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General discussionRespectful questions to foreign GOGers(661 posts)(661 posts)
(661 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted December 10, 2010
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Jaime: and, ah, Tom of Finland.
LoL! naughty girl!
Posted December 10, 2010
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rabblevox: LoL! naughty girl!
:-/
Posted December 10, 2010
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orcishgamer: You just summed up the idea of college in the US. No, really, I'd estimate that fewer than 5% actually come out knowing anything to justify the expense. Take the money and throw a big freaking party, it's just hard to get thousands in loans to throw a party, I guess that's why college is popular.

Most students are merely putting in their time for a degree.
Can you, or someone else from the US, explain what college actually means there, because it seems to be interchangeable between what we call university and what we call college. University being for getting a degree (both undergraduate and/or graduate), and college is for professional or vocational education (for instance if you wanted to go into a field like construction you would go to college)
Posted December 11, 2010
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orcishgamer: You just summed up the idea of college in the US. No, really, I'd estimate that fewer than 5% actually come out knowing anything to justify the expense. Take the money and throw a big freaking party, it's just hard to get thousands in loans to throw a party, I guess that's why college is popular.

Most students are merely putting in their time for a degree.
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Orryyrro: Can you, or someone else from the US, explain what college actually means there, because it seems to be interchangeable between what we call university and what we call college. University being for getting a degree (both undergraduate and/or graduate), and college is for professional or vocational education (for instance if you wanted to go into a field like construction you would go to college)
In theory, University is supposed to be reserved for private institutions with some prestige and history behind them. A university will often have a really fat endowment. Additionally more academic rigor and liberal arts focus is supposed to be expected. In practice, colleges have been putting up a university sign almost before the paint on the college sign is dry for years now. They have little academic rigor and two year colleges (which never used to offer anything but Associate degrees and trade certifications) are rapidly turning themselves into "colleges" as fast as they can. So it has mostly become meanigless (though a few private universities, in the real sense of the word, would probably have something to say about that).

So what it means is nothing, in the 1950s only 13% of the US population attended university. More people are paying money and going to some classes, I'd argue about 13% are still getting a reasonable education, especially given the costs that are skyrocketing way faster than inflation.

The dumbed down standard admission process is actually making these schools worse. They are getting so many applications now, shotgun style, that they accept less than 10 percent at many schools and less than 1/3 accept the placement. That is pathetic.
Posted December 11, 2010
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Filthgrinder: Tax? Well that I would accept.

Except it's not the government/state/country behind it. It's just a TV company that has been enforcing this on them, and have even managed to make it "law" that people HAVE to pay them.

Think of it this way: BBC demands you pay them X amount of money just because you have a TV. Even if you do not watch their channel, or have access to their channel.
I absolutely adore that model. Here we have CBC which is quite possibly the worst TV channel in all of existence - funded by the government but we have ads and they show awful TV shows and syndicated game shows on primetime. I wouldn't mind paying a license fee for more content and better channels, and importantly, ad-free content.
Posted December 11, 2010
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Orryyrro: Can you, or someone else from the US, explain what college actually means there, because it seems to be interchangeable between what we call university and what we call college. University being for getting a degree (both undergraduate and/or graduate), and college is for professional or vocational education (for instance if you wanted to go into a field like construction you would go to college)
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orcishgamer: In theory, University is supposed to be reserved for private institutions with some prestige and history behind them. A university will often have a really fat endowment. Additionally more academic rigor and liberal arts focus is supposed to be expected. In practice, colleges have been putting up a university sign almost before the paint on the college sign is dry for years now. They have little academic rigor and two year colleges (which never used to offer anything but Associate degrees and trade certifications) are rapidly turning themselves into "colleges" as fast as they can. So it has mostly become meanigless (though a few private universities, in the real sense of the word, would probably have something to say about that).

So what it means is nothing, in the 1950s only 13% of the US population attended university. More people are paying money and going to some classes, I'd argue about 13% are still getting a reasonable education, especially given the costs that are skyrocketing way faster than inflation.

The dumbed down standard admission process is actually making these schools worse. They are getting so many applications now, shotgun style, that they accept less than 10 percent at many schools and less than 1/3 accept the placement. That is pathetic.
So, it's basically whatever the school wants to call itself, or am I misunderstanding? If I'm not then that makes no bloody sense.
Posted December 11, 2010
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Orryyrro: So, it's basically whatever the school wants to call itself, or am I misunderstanding? If I'm not then that makes no bloody sense.
Yeah, it's whatever they can get away with calling themselves without people laughing.
Posted December 11, 2010
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FlintlockJazz: But officially and in the general British mindset the American revolution is not something that was ever really thought about. We don't know who fought on what side, hell I don't even know who this traitor was, though considering how bad History education here has become it's not surprising. All we get taught about is the Second World War, the women's suffragette movement and the rise of the Labour party. Aside from the second world war it's like they picked the absolute least interesting parts of history to focus on as if they intend to make people hate learning about it, and hell they even managed to make the second world war less interesting than it could have been, focusing on women's move into industry instead of anything to do with the war itself.
The only interesting thing we're doing in history this year is the history of Germany. Apart from that it's democracy in Britain and the 'Scottish' role in World War I (purely brought in because the Scottish National Party whined and complained there wasn't enough 'scottish' in education so more 'scottish' needed to brought in, nobody cares apart from them...).
Posted December 11, 2010
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rabieslord: This stimulates a question for me. How do people from your country feel about the American invasion to capture Noriega? I have studied a bit of the politics behind it, but not the views of the people involved.
Apologies for the late reply but you didn't quote and this slipped me by. :)

The answer really depends on whom you ask. From my perspective it was a necessary evil, one I was actually hoping for but when it happened it really felt like the price was too high. Noriega had a non-uniformed militia, so lots of innocent (and guilty) civilians died. It was still a relief though and people went to the streets to celebrate on the day we were told Noriega had seeked out asylum at the ... well, I don't know how to say it in english, but it's the "Nunciatura" which is like the Vatican's embassy in Panama.

Then again, those who lived near the military bases of the panamanian army paid a high toll. They were evacuated, houses destroyed, there was major looting throughout the city and years later, common graves were found while the real number of total victims from the invasion was never fully known. There are a lot of people who will remember it with sorrow, anger and bitterness, since they lost everything or a loved one, while there are others who will remember it as a good thing, since it was the end of a dictatorship.

I was a teenager at the time and remember it vividly. The country had been held by an economic embargo and after Noriega had been sent to Miami, the money from international help started pouring in. I remember watching an armored car passing right next to our building on the way to the bank, escorted by a blackhawk helicopter flying barely above the buildings. I remember walking past american patrols on the streets while I was taking the dog out for a walk. It was all very surreal.

Nowadays, the average twenty year old only knows any of this from the history books (it happened in 1989, so add around 4-6 extra years for a kid to remember things happening around him and the minimum age would be around 25). Sometimes you see people with Noriega stickers on their cars, not really knowing what kind of man he was or maybe knowing and wishing for something like that to return, since in the end, Noriega wasn't alone and many of those who were close to him probably wish those "golden" days could come back.
Posted December 11, 2010
In response to Finnish celebrities, there have been a number of Finnish formula 1 drivers:
Mika Hakkinen, Keke rosberg, Heikki Kovalainen, Kimi Raikkonen....
Kimi Raikkonen won the 2007 World Championship.
Posted December 13, 2010
i have another question, is there any particular reason that Americans call back bacon "Canadian bacon"?
Posted December 13, 2010
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Orryyrro: i have another question, is there any particular reason that Americans call back bacon "Canadian bacon"?
Because its more popular in Canada than thebacon we most often eat in America.
Posted December 14, 2010
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Orryyrro: i have another question, is there any particular reason that Americans call back bacon "Canadian bacon"?
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ChaunceyK: Because its more popular in Canada than thebacon we most often eat in America.
But, that's the kind of bacon we eat here most often, hence the question.
Posted December 14, 2010
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ChaunceyK: Because its more popular in Canada than thebacon we most often eat in America.
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Orryyrro: But, that's the kind of bacon we eat here most often, hence the question.
The name may have some relation to it being more popular in Canada, but it could also just be because foods here in the US are often labled with another countries name as a marketing gimmick
Posted December 14, 2010
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Orryyrro: But, that's the kind of bacon we eat here most often, hence the question.
Really? I had no idea. I always assumed Canadian Bacon / Back Bacon was the primary bacon in Canada. Hmm, learn something new every day.
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Nazarush: The name may have some relation to it being more popular in Canada, but it could also just be because foods here in the US are often labled with another countries name as a marketing gimmick
This would not surprise me at all. Makes me double-think Irish Coffee, German Potato Salad, and Bolivian Neckties...no wait, scratch that last one.
Post edited December 14, 2010 by ChaunceyK
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionRespectful questions to foreign GOGers(661 posts)(661 posts)
(661 posts)