The limits of American power
I don't mind shovelling out the drive, or not being able to leave the house. It is the bitter bone deep cold which gets to me. That's why, writing some 38 hours into a power cut, my tone is perhaps a little sour. I am not alone in my discomfort suffering the consequences of "snowmaggedon." But as white covers the landscape, it reveals the limits of American power.
America has for decades projected an image of modernity and technological superiority, disguising a dirty little secret. Behind the chrome, it's crumbling. At least, it doesn't feel very up to date. Many Americans don't travel widely and so believe their own propaganda.
But living here, Washington can feel like the second city of a not very prosperous emerging economy, rather than the capital of the Free World. The snow of course is not anyone's fault, but the power cuts, or outages, as Americans call them, most certainly are.
For some inconceivable reason in the USA, or at least this part of it, electric power is carried above ground on telegraph poles, not, as in most of the world, underground. Cost and distance might make this understandable in Kansas, but I scratch my head to think of a reason in the DC area. So in hurricane and snow, thunderstorms or heavy rain, in any of the inclement weather which regularly batters us, power lines are vulnerable to falling trees and wires coming adrift.
Of course power cuts happen else where. But in four years living in Belgium I didn't experience one, and the one that I remember in the UK was during the 1973 miners' strike. There probably were others but they can't have lasted more than a couple of hours.
I was toying with writing something along these lines a couple of weeks ago when we last had heavy snow. In the few months we've lived here we had already had two longish power cuts, a day and half a day, and I was hoping there wouldn't be another as I trudged down the unmoving escalator into the metro. The escalators seem to be broken more often than not. When you get down the immobile staircase the stations are uniformly dimly lit. The metro is very efficient but grim.
My own fault, I am sometimes told, for being un-American enough to use public transport. But the local roads are no better. It is hardly believable that the major highways leading from the prosperous suburbs into the capital of the largest economy in the world are pocked and scarred with potholes of every imaginable shape size and depth. Street lighting is low, and sporadic: you need a torch to go out after dark in the suburban streets.
This is perhaps about spending public money, but the overhead cables have me baffled. Surely in the long run it is cheaper for the companies to dig trenches than to pay gangs of workers to turn out in the middle of the night to fix multiple broken wires.
Snowmaggedon has by no means been all bad. Finger puppets by torchlight replaced electronic games for the children, and wrapped in blankets we got out the board games. We at first admired the pioneering spirit of our American neighbours as they dug out their driveways in the dark at the height of the blizzard. Then chortled with even greater admiration when we heard that it was so they could check into the nearest hotel and drink Bloody Marys through the frozen blackout.
No doubt some will criticise me for being ungracious about my new home and suggest I should go back to the UK if I don't like what I see. But my job is to report what I find. The feeling of living in a submerging economy has been a shock to the system. But 46 hours after the trial began, the power came back on and I am feeling more charitable, bathing in the warm glow of central heating and the ability to access the internet to file this.
I’m Mark Mardell, the BBC's North America editor. These are my reflections on American politics, some thoughts on being a Brit living in the USA, and who knows what else? My 
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~49~RS~)
Comments
Sign in or register to comment.
Both roads and powerlines are specifically maintained to maximize the amount of labor required. These are public sector union jobs on the line. A few states have much better infrastructure, but the more blue the state, the worse the quality of public infrastructure. It's not correlated to overall spending.
Complain about this comment
It would be cheaper to bury cables in the long run, but Americans don't think long term. It's all about instant gratification. Make money now and let someone else worry about costs later.
Complain about this comment
Marc in terms of the weather. Washington D.C has never been handle snow. for what ever reason the district considers themselves part of the South.
If D.C gets a small amount expect much of the public to panic.
At least when I lived there D.C had one of the better transit systems.
If this had been in New England Upstate, NY or the North Central part of the country the snow would have been handled much better and removed far quickly.
Complain about this comment
Welcome back . .
Now that's what I call brave. . .I do look forward to the kerfuffle. (And will we get to see a pic of the deportation order :-D )
Complain about this comment
Welcome back to civilization, Mark. Glad to hear you are safe, if somewhat frazzled by your snowmageddon experience. We get our trashing later today, though here in Chicago almost all the cables are underground. And no, I don't think you should go home if you don't like it. Complaining about crappy service is a fair gripe. And after 46 hours in the cold and the dark, you're entitled. I just hope you at least had a nice fire place to huddle around. Those of us who have endured similar, with no option available for hotels or cocktails, salute you!
Now, that dirty little secret you've discovered is commonly believed to be a consequence of having been the first country in the world to indulge in the widespread use of electricity. In the early 20th century, laying electrical cables underground was considered too time consuming and not cost effective. People wanted the new technology NOW! And frankly, no one really saw the need to lay cable, except many years later in the big cities. Of course, the answer to the question "Why haven't things been upgraded?" is what you really want to know.
Well, that's one of the issues Americans talked about in the last election: infrastructure. We need a lot of things done in terms of housekeeping in this country and we've been putting them off for decades. Supposedly for lack of funds. It used to be the politicians blamed it on the cost of rebuilding Europe and the Cold War, and we had to sacrifice and do our duty to save the Western world. But that didn't stop them from building the highway system, so your guess is probably as good as mine as to why there was never a national push to upgrade around the time New York, Chicago and other major cities were doing it - at least in their business districts.
But in terms of your local electric service, you need to complain to the appropriate public officials, who might get after the power company to do some upgrading, but I doubt it. It takes a lot of money (no, it's not cheaper) to tear up the streets, which really upsets local businesses and homeowners even when the end result will be beneficial to them. And I suppose you may eventually come to realize that, other than being the seat of our government, Washington, DC serves no other purpose. It isn't a major city. And for centuries it was just another sleepy small town that got a bit busy at certain times of the year. So no one is going to jump up and down and insist it be made into a fabulous example of American technology on the taxpayers' dime. Not when all the important places that need power 24/7 have already been set up for that. Your neighbors and their spoiled rich kid attitudes aside, if you really hate being without power, get yourself a portable generator. It's the American thing to do.
Complain about this comment
Mark mardell wrote:
"I am not alone in my discomfort suffering the consequences of "snowmaggedon." But as white covers the landscape, it reveals the limits of American power."
This coming from someone where his country shuts down after an inch of snow.
You are going to use a snowstorm as a lead in to bash America? :)
"America has for decades projected an image of modernity and technological superiority, disguising a dirty little secret. Behind the chrome, it's crumbling. At least, it doesn't feel very up to date. Many Americans don't travel widely and so believe their own propaganda.
But living here, Washington can feel like second city of a not very prosperous emerging economy, rather than the capital of the Free World. The snow of course is not anyone's fault, but the power cuts, or outages, as Americans call them, most certainly are."
That is your intelligent and well-informed conclusion after living in the DC area for just a few months?
"For some inconceivable reason in the USA, or at least this part of it, electric power is carried above ground on telegraph poles, not, as in most of the world, underground."
I would bet good money that you really have no idea how most "electrical power" is distributed "in most of the world."
"Cost and distance might make this understandable in Kansas, but I scratch my head to think of a reason in the DC area. So in hurricane and snow, thunderstorms or heavily rain, in any of the inclement weather which regularly batters us, power lines are vulnerable to falling trees and wires coming adrift."
For someone that hasn't been in DC very long you are now all of a sudden an expert on the weather conditions of the area and how they typically affect power lines?
"Of course power cuts happen else where. But in four years living in Belgium I didn't experience one, and the one that I remember in the UK was during the 1973 miners' strike. There probably were others but they can't have lasted more than a couple of hours."
Why would you compare the relatively benign weather of those locations with the typically severe weather of America? That's nonsense.
"I was toying with writing something along these lines a couple of weeks ago when we last had heavy snow."
For what purpose?
Obviously, you are just taking advantage of unusually severe weather to take a cheap shot at America.
"In the few months we've lived here we had already had two longish power cuts, a day and half a day, and I was hoping there wouldn't be another as I trudged down the unmoving escalator in to the metro. The escalators seem to be broken more often than not. When you get down the immobile staircase the stations are uniformly dimly lit. The metro is very efficient but grim."
So now the subway lighting isn't good enough for you either? No pleasing you, is there?
"My own fault, I am sometimes told, for being un-American enough to use public transport."
Americans don't look at anyone in America as being "un-American" because they use public transportation. Where did you come up with that ridiculous nonsense?
And why would they think of you as an American when you obviously are not?
"But the local roads are no better. It is hardly believable that the major highways leading from the prosperous suburbs into the capital of the largest economy in the world are pocked and scarred with potholes of every imaginable shape size and depth. Street lighting is low, and sporadic: you need a torch to go out after dark in the suburban streets."
So the highways are "pocked and scarred with potholes of every imaginable shape size and depth?"
Can you get any more dramatic?
And yes, most suburban and rural parts of America, and throughout the world, like the idea of low light pollution and keeping things looking naturally dark. Our wildlife tends to appreciate it too. That's a good thing.
Besides, more lighting means more carbon emissions. Or is that OK when you are being inconvenienced and wrong when it is time to bash America again about its emissions?
"This is perhaps about spending public money, but the overhead cables have me baffled. Surely in the long run it is cheaper for the companies to dig trenches than to pay gangs of workers to turn out in the middle of the night to fix multiple broken wires."
Maybe you should look into it and get some facts from some professionals before you assume something about which you obviously know little about.
That "public money" and how it should be spent is up to Americans to decide, not for foreigners.
"No doubt some will criticise me for being ungracious about my new home and suggest I should go back to the UK if I don't like what I see. But my job is to report what I find."
For someone that criticizes Americans for not traveling much and for spreading propaganda I would bet such Americans have a much better level of respect for the ways others choose to do things in *their own country.*
Obviously you feel you are well traveled but your remarks don't come across as someone that is very cultured, respectful and wiser as a result, at least when it comes to America.
"The feeling of living in a submerging economy has been a shock to the system."
That's OK, many other so-called Europeans have predicted our demise many times before.
"But 46 hours after the trial began, the power came back on and I am feeling more charitable, bathing in the warm glow of central heating and the ability to access the internet to file this."
Don't forget the lighting. God forbid you'll stub a toe in the suburbs.
Complain about this comment
Allen – You main problem in your little rant is that other American’s, as far as DC is concerned have agreed with him. The most interesting bit though was the ‘so-called Europeans’, how can you have so-called Europeans? I mean its pretty easy either you a European or your not, unless its football or Eurovision when Israel suddenly becomes European.
Mark cannot be one of those so-called Europeans, because he most definitely is European (being born on that particular continent). All in all a rather strange did!
Complain about this comment
5. At 10:24am on 08 Feb 2010, Gavrielle_LaPoste wrote:
"Now, that dirty little secret you've discovered is commonly believed to be a consequence of having been the first country in the world to indulge in the widespread use of electricity."
"The first street in the UK to be lit by electric light was Mosley Street, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The street was lit by Joseph Swan's incandescent lamp in February, 1879. The first in the United States, and second overall, was the Public Square road system in Cleveland, Ohio, on April 29, 1879.
But it doesn't make sense to say it's some kind of historical anomaly not to put electricity cables underground; surely, even in the USA, sewers, waterpipes and phone cables are underground in the cities anyway, aren't they?
(We had a big powercut in central London back in 2003, but it was all restored after about two hours. And the last local one where I live in London was a couple of years ago when a substation packed up; we were without power for about 4 hours, and everyone was fuming. Still, those of us who phoned to ask how long it would be all got a phone call back to say sorry and an estimate of how long the engineers would take to fix it. I don't know anyone in London, or Brussels, who would think of having a generator for a second. Candles, yes . . .)
Complain about this comment
Cost? How much has it cost having no power in a capital city for two days?
Complain about this comment
6. At 10:34am on 08 Feb 2010, AllenT2 wrote:
"most suburban and rural parts of America, and throughout the world, like the idea of low light pollution and keeping things looking naturally dark. Our wildlife tends to appreciate it too. That's a good thing."
Bit tenuous, that. Anyway, the local street lighting here doesn't seem to bother our local urban foxes. Probably helps them sort out the best quality takeaways in the litter bins. Didn't stop a dog fox and a vixen having (very noisy) sex underneath my bedroom window on the pavement a few months ago either. But maybe they were exhibitionists.
Complain about this comment
David Murrell wrote:
"Allen – You main problem in your little rant is that other American’s, as far as DC is concerned have agreed with him."
There are plenty of Americans on this site that also happen to be sycophants and/or Europhiles.
You see his conclusions as something rational and intelligent after only living somewhere for only a few months?
And my post is a "rant" but his isn't? Interesting.
"The most interesting bit though was the ‘so-called Europeans’, how can you have so-called Europeans? I mean its pretty easy either you a European or your not, unless its football or Eurovision when Israel suddenly becomes European.
Mark cannot be one of those so-called Europeans, because he most definitely is European (being born on that particular continent). All in all a rather strange did!"
I'm sure you understand well enough what I mean. Some of you like to speak as if Europe is a country and European is the equivalent of a nationality or a culture. None of those are the case, at least not yet.
Yes, his topic is certainly "strange" coming from someone that should be able to express himself intelligently, professionally, objectively and rationally as a prerequisite to their vocation.
Complain about this comment
Surely no right thinking person can be in any doubt that this is all Obama's fault. What with his talking to foreigners as if they were the equal of Americans, and all that fancy Dan liberal elitist so-called 'thinking' of his, he has sent a message of weakness to the weather terrorists, and they have responded in kind.
This would never have happened if George and Dick were still in power. Or if John and Sarah had won. [Or if it had - somehow I can just imagine Sarah encouraging John to get out there and dig out the driveway in the White House, as an example to the nation. 'You get out there Mr President - never mind those chest pains'....]
Complain about this comment
Well Mark, you always have the option of moving to sunny Florida like so many of us have! I used to live in the Washington area and I am very familiar with the problems you described, including getting stuck for a few days - mother nature is merciless - and the perennial power outages.
Your comment about the inadequacy and backwardness of our power grid, including those horrible 19th century power poles, is right on the money. I have one in front of my house and I hate it, not only because of aesthetic reasons, but because in a state where hurricanes are not uncommon these confounding dynosaurs are downright dangerous.
When one of my brothers in law visited us a little over a year ago I was surprised when I saw him taking pictures of our telephone poles and traffic lights. I asked him why he was doing that and his answer was that his friends in Spain would not believe we still have those antiquated devices in the USA if he didn't show them pictures of them.
The reason given by power and communication companies for not installing their lines underground is cost, but I wouldn't be surprised if unions also object to that long overdue infrastructure improvement on the basis that it would deprive them of the extra pay they earn when they climb poles or use cherry pickers to do their work. Besides, why should we spend money on keeping up with other developed nations when there are still crusades to be fought?
Good luck with the shoveling!
Complain about this comment
squirrelist wrote:
"But it doesn't make sense to say it's some kind of historical anomaly not to put electricity cables underground; surely, even in the USA, sewers, waterpipes and phone cables are underground in the cities anyway, aren't they?"
There are endless examples of technological conveniences that exist in one technologically advanced country but that doesn't exist in others. Many of them can simply be attributed to differences in culture, weather, availability of certain resources, etc, etc, etc.
I wouldn't make some of the kind of nonsensical and ill-informed conclusions about European countries Mr. Mardell has made about America just because air conditioning has long been widespread in America, because our kitchens have garbage disposals and because our homes are better insulated, etc, etc, etc.
"I don't know anyone in London, or Brussels, who would think of having a generator for a second. Candles, yes . . ."
Why would you, you are in a big city. The same thing applies in American cities. Or do you actually think it is common for Americans to have generators in their big city homes and apartments? :)
Complain about this comment
Allen – Who says Europe is a country!?! I am a European and a citizen of the EU, just as I a British subject and English. I think you will find most Europeans are able to accept multiple cultural identities, especially since we share so much integrated history and language.
On the American bashing front, which I don’t think a complaint about the infrastructure is (unless someone has a chip on their shoulder), how about adding to the list. Now this might have changed, though reading that few Americans use debit cards (which are pretty much universal in the UK) it might not have, it shocked me that America didn’t seem to use BACS relying on cheques (or checks) and wire transfers. For those that don’t know BACS is a free three day electronic money transfer that under pins such things as direct debits and standing orders. It is such a simple system, and again pretty universally used in the UK, it always surprised me that the US didn’t use it.
As for a reluctance to use debit cards, well that seems just silly to me, but hey I’m just a European!
Complain about this comment
Ref 8, squirrelist
"But it doesn't make sense to say it's some kind of historical anomaly not to put electricity cables underground; surely, even in the USA, sewers, waterpipes and phone cables are underground in the cities anyway, aren't they?"
All new housing developments in the city where I live have underground utilities installed by the developers. Other "attractions" in new developments include street lights in at least every corner, sidewalks, excellent drainage and other amenities. Older developments, such as the one where I live, which is about 10 years old, still have above ground telephone/power poles, no sidewalks, and very few street lights.
Again, the reason given for the lack of interest in modernizing our cities and towns is usually cost. Utility companies are too focus on profit, are trying to offset the rising cost of fuel, and try to find ways to work around regulation that limits their ability to raise prices. Unions are not in favor of modernization projects that would result in reduced wages, and when citizens are asked at election time if they are willing to accept tax increase to fund modernization projects the answer is almost invariably no.
As you have probably already noticed the problems are not limited to our power grid and other utilities; our roads, bridges and tunnels are crumbling and little is being done to repair them. More often than not improvements are limited to patching potholes rather than replacing roads and bridges that are no longer adequate for the traffic load they support and that, in some cases, are downright dangerous.
You touched on one of the main reasons nothing is being done to improve our antiquated infrastructure, most Americans only travel within the country and when we go overseas it is often to poor countries in Central America or the Caribbean. The result is that we remain convinced tht we are number one, that our systems and way of life are the best in the world, and that there is no need to change what is, ostensibly, the envy of the entire world.
If a significant number of Americans were to travel to Western Europe I am afraid our psychiatrict institutions would have to declare a national emergency as they struggled to treat us for PTSD related problems unrelated to crusades.
Complain about this comment
11. At 11:24am on 08 Feb 2010, AllenT2 wrote:
"Some of you like to speak as if Europe is a country and European is the equivalent of a nationality or a culture. None of those are the case, at least not yet."
Well, I'm a 'British national' and also a European citizen. (I'm quite used to the idea of being free to wander about any of the 26 nations in it, though over the last ten years I've only regularly shared my time between three of them.) And Europe--as a continent--has shared culture (art, architecture and music especially, since none of those three depend necessarily on language or nationality) most obviously for the 500 years since the Renaissance, but in many ways for 2000. . .
Complain about this comment
14. At 11:41am on 08 Feb 2010, AllenT2 wrote:
"I wouldn't make some of the kind of nonsensical and ill-informed conclusions about European countries Mr. Mardell has made about America just because air conditioning has long been widespread in America, because our kitchens have garbage disposals and because our homes are better insulated, etc, etc, etc."
I think you just have :-D
"Or do you actually think it is common for Americans to have generators in their big city homes and apartments"
No idea. (5. At 10:24am on 08 Feb 2010, Gavrielle_LaPoste wrote:"if you really hate being without power, get yourself a portable generator. It's the American thing to do.") But it looks as though it might be a good idea in some. . .
Complain about this comment
@ squirrelist
I didn't say the first country, I said "first country to indulge in WIDESPREAD use". And by widespread, I mean dozens of major cities and suburbs went from gas light to electric within a very short span over a VAST area.
But it doesn't make sense to say it's some kind of historical anomaly not to put electricity cables underground; surely, even in the USA, sewers, waterpipes and phone cables are underground in the cities anyway, aren't they?
Sewers and water pipes were always underground, except when they were runnels in the street or wells. Although, again, in older cities like New York and Chicago, some of the water mains are well over 150 years old. But most phone cables were at least partly above ground, even in New York City, until the 1970s. In the 1980s a lot of them went underground with fiber optics while they were wiring the city for cable television, but not all. And in most suburban areas the cable television is still above ground. There's even jokes about the fact that if your cable goes out it's because another squirrel got fried breaking into the cable box!
You have to remember, it cost a great deal of time and money to wire a country this size in the first place. To upgrade the whole of the country would take decades and not every municipality has the money to invest in such an endeavor. And it's just not worth it to the power companies to do anything unless, as in Chicago a few years back after a series of long blackouts during one of the hottest summers on record, they are forced to invest in the infrastructure by the city. The power companies actually believe it is cheaper to spend $10 or $20 million in overtime for spot repairs every year than to shell out $100 or $200 million to upgrade an entire city.
The situation in London you describe is similar to situations I've experienced here in Chicago. But this is a major city and it was worth it to the city planners to do the necessary upgrades for the sake of keeping the city running, because Chicago doesn't just get snow, it gets tornadoes, ice storms, torrential rains, severe wind storms and electrical storms. And even then the upgrades happened over a couple of decades.
And in many ways Europe actually got very lucky as a result of being rebuilt. America didn't just send you guys old technology we were no longer using. Europe got the best of the current technology that was available - which we didn't get because it was sent to you. America might have upgraded wholesale, but we couldn't. Because we had to make sure Europe was stabilized, otherwise there'd be another World War and no one wanted that. At least, that's what I was taught when I was growing up in the 60s: That Europe needed to become as advanced as the US so it could be a healthy partner and make the world a safe place for all of us. Of course, what they didn't tell us was that having given Europe a hand up, the Europeans would then turn and sneer at America for being backwards because we sacrificed our technological advantage for the sake of a peace which they now enjoy.
Complain about this comment
19. At 12:02pm on 08 Feb 2010, Gavrielle_LaPoste wrote:
"There's even jokes about the fact that if your cable goes out it's because another squirrel got fried breaking into the cable box!"
Squirrelpost:
Hush. Just because our cousins see no reason why they should have to pay for Foxy stuff as well, there's no need to broadcast what they get up to.
(I think, btw, you have a rather odd idea about European reconstruction after WWII. France's electrification of the entire rail network had nothing to do with the Marshall plan. This must be a record: the bloody war's getting in in the act before we've even got to 20 posts now?)
Complain about this comment
15. At 11:48am on 08 Feb 2010, David Murrell wrote:
Now this might have changed, though reading that few Americans use debit cards (which are pretty much universal in the UK) it might not have, it shocked me that America didn’t seem to use BACS relying on cheques (or checks) and wire transfers. For those that don’t know BACS is a free three day electronic money transfer that under pins such things as direct debits and standing orders. It is such a simple system, and again pretty universally used in the UK, it always surprised me that the US didn’t use it.
As for a reluctance to use debit cards, well that seems just silly to me, but hey I’m just a European!
Debits cards are finally becoming somewhat popular here. Most people just didn't need them because credit cards were so easy to get and there was always free checking. You also aren't taking into account that if there is no call for a financial product in a particular area of the country, most places aren't going to offer it. The poor have been using debit cards for ages here, by the way, but you wouldn't know that because no one does articles on what it's like to be poor and not be able to rent a car or pay for a plane ticket because you can't get a credit card. Debit cards make sense for those who need them. Most Americans didn't.
Complain about this comment
Ref 18, squirrelist
"But it looks as though it might be a good idea in some. . ."
About three years ago three hurricanes headed straight to the area where I live. By the time they got to the city where I live two had been downgraded to tropical storms and the biggest concern was flooding. The third was still a category one hurricane when it got here and, as it so often happens, fallen trees knocked down power lines throughout the city and neighboring cities and towns. We were without power for four days, which is not something to look forward to in Florida in the summer.
Long lines of utility trucks and crews from all over the state and neighboring states worked tirelessly in clearing the debris and repairing our power lines.
All the hardware stores ran out of portable, gas operated, power genrators within 25 hours. Trucks from neighboring states soon appeared with enterprising fellows selling power generators for twice the amount they normally sell for, and some good neighbors, including one of mine, generously shared the little power they had with their friends. Long extension cords soon appeared throughout the neighborhood and some of us were able to keep our refrigerators running and keep a small fan running in the sweltering heat. May simply packed up and headed to Georgia and other states.
As it happens so often, the memories of that experience faded within months and we all remain as reluctant as ever to accept a tax increase to improve our infrastructure.
I think it is important to point out that infrastructure improvements is an integral part of the much maligned stimulus package...
Complain about this comment
David Murrell wrote:
"Allen – Who says Europe is a country!?! I am a European and a citizen of the EU, just as I a British subject and English."
You are doing what I said right now by making the EU the equivalent of the British *nation* and by calling yourself a "citizen" of the EU as if somehow that is the equivalent to what you are to Britain.
First definition of citizen is: 1. A person owing loyalty to and entitled by birth or naturalization to the protection of a state or nation.
"I think you will find most Europeans are able to accept multiple cultural identities,"
It's not like they have a choice, do they? Or will they make a choice otherwise down the road? :)
"especially since we share so much integrated history and language."
You can't have meaningful integration in a cultural sense and/or with the hope of creating a nation when there are so many different cultures to deal with. And you certainly can not "share" "language" when most of them are different to each other.
"On the American bashing front, which I don’t think a complaint about the infrastructure is (unless someone has a chip on their shoulder), how about adding to the list."
The only person with a chip on his shoulder so far is the author of this topic. I'm not the one bashing countries in his part of the world.
Add what? Bash my own country to a bunch of foreigners? Bash countries in Europe in response?
Negative.
"Now this might have changed, though reading that few Americans use debit cards (which are pretty much universal in the UK) it might not have, it shocked me that America didn’t seem to use BACS relying on cheques (or checks) and wire transfers. For those that don’t know BACS is a free three day electronic money transfer that under pins such things as direct debits and standing orders. It is such a simple system, and again pretty universally used in the UK, it always surprised me that the US didn’t use it."
You really want to play the game of trying to compare technology with the most overall technologically advanced country in the world?
God, so many you people over there are so insecure.
"As for a reluctance to use debit cards, well that seems just silly to me, but hey I’m just a European!"
No, you are the nationality of your country. If it is Britain then you are British.
Europe isn't a country.
Complain about this comment
squirrelist wrote:
"I think you just have :-D"
That is your illogical conclusion.
"No idea. (5. At 10:24am on 08 Feb 2010, Gavrielle_LaPoste wrote:"if you really hate being without power, get yourself a portable generator. It's the American thing to do.") But it looks as though it might be a good idea in some. . ."
You have "no idea" and yet you make comments alluding to just that.
Complain about this comment
squirrelist wrote:
"Well, I'm a 'British national' and also a European citizen."
No you are not.
The first and standard meaning of "citizen is: A person owing loyalty to and entitled by birth or naturalization to the protection of a state or nation.
"I'm quite used to the idea of being free to wander about any of the 26 nations in it, though over the last ten years I've only regularly shared my time between three of them.) And Europe--as a continent--has shared culture (art, architecture and music especially, since none of those three depend necessarily on language or nationality) most obviously for the 500 years since the Renaissance, but in many ways for 2000. . ."
Dream on Europhile. :)
Complain about this comment
21. At 12:17pm on 08 Feb 2010, Gavrielle_LaPoste wrote:
"The poor have been using debit cards for ages here, by the way, but you wouldn't know that because no one does articles on what it's like to be poor and not be able to rent a car or pay for a plane ticket because you can't get a credit card. Debit cards make sense for those who need them. Most Americans didn't."
Just seems a bit illogical; everybody uses them here now, because unlike credit cards, you don't pay anything extra, just like paper cheques. I can use mine to get cash (free of any charges) from ATM's all over Europe, and even, I discovered last year, in Damascus. David would know, I guess, but I don't think anyone in Europe 'called' for them, AFAIK the banks introduced them and people reckoned they were a good idea and took them up. One does get startled at these different cultural ideas across the Atlantic. Like it would be 'poor' people who use them, that seems so odd.
Complain about this comment
I would suggest Mark Mardell doesn't get on a high horse about the state of affairs in the US. As a German living in the UK (and having lived in the US for 16 years), I can assure you the UK has plenty of blind spots of its own when it comes to housing/infrastructure. Insulation and water heaters in particular are still substandard in most British homes as compared to Germany.
Complain about this comment
As an American living a few hours south of D.C. (and fortunately outside the "snowmageddon" zone this time), I have to agree. We lose power in my city regularly not only when it snows or ices but during the occasional heavy rainstorm or when a drunk driver plows into a power pole. And we certainly have other infrastructure problems--the potholes in the road and weakening bridges are no exaggeration.
I believe much of it is simply that Americans don't like to pay taxes or other fees that pay for boring infrastructure projects. And power companies want to focus on short-term profits. There is a definite "head in the sand" mentality at times.
I love my country, my city, and my state, but I roll my eyes at some of the short-sightedness here and at the blind thoughtless pseudo-patriotism of those who can't stand any criticism of America, no matter how constructive.
Of course, in some parts of the country underground power lines could be affected by the masses of fire ants that are attracted to them .... ugh.
Complain about this comment
25. At 12:34pm on 08 Feb 2010, AllenT2 wrote:
squirrelist wrote:
"Well, I'm a 'British national' and also a European citizen."
No you are not.
Oh yes I am.
Complain about this comment
25. At 12:34pm on 08 Feb 2010, AllenT2 wrote:
"No, you are the nationality of your country. If it is Britain then you are British." Well, no, actually, in that case I'm English.
Complain about this comment
Actually, there were power cuts of a few hours in some parts of Surrey in the recent snow.
But yes, there does seem to be plenty of evidence that the USA hasn't been investing sufficiently in infrastructure since about the time of Reagan - witness the New Orleans levees and all the fuss about bridges a couple of years ago.
And in my admittedly limited experience, one thing Americans visiting Europe note is the reliability of the electricity supply: not just the lack of power cuts, but also things like better protection from spikes in thunderstorms.
I doubt the Marshall Plan has been relevant to any of this for over thirty years.
Complain about this comment
I'm an American married to a 'so-called' European (he's Irish and the name you see posted here is his silly idea, not mine...butt anyway.) Now we live in France where we have a small business. I write to say 'Right-on' (or actually from my point of view, 'Left-on') Mark. I left the US four years ago at the end of 'The Lost Decade' as GWB was winding up his term with a big finish--The Katrina Disaster. Talk about 'crumbling'--that shameful and shocking mess truly did reveal the soft underbelly of America. Some of the last images I saw on American TV were of hungry babies and children starving at the 'Super' dome and people floating face down in the streets of N O. Why? Because the infra-structure (in this case the levies were not funded) has been left to crumble. Indeed the roads are crumbling and pocked with pot-holes. The rotten state of massive numbers of America's public schools is shameful, the health system?, rampant crime, etc., etc. From my point of view America is living on borrowed time--like most people have been living on borrowed money for decades.
Over here in 'so-called' Europe, things are certainly not perfect but most things like electricity do work. And health care? Wow. I, as a 'resident'--not a citizen but a legal resident because I am married to a European, have access to fabulous and virtually free health care of the highest quality. I receive regular letters reminding me to have my flu shot, a mammogram, a Pap smear, etc., etc. Last year I had a small concern and the next thing I knew my doctor had scheduled me for an MIR, 'just to be sure.' I paid the equivalent of about $50 for that. I shudder to think what it would have cost me in the US even with my HMO 'coverage'
which cost me an arm and leg in monthly premiums and then each intervention cost an extra $10, $20, $100 or more. I never saw the same doctor twice, I saw dodgy looking sanitation practices in the clinics I was assigned too--and so on and so on. The last straw was when a friend took me to the HMO hospital to which I was assigned because I had a soaring fever, a deep chest cough and was terribly weak--I was very ill. It felt much like pneumonia which I had had once before. I was given a cursory examination and I was prescribed a powerful pain killer (Percodan) and sent home--and I had Private Health Care! Amazing!
I could go on and on but that's enough.
As an ex-American (and I am that. I won't come back) I don't 'hate' America, but I am really sad about the state of it. I was truly thrilled when Obama was elected and now I am shocked by the expectation of so many people that he could just wave his hand and fix, in one short year, everything that has been broken for decades. How absurd! All Americans, especially those who so Love their country, should see it as their Patriotic duty to support their duly and democratically elected President.
Hey, America, Wake up!
Complain about this comment
@AllenT2 #various
Don't worry - although we have better electricity, gas, water, health and judicial services, you have better and more advanced weapons systems than we do.
Complain about this comment
ref #31
But yes, there does seem to be plenty of evidence that the USA hasn't been investing sufficiently in infrastructure since about the time of Reagan - witness the New Orleans levees and all the fuss about bridges a couple of years ago.
_____________
Yes infastructure has been neglected, but New Orleans is a special case. there are some places that simply should not have been developed for residential use. i went to school there two years and speak from experience.
Complain about this comment
The energy industry in the US is as dirty as it gets. Companies don't reinvest their profits, they pocket them. When infrastructure falls apart they hold out their hands in disbelief, with palms open waiting for a public bailout. When it's time to bury fuel rods, they're broke, when natural incidents occur, they're broke, and when it's time to build a new power plant, they can only do it if we break them an endless array of tax cuts and other kick backs. This covers just about 99% of private business in the social/utility service sector. And as large business slowly grows to invade and evade politics in Europe, Marc, you will see more of the same. The US is not a Roman column that slowly crumbles for a lack of thought, it is the scene of crime taking place.
Complain about this comment
20. At 12:16pm on 08 Feb 2010, squirrelist wrote:
I think, btw, you have a rather odd idea about European reconstruction after WWII. France's electrification of the entire rail network had nothing to do with the Marshall plan. This must be a record: the bloody war's getting in in the act before we've even got to 20 posts now?
If it weren't for the Marshall Plan, do you really think France would have been able to afford its nifty little project? Or do you think they might have been singing Russian folk songs celebrating the collective, long before they got to enjoy their "electrified" rail? It's not what the plan specifically paid for that was important, it's what it allowed Europe to become by providing a breathing space for her people to recover.
You know, I get the fact that no one likes having to feel grateful all the time. It's humiliating. I get it. And I don't expect Europeans to be grateful. But the least you guys could do is not negate everything America did by insisting you'd have been doing it anyway - even though you were broke, busted and barely able to feed yourselves after the war.
26. At 12:38pm on 08 Feb 2010, squirrelist wrote:
Just seems a bit illogical; everybody uses them here now, because unlike credit cards, you don't pay anything extra, just like paper cheques. I can use mine to get cash (free of any charges) from ATM's all over Europe, and even, I discovered last year, in Damascus. David would know, I guess, but I don't think anyone in Europe 'called' for them, AFAIK the banks introduced them and people reckoned they were a good idea and took them up. One does get startled at these different cultural ideas across the Atlantic. Like it would be 'poor' people who use them, that seems so odd.
If you can afford the fees to borrow money you don't actually have, which is the point of the credit card, why would having a debit card be logical? A debit card is a pay as you go affair, unless you've got it tied to your bank account. And having it from your bank is dangerous here, because they'll let you use it like a credit card and slap hefty overdraft fees on the thing without telling you in advance. I got mine (Visa) from a currency exchange and I load it up with money at the beginning of the month, for a small fee, to pay all my bills by phone. When the money's gone there are no fees - and ATMs usually charge a usage fee here if you aren't part of their banking system. If I need cash I can go to a supermarket or drug store, buy one item and get cash back for nothing if I need it. I know it's screwed up, but the banks have control of the government and until we start cutting them down to size things will ever change.
Now, I hate to run out on a wonderful conversation, but I really do have to go shopping. We aren't quite getting snowmageddon, but they are predicting 9 inches over the next couple of days. I'll be back in a few hours to defend myself if a defense is needed. In the meantime, have a lovely day, squirrel! And I promise, I won't rat out your little cousins if you tell your Commonwealth companions in Canada to take back their bloody geese! The darn things don't seem to realize they are NOT wintering in warmer climes when they take up residence on a baseball field that stays green because there are huge steam pipes running underneath it. Those are giant PUDDLES, not a strangely shallow pond in the middle of that muddy, goose poop and snow covered field!
Complain about this comment
# 29 squirrelist wrote:
"Oh yes I am."
8 Feb - I'd assumed panto season was over for another year.
[Altogether now - 'Oh no it isn't!'. ;-)
Apologies to Americans, on whom this may be wasted.]
Complain about this comment
Beautiful fluffy
snow quieting the city
chaotic silence.
I love your article, Mr. Mardell. You're definitely entitled to complain a bit after 36 hours without power. We didn't lose power at all with this storm, being farther north where there's less snow. Even when the remains of some hurricanes came through a few years ago causing flooding almost to the level of Agnes in 1972 we didn't lose power that long. I guess the infrastructure in DC is just worse than it is here.
I had great fun shoveling for hours, then while others in the nation where watching the Ain'ts become the Saints I was watching some children, and helping them build a huge snow fort.
Cheers! As you Brits would say.
Complain about this comment
To AllenT2 or anyone,
I'm interested in how you distinguish between "constructive criticism" and "America bashing".
1) If someone criticizes the president of the USA would you regard it as
"America bashing" and encourage them to be more patriotic and try to discourage the person from making the critical comments in the best interests of the USA?
2) Would you be able to assess the validity of the critical comments without knowing the source (whether the person was American or non-American)?
Complain about this comment
FAO AllenT2
Your response highlights so many reasons as to why so many "europeans" (and infact alot of non americans) have such a bad stereotype of Americans.
Quite frankly embarrassing. I think the article highlights and extreme amount of weaknesses in American Electricity. Which are, whether you like it or not.....accurate.
You seem to have got yourself in a little pickle simply because a not-one-of-your-own has delivered some critiscms of America, and instead of replying with a balanced with about an opinion of an "alien", you have instead decided to be aggressive to that person for delivering it.
I wonder whether you have forgot your roots? I wonder whether you have forgotten tho whole aspect of American democracy, free speech and equality?
Regards.
A "european" married to an "american" living in America, working in the American Power industry.
Complain about this comment
Poor roads,burying cable,telephone,and electric lines,and other poor services,they are simple to answer.The great fight between the different levels of government.In my state. Local,County,and State branches argue about who has authority and who should pay.Detroit Metro has been arguing for 30 years about whether we should build public transportation or not.Roads are always debated as well as schools and cops which also fall under more than one department.On the right road,You can get a ticket from 3 different types of cops.Local,County and State.But this year winter has been some what ironic.Michigan and Detroit area has actually had a pleasant winter in terms of Michigan standards.Enjoy the snow.
Complain about this comment
I think excluding the disadvantages of more light pollution etc. if we were to improve infrastructure, you're touching on a very important broad problem that america is facing now. For a century now we are living off the same technology and have not had the political will to constantly upgrade our infrastructure. It is why America will fall behind, and who knows maybe that will be a good thing and will make us get off our butt since American's pride themselves so much on being number 1 maybe actually realizing that they are number 2 will spring them into action. Not sure if i think thats a good reason though to get off their butt's though
Complain about this comment
Allen T2, As so frequently happens when non-Americans point out that your country isn't perfect, the red mist has descended.
I am a Scotsman, a British subject and a European citizen, a member of the commonwealth and opposite setter in my volleyball team. I can be all of these without any problems as membership of one does not preclude membership of any other. What state do you come from? Do you have to renounce this before you call yourself an American?
I hate to bring this back to politics, but isn't this another case where companies cannot justify the level of investment needed to move all the cables underground. In Europe, the government would fund this, but there isn't a mechanism in the US for the government to do this without someone yelling "Socialism"!!
Complain about this comment
Brave man for writing this Mark! Have to say I've not been much out of Kentucky since moving here from England, and made it in time for our states 'worst storm in a century' last year and was amazed how normal the folk seemed to believe it was to be told there'd be no power for up to 4 weeks. I had assumed it was just the more rural areas that were so antiquated.
I think the post #1/Jason had it spot on, they keep it this way to keep the number of jobs in the industry up. The prohibitive costs which they claim stop them from doing things properly should surely be accountable when entire cities/states grind to a halt for multiple days.
Complain about this comment
# 28 eggnut wrote:
"I love my country, my city, and my state, but I roll my eyes at some of the short-sightedness here and at the blind thoughtless pseudo-patriotism of those who can't stand any criticism of America, no matter how constructive."
Thank you eggnut - v well put.
Having said that, please prepare yourself to be informed that anyone who dares to suggest that the US is in any way less than perfect is either
[a] a pinko-commie-European, who secretly wants to be an American, or
[b] a pinko-commie-American, who secretly wants to be a European
As opposed of course to Mr Mardell and the Beeb, who are apparently
[c] pinko-commie-Europeans, who secretly want to turn America into Europe....
Complain about this comment
36. At 1:20pm on 08 Feb 2010, Gavrielle_LaPoste wrote:
"...even though you were broke, busted and barely able to feed yourselves after the war."
Can't argue with you there, we borrowed almost 10% of what you guys currently owe China in real terms (Marshall plan - $13bn, circa 6% of US GDP vs US debt to China - $9,985bn, circa 70% of US GDP).
Complain about this comment
Allen – I am an EU citizen, and here’s why: I am an Englishman (England is a country and it where I was born) and thus a British subject (I am a subject of Her Majesty, which I kind of like in a strange kind of way) the United Kingdom is a member state of the European Union as a citizen/subject of one of the member states I am a citizen of the EU as a whole, a citizenship that gives me certain rights and privileges in the other member states. So by being a subject of the British Monarchy I am automatically a citizen of the EU, thereby indirectly meeting your definition (indirectly as I am a subject rather than a citizen of the country of my birth).
Most Europeans shared a common cultural identity well before the coming of the EU, I believe that the Swiss regard themselves as Europeans and have never joined. Of course we share languages, English is a Germanic language which shares a number of similarities to both Dutch and German (actually Dutch and Deutsche are the same word, just dependant on accent – for reference the Pennsylvania Dutch came from Germany originally not the Lowlands/Netherlands, it is simply because of accent they didn’t become the Pennsylvania Deutsche). Dutch is also called Flemish one of the languages spoken in Belgium, who also speak a French dialect. French in addition to being spoken in France is also spoken in Switzerland (who also speak German and Italian, depending on which part of Switzerland they come from). German is also spoken in Austria.
If you can speak one of the Romance languages, you can probably understand some of what is spoken elsewhere, like you can with a Germanic tongue. The Netherlands count English as a second tongue and more people speak English as their first tongue in places like Amsterdam than they do Dutch.
If you go to Spain you will find people who consider themselves Catalan before Spanish, Germany you have Prussians etc. Europe is a very old continent and its borders have shifted, people ten generations ago (in some cases even less) living in the same town would have lived in a different country. Indeed until recently Berwick was at war with Russia, which would be the English town of Berwick-Upon-Tweed and not England and/or Britain.
As for BACS, it’s got little to do with technology and has been an aspect of British banking from at least the 70’s, hardly a new fangled thing.
Oh and finally I am in this order: English, British and then European. Cods to this ‘If it is Britain then you are British’ hogwash, just tell someone born in Cardiff that they are just British!
Complain about this comment
Regarding Allen T2's sulky little diatribe; surely the much vaunted freedom that America has won for the rest of us to bask in, includes Mr Mardell's right to criticise what he sees fit. You seem to live in a Stalinesque world where criticism is wrong and by definition the American way is the best way. Sure, much of what America does it does magnificently well but even the most myopic visitor to the States is struck by the relatively backward infrastructure, the poor roads and rail network, the crumbling bridges and of course the rampant poverty and homelessness which is perhaps all the more striking given the conspicuous wealth it is surrounded by.
I guess it'll never change though. Not while blinkered little bigots like Allen T2 are around. Roll on the next generation!
Complain about this comment
@AllenT2 #6
"This coming from someone where his country shuts down after an inch of snow."
Shut down? When? I don't remember that. In my region in UK we had snow falls and freezing temperatures for about a month since mid December. Didn't stop me getting to and from work - nor my colleagues. AND for the first time since the 1970's, we had a power cut. It lasted just under 30 minutes.
Complain about this comment
# 33 GeeDeeSea wrote:
"
@AllenT2 #various
Don't worry - although we have better electricity, gas, water, health and judicial services, you have better and more advanced weapons systems than we do. "
I have no doubt that this thought would have been of enormous consolation to the Mardells and their neighbours - as they shivered in the candlelight...
;-)
Complain about this comment
Ref 26, Squirrelist
"Just seems a bit illogical; everybody uses them here now, because unlike credit cards, you don't pay anything extra, just like paper cheques. I can use mine to get cash (free of any charges) from ATM's all over Europe"
I use my debit card regularly, and pay most of my bills electronically. ATMs are available throughout the USA, not only in banks, but in shopping malls and other facilities as well. As you pointed out, they are a very convenient and inexpensive tool, particularly when you use your bank's ATM and do not have to pay processing fees.
The reason their use in the USA is not as widespread as in Europe is because of our debt problems. Debit cards work beautifully when you have money in your checking or savings account, they don't work very well when you are broke and depend on credit to support your needs.
The apparent ambivalence of a large segment of the population of the USA to the need of upgrading our infrastructure and embracing new concepts is not influenced by ignorance, rather, it is influenced by the fact that we are broke and because of a conscious decision to place our priorities on things that are different from what most developed countries consider important.
Improvements in infrastructure and social programs usually take a back seat to the need to address our fears of foreign threats, our love with the military and weaponry, our love of sports and our determination of being the best in that area, and our naive belief in righteousness and the need to enlighten the rest of the world.
Until we recognize that we are no longer number one - except for military might - and that unless we focus on what needs to be done at home to prepare our country for the challenges of the 21st century - including paying the piper - I fear it will not be long before we are sidelined, and the EU and countries like China, Japan, India and Brazil assume the global leadership role we once had.
depends on limited by reasons that go well beyond the availability of technology or knowhow ignorance, in some cases they are influenced by financial considerations that often reflect a much deeper and dangerous problem than the superficiality of convenience.
Complain about this comment
Complain about this comment
LOL excelent stuff Mr Mardel.
"Behind the chrome, it's crumbling. At least, it doesn't feel very up to date. Many Americans don't travel widely and so believe their own propaganda."
Yep. Problem is people that say something get derided with patriotism.
wrap up keep warm in a flag.
Most Brits I know are so cynical we know our infrastructure is falling apart.
They believed the same propaganda about GM, the US banking system. the houses they are built.
the nation still runs 110 and looses great amounts of power.
but hey we all like plugging in our welders to the kitchen socket. so convenient (sorry ).
the place is falling apart from the days they build the greatness of the country. the empire has been crumbling for sometime now.
they are so busy laughing at the few Brits who think of empire they forgot to look around.
Still you should have fun with this. I'm not sure if ma has returned from hiding yet but daring to mention electricity issues with him around could cause a few more sparks.
Complain about this comment
And amazing I'm not banned yet this morning. lets see how long this lasts.
Complain about this comment
Oh dear Mark, now look what you have started; a verbal war between America and Europe.
Shame on you! ;)
Complain about this comment
Easytarget; you might find it easier to get your comments banned if anyone could understand them. Might I suggest a spelling 101 would be a start?
Complain about this comment
# 27 Andrea Paterson wrote:
"I would suggest Mark Mardell doesn't get on a high horse about the state of affairs in the US. As a German living in the UK (and having lived in the US for 16 years), I can assure you the UK has plenty of blind spots of its own when it comes to housing/infrastructure. Insulation and water heaters in particular are still substandard in most British homes as compared to Germany."
I think you misunderstand Mr M. While he's understandably unhappy about no power for 2 days, I certainly wouldn't read his post as meaning 'everything's perfect in the UK'. That would be v 'unBritish', in my experience.
The Irish stand up comic Dara O Briain, recently put out a book about the British - he lives over there and tours a lot. I haven't read it but he's been on Tv publicising it, and one of the things that struck him was how critical British people are of the UK - excessively so in his view.
On this basis, I v much doubt whether the average Brit would be at all surprised to hear that housing/infrastructure, insulation and water heaters are better in Germany.
I also think that, if a foreigner notes things in the US that seem to be worse than in other countries, it's not necessarily gloating or anti-Americanism to point it out. It may just be surprise. We expect more. After all, Mr M is in the capital of what is still the richest, most powerful country there has ever been. Is it really too much for him to expect that they could keep the lights on?
Complain about this comment
# 52 craiginamerica wrote:
_____________
'Whereof we cannot speak, thereof we must remain silent' - Wittgenstein
;-)
Complain about this comment
I start reading the comments and the very first post by Jason has it wrong. Public sector? US power companies? Not in most of the country, and certainly not in Washington DC. The most spectacular failures of electricity distribution in recent years have been private operators notorious for lack of investment in their networks. Check out Ameren in the St. Louis area, for example.
Then there's regulation of the network itself. Governments seem to be unwilling to hold private industries or even private contractors to a sufficiently high standard. As sorry as the distribution system appears, it's less vulnerable to catastrophic failure than the core of our grid, which remains very vulnerable to going down for tens of millions of people as happened in the northeast a few years ago. That's why the Obama Administration has made improving the power grid a top priority; if you wonder what their "green energy" initiative is spending money on this is one of the big ones.
Transportation in the US is equally dysfunctional. It is is done on the cheap and with a big formula-based bias in favor of rural areas. Most states specify only six to nine inches of pavement for expressways, tollways and other motorway-like superhighways, and with not nearly enough gravel and sand underneath for the foundation. It's easier to build on the cheap than telling voters to stump up for a tax increase to build the road properly. Also easier to build cheap than telling rural politicians that, no, they CANNOT claim "economic development" as a reason to upgrade that road with only 5,000 users a day from two-lane to divided highway (dual carriageway).
But as a result you end up with roads that fall apart after a few years, costing motorists, bus operators and trucking firms a packet for vehicle repairs and driving cyclists off the roads altogether. The only winners in the end are car repair shops.
Complain about this comment
Why must these conversations always descend into xenophobic nonsense? First of all, as a resident of Metro-Washington, I can agree on this areas shortcomings, especially as related to snowstorms. However, I have lived and spent plenty of time in other parts of the U.S. and in other countries, so I am SOMEWHAT qualified in some of my observations.
Number one: the pot-holes that Mr. Mardell talks about are there due to road salt and grit put in for the winter storms. They will be completely fixed during the Spring thaw(as they are every year). If you have lived here for several years, or asked your neighbors Mr. Mardell, you would know this. Second: to David Mardell, I don't know who has been filling your head with rubbish about the U.S. and debit cards. I got my first debit card in 1992 when I opened my first bank account when I started attending university. I was 18 at the time and everyone I knew had a debit card. My British cousins were, if fact, amazed when they visited here a few years ago that you could use them universally and especially, at the gas(petrol)pump and not have to go inside to pay ( I now see that becoming more common over on your end). Third: yes, the electric grid in the U.S. is pathetic, but in most places that I have lived, losing electricity was a rare event. Most cities and suburbs that I have lived in the U.S. have all utilities underground, only the rural areas consistently have above ground wires. Fourth: during my many visits overseas to family and friends, I have found that even the most modern homes don't always have the latest insulation, window glazing, efficient water heaters, non-damp homes (hello U.K.), that are considered standard here in the U.S. And yes, I have lived in Florida and know how damp things can quickly get inside a non-efficient home.
Having said all of the above, everywhere has its pros and cons. One must realize that in order to fully understand and experience an area and or, country (vast and small, alike) you need to live there or travel there for several years before you are FULLY qualified to make an accurate observation. I would like to see a discussion on this forum that, for once, is an intelligent exchange of ideas and thoughts from people across the world, instead of one-upmanship. That is what this forum is supposed to be about, a proper exchange of ideas, experiences and good natured correction of mis-information. I will probably not be published or moderated, so carry on.
Complain about this comment
AllenT2
Mark is a professional journalist who is fulfilling the primary responsibility of his profession by subjecting the structures of governance to criticism. This article expresses a legitimate grievance that has indeed become personalised for the author. That he has the good grace to be almost apologetic for expressing these views is to his credit. I find it incomprehensible that you have taken umbrage to this piece and that you had gone on to use insulting language in the process. You have in effect belittled the logic and intelligence of the author, and by those who disagree with you, but in your posts here I am yet to see anything that resembles an argument, whether logical or otherwise.
I have lived in the US for a considerable period and while I do very much enjoy the country, that does not mean that it is perfect in every way (of course nowhere is) nor does it mean that I am not perfectly within my rights to point out what I perceive to be flaws. Certainly, to me, the standard of public infrastructure in parts of the US is below par. I cannot remember a time when a bridge has collapsed, causing fatalities, in a Western European country though I seem to remember 2 in recent times in the US. But that aside, the main point I wish to make, and my biggest gripe with the US, is that political/journalistic discussions often descend into petty name calling both in the US media and in the wider public domain which, I believe, is squeezing the possibilities for reasoned and informed discussion. Talk radio in particular has contributed to this trend. It is the right of all citizens of, and visitors to, the US to express whatever views they like even if they are incorrect. This is a founding principle of the US. I find it very ironic that often the most patriotic of Americans have very little understanding of the very values they purport to enjoy. The disconnect between the wonderful, beautiful ideals expressed in the US constitution and the way some people claim to implement them is a source of bewilderment and irritation for me.
By participating in this growing trend of attacking the legitimacy/intelligence of views you disagree with, you are in effect limiting the sphere where the freedom of speech can be effectively exercised. Surrounding this practice in cod-nationalism serves only to give intolerance an illusory veneer of legitimacy.
Complain about this comment
It snowed. You lost power. I get it. It happens. Get over it.
Complain about this comment
First I will agree with you about America's physical infrastructure crumbling through neglect. This is true for the public sector, the utilities, and the private sector. When the consequences of this neglect become more manifest it will be discovered that there aren't enough people available at any price to patch it up fast enough. The skilled engineers and designers cannot be imported either as America has its own standards and methods that are different from most other countries. Americans have neglected the maintenance of their infrastructure far too long. The failure of the levees in New Orleans was symptomatic of a much wider systemic problem. It is one thing to build roads, bridges, power system and quite another to maintain them. It is estimated that there are about 80,000 bridges and overpasses that are in various states of jeopardy of collapsing due to failure of routine maintenance. The question is invariably not if they will fail but only when. Failure through neglect to maintain or replace capital structures is inevitable. The consequences of mismanagement of the financial system will pale by comparison and this one won't be solved by just the stroke of a few pens on bills in congress, it will take decades to rebuild and require a lot of training and employment of engineers, designers, and trades people. Companies should have been spending their money on this effort to create and maintain wealth instead of playing financial games buying, selling, and speculating on other companies and gambling in financial markets.
Many of the power lines are overhead for practical reasons. First of all they date back to times before it was practical or necessary to bury them. They only have a lifespan of about 20 to 30 years. They'd have to be dug up periodically to be replaced. If they are directly burried as is often the case, replacement can take considerable time. The usual cause of these outages is snow landing on tree limbs or wind blowing trees over causing them to fall on the power lines taking them down. Replacing individual sections when required that are overhead is far faster and cheaper than it would be digging them up. Also it avoids a lot of accidents where contractors inadvertently excavate for construction in the wrong place and damage them. Not all contractors follow the rules by calling for their locations to be identified before they start digging.
The US is by far the largest single consumer and producer of electricity in the world. Its power system is spread out over an entire continent. To replace that with an underground system is very impractical and would be prohibitively expensive. On the other hand, routine trimming of trees near power lines would be far cheaper if not quite as effective.
The power generating capacity has not kept up with demand. There are areas such as Southern California which are already routinely in grave jeopardy of shortages. As a result, the US will need many more power plants, more substatons, more transmission lines to meet its present and future needs. Talk of this being possible with so called alternative sources of energy to any meaningful degree is ludicrous. The numbers are just staggering. The grid systems are also vulnerable to regionwide failures. In August 2004 a failure of a single feeder in Ohio caused what is called a cascade mode catastrophic failure which took down most of the power grid of Northeast North America right up through Canada. This was not supposed to be possible but it happened. Given the size and complexity, inteconnectivity, lack of redundancy, and the power levels that exist, there is no guarantee that it couldn't happen again.
Complain about this comment
Having lived in DC for almost 20 years I completely agree. I've seen many third-world cities run better. However, the politicians seem to prefer helping-out the poor, starving bankers rather than upgrading the atrocious physical infrastructure, and not just in DC, but all over the country. Surely there must be opportunities to create many more jobs by fixing the infrastructure.
Complain about this comment
"No doubt some will criticise me for being ungracious about my new home and suggest I should go back to the UK if I don't like what I see. But my job is to report what I find. "
and well done on that.
I have found your reports far more realistic than in previous BBC editor administrations;)
where Americas chrome was so appreciated.
Next time you're out driving look at the signs. If they meet Oregon codes they will be at the junction with little or no warning. , even after the junction.
WHY???
can't figure that one out.
but I have heard a spirited debate from some hills about how I am crazy.
but I just report what I see.
those signs cause accidents. and still no one does anything about them because like the power system they feel fine about their system.
or lack.
What America needs is loads of propaganda about how the other world lives. they watch all the hollywood movies and still think. (see we are better off.
In a country with no paid holiday guarantee, no health care guarantee with as you point out failing electric grid system ,roads....
My god I thought the pot holes were bad in london.
LOL we have some that are fixed and 6 months later they are there again.
why?
I heard once it was because the roads are not built with a sense of permanence.
there is not much foundation to the road. the romans figured it out but not the USA.
I used to live in Bulgaria for a while. Power cuts were the norm. back then.
but it is funny that america suffers from communism's problems.
Driving them Fiats soon.
Lol Gav the issue may be what is civilisation?
on power. that warren buffet will be able to lay miles of underground power along side those rail tracks he bought.
Is there hope.
I just realised why they run 110 here.
because it is safer when it falls off the power line in a storm;)
there's a solution US style.
Complain about this comment
On the infrastructure front discussion, I think many overlook the terrain , landslide and earthquake difficulties that prevent hiding some of the local telephone wires and power cables. They are an eyesore and subject to extreme weather conditions.
You folks on the flat should at least be appreciative of the water companies hard work in laying a piped system underground.
Water for us , means a continual visit humping buckets about.
Further complicated at times by those sitting on the well .
easytarget @ 53,
Regarding your last line. Please be appreciative when our little treasure sits quietly at home, keeping his sphincter shut.
We are.
Blanche
Complain about this comment
Nigel wrote:
Easytarget; you might find it easier to get your comments banned if anyone could understand them. Might I suggest a spelling 101 would be a start?
Nigel, I think he means 110 to be a 110 volt electricity system. :-)
Complain about this comment
@AllenT2 #6
"This coming from someone where his country shuts down after an inch of snow."
#49GeeDeeSea
Shut down? When? I don't remember that. In my region in UK we had snow falls and freezing temperatures for about a month since mid December. Didn't stop me getting to and from work - nor my colleagues. AND for the first time since the 1970's, we had a power cut. It lasted just under 30 minutes.
Well, all my family and friends must have been living in a different region of the UK, because believe me, they all shut down, couldn't move for days (and those reports from friends/family in Kent, Cambridge, Cornwall, etc.)
Here in the Shenandoah Valley, which was the bulls eye for the storm - we got 30+ inches; living on a small cul-de-sac, we were ploughed and dug out by Sun. morning neighbours pitching in and a great community atmosphere prevailed! (I know some of you don't want to hear that!
We headed for a local watering hole for Super Bowl! Most watering holes were up and running and packed, grocery stores, petrol stations, etc. we all open.
And here I am at work today as if nothing had happened.
Crap happens in a storm of this magnitude, certainly does - sorry for any inconvenience, Mark. Where's that British spirit?
Complain about this comment
Some evidence something , anything but ..Oh this is not an example of GOP partisanship is it.
This is not a party issue. this is an issue with your America way of ignoring the world while claiming you are the best at all.
a claim you all feel justified in because you have not lived in the rest of the world.
" A few states have much better infrastructure, but the more blue the state, the worse the quality of public infrastructure. "
Allant2
"This coming from someone where his country shuts down after an inch of snow. "
so does much of the USA.
hate to tell you. not all the states can handle de icing roads. (ps In the UK people take advantage of the snow. we all do it. "sorry can't make it in today"
take a day off.
Snow day is play day.
PS any day it is easy to take a shot cheap or expensive at the USA. stop being SOO patriotic and join in. you might get something off your chest. even if it is just the tea party going on there.
Complain about this comment
Well, Mark, welcome back. I was getting worried about you. Everyone is entitled to complain about the weather. Having lived in the DC area (as well as most of the rest of the country), THAT is a truism! Here is what I do not understand...wasn't your wireless working, darlin'?
All y'all, re-read Gavrielle's posts. She got it right. We DO need to spend some public $$ upgrading our antiquated power grid to accept alternative sources and to withstand weather fluctuations without blacking out. It WAS a topic in the past campaign. I am at this very second watching a telephone lineman string wire above the street in front of my house and thinking "WTF???"
One of the problems with solving both the infrastructure AND the jobs problem in this way is political: a) the GOP is going to oppose anything the administration proposes, despite their recent tonguelashing by PrezO during Question Time (don't you English-type-folk love that?) and b) since our population AND electrical usage spread originally from east to west, our oldest and most vulnerable electrical power grid is in the eastern half of the US. Western Congressional representatives won't support that kind of expenditure without some quid pro quo, y'all.
Complain about this comment
nigel spelling?
oh dear you are a grammar troll. follow the others down the left corridor.
If you didn't know I have been banned more times than you have posted. almost as many times as MA has posted. so sorry If I find your comment pathetic.
but goown picking up the fag ends. it makes the place look cleaner.
Complain about this comment
Craig – Where did I get that silly idea about debit cards? On this board and at least two American posters, on this very thread, have confirmed that they are not that commonly used and that people rely on credit cards. Congrats on getting your debit card in 1992, that would be the year after I got my own bank account and debit card, though I got my sole credit card in ’92. All I can suggest with your cousins is mayhap they were surprised that they could easily use their debit cards in the US. As for using cards at petrol stations, I know you can over here now, but I never have – then again I normally buy fags (cigarettes) at the same time.
Damp homes in the UK? I have lived in five homes (flats and houses) and only one was damp, then again it was owned by an elderly couple (university lodgings) and also smelt of boiled cabbage. Other than that and the 70’s comedy I am not aware of an epidemic of rising damp on this side of the pond!
Complain about this comment
America is on the wrong track, it has somehow related its power with the destruction of other countries, in the absence of healthy compition, it has become vulnerable..the capitialist system was better than socialist system only when there was soviet union..Without it, the weakness of both capitalism and democracy are now more obvious..America has reached the saturated point, it should try to maintain what it has got, instead of going for more..Its economy cannot sustain the luxury that americans have become used to and take it for granted. For a change it should realise its weakness and resort to healthy compitition instead of panicking and waging wars..looking for the new frontiers...The world should roll back on this globalization idea,or otherwise, america will take everyone down with it..
Complain about this comment
@62 MarcusAureliusII
Thank you for such a cogent explanation of the situation. There is no easy fix for this, and I think it often escapes many who do not really comprehend the scope of the situation or the real size and complexity of the US as a nation, that imagine that, like Norway for example, we could somehow suddenly decide to wire the whole nation for high speed internet and get it done within a few years time.
Complain about this comment
squirrelist 8
"Candles yes"
;)
that is why I gave up making candle sticks;)
the power was too consistant;)
I should have got MA a job at the electricity board;)
though allant2 does have it right on light pollution. It is a serious problem for some animals. However not half as much as the loss of energy that has to be created because of the stupid 110 transmissions.
And considering the amount of lighting on peoples flags;) I think savings can come from elsewhere.
Private companies make up for the lack of public lighting.
Of course it is all concentrated on empty car lots.
Gav " as in Chicago a few years back after a series of long blackouts during one of the hottest summers on record, they are forced to invest in the infrastructure by the city. "
Architecture.
green roofs. less blacktop.
Cali had black outs in the summer.same thing.
("but solar will do no good")
we hear it all the time.
wrongly of course.
" which we didn't get because it was sent to you. "
What?
sorry maybe this has some validity but ...
Complain about this comment
As a resident of Greater DC, I have to agree with Mark on points. First, power lines underground are a good idea, however it would take a lot of time, money and manpower to take the existing system and move it underground. Definitely not happening in this economy. Secondly, transport around here is great, until rain or snow hit. It's illogical how 2 days later the buses and trains are still not running, which is okay for those who work in the federal government and education both of which are closed. My office is still open yet many can't get to work because the Metro is only running below ground(most stations in the suburbs are above ground) and there are no buses?? I have to take a personal day not because I want to but because I have no way of getting to work. The municipalities have neglected their infrastructure and don't have the money or resources.
I previously lived in the Midwest and DC is the most ill equipped area to deal with snow-even though it's not uncommon in the winter.
Complain about this comment
Camberwell Beauty; I know he was talking about the voltage, my comment was directed at his lack of syntax, his spelling of 'loose' (sic) and his general inability to hold and express an idea so others could understand him.
Complain about this comment
Mark's description of usa should help, all those who are fond of saying that the third worlders like to come to usa, to understand why the third worlds go there, they feel at home..I second Mark's observations about roads, and electric cables, if tomorrow americans started to celebrate the notorius kyte flying festival, the cables would be colorfully decorated with the colorful kites. Another thing which makes the third worlders feel at home are the billboards of all sorts and sizes, including the religious ones as well.
Complain about this comment
When Obama spends money fixing the infrastructure (stimulus) people complaine.
"we can't afford it"
"waste of money it did not help MY job"
12 jiD
"I can just imagine Sarah encouraging John to get out there and dig out the driveway in the White House, as an example to the nation. 'You get out there Mr President - never mind those chest pains'....]"
lol I can see that.
just to reiterate
Americans cars were like it's infrastructure.
advanced the day Grandpa made them.
But they had USA on them so everyone said "must be great"
then dreamt up excuses for not changing them.
20 " Hush. Just because our cousins see no reason why they should have to pay for Foxy stuff as well, there's no need to broadcast what they get up to."
come now you know there are some in the squirrel resistance fighting foxes with suicide runs on the cable.
viva la resistance.
Complain about this comment
@ easytarget
Hey, my dad drove a Fiat for many years - whenever it wasn't in for repairs! Don't ask. He let my sister pick it out because she'd just gotten her license. Her reasoning? She liked the color.
As to what is civilization: It's not the buildings or the tech. It is that thin veneer we all wear. Which, apparently, seems to disappear when we engage in internet debate.
Complain about this comment
I also don't see why so many US commenters on this thread are so averse to change in the US. Doing things properly will, in the end, cost less money. And as you go around the country, you can find isolated examples of things being done properly, with positive results.
An example with electrical power is to be found in northeastern Minnesota. In the isolated back-country north of Duluth and Two Harbors, you'll notice a distinct lack of utility poles. That's not because this area lacks electricity, but rather because the private utility, state department of transportation and government regulators agreed on putting in buried cable as local roads were improved. First the construction crew would upgrade the road, which usually meant stripping the old surface, laying some extra foundation and then repaving (or simply paving if the road was dirt beforehand), and then the utility would dig a trench in the dirt shoulder and inset their cable, then fill in the hole. Simple, eh? The government doesn't have to pay for the new power line, it just has to allow it. And the utility doesn't have to pay for its own right of way or utility poles; it just pays for the line itself, using the government's right of way. And it means that one of the remotest and most sparsely populated areas of the US has one of the most reliable power systems. And affordable electric rates.
In Illinois, usually a poster-child for bad government, there's another good example. For about the past 20 years now, reconstruction projects on Illinois interstate highways have been done to a much higher standard than in neighboring states. Almost always at least 12 inches of pavement, sometimes as much as 20 depending on traffic conditions and subsoil geology, on a new sand and gravel foundation. These roads are not cheap to build but do not get potholes and do not require much if any maintenance. Then of course there are the roads that still have their original crummy 1950s, 1960s or 1970s foundation, that Illinois DOT tries to keep going a few more years by slapping another couple inches of asphalt on. Those roads have potholes, and frequent and disruptive repair projects. As do the newer roads in neighboring states that are still built to the same old crummy standards (six to nine inches of pavement, shallow foundation).
The current standards typically employed in Illinois for interstate highway reconstruction are what you'll routinely find in the EU. They are very rare in the United States.
Complain about this comment
13 I doubt the unions would object to the massive increase in jobs by improving and modernaising the problem. there is enough work to go around.
there are enough lines to fix up.
but the reason could be closer to this one" why should we spend money on keeping up with other developed nations when there are still crusades to be fought?"
or the tea party attitude that would leave the nation in the 1950 for ever.
15 DM
those debit card. had an argument with a rodi about them here.I have always used one.
the BAC. I have had issues with american banks. getting money transferred from belgium. Some nice belgiums buy frogs most years.
"electronic transfer" we'll have to get the manager to deal with something so complex;)"
-----------------------
lol on the " Well, I'm a 'British national' and also a European citizen."
will it wind Allan up to hear I am an American citizen a European citizen and a British citizen.
Or a British national an american national and a european citizen.
Complain about this comment
As far as the energy infastructure both sides share the blame.
As far as infastructure blame the republicans
But as far as energy sources blame the Dems:Nuclear power plant moratorium, no off shore drilling, wind power restrictions if it blocks a beautiful person or a Kennedy's view.
Complain about this comment
Gav" Europe actually got very lucky as a result of being rebuilt"
I get what you were saying. You were not saying how lucky they were to have the cities bombed to the grund but celebrating the space and freedom it created.
Instead of nice old houses every where they could have LeCorbs monstrosities every where.
Years of hastily built "housing" with massive social problems built in.
What a joy.
Paignton was rebuilt to look just like Swindon.
great stuff.
DM I'm British. but then I was not born in England Scotland wales or Northern Ireland.
so I'm british.
but that could also make me a third nationality and fourth citizenship.
but seeing as it is a heavily muslim country I should keep quiet. I might want to run for president one day;)
Complain about this comment
Congratulations Mr. Mardell,
You have now witnessed that Americans are human beings also. It is absurd to think that all Americans live in some high crystal castle while the rest of the nations on the world live in squalor.
I would have thought a man as seemingly concerned with the environment would have appreciated the idea of less power being used for streetlights. I suppose I was wrong.
As for the overhead power distribution network? There are checks in place to ensure that power "cuts" as you insist on calling them do not happen. Depending on the amount of power lost, the companies supplying that power could BY LAW lose millions of dollars PER DAY. I should know. I work for a company that is paid to make sure those companies that supply the power have the data to keep their lines from failing. the only problem is there are just a handful of companies that perform that action IN THE WORLD.
I agree, overhead power transmission and distribution is horrifically vulnerable considering the violent weather of all kinds the United States receives throughout. But then, Americans spend money on things such as ensuring they don't get their skyscrapers dropped on their heads... again. Besides all that, American power companies are privately owned unlike many of their European counterparts and therefore have significantly less to spend on upgrading their infrastructure. It also means that competition keeps prices down. If you want a real story you should look into California's water situation. You might get the Arizonans and New Mexicans to start posting.
As for the roads? First Americans, like many Britons I should think, hate roadworks. We detest them. Therefore repair and upkeep on city streets is a very difficult thing. Second, infrastructure tends to fall by the wayside when voters want things such as a nationalized health care system. When you spend all your money on cookies (biscuits) and candy (sweets) you end up with no money for bread and butter. Now that carries over into military spending as well (12 aircraft carriers with four more building or planned), but never the less the point remains. Your economy tanks, luxuries like roadwork go the way of the dinosaur in lieu of survival.
And for the record: Stop whining about the chill, Mark. If you can't stand a little cold you should have had the beeb to make you the editor for some banana republic. It is winter after all. If you think that's bad try those weather conditions for several months running. Americans deal with that sort of thing all the time. So, too, do the Canadians. They even go to work after digging their way out of their homes. You're no better than anyone else. Get used to it.
Complain about this comment
'For someone that hasn't been in DC very long you are now all of a sudden an expert .........'
Whoa! most people in Europe and American have not been to any country in Africa and some are there just for couple of days, and by watching TV and read news on internet, and they claim to be expert in African affairs. At Mark is currently living in DC and so have better view about DC weather, unlike most so-called expert in African issues.
Complain about this comment
73. At 3:17pm on 08 Feb 2010, colonelartist wrote:
For a change it should realise its weakness and resort to healthy compitition instead of panicking and waging wars..looking for the new frontiers...The world should roll back on this globalization idea,or otherwise, america will take everyone down with it..
Now be fair, just about every nation on this planet has gone through a militaristic period. Egypt was conquering Africa under the Pharaohs, the Persians had their own Great Empire followed by Philip of Macedon and Alexander the Great and the havoc they and their successors wrought in Asia Minor. Then the Romans, the Mongol Hordes, the Vikings, the Spaniards, the French, the Moors, the British and dozens of others romped across lands that weren't theirs in quest of imperial dominance. The New World is only now getting to have it's imperialistic romp. And yes, I am truly sorry that we are romping across lands that you hold dear, but we could be romping across South America, Canada or Europe and I know there are probably lots of people who would say, "Better them than us." Honestly, it's a phase. It'll pass. Give it a century, we'll calm down and someone else will take over as the Evil Empire taking its imperialistic romp around the globe. It's human nature and there's no escaping having empires rise. Just as there's no escaping having empires fall.
Complain about this comment
#77
I don't believe I referred to your comment on voltage?
You've got the wrong person :)I believe. Not guilty!!!!
Complain about this comment
Gavrielle_LaPoste @ 74,
Thank you for complimenting Marcus.
Many people [even I] find it difficult to appreciate he can include relevant points in his posts becoming too bogged down with his usual sense of humus.
Marcus @ 63. Well done Chuck
Matthew 21:16: And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
Complain about this comment
63
MA
"The skilled engineers and designers cannot be imported either as America has its own standards and methods that are different from most other countries"
yea CRAP that's what is being discussed.
It is the AMERICAN way to ignore non crap if it is not american. well done in confirming that point.
Complain about this comment
Who Dat? Go Saints!!! :) Brees literally blew the competition away! What a spectacular game. The Saints deserved to win, not just because of New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina, but because they are a great team. The Saints winning the Super Bowl tells you that New Orleans is back and better than ever. Like the Gloria Gaynor song, "I will survive."
The Who were awesome, too! My fave song was Baba O'Riley.
Poor Mark gets to be in the biggest snowstorm Washington D.C. has had in a hundred years or so! That is ironic, to say the least. As this is uncommon to get this much snow, the infrastructure is not always prepared for extreme weather. That's just life.
Weather has a mind of its own. Even humans cannot get past some storms. We have to adapt, because we cannot control such events and should not try to do so.
That being said, I applaud you for staying in the area and braving the Snowpocalype. There are some folks who probably left before the storm hit and will venture back when things calm down.
Sure, our power lines go out during severe weather, but that is what back-up generators are for. The main thing is to get supplies before the storm hits. Preparation is key. Really, you just need the basics.
As a child, I always loved big snowstorms, because your parents do not have to go to work, you do not have to go to school and you can make snow ice cream or go sledding.
Now that you are warmer and in better shape (or at least not as miserable), maybe you can try to enjoy the snow. I try to enjoy it, because I know that not everybody gets to experience snow.
Complain about this comment
squirrelist pointed our proudly "I am a European".
So, pray tell us, what's your country's (Europe) foreign policy?
A defense policy?
Nay, even an energy policy?
Where's can one find your country's defence force?
Althouh I understand that more&more of EU affluent citizens' money can be found outside of EUSSR: in Switzerland, Lichtenstein or Luxemburg.
In secret bank accounts.
Complain about this comment
I have now been living in the US for four years. Your experiences are so similar to mine. Virtually all of my negative experiences in the US are a variation on two themes:
1) Public services are so bad that you think they must do it on purpose.
2) Are people this ill-informed because they don't want to listen to anything but their own propaganda? Or is it because "freedom of speech" includes the right to bend the truth, leave out vital bits of the story and outright lie? Politicians, media commentators and advertisers seem to be allowed to mislead with impunity. There is no infrastructure for holding public figures accountable for their public pronouncements. It's just a cat fight.
Complain about this comment
"For some inconceivable reason in the USA, or at least this part of it, electric power is carried above ground on telegraph poles, not, as in most of the world, underground." (from Mardell)
It's cost, which is not at all hard to conceive. Also the disruption of tearing up streets and the fact that there are already utilities there (water and sewer) which must be accommodated. Undergrounding is much easier when developing a city from scratch, not when retrofitting.
I don't believe the part about "most of the world." Perhaps in Europe, in cities which suffered widespread damage during WWII, the undergrounding of electricity was done as part of a general rebuilding.
"America has for decades projected an image of modernity and technological superiority, disguising a dirty little secret. Behind the chrome, it's crumbling. At least, it doesn't feel very up to date. Many Americans don't travel widely and so believe their own propaganda." (from Mardell)
It's not a secret at all. Americans have been grumbling about our deteriorating infrastructure for a long time. I don't know to what "propaganda" you are referring. The 1959s and early 1960s were a "can do" era. The late 1960s and early 1970s were dominated by the Vietnam debacle, the space program (through Apollo) being the notable exception. In the late 1970s and 1980s the US spent a lot of money upgrading our military hardware, but not much improving public infrastructure. Everybody was too busy making money in the stock market to notice. Then we have had the distraction of fighting small wars almost continuously, in the Balkans, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, Central America, Afghanistan. The National Debt got out of control (beginning with the Reagan Administration in 1981), the states are struggling to balance their budgets, individuals are struggling to get by in an era of declining public services. The people who are doing well are the bankers and lawyers, who have the means to take care of themselves regardless of what happens to the country.
As for the particular situation in Washington, it is not surprising that they have difficulty coping with a major snowstorm, because it is much more severe than average. No city is equipped for the worst-case blizzard; it's not cost-effective.
Complain about this comment
Blanche on Walton mountain so good to hear from you. long time no chat.
Sorry to wake the child. I know it was not fair of me. heading off to do a days America bashing on the street corner I won't have to listen to the wailing . I am sorry.
I am becoming very american . Now I can leave a steaming problem on someone's doorstep and feel little shame.
Complain about this comment
@75 easytarget
We may have gotten some of your energy, but ComEd hadn't bothered to invest a thing in the distribution system for decades, so they didn't have enough capacity which is what caused the blackouts. And they sold off our energy to Canada the following winter, driving up rates a la Enron. So don't feel bad, it wasn't only you.
Complain about this comment
I have now lived in the US for a number of years; I have learned that beneath the media facade,the majority of people who are not millionaires experience a far worse quality of life and public services than back in the EU. In particular, the level of service when using public services is absolutely awful despite the popular conception of high service in the US - I also have found that it is far more difficult to move around as a disabled person than in the EU and look forward to returning as soon as my scholarship here ends. Most of the international students at my university are particularly homesick for high quality supermarkets/food in general.
Complain about this comment
I have to admit that I am puzzled by the belief that Americans don't use debit cards. Most people that I know carry both a debit card and a credit card. When you purchase something in a store, either the electronic swipe pad or the cashier asks, "Debit or credit?"
Complain about this comment
MM
American power, at least on the East Coast, must be a subject of Chinese envy (althouhh you may find it hard to believe).
For why would otherwise PRC hackers make numerous attempts to penetrate and find ways in which the North-Eastern Corridor could be paralyzed via Internet? :-))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
Complain about this comment
Agreed that much U.S. infrastructure needs investment, though given the much more severe weather in most of the USA compared to Western Europe, I think that USA does comparably well in terms of maintaining electric power (yes, I have lived in both places for years). In over thirty years living in the USA (including 8 in the Washington DC area), I never experienced a power cut of more than 3 hours that I recall.
As an American living here in Europe, I was continually perplexed as to why freezing temperatures (even without any snow!) meant many, many train delays and cancellations in December and January. Not just in the Channel tunnel (which was an example of embarrassingly poor infrastructure planning - it should have been obvious to engineers that sometimes it is much colder outside than in the tunnel), but even trains between Brussels and Paris. That is something that I never experienced on Amtrak on the U.S. east coast in the winter. So, I would say that Europe has some infrastructure investment needs as well.
Complain about this comment
Cunning american plan to solve pothole problem - they've exported them.
Complain about this comment
" Mr. Mardell has made about America just because air conditioning has long been widespread in America, because our kitchens have garbage disposals and because our homes are better insulated, etc, etc, etc."
So in one hand Allent2 says save the planet create less light pollution. then he suggests taking all your kitchen waste and instead of composting or feeding to urban chickens etc etc (there are many eco friendly ways) he suggests mashing it up and flushing it down the kitchen sink.
(not like that didn't lead to a few plumbing problems.) and don't get me gong on the plumbing here.
What a good idea. then it will rot in the sewer treatment yard and be of no use.
Unless it blocks the sewer pipes.
(lol after WW2 they decided to allow orangeburg pipes.
check it out. sewer pipes made from ..... paper.. almost ;).
good stuff there.
goes with the 20 year shingles on the roof.
I.e. goes at the same time.;)
83 gherkin.
I think you will find the blocking of the wind farm you mention was by both sides of rich holiday home owning people. not just the democratic ones.
But I have to say thank you for the unusual admission.( about republicans)
good start to your week. keep it up.;)
39 marko
lol it is" america bashing " unless you are bashing THIS president then it is constructive criticism .
27 andrea. he was comparing the USA.to the UK and europe. the self proclaimed top of the mountain.
sitting on old baldy
as is appropriate.
sure old stone houses have little insulation.
. But wooden shacks have no more and a little less thermal mass.
much of america lives in little wooden shacks.
sorry should have mentioned trailer homes that are illegal to live in year round in Holland they are easy to heat. heat is cheap here.
compared to the UK or germany.
Great stuff. improve UK housing stock but your argument seems to be because UK is crap compared some the USA must be OK.
that is not great logic.
31 vaguein godalming (so hard not to finish that name off with an ing)
" in infrastructure since about the time of Reagan "
reagan???????
what exactly did he do for the infrastructure.
or are you just a reagan worshipper?
Seriously what did reagan do to improve anything but the weapons non capabilities?
oh he took out the solar cell on the white house. Great thinking.
Complain about this comment
Mr. Mardell,
It seems your biggest problem (other than an easily-embittered nature) is your choice to live in a neighborhood with above-ground power lines. Most neighborhoods in the DC metropolitan area have buried cables and most homes did not lose power during this snowstorm. Perhaps you should have rented/bought a home in one of those neighborhoods--I mean, you did notice the above-ground power lines when you were house hunting, right? I can only guess that you selected your home based on other factors. Your choice.
Complain about this comment
84. At 3:44pm on 08 Feb 2010, easytarget wrote:
What a joy.
Paignton was rebuilt to look just like Swindon.
great stuff.
We loaned you the money, we didn't design your building projects. If you don't like how Europe looks now, take it up with the Germans first. But at least you had places in which to live, even if they were cheaply made and indistiguishable from every other house in the vicinity. You have the luxury of complaining now, but at least the people of Paignton weren't sleeping rough on a patch of rubble in the street. That money gave you shelter, gave you food, gave you warmth, gave you enough to get over the worst of it and begin rebuilding your own stregnth without first having to endure mass starvation and disease. What a petty thing to complain about how the housing looked.
Complain about this comment
Mark,
It might be cheaper in the long run for utilities to bury cables than string wires on poles but most utilities are tightly regulated by government and the extra cost to bury cables now would have to be approved by government so it could be passed on in the form of higher rates, something the regulating bodies are reluctant to do because the rate payers would complain. Truly is it said "you get what you pay for".
As for roads, not only are there union jobs at stake but in many states the transportation departments are run by the pro-public transit faction and it is a matter of policy to "encourage" people into public transit by making driving as unpleasant as possible. Potholes and congestion suit their purpose quite well, that's why you'll see pot hole repairs all over but never a street dug up, repaired properly and resurfaced so the problem is permanently fixed. To these people cars are evil and those who drive them deserve their bumpy, slow moving fate.
Complain about this comment
And to remarkable. great post. I moved the other way.
So you know I'm thick as dog droppings.
Shame you will probably be called names for that letter. Honest will not be amongst them but thanks for your Honesty.
And yes I meant 110 voltage.
and my spelling is bad and I don't care;)
I can think.
unlike so many others. though I had to agree with much of what nigel said in so well spelled sentences.
Complain about this comment
David Murrell - Now this might have changed, though reading that few Americans use debit cards (which are pretty much universal in the UK) it might not have, it shocked me that America didn’t seem to use BACS relying on cheques (or checks) and wire transfers.
Ha! - I remember that hassle when I first moved here - also the paying for the cheque books was ridiculous I thought - for students; banking products are much more sophisticated in UK also and you certainly understand who is the customer in UK.
My German flatmates always remark that it is not so much the fact that things are outdated - but its the fact that before living here a image of superior modernity had been projected about this country and it was something of a shock to find things were so less advanced than back home. Not to mention a practical hassle.
I even think that some of these things would be acceptable if the buildings/environment/atmosphere made up for it. Sadly, I can still remember when we first tasted the water - highly chlorinated and cloudy - it is not a wonder that US ranks poorly in environmental performance indicators - there is little history compared with what many of us were used to - friends from Dehli phrased it well when they said: "its ok for having to work/study for a short time" but afterwards they would aspire to actually live in interesting global hubs in Europe and the Middle/Far East. Why can't the US make an effort to live up to the hype it generates about itself?
Complain about this comment
"Surely in the long run it is cheaper for the companies to dig trenches..."
*In the long run*. That little phrase says it all. Nothing here is being done for the long run. It's all crisis management now. So, as you say, like some emerging economy, we seem to lurch from crisis to crisis, for some reason.
Complain about this comment
"3. At 1:07pm on 08 Feb 2010, GeeDeeSea wrote:
@AllenT2 #various
Don't worry - although we have better electricity, gas, water, health and judicial services, you have better and more advanced weapons systems than we do."
built by.....?
gav you are the definition of flag wrapped.
sorry but are you crazy?
we do not want to discuss ww2 and your late arrival and how europe allowed time for you guys to muster up the courage to fight for what would one day be your problem. but you go ona bout the marshal plan saving us all and how we should not be (but should) grateful
"You know, I get the fact that no one likes having to feel grateful all the time. It's humiliating. I get it. And I don't expect Europeans to be grateful."
good cause you wont get it you arrogant ......removed by moderator.
40 chrisw
"A "european" married to an "american" living in America, working in the American Power industry."
no shocking this can't be true. I read somewhere that europeans cannot work on American electricity because it is different;) (though how basics change so much I'm not sure)
63 will explain why I was convinced;) of this.
Complain about this comment
MM wrote:
" Many Americans don't travel widely and so believe their own propaganda."
Many a BBC correspondent doesn't travel widely across America [money shortage?] and that's why it's hard to believe his propaganda based on his experience in a region of the US size of Belgium he's used to.
Complain about this comment
89. At 4:10pm on 08 Feb 2010, waltonmountain wrote:
Gavrielle_LaPoste @ 74,
Thank you for complimenting Marcus.
Many people [even I] find it difficult to appreciate he can include relevant points in his posts becoming too bogged down with his usual sense of humus.
You're welcome and he's welcome to it. I may not agree with everything Marcus says politically, but I have paid attention to what he says about Energy, that being an area of expertise for him. He has very quietly made me rethink my position on a number of issues in that regard and I do appreciate the knowledge immensely. I believe his very intelligent input on the subject has made me somewhat more willing to listen when it comes to the very serious needs involved in energy efficiency, costs and infrastructure. And for that, I will always thank him.
Complain about this comment
Mark, glad to see you moved from Brussels to the U.S. In regards to power outages, since I am Belgian, I reacted just like you. I even went as far as to call our utility company and suggest they would do as they did in Belgium 55 years ago, put all cables underground. The reaction I got? "That would be a little bit on the expensive side . . . " Deep down I think it is a Union thing. Regards, Johan
Complain about this comment
Re shortages: at the rate things our going D.C. may have to export snow to Canada (yes!), so that the country south of Detroit can have a succcesful Olympics in Vancouver.
[I haven't realised that Canadian climate has been nationalized just as its health service which encourages so many Canadian citizens to travel to U.S. if they need some more sophisticated treatment in a hurry]
Complain about this comment
#32;
It's been 35 years since I lived in France so I assume a lot has changed but I didn't notice that the French electrical system was particularly reliable when I was there. Every time there was an electrical storm power went out with each lightning bolt. I paid particular attention to the methods of construction since I am in that business and I was not at all impressed. In fact I didn't think much of it. However, given that most European homes are built with masonary construction while most private American homes are wood frame buildings (not large apartment buildings however), I'd guess that European homes are less prone to burning down in electrically started fires inside walls than American homes are. The contents of European houses however are still flamable.
I was then and am still not impressed by the quality of electrical equipment design and build that comes out of Europe. By American standards it is light and flimsy built to the entirely different concepts embodied in IEC. I dread adpotion of IEC standards here to replace NEMA and NEC. One thing that should be understood is that when there is an injury or property damage that results from electrical electrical equipment failure in the US, there will be big lawsuits. However, this is not true for utility power failure. The law doesn't allow that. If it did, that system would be far more reliable and expensive.
There is a battle between keeping electrical costs down and electrical systems reliable. This battle is waged in the venue of Public Utilities Bureaus hearings. They set the rates utilities can charge. The utilities are mostly privately owned (public corporations traded on the stock market) which must show an acceptable rate of return to stay in business. Maintenance and capital cost are built into their rate structure. So if users want more reliable electrical power, they will have to pay for it in their monthly electrical bills. The only thing that would change if goverment owned the power system is that it would be reflected to at least some degree in taxes if usage bills didn't reflect actual cost to provide power.
BTW #32, as with electrical power, there is no such thing as free medical care. Somebody pays for it. Doctors, nurses, medical technicians don't work for free and hospitals don't erect themselves. One way or another it all gets paid for by somebody. The UN report notwithstanding and changes in the interm I am not directly aware of, my experience with French medical care was not very impressive to me either.
Complain about this comment
@ student-expat
While I would agree that for the poor, the EU is in general a better place because of the stronger social safety net and universal health care, I don't know where you are in the USA that the supermarkets are so terrible...maybe some small town or rural area? The supermarkets here in Brussels are the same as they are in large cities in the USA...except with much higher prices (which can't be good for the poor) and limited opening hours. In fact, the supermarkets in upper middle class areas of the USA, would, in general, be superior in quality, variety, and price to any supermarket that I have ever seen in Europe (I have lived in other EU countries as well).
Complain about this comment
Thanks Mark, for your insight. It's nice to have an outside bird's eye looking in at us Americans. You're right, most of us don't travel much and suffer from constant exposure to our own culture w/o the benefit of other perspectives. No one is perfect and just like many others, we sometimes can't see the forest for the trees. Why indeed, don't we put our power cables underground?
I grew up in the mountains of the US South, were ice storms were a winter bane--invariably we would have a power outage for days, with hardworking Duke power workers out there putting them back together again. You'd think that the power companies would have thought of burying them (there's underground fiber optics for internet/phone but electricity still above ground?) There must be some political and/or economical shackles that are keeping us in the dark ages. ;-)
I look forward to reading more of your posts. It's nice to get a fresh perspective and a good nudge in the side--just so we don't take ourselves too seriously or think ourselves too perfect. Give us some reason to grow for the better. Please keep up the good work.
So, thanks very, very much.
Complain about this comment
He who complains about public services on the U.S. Easy Coast during winter should move to U.K., with its shortage of salt and grit.
And if he doesn't like what he sees there he can move farther south, e.g. to Germany and Belgium, provided he can get through Chunnel without being stuck in an XIX century technology-based train.
Complain about this comment
12. At 11:24am on 08 Feb 2010, John_From_Dublin wrote:
'You get out there Mr President - never mind those chest pains'....]
__________
That was one of the funniest posts seen on this blog in months.
Thanks.
Complain about this comment
I dislike the "My country is better than your country" petty bickering into which this type of thread predictably descends. Having lived in both the United States and the United Kingdom all my life I can see, from experience, that both countries have plus and minus points.
Certainly the United States has the better weaponry, and Americans take pride in that. The United Kingdom has by far the better health system, inasmuch as it allows for both private care (as in the US)and a very good National Health Service (despite the criticisms). The American version of State Medical Care is a pale shadow of the NHS.
As far as domestic technology is concerned I would also give that to the UK.
And for roads, the US has much better infrastructure... aside from Michigan. They don't have roads, they have what can only be described as long stretches of barely navigable rubble. Though even this is preferable to the single lane farce that constitutes the roads into the Highlands of Scotland.
Complain about this comment
Sounds like you're not completely happy in your new home, Mark. Lots of things to complain about in America, but if you don't get your head around the reason why its like that you're going to have a grim time out there. Consider "the land of the free and the home of the brave". It is not, traditionally at least, "the home of the pampered and the land of the nanny state". People have what they get for themselves and they like it that way.
Complain about this comment
Powermeerkat – While I am not Squirrel (I not an animal I am a free man! – to paraphrase No. 6), I can explain this indeed I have done, but hey everyone know about your weird little obsessions.
So children are we sitting comfortably? Good then I’ll begin, long, long ago all the continents of the world were joined together then tectonic movement (or God) made some of the plates move away from each other and some closer together. Many, many, many years later people started to name these funny bits of rock and one was called Europe, later they also name two other bits America after confusingly thinking it was Asia; but that, children, is a whole other story. Now while Europe had lots of countries with funny names, all the people that came from Europe were called Europeans.
Now many years past and a few little scuffles and some of these Europeans decided that while they had once dominated the world, or at least tried to, mostly by bashing each other, that working together was the best way forward. So the decided to make a club, one that eventually got called the European Union or EU since we don’t want to scare Magic with the nasty U word!
Not all the Europeans wanted to join, but those countries that did became known as member states. Someone who was a citizen in one could move between these states and retain most, but not all of his citizenship rights. Just like an Englishman could go to Dundee and expect to have most of the same rights, which all very nice. By being a citizen of one of the member states you became a citizen of the Uni…. Sorry the U word.
So what is foreign policy of the EU, well mostly that would depend on which state you’re in, a bit like asking what the legal age to drink alcohol is in the USA or whether certain things adults like to do in privacy is legal.
Also technically a Mexican can also call themselves an American citizen, not of the nice big USA (well unless they are being naughty and have skipped over the border) but because Mexico is in North America so a citizen of Mexico is a citizen of North America!
Really, it is not that difficult to work out, my 7 year old god-daughter managed it, surely big well educated American’s like AllenT2 and Super Mongoose can manage it?
Complain about this comment
Mark:
"No doubt some will criticise me for being ungracious about my new home and suggest I should go back to the UK if I don't like what I see."
...and you should ignore them.
The History channel has a two hour documentary on just this subject called "The Crumbling of America" (http://www.history.com/shows.do?action=detail&episodeId=452430). Although it's currently not on the schedule, they run it fairly regularly. I highly recommend it. Be prepared to gasp.
There was a period from roughly the 30s through the 50s where we spent lavishly on things like the TVA, telephony, and the federal highway system, but we've done next to nothing since, and much of the infrastructure built during those years not only has reached end of lifetime but did so a couple of decades ago.
America is looking at a number of catastrophic infrastructure failures (the scariest to me are the state of the dams in the south and in California). The power grid is always on the verge of collapse, and our bridges are crumbling before our eyes. Unfortunately, many of the states with the biggest issues are drowning in red ink. There just isn't enough tax revenue to pay for the required fixes.
And things are getting worse. New Orleans was a wake-up call. America rolled over and hit snooze.
Some Americans are claiming that they are Taxed Enough Already. I can only smile. Just you wait. The bills are coming due. The longer we wait, the greater the sticker shock, but we won't take action. We never do.
America, who will save us from our own irresponsibility?
Complain about this comment
43 part time don.
yep it's them commies that get the BIG picture. sorry socialists.
I mean pinko europeans
Noew I will not point out the spelling because I kjnow that typing and care are not the same as spelling ability, but
"i went to school there two years and speak from experience."
I would take on that many here think much of gherkins experiences.
59 DB you have my profound sympathies. seeing the truth in the USA can hurt.
I have heard Americans on the west coast (i'm in OR) say. we are a young pioneering state.
I tell them this area was settled a hundred years ago. the pacific is right there. there is no more west so settle it.
41 faeyth
says
"On the right road,You can get a ticket from 3 different types of cops.Local,County and State"
anda gain there is part of the problem. so much for cops forget the rest.
cops and war.
60 "at the gas(petrol)pump and not have to go inside to pay "
craig that also struck me as rather an easy way for stolen cards to be used.
"efficient water heaters, non-damp homes (hello U.K.), that are considered standard here in the U.S. "
OK enough. europe has more on demand systems tahn america.
a couple of months ago the news here was talking about heating. they mentioned these "new" heating systems that had been in europe for 15 years.
Most american houses do not have a thermostat that is timed. shows like this old house regularly on the new shows mention this or that new eneergy saving technology.
Not amercan. they regularly mention instant hot water as more efficient.
same with windows.
really. you are way off base .
one upmanship is what you engaged in when you tried to suggest america had standards that were higher for their housing.
61 " cod-nationalism"
you have me interested. what is cod nationalism. is it cod as in rubbish?
MA lol
" Replacing individual sections when required that are overhead is far faster and cheaper than it would be digging them up. Also it avoids a lot of accidents where contractors inadvertently excavate for construction in the wrong place and damage them."
Blanche. would siting your boy in the drive way make it easier for the ambu, sorry to take him in to the hospital when he gets run over?
77 seems others did get the idea.
sorry that makes you the thicko;)
PS do remember that some here do not speak english as a first language and I could always resort to txt spk
68 camberwell"Mark. Where's that British spirit?"
british spirit was not to ignore the issues but to buckle down when time are tough.
he did that with the finger puppets;) nice mark.
it is the american spirit that lacks. the can do spirit that keeps saying no.
;)
kisses. I'm out of the closet now.
80 gav I am veneer free these days. as you suggest not civilised at all.
lol on the colour choice. but we don't want to go there with this crowd.
either way you will not be alone with a fiat soon. most of russia drove them as well.
DB another great and informative post.
LOL
88 camberwell beaut.
apparently he has issues with numbers, but his writing is good so that means we equal out;)
Complain about this comment
When the US was in confrontation with the Soviets the battle was over technolgy and the US placed a lot of importance on engineering and science development. After the collapse of the Soviets the US became lazy and began to pattern itself to do business with China. China does business with a centuries old established system of corruption and the American Chamber of Commerce will conduct business anyway necessary to make some money. Even the Sec. of State said during her visit to China, that human rights and environmental issues would not be barriers to relationships. The bloated bureaucracies are very inefficient and politcal interference is a regular problem for getting things done. There are no priorities and therefore nothing ever gets done. The Feds make some rules and attach it to money and the states take the money and make some more rules for the locals and the three spend most of their time trying to change the rules. Until someone has the political will to reorganize the bureaucracies and breakup the relationships between the public and private sectors nothing will change. They all stood by and watched the world economic system come to a stall when warned this would happen....congress is an ethicless cesspool...keep your expectations low. State and local governments tend to structure their systems around welfare to business, reduced taxes, rebates, incentives, grants, infrstructure, etc....I think someone should review some mid-sized city and calculate all the taxes that were professed to be generated by giving businesses large amounts of assistance using public dollars...my guess is that when calculated each citizen should be receiving rebate checks every year for taxes....but we know that doesn't happen.
Complain about this comment
I didn't experience one, and the one that I remember in the UK was during the 1973 miners' strike. There probably were others but they can't have lasted more than a couple of hours.
Well I am gonna have to go ahead and disgree with that.
As far as power cuts due to extreme weather goes then we have few a British samples here
http://tinyurl.com/y8njge9
http://tinyurl.com/ylhbpux
Oh ..forgot to mention the EU ones..
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6117880.stm
The list can be as long as you want ...but then u get the point....
Oh also i have lived in one of the above mentioned "suburbs" of DC or Northern Virginia and the roads are as good as it gets and i have traveled extensively across the world.
"It is hardly believable that the major highways leading from the prosperous suburbs into the capital of the largest economy in the world are pocked and scarred with potholes of every imaginable shape size and depth"
Oh ..and of course after reading your article/blog thought UK had A++ Infrastructure(NO POTHOLES but then there is this....
http://tinyurl.com/ylekezh
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23800002-why-i-keep-disappearing-down-potholes.do
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/4865945.Bus_firm_pulls_service_following_pothole_damage/
Again the list could be as long as one wants but you get the point.
Lastly ..so much for katrina and Amazing EU infrastructure....
Can you explain me this....
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/news/2003-09-25-france-heat_x.htm
We have this in type of extreme weather in US every year......but...ouch ....!!!!
Complain about this comment
I totally agree with Mark's comments about the inadequacy of electricity being carried by overhead cables. During Hurricane Ike in 2008, large areas of central Houston were left without power for up to three weeks (we were thirteen days) because the adjacent trees brought down major power cables in a wind that wasn't any worse than the European coast experiences on a fairly regular basis (around 75 mph). The utility companies' response is usually to do with cost but what's the real cost to the population plus the long-term commercial cost of losing prospective investors in the city that go elsewhere (with reliable power)? We can put reliable power on the ocean floor at 10,000+ feet so why not in the neighbourhood? Heaven help us here if we ever have a significant snowfall!
Complain about this comment
One aspect of undergrounding electric power which has been overlooked in the above discussion is that in the US, where electric power is already provided by overhead wires, generally the property owners will be required to pay a significant share of the cost. A vote of property owners in an area to be rewired would be required, because of this assessment.
I would like the wires undergrounded in my neighborhood, but I doubt an assessment would pass.
Complain about this comment
you loaned the money.. in that case can I see a round of appreciation for the chinese for loaning you the dosh to get going again?
"93. At 4:14pm on 08 Feb 2010, Barnaby101 wrote:
I have now been living in the US for four years. Your experiences are so similar to mine. Virtually all of my negative experiences in the US are a variation on two themes:
1) Public services are so bad that you think they must do it on purpose.
2) Are people this ill-informed because they don't want to listen to anything but their own propaganda? Or is it because "freedom of speech" includes the right to bend the truth, leave out vital bits of the story and outright lie? Politicians, media commentators and advertisers seem to be allowed to mislead with impunity. There is no infrastructure for holding public figures accountable for their public pronouncements. It's just a cat fight."
yes yes yes yes. you are right.
99 show some respect and thanks. they saved your but them chinese, and still are saving you.
as Gav points out.
PS Gav it was not the housing in particular I was commenting on. Paignton was a town partially destroyed by bombers relieving their load on the way to Dartmouth.
(the real one).
None of this however helps you explain why america has such crap .
it does show you to be a flag waving american though.
well done give yourself another star.
Complain about this comment
easytarget @ 95
Not too sure if it is the moonshine or the sunshine but my view of the world from the Appalachians is now tempered with a sense of familiness with the return of Mark today.
After his long awaited piece and the supporting / opposing views you realise it is difficult for any of us to be all men or all women to everybody, and cater for the differing tastes and seasons at times.
Blagger or blogger - all should be free to take out our frustrations on the Webb- you included..
You becoming too American ! I do hope not, as I hope Mark will watch his step as well.
Power failures. Candle light. Board games. This often leads to bored games in the US and around the world, the later patter of tiny feet and 21 years of added responsibility as I know to my cost in the past. America expects ! Your Nelson would be proud.of us.
Regards to Mrs Target
Blanche
Complain about this comment
Barnaby101 #93;
"I have now been living in the US for four years. Your experiences are so similar to mine. Virtually all of my negative experiences in the US are a variation on two themes:
1) Public services are so bad that you think they must do it on purpose.
2) Are people this ill-informed..."
Then why do you stay here?
Complain about this comment
Now be fair, just about every nation on this planet has gone through a militaristic period. Egypt was conquering Africa under the Pharaohs, the Persians had their own Great Empire followed by Philip of Macedon and Alexander the Great and the havoc they and their successors wrought in Asia Minor. Then the Romans, the Mongol Hordes, the Vikings, the Spaniards, the French, the Moors, the British and dozens of others romped across lands that weren't theirs in quest of imperial dominance
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
So you want USA to end up like the egypt of pharoah,or the persians (alexendar was a conqurer,not great civilization,same goes for mongols, both were more concerned with winning and conquroring, and same for the vikings) or the Moors? Is this the lesson you learn when you read history and archeology? that one day americans civiilzation will be in ruins, an tourists paying some entereance fees to look at them and take pictures of them and send postcards of the ruins to their friends? Phaorah and Moors and the persians were brilliant craftsmen, their buildings are still standing, in america there is no building that can last that long..So, unlike the phaorah who still manage to bring millions into egypt, america will not even be able to attract any tourists.
Complain about this comment
Ref. 107, student-expat:
"Why can't the US make an effort to live up to the hype it generates about itself?"
There's a sucker born every minute. -- P. T. Barnum.
The hype to which you refer is advertising, nothing more. The free market is so ingrained in our culture that even when we're not trying to sell something, we still like making sales pitches. It's natural for us. Evidently it's more effective on those outside of America. Who woulda thunk it? So what if it's not the truth. Caveat emptor. Americans take advertising with a grain of salt. You and your friends should, too.
Complain about this comment
@ student-expat
Why can't the US make an effort to live up to the hype it generates about itself?
You mean we should make America more like Europe so you can feel comfortable here? Sure! Would you be willing to help us pay all the redecorating costs? You know, where it costs billions to change every electrical socket in the country - the one you obviously haven't traveled around enough of, because you imagine all water is the same everywhere - so you can plug in your blow dryer without a converter?
And that chlorine you claim to be tasting is there for your protection. Or do you want to get cholera or some other nasty disease? In any case, if you have a real problem and the water is cloudy (which doesn't come from chlorine) report it to the city health department. In the meantime, buy a filter for the faucet.
Complain about this comment
All this from a man whose homeland is paralyzed by a few leaves falling on rail tracks, or a few centimeters of rain, or a gust of wind, or the death of a royal divorcee. Bit rich.
Complain about this comment
Blanche. while it is great to hear your child complimented remember his area of expertise is also his area of failing.
Those 110 houses. Why?
safety?
naaa we know that's not it. so lets think. maybe our expert can explain why 110 is more efficient than 220.
or why Euros can't fix out particular American problems.
well written maybe. points out the obvious yes.
but correct?
and thinking of incorrect there is the old Canadians move here for doctors rubbish. from a previously described.
thing.
Complain about this comment
MA your latest rant is amusing..
I just bought a euro designed welder the american welders are very very impressed with its steady arc.
but anyway. american electrical products are no safer if not more dangerous.
you write well and fools believe you.
Complain about this comment
Hi Mark:
You are looking at the US with myopic eyes. You come from an itty-bitty country that can get lost in Texas three or is it four times. I could ask why the UK shuts down with 1” of snow and here the capitol has over two feet. As per the movie Notting Hill, its perspective and you don’t have it.
Since you are only a reporter I guess you don’t understand how things really are. Pity.
Complain about this comment
To push the falling wall, all EU has to do is to open its borders to the skilled workers and proffesional of the third world..and keep on scaring americans into blocking such people from going there..And in a few years time, the settlers in usa will start coming back to their roots in europe in hope of better future...A stronger europe then can use americans as they did in ww2, their soldiers to fight for the europeans..This is what america is going to excel in, as it has now expearnce of many wars.
Complain about this comment
I am glad you're writing about the powerlines being placed above ground. It's a problem for many areas of the country and perhaps a little international attention will make our utilities commissions re-evaluate policy. I don't know what's wrong with the street lights though. (FYI - I believe that this article is critical enough to make you "American", even by the Republican standards. Great to have you on board.)
Complain about this comment
Seems that Mr Marvell is a bit cranky today. I seem to recall his beloved BBC carrying stories about the UK grinding to a halt with far less snow falling than the record breaking snow fall in Washington DC. From a Canadian prospective, only in new neighbourhoods are the local power lines below ground. It is not uncommon in many older neighbourhoods to see the power lines above ground and the main high voltage transmission lines remain above ground. However, our local power utilities are diligent to trim tree branches away the power lines so when they break they will not fall on the power lines.
Complain about this comment
@ David Murrell
I don't agree. Citizenship is the country of the passport that you carry - if you have two passports then you can be a dual citizen. Until the EU has a single passport for everyone living inside of it, the EU is a supranational entity, and people are citizens of EU member states, not EU citizens.
As for a Mexican being a "North American citizen" this is risible. North America is a geographical unit, not a political nation-state. Sure, a Mexican can be a North American, but that would not be a description of citizenship, but rather, a geographical identity.
Complain about this comment
Here's a link to an article about the consequences of freezing weather in Europe: from breitbart.com
Then there was the recent incident when weather shut down the Eurostar service under the Channel: from the Guardian
It's not surprising that extreme weather causes problems, whether in Europe or America. What struck me, however, was the long time that it took to get stranded Eurostar passengers out of the tunnel.
Complain about this comment
AnonymousBE - The supermarkets here in Brussels are the same as they are in large cities in the USA...except with much higher prices (which can't be good for the poor) and limited opening hours. In fact, the supermarkets in upper middle class areas of the USA, would, in general, be superior in quality, variety, and price to any supermarket that I have ever seen in Europe (I have lived in other EU countries as well).
I live close to an ivy league university on the East coast which I attend - I would judge the area to be middle class - there is hardly any form of vegetation around so it is definitely not rural - the best supermarket I have found since arriving is "Whole foods", there is also another called "Trader Joes" (upper end for the US market but actually owned by the Germany discount chain Aldi at the lower end for Europe) - put it this way there is nothing comparable to the high quality of Rewe in Germany or Marks and Spencers in the UK or Carrefour for France - and notwithstanding lower regulations on GM and chemicals in food, little products like Nutella and Carrs crackers are regarded as "Deli" or luxury here and you correspondingly pay through the nose for it. Large portions do not mean like for like products are cheaper - if you substitute an inferior good for a high quality product. I need say no more than look at health problems and obesity rates - lower quality fast food. Without going to a "farmers market" back in blightly I could pick up fresh chicken stock in a basic tescos or a red wine to add into my cooking sauces, here I have to make do with sodium ladden cans of the stuff unless I pay top dollar at one of the exclusives as listed above and as for wine - forget it - you can pick up a beer in supermarkets but not wine.
The inferiority of the supermarkets and food is one thing that all the international students I know can agree on - and we did not expect that before coming here.
Complain about this comment
I always thought the blackouts were rather fun. Many, many years ago there was a major power outage in Manhattan, where I was living at the time. This noisy, bright island was hushed and dark. People came out of their houses, some with guitars, and we sat on the stoops singing into the black night. It was a magical interlude.
Complain about this comment
This comment has been referred for further consideration. Explain
I know you won't approve this, but I would like a response as to why Mark Mardell's article, although interesting, is so grammatically incorrect and with so many errors in spelling? I am not someone who complains all the time, but the way he has written this article using words such as ‘other wise’ as well as many other weird and wonderful takes on the English Language is far from professional. The omission of commas and apostrophes makes difficult reading for anyone with a half baked intellect and reminds me of the ‘layman’ explanations used in birth control campaigns.
In a time when nobody is doing their job properly, this just angers those who would lose their jobs for less and I am sure as the former “BBC’s Man in Europe” he is not only very privileged but also extremely well paid for these efforts…
Rant over…
Graham Keyse FRSA
Complain about this comment
You might be surprised that--despite being a proud, lifelong American--I find your comments regarding American infrastructure to be very worthwhile--a point worth making. We would be fools, indeed, to continue to ignore the "crumble beneath the chrome" as we are wont to do in our overarching pride.
At the same time, I have a practical streak to me (as many Americans do). And I think you might want to check some of your questions about our infrastructure with an engineer. For example--overhead power lines. They are subject to all the fallibility you cite. But it is much faster to extend power distribution in this way--at a better cost ratio for the installation (if not the maintenance). And these things make it possible to cover a larger area in a shorter time.
And so you can see that America's vastness has been a shaping factor in many of the infrastructure choices made.
Complain about this comment
109. At 4:50pm on 08 Feb 2010, easytarget wrote:
gav you are the definition of flag wrapped.
sorry but are you crazy?
we do not want to discuss ww2 and your late arrival and how europe allowed time for you guys to muster up the courage to fight for what would one day be your problem. but you go ona bout the marshal plan saving us all and how we should not be (but should) grateful
Wow, that really got you going! Must have struck close to home. And you say I am "flag wrapped".
First, we weren't late, because it wasn't our war and they weren't ever going to be a problem for the US. At least not for another generation. The smart thing for the US to do would have been to stay out of the European fray, maybe not even done the Lend-Lease program, to concentrate on the Pacific war. Because while we were doing that we would could keep on developing nuclear weapons and rockets. Why do you think we "stole" Einstein? Once Hilter consolidated his power and we knew where to aim, these could then have been lobbed across the pond and Europe would never again have been a problem. Cold logic should have ruled against our boys being sent to die for Europeans.
But you see, in those days, many Americans still had close ties to Europe. There were many who had recently come from the Old Country and many more who were only first generation Americans, who felt some sort of kinship with their parents' homeland. You won't find that now, of course. As a second generation American, I have no emotional connection to Europe at all. Although that could be because ALL of my family, with the exception of two great uncles, were butchered by the Nazis. Murdered in their little Ukranian village with the entire population as the SS pulled out ahead of the Russian Army. Of the uncles who survived, btw, one was a Commissar in the party, killed by Stalin for some imagined betrayal. The other died of lockjaw in 1965 from a cut he got on his foot in a bathhouse. As you might imagine, he was NOT a member of the party and therefore did not rate a dose or two of penicillin. The rest of my European family either died in the war or escaped to the US. Luckily, I did not lose any immediate relatives, though ALL of my uncles served as did both my aunts in the WACs. My father was a merchant marine during the war. So you see, I do have some right to claim an interest in the outcome of that great European catastrophe.
As for my comments regarding gratitude, these are based on the fact that as late as the mid 1960s there were signs in the windows of German bakeries reminding customers to, "Remember, half your flour is paid for by the Americans." Meaning: work harder, become independent again, because this is humiliating. And I'm sure it was. No one likes to beg for charity. We ALL have pride. But the US had no intention of humiliating anyone, least of all our former enemies. What would be the point of that when the goal was to give Europe a long enough period of peace so that the thought of another European war would become anathema? Peole love peace and prosperity. They are loathe to give it up.
So Europe is at peace. And it is strong enough now not to need our help. That's all to the good. The point I was making was that I don't expect every Western European I meet to say, "Thank you for filling Europe with enough soldiers, bases and weapons to keep the Russians at bay until we could recover and protect ourselves". Or, "Thank you for giving us some seed money so we could get on our feet and keep our people from starving, and maybe dream of one day not having to use ration stamps and having a national health system."
What I do expect tho, is not to have Western Europeans, who benefited from the financial sacrifices of Americans after the war when there was a hue and cry in this country to leave Europe to Europe's fate, which it had brought on itself, to constantly sneer at us and gloat over our decaying infrastructure. Why not sneer at Russia, or China, or maybe Greece? Parts of which still don't have reliable land lines for phone service. Why do think the cell phones became so popular so quickly in Europe? You were behind us in infrastructure. Now, because of the booming market bubbles of the past 30 years, in many ways you are ahead of us. If you hate it here so much, leave.
But while you're here, have a little decency, why don't you? My entire family was wiped out by your war. And then you basically spit on me for having an opinion on the subject. How dare you imagine that because I was raised in the US I have no right comment, or that because I do I must by definition be some jingoistic propagandized fool. Stop having knee-jerk reactions to everything anyone says that you feel is critical of European sentiments. I wasn't Euro-bashing, though you seem to take great delight in America bashing. In anycase, don't dish it out if you can't take it. Remember, being rude and antagonist to somone else gives tacit permission for the other person to be just as rude and antagonistic back.
Complain about this comment
Even Abu Dhabi is far more better place to live than usa..everything is available from the first class top branded stuff to the third class, made in india stuff, and if your luxury doesnt allow you the satisfaction, dubai is just twenty minutes car drive away. The american dream is a reality in dubai.
Complain about this comment
Ref. 143, student-expat:
"I live close to an ivy league university on the East coast which I attend - I would judge the area to be middle class - there is hardly any form of vegetation around so it is definitely not rural..."
Let me guess. New Haven?
Complain about this comment
And whats more, even NewYork is not the newyork the americans have projected for years and years..Apart from the weekends, the city looks like under curfew at nights..All they have to do is to put some checkposts at various neighbourhoods and it will look like occupied place..Even the newyorkians are afraid of going into each other's neighbourhoods sometimes middle of the day, other times in the evening. All the aliens are left to do is to see the famous places, do what others aliens do, come home and say the exact same things.
Complain about this comment
Ref. 139, Alisha:
"I don't know what's wrong with the street lights though."
We rotate ours in Colorado to save energy. In any string of streetlights, typically a third or more of them are out. Maybe D.C. does the same thing?
Complain about this comment
I think we have a romantic view of snowstorms and other (mostly) non-deadly disasters. Power outages give us the chance to get out, shovel our drives, meet the neighbors etc. It slows everything down for a day.
As for the crumbling public sector in the US, I've been assured by parents and grandparents alike that it's always been that way. I wouldn't take it as a sign of a declining power. We've never had French-like infrastructure in our cities.
Complain about this comment
128. At 5:40pm on 08 Feb 2010, easytarget wrote:
you loaned the money.. in that case can I see a round of appreciation for the chinese for loaning you the dosh to get going again?
Why? They are being very well paid already by keeping their currency artificially low so that they can sell their products here and in Europe at below cost. And, unlike most of Europe, we will eventually pay back our debt with interest within a reasonable amount of time. I believe Britain only managed to pay back its post war loan a couple of years ago. And you never offered us any thanks. Which is why I don't expect any. What your government wanted, btw, was a grant not a loan. As if we owed you something for getting into a war your own economist, Keynes, whose advice we accepted, told you how to avoid! Cheeky buggers, the lot of you!
Complain about this comment
If americans do venture out of their well, other than war purposes, they do it for the sake of , "been there and done that" and for the rest of their lives they tell other americans about the most touristy things that everyone visits..And whats more, they wear socks with their sandals.
Complain about this comment
DM
Europe is not a country; Europe is not a nation; Europe is not even a superstate, considering an obvious disunion in European Union
[cf. CAP, for example].
Whereas U.S. is a veritable e pluribus unum.
P.S. I've never met a European who would define himself/herself as such, rather than saying: "I am German... French, Belgian, Spanish.." etc.
Or even: "I'm not Spanish: I'm CATALONIAN!"
Or "I'm not French; I'm BASQE!"
Or "I'm not Belgian' I'm FLEMISH!"
Or even [horrible dictu!]: I'm not British'; I'm SCOTTISH!
You may not like it, but that's a fact, not fiction.
Complain about this comment
@135
and thinking of incorrect there is the old Canadians move here for doctors rubbish. from a previously described.
thing.
Canadian Premier Williams seeks heart surgery in U.S. because it is not available in N.L.
Just sayin'
Complain about this comment
Re #141 [AnonymousBEś
Many people would describe me (and probably you) as 'Caucasian'.
Although I don't hail from Caucasus, and don't have Balkar, Chechen, Dagestani, Georgian or Ingush roots.
And it would be equally silly if somebody defined himself as European-American (per analogiam to African-American] since it would be an obvious oxymoron.
Or 'French-British' - because of their Norman roots. :-)
Complain about this comment
"I am not alone in my discomfort suffering the consequences of 'snowmaggedon.'"...no you certainly are not! Many people around the world in places like Gaza and Columbia and Iraq are suffering much worse 'discomforts' thanks to Amerikan foreign aggression. "America has for decades projected an image of modernity and technological superiority, disguising a dirty little secret"...that it behaves with the most primitive barbarism in its imperial interventions abroad. "Behind the chrome, it's crumbling"...and morally speaking Amerika is already reduced to rubble. Yes, sadly, "Many Americans don't travel widely and so believe their own propaganda"...or at least, their own government's propaganda. "Washington can feel like second city (sic) of a not very prosperous emerging economy, rather than the capital of the Free World"...or it can feel like Berlin seventy years ago.
"No doubt some will criticise me for being ungracious about my new home and suggest I should go back to the UK if I don't like what I see. But my job is to report what I find"...and you're doing a much better job of it than that craven Amerikan cheerleader Justin Webb ever did. Unfortunately, there's a lot more not to like about what you can see in Amerika if you keep your eyes open. You haven't even scratched the surface yet. You've been much too gracious.
Complain about this comment
149. At 6:59pm on 08 Feb 2010, colonelartist wrote:
Even Abu Dhabi is far more better place to live than usa..everything is available from the first class top branded stuff to the third class, made in india stuff, and if your luxury doesnt allow you the satisfaction, dubai is just twenty minutes car drive away. The american dream is a reality in dubai.
Yup! Right along with slavery and sexual repression. By the way, be careful not to eat a poppy seed roll at Heathrow and have three seeds left on your jacket before you head for Abu Dhabi. You can be arrested for drug smuggling and thrown in jail. Even though everyone knows that poppy seeds used in cooking are denatured and in no way can be used as a drug. Still, they've got some new high tech equipment and they're having fun arresting foreigners who look "suspicious". Like TV producers.
Complain about this comment
Mark has pointed out a few problems.
So here is what you do:
The power is out after the blizzard and it's freezing, the roads are covered in snow.
Solution: Hop in the SUV ( that's why we own them!) and drive down a snowy road riddled with pot holes, to Home Depot to buy the Generator.
Then go across the street to Walmart and buy some ammunition for one of our many guns.
Go, home turn on the genny and load clips. Hop in SUV and drive to gravel pit or range and shoot at targets or old cans or old televisions.
Marvel at the beauty of the forest wrapped in winters majesty.
Go home, turn on computer and see how all the promised change is coming along.
Complain about this comment
First of all, you need to realize america is not one culture. It is twice the size of western Europe. and is much less densely populated than europe. The costs would be staggaring to update everywhere at once. You also must take into account that states have a lot more sovreignty than you realize. They are quasi nations in regards to many local affairs, I.E, anything not covered in the constitution is up to the states to decide which is a hell of a lot of things. Also every US citizen is a citizen of their stae and the US. SO their are a lot more complexities than most of you seem to realize. Each state has its own economy and decides what infrastructure will be worked on. It is not up to the Federal government for the most part.
That being said every place is different. We value individuality here and we leave it up to various entities to fix the problems. There are many places with bad infrastructure sure but their are also many places that rival or surpass anywhere on earth. You must be careful to act like the US is one giant culture and unsophisticated like europe. On the less traveled point. Our country is so big we need to travel much farther to get to another country unlike europe where most countries are the sizes of our states. Less languages are spoken here because we only really have two major ones spoken on this continent, negating the need to learn so many different ones.
As for the people who say they are ex-americans, you know who you are, I wouldn't trade the most culturally diverse nation on earth for any of the so called overcrowded and "sophistication" of europe. With all our problems, I live just fine and I have been to europe. I dont envy you, I look at you as equals not superiors.
One mroe thing, you are welcome for electricity in the first place, glad we could provide yo uwith the inovation to harness it.
Complain about this comment
To Jason:
Texas and Missouri have some of the worst roads I have ever seen, and these are some of the reddest states in the union. Crumbling infrastructure is a nation-wide problem, and shouldn't be relegated to a "red-state" vs. "blue state" battle.
Come on, I come to the BBC website to escape this kind of nonsense, since I can't seem to escape it in the US media...
However, I agree with you in that it is not just whether states spend money on the roads, infrastructure, etc....it's much more complex than that.
Complain about this comment
This comment has been referred for further consideration. Explain
"I know you won't approve this, but I would like a response as to why Mark Mardell's article, although interesting, is so grammatically incorrect and with so many errors in spelling?" (from Graham at #146)
Oh, great! Another pedant whinging about Mr. Mardell's writing, with nothing at all to say about the topic of the day. In the first place, it's informal writing. In the second place, you have to go through it with a fine-toothed comb to find anything wrong with it. In the third place, he communicated his idea clearly and effectively, which is the main thing.
Complain about this comment
And it would be equally silly if somebody defined himself as European-American (per analogiam to African-American] since it would be an obvious oxymoron.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
African american, Asian americans, Latin americans euro americans,and Native americans.That is if americans do not like to be recognized by the color of the skin..However there is a loophole that can be used, scienctifically they can be broken down into two simple categories, with pigments and pigment-less.Religiously can be done as well, two categories, with faith and faithless...Who says science and religon are not compatible? intellectually, its a difference of more and less, more stupid and less stupid..the main phylum remains the same, stupid...politically, the same, more fanatics and less fanatics, again the main phylum is fanatic.Globalized bases, americans are "they" and the rest of the world, "We".
Complain about this comment
@143 student-expat
You make an interesting point in your comments about the quality of food versus cost in the US. As little as 40 years ago Americans spent approximately 17% of their incomes on food. Today, we spend only 9.7%. That is the lowest amount in the world. Why? I believe that a number of years ago the government very quietly made a decision. Quality was sacrificed for quantity, so that food became cheaper and hunger could be alleviated to a great degree. Small local farms stopped supplying most markets and the corporations with government subsidies took over.
If you want higher quality food, like any luxury item, yes, you must pay for it. That is how things work in America. But at least everybody can eat something. Maybe not as healthfully as others, perhaps, but that is also a choice. Personally, though I love Nutella, I wouldn't consider that to be a health food. It's loaded with sugar. Might just as well smear that on your gut instead of eating it. It's just going to end up there anyway.
Funnily enough, it's the low-fat food police that have made everybody fatter. 30 years ago you could buy good marbled meats. Now only around 2% of beef is prime. All the rest is lean, like the pork and the chicken. Do you know that since the meat got leaner and whole grains have been pushed, Americans are 30% fatter? Not because they aren't eating what they are told is a healthy diet, but because the diet itself is wrong. Too many carbs, not enough protein. If Americans just went back to eating the way we did in the 50s and 60s, we'd all be healthier. Sadly, Europe is on track to follow us. Britain is beginning to feel the effects of the "health food" craze even now. Childhood obesity leading to little or no exercise is on the increase.
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
This comment has been referred for further consideration. Explain
While I think it's fair to complain that you went without power for days, I'd like to point out that such outages are rare, as are the storms that produce them. Further, when I lived in Ireland everyone kept the heat off throughout the day, every day and all winter long, so it never felt particularly warm inside. Personally, I prefer cold for a few days rather than cold all the time.
Complain about this comment
I am an American, born and raised here. I am generally considered a conservative and I am very proud of my country. That said, anyone who lives here is blind if they don't see how our infrastructure is crumbling. I don't think much of higher taxes, but I think in resetting our public spending priorities I'd put rebuilding this country up with defense, education, law enforcement and (of course!) paying down our debt. I certainly would much rather see our government invest in OUR infrastructure rather than increasing aid to foreign governments. Provincial? Yes. Self-interested? Sure. Practical? Absolutely.
Complain about this comment
@student-expat
I go to GB/Carrefour every week, and it has less selection, no higher quality, and higher prices, than the supermarkets I went to in suburban DC (Harris Teeter) or suburban Philadelphia (Genuardi's). For example, the Harris Teeter had its own sushi chef and full-service bakery inside the supermarket - try finding this at Carrefour - and then try finding it at 02.00 in the morning - the supermarkets are open 24/7. As for wine, this depends on which state you are in - some states restrict alcohol sales to only certain shops, but if you go to a state that does not (such as Virginia or the District of Columbia) then there is a huge selection of wine from all over the world. I can say the same about Marks and Spencer in the UK (where I also lived) relative to my experience in America - Marks and Spencer was nothing special. I have never encountered anything in Europe that can compare to Whole Foods in terms of selection or quality (though I stopped shopping there when I found out that the CEO is a right-wing ideologue, and anyway it is expensive by American standards). And, if the supermarkets are not good enough for you, you can always try a real market such as Eastern Market in DC or Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia.
There are many things that are done better in Europe, but also things that are done better in the USA. But, in any case, if you are in a large metropolitan area in the USA, and you still can't eat well, then you simply don't know what you're doing. I would ask a local to show you around.
Complain about this comment
I just want to say one day the world will end and humanity will be gona and all if this for nothing. Sorry to be the buzz kill on your party europe.
Complain about this comment
Yup! Right along with slavery and sexual repression. By the way, be careful not to eat a poppy seed roll at Heathrow and have three seeds left on your jacket before you head for Abu Dhabi. You can be arrested for drug smuggling and thrown in jail. Even though everyone knows that poppy seeds used in cooking are denatured and in no way can be used as a drug. Still, they've got some new high tech equipment and they're having fun arresting foreigners who look "suspicious". Like TV producers.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought i made it perfectly clear in one of my earlier post a few months ago, that i do not use heathrow airport anymore, after they did, "we got the updated list after you stepped out of the scanner and while your lugagge was going through the scanning machine" on me.And that they were so occupied with the expensive things which I guess they had never seen before, and my first class high quality luggage that they just see the two things they should have confiscated, a pocket knife, swiss made and a lighter...Which I had to remind them to take,by saying, geniuses and einstiens atleast do what you are supposed to do and confiscate these two items". I think you are simply jealous of dubai for making the americans dreams come true in dubai..However, you can go to Qatar but when it doesnt look like dubai, doesnt feel like dubai then its not dubai.where the qauality meets the quantity all in one place..sometimes within the distance of 10 minutes walk.Where they turned desert into lush green and build buildings and then they turned sea into land, and made amazing structures...And now they have built the world tallest building. Israel should learn from dubai and do the same, instead of doing the most primitive thing, snatching other people's land to build their gated communities all over east jerusalam.
Complain about this comment
169. At 8:13pm on 08 Feb 2010, you wrote:
This comment has been referred to the moderators. Explain.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
To, the mods, you are wasting your time, I copied that one from the neighbouring topic on this blog, where I had posted it a few days back..
Complain about this comment
First, I'll say that I'm an natural born American citizen and a British citizen. I've been to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd world countries. This includes much of the US and Europe and countries in Africa and Central Asia. So I like to think I don't have a US centric view of this topic. Also I am an electrical engineer, who specializes in electrifying remote locations using primarily renewable energy. Finally, I spent the snowstorm in Arlington, VA, just outside the capital.
America can always spend more on infrastructure. It's a very large country where scale alone pretty much guarantees that significant portions of infrastructure will be outdated, falling apart, or in need of some kind of maintenance.
It is very upsetting and frustrating how much power goes out in the US. I grew up in suburban Philadelphia, in a very wooded area. My neighborhood's power lines were underground but were supplied by above ground lines outside the neighborhood. Power cuts happened a few times a year (~6-12 hours), but were rarely a big hassle, despite the fact that our whole house was electric. We had some candles and some blankets and made the best of it. Monopoly or bridge by candlelight is always fun. These problems could be solved by underground wiring. That is why many cities in the US (like Manhatten) have already done this. However, in the huge subdivisions and poorer communities it's a different story. Simply put, why bother, when most people are used to it, the money can be spent on other things, and catastrophic storms like this one happen once every 30 years. FYI, new communities almost always have underground utilities, and many towns now require it in their zoning codes.
The roads: Couldn't agree more. I've gotten two flat tires in the last 6 months. To be fair though, there are a lot of roads. Considering the amount of snow/ice we've received this winter, and the fact that snow plows are literally scraping the roads every couple weeks, this is pretty much impossible to avoid. I learned that from a BBC article. Could the potholes be fixed faster? Absolutely. I wish our government could afford to spend more money on this (as opposed to wars).
Now specifically, with regards to DC. I was in Arlington this weekend. The utilities are underground through most of that area. We didn't lose power at all through the whole storm. We also had no problem riding the Metro into DC proper, and had a great time enjoying the 'snowmageddon.' The last big snow I spent in Philadelphia which has much worse infrastructure, but I had just as much electrified fun there.
So what's my point? Well basically, Mr. Mardell your 'article' is a blog. Calling it a piece of journalism would be a mistake. There is very little objective information presented. Almost completely anecdotal. However, what irked me and actually got me to respond was the inflammatory rhetoric you decided to use. Comparing Washington DC to "second city of a not very prosperous emerging economy" only makes me feel that you've never been to one of those cities. It hyperboles like yours that demonstrate a gross unawareness of the problems faced by people around the world when it comes to access to electricity, and the benefits (like clean water) that often come with it.
Even in England I have witnessed potholes and power cuts first hand, and I've never driven a car there, and have only spent about 6 months of my life there. In the ~3 months I lived in London, I can hardly remember a day without delays on the Circle Line. I remember losing power a few times on a bright and sunny day because the demand of air conditioners blew out power transformers in verious neighborhoods. When staying at my family home in Bournemouth I vividly recall witnessing something I had only heard of: fuse boxes. Surely, fuses are old hat, when primitive US building codes have required circuit breakers for all new construction/renovation for ~30 years. Sure, my family could upgrade the electrical system, but why spend the money?
Over this winter I've heard uncountable stories of doom and despair from snow-covered England. The country was crippled; at least by the BBC's accounts. England apparently ran out of salt/grit for it's roads and was having emergency shipments sent from Europe. People were snowed in a pub for days (I gleefully told this story over the weekend to my fellow bar-dwellers). A wife was separated from her husband for two weeks (they lived in a remote light-house). Luckily, for reality's sake, I have family across England, and I know that life wasn't actually that bad for most people.
My old roommate who lives in the Black Forest in Germany, just sent me an email making sure my roommates and I were okay. See, we live on a remote farm in Northern MD. I was happy to tell him that we shoveled out our driveway on our own, and never lost power. Also the roads were almost perfect when I got back yesterday afternoon. Except for the 7ft snow drifts that were already cleared away. Everyone was in (and drinking) good spirits.
But these are anecdotes of the snow storm. Amusing, yes. Practical or helpful in a constructive criticism of an entire country, not really.
Which brings me back to the big picture. You apparently live in a neighborhood where there are above ground power lines. There are neighborhoods where the utilities are completely underground. You chose the former. And considering you're blogging with the BBC, I'm sure you had a choice. I chose to live on a remote farm where occasionally we lose power, and high speed internet is not high speed. If someone told me my county(council) or power company was going to spend millions running our utilities underground, I'd be dumbfounded. Even more so if it was because the councilmen or their constituents read this article.
I'm sorry for your inconvenience over the weekend. Hundreds of thousands spent a very uncomfortable and dark weekend buried in snow. However, when it comes to the debate of upgrading US infrastructure, your uninformed and hyperbolic rant only serves to polarize and aggravate reasonable people.
Complain about this comment
Gavrielle_LaPoste "I believe that a number of years ago the government very quietly made a decision. Quality was sacrificed for quantity, so that food became cheaper and hunger could be alleviated to a great degree."
This hypothesis reads like you just pulled it out of thin air. The government controlled prices during WWII, but that was exceptional. We have a market economy. Prices came down because food is big business. As agribusiness became bigger (huge factory-farms for chickens and eggs e.g.), costs (and quality) came down as production went up.
In recent decades, however, the demand for higher quality food has been growing in the US. I recently read Julia Child's memoir of her life in France, in which she wrote about the difficulty in getting ingredients in the US when supermarkets were dominated by convenience foods. Now, the situation is much better. Where I live, at least, every large supermarket has a variety of fresh produce that was unavailable anywhere fifty years ago. You don't need to go to an expensive "organic" grocery to get organic produce, either.
California may be better than many parts of the country in this regard, but I am sure there are many urban areas with as much choice.
The free market controls this, not the government.
Complain about this comment
Sissy.
Complain about this comment
I did not know Europe was such a utopia with no problems, I also wasn't aware every european has been to every part of the US and was an expert on our power systems. I really must be a dumb american. It always makes sense to criticize your strongest ally and defender but not the chinese and russian socialist who lack human rights that you are becoming. makes me wonder what you value more, freedom or being a homogenous herd that will pay any amount of taxes and do whatever you govt says. But what do I know, I am an uneducated american who lives in abject poverty apparantly. I sure wish i could drink tea, work 30 hours a week and ride on a little fancy train all the time. Open space and beautiful landscape is something you sacraficed long ago with your overcrowding and deforestation with the exception of a few small places.
Complain about this comment
167. At 8:10pm on 08 Feb 2010, Gavrielle_LaPoste wrote:
"Do you know that since the meat got leaner and whole grains have been pushed, Americans are 30% fatter?"
Umm. Logic? Did you know that since Sputnik went round the earth Americans have got fatter? Or was it since the invention of the CD? Or artificial fibres? Or since the end of the war in Vietnam?
That's the same kind of logic that says "We can't do X like they do in European countries because America is bigger." Mark was talking about a city. And the cities aren't.
Complain about this comment
Dear Mr Mardell:
Thank you for "telling it like it is" (to use the American idiom).
It is, indeed, exactly as you describe it. And let me add this to that: in the largely snow-free Western coastal metropolises, I have experienced regular power blackouts, not to mention the scheduled brownouts, many a time since settling here in 1965. In January 1980, a regular albeit impressive rainstorm left two of the principal residential districts in San Francisco power-less for exactly three days.
We lose power in Berkeley and in the LA area pretty much every year for at least some hours, and often a day or more, due to rain or wind or fires.
America has neglected its infrastructure so thoroughly, we have had the dramatic bridge collapses and the massive power failure all across the Eastern seaboard that forced New Yorkers to walk home, miles and miles away, a few years back.
Obviously, infrastructure investment would boost jobs. So will high-speed rail (yet already the special interests are lobbying ferociously against it, claiming "few would benefit" from a modern rail system linking the key population centres along the key corridors).
And if you look into the nightmarish fragility of the coal-delivery system which transports the dark power-source from the remote Dakotas and Wyoming all the way to the East Coast by decrepit rail, it becomes even more clear that the Greening of the American Power Supply Networks is something everyone here should be in a mad rush to accomplish -- rather than the opposite.
But no... Exactly as you observe: "Many Americans don't travel widely and so believe their own propaganda."
In Russia, where the weather challenges, 20th c. legacy and distances are indeed and unambiguously daunting, they deal with each & every bitter winter, one year at a time, pretty much uneventfully, with only very rare breakdowns in fairly remote or basket-case locales. The metro runs. The lights stay on. The buses & trolleys run without fail, with heaters going full-blast, late into the night. Is it because the Russians have adapted to their harsh climate? Actually, that would be misreading the reality. Most Russians have far more limited means & worse health indicators than most Americans & Europeans. Stalin's megalomania imprinted upon most of the big Russian cities dreadfully inconvenient urban design that most rational humans would flee from in horror.
But still, the essential services do not breakdown, even with the occasional peculiar ante-perestroika quirk, such as the annual fortnight of cold-water-only in Moscow that every household has to put up with.
But that's Russia. Ex-USSR. No surprises. It will take more than one decade of distance from the Communist nightmare before we can expect any former Soviet state to begin to resemble its own authentic, properly functional persona.
America's historical trajectory is altogether different, and so we are correct in having higher expectations.
America invested trillions into achieving Bush-Cheney's objectives in Iraq. In the meantime, the US has allowed its own essential infrastructure to deteriorate at a precipitous rate -- even while the banks during their speculative frenzy were funding every single American-mansion-dream in sight.
And now Palinistas and other GOPhers are determined to derail any chances of constructive governance until 2012 rolls around, when they hope to retake control.
It makes the 2010 vote all the more crucial.
Complain about this comment
RHz (#176) "Monopoly or bridge by candlelight is always fun."
Yes, but candles call for caution. Two friends of the family died during a power outage when they apparently went to sleep with candles burning, which set the house on fire. When you use candles, be sure that they can't fall over or burn down to a combustible surface, or otherwise get out of control if left unattended.
Complain about this comment
Was Mark really snowed in for so long and unable to post a new thread for a week, or was he really in Argentina? Is this post just a cover-up? I think we should be told.
Complain about this comment
student_expat: Imagine how american students feel when they goto supermarkets in europe. They don't have Tastycakes, and the ice cream doesn't taste as good. You don't know what Tastycakes are? Well, only Americans who've been overseas know what Nutella is. I know how much certain foods mean to people. I grew up eating homemade arabic food. My mother would drive great distances to seek out just the right ingredients. Ultimately, different people eat different food. Maybe you can try your local farmer's market or co-op. You might have better luck there. Otherwise, you should get used to what's available, like I have to whenever I travel. I didn't like Marks and Spencer's ready-made meals, but they were available and relatively cheap in London, so I ate them. And I marveled over them the whole time. Until I got home and had a real kitchen and a affordable supermarket again.
As far as hype goes, I don't think America really builds up it's own hype. That's done by all the people who visit and then go back home. It's true that American's generally love their country and will gladly tell anyone that fact. But since so many don't visit other places, I can't believe they're the ones spreading the good word. The one big difference I'll acknowledge is that most Americans who do criticize their own country, rarely point to other ones as better examples. This isn't the case in most other countries. It's kind of unfortunate that people can't acknowledge the relative shortcomings of the US.
On water quality. Water is different all over the US. Cities tend to be worse than suburbs and rural areas. The high chlorine content is due to higher risks of system contamination in cities, where the piping networks are much bigger and also older. The high metal/mineral content is due to very old water pipes. Ultimately, though the water is very safe. If you don't like the taste, try using a water filter (like Pur or Brita). The minerals/metals will be filtered out and if you let the pitcher sit, the chlorine will evaporate. Personally, because I'm on a farm, I have well water, which doesn't have these problems. However, when I visit friends, I always notice the chlorine. It is certainly off-putting.
Complain about this comment
This comment has been referred for further consideration. Explain
RHz, truth is always bitter..Come this summer, drink a glass of sugarcane juice, works like an aircondition to your body and will help you to digest the bitter taste of truth..And I am not joking, try it.i like bush, dont read the whole introductory chapter, I skim through and get the jist of what is written, and for a minute or two, five actually, I thought Mark Mardell had been uncermoniously posted to my remote hometown up in remote mountains..I think I will not even miss the hometown if I become a neo-settler in washington. I think i will as I sometimes think aloud if I see an animal or a bird in the strange countries, " what are our electricity cables doing in this strange land hanging to their poles, and what are our snow storms doing in this strange land".
Complain about this comment
Mr Mardell-
A poorly-run American city with limited services and controlled by Democrats- what a shocker! When are you going to get out of DC and check out the rest of the US? For example, you could have gone to cover a real political story, which occurred in Nashville over the weekend. Or, how about checking out New Orleans during the Superbowl, and how they have bounced back? And anyway, what's Belgium got to do with anything?
Complain about this comment
161. At 7:46pm on 08 Feb 2010, Eastvillage wrote:
"Go, home turn on the genny and load clips. Hop in SUV and drive to gravel pit or range and shoot at targets or old cans or old televisions.
Marvel at the beauty of the forest wrapped in winters majesty."
Full of old cans, tellies and cartridge shells?
Complain about this comment
@174
I'm not a "beach and party" person. Not interested in spending my holiday shopping. Have lived in Chicago for 15 years and never been to the top of the Sears Tower, though I worked in the building when it was still considered the world's tallest, same with the World Trade Center when I lived in New York, so Dubai would not be for me. I prefer a nice archaeological dig for relaxation, interspersed with museum trips and exploring places off the beaten path for local dishes to taste and enjoy. Barring that, I go to the Appalachian mountains or the Adirondacks and sit in a quiet cabin inhaling the fresh air, or go canoeing, or hiking.
I'm sorry about your unfortunate experience at Heathrow. I often do not have time to read all of the comments. My comment was referring to what recently happened to a Briton who left for Dubai out of Heathrow and was arrested in Dubai for having 3 poppy seeds from a roll he'd eaten on his jacket. Given that I love lemon poppy seed muffins, eat one most days and bake my own, I am not inclined to take any chances. Those darn seeds get everywhere if you spill them. I'd hate for the authorities in Dubai to find a single poppy seed clinging to my person and throw me in jail for being a messy cook!
Complain about this comment
I am flabbergasted! Both my posts been sent off to the headmasters office and I really don't know what I have done to break the rules, especially after reading some very contentious posts that have been published!
I give up.
Ta Ta
Complain about this comment
" ... rather than the capital of the Free World." (from Mardell)
Here's another thing I'm tired of. Nobody uses this term anymore except in a satiric way, as Mr. Mardell does here. What's the point of it? Washington, D. C. is the capital of the United States, and that's all it is.
Complain about this comment
110. At 4:59pm on 08 Feb 2010, powermeerkat wrote:
MM wrote:
" Many Americans don't travel widely and so believe their own propaganda."
"Many a BBC correspondent doesn't travel widely across America [money shortage?] and that's why it's hard to believe his propaganda based on his experience in a region of the US size of Belgium he's used to."
Powermeercat has a good point, Mark. You sound as if you spend all your time in the Washington-New York City corridor. The USA is a huge country with many regional differences and to judge the entire country and people by what you see "back east" is doing your readers a disservice.
Complain about this comment
177. At 8:43pm on 08 Feb 2010, GH1618 wrote:
The free market controls this, not the government.
Unless the government subsidizes specific crops. Then it's not so free a market.
180. At 8:47pm on 08 Feb 2010, squirrelist wrote:
Umm. Logic?
Atleast my comment related to food production. Sputnik? Are you suggesting America had a collective anxiety attack in the 1950s and started eating comfort food to get over the shock and never stopped?
Complain about this comment
I prefer a nice archaeological dig for relaxation, interspersed with museum trips and exploring places off the beaten path for local dishes to taste and enjoy. Barring that, I go to the Appalachian mountains or the Adirondacks and sit in a quiet cabin inhaling the fresh air, or go canoeing, or hiking.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
In dubai, you dig for a nice archaeology and who knows oil will come out, Museum in dubai, local dishes from all over the world, the downton dubai..its not all about beach parties and shopping..the expensive things are expensive over there as well..Ok, you can go to Oman..you will forget your atlas mountains.
Complain about this comment
Gavrielle_LaPoste (#193) "Unless the government subsidizes specific crops. Then it's not so free a market."
That's a good point, but I don't think it's the main factor for the pheomenon you were discussing.
Complain about this comment
Gavrielle_LaPoste (#193), squirrelist was pointing out that correlation is not causation. Assuming a causative relation on the basis of correlation alone is a statistical fallacy.
Complain about this comment
Again, who wants to eat home food while abroad? I fail to understand this logic. If someone mises the food from home, then they should simply stay home.
Complain about this comment
182. At 8:54pm on 08 Feb 2010, GH1618 wrote:
Yes, but candles call for caution. Two friends of the family died during a power outage when they apparently went to sleep with candles burning, which set the house on fire. When you use candles, be sure that they can't fall over or burn down to a combustible surface, or otherwise get out of control if left unattended.
Thank you for mentioning that. It's why I suggested a generator. I nearly died in a fire caused by that very thing. You haven't lived until you've climbed out a third story window on an icy November night in nothing but a pink T shirt with smoke inhalation and flash burns. Luckily, no humans were killed, but I lost 3 of my 4 cats and everything I owned in that fire. If a generator isn't an option, get battery operated lanterns, a propane camp stove, a dial up connection for your land line and keep your extra laptop batteries charged.
Complain about this comment
You sound as if you spend all your time in the Washington-New York City corridor. The USA is a huge country with many regional differences and to judge the entire country and people by what you see "back east" is doing your readers a disservice.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
What the country presents to the outside world, is what the world is interested in, we are not interested in those G-d for saken places which no one mentions except when it comes to the situations like this, when americans generously say this sentence..And, if the plight of the two most known cities, one of them the capitol and the other for the reasons I dont understand, is what Mark has describled, the other cities dont seem to be far behind...Just as you can generelize from one or two episodes or places, so can we. Yes. We Can.
Complain about this comment
I live in Edmonton Alberta, a Canadian city which is supposedly oil-rich, and is also in the tornado belt as well as subject to heavy snowfall. Yet, services -- cable and electricity, are carried overground here too. Apart from the inevitable power cuts, inevitably in bad weather, the poles and cables everywhere make the city untidy and give it a kind of temporary feel, as if nobody really believes that the city will be here in a hundred years time (which as the Prairies are turned to desert by climate change just might be true). As a Brit, just living here for a few years, I'm amazed that discussions about how to improve the city often fail to include burying cables, and prioritise new public buildings or street art instead. I guess that if you've grown up with something, you get used to it, and don't think about changing it.
Complain about this comment
I really get tired of all the crappy complaints about the USA. Where do I begin with London, Paris, Hong Kong or Pekin!
It seems that Mr. Mardell does not know all of the USA by his remarks, thus I guess not well-traveled himself. One doesn't have to travel the world to be open minded about the world, which is a fallacy of arrogant so-called European intellectuals.
There are 50 states compared to how many countries in the EU, but then again the UK is too arrogant to really be European!
Gimme a break, enjoy Abraham Lincoln's Washington, it's one of the most beautiful cities in the world that offers the world what other supposedly great cities in the world don't fabulous museums FREE, a generous gift of the hayseed American people!
Complain about this comment
Yes, but candles call for caution. Two friends of the family died during a power outage when they apparently went to sleep with candles burning,
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Who sleeps with candle still burning? Those who dont know how to use the technology of candles, shouldnt use them. And all who use candles must learn to recyle them, that is not let the wax go waste, just gather it up, put a thread in it and use it till it can not be used again..i think the washingtonians should pay attention to this. I think I should try to make washington and the my hometown the twin cities, and exchange the keys..i have already started to like the city.
Complain about this comment
Mark, I'm glad to see that you've survived Snowmagedon, though I can tell you got cabin fever. Your question about infrastructure is not surprising; sadly, we all live with potholes and buckling cement streets, but your issue with above ground power lines is surprising. While it is true that having lines above ground can make them more prone to breaking, it also makes them far easier and cheaper to put up and maintain. If all the wires were underground, you'd have to dig up the street every time one broke or shorted out. I admit that I'm not an expert on meteorology or electricity, but I'd be surprised if the largest blizzard in years did not cause power outages in D.C.
Complain about this comment
187. At 9:00pm on 08 Feb 2010, bayleyco wrote:
" For example, you could have gone to cover a real political story, which occurred in Nashville over the weekend. "
If you (and others) looked at the iPlayer or the BBC World Service pages on this very site, you'd realise (being an editor) he had other BBC reporters to do that for him. (And there's a whole series every Monday by Gary Younge on that as well. . .)
Complain about this comment
Golly, but those energy CEOs MUST be doing a bang-up amazing job!
Why, when I was living in Los Angeles during rolling black-outs in the late 90's, I believe those fellows were making 1.5 million/ year with bonuses in excess of 700K!
Gosh! Surely if they're being paid so much, its because they're providing fantastic service to their clientele. right?
As for debit cards, I had been 'cash-less' for years... until I moved to my current Philly Hood, where a number of local shops take cash-only. Strange that some of these places have bullet-proof windows through which they take orders, but they only take cash. Go figure.
Oddly - we had cash-only/bullet-proof Chinese Take-out by candle-light on Blizzard Night - but it was just for fun. Our high-strung wires hung in there.
High cholesterol
Chinese food clogs my arteries
during the snow storm.
Gladly, we shovel
to work off the lo-mein noodles
and build snow sculptures.
Complain about this comment
194. At 9:24pm on 08 Feb 2010, colonelartist wrote:
Ok, you can go to Oman..you will forget your atlas mountains.
Actually, I have extended family that still lives in Oman and they keep asking me to visit. I would, but they are Bedu and visits with them may last years. At my age, I'm not sure I'd have what it takes to wander the desert as they sought out interesting and unknown sites for me to explore. It's tempting, but no - despite the fact that they would also give me all the goats I apparently own.
Complain about this comment
173. At 8:29pm on 08 Feb 2010, Anthony wrote:
I just want to say one day the world will end and humanity will be gona and all if this for nothing. Sorry to be the buzz kill on your party europe.
Thanks to Anthony who sees it like it is. It WILL all draw to a close one of these days and in between, we can only but wish for it to be as nice as possible for those in between. I am sorry to GH1618 who doesn't seem to leave a name, but loves to quote others. For the record, my interest in the story is great as I am researching the streams that create the great British Winter from the Americas, how and why it happens.
My comments were purely a touch on why nobody seems to give the English Language the respect that it was built upon. Least of all it seems, the BBC. It is a sad situation and nothing more. I have enjoyed your comments and the very fact that you spend so much time defending this and many other posts is testament to the whole point of fact.
Thankyou
Graham Keyse FRSA
Complain about this comment
And that's a beautiful photo illustrating your latest entry.
Complain about this comment
201 donna wrote
"Gimme a break, enjoy Abraham Lincoln's Washington, it's one of the most beautiful cities in the world that offers the world what other supposedly great cities in the world don't fabulous museums FREE, a generous gift of the hayseed American people!"
For fabulous free museums try London - Britsh Museum, Tate Modern and Britain, National Gallery, V & A, Natural History, Science ..... the list goes on and on.
If in Washington you mean the Smithsonian Institutes, then you are correct that it is a great set of museums .... but gift of the American hayseeds I think not.
It was founded by a donation from an Englishman who had never even been to the USA ....
"The Smithsonian Institution was founded for the "increase and diffusion" of knowledge from a bequest to the United States by the British scientist James Smithson (1765–1829), who had never visited the United States himself."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smithsonian_Institution
How about "thank you" to all the British peole out there!
Complain about this comment
Why is it some get so touchy and rush out to polish the chrome? All some of us say is we get a bit surprised when the US doesn't do some things we take for granted and wonder why; and then there's this mad rush of people criticising us Europeans for being all rusty and telling us we should shut up?
And dare I point out that "one of the most beautiful cities in the world that offers the world what other supposedly great cities in the world don't fabulous museums FREE" is London . . .
(Let's not get into some manufactured row about what a 'beautiful' city is though; I live there, and love it, but I don't think London is particularly. Bits are, but much more of Paris and Firenze is. . .But their museums and galleries are mostly only free on Sundays.)
Complain about this comment
Mark, I'm glad to see that you've survived Snowmagedon,
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, I have a suggestion for Mark, I humbly suggest it as i dont like suggesting to other people especially when their bread and butter is depended on it. Mark should someday, when he has nothing to write should take americans on their obsessiveness of giving everything a biblical name. This obession really irritates me, and gives me a headache.First of all armageddon is some make believe story of how the world will end, and second of all they dont even know what a real aramageddon will look like..Its not as if its the first time washingtom had snowstorm. first time in your lifespan, but nothing new for the earth..It has the capacity to tolarate such storms..And sorry to inform you, storms and earthqauakes are for the benefit of earth, a slight discomfort to it. Every other or two, three or four decades earth needs such drastic measures.to evolve itself..Earth can change. Yes, it can, and surely it will to make it possible for some other species that will one day walk on this earth. One celled animals to dinasaurs, to the unseen, to monkeys to humans and to some other species..
Complain about this comment
EasyTarget;
When you get to be an electrical engineer we can talk about the relative advantages of medium voltage distribution above ground and below ground. In the US depending on where you are we have both. I'm sure nearly all high voltage distribution (above 15,000 volts) in Europe is run between high tension towers above ground just like ours is.
We can also talk about the relative risks of death by electrocution between the more expensive American system that delivers power to homes at 120 volts 60 hz versus those which are cheaper but deliver them at 220 volts 50 hz which is the way most of Europe is wired.
And then we can talk about the relative advantages and disadvantages about IEC concepts like "intrinsically safe" and whether or not they really are.
Complain about this comment
Democratic congressman Murtha passed away today. This Vietnam war veteran openly opposed the war in Iraq at a time when doing so was not a politically correct thing to do in Washington.
Another interesting development involves the latest lobbying campaign, this time paid for by banks, to kill the legislation proposed by President Obama to reform the college student loan program. Their attempts to reform the student loan program should not surprise anyone considering the fact that it currently involves a whopping $80B in government subsidies.
Under the proposed legislation the $80 billion in excess subsidies that are currently going to our beloved banks would be used to provide college Pell grants to qualifying students and tax credits to help working families pay for college tuition.
Complain about this comment
For the record, my interest in the story is great as I am researching the streams that create the great British Winter from the Americas, how and why it happens.
My comments were purely a touch on why nobody seems to give the English Language the respect that it was built upon.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
A GRAMMARIAN once embarked in a boat. Turning to the boatman with a self-satisfied air he asked him:
‘Have you ever studied grammar?’
‘No,’ replied the boatman.
‘Then half your life has gone to waste,’ the grammarian said.
The boatman thereupon felt very depressed, but he answered him nothing for the moment. Presently the wind tossed the boat into a whirlpool. The boatman shouted to the grammarian:
‘Do you know how to swim?’
‘No’ the grammarian replied, ‘my well-spoken, handsome fellow’.
‘In that case, grammarian,’ the boatman remarked, ‘the whole of your life has gone to waste, for the boat is sinking in these whirlpools.’
You may be the greatest scholar in the world in your time, but consider, my friend, how the world passes away – and time! (From Masnawi of Maulvna Jallaudin Rumi of Afghanistan)
Complain about this comment
RomeStu (#209), having enjoyed the Smithsonian Institution myself, I will extend my belated thanks to James Smithson, who, by the way, was born in Paris and died in Genoa.
Complain about this comment
205. At 9:48pm on 08 Feb 2010, Philly-Mom wrote:
"As for debit cards, I had been 'cash-less' for years... until I moved to my current Philly Hood, where a number of local shops take cash-only. Strange that some of these places have bullet-proof windows through which they take orders, but they only take cash. Go figure."
Can't. Though I wouldn't usually pay in any of my local London shops and takeaways except in cash. It's quicker.
(No bullet-proof glass though. Or bullet-proof Chinese meals. Are you sure that's a good Chinese takeaway?)
Complain about this comment
# 165 GH1618 wrote:
"Oh, great! Another pedant whinging about Mr. Mardell's writing, with nothing at all to say about the topic of the day. In the first place, it's informal writing. In the second place, you have to go through it with a fine-toothed comb to find anything wrong with it. In the third place, he communicated his idea clearly and effectively, which is the main thing."
Agreed.
And in the fourth place, Graham's first sentence was "I know you won't approve this, but I would like a response as to why Mark Mardell's article, although interesting, is so grammatically incorrect and with so many errors in spelling?". So [a] he 'knew' his posting would be rejected - except it wasn't, and [b] since he's being so pedantic, I might as well join in - ie, I can't help wondering why he added a question mark to a sentence that wasn't a question.
Complain about this comment
At my age, I'm not sure I'd have what it takes to wander the desert as they sought out interesting and unknown sites for me to explore. It's tempting, but no
------------------------------------------------------------------------
In those places, age has no concept, have you not heard the story of the great warrior prince Moses? He roamed in the deserts in his old age for decades..and then roamed some more..and just vanished, But since its the age of technology so take your blackberry with you just in case. But, if you in some future decide to go to Oman and if i am still here, just feel free to ask me, and I will tell you the exact location of the places..
Complain about this comment
209. At 10:05pm on 08 Feb 2010, RomeStu wrote:
"It was founded by a donation from an Englishman who had never even been to the USA ....How about "thank you" to all the British people out there!"
Oops.
Confucious he say when aiming rifle move feet out of way before firing downwards. . .
(Maybe they'd like to send it back, do you think?)
Complain about this comment
# 195. At 9:25pm on 08 Feb 2010, GH1618 wrote:
That's a good point, but I don't think it's the main factor for the pheomenon you were discussing.
Example: Corn subsidies and high fructose corn syrup. Do a search on google scholar for corn subsidies and obesity. You'll be very surprised at the current theory and growing consensus in the nutrition community.
# 196. At 9:27pm on 08 Feb 2010, GH1618 wrote:
squirrelist was pointing out that correlation is not causation. Assuming a causative relation on the basis of correlation alone is a statistical fallacy.
Yes, I know. I was teasing. Sometimes I just like to have fun and not get so serious. But perhaps I shouldn't have. Here is one recently done study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition on the subject of evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease . The results of which were: During 5–23 y of follow-up of 347,747 subjects, 11,006 developed CHD or stroke. Intake of saturated fat was not associated with an increased risk of CHD, stroke, or CVD.
This is a very presitigious journal and the friend who sent me the article is a highly rated British cardiologist. He has been gathering anecdotal evidence on low carb diets versus low fat for many years and having good results with low carb diets with his patients. The study seems to bear out what he has been telling me for several years. That the data on saturated fats being bad for you is wrong. That, in fact, there was never any real evidence to say it was bad, the fat police just decided it had to be because they wanted it to be bad. Since they've been dictating what a healthy diet is, general health has gotten worse, not better.
By the way, since I went on this low carb diet (low carb vegetables, meat, fruits, seeds, and nuts with no whole grain breads, starches, pasta, rice or sugar) I have lost 30 pounds, lowered my blood pressure, lowered my cholesterol, increased my heart function and am in excellent health. All this happened in just 5 months. And I am eating the way I was raised to eat. Fatty meats, cream in my coffee (no milk allowed), lots of green veggies and some fruit of course, and butter!
I hadn't planned to do a testimonial, but there it is. I absolutely believe the low fat diet is wrong, because for years I ate the way my fat phobic doctors told me and I got worse, not better.
Complain about this comment
# 183 seanspa wrote:
"Was Mark really snowed in for so long and unable to post a new thread for a week, or was he really in Argentina? Is this post just a cover-up? I think we should be told."
I'm deducing this is a cunning reference to the Scandal of Mark Sanford, the adulterous Gov of N Carolina - background here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Sanford.
Anyway, it amused me muchly.
But Seanspa - scroll to the top of the page. Look at that open, honest English face. How can you compare OUR Mark to some lowlife adulterous politician??
:-)
Complain about this comment
Mark, I wonder if you've lost a grip on reality due to hypothermia. Anyone who lives in DC/Northern VA/Maryland must understand that any amount of frozen precipitation will bring the area to a screeching halt. So 30+ inches will paralyze the area. But the same thing happens in London. I have an acquaintance who is a Sargeant with the Metropolitan Police in East London. We were comparing notes on snowfall for this winter and her comment yesterday was, "the world ended when we had our last snow." Nice bit of dry wit.
Complain about this comment
208. At 10:01pm on 08 Feb 2010, Maria Ashot wrote:
"And that's a beautiful photo illustrating your latest entry"
Better not mention that. It'll only stir up more bother. Look at the bottom right hand corner. It's a 'stock photo' from AFP: Agence France Presse . . .
Complain about this comment
Marcus (#212), agreed, but you might have added that household power in the US is almost always 110 and 220, so the greater efficiency of higher voltage is available for higher power devices, which is where it matters.
As for the frequency, 60 Hz is more efficient than 50 Hz. I read somewhere that AEG in Germany chose 50 Hz because it was more in keeping with their metric way of thinking. There's a lame reason.
Complain about this comment
Ha ha
Thanks to colonelartist who gave me a good laugh. Such a shame that a good story has gone to waste. I totally agree with your sentiments about what is important.
Complain about this comment
And in the fourth place, Graham's first sentence was "I know you won't approve this, but I would like a response as to why Mark Mardell's article,
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A failed attempt to be arrogant and condisending (read it with correct spellings,but the word sounds something like I have spelt it out)If you know that no one is going to approve of what you write before you write, why write at all? To accuse a subject of the Queen for not writting the proper queen's english is just a pathetic way to work on your own bitterness at hearing some truth..Once again, drink sugarcane juice, fresh, this summder..It will cool you down the way you have never been cooled down ever before, guarantee./again read the word with correct spellings that are in your mind.
Complain about this comment
Gavrielle_LaPoste (#220) "I absolutely believe the low fat diet is wrong, ..."
Now we're on the same page. I like food that tastes good, myself.
Complain about this comment
Apologies to John from Dublin. The word 'why' affects a sentence ending and I am sure that you found the subject article very easy to read.
This is certainly not the forum for the discussion of grammar to take hold. I am very humbled that my original post was accepted and admit defeat this time at the hands of those who neither take interest nor care.
Thanks BBC for giving me the opportunity to comment.
Graham
Complain about this comment
We moved to Maryland ten years ago. I was astonished to see that even in the newer areas, power lines were still being put up on poles, running them through trees. Very ugly, and very dumb for a country that gets such severe weather. I sent an e-mail to Pepco asking them why they were still doing it this way in the 21st Century. It gets very windy here, then guess what, down come the branches down come the trees and we are all without power again. It took a few e-mails before they replied. Apparently I was the first person ever to question their methods and they needed time to formulate an answer. The answer being that it was the cheapest way to get electricity from A to B. That the cost of digging up the streets now would be prohibitive. I replied that as most of my area did not exist fifty years ago, they should have been putting the power lines underground from day one as a matter of course. Then talk of digging up streets now would not be an issue. I never did get a reply to that.
Complain about this comment
Democratic congressman Murtha passed away today. This Vietnam war veteran openly opposed the war in Iraq at a time when doing so was not a politically correct thing to do in Washington.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
And yesterday a leader passed away. This leader opposed the proxy war of americans in afghanistan, at a time when no one else was doing so,when everyone who oppossed this war was called a communist, an anti islamist and either killed, or simply vanished or put in jail..He had to live a life of exile but would not compromise with his principles.But did i mention it? No. But since you count your dead leader, so will I. And so I did.
Complain about this comment
Gavrielle_LaPost (#220) "Example: Corn subsidies and high fructose corn syrup. Do a search on google scholar for corn subsidies and obesity. You'll be very surprised at the current theory and growing consensus in the nutrition community."
You don't have to convince me on the evils of putting corn syrup in practically everything.
The US pays about $5 billion in corn subsidies per year. Nearly half of the corn crop goes to domestic anaimal feed. Only about 4% goes to corn syrup. That's a lot of corn syrup, going as it does directly into our food. But I think it would be pretty cheap even without subsidies. The main reason for growing so much corn is to feed animals.
http://www.nebraskacorn.org/usesofcorn/index.htm
Complain about this comment
214. At 10:16pm on 08 Feb 2010, colonelartist wrote:
"(From Masnawi of Maulvna Jallaudin Rumi of Afghanistan)"
Rumi was born in what is now Tajikistan and wrote (in Persian) in the Seijuk Sultanate of Rum (?transliteration) in Anatolia, now in Turkey. He died there, I think. He's always been popular in Persia/Iran and in the Arab world.
(And funnily enough, in translation appears to have become as popular in the US since his 800th as Khalil Gibran , who I always thought was a sanctimonious bore, but there we are. No offence intended to any Maronites who happen to be reading.)
Complain about this comment
218. At 10:21pm on 08 Feb 2010, colonelartist wrote:
In those places, age has no concept, have you not heard the story of the great warrior prince Moses? He roamed in the deserts in his old age for decades..and then roamed some more..and just vanished, But since its the age of technology so take your blackberry with you just in case. But, if you in some future decide to go to Oman and if i am still here, just feel free to ask me, and I will tell you the exact location of the places..
I'd forgotten about Moses. Thank you for reminding me. I will certainly consider it. And I never had any worries about technology. My ancient aunties got tired of walking 1500 miles once a year to the nearest phone to call me and bought a solar powered satellite dish with enough peripherals to make a techno geek happy. They are plugged in!
Complain about this comment
Here's a link to a .htm file linking to some documents on the subject of corn subsidies and high-fructose corn syrup. For an economic analysis of the effect of the subsidy on food prices and consumption, link to "Sweetening the Pot" (a .pdf file).
http://www.ase.tufts.edu/gdae/policy_research/BroilerGains.htm
Complain about this comment
N°209 RomeStu Thanks so much for the history lesson. Really? Wow! James Smithson? Shucks, who would have thunk it.
Any school kid who has gone to the Smithsonian knows the story. Yes, he was the initial donor and thus the name. Gee thanks for the Wiki link, I guess that makes it factual. LOL
Dear writer N°209 the Brits pay nothing for the Smithsonian and this has been the case since the first donation by ONE man, not the British nation. The Smithsonian is supported by grants and the taxes of the American people. http://www.si.edu/about/policies/
This is my point about Mr. Mardell's post and what is fatiguing about those who simply want to complain and to generalize about every little thing the USA and its people, do or don't do.
Mardell whines about infrastructure as if that defines American power, which is nonsense. He's just whining because he is inconvenienced. Take a number I'm sure PGE's lines were busy and will remain so as he is in for more snow. Better get some logs and a generator Mark
BTW: Hayseed was used as a self-deprecating joke, something I thought was rather British of me.
Complain about this comment
The main reason for growing so much corn is to feed animals.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
What do you do with your animals? Feed them on corn and then allow them to drink as much water as they like,so that their stomachs get full of gas and burst? Inventing some sort natural bomb? Who feeds animals on corn?
Complain about this comment
My ancient aunties got tired of walking 1500
------------------------------------------------------------------------
When we refer to our forefathers as ancient, we mean monkeys.
Complain about this comment
24. At 10:38pm on 08 Feb 2010, GH1618 wrote:
". . . but you might have added that household power in the US is almost always 110 and 220, so the greater efficiency of higher voltage is available for higher power devices, which is where it matters."
Cookers, I was told, use--or used--220V. (A friend discovered that too late, thinking he could maybe have run some European stuff of the cooker circuit instead of having to buy all-new stuff for an 18-month secondment to the USA. . .) Anyway, it's amps, not volts, that matter as far as supplying some devices.
(I've never known whether it's really true, but supposedly the US got 110V because Westinghouse (240V) and Edison (110V) were battling for market supremacy. Then Edison suggested they use 240V for better frying in the new specifications for an electric chair, and put put it about that Westinghouse's 240 was obviously much more lethal, risky, and dangerous. . .)
Complain about this comment
Mark, I can understand your gripe after going so long without power. I wonder though if you're willing to do anything about it. My neighborhood wanted to bury their unsightly power lines only to be informed it would cost each household $20,000. I was a little shocked at the cost, and you can bet my neighbors were as well. Consequently, the whole idea went away. Folks were willing to bury the lines when they thought someone else might pay for it, or that it might cost them a reasonable amount of money themselves, but $20,000? Good luck with that in your neighborhood.
Complain about this comment
You must be talking about some other jalaludin, our jalaludin was the real rumi who was born in afghanistan.
Complain about this comment
Here is another wise man,called mullah nasirudin who everyone claims to be theirs from central asia to iran, and turkey..
One day an illiterate man came to Mullah Nasruddin with a letter he had received. "Mullah Nasruddin, please read this letter to me." Mullah Nasruddin looked at the letter, but could not make out a single word. So he told the man. "I am sorry, but I cannot read this." The man cried: "For shame, Mullah Nasruddin ! You must be ashamed before the turban you wear (i.e. the sign of education)" Mullah Nasruddin removed the turban from his own head and placed it on the head of the illiterate man, said: "There, now you wear the turban. If it gives some knowledge, read the letter yourself."
Complain about this comment
Gavrielle/GH:
The reasons why more Americans--and a rather depressing number of Brits and many others--are getting obese (not just fat) might be very interesting, but what's it got to do with the standard of US infrastructure?
Unless you're trying to explain to the rest of us Americans are incapable of digging trenches to put cables in because they're too fat?
(It's a constant moan of mine the ridiculous amounts of sugar and corn syrup they put in prepared meals and even some bread here now. It's reached ludicrous proportions. I like sugar in my tea and coffee, not in bloody soup or a muffin or Chinese black bean chicken. And yes, I know you do put sugar in bread with the yeast, and in home-made tomato soup, but I don't put the equivalent of two tablespoons in mine. . .)
Complain about this comment
235. At 11:32pm on 08 Feb 2010, Donna wrote:
"Mardell whines about infrastructure as if that defines American power, which is nonsense."
"The limits of American power" was a pun . . .
Complain about this comment
At 10:40pm on 08 Feb 2010, Graham wrote:
Ha ha
Thanks to colonelartist who gave me a good laugh. Such a shame that a good story has gone to waste. I totally agree with your sentiments about what is important.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
And in return I take back what i said in my post 226, except about cooling effect of sugarcan juice in summer.Dry deserty summer..if moderators hadnt taken a long time to let your above post see the daylight, I would not have written comment number 226.
Complain about this comment
240. At 11:50pm on 08 Feb 2010, colonelartist wrote:
"You must be talking about some other jalaludin, our jalaludin was the real rumi who was born in afghanistan."
No.
Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī and popularly known as Mowlānā (30 September 1207 – 17 December 1273) called 'Balkhi' because he was born there.
People who don't want to believe me can easily google the guy's long poem (the "Masnawi' as the colonel calls it) Maṭnawīye Ma'nawī as it really is, or The Spiritual Couplets.
"He has the scent of the apple, but not a piece of it,
And the scent only for the purpose of misleading others."
[From The Spiritual Couplets of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, Book V]
;-)
Complain about this comment
240:
Squirrelchant:
"There is only one Ru-u-mi,
Only one Ru-u-mi"
Complain about this comment
GH1618
You flunk AC electricity 101. Although larger home appliances for use in the United States such as central air conditioning units and electric clothes dryers are designed for 230 or 240 volt operation, they come from two legs of a center tapped transformer, each leg being only 120 volts from ground potential which the center tap is connected to at the service entrance ground. At this point the neutral return leg and the ground leg are one and the same.
Squirrelit, you also flunk electricity 101. Your misunderstanding is too great for me to even begin to bother to explain.
"The reasons why more Americans--and a rather depressing number of Brits and many others--are getting obese (not just fat) might be very interesting, but what's it got to do with the standard of US infrastructure?"
Before you dig anywhere in the US you are supposed to call a toll free number and surveyors from different utilities visit the property to identify with colored spray paint on the ground whether it is ashpalt, concrete, grass, or whatever where underground utililities like electric power lines, water, sewer, gas, telephone, cable television, etc. are located so that when you dig you don't accidently damage them...or electrocute yourself. The US is so built up in many places that unless these surveys are performed, there is too great a risk. It is very rare except where there are unusually dense infrastructure underground and great care must be taken to dig by hand with shovels. Labor is far too expensive and hand digging much too slow. virtually all digging is done with power excavating equipment like back hoes and front end loaders. There are also rigid safety codes which identify how excavations must be shored up and roped off so that they don't become a hazard and that is true even on private property. Excavation permits to construct anything are required telling local code enforcement authorities what, where and why there will be digging. Local Building inspectors are required to inspect to be certain that all building and safety codes have been complied with and to certify it in writing. That you don't know this suggests that in Europe people can do whatever they please whether it's the law or not and usually get away with it. Having lived there I wouldn't find that hard to believe.
Complain about this comment
So Mr. Mardell, in the USA so short a time and already finding problems Europeans don't face. Never have major power outages when there are severe storms such as when there are massive floods in France or the UK for example. How fortunate you are. Clearly we are expending far too much of our resources on our troops there. We should bring all of them home from Europe immediately and put them to better use training them and employing them to repair our broken infrastructure. Let Europe divert its own resources to defend itself.
BTW, in case anyone has any doubts about who gets better health care, I suggest they contact Justin Webb, Mark Mardell's predecessor and ask him to compare how his son was diagnosed and treated in a US hospital when he got sick here compared to the treatment he would have gotten in a UK hospital. Ask him where he'd rather get sick and receive medical care.
Complain about this comment
247.
All Marcus tells us (as usual) is something he thought he knew 35 years ago. There's nothing different in Europe; in London what's sitting underground can get even more complicated because we have 'lost' rivers and streams, forgotten wells and all the bits and pieces that have accumulated through not just since the Industrial Revolution but the archaeological stuff as well.
And I've seen some of our surveyors using ground penetrating radar before they paint their signs on the flags and it gets dug up. . .
Complain about this comment
Mark: '"America has for decades projected an image of modernity and technological superiority, disguising a dirty little secret. Behind the chrome, it's crumbling. At least, it doesn't feel very up to date. Many Americans don't travel widely and so believe their own propaganda."
Oh God! You don't honestly believe that because only 30% of Americans own passports that the other 70% don't travel, and even if they haven't been outside the country, are hopelessly ignorant of how utterly shamefully despicable our infrastructure, especially, is when compared to our western allies' do you? You're a BBC reporter! You're supposed to be a bit more objective and inquisitive about the "propaganda" from all sides that people of all nationalities, ages and ethnicities give you!! Yes shockingly few Americans own passports. But this is not, as many foreigners no doubt believe, because the overwhelming majority of Americans, those who don't own passports, think we're simply the best hands down at everything and therefore see no need to bother themselves with paying cursory charitable visits to those ungreatful wretches of countries who's butts we saved, all be it lately, in two world wars (well, perhaps if they're Republican.) But rather it is because 1. The US is the geographical size of continental Europe; perhaps a little bigger, and so therefore there's plenty to see here and 2. up until 2008, Americans didn't need passports to visit Mexico and Canada. So if someone wanted to, on a wim, take a trip up to Niagara Falls or down to Cancun, they could simply hop across the boarder without too much hassle. In 2008 however, that all changed, thanks to a North American treaty, and much to the great disappointment of many Americans, Mexicans and Canadians alike.
"The one (power cut) that I remember in the UK was during the 1973 miners' strike. There probably were others but they can't have lasted more than a couple of hours."
Oh come on. You mean to tell me that in your entire life growing up in the UK, that the largest power cut you've ever experienced, be it caused by inclement weather or man-made weather, such as that which was experienced during World War II, was at most a couple of hours long? Well James Fallows, a reporter for The Atlantic, respectfully disagrees in a detailed, eloquent article describing his time spent in 3 countries, as in his reflections upon his time spent in England, he recalls that in 1971 "for weeks on end, electricity was available only for limited hours per day, on a “rota” basis. I still shiver as I remember trying to page through economics texts by the flicker from candles while clad in overcoat, scarf, and little knitted gloves with the fingertips cut off, in the 4 p.m. December twilight in a library at Oxford. I fear that the circumstances made me less respectful of the views of the English economic theorists I was reading."
"The local roads are no better (than public transport.) It is hardly believable that the major highways leading from the prosperous suburbs into the capital of the largest economy in the world are pocked and scarred with potholes of every imaginable shape size and depth. Street lighting is low, and sporadic: you need a torch to go out after dark in the suburban streets."
I'm confused. I thought this was an entry about relyable power. You're kind of going off topic. But anyway, the potholes, as a poster has already pointed out on here, in winters such as this, are in part due to the salt not only corroding away the snow and ice, but the asphalt as well. They will be repaired this spring. But the main reason why the roads are riddled with potholes is because, of course, Americans don't want to pay the necessary higher taxes required for those kinds of services. We want them, but don't want to have to pay for them. Add to that the Republican party's magnificent ability to make any attempt by anyone to improve public health, education and safety as a Socialist take over of "their" country, and the result is an early 20th century infrastructure stretched to fit the 21st. As regards the dim lighting, perhaps this is one of those uniquely American things that you simply have to adjust to. I'm in no way trying to suggest that you should "love it or leave it," but with all the problems that we face right now, do you honestly think that street lighting is going to be at the top of even the most local politician's agenda? If it bothers you that much, talk to your bosses at the BBC. I'm sure they would reasign you to cover somewhere else in the world (after all, you've proven your relyability and loyalty) and they can force the short straw of covering America and its hypocritical ways on to another unlucky BBC reporter.
P.S. Better keep those board games out. The 10-20 inches (we're the only country not to use the Metric system!!) of snow they're predicting tomorrow may very likely ensure yet more otherwise avoidable time spent in the cold and dark in the most advanced society on earth!! Enjoy!
Complain about this comment
Oops. Another 20 inches tonight? The Mardell family games box, charades and stuff will be out again. . .
Complain about this comment
I've been waiting all this time. How come nobody's mentioned the 4,000 holes in Blackburn, Lancashire, since all the non-Brits seem to be going back 30 or 40 years for their comparisons?
Complain about this comment
You are IN DC not America. Even here in Kansas City, snow and ice do not matter much and this IS the worst winter in 30 yrs I'm told.
Remember 8 yrs of G. Bush? He added 9 trillion dollars to our Nat. Debt.
And it did NOT come ..any of it to us in America.
It went to our glorious war machine.
You're just in a dour, perspective-impaired mood:)
Complain about this comment
You remind me of a Palestinian friend, who said Kuwait is richer,,until he went across the state border to Overland Park, KS..newer therefore richer seeming.
Go to Texas and drive along the coast/border--one big new (crass) resort like place.:)
Complain about this comment
Nigel #48: '"Sure, much of what America does it does magnificently well but even the most myopic visitor to the States is struck by the relatively backward infrastructure, the poor roads and rail network, the crumbling bridges and of course the rampant poverty and homelessness which is perhaps all the more striking given the conspicuous wealth it is surrounded by."
In American English, "infrastructure" incumpaces roads, bridges, public transport (of all kinds) all in one. So for future reference, you don't need to mention all those things, just infrastructure, and Americans will know what you're talking about. I wouldn't quite describe our poverty as "rampant," although I do concede that we have the highest level of poverty perhaps in the western world. Although I have to ask you, if we do all of these basic societal things wrong, then what do we do right?
While there are certainly unfortunately plenty of those immature, narcissistic Americans on this blog and elsewhere who see any criticism of America, no matter how gently and respectfully delivered, as anti-American, there are just as many, I would wager, of those people who are foreigners. Don't fool yourselves, if Mark, like Justin did several times before him, had written a piece praising something good about America, something that, perhaps in his view, America did better than most of the world, there would be just as many on this blog accusing Mark, as they did Justin before him, of "having gone native" and only having that view because of the nice accommodations that the BBC gives him, and that if he were an average American having to save up and sacrifice in order to scrape buy, that he would feel differently.
Unfortunately this blog has largely become a place entirely devoid of objectivity and fairness.
Complain about this comment
Mark:
"The feeling of living in a submerging economy has been a shock to the system."
Relax.
It's not sinking. It's always been like this. You were mistaken about life in the U.S. Don't blame us for it.
We don't bury the wires because it's expensive. The community bears the cost, not the power outfit, and it's borne at the county or city level. The cost of doing nothing is an outage every once and a while. It's not that bad, and it's never been better.
So, quit yer whinin'.
Complain about this comment
Ref. 253, David:
"He added 9 trillion dollars to our Nat. Debt.
And it did NOT come ..any of it to us in America."
Uh, well, actually I did get some it. I've worked on several DoD projects.
Actually, quite a few Americans did. The military hands out big contracts.
Complain about this comment
Mark,
I can answer why electrical power in most of the USA is above ground. The reason is simply in the USA power lines are carrying much more voltage and current than in Great Britain for the most part and travel greater distances. Electricity doesn't simply flow through the wire but on the outside of a wire. The circumference of the wire carries the power if it were underground much of it would be lost in the ground.
Now here is something you don't know. Power companies use different transformers under different conditions. Ever plug in a device and the wire gets warm but other times it doesn't? That happens because when there is a great power demand the power companies try to fool the public that there is adequate power by simply supplying the voltage and the device works.
But this is not what they are telling you. The voltage is there but not the current the device demands in it's productive use of wattage to function. It can't obtain it on the gauge of wire it is designed for and the wire gets hot, homes burn down, lives and possession are lost! Simply because inadequate power is produced. Voltage ratings exist but only because current is decreased. This creates the illusion of adequate electrical power.
Now you speak of America crumbling. Let me explain that too. Nations paint their selves as a tourist trap with all the glamor and economics of wealthy sufficient incomes. You are just seeing what the media paints a picture of.. prosperity, freedom, justice, human rights, happiness and a frolic lifestyle. That is what governments do, lie about life and society. This is projected by the actors of Hollywood and Soap Box series that never end. So people can stop thinking about their troubles but instead someone else.
The very same fascist NAZI type experiments on human beings exist right now. The brow beaten impoverished people are legally being attacked by the credit card banks having passed laws to increase the debt percentage rate. The minimum payment is also increased 1/3 beyond the users ability to pay. These banks by the way are branches and supported by the national reserve. The government uses this type of tactics as a weapon against dissidence.
The news media and even our history is written the way the US Government want it to be wrote thought and understood. They say we have rights and choices but I never voted for their laws that makes loan sharking legal.
Elections and the boobs that are in elected office are puppets of the Pentagon running Congress and every office with what is known of the structure of the US Government.
The Government tells us who to love, who to hate and who to kill. They make their crimes sound justified. Oh.. they know the mind of humankind and how to manipulated thoughts and our actions.
Complain about this comment
256. At 03:07am on 09 Feb 2010, Andy Post wrote:
"The cost of doing nothing is an outage every once and a while. It's not that bad, and it's never been better. So, quit yer whinin'."
My Yorkshire granny had a phrase she used when I was little and kept asking those awkward questions like "Why doesn't. . .Why can't . . .Why isn't . . ."
It was "What maun't be cured mun be endured." Which is a form of stoicism I was never too keen on. I see now why someone I know who lives in the US writes despairing emails saying he doubts if anything will ever be changed so people don't have to just 'endure' some things. His idea is basically that what will prevent it is that too many 'old flatulents' are simply change-averse (if not 'risk-averse') and have too loud a voice.
And then you get politicians saying Americans must accept something little changed from a pretty awful status quo, financially, because "We mustn't let the perfect be the enemy of the good". Which really is to say "Don't bother letting something that people will just about live with get improved." It's just polishing the chrome so you can see your face in it and pretending there isn't any rust underneath.
One wonders sometimes how slavery got abolished, how segregation was ended and how black Americans ever got to vote in the southern states.
The cost of stopping 'whinin' ' and doing nothing can often be very, very high. It seems very odd that that message often seems to come from 'old Europe' here.
We went through years here of our rail system almost breaking down, public transport starved, water mains leaking and not being replaced, all that stuff. But a good deal of 'whinin' ' and saying loudly "Why can't you. . .Why don't you . . ." has changed a lot of things for the better over the last decade. And hopefully will carry on doing.
(Despite what you might read from people like The Vampire and others whose experience similarly seemed to end 20 or 30 years ago.)
Complain about this comment
KLRSJr;
In basic electricity 101, you get...an F minus. I'd give you a lower grade but in our system that is not possible :-)
Complain about this comment
250. PursuitOfLove:
Fallowes is writing about fortyyears ago. . . . Mark is writing (and the rest of us are reading) about Washington now.
Complain about this comment
I imagine that the winter storm experience in someplace like the D.C. area is a lot different than in parts of the country where heavy snow is less uncommon. I would suggest for you a trip to places with more consistently snowy winter weather (like New England or the upper Great Lakes states). You'll likely find that in such places, even a heavy snowstorm like the one that shut down Washington doesn't slow folks down as much. Spend some time out in the Lake Tahoe area of northern California, for example (where 400 inches of snow over a winter is pretty much average). Then again, Americans like to exercise their right of mobility to cope with heavy winters - which might explain why so many people living in south Florida sound like New Yorkers when they speak.
Complain about this comment
Wow, this is an absolutely ridiculous rant. I mean, the complaints are legitimate (being without power is unfortunate), and the problem of aging infrastructure is also legitimate, but the path between the two is fallacious at worst and a far stretch at best.
1) The DC area doesn't get weather like this very much. The power lines there are built to code for the area and are thinner and less protected than in other areas where it is necessary for the wires to be built stronger.I live in Minnesota, where we get frequent winter storms and the power barely ever cuts out.
2) Power lines are regulated by code, but they are run and maintained by private companies. This isn't an indicator at all of American infrastructure; it is an indicator of a cheap company that used thinner wire and took a chance so that they could pay less when running it and just hope for the best in the future. These freak snow storms are not for the best.
3) This isn't a political issue, it's a consumer- service provider issue.
4) As for the roads - they often get potholes in the winter from ice forming in cracks and breaking the surface apart. Patching them in below freezing weather with wet conditions (if you have water beneath the patch it will just push the patch out when it freezes) is ineffective. You've only been here 4 months; just hold your horses, stop putting so much effort into being dramatic for the sake of 'writing what you see', and wait til summer. They will be seen to.
5)England only even has roads because they were conquered by the Romans. Have you all even figured out how to lay new ones then? Sorry, that was petty. I'm sure your roads are lovely as ever - even when it's below freezing. Oh wait, they don't get there very often so you have no idea what you're talking about.
6) America's infrastructure is aging, but you've missed the ticket on that one. Try talking about sewers, water main leakages, fire hydrants, water treatment plants, and bridges. You might have better luck, and you might get more people to take your assessment seriously.
Complain about this comment
Ref. 259, squirrelist:
"It's just polishing the chrome so you can see your face in it and pretending there isn't any rust underneath."
Mark made the same point. Where do you see anything in America resembling chrome? New York City? Vegas?
Have you ever heard the term rust belt? That's an American term.
Perhaps it's Hollywood. Are Europeans mistaking Hollywood's version of America for the real thing? That's kind of silly, isn't it?
"The cost of stopping 'whinin' ' and doing nothing can often be very, very high."
Yes, I made some comments to that effect earlier. You can talk till you're blue in the mouth. It won't make any difference. We don't have the cash right now. So, put a good word in for us with the Lord. One good temblor in northern California...
Increasingly severe weather systems each season have accelerated the deterioration of the state’s levee system to the point where they are now in danger of failing during the next major rainfall or earthquake. This worsening situation creates conditions of extreme peril to the public and property protected by the levees, to the environment, and to the very foundation of California’s economy.
-- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in a letter to President Bush dated February 27, 2006
He's not exaggerating. If the levees are heavily enough damaged, it will cause a massive influx of salt water from the bay right into California's main agricultural water supply.*
The electrical wires on poles thing isn't an example of American crumbling infrastructure, though. The fact that the poles are leaning over is (causing the wires to run through trees). The solution is to replace the poles. It's cheaper, and it puts lumberjacks and linemen to work. They last for a good 50 years, and they handle adverse conditions tolerably well.
* No, I don't understand the physics behind it. It doesn't make sense to me. I'm not a hydrologist.
Complain about this comment
My dear! 264 posts on an article on disabling snow storm in D.C., and no one mentioned Al Gore! It was only two years ago that Robert Kennedy, Jr., (in the spirit of global warming) proclaimed it will never snow again in D.C.
Mark, I am humored by your observations. They are quite obvious and quite accurate. The United States was an early adopter in technology, thus locking in the most primitive implementations as "standards". Initially, it was faster and cheaper to put wires on polls. It took too long to dig trenches to proliferate electricity quickly. It is not a red/blue thing. It is the aftermath of century old decisions.
Our roads are our legacy of going with the lowest bidder.
Complain about this comment
With respect to Mr. Mardell's original column, the contiguous 48 states are served by a wide variety of power companies. Los Angeles has a municipal (city-owned) Water & Power company. I think the City & County of San Francisco owns its own power utility. Some smaller towns in California also have municipal power. Southern Calif. Edison serves most other communities in the Los Angeles basin. Pacific Gas & Electric serves (or is criticized in) much of Northern California. San Diego has another privately owned (not municipal) whose name escapes me at the moment.
The privately owned power companies are subject to extensive regulation by the state Public Untility Commissions (PUCs, for short). The PUCs in turn have commissioners appointed by the governor, and are sensitive to the controlling members of the state legislature. The rate bases for charging homeowners, factories (if there are still any remaining in California) and commercial establishments must be approved by the PUCs. The investors in the power companies are entitled to a rate of return on investments, set by the PUC. The rate of return is monitored by the PUCs, and may be adjusted downward if interest rates are lowered, or if the PUC disallows some expenditure by the utility. Although California has added over six million people in the last 30 years, there have been very few new power plants constructed in California; and No nuclear plants whatever in that time span. Nuclear, like hydropower, wind, solar power and geothermal, has the advantage of not adding to the CO2 content of the atmosphere.
In some communities of California, the power lines are underground. In many communities, some neighborhoods have underground lines and the older neighborhoods have overhead lines.
The surfaces of the freeways seem well-maintained, but potholes on major streets (7th avenue extending the Garden Grove Freeway into Long Beach, e.g.) are endemic, and seem to resist permanent repairs, no matter how often Long Beach resurfaces the street.
This area has not had "rolling blackouts" a/c demand for power reached 98% or more of supply for several years -- since some factories closed. If prosperity returns, the failure of the utilities, still controlled by the PUCs, and people who want inexpensive power (but don't build that facility in MY Back Yard (usually abbreviated NIMBYs) to build any additional power generating facilities will cause the rolling blackouts - usually occurring between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on hot summer days, a/c all the air-conditioners turning on - to return.
What is needed to prevent shortages: additional generating facilities; additional (redundant) transmission lines between geographic regions, to prevent the whole system from going down if a single tower goes out; and regulation by the PUCs allowing or encouraging the utilities to add a margin - say 15% over the highest peak load experienced in the last half dozen years - in the generation & transmission facilities.
Another thought for Mr. Mardell: Most of the larger hospitals & 24-hour clinics in the USA have their own emergency power generating facilities, as a safeguard if surgery was underway when "the power goes out". Also, my employer in a downtown L.A. office building had an emergency power generator, but it only generated enough to replace a small percentage of the power normally in use.
BTW, one luxury we experienced on a trip to the UK was HEATED TOWEL RACKS in the bathrooms - very nice when stepping out of a shower on a cold day. That's one feature I would like to see more US hotels adopt.
TeaPot562
Complain about this comment
ShannonJoyce;
You get an F in electrical knowledge too. In the first page or two of the National Electrical Code it tells you that the NEC code does not apply to utilities. They set their own rules for the services they provide with regard to electrical power. Generally they follow the same guidelines but they don't have to. BTW, the ultimate interpretor of the code where it does apply is the code official in each jurisdiction. And where the code applies, what he says it means is what it means. It's not as black and white as you'd think.
Wire gage is not determied by weather but by ampacity required and maximum voltage drop for the length of run. Insulation level is determined by the voltage it will be operated at. Insulation type is governed by the type of envirnment it will be in. Construction methods are specific for different types of anticipated environments. However, if the Utilities will not maintain their equipment such as trimming trees around overhead power lines, then when wind or snow knocks those trees down they will fall on them. Underground electrical distribution has its own set of problems. There are no guarantees of 100% reliability anywhere no matter what anyone says.
Complain about this comment
Mark - delighted to hear and see you on the BBCAmerica tonight. Sorry about your discomfort and inconvenience this weekend. By now you will know from your neighbors about our custom of 'stocking-up' in preparation for any foreseen disruption.
By now you have gotten a good sampling of opinion about America's infrastructure. Gather it all up, throw out the howling madness, and you will be looking at the truth.
Mostly, as we keep telling you this is a very big and varied country, and in it you will find all levels of order amidst the chaos. New and old cities, large and small, with quite well designed and effective infrastructures, and surprising situations where disappointment has become commonplace. Since the development of Eisenhower's superhighway system that was built with tax dollars, to the modern cellular / satellite communications nets built largely to private design with private dollars, we can boast of some real achievements.
In most cases, however, there is no master plan. Each community or its ambitious private developers gets to do its own thing, for better and for worse. In my own city cross-town travel is quick and trouble free, except that new highway construction has never ceased in the twenty years I have lived here. But there are many residential streets that have not been paved because it was not required of the developers in those years, intending that the new property owners would pay for it themselves - you can imagine that these were not well-to-do neighborhoods. And a nice neighborhood on the west edge of town floods deep and broad nearly every year because no effort was made to manage the creek that runs through it.
Perhaps it is the difference in our systems of government. When all public decisions are made not by a standing majority government but by the momentary compromise of opponents, it is hard to hold the legislature, which really does commit the money, responsible for outcomes that are years if not decades in the future.
Beyond that, I agree with the very first post - most work is done and most civic projects are designed, whether highway repairs or the school budget, to spend as much money as possible and a useful product is a third or lower priority. Ask someone about that tunnel in Boston - although I hear now they all love it.
Now you will understand what has happened to our health care system, from design to reform.
KScurmudgeon
it is enough to say that I grew up in L.A.
Complain about this comment
#255. PursuitOfLove: "In American English, "infrastructure" incumpaces (sic) roads, bridges, public transport (of all kinds) all in one. So for future reference, you don't need to mention all those things, just infrastructure, and Americans will know what you're talking about."
I very much doubt it. In any case, Nigel's descriptive words are not out of place, although he might have been better advised to use a colon rather than a comma following 'infrastructure'. If you're going to criticise someone's English, you could at least use correct spelling.
Complain about this comment
Not that anyone will see this comment so far down, but here goes.
What a silly blog post. The writer seems to think the power lines were placed above-ground for the express purpose of annoying him or his aesthetic sense.
In any case, this storm provided some 5 times the average snowfall for the entire month. Tree limbs and structures are bound to break, especially if it's heavy, wet snow and/or the trees don't lose their leaves in the winter (not sure if the latter is the case in DC, but it certainly was in my former home of Houston).
So the power grid didn't withstand the storm of the century. I don't read any more into it than that. Extending it to "America is crumbling behind the chrome" reeks of nothing more than "cranky tourist."
Complain about this comment
As a counter example to Boston's very expensive tunnel, a few years ago L.A. had an earthquake. Among other consequences the major east-west freeway across town, the Santa Monica Freeway - at minimum five lanes in each direction - was shattered. Travel in the whole basin became a nightmare. The mayor swore it would be rebuilt, and immediately. Hundreds of residential properties were bought under threat of seizure, all but essential safety regulations were suspended, the contractors were offered considerable bonuses for staying on schedule and greater bonuses for beating it, and everyone was 'encouraged' to be of assistance. The project was completed weeks ahead of schedule and was a model of design, execution, and community pride.
Please note what was foregone to get this done, and what was included.
KScurmudgeon
regulatory specialist
Complain about this comment
Actually buried power lines are slightly more expensive in the long run at suburban and rural population densities. The fewer repairs and longer life never offsets the initial cost of installation and the much higher cost of digging up a line to repair it when something does go wrong. If you add in the cost of pulling out existing infrastructure before it’s usable life is up, the cost is generally unjustifiable. Buried lines are very common in the U.S. in most developments for the last 25 years for aesthetic reasons, although the age depends upon the region and cost of the development.
Also, the talk of America’s “Crumbling” infrastructure is just a bunch of alarmist claptrap. While there is a legitimate issue with a balloon cost of replacing the Eisenhower interstate projects of the 50’s and 60’s, most of the “crumbling“ is limited to regions of massive depopulation/urban decay and or corrupt/incompetent local governments. Mr. Mardell’s problem is probably the later mixed with the fact that building a power grid to withstand a once in a decade winter is convenient but not always economical.
Complain about this comment
231. At 10:56pm on 08 Feb 2010, GH1618 wrote:
The US pays about $5 billion in corn subsidies per year. Nearly half of the corn crop goes to domestic anaimal feed. Only about 4% goes to corn syrup. That's a lot of corn syrup, going as it does directly into our food. But I think it would be pretty cheap even without subsidies. The main reason for growing so much corn is to feed animals.
It's not just corn subsidies that are at issue in most of these studies. Over production of wheat and soy beans is also a problem. Partially hydrogenated soybean oil is in just about everything, especially packaged snacks children eat, and not the least bit healthy. Add to that the fact that while whole wheat breads and pastas appear to be "healthier" they are, in terms of increasing blood sugar, just as bad for you as white bread. And while producing feed for animals cheaply is important in keeping the price of meat down, I agree that the market should be allowed to determine those prices, not government subsidies. If you want to incentivize farming, why not simply give all farmers below a certain income level a tax credit? That way, even urban agriculture can be encouraged.
242. At 00:01am on 09 Feb 2010, squirrelist wrote:
It's a constant moan of mine the ridiculous amounts of sugar and corn syrup they put in prepared meals and even some bread here now. It's reached ludicrous proportions. I like sugar in my tea and coffee, not in bloody soup or a muffin or Chinese black bean chicken. And yes, I know you do put sugar in bread with the yeast, and in home-made tomato soup, but I don't put the equivalent of two tablespoons in mine. . .
Yes, we are a bit off topic here. Nevertheless, it's not just about how much corn syrup is put into packaged goods. It's also about which high carb foods increase your blood sugar levels that contribute to obesity. Your muffin may have no sugar at all in it besides the tiny amount needed to proof the yeast, and the yeast completely consumes the sugar so it doesn't really exist in the muffin at all. But every grain of wheat also has carbohydrates that increase your blood sugar level as a consequence of simply eating, so you might just as well have eaten a spoonful of sugar for all the good it did you to avoid sugar while still eating white or whole wheat flour.
A normal healthy diet should contain no more than 80 to 100 grams of carbs daily, maybe a little higher or lower depending on the amount of activity one does. And most of those carbs should come from vegetables and fruit. A plain 2 oz muffin contains 28 grams of carbs. An extra large "healthy" plain bran muffin contains 50! When your gut starts expanding and you don't know why, because you are eating healthy and avoiding excessive sugars, that is why. It starts with belly fat. Every beer belly and "spare tire" is caused by eating too many high carb foods. Eventually that fat - which, btw, is the same saturated fat in animal meat that everyone is told to avoid and which is produced by your own liver from excess carbs - starts being stored throughout the rest of the body, thus causing obesity.
And if you want to bring this back to the topic of surviving blizzards, how about stocking your food supplies accordingly? What prepackaged healthy foods that won't go bad without refrigeration should one keep in one's emergency supplies?
237. At 11:41pm on 08 Feb 2010, colonelartist wrote:
When we refer to our forefathers as ancient, we mean monkeys.
I didn't know that. When we refer to our elders as ancients, we mean really, really old people who are very wise and worthy of great respect. Linguistics is one of the more interesting things about studying cultures. Some concepts just don't translate in all their many shades of meaning.
Also, yes, we use corn to feed much of our livestock. And you're right about the results. Now if we could just figure out how to capture all that methane, we'd never have to spend another dollar on fossil fuels.
Complain about this comment
A couple of points, at least two of my friends hold dual nationality, one is British/German the other British/French (ignoring my Jewish friends who can also claim to have Israeli nationality). Now according to some this means that both my friends had a very unusual birth since your nationality would depend on where you are born, and both my friends have had their dual nationality since birth, when in reality it solely down to where their parents were born.
Both my friends have held passports from both countries and both when younger avoided going to their non-British country, not because they hated the country in question, but because they wished to avoid the possibility of conscription.
It is also lovely that certain Americans know more about border control and indeed import duty than the governments of many countries, including the USA. Really your talents are wasted here, you should be running countries. Also you have done better than most Europeans since it appears you have read through the entirety of the not EU Constitution and understood it, again why are you wasting your time here.
And Super Mongoose, while we have never physically met you can count at least three Europeans who count themselves as citizens of Europe. Fact not fiction.
Secondly, God some of you have huge great chips on your shoulder, Johnny Foreigner says that the US is not perfect and you spend the next 24 whinging and whining saying things like ‘well your country is not perfect either!’ Here’s a shocking revelation, Mark never said that the UK or Europe was, he just said that the US did seem to have problems (a point backed up by a number of US posters).
Yes in the UK when there is a flood, or massive storm sometimes the power goes out. Unless you are in the sticks that loss is expected to be fixed within a matter of a couple of hours. As for Britain grinding to a halt over a few inches of snow, that would be the worst snow storms seen in the UK, most of Europe and parts of America (including Washington DC) for over 40 years? One, Britain did not grind to a halt, parts of it were disrupted like Washington was. Two, yes shockingly Britain that does not get snow like that for decades did suffer slightly. Our roads, and transport infrastructure are designed for weather we normally get, which is mostly rain. So compared to Canada, New York, Copenhagen, Russia etc we don’t do very well. Three, being a country obsessed with weather our media service have a tendency to exaggerate these things, I assume that the US media does, or has Washington actually been destroyed as implied with the term snowmagedon?
The thing is this wasn’t meant to be a point scoring contest, comments like ‘so-call Europeans’ made it into a “well my county’s better than yours” slanging match. So would some of you like dip to go with that massive chip?
Complain about this comment
I completely agree about the state of US infrastructure which often surprises me - American technological sophistication seems only to extend to the front door. One example you don't mention though is Air Traffic Control - while Europe and the UK are leading the world with advanced, computerised systems, the US is still using 1960s technology which, in a country so dependant on air travel, is simply amazing.
Complain about this comment
Having visited the US about 8 times over the years I can with out hear say,compare the infrastructure.In some places its not as good as in Europe,in others its better.I have enjoyed this thread,with some getting quite rattled over imagined anti US criticism.I needed cheering up as Wales
went down to England,the best team won dam it!.I think it important in life to try to see things as they actually are & not to get up set when things are pointed out.No place is perfect & to defend every thing smacks an infantile persona,as every body knows,any you can do,we can do better,we can do any thing better,than you!!
Complain about this comment
276. At 10:52am on 09 Feb 2010, ukwales wrote:
as every body knows,any you can do,we can do better,we can do any thing better,than you!!
You just had to quote show tunes, didn't you?
Anything you can do,
I can do better.
I can do anything
Better than you.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can. No, you can't.
Yes, I can. No, you can't.
Yes, I can,
Yes, I can!
Anything you can be
I can be greater.
Sooner or later,
I'm greater than you.
No, you're not. Yes, I am.
No, you're not. Yes, I am.
No, you're NOT!. Yes, I am.
Yes, I am!
Now I'm stuck with that in my head. All day. In the middle of a blizzard. Thanks.
Complain about this comment
UkWales – I shall resist the urge to gloat, no really I will. Just think you have Scotland on Saturday, so that’ll be an easy win for your guys! Even though I hate to say it the interesting game will be France v Ireland, even worse I think I may have to be supporting the blue team (nothing against the Irish, I just don’t want them to win two years in a row – only England can do that, not this year obviously)!
Complain about this comment
Gavrielle_la Post
Take care in all that snow,sorry about that tune in your head...
Complain about this comment
As to your comment about some Americans not travelling very far... A college friend of mine who was a Texan, said: '...What you Brits don't understand, is that to a Texan, foreign policy is what happens in California!'
Complain about this comment
Given the size, complexity, vast geographical areas, enormous power consumption, diverse and extreme environmental conditions, and the need and demand by consumers to contain costs. comparing Europe's power distribution systems and needs to America's is comparing apples and oranges.
Despite relative neglect of our infrastructure, on most days, every place in the US that needs electrical power has it in the quantity and quality needed. Most other things that people rely on like natural gas, potable water, sewers, transportation, roads, telecommunications work satisfactorily every day too. Outages in any given place are the rare exception, not the rule and usually the result of extreme events such as this recent storm or extreme heat waves. Usually they are confined to a relatively local area or region. That alone distinguishes the US from third world nations. I haven't checked the data but I'd say both total and per capita electrical power consuption in the US far exceeds any other nation's including those in Europe. I think most American homes have far more electrical appliances than most European homes. For instance, most new homes built in the US during recent decades have central air conditioning systems and older homes usually have many window air conditioning units. In the two years I lived in Europe I did not see even one home with any air conditioner of any type. As an example of our huge power consumption, the US produces 20% of its electrial power in nuclear power plants, France produces 80% of its power in nuclear plants but America's 20% is greater than France's 80%. Americans do need to make large capital investments in infrastructure to repair, expand, and modernize their systems. In one effort, there is much discussion about creating "the smart electrical power grid." It hasn't even been determined what that means yet. But it is being given considerable thought by the power industry. Planning and building infrastrastructure for a society as dynamic, as mobile, and as ever changing as America's, and one that will continue to grow at an average rate of about 3 million people a year over the next 40 years is a challenge I don't think Europe, a continent in decline will have to face and couldn't if it did.
Complain about this comment
Ref 281, Marcus
"Given the size, complexity, vast geographical areas, enormous power consumption, diverse and extreme environmental conditions, and the need and demand by consumers to contain costs. comparing Europe's power distribution systems and needs to America's is comparing apples and oranges."
I agree, comparisons seldom solve anything, but ignoring our decaying infrastructure and ignoring the solutions implemented in other countries is not the way to go.
As you already acknowledged in your posts on this subject, our infrastructure problems are real, require immediate attention, and have been neglected for almost a century, a fact that makes the task of repairing it - and its cost - much greater than it should have been.
Some of the improvements implemented in Europe may be impractical in the USA, but using them as a model and changing them to fit our needs and address the complexities of designing, planning and implementing such a monumental project in our country is definitely the way to go.
I agree with your earlier suggestion about the logic of using overhead lines across country, but there is simply no reason why we couldn't bury utility lines in urban areas. Burying them directly into the ground is, indeed, not a good idea as that accelerates the deterioration of insulation and, subsequently, the need to repair or replace them, but they could be easily fed through conduits that would not only protect them from natural elements but would facilitate access and repairs.
Complain about this comment
I read this blog a lot because I find it interesting, and every single time the majority of the comments remind me why I don't bother to contribute. I would like to say I've been impressed by Marcus on this topic though, making far more sense than normal.
Complain about this comment
Re #161 Eastvillage suggested:
"Go home, turn on computer and see how all the promised change is coming along."
I did - nothing. Then I've turn on my TV: not much change reported either. [short of Prius production hitting brakes suddenly]
So I guess it's back to a shooting range. :-)
Complain about this comment
Re: #176
'RHz'. I really enjoyed your MHz post. :-)
More power to you! (including the one from PepCo)
Complain about this comment
Re #184 RHz wrote:
However, when I visit friends, I always notice the chlorine. It is certainly off-putting.
"Remember fluorization, Mandrick?
That's when they've started to poison our vital bodily fluids"
[No, somehow I don't think gen. Jack D.Ripper was refering to Palinistas]
Complain about this comment
Re # 189
Gavrielle, Dubai is broke.
Something conartists have failed to notice. :-)
And a price of oil has dropped under $70.00p/brl. I guess prem. Gazputin must be just as unhappy about is as Emir of Dubai.
[they've just closed an observation deck on Dubai's tallest bulding: must me too many folks ready to jump. From joy.]
Complain about this comment
Re #198
May I point out there are portable nuclear power generators available?
Using, very safely, very stable Plutonium-238?
Sure beats windmills scaring fishes and killing birds.
[something ecoterrorists obviously don't mind]
Complain about this comment
David Murrell,
Thank you for not gloating,you are an officer & gentleman.But David!you do not understand!!,we just have to beat you English,the Scottish lads do not count as much.Its primeval,its All those castles in Wales,its Edward1,its Owain Glendower,its,its Ridiculous...
Complain about this comment
"High cholesterol
Chinese food clogs my arteries
during the snow storm."
PhillyMom.
Haiku are fine. But beware: many made in China food products can give you as severe case of lead poisoning as Chinese-made toys.
P.S. Have I mentioned melamine?
Complain about this comment
UkWales – I am indeed an officer, well a Compliance Officer if that counts, as for the gentleman bit I try (I fail miserably, but trying is the thing)!
See that’s the problem with English, the rest of the UK have so much to have a grudge about, we are your traditional enemies in rugby, and Scotland’s and Ireland’s. For my part I always enjoy it when we thrash the Scots in rugby, because an old friend of mine is Scottish and the only one of my friends who ‘gets’ the sport. So I have to smile every time the ‘auld’ enemy gets a beating – its what friendships all about!!
Complain about this comment
SD;
"As you already acknowledged in your posts on this subject, our infrastructure problems are real, require immediate attention, and have been neglected for almost a century, a fact that makes the task of repairing it - and its cost - much greater than it should have been."
It's hardly been a hundred years. It's more like 30 or 40 years. Some areas of inner cities, old industrial areas have not been left unrepaired, they've been abandoned entirely. That may be an eyesore but that doesn't count.
Several things happened. America became enfatuated with high tech to the exclusion of less glamorous technologies without which even high tech can't exist. The reliability of the systems was so great for their time and demand level that they were taken for granted. Now they are old and there aren't enough people left in those professions and trades to see to the work that will be needed when they all suddenly need replacing.
Money was diverted to other purposes. Out of sight, out of mind. It's only when they fail that people think about them. Large Corporations found infrastructure related capital investment and maintenance a convenient area for cost cutting. Short term savings will have serious long term consequences.
Politics became a factor too. For example, in New York City, the Williamsburg bridge which connects Brooklyn with lower Manhattan that has a reasonable life expectancy of 500 years according to experts, was not painted. anyone who knows about painting a bridge knows you start at one end, and when you finish at the other you go back to the beginning and start again. But its steel support structure was allowed to rust away and chuncks of concrete began to fall from it, sometimes on to motorists. Where did the money go instead? To fund a million other things like "culture." As a result, the bridge had to be partially and at times completely taken out of service and rebuilt at far greater cost than to have painted it all along. A study for building a replacement for it showed it would cost 8 billion dollars and take 20 years.
Other political considerations have been at the root cause of delapidation. In the 1970s Donald Trump proposed to the City Government to build "Television City" a complex of 11 high rise buildings on the old New York Central railroad yard on the west side of Manhattan between 59th street and 72nd street. The largest of these buildings would have been 150 stories high. The project would have brought hundreds of thousands of new jobs to New York, required replacement of the collapsing West Side Highway with a modern new Westway, replacment and upgrades to subway stations, power, old water mains, gas mains, telecommunications upgrades, etc. The idea was to bring the TV industry back to New York from California. It was rejected because people who lived in the area said it would spoil the neighborhood. Similarly, rent control established in the 1940s to keep Manhattan's apartment rents affordable during WWII were never removed. Tenanats were able to keep apartments handed down from one generation to the next without substantial rent increases. As a result, old apartment buildings that should have been torn down decades ago and replaced with luxury high rise buildings that would have commanded several thousand a month rent per apartment instead of several hundred were never built. The tax revenues from wealthier tenants who would have rented or bought them never realized. The repair and modernization of infrastructure those taxes would have generated for NYC never accomplished. Today much of the most valuable real estate in the world looks even oldrt and more tired than it did in the 1920s to 1940s when it was built. There are far more tennants who are voters who enjoy those low rents in those old buildings than there are landlords and developers to get rid of this archaic system. And so NYC's physical infrastructure remains a disgrace and there is a severe housing shortage there even in these hard times.
Industry, government, and utilities will no longer be able to neglect this most underlying basis of our industrial society. Not if it is to survive. Diversion of financial resources from protecting Europe, guarding Bosnia, rebuilding Afghanistan and Iraq, saving Haiti, footing the bill for the UN, keeping China and Japan from each others throats, subsidizing illegal aliens, paying for every kooky project some screaming group dreams up will have to give way to renewal of what keeps this whole thing together or it will surely fall apart. Government priorities are all wrong. Whose fault is it? Who is the government in this democracy? In the words of the great American philosopher and cartoon character Pogo "We have met the enemy and he is us."
Complain about this comment
MA
"between the more expensive American system that delivers power to homes at 120 "
More expensive?
you mean more wasteful?
I think that kinda shows that I was on the money and you were hiding behind your credentials fabricated as they may be.
Blanche. mrs target says hi and hopes you are well.
She did tell me to be nice to your kid all things considered he has done very well since his medical set back.
Now apparently he has got a job lined up I ran.
Andy post
"The hype to which you refer is advertising, nothing more."
Come on andy. it was propaganda . the (perceived )need for which dropped when the wall did.It is built into the America heads.
like someone (JFD)?) mentioned earlier. very un British. (as was cool britania;)Brits like to put Britain down. or rather they do it automatically.
MAny many americans seem to be as influenced by fantasy and movies as anyone. they think they are in the land of "opportunity" of " equal rights" of " health care for all if they go to emergency they will be fine" etcetcetc.
America bought it's own propaganda. at least in the UK when someone dresses up as a cowboy you can laugh at them. Here they dress up like one even thought they really haven't a clue what the back end of a cow looks like.
It is part of the sell america. no different than the cool Britannia thing that Tony was on.
It is not just marketing.
that same story of how great everything has been here has been around for a while.
pretty much every country does it to some extent.
america does it in an american way. Big and cumbersome. like a flailing empire.
;)
Complain about this comment
power, be nice and grateful to the nice Chinese. stop trying to promote hatred of them.
they saved your but.
you would be nothing by now , if it were not for them.
Nothing.
show some gratitude to the country that saved you .
You should be writing large posts of thanks.
Complain about this comment
Gav you came here insisting people be nice because of the marshal plan. america eternal get out of jail card is it.?
"they weren't ever going to be a problem for the US. "
what part of take over the world and kill ALL the jews did you miss in Hitlers intent?
Did you know that the Japs were trying to move up those islands to alaska.
Seriously a world against you and you think they would still .... You are a joke.
sorry that is why I don't make much attempt to be polite to you.
Stuff your flag where the wind don't blow.
141 anonymouse
"and people are citizens of EU member states, not EU citizens.
As for a Mexican being a "North American citizen" this is risible. North America is a geographical unit, not a political nation-state. Sure, a Mexican can be a North American"
risable is your logic.
Mexico does not issue a north american passport. european states do issue european passports.
that are also a national passport.
when mexico issues one with North america. and USA issues one with north america then maybe.
now there are european nationals that are not european union nations that do not carry a european passport.
Complain about this comment
marbles.
lol
"144. At 6:31pm on 08 Feb 2010, allmymarbles wrote:
I always thought the blackouts were rather fun. Many, many years ago there was a major power outage in Manhattan, where I was living at the time. This noisy, bright island was hushed and dark. People came out of their houses, some with guitars, and we sat on the stoops singing into the black night. It was a magical interlude."
and nine months later the squirrrelists entertainment suggestion bore fruit.
(for many;)
Complain about this comment
Apparently Mark mardell and I have something in common. apparently we both spell badly and write grammatically incorrect.
I am here to make sure there is always someone with worse writing skills than mark;)
how ever those that complain should remember the last editor. now he only got a few complaints about spelling. but he deserved a lot more complaints about his blogging.
and yes he went native. I called that out so many times.
proud of it.
Pursuit the difference is the old guy went off to luxury weekends on those S carolina farms of the rich and famous and forgot that millions were not so lucky.
He then tried to help promote the big lie that america is the first of the first world.
Colonel nice story about learning to swim.
Complain about this comment
Easy – I am just worried about someone living in the US and getting their Chinese take away directly from China. I know he’s super and everything, but surely even flying round the world as fast as Superman the food still gets cold. Normally when I order Chinese food I get it from the take away down the road, all-in-all much quicker and it means I don’t need to dry clean the cape quite as often!
Complain about this comment
Gav you set your standards very very low.
"at least every one can eat" (which BTW is not true )
http://www.foodforlanecounty.org/
Shoe leather and millenium shrimp.
Complain about this comment
Snow handling is a local community's job. I live up in Philadelphia, which got I believe around 26", and we had the snow plowed by around 4pm Saturday, just a few hours after it stopped snowing. No power outages.
In my experience the South just doesn't know how to handle snow. My friend lives in VA Beach and if they get just 2" of snow the entire area shuts down and people careen off the highways.
I think its a regional/preparedness thing.
Complain about this comment
Re #250 PursuitOfLove points out:
"up until 2008, Americans didn't need passports to visit Mexico and Canada."
[not to mention: Alaska, Hawaii, Marshalls, Guam, Samoa, etc.]
Add to that the whole Caribbean [short of Gulag called Castrate Cuba].
And it would still be that way today but for some fanatical cavemen whose creed one cannot even safely name.
Complain about this comment
Ref 292, MAII
I agree with almost everything you said, except the suggestion that dilapidated dwellings in NYC should have been replaced with luxury condos. Yes, the tax base would have gone up, but the long term solution to our social and economic problems requires greater focus on the middle class, not the upper class.
Complain about this comment
292 MarcusAurelius,
"We have met the enemy and he is us"(that when a people were in such a situation,they do not know what to do,they should take great care that they do not do they know not what)...
(Abigail Adams)
Complain about this comment
Powermeerkat – since you are all knowing about how I am not an EU citizen perhaps you can cast your opinion on this “Citizenship of the Union is hereby established. Every person holding the nationality of a Member State shall be a citizen of the Union. Citizenship of the Union shall be additional to and not replace national citizenship” – Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (the updated Treaty of Rome).
This would be the treaty that every member state signs up to when joining the EU. Now I understand that you are the font of all knowledge, but in this case I will side with a international treaty over someone I only know under a psuedonym! That is unless you can prove all those lawyers and legal experst wrong!!
Complain about this comment
159 douglas
I'm with you on that assessment. he has been much too gracious, but at least he is not like the old guy.
181 Maria Ashot
great post.
148 flag wrapped gav who really can't take criticism of the USA very well.
"Because while we were doing that we would could keep on developing nuclear weapons and rockets."
those rockets YOU were going to develop them. without getting involved in europe.?
explain how?
which rocket engineers would you use?
you see nothing but america. you make it as hard to like america as those that you think you are better than because you have some "liberal views".
"But the US had no intention of humiliating anyone, least of all our former enemies. "
but that is exactly what you do when you try to tell people to be so bloody grateful for crap before they were alive.
" But while you're here, have a little decency, why don't you? My entire family was wiped out by your war. And then you basically spit on me for having an opinion on the subject"
excuse me.
sorry if I don't seem too concerned.
that war was for the families of those recently immigrated as well.
like you.
stop trying to lord over that old outdated idea of europe owning you and america would have been invincible because you had super man and the green shield on (lantern) on your side with capt america running along.
really you are little better than the gherkin when it comes to taking any critique of the USA.
America would stand isolated against the whole world and not worry? that you believe they could and that the NAzi would say " screw it we don't need them.
again what part of your flag is falling in-front of your eyes.
If you want to mention the how grateful we should all be ,and how we should not say little things like "eventually" then you obviously do not believe in fair and open discussion./ very un america of you.
we have time and time again gone on about who helped what in WW2 you bring it up of your own choice.
live with the response. you knew it would be there. you have seen it enough. or are you a troll?
how about them chinese
Complain about this comment
298 DM
thanks for the rational interlude
super eyes heat the food up easy.
Complain about this comment
Powermeerkat – Also since August 1988 British Passports have been burgundy rather than blue to match the rest of the EU and have European Union blazoned across the top, above the bit where it says United Kingdom of Great Briton & Northern Ireland. I have had, therefore a EU passport since 1999, when I gained my first passport. Obviously though you no better than British Home Office about these things – Since I cannot possibly hold a EU passport!
Complain about this comment
Speaking of American Powerlessness -
Our dear Cape May and Wildwood, two lovely New Jersey towns nearby along the coast, are STILL out of power since last week... and another storm is coming tonight!
Oh - and my friend was picking up her hubby's heart mediation this morning (too much snow shoveling? Some guys are SO stubborn!) when a car in morning traffic slid on slush and hit a power pole, cutting power to the shopping center and the surrounding traffic lights. (they can't just take cash, so she had to wait for the store's generators to come on in order to complete the purchase)
-- Expect residual traffic at 76/476 this morning... doubling some people's commute. Lovely.
Speaking of American Pride
How DARE you insinuate that our infrastructure might not be the Bestest EVAR!!! we are like... SO... UBER! I mean... like...Psha!
Actually - we are a hard working proud lot, and folks in towns like Cape May are either going to 'hunker down' and weather the storm or they'll head out of town and let their homeowner's insurance repair the broken pipes.
-- so, what's wrong with our high wires? Really? We can manage!
(even if they are a nuisance and unsafe...)
Actually, Mark -- I agree that DC is a fairly unique city. You're having a 'special' experience of America.
Most folks in the states will find your story quite remarkable, either because they NEVER have blackouts... or because blackouts are fairly typical (ought they not be?). Funny, ain't it?
The Smithsonians, Money, and Museums -- Oh My!!
I loved the free museums of DC. Now that I'm in Philly, I pay for family memberships to our Art Museum and our Natural Science Museum. Other than that, we must pay through the nose for knowledge. (I hear the Franklin Institute is excellent and our Zoo totally rocks, but I've got a tight budget.)
I also recall the Smithsonians running on hard times a while back. They had an expensive magazine to raise money and have considered opening museums in other cities...
And... Shhhh... don't tell, but... um... having visited other cities' museums, the exhibits are often better elsewhere! *gasp* I know. Shocker, ain't it?
But how can a FREE museum compete with the MFA, who charges $22/$28 a person??? Really???
And how am I supposed to take my kids to the MFA when they charge that much??? Really???
Complain about this comment
Re #304
DM.
You can consider yourself whoever you want.
Formally, legally, mentally, spiritually...
However Ive found out first hand (during my visits to UK) that many of your compatriots DO NOT consider themselves Europeans; many of them certainly do not want to belong to EU (decades ago they've opted for Common Market and nothing more); deeply resent Franco-German hegemony in Brussels, CAP policy, etc., as well as subsidizing such incredibly corrupted countries like Greece and Bulgaria; and would simply loooove to have a referendum in which they would be allowed to express their honest feelings about European Superstate.
[Results of UK polls seem to confirm my observations]
Quite a few of them still claim that "Britons never, never, never shall be slaves".
Well, we shall see whether that's true or not.
After your election in a couple of months.
Complain about this comment
PS: Sqirrelist dear,
the bullet proof Chinese cuisine is thick enough to stick to your ribs like a kevlar vest (which might be needed). The "General Tao Chicken" is a lump of meat batter dipped, pan fried, and coated in Corn-syrup/MSG Radioactive Wow-Wow sauce -- served on a bed of greasy fried rice with crunchy pork bits. Yummy!
(Not to worry MereKitty(290), the take-out is a special treat. We usually opt for fresh veggies and happy home-made goodness. The local halal deli is 'Fab' and there's a Japanese Sushi-Soup-Noodles restaurant down the way, helping burn the bad cuisine karma.)
It's a lovely place around the block from my home. Turn right at the abandoned building and cross the street at the hair-braid shop with 80's posters. The nice people take orders through bullet proof glass because the graffiti ridden park on that block hosts a lot of drug dealers... Obama spoke there when he was campaigning! We're getting more bike cops right now, and I haven't heard of a shooting there since! Cool, eh?
Mama-San Says: If one must ask 'where's the change?' one might not be looking in the right places.
(Your Luckie Numbers Today is 42)
288. MereKitty - Portable activators! We'll have our big-boomeroo-boys in the back room attend to that immediately!
Actually - isn't China setting up Ocean Platform Reactors in order to sell energy to smaller countries? Clever! (Until something leaks... but I guess it's just the ocean. Right?)
Complain about this comment
# 283 whosaidjazz wrote:
"I would like to say I've been impressed by Marcus on this topic though, making far more sense than normal"
For some reason, the words 'faint', 'praise', 'with' and 'damning' spring to mind
Complain about this comment
Reply:
I wrote you the truth and in the USA Propagandist denominate the Media. Criminal Experiments on human beings exist in the justification that other nations are doing it. These crimes against humanity are happening. Communication systems are being implanted in human beings to find out answers, to control a populous and to brainstorm any questionable thought. These people exist in every avenue of human involvement and they monitor and initiate Government action willed to take place.
The military is the largest single workforce and the only source for many to raise their standing in the economic community. There are more Military bases than there are Schools and Postal offices. The Military reserve infiltrate every occupation in the USA and their minds are biased toward the military and not democracy.
Economics is being used as a weapon against anyone the US Government chooses. Big Brother Exist and cultivates the people to not see the world around them. People are in positions because they do exactly as the government wishes without ethics of a love for life.
Politics are the propagandist actions of a government to make their crimes justifiable, a whole twisted account of the truth.
I have 6 years in Electronic Technology and am a Ham Operator such is happening and human lives are being lost because of inadequate electrical power being supplied. I have explained a very fine gray line of that being called a brown out. That is when even voltage not only current is seen to drop.
...---... ...---... ...---...
260. At 04:43am on 09 Feb 2010, MarcusAureliusII wrote:
KLRSJr;
In basic electricity 101, you get...an F minus. I'd give you a lower grade but in our system that is not possible :-)
Complain about this comment
There are some people from other countries that are angry at the USA.
With great power comes great responsibility. And also some jealousy.
The USA has much beauty and prestige. But we are certainly not perfect and do not claim to be. We can take criticism, as long as it is not done in a vengeful kind of way.
What other country on this Earth has elected a man who is from slavery roots into the President???
The USA is great, because we are still growing and learning...everlong.
Complain about this comment
224
gary
"o the greater efficiency of higher voltage is available for higher power devices, which is where it matters."
Those toasters electric cordless kettles(lol having finally made it to america),all those info ad cooking devices.
plug in wall heaters.
they are not important. nor is efficiency?
what exactly are you saying?
I think I agree.
Complain about this comment
Powermeerkat (309) – Oh dear not going to give in graciously are we? It is not a matter of my personal consideration, it is a matter of international law. Many Brits I know don’t consider themselves British, they consider themselves English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish some even Cornish doesn’t change the fact that legally they are British. All their scratching out British and writing the part of the Union (the British one, rather than European) on forms doesn’t change a thing.
Some Scottish didn’t like being part of the United Kingdom and forcibly rebelled, didn’t change the fact that the King of Scotland was also the King of England. Opinions change over time, though some Scots would still prefer devolution (though not as many as the SNP would hope). Also legally, I don’t need to give up my British nationality, as my quote clearly stated EU citizenship is given in addition to that of your home member state. I am a citizen of Britain and the EU, I get dual nationality straight away no matter where my parents come from, which is pretty cool.
Once again legal fact NOT personal opinion, what YOU voiced was opinion and legally you are wrong!
Complain about this comment
MarcusAureliusII (#247) "GH1618 You flunk AC electricity 101."
Oh get off your high horse, Marcus. I said nothing at all about how US household 110/220 service is configured. I know very well how it is configured, having two engineering degrees myself, which include a significant amount of EE. My building has three-phase service also, and I know how that is configured as well.
This isn't the place for a detailed course in power engineering.
I will second your remark about KLRS Jr., however.
Complain about this comment
LucyIllinois "What other country on this Earth has elected a man who is from slavery roots into the President???"
To what country are you referring? President Obama's ancestors were not slaves.
Complain about this comment
MA unless JW was kicked out due to the efforts of people like me to deride him as having gone native I think he probably returned home because of that health care costs that he would have found chained his future in the USA.
Complain about this comment
313. At 4:11pm on 09 Feb 2010, LucyIllinois wrote:
"What other country on this Earth has elected a man who is from slavery roots into the President???"
I don't know; but what I do know is the USA hasn't; it has elected a Hawaian man of mixed black and white parentage.
Complain about this comment
"increasingly severe weather systems each season "
and yet on this issue america has made great efforts.
to increase the severity. (though there are a handful of scientists that disagree)
Complain about this comment
317 LOL and great call Gary.
xxx
blue green says this somewhere
"Also, the talk of America’s “Crumbling” infrastructure is just a bunch of alarmist claptrap. While there is a legitimate issue with a balloon cost of replacing the Eisenhower interstate projects of the 50’s and 60’s, most of the “crumbling“ is limited to regions of massive depopulation/urban decay and or corrupt/incompetent local governments. "
now talk of clap trap.
incompetent?
who is incompetent if there are not the funds to pay for it because the "competent" thinking people wanted a tax break?
Tell the DOT engineer. "hey you are incompetent, we gave you a snifty and the roads still not fixed"
Complain about this comment
squirrelist wrote:
Mark is writing (and the rest of us are reading) about Washington now.
I suggest if you you want to find out what Washington, D.C. is NOW, including what's the political situation in the U.S. capital is NOW, move your red tail kindly here and find out for yourself.
Because otherwise, you and other readers from U.K.[or United Europe if you prefer] will remain disinformed.
Complain about this comment
315 DM
"Once again legal fact NOT personal opinion, what YOU voiced was opinion and legally you are wrong!"
Not just legally ;)
Complain about this comment
Gavrielle quoted:
Anything you can do,
I can do better.
I can do anything
Better than you.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can. No, you can't.
Be glad that there are SOME people who can do SOME things better than you.
I won't itemize them, but let me assure you, that because of that you can feel a little safer and sleep a little sounder.
Even during a biggest blizzard since 1922 (as far as D.C. is concerned.;)
P.S. Nice memories from Oman. Which has built quite a nice base for USAF.
And even paid for it itself!. :)
Complain about this comment
274 DavidM
your post was well expressed. something I lack (waste all the expressing on my cat)
I would add that GAv attempt to bring the debt we owe for being saved in ww2 (as they put it) was also part of that flag waving rubbish that means the debate doesn't go well.
then she would like to blame me. but most americans like to do that anyway.
(see I use words like MOST).
Complain about this comment
MAII wrote:
"In one effort, there is much discussion about creating "the smart electrical power grid." It hasn't even been determined what that means yet."
Here's hoping it won't mean that command&control system of our major powergrids can be accessed and sabotaged via Internet.
Too many attempts to do just that by Chinese hackers.
In no way connected to the Beijing regime. Of course. ;-))))))))))))))
Complain about this comment
David Murrell (#315) "Once again legal fact NOT personal opinion, what YOU voiced was opinion and legally you (powermeerkat) are wrong!"
No doubt you are correct, but what is the point of quibbling over a mere semantic disagreement, the meaning of "citizen."
Looking at things practically, you have a certain legal status in the UK, and you have a certain legal status in the EU, and both entities may call you what they like "citizen" in both cases, apparently. Yet, your status is not identical in both jurisdictions, even if the name is. The practical consideration is what rights and responsibilities go along with your legal status in each respective jurisdiction.
Then you have the group identity which people choose for themselves, which is often something entirely different. Often, this is what matters most, whether it corresponds to a legal entity or not.
Complain about this comment
"surely even flying round the world as fast as Superman the food still gets cold."
Sorry Dave Murrell, but you're wrong.
Even an old working horse like B-52 has a microwave on board.
Let alone B-747-400.
Have you been doing any long distance flying, lately? :-)
P.S. Next time something strange looking flies over your head don't assume it's the Superman. It may simply be a UAV.
Complain about this comment
Re#310 Philly Mom pointed out:
"The nice people take orders through bullet proof glass because the graffiti ridden park on that block hosts a lot of drug dealers... Obama spoke there when he was campaigning!"
Is that why he went there? Nooooooo!
Complain about this comment
At 5:42pm on 08 Feb 2010, MarcusAureliusII wrote:
"Then why do you stay here?"
Do you really think that everyone who lives in the US but occasionally (or even frequently) gets disgruntled by conditions here should leave? How many others share your view?
I don't leave because my husband is an American citizen who also gets disgruntled but feels pretty committed to the place. I feel committed to him. Does this answer satisfy you?
Complain about this comment
Re# 315
Dave Murrell,
Do not distort my original post. I've simply opined that I have never met a person who would define himself/herself as 'European', rather than Czech, English, French, German, Greek, Irish, Polish, Slovak, whatever. And, may I add, who would be willing to subjugate their national military forces to Brussels command, and take orders from the capital of a small ethnically strongly divided entity where two tribes have been at each other's throats for what seems like centuries.
And no current legal status of those peoples [that's peopleS, not people!] is going to change this persistent indvidual identification.
Many years ago before EUSSR or even you were born, there was an entity called USSR. It had Soviet citizenry.
Execept the moment those citizens of the orginal socialist superstate could walk freely they went their separate ways, and it turned out that they never considered themselves Soviets, but always Armenians, Azeris, Belorussians, Estonians, Georgians, Kazakhs, Latvians, Lithuanians, Tajik, Turkmen, Ukrainians, Uzbeks, etc.
Who didn't even like each other very much.
And the artificial identity imposed on them against their will was only skin deep.
Just as in case of so called Yugoslavs. Who, when push came to shove, turned out to be deep down Bosniaks, Croats, Kosovars, Macedonians with no loyalty to the artificial superstate, either.
Something you, a 'European' may find out one day as well.
Regardless of a shape and a colour of your current passport.
Complain about this comment
300. jlambert wrote:
"Snow handling is a local community's job. I live up in Philadelphia, which got I believe around 26", and we had the snow plowed by around 4pm Saturday, just a few hours after it stopped snowing. No power outages.
"In my experience the South just doesn't know how to handle snow. My friend lives in VA Beach and if they get just 2" of snow the entire area shuts down and people careen off the highways.
"I think its a regional/preparedness thing."
Hush! Don't brag until winter is over in five weeks! And anyway, the Canadians are probably laughing because they, I'm sure, can cleared out even faster. Practice makes perfect, you know ;)
Complain about this comment
Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī and popularly known as Mowlānā (30 September 1207 – 17 December 1273) called 'Balkhi' because he was born there.
People who don't want to believe me can easily google the guy's long poem (the "Masnawi' as the colonel calls it) Maṭnawīye Ma'nawī as it really is, or The Spiritual Couplets.
"He has the scent of the apple, but not a piece of it,
And the scent only for the purpose of misleading others."
[From The Spiritual Couplets of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, Book V]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I repeat you are talking about another jalaudin rumi, ours was born in afghanistan, balkh, afghanistan, and he wrote, The Masnavi I Ma'navi, nicked named, masnavi,we call it masnavi, no need to even say the whole title and people know what book. and whose poems it is. Now, squirellist, click on your own clink that you posted and closely read the title of the book and you will find the word Masnavi looking back at you..Do you ever read the link you post? Can the leopead change its spots, eithoupian his skin or colonelarist be wrong?
Complain about this comment
GH1618
"Oh get off your high horse, Marcus. I said nothing at all about how US household 110/220 service is configured. I know very well how it is configured, having two engineering degrees myself, which include a significant amount of EE."
You still flunk. Just let me know what college you graduated from so I don't mistakenly hire any of your fellow alumni :-)
Barnaby101;
"I don't leave because my husband is an American citizen who also gets disgruntled but feels pretty committed to the place. I feel committed to him. Does this answer satisfy you?"
Yes I'm satified...and gratified...that you've both been committed. I didn't know they let people in those places have access to the internet though.
Complain about this comment
295. At 3:01pm on 09 Feb 2010, easytarget wrote:
Stuff your flag where the wind don't blow.
Now don't sulk. You'll get frowny lines.
As for all your name calling nonsense - not putting all your answers to one post into one post is just sheer laziness, therefore, I'm not going to bother quoting you or directly answering any of your statements. Make of that what you will. Despite the fact that I'm stuck at home in the middle of a blizzard, I haven't the time nor patience to root around the board cutting and pasting poorly constructed drivel.
Now:
You started this argument by taking something I said out of context. You needed someone to rant at, bully and abuse. Magic wasn't around, so you chose me. We've had civil conversations before on a number of subjects, so I'm just going to assume your medication needs to be adjusted. Or maybe you are frustrated by the fact that in real life you are a milquetoast, who lives in America resenting the fact that you couldn't make it at home. If you were this virulently anti-American to your American wife, or her family, as well as friends and neighbors, you wouldn't be still be here - you'd be divorced. And if you do make comparisons between Europe and America in real life, you do it politely and keep a civil tongue in your head. Because being a mixer in the real world, or what we'd call an obnoxious punk, has real consequences. So you go along to get along - just like the rest of us - and take out your frustration on the internet. No biggie. On occasion we all do this. It's a convenient form of anger management. So be it.
That said, I don't really care whether or not you hate everything about America. America is, after all, a foreign country from your point of view. Not everyone enjoys living or visiting here. And they are certainly entitled to their opinion, though it always strikes me as bizarre when they settle down to stay, or come back year after year on vacation. Smacks of hypocrisy and self-delusion.
Moving on: Has anyone yet accused you of jingoism and waving the Union Jack about? Because we could. The fact is everyone is to some degree ethnocentric. It is perfectly natural. And why shouldn't it be? Everyone ought to love the place where they were born. I have no problem with you loving Europe, though you apparently have a problem with me, or any other American for that matter, loving America. If we love our country we are propagandized jingoists or ignorant flag waving fools. After all, it's so much easier to pigeon hole and "thing" people than it is to think. Mark is upset because he believed the advertising hype and America isn't the dreamland he was propagandized to believe in. You're also upset that America won't make itself over in the image of Europe. In the meantime, in order to convince Americans to do the impossible, which is to loathe and despise everything about their homeland, you freely and consistently denigrate this country, and yet resent it when someone criticizes yours. You're as bad as MA sometimes and you don't see it, because, like most internet bullies, you can dish it out, but you can't take it.
And that's my final word on the subject. Feel free to call me as many rude names as you want, because I know you will. Get it out of your system then go back to your beloved American family, in your lovely American home and do typically American things. Because I know you will.
Complain about this comment
279. At 11:44am on 09 Feb 2010, ukwales wrote:
Take care in all that snow,sorry about that tune in your head...
Never mind, it's been replaced by an even more annoying one. "Sugar, Sugar" by the Archies.
Complain about this comment
Gavrielle_LaPoste (#335), what a brilliant putdown!
Complain about this comment
I've noticed that foreigners from different countries who come to America do different things when they get here depending on where they come from.
The Mexicans work in agriculture
The Russians make money
The Columbians and Jamaicans sell drugs
The Koreans open fruit stores
The Pakistanis buy convenience stores
The Indians open software businesses
The Greeks open diners
The Israelis lobby politicians
The Arabs get jobs in autiomobile factories
And the Brits gripe :-)
Complain about this comment
#335
Too brilliant for words!
Complain about this comment
Hey guys, why don't you all stop the name calling and silly comparisons?
As incredible as it may seem, after reading some of the posts on this blog, the USA and Western Europe have been allies for decades, have cordial relations, and benefit from trade and other exchanges. The USA is not perfect, but neither is Europe nor anyplace else.
If you are all so frustrated that you feel compelled to vent your frutrations on someone or something why don't you go out and shovel some snow, run around the block, plan your vegetable garden before Spring gets here (Michelle will love you), or just kick the dog and hope your spouse is not watching? Darned, I hope it stops raining soon I need my daily walk and bird watching break!
For whatever is worth, this American loves his country, loves Europe, loves Latin America; and the only reason I don't love the rest of the world is because I haven't been there. One of the things I learned long ago is to focus on the positive and hope for the best, without ignoring the negative and accepting the fact that there is always room for improvement.
Complain about this comment
321. At 4:56pm on 09 Feb 2010, easytarget wrote:
317 LOL and great call Gary.
xxx
blue green says this somewhere
"Also, the talk of America’s “Crumbling” infrastructure is just a bunch of alarmist claptrap. While there is a legitimate issue with a balloon cost of replacing the Eisenhower interstate projects of the 50’s and 60’s, most of the “crumbling“ is limited to regions of massive depopulation/urban decay and or corrupt/incompetent local governments. "
"now talk of clap trap.
incompetent?
who is incompetent if there are not the funds to pay for it because the "competent" thinking people wanted a tax break?"
The incompetent/corrupt local government I was referring to is the politicians who hold the purse strings far more than the DOT. These politicians are corrupt because infrastructure construction contracts go to whoever gives them the best campaign contributions or is related to their political allies not who offers best combination of cost and quality. They are incompetent because they squander tax windfalls from boom years on vanity projects, sell off valuable assets for small one term cash inflows in downturns, and then line up to get one shot handouts from the federal government rather than do any long term planning. This is endemic in some regions but far from universal.
While I am sure there are incompetent patronage appointees high-up in some DOT’s, I general do not extend this to the average DOT worker.
What I take issue with is the alarmist idea that America's entire infrastructure is about to implode which is useful for cable news ratings but not true in large areas of the county.
Complain about this comment
340 SaintDominick,
If I could buy you a large beer,it would be my pleasure...
Complain about this comment
bluegreen (#341) "The incompetent/corrupt local government I was referring to is the politicians who hold the purse strings far more than the DOT."
There is plenty of incompetence among the general population as well. A case in point is the project currently under way to replace the east span of the Oakland-San Francisco crossing.
In the 1990s, after an earthquake damaged the steel canteliever portion of the San Francisco Bay Bridge, the governor of California and the DOT proposed a straightforward concrete viaduct replacement which could have been built in a few years for $1 to $2 billion. Led by the mayors of Oakland and San Francisco and a few other boosters, a hue and cry arose for a "signature" bridge rather than a relatively plain concrete span. After appointment of a committee and much arguing and delay, the committee chose the most expensive type proposed, a self-anchored suspension span, which will be the largest of its type in the world. There is no engineering reason why we must have this type of bridge; a few people just decided they liked the way it looked.
Unfortunately, besides being inherently more expensive in estimated cost, the bids were more than twice the estimated cost, leading to more delay to study alternatives, and more increases in cost due to increases in the price of steel. California is going ahead with it anyway, because it is impractical to change horses in midstream, and the final cost will be close to $6 billion, probably three times what it would have cost if the original DOT proposal had been carried out promptly. And the steel is being manufactured and fabricated in China, adding to our balance of trade problems and minimizing the creation of employment, as the steel is being erected in large sections. (The large crane which lifts the sections is also built in China, by the way.)
And the whole project is taking about 20 years longer than it should have.
We would have been better off if the whole thing had been left to the DOT and the governor, and if they had parceled out the construction contracts to their friends to build with US labor.
Complain about this comment
Mark has a good point here: infrastructure is a mess in the United States, whether it's because the reps are allergic to public spending, or because the dems want to keep meaningless jobs around, it doesn't matter. The capital of the free world should not be the crime ridden, poorly maintained Washington DC, and something should be done about infrastructure in general (it was actually a large part of the stimulus package, so maybe things will improve). Of course it's true that New York City for example is a much healthier city (maybe a nice place for a capital) and in rural Belgium and France you can also find above ground power lines and potholes, I used to live in Belgium and have experienced several power outtages there as recently as the past decade. So the United States aren't the only ones keeping a dirty little secret.
Complain about this comment
I should add to my post at #343 that the local politicians in Oakland and San Francisco held no purse strings at all.
Complain about this comment
338. At 8:29pm on 09 Feb 2010, MarcusAureliusII wrote:
And the Brits gripe :-)
Hey, it's what we do, & we do it well, & there's no point having a go at the UK, we're way ahead of you, everywhere could be better, get over it.
42. At 9:23pm on 09 Feb 2010, ukwales wrote:
340 SaintDominick,
If I could buy you a large beer,it would be my pleasure...
Me too, as a Brit, & as a European, of course as a Tyke it'd have to be rounds but you can't mess with tradition :)
Complain about this comment
343 GH1618 wrote:
"....Led by the mayors of Oakland and San Francisco and a few other boosters, a hue and cry arose for a "signature" bridge rather than a relatively plain concrete span....."
I would lump this in with vanity projects by local politicians. The governor may have technically had control over the project, but he obviously lacked the political power or will to shut down the Mayors. Also, I, by no means, give a free pass to people that vote yahoo’s into office.
Also, I have to question those that think that lower taxes automatically mean crumbling infrastructure. I came from a smaller town that had a tax base that was notorious for being cheep and adverse to public debt. Our public schools were very competitive academically but certainly did not have the nicest facilities in the area, and the infrastructure was not always aesthetically pleasing. This cheapness may have even stifled economic development somewhat. However, the infrastructure was always in good repair because when something was built the city government had generally planed out all regular maintenance for the entire life and projected, as best as possible, where the tax money for regular repairs and end of life replacement would come from.
Complain about this comment
345. At 10:33pm on 09 Feb 2010, GH1618 wrote:
"I should add to my post at #343 that the local politicians in Oakland and San Francisco held no purse strings at all."
The local politicians obviously had the clout to push though their vanity project, therefore, ultimately, they did hold the purse strings, even if it was via the complicity of the state government. And I would count state officials as local. In Illinois, for example, nobody except Blago hase ever been under the delusion that the Governor answers to anything but the political whims of Chicago and its suburbs.
Complain about this comment
Mardell, your sense of not being in the capital of the Free World is quite valid. Washington DC is not the first city of the US as London is the first city of the UK, and it shows. The infrastructure you complain of is maintained by a city without a vote in Congress, where most decisions concerning its funding are made.
Complain about this comment
Now mark being from the UK myself,i can understand your frustration,you would be so much better off living in London.You would living in a semi detached house in Orpington you paid around $800000 for,driving a Ford Fiesta to the station in the mourning for that lovely commute.So much nicer than the way brutish backward way Americans live.
Complain about this comment
bluegreen (#348) "The local politicians obviously had the clout to push though their vanity project, ..."
Only because they brought along a lot of ordinary citizens from the area. This was a very public process with lots of public input, not a backroom deal. It is Californians who are incompetent, not merely California politicians.
Complain about this comment
I notice the England and Wales power distributor National Grid serves three million customers in New England. May be Mark should relocate to secure a European level of service.
Complain about this comment
Zapata;
"338. At 8:29pm on 09 Feb 2010, MarcusAureliusII wrote:
And the Brits gripe :-)
Hey, it's what we do, & we do it well, & there's no point having a go at the UK, we're way ahead of you, everywhere could be better, get over it."
Is that why 10% of all Brits emigrated? I noticed that when Brits get to the place where the grass wasn't as green as you had hoped paradise would be, they do have a tendency to stay around for a loooong loooooong loooooong looooong time. Perhaps the griping wouldn't be so bad if I didn't hear it spoken with those accents my ear finds so irritataing.
Complain about this comment
"We've had civil conversations before on a number of subjects, so I'm just going to assume your medication needs to be adjusted. "
Gav I think you are delusional.
I never had a civil discussion with you.
I have agreed with you and said you have certain points correct.
I'd say civil was where you did not try to pretend to be so superior.
Always with the frown lines posts but hey. you seem to have found some energy. At least you can call me your fitness director.
keep up the anger and you could steam off the other 30
Complain about this comment
PS
Gav.
In Eugene you can find a lot more anti americans around than I am.;)
But still you have always missed the point of criticism.
like Gary .
wrap up keep warm.
Go watch some Bill hicks.
Lighten up yourself you old (squirrelist how is it that guy puts it?)
see I make it easy for you.
Grab your foil and look good.
Complain about this comment
"Has anyone yet accused you of jingoism and waving the Union Jack about? Because we could. "
LOL third time lucky.
ME Love the UK.
it is full of wanna be americans. I got so fed up with all the JW types there I said screw this I'm off to america if america is going to keep trying to con everyone into thinking how great it is.
Hell I've stated I left the UK because it was too much of a pub culture for me.
I don't drink. I find the drunken responses from many here frankly typical.
Some can handle their drink. some it seems can't. I did but said screw this. So I left. I got up and moved a blacksmithing operation over with no dosh and started again from scratch.Sure I had room for a while(pretty nice room as it happens) but then I got going.
so frankly screw you and your attempts to portray every liberalish american as narrow minded about america as you.
I could show you some that would really have you complaining.
but you have always been over defensive.
This is america. the blog is on america.
I wish to let every one in europe know that plugs that open up with the little lever are prone to blocking and needing regular maintenance. don't go there.
There are companies promoting such devices to the brits with antiquated plugs on chains.
What ever. I do object to americans always saying "can't be done here because we are special." bull you are people like every other human on this planet. no different.
get over it.
PS don't mention the war. simple enough?
Not relevant to european anything today.'Cept the odd city plan.
There I have filled as much space as you so feel polite enough to say Adios
Complain about this comment
353. At 02:00am on 10 Feb 2010, MarcusAureliusII wrote:
Is that why 10% of all Brits emigrated? I noticed that when Brits get to the place where the grass wasn't as green as you had hoped paradise would be, they do have a tendency to stay around for a loooong loooooong loooooong looooong time. Perhaps the griping wouldn't be so bad if I didn't hear it spoken with those accents my ear finds so irritataing.
Grass is grass, wherever you end up it'll always need cutting at some point, & everywhere could still be better so the constant drone about how much better one place is when compared to another is just hot air.
Complain about this comment
Zapata;
"Grass is grass, wherever you end up it'll always need cutting at some point, & everywhere could still be better so the constant drone about how much better one place is when compared to another is just hot air.
I guess that's why people stay put. That's why BBC got it wrong when they said 10% of Brits emigrate and why the UK is not really flooed with vast hordes of Chinese, Caribbeans, Pakistanis, Indians, and Polish plumbers and why North Africans and Arabs rarely go to live in France. I knew there was a reason. And thank goodness for that. If it wasn't true, Americe would also be flooded with emigres. How comforting to know Mexicans will never consider migrating north.
Complain about this comment
Be honest Mr. Mardell, when was the last time the UK had weather like Washington DC is having now? Maybe around 12,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age? While this is a little unusual for DC, it's nothing compared to what you'd normally see in the Midwest and wait until you see what the summers have in store. That is why the talk about America reducing its energy consumption comparably to the way Europe claims it will is just plain stupid. Not only won't it happen, it shouldn't. For all practical intents and purposes, unless and until entirely different technologies emerge there won't be any meaningful reductions. Given Europe's technical capabilities and the priorities it places on where they are applied, those new technologies are not likely to come out of there.
Complain about this comment
I buy mostly American or Canadian products, or at least as many as I can find. There is loyalty to certain brand names.
But the Europeans do have a lot going for them. That is why they get so many visitors from the USA and Canada, as well. It is a two-way street.
One of the best things about Europe is the beer. They truly do have the best beer in the world. I would pick a foreign beer over domestic, unless it was Fat Tire, Twisted Tea or Wild Blue. Those are good. Coors original is okay. But I am not into the other domestic beers so much.
Europe also has beautiful architecture. There are many things to like about the various countries of Europe, which are all different and unique, in their own way. I quite admire Europeans, although I do not always understand their humor. Our humors vary around the world.
The USA's highest paid tv star was a Briton. Simon Cowell from American Idol. Even with Simon leaving AI this year, he is more popular than ever. I would watch his new show. At least, Simon will tell it like it is.
Complain about this comment
Lucy, this Simon says that Coors is most definitely not beer.
Complain about this comment
That is why it is my fourth preference of domestic. Shocktop is pretty good.
There are some phenomenal beers, from certain artsy communities in North Carolina, ect. that have names like "Purple Passion," "Dazed and Confused," and "Mountain Brew." (From a local brewery)
So local breweries and local wineries can produce some fantastic stuff. They are just not well-known.
Complain about this comment
357 ZAP
"Grass is grass, wherever you end up it'll always need cutting at some point"
cutting trimming. it's the drying that makes it so good;)
Complain about this comment
Electrical power cuts seem to be a North American thing, not just teh USA. I've had more power cuts in one year of living in Canada than in 25 years of living in the UK.
Complain about this comment
As an American living in New Orleans, a shining example of terrible infrastructure and inefficient services/utilities, I find Mark's assessment to be completely accurate. While visiting Europe this past summer I was amazed at how much more advanced Europeans cities were when compared to American cities. Sure some American cities have advanced (New York, Portland, Boston, to name a few) but for the most part we've let our cities decline. This is particularly true in the poorer red states (hence, Texas aside). The European streets were sufficiently lit and paved, the public transportation was near perfect (as compared to American), and the public services far exceeded what I, as an American, had come to expect.
The US could retain its greatness (doubtful) - if only the US could model itself more like Europe. Yet, to tell this to a fellow American, my parents for example, I would be greeted with the following: Sure, but then we'd be taxed like Europeans too.
Ah, the common refrain. Therein lies the problem with American society. We are overly concerned with us versus them (us being those of us who pay taxes, and them being the hordes who live off our taxes). If only...
Europe: My ancestors left you a couple centuries ago in search of a better way. That way is lost. May I return?
Complain about this comment
re: "Many Americans don't travel widely and so believe their own propaganda."
Apparently, Europeans bragging about how "well travelled" they are fails to save them from believing their own European propaganda. This article is a classic case in point.
Complain about this comment
@365 : "Europe: My ancestors left you a couple centuries ago in search of a better way. That way is lost. May I return?"
As an American, I robustly say YES, please leave as soon as possible. May I help you pack ?
Complain about this comment
Isn't odd how Mardell takes one incident in one place and time and wildly extrapolates to conclude the entire nation is crumbling ? How utterly absurd.
I have lived in the US most of my life (51 years) and cannot recall the last time I have experienced a power failure.
Complain about this comment
363. At 4:36pm on 10 Feb 2010, easytarget wrote:
cutting trimming. it's the drying that makes it so good;)
I knew I was doing it wrong :)
Complain about this comment
Hi Mark,
I absolutely loved your article! Although I think it was an understandably irate streak in you that prompted you to write it. Having arrived here a decade ago, reality has kind of diminished my expectations here. These were my sentiments exactly when i read the article.
One expects this country to be above the 'Weather Gods' (or any other God for that matter). It surprisingly isn't the case though (BAADD public transportation, an inefficient sense of energy conservation to name a few). Still, I think this was an isolated incident. I think it is more of a local issue. Washington D.C. hasnt seen this sort of snow since the 1922 knickerbocker snow. They aren't equipped to handle this. So as the Americans say- 'Cut them some slack'!
Complain about this comment
Mr Mardel writes these words" In the few months we've lived here we had already had two longish power cuts, a day and half a day, and I was hoping there wouldn't be another"
So!;) Sorry, because I am thick as a post, I 'm a little confused.
At 9:31pm on 10 Feb 2010, in post 368. throwdown wrote:
Isn't odd how Mardell takes one incident in one place and time and wildly extrapolates to conclude the entire nation is crumbling ? How utterly absurd.
I'll admit the location is the same, but is it impossible for Mr Mardel to have found out that it was not the only power cut?
Absurd it isn't.
Complain about this comment
Cut him some slack.
Complain about this comment
367 missing the point again eh.
you are like a few others here.
America is made up of newbies gone old.
that was a good point. I like it. I think"now there's a TRUE american. one that is america to admit that things could be different and moving miles to achieve that is worth considering.
not staying stagnant. going fetid in your own pond.
Spread out. go mingle.
stay a while. try not to kill anyone.
(sorry rest of world)
I would say that what america need right now is more people that understand that change is not the scariest thing imaginable.
I know gop /indep folk that are packing up to take social security and earn maximum allowed.
they say suddenly "taxes went up" . Not that they did. they want to see the economy sink. they have no concern for the future. as it happens not related at all to racial prejudice that is just often an aside story.;)
Complain about this comment
Dear Mark,
Foremost, you invited anyone to be critical of your unfortunate snow blizzard situation. Why would BBC.com burden you with an assignment in the USA? If you are so unhappy with your current assignment, then yes, by all means, leave.
Holding the entire USA responsible for an unusually high accumulation of snow, is like blaming the UK for fog.
Find some joy in your assignment in the USA, or go home.
Complain about this comment
So you got the pummelling you expected Mark? It’s often difficult telling folks in the US that the propaganda doesn’t match the factual reality.
This is my second time in the US (first on the West and now on the East coast) and I’m still surprised how technologically lacking the US is in a number of aspects. You’re right about the power and the roads of course, but I’m always amazed how antiquated the telephone systems are (including the mobile system). The banking sector seems to be catching up with the UK in the services it offers to personal customers, but again not quite at UK standards, but in general the whole thing just feels clunky.
I’m always amazed how difficult it is just to get “stuff” done in the US, be it paperwork associated with health care, how complicated car insurance is, how many times I had to sign my name to buy a house (twice in the UK and at least 10 times in the US).
I do enjoy living in the US, but I love having the perspective that having lived in another country gives you.
Complain about this comment
Ms Melanie (#374) "Find some joy in your assignment in the USA, or go home."
You should lighten up. You seem to missing the point that Mr. Mardell's purpose in a blog is to stimulate discussion. Judging from the response counts, this thread is one of the more successfule in that regard. I expect he's enjoying this quite a bit.
Complain about this comment
SimonH wrote:
"So you got the pummelling you expected Mark? It’s often difficult telling folks in the US that the propaganda doesn’t match the factual reality.
This is my second time in the US (first on the West and now on the East coast) and I’m still surprised how technologically lacking the US is in a number of aspects. You’re right about the power and the roads of course, but I’m always amazed how antiquated the telephone systems are (including the mobile system). The banking sector seems to be catching up with the UK in the services it offers to personal customers, but again not quite at UK standards, but in general the whole thing just feels clunky."
You've only been to America twice and in that time you have felt the need to tell Americans that their country is inferior to yours in many ways? To tell them they are being fed "propaganda?
What kind of tourist thinks that way?
"I’m always amazed how difficult it is just to get “stuff” done in the US, be it paperwork associated with health care, how complicated car insurance is, how many times I had to sign my name to buy a house (twice in the UK and at least 10 times in the US)."
If it bothers you so much then go back to your country. The last thing America needs is foreigners that only bring negativity and criticism and have the outlook that things here should be the way it is in their country.
"I do enjoy living in the US, but I love having the perspective that having lived in another country gives you."
Why, so you can criticize and act superior instead of simply appreciating and respecting differences in cultures?
I'm sure in many ways America is more advanced than your country is but I doubt very much you'll see too many Americans going out of their way to tell you that.
Complain about this comment
RyNewOrleans wrote:
"As an American living in New Orleans, a shining example of terrible infrastructure and inefficient services/utilities, I find Mark's assessment to be completely accurate. While visiting Europe this past summer I was amazed at how much more advanced Europeans cities were when compared to American cities."
What countries did you visit as Europe is not a country.
In any case, it sounds like your first trip, which explains a lot. You were looking through the typical rose tinted glasses most Americans wear when they travel.
Your limited experience, to include the experience of many of those here quick to criticize America, including the author of this blog, isn't anywhere even near the vicinity of beginning to be a reasonable amount of time and experience somewhere for someone to draw the many ridiculous conclusions that have been made in this discussion.
"Sure some American cities have advanced (New York, Portland, Boston, to name a few) but for the most part we've let our cities decline. This is particularly true in the poorer red states (hence, Texas aside)."
That's nonsense. I travel the country quite extensively and I don't see any distinctive differences between so-called "red states" and so-called blue states. In fact, many cities of the former are in better condition than the latter.
"The European streets were sufficiently lit and paved, the public transportation was near perfect (as compared to American), and the public services far exceeded what I, as an American, had come to expect."
I'm quite proud of much of America being untouched by excessive lighting or pavements. Maybe you just don't like natural surroundings?
I would also bet good money that you don't have anything near the kind of experience in Europe, or even in America, to make such conclusions.
"The US could retain its greatness (doubtful) - if only the US could model itself more like Europe."
Why would America do that? America has been the success it has been and has been the unique country that it has been because it chose it own path. To make America "more like Europe" would be to destroy the America we all know. It would go against everything our founding fathers believed in.
"Yet, to tell this to a fellow American, my parents for example, I would be greeted with the following: Sure, but then we'd be taxed like Europeans too.
Ah, the common refrain. Therein lies the problem with American society. We are overly concerned with us versus them (us being those of us who pay taxes, and them being the hordes who live off our taxes). If only..."
If most Americans don't want that then "the problem" isn't theirs, it is yours. Obviously that means you would probably be happier in a European country. Or at least that's what you may think now with your limited experience and knowledge of the place.
"Europe: My ancestors left you a couple centuries ago in search of a better way. That way is lost. May I return?"
You are confused. There was much less government interference and welfare throughout the history of America compared to now so I don't know where you get "that way is lost."
Complain about this comment
GH1618 wrote:
"You should lighten up. You seem to missing the point that Mr. Mardell's purpose in a blog is to stimulate discussion. Judging from the response counts, this thread is one of the more successfule in that regard. I expect he's enjoying this quite a bit."
No, many people here should learn some manners, including the author of this blog.
People that are intelligent and of high moral character would not be insulting and would not draw ridiculous and illogical conclusions to "stimulate discussion."
I do agree with you you on one point though in that I am quite sure "he's enjoying this quite a bit," but not for virtuous or professional reasons.
The purpose of this blog is obvious.
Complain about this comment
easytarget wrote:
"I do object to americans always saying "can't be done here because we are special." bull you are people like every other human on this planet. no different.
get over it."
No, you need to "get over it!" If you don't like it then go back to your country! Don't come to our country and start telling us how we should do things just because you don't like it and because it is not the way it is in your country. Who do you think you are?
Whether you like it or not Americans do think their country is "special," and for good reason. No other country that has ever existed in the history of the world has accomplished as much as America has in its relatively short history. Your attitude represents the old, cynical and resentful attitudes of many European countries. The last thing America needs is your kind of hostile and disrespectful immigrant.
Go home.
Complain about this comment
easytarget wrote:
"Stuff your flag where the wind don't blow."
You must be pretty miserable living in America, being so anti-American, and not being able to express yourself to the locals in such a way, huh?
Well, I guess that's one thing the internet can be used for.
By the way, why are you still in America? Or do you find it so difficult to leave and just can't get a handle on the reason why?
Complain about this comment
To AllenT2
1) How do you distinguish between "constructive criticism" and "America bashing"?
2) If someone criticizes the president of the USA would you regard it as
"America bashing" and encourage them to be more patriotic and try to discourage the person from making the critical comments in the best interests of the USA?
3) Would you be able to assess the validity of the critical comments without knowing the source (whether the person was American or non-American)?
Complain about this comment
Allen – It seems you cannot even be consistent in your criticism of other posters. One paragraph you criticise SimonH for being a tourist and only being to America twice, I thought you may have misunderstood his post as it was quite clear to me that he meant he had lived in the US on two separate occasions. Then in the next paragraph you make it clear that you are completely aware he is not a tourist.
I do agree with one of your later comments (379) ‘many people here should learn some manners’, I hope you are going to lead by example, instead of telling other poster to shut up, that they are not intelligent enough to understand the situation, or that foreigners (even those resident in the US) should keep their mouths shut and their opinions to themselves – none of which are a sign of good manners.
Possibly your next sentence gives us some extra light, however, ‘People that are intelligent and of high moral character would not be insulting’, so which is it are you intelligent and of a high moral character, or are you going to continue insulting people?
Complain about this comment
AllenT2 comments are the typical introspective claptrap you get from those who have swallowed the propaganda pill whole.
I’m pleased to say that this isn’t a typical response from my American fiends and colleagues when I discuss what I love about living in the US, and what drives me crazy. On the whole what maddens me tends to drive my friends crazy as well. Is that OK with you AllenT2, or are they just being unpatriotic.
Complain about this comment
AllenT2 (#379) "The purpose of this blog is obvious."
It is not obvious to me what you think the purpose of this blog is. Why don't you just say what you think?
Complain about this comment
385. At 4:04pm on 12 Feb 2010, GH1618 wrote:
AllenT2 (#379) "The purpose of this blog is obvious."
It is not obvious to me what you think the purpose of this blog is. Why don't you just say what you think?
-----------
lol gary . you know this is not meant to be confrontational but that is really funny coming from you.
382 Marko he had a go at me for not understanding america. even though I have lived here 1/4 of my life.
maybe more.
and still do live here.
Complain about this comment
"People that are intelligent and of high moral character would not be insulting and would not draw ridiculous and illogical conclusions to "stimulate discussion.""
so you will start complaining about MA gherkins yourself ninny and kitty.
maybe they don't care to stimulate debate. just end it.
that is why you forget to deride them (including yourself)
"You must be pretty miserable living in America, being so anti-American, and not being able to express yourself to the locals in such a way, huh"
No I do pretty good. most are not so wrapped up in their country as you guys are.
like I say in Eugene I'm a patriot. so don't worry about me you have enough to worry about.
If I repeated your comments to most of them they would start filling in the gaps I left out.
they often do.
like counselling. they see a shoulder that they can turn to because they know I will not say "get out then if you don't like it"
and then you ask in almost the same words as MA about me leaving.
I have a cat that got hit by a car. It stays so do I.I have to literally squeeze the piss out of him twice a day . so As you can see that may be a hard skill to find a replacement for.
so if you here me expressing myself you will now know I am taking the piss;)
when it dies I will leave,probably , taking my missus with me.(she would LOVE to get the hell out of america.
If you like to donate to the relocate jack fund I am sure something could be arranged.
Be a patriot bribe me to leave so you can see no opposition(of course I will blog on from the other side of the pond
380 "you go home ET"
" Who do you think you are?"
Jack Frost.
Who are you ?
Complain about this comment
"Whether you like it or not Americans do think their country is "special," "
lol I have no disagreement there.
PS this American wishes it were not quite so special.
Complain about this comment
sorry gary that was uncalled for from me.;(
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Another whiny Brit with a chip on his shoulder toward the US. What else is new? Can we all just agree that the British are superior to the US in every way? Good, now we can get on with more important things.
Complain about this comment
easytarget wrote:
"lol I have no disagreement there.
PS this American wishes it were not quite so special."
In response to me saying: Whether you like it or not Americans do think their country is "special.
You can think of yourself as American as much you want but it's quite clear that your culture, your way of thinking, your obvious attitude, is not of America and is not loyal and affectionate towards America. No piece of paper granting you citizenship will ever change that and the fact that you will never be an American, either in character or in spirit.
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
This comment has been referred for further consideration. Explain
lol allan still proving how "special you are"?
you pinko communist foreigner you;)
still running from your country.
I saw a truck with "powered by pride"
do you have one of them stickers. a 12 MPG and says" powered by pride" not years of turmoil and forign debt.
then he ran a red light.
How american to ignore the reds.
Complain about this comment
Wow; 397 comments over what was obviously a slow newsday.
Having grown up in the Chicago area, and living the past 30 yrs in the Houston metropolitan area (which recently earned me the right to 9 days without power due to a windy day named IKE) I have to agree with the limits of American power. But why leave it at that; there are plenty of retorts far more inviting than taking Mark to task on his trials during Snowlapalooza; such as the UK's Fish and Chip bank card system, their mispelling of Whiskey, mispronunciation of Aluminium, misuse of 'rubbers' and 'knocked-up', as well as the culturally defining bottle & brick wars outside the soccer pitch.
Not until we all learn to speak a common language (i.e. Mandarin), these little tet-a-tets will always remain a source of humor for me. Now shut up and drive Allan.
Complain about this comment
Well I know this is far down and no one will probably read it but...the difference in this particular area, I believe, stems from the NATURE of electrical municipalities in the united states, though I have to admit I am not entirely certain of how it's run in the majority of European countries. In the US, power companies are privately owned but government sanctioned. In other words they are privately owned monopolies sanctioned by the government because the government considers power to be too important for normal market forces to control (Not going to argue whether this is right or wrong, though I am of the Austrian School of economic thinking).
So, absent government regulation, there are no forces acting upon these privately owned companies, whose sole purpose as a private entity is to make profit. It costs less for the company to maintain the power lines rather than lay completely new underground ones, at least in the short term. And since they're often publicly traded, and public trading means short term investment, the incentive is only to invest in short term projects, not long term money saving projects.
If there were competition like in most industries then there might be incentive to make the long term improvements to get a competitive edge, but sadly that is not the case. And despite everyone crying socialist these days, the US government still tries not to step on the toes of private business. And, forcing the companies to comply to new standards over an entire state, let alone the entire nation, would cost a LOT of resources, and would probably raise taxes. Considering the economic climate, raised taxes would not sit so well with publicly elected officials and their constituents.
As for the lighting in suburbia...I think that just comes down to a cultural difference in the end. Most people like their neighborhoods dark at night. And, in the suburbs most things are not within walking distance, so people tend to not walk very much at night. Someone earlier said that we do this partially to protect the environment and someone else retorted that lighting doesn't affect the ecology because the foxes didn't seem to be bothered. Both are wrong. We don't add extra lighting in the suburbs because we don't want it, it doesn't make sense when people tend not to walk much. And just because a couple of foxes don't mind the lighting doesn't mean it changes the local ecology at night.
Finally. A FAR better time to have mentioned this, and an example that would be more apt at pointing out a problem with infrastructure, is the all day power outage in New York a few years ago. Essentially a problem with the old power grid created ultra-centralized power in the east coast, with most of the power passing through a few key points. And when one of those points failed, there was a day long blackout. THAT was a result of poor infrastructure, and THAT problem was addressed immediately when it became apparent. So the overall power grid IS getting an overhaul. The local infrastructure is different from Europe's for the reason's I pointed out, and while not perfect, it is perfectly functional.
Hope someone read that and found it informational. I'm not saying that his suggestions aren't warranted, only the legitimate reasons for why those suggestions aren't haven't and aren't likely to happen.
Complain about this comment
Post 399,Brad.
Thanks for taking the time in explaining how it works over there,its refreshing when someone explains complex situations with out the point scoring that has gone on here.
Regards.
Complain about this comment
It would be so nice, if more Americans were like you, then there would be hope for this beautiful country, but alas most are, like you said, untravelled, so compared to a lot of Western countries, America is 30 years behind times and it is going to take at least an unknown number of years for some States to even start catching up, eg: South Carolina, if you want to experience Dickensenian well live down here. Attitudes to boot, progress and innovation are two words that are non-existent. All this: because of history! Oh well, then keep on choppin them trees with an axe.
Complain about this comment
15. At 11:48am on 08 Feb 2010, David Murrell wrote: "...As for a reluctance to use debit cards, well that seems just silly to me, but hey I’m just a European!"
I don't understand the "reluctance to use debit cards" remark. It may be regional, but I have seen people in North Carolina and around Boston, MA using them at the bank and in supermarkets. In fact you can get cash back at the supermarket and at shops, thus avoiding the need to go to the bank [though the amount may be limited to $10, $20 or $40].
I readily admit that I have never heard of the other things that you mentioned. I do know that in Korea [South, of course] and Japan cell phones [mobiles to you] have chips that function as ATM cards or credit cards. I happen to be somewhat conservative about using credit and ATM cards.
The easier to access your account the easier to spend and thus to over spend. I live within my means and avoid buying unnecessary things, I use a reusable shopping bag rather than plastic bags, and I use as little gas [petrol] as possible while using public transportation as much as possible.
It is also possible for criminals to capture your information with a black box device if you are indiscriminate. So if we are somewhat conservative about such things I am not sure it is a bad thing. And as the debt crisis has shown, we Americans save too little, spend to much and are not living within our means as we should.
Complain about this comment
47. At 1:48pm on 08 Feb 2010, David Murrell wrote:
“German is also spoken in Austria.”
On my first trip to Wein [Vienna] I had the remarkable experience, when apologizing for my poor German [Das tut mir Leid, aber mein Deutsch ist ziemlich schlecht] of being rewarded with a snotty, “Well it’s obvious that my English is better than your German, but we don’t speak German here we speak Oesterreichisch!”
Such things happen, and have happened to me on a number of occasions during my dozen or so visits to Europe. Unlike some posters [MAII for example] this did not turn me into a rabid anti-European, but I do feel some of his frustration and understand where the feeling comes from.
I also appreciate the source of anti-Americanism, having had some regrettable experiences with obnoxious “ugly American” tourists abroad.
I share the dislike of many foreigners for the bullying of US governments such as the Bush administration, but I do love my country, warts and all, and I do sometimes react negatively to over-the-top criticism and outrageous historical revisionism.
Complain about this comment
RE: 61. At 2:36pm on 08 Feb 2010, madigaf
Bravo! BBC we need an ENDORSE button as well as a complain button, please.
I don’t object to intelligent criticism of obvious failings in my country, as long as the content and tone are reasonable, as they are here.
Complain about this comment
115. At 5:12pm on 08 Feb 2010, AnonymousBE wrote:
@ student-expat
“While I would agree that for the poor, the EU is in general a better place because of the stronger social safety net and universal health care, I don't know where you are in the USA that the supermarkets are so terrible...maybe some small town or rural area?”
Not to quibble, but the US is just too large to make such generalizations, on either side. The largest and best stocked supermarket I have ever seen is just outside Syracuse, NY. It is much larger than any of the supermarkets I’ve seen here in the much more populous Boston area. Wegman’s was open 24/7 and was so large you really needed Sherpa guides [or boy scouts], and forget about a quick trip to pick up a few necessities.
As to the problem of severe weather, while living in North Carolina I was awakened by a 5:00 AM call from the university telling me classes would be cancelled for the day. I’m from New England and I saw less than 6 inches [15 cm], we would not even notice that here, much less cancel work or classes. As in business, it’s location, location, location.
Complain about this comment
Mark,
I remember reading this story almost a year ago, and having a mixture of anger and shame. Now, I think you were very interested in getting a rise out of people. Well, now I shall return the favor:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/24/opinion/24iht-edcohen24.html
I am not sure if the BBC website will let me post this link to the NY Times, but I couldn't find any other way of relaying it to you. I meant this for you to read, but I imagine the Americans you offended last year, might enjoy reading this now.
Complain about this comment
As a regular reader of the BBC news pages i link to, when viewing our own ABC news: aha, NO not the US version: the Australian news;i am frequently sidelined to Marcs blog/s.
It is with amusement to constantly take in all this anti Europe..America
wrangling.
With the USA crumbling etc; and OLD Europe with inherent faults,its with great pride that i am so fortunate to live in this beautiful paradise with its bountious good fortune ..rich in everything..a population living in the greatest of environments..away from all your troubles and financial anxieties. Oh dear, what more can i say? OH YES!
As a queenslander when is this goddam rain gonna stop and the water get
out of our sodden homes. Help..we are drowning.
Complain about this comment
View these comments in RSS