote for the Democratic Party. The USA has a long history of fudging class with race.

 

[SerenityNigh]

It’s the diversity in people and land that I love. Topped off by the hospitality whenever I visit, I’m really really fond of Americans and how positive they are - it’s a nice counter from the cynicism of the UK. I know there’s a jibe about so many not having passports but when you got a beautiful big continent to explore I’d prioritise that before I left.

Mate do you how far the drive is to Europe?

 

[BigDunc'sFod]

I'll need to Google this.

How can they possibly mangle mirror?

"Mirrrrrr"