I think we americans have more of a right to complain about the classic eurotrash guy wearing a speedo on a beach. We don't need any banana hammocks, nor do we need to prove our endowment.

Undershirt everyday. I will even wear an undershirt under a t-shirt. No kidding. If that's too hot, I go undershirt only. I buy undershirts every couple months. Nautica, size large, three pack = $15 at Marshalls. A bright white undershirt is always sharp.

As for the young democrats supporting Bush......I have no explanation....a lack of strong self-identity? I would almost figure that there would be more young republicans fed up with Bush than young democrats supporting him....

ours are much less douchey than that.

why would me have more of a right, considering that how few people wear them here?

and I think we're probably the most sensitive about having to prove out endowment.

Yep, have a T on under a polo

Great the thread is named "Americans"

Americans think:

6% about the president and national policy.
94% about undershirts.

you people are all crazy.

Douchey might now be the right word, but there's what might be a majority of students that just don't give a ratfuck about what's going on in the world or even in the country (this isn't meant to be reaed with a liberal slant, but just what's going on at all), but more about what parties are going on and how fucked up they're gonna get/who they're gonna bang, etc...

Now I'm the last guy to say people drink too much in college, because I was all fucked up most of the time, but at least I read the fucking newspaper, you know? We got free papers then and still most of the people I knew didn't bother. I remember a friend of mine saying in December 2000 that her class (which was, if I remember right, a Rhetorical Process class) had a bonus question on a test that asked them to name both vice presidential candidates and like 8 people got it right.

I KNOW!!!!

I know its the stereotype but everyone here views young Americans as exactly that. And it is reinforced when you meet them when you know more about their own country than they do. When i try to have a slightly political conversation with some of them about American affairs (you know, trying to make chit chat about things they should be familiar with) they don't have a clue what i'm talking about. A couple of them didn't even know who Condaleeza Rice was for fuck's sake. It's not only American politics either. They no little or nothing about literature, and definitely no little or nothing about affairs that don't involve America. And these aren't youngins either, theyre staying at a college full of 17-19 year olds but they are all 21-23. And they act like they're about 16.

In my opinion it is to do with the 21 year old drinking age. I think accepting full maturity in the eyes of the law at age 18 sub consciously makes people mature earlier. I think its crazy: THREE WHOLE YEARS after us. Can you imagine not being able to drink 'till you are 24. Maybe most of the college boys are too busy sneaking around illegally drinking to sit down an read a newspaper or watch the news. Most of my mates are in agreeance, an older drinking age fosters immaturity.

(but then again maybe all the Americans sent over here are naive rich kids who have been sheltered their whole lives? That's probably the case. Everyone on Obner seems pretty worldly and down with the shit)

I agree with Timis here.

I remember being in Ireland back in 2001 and the youth--16 yrs - 24 yrs, generally--wore rayon track suits EVERYWHERE! To me, I would rather see someone in a poloshirt with a tee underneath than be subjected to the "style" of rayon track suits.

Also, I wear tee's underneath polo's for a few reasons. I never really did it for the sweat reasons, although that's a good idea. I do it because I don't like wearing a shirt and showing my collar bone and sternum to people. I am pale and don't have the prettiest skin tone to the point where I would rather cover it up. I don't think this makes me a douche. If anything people all over the world shoudl appreciate that I am not subjecting them to my skin and nasty chest hair. And a wife beater don't do this job. It's not like my tee is some novelty tee from urban urban outfitters. It's fruit of the loom, just like my wife beaters.

Maybe the lack of tee's is why many "eurotrash" bastards smell like B.O.

I also agree that when you go places outside of the country and all people talk about is how messed up your country and your president is, you may start defending them. One could easily go to England and talk shit about how much of a pussy their leaders are for licking the U.S.'s choad. It gets tiresome. I think, if we just look at this board, that we as americans do plenty of analysis and introspection about our president/government/leaders in general. After all that, I don't feel that I need to justify everything to people who want to simply bash or condescend my country. It's offensive, honestly. If you came here and I just started rambling on and on about all the ridiculous things that go on in your country you would probably defend yours as well, regardless of your distaste or disagreement with current administrations.

I can't say that alcohol at an earlier age would solve the problem. But, I do agree that the college mindset makes it easy for youthish folks to get caught up in nothing but what their favorite beer is and who they're gonna hook up with that night.

It is sad that the people you spoke with don't even know who Condoleeza Rice is. However, I think the binge drinking/21 year old drinking age is not really directly linked to a lack of political knowledge.

Seems pretty accurate.





And people don't wear enough hats.

I stopped wearing undershirts in 1934 after seeing It Happened One Night. Blame Clark Gable.

I can't believe I read the whole thread.

Wearing a t-shirt under your button down actually seems cooler (temp-wise) becuase your shirt isn't stuck to you. Plus I think it was the girls in the group who pointed out the nipple thing, which I never even noticed until my wife pointed it out to me.


One question: when did Ugg boats become acceptable footwear for dudes? you were kidding, right?

I'll side with the idea that getting into another debate with a foriegner about what an ass the prez is has become tiresome.
Tell them: Extradition is a sumbitch. Hey, you're foriegn, all the good assasins in movies are foriegners, do something besides complain, bitch.

It took me three pages to figure out Thong = flip-flop, not ass-crack underwear.

This is the all on, all off, simplistic mental construct that Americans bring to "the foreign." Why does it have to be a tiresome debate about presidential assholiness? Why not an engaged dialogue about values, options, policy, history and context... and interchange of ideas?

Fine Harry, but how often (even in Santa Cruz) do you find someone erudite and informed enough to actually discuss these ideas with rational cohesion and sound arguments...better to let it slide, unless you have an evening to kill. In which case, bring the pain. An interchange of ideas is a fine evening indeed if sparing with the right people, but 99.9% of the time, you're opening yourself up to a root canal of bullshit.

I haven't done a lot of travelling, but if I was going to go abroad as a student these days, I'd be alot more interested in experiencing the culture of the country I was in than having a pseudo-intellectual discussion of the US President.
I knew a ton of people in college that are essentially culturally illiterate. They know nothing about government, history, literature, etc, but they were geniuses in their field of study and are making big bucks now. I think being apolitical as a college student comes from specialized degree programs more than it does with drinking.
I wish that the United States would lower the drinking age to 18, but it wouldn't make anyone more or less mature. There are those who would be responsible enough to drink at 13, and those that aren't even as mature as a 16yr old at the age of 30.

When I'm vacationing out of the country the last thing I was to do is debate politics... So I can understand dropping a bit of BS and heading to the beach.

Good to see you back posting again, by the way.

sadly, I've seen evidence to the contrary.



yeah and the thong thing confused me for a minute, too.

Thanks, nice to have the time to drop back around.

ding ding ding...the most ridiculous opinion i have read on these boards all year!!!! congrats!!!

Point goes to TIMIS. that's the match.

Fair enough. I guess I have the megalomaniacal idea of proposing that the world can be changed one conversation at a time. Sometimes the best "erudition" comes from unexpected sources.