The Logic Off Topic list

> Unfortunately, the kinds of Americans that most people run into are this
> same way in their private lives also. They oscillate disturbingly between
> stunned cows and mad cows with it being extremely difficult to tell which
> of these two is preferable. Would that it was an easy choice to make

what the heck? Who are "most people"??? Where are you from Kool Musick? So
Jennifer Lopez is the same at home in her jammies as she is when she's in a
video? I don't get this comment at all. what about all the americans who
aren't on TV? how do you know how people are behind closed doors? Bush is,
if anything, a typical ordinary rich, super connected, WASPy, oil trust fund
kid from New Haven, CT who found it easier to get over if he pretends he's
from Texas mostly because they had an open seat in the congress and some of
his Dad's oil buddies were there to lend some big $. Truth is he went to
junior high school in TX for a couple of months before transferring to an
exclusive prep school in Andover, MD. The ordinary and typical life of most
Americans is nothing like Bush's. He's a silver spoon boy.

I personally have a problem envisioning what the typical and ordinary life
of an American is, since we are so diverse. You want to talk about
stereotypes? blech... that's what got us into this mess in the first place.
anyway, here's a few stereotypes I have personally observed in NYC. 1) the
Pakistani taxi driver who has an American flag on his dashboard so he won't
get his ass kicked. Good cover for terrorists. No turban is the way in Al
quaeda 2) the Long Island Jewish lady who shops at the Mall on Saturdays for
Gucci bags and has her hair done in a horrendous and somehow blue hued
manner that couldn't possibly attract any man except her husband. She only
goes to the Synagogue 3 times a year 3) The slacker Deadhead son of a
suburban, moderately rich family who only eats fast food because it's easier
than cooking and smokes weed cause it's cheaper than beer. his trust fund is
running out so he usually works at an occult store in a small quaint town
near, but not in, the Hamptons. He likes Tie Dying 4) African American hip
hop guy who wears big jeans, truly amazing sneakers, eats fried chicken at
Popye's and like girls wit big butts. He worships butts. The bigger the
cushion the better the pushin. He's usually always loudly imitating the
latest hip hop song on Z100 5) the German tourist, loves America, wants to
be American, studies America and goes to all the Museums. 6) the Japanese
tourist, has a really hi tech camera and is always looking up 7) east
Village guitar guy, has a guitar bag on his back, eats at vegetarian
restaurants, smokes American Spirits cause it has no chemicals, goes to more
rehersals than gigs. 8) Capri pants girls who have jennifer anniston
haircuts and work at the GAP. They usually have boyfriends who wear a
leather jacket 9) Orthodox Jewish business men who ride the subway even
though they're millionaires. They sell cameras and diamonds in midtown. they
don't have TV's 10) Crazy toothless Homeless people who explain to you on
the subway what happened to them in their life that they have to be asking
for money from you. 11) Couch Potato non descript people who go to their
ordinary and typical job at, let's say, a Credit card processing plant and
like to order things from the home shopping club. They are only interested
in what's gonna happen on the next season of "Friends" and their own
reproductive freedom 12) Young hip professionals with their designer clothes
and constantly in use cell phones walking around SOHO, intelligent and
unique, they make up their own stereotype because they have something in
common, the desire to be upwardly mobile. 13) Ex-Cops who become accountants
later in life and can't tell the difference between a royalty and a
dividend. 14) University professors who, while very smart, are locked into
academia and can't see the forest through the trees. They are idealogical
even at age 60. They'd like to think they'll drop dead teaching.

Do you have any of those stereotype in your country?

> 
> 
> I count myself fortunate that I have met enough Americans to know that this
> kind of thing is indeed not typical, although some of the stupidities that
> I have seen Americans bandy about even in this relatively enlightened forum
> has started to make me want to revisit this issue.

aren't there other nationalities bandying about stupid things too? maybe
not..

> Maybe ... just maybe ... it would help if more Americans left home a bit
> more and found out a bit more about the world so that most people in the
> world are not left with you all obviously feel is this kind of flagrantly
> false impression of what Americans are really like and actually like.

people should do what they want. Maybe they don't want to visit your
country. I probably have so don't blame me.

> 
> Who knows ... i such a thing were to happen then maybe Americans might also
> learn a bit more about what the rest of the world is really like also.

if our media didn't suck, maybe we could learn more that way too...

> However, Americans are the ones with all the money.

huh? the US is third world if you ask me... there more poor people here than
anywhere in Europe...

> 
> Nothing I have said in this email was intended to be inflammatory.

not inflamatory, a little harsh, maybe though... no offense taken by me

However, 
> if in spite of all my efforts I have written anything that can be construed
> that way then I would be obliged if some American would tell me what it is
> -- preferably in kindness and with good grace -- and they will have my
> immediate apology forthwith and I shall cease from trying to make this
> point for surely it will have proved itself and entirely worthless point to
> try to make. Maybe my descendants will fare better in trying to make it
> which is pretty much all I will have left to hope for.

why be so extreme?

Teddy Kumpel
Brooklyn, NY