BF2S Forums Is America really the land of opportunity you tell me your thoughts

Bertster7 wrote:

What do you barbecue on?

Please, please tell me you don't use propane like a lot of Americans I've encountered. The best thing to barbecue on is wood. Different types for different flavours, oak is always a good bet.
Most people in England seem to use charcoal stuff - but I'm not a big fan of that - better than gas, but still a bit rubbish. So many people do barbecues so wrong. It makes me sad.



In England people tend to ruin their meat too. ESPECIALY on barbecues, there's so much paranoia about food not being properly cooked - so everyone always overcooks everything. On the continent you don't have this problem - which is one reason I like French resaurants, when I ask for my steak 'bleu' - that's what I get.

Blue?  Eue!

Only meat I'll eat uncooked is fish.

I had a really good steak from OutBack steakhouse the other day.  Is that authentic Australian cuisine?

Bertster7 wrote:

KEN-JENNINGS wrote:

Blue?  Eue!

Only meat I'll eat uncooked is fish.

Not uncooked. Just barely cooked.

Although I am quite fond of steak tartare - needs to be properly good fillet steak, finely hand sliced though - not minced (and it's not something I'd eat everyday).

Yeah, seared.  Steak Tartare is disgusting too, in my opinion.  I can't even eat beef as much as I like to these days - I end up eating sushi/sashimi probably 5-6 times a week.

Ilocano wrote:

KEN-JENNINGS wrote:

Yeah, seared.  Steak Tartare is disgusting too, in my opinion.  I can't even eat beef as much as I like to these days - I end up eating sushi/sashimi probably 5-6 times a week.

Wow, 5-6 times a week?  I love sushi/sashimi (wasabi doesn't faze me anymore), but I'd be taking too much A/D if I ate as much as that.

I seriously eat it almost every day.  Never really gives me trouble, other than running right through me and leaving me still hungry three hours later.  It tastes so good, and I love the way I feel when I'm full after eating it.  Especially toro.

Most first world nations would qualify as "lands of opportunity".

Harmor wrote:

Almost all education institutions are controlled by liberal (i.e. its required to watch Al Gore's 'Inconvenient Truth' as part of a science class).

Maybe in California that's the case, but in NC, that's not necesarily true.  Colleges do tend to be liberal, but education at the high school level and lower is generally more moderate overall.  Some high schools are run by conservatives, but it all depends on the area.  I'll put it this way, I can assure you that the school systems in most of Western NC are definitely NOT liberal.

Harmor wrote:

We have relatively low taxes compared to most countries, but we do have a progressive tax system (the more you earn the more are you taxed), but its capped at 35% federally (in California its an additional 10%).  Those who make between $50-$199,000/year pay a greater % of their taxes than the rich who are classified as anyone making more than $200,000/year.

True...  We need to change that.  We should cut taxes for that range of income and raise taxes on people who make $5 million or more.  I think $5 million is a much better description of "rich."  The AMT doesn't help things either; it should be eliminated for people who make less than $5 million.

Kmarion wrote:

Turquoise wrote:

They come here partly because of how lenient our immigration laws are.  A lot of the nations that are often seen as ideal in terms of quality of life (like Norway) are very restrictive with immigration and citizenship.

Correct.. thats probably why they don't call Norway the Land of opportunity. Our "lenient" immigration laws say we will give you a shot.. or "opportunity". They aren't packing up their families and moving for the hell of it. Opportunity means chance, no matter how slight you might think it is.

Agreed.... I'm not saying it's slight, but I'm also saying that it's a matter of openness.  They would be moving to Norway if they let in more people and made it easier to find work there as an immigrant.  Plenty of First World nations could receive more immigrants if they wanted to.

Kmarion wrote:

Turquoise wrote:

It's a reality for the lucky few that had circumstances on their side.  Many conservatives and capitalists like to believe everything is in your control, but much of life really is luck.  You can try as hard as you can at something, but success only comes to some of us.

Americans must be extremely lucky. Or do you seriously believe that only few Americans are successful? Among industrialized nations we do pretty well as a whole. Look back through this topic and catch the discussion on Purchasing power per capita..

Well, if you mean lucky as in "middle class", I agree.  I just don't understand how some people think that anyone can become rich.  Becoming rich is usually partially due to hard work , partially due to knowing the right people, and partially due to luck (being in the right place at the right time).  Inheriting wealth is pure luck.

Kmarion wrote:

Turquoise wrote:

True, but in most cases, reality supports a combination of factors.  Ideals may be easy to identify and desirable to pursue, but most of the time, moderation proves to be the most successful.

You make it sound as if the United states completely abandons it's citizens.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_8_%28housing%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_Start
http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/care/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_Stamp_Program
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temporary_ … y_Families
http://www.ed.gov/programs/fpg/index.html
http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/catal … G_RPT.show
Need a grant?
http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/!cata … S_RPT.show
http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/catal … S_RPT.show

I'd post more and also go down to the state level but I would be here all night if I listed all of the domestic aide.
You can find a bunch more here. http://www.govbenefits.gov/govbenefits_en.portal

Hey, I'm not saying that we don't do anything for our poor, but there seems to be a lot of people that would like us to get rid of a lot of these programs.  Instead of pushing for more socialization, there seems to be a push for complete privatization.

agent146 wrote:

yes american is the land of opportunity ....its also the land of despair for the lowly poor. its pure capitalism...you have to make more money.

it's absolutely not "pure" capitalism.

I own an arcade.  All of you have been to an arcade...you put your tokens into the games, try to get the jackpot, and collect your tickets, which you redeem for prizes.  We've all gotten lucky and scored a jackpot, and we've all been pissed at the game that totally gave us a fucking.  The better you are at a game, the more tickets you win...if you suck, you can walk away empty.

In New Jersey, it's against the law to award prizes for "skill."  It's considered gambling.  If you play skee ball and get all 9 balls in the 1000 point hole, you get 10 tickets--the same number of tickets as the 5 year old who could barely roll the ball up the ramp and have it flop over the end into the huge 0 score gap on the bottom.  The jumbo crane where you put your 50 cents in and hope to grab the giant stuffed Bart Simpson--those are $2.00 play-til-you-win cranes for shitty stuffed dolphins.  Furthermore, I have to pay extra money for all of these games because they have to custom-make different motherboards special for New Jersey arcade operators.

it's communism.  No matter how well you do, you get 10 tickets.  No matter how poorly you do, you get 10 tickets.

If I want to have an arcade like the other 49 states in the nation, I need to do the following:

1)hire a lawyer to appeal to the town board.
2)they vote on it.
3)if the board passes, the vote goes to the people of the town in the next general election
4)if the people pass it, we apply to the state to get "amusement park status."
  4a)For amusement park status, we need to have two attractions, individually operated.  We currently have ONE-Laser Tag.  We would need to submit a proposal to the state.
  4b)the state needs to approave our proposal
5)We need to put in a second attraction (i.e. go carts, bumper cars, mini-golf...something that will inevitably cost a quarter of a million dollars once all is said and done)
6)We need to re-submit to the state.

After that whole process, I will be able to award prizes according to skill.

If I want to risk it and not obey the law, the fine is $5,000.00 per game, per day that I have been breaking the law.  To give you an idea, I have a 60-game arcade.

All of the above is NOT capitalism.  That is communism.  There ain't no second way about it.

Although, I should not complain.  I love capitalism, and I know that that's the spirit of America.  I'm just saddened by the Left, who constantly look to shit on the rich to feed the poor.

Someone should ask Hillary Clinton's constituents when the last time a poor guy offered them a decent job.

Considering my Dad now employs myself and my Sister while my Mom sits home in early retirement I would have to say he is our social program..lol

I think that America is definitely a land of opportunity.

My grandfather came from a relatively poor family, dropped out of high school, and worked multiple jobs to support his family.  He got fed up with that, went back to school and became a Realtor.  He did well at that, bought a Lincoln Continental and a house.  He saved his money well and is doing very nicely today.  He is not a millionaire by any means, but he does have enough money to live very comfortably for his retirement.

My parents are low/mid middle-class.  I went to a high school on the federal government's "academic warning list."  However, I studied and did well in school.  I was able to earn an appointment to the Air Force Academy and get a $350,000 education with a guaranteed job afterwards.

Was I lucky?  Yes! I have a great family that helped me to find and prepare myself for success.  My family and I have also worked hard to achieve our goals.

[gets off soapbox]

Bertster7 wrote:

blisteringsilence wrote:

GunSlinger OIF II wrote:

Im not a big fan of Texas...sorry.  I grew to like the place eventually but I was coming from sunny southern California and was moved to Texas by Uncle Sam.  Also, Killeen a shit hole.  I really like Austin though, and San Antonio too.  But I always thought it funn, when youre on the 10 entering texas through el paso, you see the big star "Welcome to Texas"  then, 100 meters later you gotta sign that says "Dont Mess With Texas"

Texas, like [almost] any other state, has its good and bad points. I find that, generally, the south is warm and open and inviting. If you have the time, and are visiting the states, try to check out the south. Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North and South Carolina especially.  The people are warm, friendly, and inviting. Not to mention, you haven't lived until you've had some rural southern BBQ. You've never tasted happiness before. Man, some dry rub ribs, a little smoked pulled pork, corn on the cob, cole slaw, baked beans, and some cornbread. Now that's a meal.

That's actually one of my million dollar ideas. Move to England and open up a good bbq place. I'd make a fortune. Of course, I'd have to find a way to sneak the meat in, but other than that, it'd be awesome.

What do you barbecue on?

Please, please tell me you don't use propane like a lot of Americans I've encountered. The best thing to barbecue on is wood. Different types for different flavours, oak is always a good bet.
Most people in England seem to use charcoal stuff - but I'm not a big fan of that - better than gas, but still a bit rubbish. So many people do barbecues so wrong. It makes me sad.



In England people tend to ruin their meat too. ESPECIALY on barbecues, there's so much paranoia about food not being properly cooked - so everyone always overcooks everything. On the continent you don't have this problem - which is one reason I like French resaurants, when I ask for my steak 'bleu' - that's what I get.

I don't own any propane appliances. Hank Hill would be very disappointed with me.

What do I bbq on? If I'm cooking meat straight on the grill, I use a base of charcoal with some hickory and mesquite on top. I prefer to smoke my meats though...

My smoker is custom made (read: I'm too cheap to buy one so I made my own with 55 gallon oil drums and a welder). In the firebox goes a mix of 30% oak (for the heat), 40% hickory (heat and smoke), and 30% mesquite. If I can get my hands on some sassafrass, I go halves on the sassafrass and mesquite for that 30% portion.

I'm pretty serious about my smoked meats.

I make my own bbq sauce too.

Anytime anyone wants to stop by, give me a shout. I'll toss a chicken or two, some pork ribs, a pork shoulder, and a beef brisket on the smoker a day and a half ahead of time.

My friends always seem to want to celebrate holidays at my house... I can't figure out why, I don't even have a kiddie pool....

RAIMIUS wrote:

Haha, so true, blisteringsilence!
I still think it's worth it.  Where else do you get paid to fly fighters?

Boeing? Lockheed? General Dynamics?

I know, I know. Just being a smartass.

blisteringsilence wrote:

I don't own any propane appliances. Hank Hill would be very disappointed with me.

What do I bbq on? If I'm cooking meat straight on the grill, I use a base of charcoal with some hickory and mesquite on top. I prefer to smoke my meats though...

My smoker is custom made (read: I'm too cheap to buy one so I made my own with 55 gallon oil drums and a welder). In the firebox goes a mix of 30% oak (for the heat), 40% hickory (heat and smoke), and 30% mesquite. If I can get my hands on some sassafrass, I go halves on the sassafrass and mesquite for that 30% portion.

I'm pretty serious about my smoked meats.

I make my own bbq sauce too.

Anytime anyone wants to stop by, give me a shout. I'll toss a chicken or two, some pork ribs, a pork shoulder, and a beef brisket on the smoker a day and a half ahead of time.

My friends always seem to want to celebrate holidays at my house... I can't figure out why, I don't even have a kiddie pool....

Dammit your making me hungry, your food sounds awesome I'm catching the next flight!!! Being honest having a BBQ with propane sucks your not adding any extra flavour to the food your cooking with everyday stuff really.
Definitely charcoal or at least them crappy briquettes hard to light though dunno what appeals to me about having a BBQ in its essence its just cooking outdoors I guess its the spooky ghost stories I get told when eating damn thier creepy!