Americans.

rubyred

My brother-in-law is alaskan so I am not allowed to america - bash!! but my school had an exchange program type thing with two schools in america. We used to be gobsmacked by the students that came over. I remember one girl (she was in her last year - 18 years old) boasting that she was studying calculus in Maths. Our school had that in the Junior Cert classes at 14/15.

For me the stupidity isn't the annoying thing (there are plenty of dump people over here too) but the accent is a killer. If I had to listen to it 24/7 I'd jump off a very high bridge with a nice solid road below it.

Manic Moran

farohar wrote:

People having assualt rifles though...

A common and unfortunate misconception. Assault rifles fall under the 1934 National Firearms Act and as such are highly restricted.

NTM

wyk

America is very isolated. It is capable of producing nearly everything that it needs from energy to oil to food. It's closest neighbors are Mexico and Canada, both of which are not very powerful and influential militarily or economically, nor politically. Many Americans never move more than 100 miles from the town they were born in. The news in America is full of crazy stuff that goes on there both at the state, local, and national level. When America does dabble in foreign affairs, even if it stings them, it rarely trickles down and adversely affects the daily life of your average San Franciscan. There literally are so many troubles and issues in the US alone, that Americans concern themselves mainly with those issues.

You also have to understand the difference between American foreign affairs and national. All foreign affairs are not handled by the state as they are in Ireland. They are handled on a federal level. The federal government has little to nothing to do with state government(the main arm of government your average American deals with daily outside of taxes). Government action at the federal and foreign affair level has little to nothing to do with your average American. At the moment, the average American support for the war in Iraq is something like 22%. A die hard right wing constituency that supports Bush. Yet, most of the world sees it as 'American Foreign affairs'. Yes, it is, but no it isn't what the people want.

How can anyone hope to believe that one main arm of government can rally what nearly amounts to 50 separate nations with separate economies and laws, under one flag as one whole? Well - It doesn't happen. And thus, few Americans care for foreign affairs, the federal government, or feel it's effects directly. And in fact, most Americans are so used to foreign affairs having little to no effect on their daily lives,a nd the Federal government getting away with murser(sometimes literally), that they've ignored it nearly for reasons of sanity. Those like me, whom can't ignore it, are nearly driven mad by it. So much so, I've actually acquired a job in Ireland. I MUST be mad.

However, the points are well taken. Just because world affairs don't come to play often, doesn't mean one must ignore the fact there are other countries and people whom are affected by our policies(regardless of whether they are mainly driven by the rich and politically influential by and large). So there's really very little excuse for an American not to know at least where other English speaking countries are, let alone where Canada and Mexico are.

However, one can always blame our educational system, which is in shambles unless one lives in a conservative or wealthy district:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=pfRUMmTs0ZA

Add in the points I have mentioned earlier, plus what ya see in the link above, and it's a wonder America hasn't collapsed. The most painful part is watching a Belgian student insult Americans IN ENGLISH! Ugh!

Wez

djpbarry wrote:

But surely it ought to be, given their interference in the affairs of other nations?

The US media is incredibly insular, but I don't think you can use this as an excuse for people's ignorance. If I relied on the media for my perception of the world, I'd think:

• Bertie was the greatest man alive
• That the single most important thing in the world is who wins Big Brother.
• That the only football worth watching is the English Premiership (and that England are the greatest team on the planet and have been since time began);)

Reku

Manic Moran wrote:

A common and unfortunate misconception. Assault rifles fall under the 1934 National Firearms Act and as such are highly restricted.

NTM

The ban on them expired in 2004
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-09-12-weapons-ban_x.htm

I know people who have shot AK-47s and other such while on holidays in the US so they don't seem to be that restricted.

Manic Moran

farohar wrote:

The ban on them expired in 2004
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-09-12-weapons-ban_x.htm

I know people who have shot AK-47s and other such while on holidays in the US so they don't seem to be that restricted.

Sadly, both are victims of the massive hoax which has been perpetuated for years. That ban had nothing to do with assault rifles.

There is a very important mechanical difference between an assault rifle, and civilian rifles which look cosmetically like assault rifles and are called 'assault weapons' (a term dreamed up by politicians) in order to get around this difference. You will note that the AWB of 1994-2004 focused purely on cosmetic features having bugger-all to do with lethality like the grip and bayonet mounting and made no mechanical distinctions. We call them EBRs. (Evil Black Rifles). I can put big exhausts and wings on an Opel Vectra, and call it a 'High performance race car', but that doesn't make it one.

If I may demonstrate: This is one of my rifles.
http://www.clubi.ie/exalted/images/army/Ireland/FAL1.JPG

Irish boardsies may recognise it as the FAL rifle as used by the Irish Army prior to the Steyr. And an excellent battle rifle it was, but I don't own one as under the US law of 1934, it would qualify as a 'machinegun' as defined by being capable of firing more than one round for every pull of the trigger. The photo above is of a legal, civilian version which has lost the select-fire cabability which is a defining feature of an assault rifle. As such, it is actually less dangerous than many conventional hunting rifles such as this Remington semi-auto 30-06
http://i.walmart.com/i/p/00/04/77/00/27/0004770027061_500X500.jpg, but it just looks like it's more dangerous. Indeed, rifles like the AR-15 (M-16 lookalike) are illegal to hunt deer with as they're too small and won't kill the animal.

One the basis of 'picture being worth a thousand words', this San Jose cop goes through the differences both mechanical and cosmetic between a 'traditional' rifle, an 'assault weapon' and and 'assault rifle' and clearly shows just how stupid the distinctions are.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjM9fcEzSJ0

NTM

Terry

Nice wallpaper.

Manic Moran

Photo's taken sideways. The butt is on the rug, and it's leaning against a wooden cabinet.

NTM

Terry

Nice carpet.

Manic Moran

Thank you.

I'd like to take credit for it, but interior decoration is the realm of my dearly beloved, Household 6. I don't think she trusts my interior design abilities.

NTM

wyk

Manic Moran wrote:

Sadly, both are victims of the massive hoax which has been perpetuated for years. That ban had nothing to do with assault rifles.

There is a very important mechanical difference between an assault rifle, and civilian rifles which look cosmetically like assault rifles and are called 'assault weapons' (a term dreamed up by politicians) in order to get around this difference.

Perhaps, but the term has existed for quite a while, since WWII, when Germany created the Sturmgewehr, which means 'assault rifle' in German. But most weapons aficionados would describe an assault rifle as a medium rifle caliber long arm that can fire fully automatic(miltiple shots rapidly per one squeeze of the trigger).

Even so, semi automatic assault-type rifles are highly effective in the hands of even just a single person, especially the little toy Moran has there: A La the Stockton Schoolyard Massacre of 1989 in California:

"On January 17, 1989, Patrick Purdy killed five small children and wounded 29 others and a teacher at the Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California, using a semiautomatic version of the AK-47 assault rifle imported from China. That weapon had been purchased from a gun dealer in Oregon and was equipped with a 75-round “drum” magazine. Purdy shot 106 rounds in less than 2 minutes.".

In California, where my man Moran is, they are a tad more difficult to obtain. Here in Texas, you can go to a gun show with a Texas ID(you can get them in 20-30 minutes from the local DPS officer with a birth cert or another state's ID), go up to a vendor, buy the gun, ammunition(for very reasonable prices), and walk out within minutes. Also in California, true assault rifles are banned except for law enforcement and special machine gun licensed dealers. However, in Texas, anyone can purchase a true, fully automatic assault rifle with an FBI background check, a local police background check, and a far less reasonable sum of money, including a Federal tax of $200, and a waiting period of 1-4 months, but there is no limit as to how many one can purchase and then diseminate amongst a larger crew.... Here are some of the ads for them:

http://www.sturmgewehr.com/webBBS/nfa4sale.cgi

As you can see, prices aren't cheap. When I purchased my first Mac 11, it cost me $400. I spent more than that in ammunition inside a month. It fires at a rate of 1200 round per minute. The two guns you see second from the left are the mac's: http://www.pbase.com/wyk/image/8235571/large I assume most Irish may recognize the Sten gun, as well.



Wez

Manic Moran

wyk wrote:

Perhaps, but the term has existed for quite a while, since WWII, when Germany created the Sturmgewehr, which means 'assault rifle' in German. But most weapons aficionados would describe an assault rifle as a medium rifle caliber long arm that can fire fully automatic(miltiple shots rapidly per one squeeze of the trigger).

I would be one of those afficianados. And it's no small distinction either. Going from a semi-auto like an M1 Garand (or today's civilian-legal rifles) to the select-fire Stg-44 was a battlefield revolution almost as great as bolt-action to semi-auto. You could combine the short-ranged firepower of an MP40 with the long-ranged capabilites of a Garand.

Even so, semi automatic assault-type rifles are highly effective in the hands of even just a single person, especially the little toy Moran has there: A La the Stockton Schoolyard Massacre of 1989 in California:

On the other hand, using just pistols, Mr Hamilton killed seventeen in Dunblane. Mr Cho used just pistols to kill 32 in Virginia. For the purposes that people go ballistic over (massacres, crime, etc), semi-auto rifles really aren't any worse, and indeed may be less so than handguns as they're bulkier and more unwieldy.

However, in Texas, anyone can purchase a true, fully automatic assault rifle with an FBI background check, a local police background check, and a far less reasonable sum of money, including a Federal tax of $200, and a waiting period of 1-4 months, but there is no limit as to how many one can purchase and then diseminate amongst a larger crew.... Here are some of the ads for them:

Just as long as people realise that the fun involved in going to a Class III permit process is such that very few people ever have the inclination to do so. Granted, however, that the sheer pricing of NFAs is such that this could also account for the limited numbers of permits issued. In either case, a very small portion of US firearms owners, we're talking a fraction of a percent here, will have such a permit.

As you can see, prices aren't cheap. When I purchased my first Mac 11, it cost me $400.

Before the '86 ban, I presume? You won't get an NFA for that these days. What did the second one cost?

I spent more than that in ammunition inside a month.

These days, unfortunately, that's not uncommon. Feeding my R1 above gets pricey at a little under $1 a round, and that's just at semi-auto. That said, if you can afford to throw $12K at an M-16, you can probably afford the ammo. Sadly, most people I know can't afford them.

The two guns you see second from the left are the mac's: http://www.pbase.com/wyk/image/8235571/large

OK. I'm jealous. That an M1936 .30 cal? You run a range?

NTM

Reku

Manic Moran wrote:

I would be one of those afficianados. And it's no small distinction either. Going from a semi-auto like an M1 Garand (or today's civilian-legal rifles) to the select-fire Stg-44 was a battlefield revolution almost as great as bolt-action to semi-auto. You could combine the short-ranged firepower of an MP40 with the long-ranged capabilites of a Garand.

Well certainly when they (co-workers) described firing the AK-47 they described full auto, keep the trigger pulled and it keeps firing, I'll need to check with them.

Plug

People i don't what do burst your bubbles but this thread was only suposed to be in the humour forum, now its nearly 10 pages of utter sh!t, talking about guns etc....

BKtje

You should be very proud Plug, you planted a seed in manure and watched it grow into a beautiful thing.

Plug

B-K-DzR wrote:

You should be very proud Plug, you planted a seed in manure and watched it grow into a beautiful thing.

Brought a tear to my eye:o

djpbarry

To Manic Moran and wyk.

Guys, by your own admission, you are both gun aficionados. I have tried to read your last couple of posts and to be honest, I got lost - I haven't a clue what you're talking about!

Now, my point is, for two civilians (I'm assuming you are both civilians?) in a "free" country to know so much about guns (that is, lethal weapons), there has to be something seriously wrong with said country :eek: . No one, and I mean no one, should be able to describe in such detail, a device that was designed purely to kill, or maim, another human being .

I've been to the States twice before and the whole gun issue didn't really bother me, although I must admit it was seriously weird seeing glass cases full of guns and ammo in the local WalMart! Now, I’m heading to the States again this December (to California and Texas as it happens) and you guys are worrying me!

But, don't forget that everything is BIG in Texas, brings a whole new meaning to WWW

wyk

A lot of it has to do with Americans being paranoid of the government, the Brits, ...and each other. So we added it to our constitution. Ignore the fact that the US government has been ignoring a lot of the Constitution for quite some time, and no one has risen up against it. Basically the gun amendment is more of a feel good sort of legislation. In practice, it has turned America into the murder capital of the first world.

Wez

djpbarry wrote:

To Manic Moran and wyk.

Guys, by your own admission, you are both gun aficionados. I have tried to read your last couple of posts and to be honest, I got lost - I haven't a clue what you're talking about!

Now, my point is, for two civilians (I'm assuming you are both civilians?) in a "free" country to know so much about guns (that is, lethal weapons), there has to be something seriously wrong with said country :eek: . No one, and I mean no one, should be able to describe in such detail, a device that was designed purely to kill, or maim, another human being .

I've been to the States twice before and the whole gun issue didn't really bother me, although I must admit it was seriously weird seeing glass cases full of guns and ammo in the local WalMart! Now, I’m heading to the States again this December (to California and Texas as it happens) and you guys are worrying me!

wyk

Deleted User wrote:

But, don't forget that everything is BIG in Texas, brings a whole new meaning to WWW

Oh yeah, here's a common garden spider. They average 4-5" in spread or more, and they build HUGE webs. The bottom pic is about 30 cubic foot of web amongst just 3-4 spiders:





Wez

Stercus Accidit

Plug wrote:

Yes becasue there fat, hurry for american bashing.



"yeah Im a 100% Irish, my great great grandad came from county murphy"

Ha ha ha ha ha, aka lol.

Edit: Had to compliment that, county Murphy.

Manic Moran

djpbarry wrote:

Now, my point is, for two civilians (I'm assuming you are both civilians?) in a "free" country to know so much about guns (that is, lethal weapons), there has to be something seriously wrong with said country :eek: . No one, and I mean no one, should be able to describe in such detail, a device that was designed purely to kill, or maim, another human being .

Would you rather we owned firearms and did not know anything about them?
However, it happens I'm an officer in the US Army, and I also did time in the FCA.

Still, there have been several articles in the media of late lamenting that such topics have gone out of favour in today's educational establishments, particularly university courses like military history. Firearms, and the use thereof, have shaped the world we live in, it's pretty unfortunate that more people don't understand them or their effect. If you hunt around on Youtube, there's a TV show by Clarkson on it which goes over the effect, both positive and negative, that the gun has had in creating today's world and the technology in it.

It is important to note, however, that just like the Irish firearms owners on the shooting forum, we've been waxing poetic about weapons details and maintaining ourself within the law as we do so. We've both proven ourselves to be fine, upstanding, stable and law-abiding citizens, myself with my military position, and WYK by passing the Class III investigations. The fact that we know exactly what is or is not legal in any situation, down to the effects of legislation (Such as during the 1994-2004 ban, the only difference between a legal AR-15 and an illegal AR-15 was generally that the former was missing a flash suppressor and bayonet lug, mechanically the things were absolutely identical) probably qualifies us to better discuss the merits of the current legal system than those who look at an EBR and go 'Oooh.. Scary. Civilians shouldn't have that!' (Which is exactly how the 1989 California ban came along: The legislators just looked at an encyclopaedia of firearms and when they saw one they didn't like the look of, they banned it: The law comes complete with a typo from the book, and a non-existant weapon that the legislators mistook from the book!). There's a popular youtube of an interview with noted anti-gun Representative McCarthy (D-NY) who introduced legislation for a draconian ban, and she very obviously has no idea about what it is she's trying to ban.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryCe4yoRVaA

Now, I’m heading to the States again this December (to California and Texas as it happens) and you guys are worrying me!

If you hit the San Francisco area, drop me a line. I'll take you shooting.

Well certainly when they (co-workers) described firing the AK-47 they described full auto, keep the trigger pulled and it keeps firing

Not impossible, there are some ranges which are known for full-auto firearm rental. Just it's a false impression that anyone, say me, could just go to the corner store and buy a full-auto AK. (a) I don't live in a free state. (b) I haven't gone through the rigamarole of the Class III permit. (c) I don't happen to have ten thousand dollars to blow on a rifle. Whilst I tip my hat to Wyk, he's in a very small minority of NFA owners.

NTM

Echelle

"Bowling for Columbine" should be seen by everyone...what a sick society America is.

angelsfire

I to have to agree that the US is not the best place in the world, alot of violence and guns (shudder), a million or so stupid people. Then another million that are the rich and snobbish.But then you have good folks as well. I mean until you have been everywhere in the States and met everybody you can't say we're all ignorant or stupid or snobbish! That's called generalizing!! Until I moved to Ireland, I admit I didn't know much about it at all, but I wasn't going around the boards and forums saying you are all idiots and your government sucks and yadda yadda, so why don't you all just give us a break from this petty crap and talk about stuff that matters!!

Manic Moran

talk about stuff that matters!!

Anything but NFL. If there's one thing about the US that totally defies comprehension, it's the appeal of that.

NTM

fantasma

When Irish people went to America in the 80s and early 90s Americans supplied us with Visas and gave us jobs......they are not as cynical and begruding a society as we are luckily. Sure they have they´re flaws but Ireland can´t help itself from groping American culture whenever it gets a chance. Check out Mc Donalds, Satrbucks or Footlocker on Grafton St anyday of the week. Don´t make me laugh:D

Toto Wolfcastle

Most American people I have met, mainly people working in shops/restaurants in New York, were lovely, and all knew where Ireland was.

When I was working in a restaurant an American had a problem with his order, gave out to me for something that was not my fault (he had changed his mind about something and failed to tell anyone) and then called me back to tell me that God forgives a sinner. (As we all know, it states in the Bible, 'Thou shalt not give a customer what he asked for.') This is the type of American that annoys me, but of course you'll get Irish people like that too.

I love going on gossip websites to find stories about Europe, UK, etc. If you read the comments you'll usually find a good few Americans saying things like, 'Who is this? Who cares? THIS IS AMERICA', when really it's the WORLD WIDE WEB. Ah, ignorance is bliss!

Overheal

as an american by birth and a traitor by choice, I feel I should weigh in here.....with mr Hanky 130 points lad, that started this senseless bash to begin with:

Ok im working in communist dunnes stores, its a load of bollox and I want out.
Im just after getting my leaving cert results back with yeah you heard it first at boards.ie, 130 points

Anyway I want to get an apprentiship in machanics and havent a clue how to write out a CV, OK I know to put down phone numbers, address's and pps numbers etc but in which order and what else will i put down?
Please people help me out here i don't want to work in the capital of poland anymore.
Cheers

Nice one man thats exactly what I needed! Cheers
And thanks do the rest of replies.

Another question, when i put it in an emvlope do i write like "CV for appretiship machanic" or something?

What will I write I'd probly make a balls of things, "here Mr. any chance of an apprentiship?".
someone want to write a letter for me explaining why i want an apprentiship?

plessems.

ahh yeah I'll have the spelling checked by the computer!

welcome to the joys of quoting. Nothing is sacred, and in some cases your future employers will even search for bebo accounts under your name to find information before hiring you. scary, but true: you're just lucky it was me having a Just Laugh at your own Irish bred stupidity.

stick that in an 'emvlope' and smoke it.

Willymuncher

This thread is filled with ten times more ignorance than I've experienced in my time here.

The Irish don't seem to be any better...

WhiteWashMan

god, im sick of people mixing up ignorance or lack of education, with stupidity.

the sad thing is, that most of the posters on this thread have made this mistake. which would, make them stupid.

pretty ironic, but not entirely surprising.