Re: Cupholders & Americans

[rochow@pixelmagic.com]

>Ve Germans are not noted for our humor, no offense taken and none was intended.

There are some Beck's radio (and TV?) commercials now which first show 1 or more
Germans oddly and incompetently trying themselves at romance or humor (haven't
heard but the end of that first part), followed by voice-over "[We (?)] Germans
aren't
good at romance/comedy. [...] Beer is what Germans are best at."

> > > ach.......those stupeed ameericuns vit der amburgairs und der tailfins und
der
> > > soap.....
> >
> > Soap? We have soap, hamburgers and even Coke

Well, but both of the latter are often reviled as unwanted US imports :)
And soap? Well, relatively speaking, no: there's a stereotype about smelly
Europeans
here, which comes from comparatively lower bathing frequency (and the fact that
most German 'deodorants' don't work, other than as a cover-up perfume - I export
"Degree" to
family in Germany now.).
(And it's perfectly for those 'on the wrong side of the parody' to not see that
- I didn't either :) -
don't take it personal.)

> > > who do dey tink dey are??????
> >
> > World cop. Oops, wrong list...

No, I think that question was meant the other way round, and is far funnier than
the author
thought - the amount of unqualified anti-Americanism and unfounded stereotypes
floating around in Germany is really quite unbelievable...
As for the answer, let's not get started on that, shall we? I've got a whole lot
to say in 
response to that silly statement, and I'd rather not. 

> > Don't need to get personal, I drove in the US a lot and feel a lot safer
driving at 100mph
> > here than 65mph there. That was my point ;-)

Well, a few years ago I would have said the same, but despite driving in
congested Boston
a lot now, I have to disagree. In the last 15 years or so, while speeds have
gone down rather
than up, despite a larger % of cars able to exceed 120mph now, drivers in
Germany are
increasingly rude, risk-taking, and eager to endanger others. If the US were to
adopt 
'fast but safe European traffic styles', they better hurry, before it's all in
the history books.
(I used to love fast Autobahn driving with my parents' fast cars whenever there;
I just
take the Renault now and careen around the countryside. The change _really_
sucks.)

Back to the cupholders: I used to think that the soft ride of US cars is what
makes cupholders
possible here, but after also driving a Daihatsu and an Audi, it strikes me that
it really is the
road setup with softer curves etc. that makes it work. In Germany, a closeable
bottle and
Pommes Frites held down by a lot of mayo is the only thing the roads will allow.