Sunday Morning Contest: Things We Love About America
Claire Berlinski, Ed. ·
December 4, 2011 at 1:46pm
Here's something I just adore: Time means exactly what people say it does. If someone says, "I'll be with you in five minutes," they mean "I'll be with you in five minutes." No guesswork. If the sign on the restaurant says, "Open at 6:00 a.m.," the restaurant opens at 6:00 a.m. No excuses. If someone says, "I'll call you at noon," they call you at noon. There are sixty seconds in a minute, sixty minutes in an hour, and 24 hours in a day, every day.
The other day, a Turkish friend described America as a country that "does what the manufacturer says it does on the box." That's one of the best descriptions of America I've heard.
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Comments:
Oct '10
Re: Sunday Morning Contest: Things We Love About America
But Claire... don't you love the charming practice of noon meaning any time after 12, for the rest of the daylight period? And are you not enamored of the no-show, especially if it is a business appointment?
Sadly, as an American, our rep. for being reliable about time and other promises gives us no such latitude.
Dec '10
Re: Sunday Morning Contest: Things We Love About America
There was a poster on a wall at work with the various flags of countries. Underneath each flag was a popluar slogan associated with that particular country's culture.
Under the United States flag was the simple slogan "Can Do." -- Enough said!
Oct '10
Re: Sunday Morning Contest: Things We Love About America
Yes, I LOVE that generally observed characteristic of Americans. In my own case, it extends from returning calls, to delivering on a business commitment, to showing up for a workout on time, to passing a checkpoint on a trip from A to B.
I have yet to succeed, however, in getting my wife out the door before the time we're due at an engagement. Please...somebody...tell me that I am not alone in this frustration!
Apr '11
Re: Sunday Morning Contest: Things We Love About America
raycon: But Claire... don't you love the charming practice of noon meaning any time after 12, for the rest of the daylight period? And are you not enamored of the no-show, especially if it is a business appointment?
Sadly, as an American, our rep. for being reliable about time and other promises gives us no such latitude. · Dec 4 at 5:01am
Your stricture proves Claire's point. You see the failures to match the general behavior. What impresses others is that the behavior is general. You're just another lunkhead in the Hate-America crowd.
Edited on December 4, 2011 at 2:40pmApr '11
Re: Sunday Morning Contest: Things We Love About America
What I like about America is the spontaneous and generous co-operation. Forming queues at the cash register. Waving people ahead of you at the intersection or when into the traffic lane ahead of you. The "TEA Party". Volunteers.
None of the intellectuals' man in the "state of nature" of "all against all". None of the charmingly primitive tribal attitudes: "Me against my brother. My brother and me against our cousins. Me, my brother, and our cousins against the village. Us and our village against the tribe. Us and our tribe against the world."
It is yet another of the ways that Progressives are reactionary that leftists want to make everyone a dependent on the state, to infantilize us, and to make us compete for the benefits from the Mother State.
Edited on December 4, 2011 at 2:58pmMay '10
Re: Sunday Morning Contest: Things We Love About America
My train is due in Grand Central at 1:45, so, unless Metro North fails (as is actually quite common) I will meet you at 2 pm in the agreed-upon location. Then off to the zoo and around New York for Christmasy fun!
NY area Ricoteers! There is still time to join! PM Claire!
May '11
Re: Sunday Morning Contest: Things We Love About America
Del Mar Dave: Yes, I LOVE that generally observed characteristic of Americans. In my own case, it extends from returning calls, to delivering on a business commitment, to showing up for a workout on time, to passing a checkpoint on a trip from A to B.
I have yet to succeed, however, in getting my wife out the door before the time we're due at an engagement. Please...somebody...tell me that I am not alone in this frustration! · Dec 4 at 5:16am
Men value being on time more than women. Puncuality rates highly amongst other men. Women know they will be judged by other women based on their appearance. They place a higher value on looking flawless than men do. My wife astonishes me all the time when she tells me what somebody else wore 2 family Christmas parties ago. Women have a judgemental photographic memory of what other women wore and looked like at various events. With that kind of pressure it's amazing they go out at all. It's a cross all husbands must bear.
Apr '11
Re: Sunday Morning Contest: Things We Love About America
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
Here's something I just adore: Time means exactly what people say it does. ... If the sign on the restaurant says, "Open at 6:00 a.m.," the restaurant opens at 6:00 a.m. No excuses.
The other day I dropped my truck off at my local garage for an oil change and decided to have breakfast while I waited at the Irish Coffee Shop down the block. Promptly at 7:30 the shade went up and the door was unlocked. The coffee was ready.
The funny thing was, the entire staff were recent immigrants: Guatemalans, Gujaratis, somewhere. I couldn't make out what they were speaking behind the counter. Welcome to America!
Re: Sunday Morning Contest: Things We Love About America
Yall obviously haven't been to Switzerland...
Oct '10
Re: Sunday Morning Contest: Things We Love About America
Grendel
The funny thing was, the entire staff were recent immigrants: Guatemalans, Gujaratis, somewhere. I couldn't make out what they were speaking behind the counter. Welcome to America!
We're obviously still doing something right here in America because I enjoy playing "name that language" at home and while traveling around the country. Just this week I heard Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Italian, and any number of South Asian languages that I still can't identify with any clarity. India alone as more languages than anyone could learn in a lifetime.
Re: Sunday Morning Contest: Things We Love About America
Not this woman. If I had a choice between spending the rest of my life on a desert island with a cannibal and a guy who's chronically late, I'd choose the cannibal. For that matter, I've never looked flawless and I can't remember what anyone wears.
Re: Sunday Morning Contest: Things We Love About America
Del Mar Dave:
I have yet to succeed, however, in getting my wife out the door before the time we're due at an engagement. Please...somebody...tell me that I am not alone in this frustration! · Dec 4 at 5:16am
I'd have killed her by now.
Sep '10
Re: Sunday Morning Contest: Things We Love About America
I don't think its based on gender either. I wonder if punctuality and thrift are at all related. I am not thrifty but I've learned to be a lot more careful about prices I pay for things than I used to be and the mindset seems a bit similar although I am not one to go very far out of my way to get a bargain lest it make me late. It is also very interesting that Germans and Swiss have this same reputation and yet we are as different from them as we are from any other people.
May '11
Re: Sunday Morning Contest: Things We Love About America
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
Not this woman. If I had a choice between spending the rest of my life on a desert island with a cannibal and a guy who's chronically late, I'd choose the cannibal. For that matter, I've never looked flawless and I can't remember what anyone wears. · Dec 4 at 6:08am
I should have wrote men in general value being on time more than women. There are exceptions. I would imagine puncuality wouldn't be the that big an issue on a desert island. What are you going to be late for? Dinner reservations? With a cannibal you are the dinner reservation.
Apr '11
Re: Sunday Morning Contest: Things We Love About America
A friend from India explained to me that everything in America works. I was surprised to hear this, but she felt strongly that it was true. Our street lights predictably flash green and red. Our gas stations always have gas available. When you show up to town hall to pay your property taxes, there's someone at the window to take your check and provide a receipt - a receipt that is legitimate and lawful. UPS delivers on time. The mail-carrier comes every day expect Sunday. Snow plows plow and cops and fireman come when you dial 911. Public schools must take your kid without payment or complaint. If these things don't happen as we expect, we scream bloody murder.
Apparently, we are the exception in these things, not necessarily the rule.
Jul '10
Re: Sunday Morning Contest: Things We Love About America
I've always functioned on the idea:
Early is on time; on time is late; late is inexcusable.
Being chronically late is a serious character flaw. Either their word is meaningless or they are just plain inconsiderate.
Edited on December 4, 2011 at 3:44pmMar '11
Re: Sunday Morning Contest: Things We Love About America
Regarding the punctuality of men v women - my wife is never punctual - has to have an alarm clock on her watch, and her mother is is the same way. But her grandmother is ALWAYS on time.
On my side, I'm always early, so is my mother, so are both of my sisters. But my Dad is always late and truly has no sense of time.
My vote on timeliness goes to genetics, but not on the XY chromosomes.
Mar '11
Re: Sunday Morning Contest: Things We Love About America
Regarding my favorite thing about America, it's the sanctity of the LINE. When you queue up, I don't care where (black friday perhaps excepted), if you try to jump the line you risk a beating. This cuts across all class and gender lines too.
People like to joke about rude Americans abroad, but you take a German out of Germany and they become rude, even criminal line-jumpers. My father-in-law, who is English, says that Americans are perhaps the most polite people he's encountered, both abroad and at home.
Sep '10
Re: Sunday Morning Contest: Things We Love About America
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
Del Mar Dave:
I have yet to succeed, however, in getting my wife out the door before the time we're due at an engagement. Please...somebody...tell me that I am not alone in this frustration! · Dec 4 at 5:16am
I'd have killed her by now. · Dec 4 at 6:12am
I think the Ricochet CoC requires you to serve her under glass.
Sep '10
Re: Sunday Morning Contest: Things We Love About America
With a cannibal you are the dinner reservation
The joy of half baked expectations.