h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

You know what... I have to laugh... The idea that anyone would use the fact that Corvettes use leaf springs as further 'proof' that America is out of touch and therefore, from the general tone of ES, evil, really does make me giggle. No, seriously, that's a good one. Hold on, let me catch my breath. 'Leaf springs', oh you got me there!

I'd also like to add that there's an indian car manufacturer who also uses leaf springs on some of their models.

Hey Happiness Tutor how do you know all this

Well, I can't speak for American cars in general, but modern Fords all seem to do the job very nicely.

And some of the older Fords have real style, although they're probably not the most nimble of cars - I'm thinking Mustang, Capri etc.

Don't forget the old Ford Lotus Cortina Mk I

Hi blickybadger, call me TB, I like to read a lot.

I don't have a car. To me mustang means Sally and capri pants.

Slightly off topic, I'm sad to see the continuing phase out of the london bus. I haven't a clue of the mpg or what thier springs are, but I just like to have them around. And theyre a great form of communal transport.

"The idea that anyone would use the fact that Corvettes use leaf springs as further 'proof' that America is out of touch and therefore, from the general tone of ES, evil, really does make me giggle."

And since I happened to have stumbled on this picture at the same time as that leaf spring post I'm more puzzled than ever.

http://www.helsinki.fi/~jhyvonen/PB/D/Gunnera%20chilensis+SS-pp.JPG

Blicky says : "That is a very unfair thing to say about ES, saturine . Change racist for bigotted though and your bang on."

I say : Learn to spell my username right Blicky and I will!

re: London Buses
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3391507.stm

> That's great news! Now why didn't YOU think of that?

Excuse me? Why didn't I think of what? Gathering together hundreds of thousands of dollars? Launching a multi-media information blitz? Purchasing web space and printing bumper stickers, t-shirts, and buttons?

You, sir, are a moron.

And Empty, if you truly hate the U.S. so much, why didn't you suggest to your local civic leader that trade sanctions be levied against the U.S.? My goodness, you're ineffectual.

ES, racist? (BB, you're so fond of making that accusation against people, whoever will it be next?)
I thought we'd been through this at another part of the thread. There are 279 million North Americans, of varying races. Such an accusation is therefore just silly.
Neither is he bigoted against Americans as such...

.. it just looks like that when he says things

One reason many people don't take American cars seriously is many nations have such high tariffs on US autos that it is simply not practical to buy American. Americans on the other hand have negligible auto tariffs, which is why one sees almost as many Japanese vehicles on the road as American.

UK doen't have any tariffs on US cars and you see very few
Of course you'd have to import them specially in most cases
Because European petrol is much more expensive than in the US I think fuel consumption is the main reason why there isn't much of a market for them in Europe

> ES, racist? (BB, you're so fond of making that accusation against people, whoever will it be next?)
I thought we'd been through this at another part of the thread. There are 279 million North Americans, of varying races. Such an accusation is therefore just silly.
Neither is he bigoted against Americans as such...

That's why I'm continally astonished that he should continue to proclaim that the majority of Americans are stupid, fat and unwell. So we can safely say that Empty isn't prejudiced against any particular American cultural group, just Americans in general.

One theory from a quiet, considerate American...

Perhaps those of us who take the time to learn a bit about the culture and do their best to make less impact during a visit to other countries are simply less likely to be labeled "American".

During a recent visit to London (our first), we never encountered a single person who appeared put off by our behavior. As a new traveller abroad, I was looking for it in an attempt to tell when the "obnoxious American" in me appeared. I was dreadfully afraid of reinforcing that stereotype.

We dressed nicely, acted conservatively, and treated the locale with the respect of our "parent country". The only giveaway was the wide-eyed stares upon walking out of the tube station to see the Tower of London or turning a corner and seeing Big Ben's clocktower (Big Ben is, after all, the bell inside).

I'd like to believe that both the obnoxious American and those with a distaste for the obnoxious American are simply the only ones making noise. I can't wait to get back to England (and see other European countries), and I hope we always feel welcome there.

Chiaraes,
What a lovely reasonable, logical, sensible, calm comment to post. What the heck are you doing here?

Just using a bit of caution on my first post to the blog.

READ THESE AGAIN DELLA.


Post: 6449

Posted Yesterday by Saturnine (clever got me this far/then tricky got me in)
I know nothing about cars, and the rest of the conversation still seems to be revolving around ES's racist little stereotypes, so I'll just and post later.

THAT WAS POSTED BY SATURNINE YOU CAN TELL BECAUSE IT HAS HER NAME AT THE TOP.


Post: 6457

Posted Yesterday by blickybadger.......MY milkshake BRINGS all THE girls TO the YARD

That is a very unfair thing to say about ES, saturine . Change racist for bigotted though and your bang on.

THIS WAS POSTED BY ME IT HAS MY NAME AT THE TOP, CAN'T YOU UNDERSTABD HOW THIS WORKS YET?

Post: 6471

Posted 7 Hours Ago by Della the Cat Woman:
ES, racist? (BB, you're so fond of making that accusation against people, whoever will it be next?)
I thought we'd been through this at another part of the thread. There are 279 million North Americans, of varying races. Such an accusation is therefore just silly.
Neither is he bigoted against Americans as such...


WHAT THE ARE YOU ON ABOUT DELLA. YOU ARE INFACT RACIST IF YOU BELIEVE THERE ARE DIFFERENT "RACES" IN AMERICA. "RACE" IS A MYTH ANYONE WHO ENTERTAINS THE IDEA THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT "RACES" OF PEOPLE EITHER HAS HAD AN INSUFFICIENT EDUCATION OR HAS AN INSUFFICEINT MIND TO COMPREHEND THE FACTS. AS I HAVE TRIED TO EXPLAIN THE FALLACY OF "RACE" TO YOU ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT ODCASSIONS I CAN ONLY ASSUME YOUR INSUFFICIENCY IS IN THE LATTER.

Try these Della:

http://www.pih.org.uk/articles/chetty.html

If you cant be bothered here is an extract.

I think I am still dealing with the paradox of needing to accept that I am perceived as different whilst wanting to challenge the preconceptions that inform such a perception. I think 'Race' remains a taboo in Britain today. Everyday it is discussed in the media, yet people are often terrified to talk openly about it.

I believe this stems from the definition of racism as: 'A belief in the superiority of a particular race; prejudice based on this.' (OED)

This is commonly held to be a bad thing. It is the ideology of Hitler, who is commonly regarded as the personification of evil.

Little wonder then that many human beings are desperate to avoid being labelled 'racist' or even entering into a conversation which may result in other people accusing them of holding racist beliefs.

But recognising the reality of 'race' as a myth - an all-encompassing belief that informs our daily beliefs and actions - can help us towards a more accurate description of racism as: 'A belief that the human race can be divided into further races.'

Stated so direction, this definition challenges our present way of thinking. It leads us to conclude that:

We are all racist - to differing extents.
That the term 'race' is itself 'racist'.
That arguing over the quality of races is futile, as the belief in the existence of races was and remains a man-made system of division, and such division has led and continues to lead to inequality. (We may note that 'apartheid' literally translates to apart-hood. The term itself does not refer to superiority. However we have all seen the reality.)


http://film.guardian.co.uk/lordoftherings/news/0%2C11016%2C852217%2C00.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/index_section2.shtml


http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/society_culture/multicultural/dabbott_01.shtml