Questions for our American friends

[scoundrel]

Time for a general comment from your friendly neighbourhood moderator.

Do you like this thread?

If so, please do not be rude to each other here.

The American Major League Baseball championship playoffs between two rival leagues have been called The World Series since Adam was a lad (well since the late 1880s anyway). The name arose because except for a few in Canada, there were no baseball clubs outside the USA who were worthy to stand on the same diamond as a typical pro-baseball club from the USA. This is still true today as far as I know. It is a fact, not a boast, that the best team in the USA and Canada is going to be the best baseball team in the world, hence ''The World Series.''

Useful article in wikipedia on the history of the World Series:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Series

Personally I like this thread. If I didn't, I would have deleted it now. I ask British/European/Australian/Other members not to think this thread is there so they can be rude to our American members. In return I ask our American members not to talk down to non-Americans who are asking what might seem like a silly question.

Who knows, our little cultural exchange here might even be a force for peace, understanding, repproachment and good in the world. Now wouldn't that be cool?

[Minimoo]

Originally Posted by st4bilo

Oh, I've a question I always wanted to ask an U.S. American:

Recently Iwatched a video on YT, Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama (Live)
and they had a rebel flag (see below) on stage.

Some guys in the comments were discussing and complaining about the flag.

So what is the meaning (nowadays) of this old flag, what does it stand for
in everyday life, e.g. when someone has a sticker with it on his car ?

Though I'm not from the States, I have spent some time there, and in the southern states, so I know the confederate flag also quite well.
From Wikipedia:

Opponents of the Confederate flag see it as an overt symbol of racism (especially directed toward African Americans), both for the history of racial slavery in the United States, and the establishment of Jim Crow laws by Southern states following the end of Reconstruction in late 1870s, enforcing racial segregation within state borders for nearly a century until the Civil Rights Movement. Some hate groups use the Southern Cross as one of the symbols associated with their organizations, including racist groups such as the Neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan.[17] The flag is also sometimes used by separatist organizations such as the Aryan Nations. The Aryan Nation also uses the U.S. flag as well as the Christian flag displayed in some Protestant churches.
Supporters of the flag view it as a symbol of heritage and the freedom of the distinct cultural tradition of the South from the oppression of Northern government. Also, in light of some schools and universities banning it as a racist symbol in their "speech codes", it could also be seen as a symbol of freedom of speech.[18]
White southerners often claim that they see the flag as merely a symbol of southern culture without any political or racial connotation. An example of this would be the Bocephus Rebel Flag often sold at concerts performed by country music star Hank Williams, Jr or Kevin Fowler, heavy metal band Pantera, and southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd.

I hope this helps...

[st4bilo]

Thanks koo,
well, I know the article, that's where the picture in my post is from ;-)

The problem with Wiki is, it's not a reliable source.
I'd prefer a first-hand knowledge, if you know what i mean.

[scoundrel]

Originally Posted by st4bilo

Thanks koo,
well, I know the article, that's where the picture in my post is from ;-)

The problem with Wiki is, it's not a reliable source.
I'd prefer a first-hand knowledge, if you know what i mean.

wikipedia is useful as a general knowledge tool, but it can be tampered with. If you really need to be certain of your facts, say for research, it is only useful as a preliminary source: all facts must be traced to source and verified. Its also impersonal, and this is where a first hand answer from an American member, however biased, is worth a lot more.

[aphex1973]

This is an outstanding thread. I think all of the serious questions which have been asked are reasonable and eye opening, actually. The growth of the US and its society has been an organic and somewhat chaotic process. The expansion from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the inclusion/subjugation of multiple ethnic groups and other factors have led to the development of an often confusing and somewhat bewildering culture which seems to change haphazardly based on geographical location. Although we do have a strong centralized national government, each state has its own independently elected and partially autonomous government as well. Within each state, there are also counties, cities and townships which have independent elected governments. This naturally leads to a state of mild schizophrenia amongst most Americans, myself included. It is absolutely of no surprise to me at all that everyday things I take for granted are perplexing and maddening to those who visit here.

For instance, with a few exceptions, there is no national regulation of public transport. (buses, subway/light rail, commuter trains, etc.) These systems are developed and operated largely by the states, counties and cities. This means that the way the systems are operated may vary between locations. Taxi services are owned and operated by the private sector with little overview or regulation by the government.

Originally Posted by st4bilo

Oh, I've a question I always wanted to ask an U.S. American:

Recently Iwatched a video on YT, Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama (Live)
and they had a rebel flag (see below) on stage.

Some guys in the comments were discussing and complaining about the flag.

So what is the meaning (nowadays) of this old flag, what does it stand for
in everyday life, e.g. when someone has a sticker with it on his car ?

This is the Stars and Bars also known as the Rebel Flag and was the banner used by the Confederate States (Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, Louisiana, etc.) which seceded from the US during the Civil War in 1860's. The flag is an iconic and somewhat contentious symbol of the southern states and their continued feeling of separation and independence from the rest of the country. It is often displayed by people as a sign of their independence from society and as an announcement of their 'rebel spirit'. It is also used by many separatist, militia and hate groups. Most notably, it is displayed prominently during Ku Klux Klan rallies.

This reply is more long winded than I had planned. My apologies.

[aphex1973]

Perhaps there should be an 'Ask an American a question' thread. On second thought...

[brianwp]

Originally Posted by scoundrel

In return I ask our American members not to talk down to non-Americans who are asking what might seem like a silly question.

I didn't do it!At least I don't remember doing it.

[MaxJoker]

Another question , you know how our special relations say things different ,such as we say Tomato and they say Beer ,well that`s the same for most words right ?.

See i was having special relations of my own with a girl who must have been one of those cousins (Well she was chewing gum ) , only she kept saying "No, No, No, Stop , No, And certainly NO not in there ! "

She really meant "Yes, Yes, Yes, Quick, Yes, Oh and are you in yet ?"

Right ?

I only ask as my court case is coming up on the 25th and i need to prepare my defense

[Bovon]

Originally Posted by GreenSkull

Also i saw another movie where this chick asked for some soda , but wasn`t given any bread simply a carbonated beverage ???

There was a Michael Douglas film where he got made redundant, didn't tell anyone, and cracked-up under the strain and ran amok with gun etc. He got a can of Coke out of a fridge in a shop, and he too called it a can of soda. I thought it could have been something to do with not wanting to promote Coke, but in light of GS's question perhaps there's more?

[Aubrey]

I think soda is just a generic name for fizzy soft drinks, where the English would say "Pop." There is a Seinfeld episode about George wanting to call his (non-existant) child Soda, because he likes the sound of it, and he likes drinking it as well.

I also thought the World Series was called that because it was originally sponsored by a newspaper called The World.