Things that the US does better (in general): Startup innovative new enterprises. Cost cutting. Road building (except, perhaps, for Swiss tunnels). Building (and using) weapon systems. Generating paranoia. Policies not Politics ---- Daily Landscape
24-hour subway and bus service (in the more livable areas of the U.S., that is) 24-hour bodegas and Korean grocers on every corner (again in the more civilized areas) US mailpeople and UPS delivery guys--why are they all so pleasant? Dues-free political parties Restaurants being open seven days a week Barnes & Noble same-day deliveries
but nothing beats fresh hawaiian avo or papaya!
or green fizzy young coconut milk....yummy spoonmeat
you put the lime in the coconut, shake it all about.
you have the singing frog invasion on kauai like they do on the b.i. keone?
i call there on the phone and the background noise is surreal! The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it. Chinese Proverb.
And some grocery chains, like this extraordinary company in central Virginia, do make an effort to get high-quality, fresh, tasty produce. Ukrop's used to have little tutorials for customers on how to properly care for their newly picked peaches, which were the best I've ever had.
And you can grow your own tomatoes practically anywhere! Who needs those tasteless hunks o' Styrofoam that masquerade as tomatoes in most grocery stores?
At any rate, I think produce really ought to be seasonal, which is how it is here where I live; we get the best tiny cucumbers in the summer....
Though the subway pauses between 23:10 and 4:30, Budapest has a rather extensive night bus service. Bratislava, Vienna and Berlin are similar, Frankfurt's is more limited (only on weekends IIRC).
24-hour bodegas and Korean grocers
This depends on where you are in Europe. Hungary is full of 24-hour grocers, Germany forbids them by law.
Dues-free political parties
Maintained by corporate donations instead. Where is the advantage in that?
Restaurants being open seven days a week
I suspect this again is country-specific. *Traitor*, n. A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.
It appears this is at least a half-truth. For example, Missouri Democrats require a one-time membership fee of between $15 and $1,000, DuPage County Democrats require an annual $35 to $500 fee, Travis County Democrats want $120 to $1000 per year and so on. What worries me most about these is that higher contributions aren't required based on higher income, but are the basis of hierarchy, even explicitely saying that paying $500 entitles one to leadership position or trusteeship. *Traitor*, n. A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.
I still haven't seen an explanation of the difference between being
You don't have to be a party member to be a campaign worker, for instance. Those whom the Gods wish to destroy They first make mad. -- Euripides
Now copied in Italy.
* a registered voter a volunteer/activist a party member ("card-carrying"?)
I would think that's simple: the first is only entitled to vote, the second is 'entitled' to work his/her ass off, the last can take various positions in the party bureaucracy and vote in selections of delegates or local party leaders. Or is it more vague?
what is the role of the DLC
An elite club. Think of the Bilderberg Society, but for party politicians only. Or for another angle on it, say the 'entrepreneur wing' of an European party. *Traitor*, n. A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.
But I'd add seedless grapes on the plus side for the USA. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
The source: http://www.bts.gov/publications/state_transportation_profiles/state_transportation_statistics_2005/h tml/table_01_01.html
The interstate highway system represents one of the biggest civil engineering projects of all time at 46,000 miles. There are many places where spectacular feats of bridge building were undertaken just so the road would be straight and direct. It also altered the course of the American economy in ways that we are now just starting to worry about. First, it led to a wide growth in suburban living and second it essentially killed the railroads as trucks were able to deliver anything anywhere more quickly. Policies not Politics ---- Daily Landscape
When I'd compare Germany and the USA on road quality and clarity in design, I'd say they're on a par.
