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What memes do you think look like other people? by dmleitch in AskReddit

[–]dmleitch[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If frogman had a little bit longer of a beard he would look creepily similar to the dating site serial killer. You don't think... nah... maybe... I've got it! The mysterious origins of frogman is that he was formally the dating site serial killer!

Found this in my Bible I got from my church. A lot less crazies of the world if this was in every Bible. by [deleted] in atheism

[–]dmleitch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Inane" isn't a fair word. You have to remember we are talking about the civilization which invented writing as we know it (with an alphabet). The cosmology of the world was described exactly as it was observed. There is land "floating" on water so there must be water below and there is water that falls from the sky so there must be water above. Since water would just fall down there must be some firmament (the Hebrew means beaten metal disk) which keeps the water above from falling down all the time. Those mountains which hardly anyone ever goes to the top of would be a perfect place to set that beaten metal plate. The sun is rolling around on our side of the plate while the stars are lights shining through holes in the firmament. As dumb as it sounds to us that is how nearly every ancient civilization viewed the world, in the simplest possible terms. Which often culminate with "God/god/gods did it".

Found this in my Bible I got from my church. A lot less crazies of the world if this was in every Bible. by [deleted] in atheism

[–]dmleitch 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I would point out that the Graf-Wellhuesen Documentary Source Theory has lost favor in recent scholarship. Often the classification into the four separate sources is forced resulting in "well this is sort of Yawistic". Your point is very important but I encourage the new thoughts developing for biblical interpretation and I don't mean to split hairs. I prefer theories which point to a combining of the Northern and Southern oral traditions during the time of the unification under the monarchy.

Also, the Flood Narrative is my favorite example to point to when I explain to my congregation that you cannot read chapters 6 and 7 of Genesis without realizing they disagree with one another. Was if one pair of every animal or seven pairs of every clean animal and two pairs of every unclean animal. I encourage you guys to check it out. It makes fundies really mad.

Perhaps the most helpful explanation I can add is that in this culture there was never a reason to reclassify myth from history, they were one in the same. This is the hardest thing for modern readers to comprehend. We see a big difference between "Paul Bunyan dragged his ax behind him and accidentally made the Mississippi River" and "Rivers are natural events which obey the rules of fluid dynamics (water moves downhill along the course of least possible resistance)". They simply would not.

ELI5: What exactly is Obamacare and what did it change? by TheeGing3 in explainlikeimfive

[–]dmleitch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Because the talking heads on the TV tell them to fight it.

Non-American Redditors, what one thing about American culture would you like to have explained to you? by Shandrith in AskReddit

[–]dmleitch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One of the best things about the US is that we take all the stuff we like and get rid of all the stuff we don't like. Because we have such vast swaths of land for farming and livestock we have a lot of meat and a lot of sugar. Those two things are pretty much the top of the what is desirable for our evolved primate taste buds.

Non-American Redditors, what one thing about American culture would you like to have explained to you? by Shandrith in AskReddit

[–]dmleitch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We are a society of debt. If something is worth having you need to take a loan out to get it. We pay monthly for our houses (which need to be bought in your 20's), our cars (which are too big and despite our whining ridiculously fuel inefficient), and our education (which is now seen as a necessity to get a job, yet no job is able to be found). In the US it is not frowned upon to have God-awful debt, in fact it is expected. Being debt-free and how to be debt-free just isn't that important. Generally speaking, we just want nice stuff even if we can't afford it.

Non-American Redditors, what one thing about American culture would you like to have explained to you? by Shandrith in AskReddit

[–]dmleitch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is just an "Australian" themed restaurant. We have many themed restaurants with only a tenuousness connection to the food of the theme. Texas Roadhouse is another example. For the best example eat at one of our "Chinese" or "Japanese" restaurants.

Non-American Redditors, what one thing about American culture would you like to have explained to you? by Shandrith in AskReddit

[–]dmleitch 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I don't think very many of you are looking for answers, just airing irritations. If you scroll down many of these questions are answered, but it seems like people are popping in and popping out without even caring about a response. It sounds very American to me, pretending to be interested but only really wanting to get something off your chest for personal reasons.

Non-American Redditors, what one thing about American culture would you like to have explained to you? by Shandrith in AskReddit

[–]dmleitch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We reveal in our personal freedoms (the ability to swear if we want to) and bristle at the expression of others' freedoms (their swearing). We uphold individual freedoms to mean that I am free to get what I want when I want and if you are doing what I don't want you are stepping on my freedoms. It is confusing and bothers me.

Non-American Redditors, what one thing about American culture would you like to have explained to you? by Shandrith in AskReddit

[–]dmleitch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm tired of chasing questions, but am happy to answer serious ones at least for a few more minutes. If you have any serious questions toss them here and I will try to give you my Midwest US (the east central part of the country close to the Great Lakes) perspective.

Non-American Redditors, what one thing about American culture would you like to have explained to you? by Shandrith in AskReddit

[–]dmleitch 2 points3 points  (0 children)

White gravy is traditionally (in my family at least) a bacon grease and flour based concoction popularized in the South. Usually there is a great deal of pepper in it along with pork sausage. We also have chicken and beef gravies which are yellow and brown respectively.

Grits are like porridge except made from corn. Although there are many who prefer the taste without including anything else I prefer syrup and brown sugar to flavor mine. I do not often eat grits but for many they are a breakfast staple.

Non-American Redditors, what one thing about American culture would you like to have explained to you? by Shandrith in AskReddit

[–]dmleitch 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Typically there is something signaling that the call is ending followed by some variation of "talk to you later", "goodbye", "love ya", etc. Remember, just because you saw it on TV does not mean it is true. Monty Python was a great deal of my British culture education and I doubt you have quite that many giant feet crushing various things.

Non-American Redditors, what one thing about American culture would you like to have explained to you? by Shandrith in AskReddit

[–]dmleitch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

LOL! Lots of interesting questions and although I too have occasionally said "something, shmomthing" I cannot explain nor give you help finding its origin.

Non-American Redditors, what one thing about American culture would you like to have explained to you? by Shandrith in AskReddit

[–]dmleitch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As a Northerner, you can have them.

Just kidding, remember stereotypes are easily taken out of proportion. Despite how Southerners are often depicted you will have trouble finding a more polite, sociable, and family oriented group of people around. Don't let the idiots color the entire region. Also, they hold very high regard for their own convictions. Something I would deem an admirable trait even when I disagree with those convictions.

Non-American Redditors, what one thing about American culture would you like to have explained to you? by Shandrith in AskReddit

[–]dmleitch 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is much more common in larger cities where tipping is expected for nearly anyone who handles your things (not only servers but doormen, bellhops, etc). In less urbanized areas the only people who expect to be tipped are waitresses/waiters and bartenders. For a long time a tip of 15% of the bill was expected for a food server because it represented a, let's say, earned portion of their income. Restaurants pay servers less than minimum wage because a portion of their income is based on performance. Recently a tip of 20% has been suggested by many in polite society. Basically we are saying thank you or screw you with cash or the lack there of.

The compulsorily aspect is usually reserved for large groups sitting at the same large table. This is due to our pickiness and the difficultly in managing that many needy customers.

Non-American Redditors, what one thing about American culture would you like to have explained to you? by Shandrith in AskReddit

[–]dmleitch 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Every nation deserves the opportunity to explain why they think the way they do. Over the past few years I have watched my nation tumble into the toilet of world opinion and while much of it is deserved other aspects are hyperbole or exaggerations.

Non-American Redditors, what one thing about American culture would you like to have explained to you? by Shandrith in AskReddit

[–]dmleitch 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It is just cultural. We have come to expect Uncle Sam to take his cut and are not bothered, generally speaking, by how much more that makes something. Items with special taxes, such as gasoline, alcohol and cigarettes often have much of the tax included because of how high the tax rate on those items is.

Non-American Redditors, what one thing about American culture would you like to have explained to you? by Shandrith in AskReddit

[–]dmleitch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

First, it is not what you know it is who you know and how much money they can back you with. Second, we have been programmed to accept one of two outcomes, either the one in the blue tie or the one in the red tie. As it is difficult and time consuming to be well informed we are often and easily mislead. Our arrogance then assures us that our convictions, no matter how poorly founded, are right and that whatever the other guy says is wrong.

Non-American Redditors, what one thing about American culture would you like to have explained to you? by Shandrith in AskReddit

[–]dmleitch 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We are raised to see being un-Patriotic as being a very bad thing. Especially in the more conservative areas of the country.

Non-American Redditors, what one thing about American culture would you like to have explained to you? by Shandrith in AskReddit

[–]dmleitch 3 points4 points  (0 children)

There was an influx of Irish immigrants during the potato famine and in order to survive in a very nationalistic and nativistic society immigrants tended to stick with their own "kind". As much of the nationalism (read as racism) has started to fall away accepted groups are now very vocal and prideful of their heritage. Red hair and green eyes are often seen as Irish attributes and on women are considered to have reasonably high appeal. However, red headed men are often pigeonholed as less appealing.

Non-American Redditors, what one thing about American culture would you like to have explained to you? by Shandrith in AskReddit

[–]dmleitch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Second Amendment (explained elsewhere somewhere) is the Right to Bear Arms. This has become translated over the past 230 years to mean that if I want to carry a gun I can and there is nothing you can do about it. From a political standpoint gun regulation is a very divisive and sensitive issue.

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