Newsgroups, Chat rooms, imported TV, tourists in the Isle of Man, half the customers at my place of work.
(recent example - some Americans were in a busy pub/restraunt, they ‘broadcast’ their whole conversation around the pub, their volume was roughly 4 times higher than the rest of the diners)
All those examples are where the ‘uglies’ hang out (the bad examples of Americans)
(TV has had the biggest influence on my generalizations over the years)
I should have realized/remembered the good examples, and thought before I posted. They are…
The majority of the Dopers, The other half of the customers at my place of work, the Americans in chatrooms/newsgroups/TV/etc who don’t stand out (because they are less noticeable, being not obnoxious).
I am kicking myself for being so stupid as to post the way I did without thinking. I have given everyone a bad impression of me which I don’t think I can repair. Despite that, I feel I should apologise anyway.
I don’t know about that, but that doesn’t much matter.
There’s a behavior pattern, a game of sorts, that a surprising number of people like to play. I thank the author David Gerrold (if my memory’s working right) for writing a character once upon a time who taught me the name of it: schlemiel.
The game of schlemiel is a sort of solitaire, but it needs other players. Not much of a solitaire then, you might say, and you’d have a point. The thing is, the other players aren’t so much actually players as they are props or gamepieces, sort of like cards. Only the one person playing is actually keeping score.
The scoring rules seem to be rather complex and nearly occult, with a lot of individual variation. But the core of them is this: schlemiel is played by fucking up in various manners, and then apologizing. If the apology is accepted, the player gains ponits–if merely acknowledged, points still get gained, but a lesser amount. Schlemiel-players can be differentiated from ordinary fucking-up by their pattern; once the apology-round is scored, they’ll very shortly begin the fuckup round again.
Mostly, fans of the game will repeat it over and over until they die.
It’s an interesting game, even though it’s baffling to non-fans, much like Brockian UltraCricket. Like many, I don’t much see the point in it, but I do see the value of having a hobby.
Bugger it, is nobody prepared to at least give lobley the benefit of the doubt based on this OP?
Okay, you’ve shot yourself in the foot repeatedly, but I’m willing to believe it’s down to a poor choice of words and acting before thinking. I’ve sure as hell done it before. A bit more care in future and reasonable posters will forgive and forget.
So you admit to be being a bigot? Astonishing. :rolleyes:
You’ve no proof those are actually Americans.
So life in the United Kingdom is just like it is the following shows: *Are you Being Served?; Oh, Father; Red Dwarf; Doctor Who; etc.?
And that’s representative of approximatley three freaking hundred million people exactly how?
And are the other half all non-Americans? Or are you just conveniently ignoring the non-jerk Americans for your own bigoted reasons?
Some does not equal All. As an example, you’re a bigot. I do not draw the erroneous conclusion from that fact that all citizens of the United Kingdom are bigots. For one thing, I know they’re not.
Perhaps you could’ve gone up to them and mentioned politely the volume of their conversation was a bit high? But, then, that would mean you wouldn’t have a ready-made rant available. Or you might’ve discoverd (pure speculation alert here) that one member of their party needed the others to speak at that volume so said member could hear them.
And we have you here. What’s that supposed to show us about the United Kingdom?
No surprise that. Try to get out some.
You should’ve thought. Period.
I venture to say that the only reason you notice the obnoxious ones so much is that you are actively searching for them.
I still don’t see any apology here. Just excuses.
Here’s an Americanism for you: Yeah, right! That’s called sarcasm.
lobely–you’d be much better off just letting this drop and moving on. People have short memories around here and, frankly, you care about this way more than anyone else does. Five pit threads and counting…you’re starting to look like an attention whore.
Let it go.
I will at least give lobley some credit here for being reflective regarding his recent behavior and recognizing the source of his misunderstandings, and especially some credit for his apology.
Hopefully this will end all the incoming fire you’ve been taking, lobley.
So Drastic, if I understand what you are saying here you feel that the apology in the OP is insincere or some sort of a masturbatory pastime? The alternative is what, when someone notices that their remarks have offended others that they just ignore it (at which point we all naturally pile on to demand where the OP is to back up their claims some more or apologize?) Let me give a hearty fuck that to that little loop.
For that matter, in the “American Patriotism is Out of Control” (which seems to be at least a major player here is what is pissing people off), I can not help but notice that it had gone inactive (at least as far as I am reading the time-stamps) for the better part of a month until resurrected by PhiloVance.
So the walk away method fails, you won’t accept apologies. Interesting, perhaps we should demand that the OP cut his pinkie off and send it to us. :rolleyes:
No, I think I’d be better off leaving the SDMB. there are too many bastards here. There are lots of nice people, probably most of it is nice people, but I don’t think I can be bothered to put up with hurtful dickheads like Monty any more.
It’s not worth it. This place is not for the ending of ignorance, it’s for evil shitfaces to get their cheap thrills.
I am hurt right now. but I am sure if I manage to resist the urge to stay in the SDMB I will be ok in no time.
I didn’t like Canadians for a while either because I roomed with one in college who was a complete asshole fuckup. I have since met several reall great people who are from Canada, and have convinced me again that Canadians are just folks from a place. :smack:
You need to realize that Americans are just people who come from a place too. We’re not all loud, obnoxious, annoying bigots with funny accents. Some of us are. Over-generalization is a bad thing. Learn from it.
Boo freakin’ hoo. Dude, this is a message board, not your life! It’s a fun place to discuss issues, but it’s no place to get so involved that you can describe yourself as “hurt.” Save the drama for your real life.
No longer engaging in the fuckup->self-pity->fuckup->selfpity->… cycle. I’m comfortable with people breaking out of it at any stage in the two-stroke cycle. The apology phase is a great place to do so, but not any moreso than the fuckup stage.
I don’t want anyone’s pinkie. My apartment is cluttered enough.
Well, lobley, you’ve learned something, in that you’ve learned that it’s best to think before you post, and it’s best not to make wild generalisations that can easily be disproved.
The fight against ignorance begins at home. You were ignorant, you realised it, you apologised. Time to get on with either reading the SDMB and posting, or leaving it behind.
Don’t have a chip on your shoulder based on what some people say. But please do realise that some people are getting snarky with you because they are hurt by what you said, not because they are bad or evil.
Monty’s alright, you know. He just takes things seriously, and that sometimes means taking things too seriously.
If you think before you post in future, fuck-ups like this shouldn’t happen again. You’ll be OK. No need to take it to heart so much.
