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Post by htmb on Sept 30, 2012 19:50:29 GMT
Is it hard for you to believe that many Americans are literate and well read?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2012 20:20:47 GMT
Oh, I see we're getting into the "Kerouac is anti American" territory, which happens all the time. Frankly, I think I am just being realistic. I implore you to take your own poll about that novel.
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Post by htmb on Sept 30, 2012 20:34:48 GMT
I'm a pretty direct person. That is not what I thought or I would have said so. It just dismays me to think that there may be a worldwide perception, or perhaps just your perception, that most Americans are not very literate.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2012 20:36:24 GMT
The main thing I know is that the majority of Americans (and the majority of French) read something like 2 books a year, and they are probably not "Flowers for Algernon." As to whether the majority of viewers of Jon Stewart are big readers or not, I have no idea. The only regular viewers that I know are my brother and sister in law, who use this program as their main source of news. My brother is a major reader of swords & sorcery books while I am not aware that my sister in law reads any books at all. That is why I found the reference on the show a bit surprising, since even the movie made from the book changed the title completely.
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Post by htmb on Sept 30, 2012 20:54:32 GMT
I work with a broad range of students in my job. The lowest students most likely never read anything unless absolutely forced into it, and even then their reading skills are very poor. My highest level students probably read Flowers for Algernon in seventh or eighth grade as it is on the summer reading lists for many middle schools. The high achieving students I work with are completing studies on a global level. For the most part they are highly intelligent, well read, and very well-rounded. They successfully complete college-level classes while still in high school, and many enter college at the the sophomore or junior level.
I know that we sometimes look like a nation of buffoons because of the representation of some of our political candidates, but please keep in mind that we are a very diverse group of people. Having grown up in the United States, I would think that you really do understand.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 1, 2012 5:06:14 GMT
I didn't know that it was on school reading lists now -- it certainly was not when I was growing up.
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Post by mossie on Oct 1, 2012 5:41:15 GMT
Ladies and gentlemen. PLEASE. This is a thread about an election. We all know that all countries have a certain proportion of idiots. It is just a pity that some of them are also politicians. ;D
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Post by Deleted on Oct 1, 2012 12:27:07 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 1, 2012 12:40:31 GMT
Time to stop sitting on the fence! Get the facts here!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2012 16:37:32 GMT
Let's take the time machine 4 years into the past.
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LouisXIV
member
Offline
L'estat c'est moi.
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Post by LouisXIV on Oct 5, 2012 11:21:35 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2012 17:09:13 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2012 14:13:51 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2012 19:27:41 GMT
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Post by fumobici on Oct 23, 2012 20:17:01 GMT
The US would obviously be better governed if only citizens of countries other than the US were allowed to vote in its elections. I like seeing Pakistan as the lone country polled preferring Rmoney to Obama as it confirms my suspicion that there isn't a whole lot of ideological difference between the Taliban and the fundi GOP base.
I suspect the same 'only allowing non-citizens to vote' would work in most other countries as well.
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Post by htmb on Oct 23, 2012 22:03:54 GMT
I tried to be observant of presidential election signs and bumper stickers during my trip to Virginia and Washington, DC this last week. In my very unofficial poll there seemed to be as many Romney signs out there as Obama.
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Post by Kimby on Oct 25, 2012 3:07:52 GMT
In my very unofficial poll there seemed to be as many Romney signs out there as Obama. Well, Republicans do tend to have more babies - future voters - than Democrats, and Mormons have more babies than just about anyone, except Catholics maybe. Someday the math will make it impossible for liberals to win an election in the US.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2012 16:56:57 GMT
Dirty Harry wants us to Make His Day.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2012 21:55:00 GMT
So, I see that Romney is likely to win the popular vote and lose the electoral vote.
After Al Gore winning the popular vote and losing the electoral vote, is it perhaps time to move on to direct universal sufferage to make things fair?
Yes, I agree that this does not always produce the result that one might prefer.
(In France, it is the Senate, strangely enough, that is elected by an electoral college.)
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Post by htmb on Oct 27, 2012 1:47:58 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2012 14:39:59 GMT
Donald Trump's trick or treat!
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Post by Kimby on Oct 27, 2012 16:39:40 GMT
I'm trying to repost this to my facebook page, but not having much luck.
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Post by Kimby on Oct 27, 2012 16:43:56 GMT
Many of my Facebook "friends" are classmates I haven't seen since high school who are staunch Republicans. I've stayed away from Facebook for the past couple of months for my own peace of mind. I should follow htmb's lead. My FB friends number is dropping as the election nears...
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2012 16:49:19 GMT
Sorry, Kimby, I have no idea how to post such things to Facebook, but our resident expert might fly to our assistance.
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Post by htmb on Oct 27, 2012 17:41:18 GMT
Try posting it as a link, kimby, or select "share with Facebook" from the YouTube page. You will need to go to the original YouTube page. Here's the link:
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Post by fumobici on Oct 27, 2012 19:43:26 GMT
Many of my Facebook "friends" are classmates I haven't seen since high school who are staunch Republicans. I've stayed away from Facebook for the past couple of months for my own peace of mind. I should follow htmb's lead. My FB friends number is dropping as the election nears... You should try being someone who proudly supports neither legacy party and speaks in favor of third parties on FB. The Ds & Rs have actually put up with my contrarianism pretty well-- so far. I figured at least some would throw me in the nettles.
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Post by htmb on Oct 27, 2012 19:49:01 GMT
You should try being someone who proudly supports neither legacy party and speaks in favor of third parties on FB. The Ds & Rs have actually put up with my contrarianism pretty well-- so far. I figured at least some would throw me in the nettles. |
I admire you for that, fumobici. I honestly don't care to have the political conversations with most of my FB friends. I did see a video for your candidate who is the sister of one of the former cast members of West Wing. I'm a West Wing fan and really liked the clip.
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Post by htmb on Oct 27, 2012 19:59:01 GMT
I was confused about it being relevant to your candidate.....but here's the clip anyway:
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2012 6:54:35 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2012 12:33:05 GMT
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