I think income plays such a big role in the US because of the lack of a social system compared with europe.In the US , no income means absolute social descent until homelessness. That is different in Germany. Here, even as an unemployed person, you can lead a dignified, albeit modest, life.

@Qwerty8

3 жыл бұрын

Hm… es wird härter. Vor allem für unsere Mittelschicht werden sich vielerorts die Wege trennen. Ich bin gespannt wie die Eu sich entwickelt. Bremsen geht noch ;)

@johannesstewens6244

3 жыл бұрын

I think the big difference between europeans and americans, whether upper class or lower class,americans want as little goverment interference as possible in their private life, even when it‘s good for them. Obama was more popular in europe than in US. He had a hard time getting his obamacare popular in the US.

@Floodland-bn3ol

3 жыл бұрын

@@johannesstewens6244 That was disliked for different reasons than a dislike of a support system. Insurance companies make money by denying claims. Obamacare did not remove the health insurance company's and their greed from the equation who are, of course, large donors to the campaigns of politicians. I would gladly pay French tax levels for their health care system.

@Floodland-bn3ol

3 жыл бұрын

Well said!

@ThomasBarbarossa

2 жыл бұрын

And that lifestyle is paid for by me an American because the only reason European countries can afford to do these social systems is that the US acts as Europe’s military.

I live in the United States and all of these points you brought up I still don't understand!

@vdayucla

3 жыл бұрын

Whoa, nice to see you here, ActionKid! Your videos are the reason I began watching Mary Jane too. 😉

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

Ahahaha noooo I was expecting some explanations that would make sense of these things!

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

Ahahaha noooo I was expecting some explanations that would make sense of these things!

@ErnieRodgersMusician

3 жыл бұрын

I thought I gave you some pretty good explanations Mary Jane, If you need more just ask. 😎🎸

@ErnieRodgersMusician

3 жыл бұрын

I think you young people are giving all this way too much thought. Why don't you all just enjoy things for the way they are. Enjoy the Donut. 🍩 Don't try and figure out why there's a hole in the middle. 😎

Well done, Mary Jane! I understand most of your points. Here in Canada, we have a metric system. Your last point was very profound. It really made me think. Thank you.

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

Canada is like the wiser and quieter sister of the US. Same genes, less exuberance, more common sense. Right?

@shawndiesel007

2 жыл бұрын

@@WhatashameMaryJane you got jokes 😂😂

@rv706

2 жыл бұрын

The so-called "Protestant ethic", the hidden bedrock of neoliberalism and capitalism.

@TimothyZakaria

8 ай бұрын

​@@WhatashameMaryJaneu remember I told you I was born in China I didn't know this growing up

I couldn't agree more about the acronyms in everyday life and in business, they are out of control.

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

Out of control ahah yes that's how I'd define them too 😅

@ilmelangolo

3 жыл бұрын

You mean, they are OOC...🤣🤣🤣

Great video as always!! I' m with you for all about you said!

The Bible says that greed for profit and money is a sin. It also says that those who have more should share with those who have nothing or have less. How then can Americans be called Christians if they do not respect those values? These are also human values.

@TheToscanaMan

3 жыл бұрын

Very good point... we'll put that down as "hypocrisy" at its worst.

@ErnieRodgersMusician

2 жыл бұрын

1 Timothy 5:18 says “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” This means if someone works hard and they make a million dollars then, they deserve to have that because they worked hard for it, But if someone doesn't work hard and doesn't make anything then they didn't work, So they don't deserve to have much. People in America have forgotten how to work hard. This country was built on hard work. As an Afro-American I know a few things about hard work. 👍

@josefromtexas

2 жыл бұрын

I've said this for a while, but it seems the U.S. isn't so much a "Christian" nation as it claims, but rather a money worshipping nation. Just look at the unofficial holiday Black Friday, where everyone is expected to go out and spend spend spend, consume consume consume. Pretty ridiculous when you really think about it.

@matrix_x_

2 жыл бұрын

@@josefromtexas Its true. Its also no so democratic. Other contries has 100 of parties on elections. USA has only 2. How to choose when you have only 2 options. Its abnormal. That is no democracy at all..

@ErnieRodgersMusician

2 жыл бұрын

As an Afro-American I can tell you for me every Friday is Black Friday haha just kidding. On a serious note, Not all Americans are the same. I believe in Jesus and I love the Lord very much and a lot of my friends do too. My girlfriend's a believer in Jesus. However I know not all Americans are the same. Not everybody in this country believes in Jesus. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Mary Jane's KZread Channel. However, Mary Jane makes a lot of generalizations about this country, but she hasn't been here long enough to really know what's truly up. Mary Jane is also very young, Her experience in life is someone limited. I had to remind her that 15 years ago she was a teenager. As she spends more time in our country she'll find out that there's a whole lot more to America than meets the eye. On a globe global scale America is basically a teenager. Teenagers have a lot to learn, just as Mary Jane does about our country. She hasn't even been to the deep South yet. I lived in Chattanooga, TN for many years. I lived in Charleston, SC and Clearwater, FL too. As a professional musician, sound engineer and producer. I have lived all over the US. I'm hoping Mary Jane has the opportunity to see more of our great country. Peace be with you. ✝️🙏

For the plugs: Your adapters are worn out. The actual outlets typically don't do that. For the windows: Americans don't typically use a window like you're used to. We have weather extremes and we need to engineer for that. Plus we engineer our windows for some kind of security. Plus we like our screens so no bugs come in. For the roads: Typically, the roads in the southern states are much better than the roads in the northern states. The snow, Ice, and road salt we use to keep roads clear in the winter take a heavy toll on the roads. And repairing them is VERY expensive. For units of measure: 1) We use the metric system in our engineering 2) Americans can visualize what an inch, or a foot, or a yard, or a mile, or a teaspoon, or an ounce, or a pound is. We can't visualize what a CM or KM or M or gram is. 3) Americans are very individualistic. We don't like "group-think" and we don't like things getting forced on us. We will push back if that's attempted.

Loved your observations !

Great video! So much to learn from you. Ciao Mary Jane!

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

Ciao!

I am a retired bus driver. The Great Flyover. Going West in Kansas. After Salina it becomes even drier. Beneath, deep underground, is a huge Aquifer (Ogallala) that covers 8 states and is the well from which these crops are irrigated. The Buffalo are gone but the grasslands are what stretch out onto the horizon as far as sight, on a clear day maybe 80 miles. Thunderstorms appear as Great massive shelf clouds that cut the sky in half and reach up into infinity. There is daylight below and darkness above and these clouds are across the complete horizon. The air is alternately hot and cooler and there are strands, filaments of stringy cloud stuff swirling between ground and dark shelf. The fence post are in two lines one recent and the other older made of limestone as wood was scarce. The Cathedral of the Plains is rising in the distance at Victoria. Built of hand strewn limestone dug from soil and split while wet by hand to build it without wood. The builders Volga Germans taking advantage of Lincoln's Homestead Act. The formation of tornadoes are imminent and you can feel and smell them. There is no where to go or hide. Onwards as they are far off. In the winter the border poles in the center of the highway follow the directions of flashings of red lights automated and controlled by weather service and highway department. A neon sign says winter warnings road closure. Exit Now. The arm will swing down and close the road you have no choice but to exit and seek shelter. This is the Flyover that most don't see. It runs from the Texas panhandle to the Canadian Provinces. It is the breadbasket and woven into the subconcious of America present but unawares. This is the unromantic reality of Hollywood notions portrayed on screen and consumed in mass markets and adopted as part of the American cultural myth.. The farms are automated, Dorothy left Kansas. The sugar you consume (60% of it) comes from sugar beets from here and Eastern Colorado.

finally someone said it !!! acronyms and abbreviations literally drive me crazy! in some discussions that are interesting to me, I find myself displaced because I don't know what they are saying

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

I feel you, eh eh

Brava Mary!Bel video. Davvero interessante!

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

Grazie Simona!

Bel video...molto interessanti. Grazie 👍

Great! I completely agree with you!!

fun fact: as a consequence of the social network and internet, some of those abbreviation are also used here in italy

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

sad fact, yes.

Very nice video, I agree with you at all , greetings

I loved watching of all this the other day I was talking to my husband about the windows lol 😂 also the sweat through the shooting that was funny 😄 I do sweat during my filming as well 😂😂😂

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

Ahaha yes Liz I do sweat all the time when I film, I'm so nervous! You also don't understand there American windows? In Uganda you have the hinge ones as well?

😂 when you got so passionate about all the acronyms. Thank you for the laugh😂😂😂

Awesome video and very accurate observations. The United States tried to convert to the metric system with the metric system conversion act of 1975. I was in Middle School at the time and we were told to get ready because the country is going to convert sometime between 1980 and 1985. I think we abandoned the entire thing around 1982 because Americans are too... Well let's just say most of the country was not up to the task of using a system that is based on multiples of 10.

@jpaxonreyes

3 жыл бұрын

With the sheer scale of industry in the states, it's rather unfathomable to think of metrication.

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

Who is going to have the courage of tempting the big switch after that failure, I wonder?

In the UK both the imperial and metric system is used

Mary Jane to solve your plug problem when you get the plug brand new instead of just plugging it in right away bend the metal out just a little bit so when you do plug it in it does not come out

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tip! Still though, why use such plugs in the country in general, if they have all these problems? 🤔

I prefer fahrenheit to celcius. I don't really care at what temperature water boils and freezes. I mostly use temperature for the weather and fahrenheit reflects better what the temperature feels like to the body than celcius.

I love the comparison videos, it makes you wonder why this occurs in the U.S. There's exceptions to the marriage proposal thing, because one women asked me to marry her several years ago but for the most part it's all so uncannily true lol those abbreviations must stem from laziness...

@aldocuneo1140

Жыл бұрын

How mamy inches are in one foot ? One And in two feet ? Two

The two words "business lobbies" are either the direct or indirect answer to all of your items...

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

I would like to hear what other people have to answer to your comment, because if it's true it would connect the dots with my two points regarding money and profit so everything would make sense...

@DENVEROUTDOORMAN

3 жыл бұрын

Yup SPECIAL INTERESTS for DEMONCRAPPERS

@davidoverbye3410

3 жыл бұрын

@@WhatashameMaryJane The general concept in economics is "distributional coalitions." Groups band together to influence laws and regulations to their benefit. The process they use to do this in the US we call lobbying. The term was coined when President Grant would go to the Willard hotel for lunch. People would try to get his attention in the lobby of the hotel to argue for their views and he started calling them "Lobbyists". We now use this term for anyone who tries to influence legislation and regulation to their benefit. In theory, anyone can do this. You could go down to Washington, walk into your representatives office and try to influence them. Or to Albany at the State level, or to City Hall in NYC. In practice though, lobbying takes a lot of money to pay for staff such as lawyers. So business groups, unions, professional associations etc. all hire lobbying firms in an attempt to influence legislation and regulation to their benefit. And generally, the more money you have the more power you have. One of the largest, for example, is the American Medical Association. This one plus the associations that represent insurance companies influence a lot of health care law. Note that "business lobbies" are not one thing. Industries and corporations fight with each other all the time. The American Wind Energy Association, for example wants money spent on wind energy and laws favorable to wind energy. The Coal or Oil, or Solar "lobbies" want the opposite. This concentration of money and organized power tends to make the average citizen feel very disconnected. We have to join a group. For example, as an old guy I joined the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP - another acronym). I pay dues to them and then they hire lobbyists to represent all AARP members. The AARP then will "recommend" to members who they should vote for. This all makes money very central to politics in the US. UPDATE - After a bit of research I discovered that the term "lobbying" was in use in England in the 1640s. Same meaning - people would gather in the lobbies of Parliament to influence legislation. I guess like a lot of things here in the US the term was brought here by the English.

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

@@davidoverbye3410 This was SO informative and educational to me. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this comment David.

MJ, wow! you visited Stuyvesant Town...i lived there for 50 years...hope you had fun

Ciao! molto interessanti questi video! è bello conoscere la prospettiva di un italiano in America! spero di tornarci presto :P aspettiamo il prossimo!!!

About the Imperial system, I remember an Italian comic trio called Aldo, Giovanni & Giacomo once made a sketch in which they were measuring bungee jumping equipment that used American units and one of them said to the other: “How much is each ounce of your body?”. “It will be two sacks of grain”

Great analyze...

Most of Americans don't even get paid time off from work.

@KittyKat-vb1nd

3 жыл бұрын

That is barbaric

MJ, your spoken English is great...

These wacky windows reminded me of one moment from the American animated series called Life with Louie. There was that scene when a mother yelled at her son, "How many times have I asked you not to put your head out of the window? Someone might cut it off!" I don't know exactly whether that was what she said in the original version of the sitcom, since I watched it with Russian voice-over long ago when I was a kid, but if that's what she said, it pretty much explains why Americans tend to install window panes that prevent you from leaning out.

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

Ahah!

The US doesn't use imperial units, we use US customary units. There is a difference. For example an imperial pint is larger than a US pint. The difference is due to Great Britain changing their measurement system after the US became independent. There's not much benefit to converting to the metric system. For day to day stuff that the average person encounters, like the weather or buying stuff in the supermarkets, US customary units are fine. For science and engineering, they're mostly already on the metric system. By the way, I'm from the East Village so we're probably neighbors.

The loose sockets have to do solely with the manufacturers. I've got several extension cables, and I've noticed that some plugs don't have good "grip" when plugged and some do.

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

Good to know! I also noticed that, I didn't know what was the reason.

I thought I gave you some pretty good explanations of many of your points. For what it's worth, The roads in Nashville, TN are pretty bad, but anyhow I thought I explained most of these things. If you got questions feel free to ask Mary Jane.

Sorry I'm Italian, I'm very glad to watch your video every week. I have a question, when you talk about cost X kg and you say " per " is a typo about "for"? Thank for all !

@WhatashameMaryJane

Жыл бұрын

Ciao Luca, “per” is an English word that means “for each”.

We are working on some of that stuff.

As A First Generation Italian, Raised In East Harlem And The Bronx I Had Italian Food (Southern Italian) All My Life. Posta, Beans, Green Leaf Vegetables And Tomatoes. Meat, In Gravies And Stews. Cheeses Gold Cuts (On Special Occasions) And Pizza! I'm Not Gonna Change!

As to the issue of road conditions here is what I learned actually from my German friend who is an engineer I thought would be extremely critical of American roads but this is what he taught me country or north of the Mason-Dixon line there is much more of a disparity between winter and summer temperatures even Southern California Texas most of the South and like Italy a more temperate climate in the northern part of the US because it can go 20 below zero fahrenheit in the winter to up to 90 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer there is much much more of a pressure on the concrete to expand and contract expand and contract which creates the deeper holes and more of them and it takes a much greater amount of money and physical labor to maintain or repair the roads which is why I also learned from someone else the tax rates tend to be much higher in northern states because any state budget one of the biggest expenses is road maintenance and construction in northern states you have to spend much more money to maintain the roads to even a minimal degree then one does in the warmer climates in the South which drives the tax rates higher and why the roads aren't as perfect as those in temperate climates combine that with the average American much heavier use of a car and less mass transit those are the two major reasons with the weather North of the Mason-Dixon line is one of the biggest contributors to why the roads aren't as smooth as in Italy or most of Europe where the climate is more temperate

What brand of outlet device are you using? I have to use all my might (300 lbs) to get most of my plugs out of the sockets used here and that is why I buy USB stuff when I can. If the outlets are dropping heavy converters try the floor or horizontal type where gravity is your friend.

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

Brand? Uh, I have no idea. I thought any you'd find at the hardware store would be fine 🤷‍♀️

@krisg3984

2 жыл бұрын

Larry’s right : let gravity be your friend ! Use a extension - that plugs in the wall but multi- plug lays on the floor. They come with USB outlets in the same thing . And it saves your devices if there is a power surge- turns it all off.

I'm ok with our plugs and units of measure. I mostly agree with everything else

I enjoy listening to your insightful comments, but to be honest, the first thought I had after discovering your channel was " I wonder if she knows about that Beatles' song - "What's The New Mary Jane" ( with the line ,’what a shame Mary Jane……..’ ) It was a throwaway song done for fun when John, George and Yoko were sitting on the floor at EMI. It's a really lame song, but worth a listen if only for a chuckle to hear them doing an awful song for a change !

Hah! Everything on this list is spot on. I'm American but I've never understood these things either.

Great requesting video 👍 I like when you think about you’re thoughts 💭 🧐

Interessanti entrambi i video... Ma la cosa più incredibile è l'accento friulano parlando inglese! :D

South American here living in the Midwest USA… So, one American value that will help you understand American ways is comfort. I once heard an Australian say “You Americans are obsessed with being comfortable.” Couple comfort with the can do attitude/get it done, etc… you get sedentary society. They fixed problems in order to be comfortable. So the the windows, they’re not designed for you to open them that often, and not for you to get fresh air and look outside. Why? Because you have AC and TV (acronyms, LOL! Again, comfort). And profit as the highest value… wow! Your’e dead on. I’m a Christian pastor, and that baffles me because pragmatism and capitalism without any regard for spiritual health mentality as a priority is entangled with religion. So you get a mega church with very little discipleship or none at all, and the message changes depending on what brings more people and money to build a bigger building and bring more people in. In business, people are never the outcome. In ethics, morality and people’s well-being is the outcome. American religion attempts to run a church like a business, so of course, that doesn’t work. So there’s a few thoughts. Thank you for your video. It’s very insightful. My culture is so much close to Southern Europe than the USA.

I live in Niagara falls new york. There is a huge road sign near buffalo for the highway to take you to Niagara falls. The word Niagara is just spelled nia falls. It's only 4 more letters. Put it up there

You made this video so funny.

The plug comment is my complaint about going to Europe my adapter never wants to stay in the outlet. In both cases it comes down to a cheap or old outlet

Spettacolare !!!

I am American but I appreciate your perspective as a foreigner. I totally agree with your view with regards to morals and how twisted its intertwined success. I disagree with #8 ... pounds (lbs) ounce (oz) Fahrenheit 👍🏻 I love it.

Brava Mary Jane......saluti dall’Australia

actually those windows aren't in the southern US at all because of two things the heat and they wouldn't last here. instead we use different windows with better safety latches and a large metal frame around the glass. Wood doesn't really exist down here as the heat and humidity rots it fast if we do have wood its always treated in some way to make it last. The plugs you have aren't right at all as you're using the bad old style plug there are new ones that have a latch on the inside that holds the plug in now at least until you want to pull it out. every new building has them and honestly they are easy to get. its pretty simple to replace too. Salt isn't that expensive in florida as well we run salt farms in the state, Sugar was imported once but we changed that to us growing it and its very cheap in the south, and Cocoa has to be grown in certain conditions like a certain amount of shade and exact temperatures its very fickle so we can't grow it at all so we have to import it from brazil or any Latin countries hence why its expensive. since you live in NYC you also feel it worse because of the higher prices in the city. The wedding traditions we use are actually from jolly old england just done slightly differently, don't ask because it came from early colonization and it just stuck around. Dating is in steps as we try not to overwhelm people simple as that.

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

Uhuu these are exactly the kind of answers I was hoping for, thank you so much!!! What windows do you use in the South? And the houses are made of bricks and stones? You might have finally revealed the mystery of the plugs! Good to know that I could solve it by just replacing them with newer pieces! About the cost of the products I'm still confused. I get that if you produce them locally they can be cheaper, but then why in states like New York and around here the cost go so much higher? I know transportation is very cheap here. Also, you're right I should have also mentioned that part of the reason they're so expensive is because I took prices from NYC. I didn't have much time to explain details in such a short video so I skipped it.

@yugioht42

3 жыл бұрын

@@WhatashameMaryJane we use something called storm windows down here. They open sideways one way with two latches. If up and down they still are storm windows but they only open one way, up and you just pull it down to close there is no top opening. The older buildings are brick but the stuff from like the 50s and up are made from pressure treated wood of all types. It’s just wood squeezed of all its moisture and then made to absorb tons of liquid compounds that make it fire resistant and immune to humidity. And the prices of things goes up in cities because of the tax rates as New York has insane tax rates and then all the stuff added like say the cigarette stamp fee and the various organized crime syndicates asking for “protection”money. The price just goes higher because the store has to raise prices just to make something. Look at little Italy in Manhattan if you look closely the mafia is around just you might not see them. The triads run Chinatown, Russian mobs are around Brighton beach. It’s kinda you need to know type things.

Mary Jane, have you tried using a surge protector? Not only can you plug an assortment of plugs into it, but the surge protector can lie flat on the floor, so anything you plug into it will stay plugged in, without popping out. It's a good idea to have a surge protector, anyway. When I lived in New York, Con Ed was very well known for having blackouts, especially during the summer time, and you don't want any of your electrical equipment ruined because of Con Ed. And, it's not called "Con" for nothing, of course, lol!

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

Hey, isn’t a surge protector the black one that I showed in the second clip?

@BRONXGIRL10

3 жыл бұрын

I will post a picture of one on your Facebook page...I can't figure out how to do it on KZread.

@BRONXGIRL10

3 жыл бұрын

I've posted the photo on your Facebook page.

Interesting video, as an American myself it's easy to not see most of these things as a big deal because I grew up around it and just saw it for what it is, even if it is mildly annoying. Though there are 2 topics that I share the same sentiment with you on. Money: Considering that this is a Capitalist country most people would say "No sh** money is important here" but it's not the problem solver most people think it is. It's one thing to work and get it but most people don't know how to manage it properly which leads to people blowing through what wealth they have and losing it all just as fast as they got it. It doesn't leave much room to actually live life because it's normalized for people to work to their 60s get their pension and just retire from there but youth is already gone in the process. Money doesn't come easily or freely, there's always a cost. Marriage: The way how marriage is taken less and less seriously every passing generation I don't even believe in it anymore. The ritual is become more of an event and less of a next chapter in life. Back in my grandparents days, marriage ment something and vows were held to their word but thanks to changing society and in a way 3rd wave feminism, a union in a happy home is a rare occurrence as divorce numbers rise and people become unhappy and unhinged after experiencing a short but very rough marriage. It may sound cynical from me but I see marriage as a way for the government to keep tabs on you and build your status on a societal level, very rarely there is genuine happiness in a marriage, it depends on the person. Some people can stay together and not even become married so is it really a necessity? Which is why I agree with you that marriage is something that should be talked about and taken seriously, if only everyone else felt the same. I hope I didn't give you too much to read. 😅

@TheToscanaMan

3 жыл бұрын

Intelligent comments are a joy to read my friend 👍

Right on about pot-holes. In italy potholes are slowly deteriorating road layers. So totally avoidable. In the US a pothole is an abyss, a sudden hole that can be 12 inch deep. So they sneak up on you all the times.

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

I’m glad someone agrees with me on that, it means that it was not only my impression! But the question is WHY!?!?

@jtinalexandria

3 жыл бұрын

@@WhatashameMaryJane US roads - even some very well traveled and important ones - can have many potholes from gradual deterioration. The ones that go straight down are better described as sinkholes. They're not caused by surface deterioration but by "subsidence shifts" and defects underground. And I agree with Mary Jane, Italy's highways and intercity roads are generally perfectly-paved and immaculate. They are a pleasure to travel on - coming from the US and living with the dilapidated conditions on many roads here, a drive around the outskirts of Modena where my cousins live, is nirvana! That must be a result of public policy decisions and investments taken on the national or regional levels. On the other hand, it's very true that a lot of infrastructure in Italy, in small towns and rural areas, but also in big cities like Rome and Milan - is also in pretty serious disrepair, or horrifyingly covered in graffiti. It all depends on where the national, regional and city governements decide to invest their money.

Hey, Mary Jane! I very much enjoyed your comments, as always. My thoughts on a few of them: - As for the electrical plugs, I've traveled in Europe so I have some experience with some of those used there; ours aren't great, but I don't think they are terrible, either. And the cost to change them all would be enormous! - I absolutely agree with you on the diet issue; I don't understand why Americans are so opposed to carbs. I try to get most of my calories from unrefined starches and plant-based protein, although I do eat meat in moderation. - The US government started us on the path to the metric system back in the '70s; the people would have nothing of it. The general thinking (if you could call it thinking) was that since we have the largest economy in the world, the rest of the world should accommodate us, rather than us accommodate them. As an engineer, I think it's totally nuts that we still use such an antiquated system, while the metric system is so rational! Sadly, I don't see that changing anytime soon. - WTH, IDK why u have a problem with our acronyms and abbreviations! They make written communication so much shorter! JK!

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

Someone in the comments explained me that the plugs that I have are the "old type" and that if I replaced them with new ones the "new type" has a system to lock them in place unless you pull them out. Ahahah you made me laugh with your last point Steven!!!

@timyamasaki8261

3 жыл бұрын

@@WhatashameMaryJane I think that's what the holes are for at the end of the plug.

@TimothyZakaria

8 ай бұрын

​@@WhatashameMaryJanemy opinion marriage isn't good for America. World changes but not good in NY

@TimothyZakaria

8 ай бұрын

​@@WhatashameMaryJanefood manufacturers in the US vs Europe interesting to me. Time zones obviously like California is very slow and will have you sluggish.

13:01 "Forever alone" ahahha

I think you made a lot of good points that I would agree with, but I guess there are reasons why these nonsensical issues still exist, and maybe it has to do with an acceptance of the imperfect way that America has always sought to be different (putting style over practicality, as an example). The plug issue is an interesting one which I've never really considered, but thanks for pointing it out. I would say about this, that this stems as an historic issue, that was never envisaged for it's current usage. Back in the day, when everything ran on mains power, a simple lightweight plug was all that anything ever used, so there really was no problem at that time. Now that we have these things called 'Wall Warts' (I think that's the American terminology), the impracticality's of this basic design have been exposed, especially with the heavier devices that have quite often been needed with our tech savvy products. I think of all the issues you mentioned though, the acronyms is the one that really drives me nuts. I now know who to thank for this annoying and persistent problem, which was designed ironically as a solution, but has simply got out of hand!. The Americans have basically ran with this idea, and expected the rest of the world to follow, which is indeed what they have done!. Although there are numerous examples of how over used and pointless these things are, I have to think of a current radio advertisement, that mentions the abbreviation 'HR' about 6 or 7 times, without actually mentioning what 'HR' stands for! (maybe I'm one of those dumb people, but I only have some vague recollection that it means 'Human Resources'... but then again I could be wrong... so how am I to know!). OK, that's my rant for the day, and as always, you're being far too practical and reasonable about everything once again Mary Jane (aka MJ... which I just realized is a double acronym!). It's nice to know I'm not the only one though, so keep speaking out for all the silent sufferers my friend.

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

You’re the first one who tried to give an explanation to the odd plugs and sockets. I was pleased by it. As for the rest of the comment, I answer with an amused smile. I hope you’re doing good Andrew, it was nice to hear from you 🙂

I haven't spent the same time as you in the US but the main thing i don't understand about that country is: the TIPS. Why do by the hell i have to pay more than what i should every time (not knowing how much, precisely) i decide to have lunch, dinner or simply drink something? Yeah, i understand the minimum wage and all, but that's one of the things they need to fix in the future, imho (talking about acronims, ahah), like the health system and the imperial system!

I learned in my school days in Italy that the US culture (and north Europe) is largely influences by Christian protestant and Jewish philosophy where profit and material success signify that a person is chosen by God, so in a sense money is good. This is totally different in our Catholic country. Jesus was angry at the merchants outside the temple. And the famous "it is easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God". In this article you can find a much deeper explanation of the protestant ethic and the role of money in the American society: www.christiancentury.org/article/2011-09/protestant-ethic-still-sways-dreams-wealth

@hazelwray4184

2 жыл бұрын

Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism - by, max weber. Yes, the book that is often referred to on that subject. Thanks for the link.

Americans: hey, what do you do? Europeans: hey, what are you doing?

Right to the point again Mary Jane. love your analysis and don't really understand why your choice...

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

What don't you understand?

@stratospontisidis5573

3 жыл бұрын

@@WhatashameMaryJane. I don't understand the choices we make sometimes in life. For example, you travel to so many countries with great cultures and you decided to live in the USA. I wouldn't imagine this for you. But on the other hand, I am originally from Greece and have lived in 5 different countries including the USA for a few years and for the last 2 years I am living and working in the Netherlands. A choice I wouldn't imagine for myself a few years back. I guess you didn't imagine yourself living in America... a few years back...

@stratospontisidis5573

3 жыл бұрын

That is only my opinion and I respect every choice. The point I want to make is that sometimes we choose different paths in life but the journey is the most important one, only if it is close to our dreams. I guess because I am an author in my free time and I have a great passion for writing I am a bit romantic... Be well Mary Jane. I love what you do on your channel and I love brave people with dignity just like you. Stay safe and be well and happy.

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

@@stratospontisidis5573 Dear Stratos, the one and only reason I live in a country where I fit so badly like the US is because I want to stay close to a person who lives here. I would have never imagined to live in a place I don’t like just to be close to my partner, yet again. But I guess you’re right, sometimes life takes strange turns.

@stratospontisidis5573

3 жыл бұрын

@@WhatashameMaryJane Thinks we do for love...the only sacrifice that matters!

One other thing that would frustrate me is the tipping policy. I am sure I will insult someone by forgetting to tip!

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

I’m always afraid to offend someone by tipping! It feels like throwing money to the poors to me 🙄

I work for the Canadian Pacific Railway in Oshawa and we have a completely different perspective altogether. In all of the trades, shipping, transportation and all wakes of the economy (yes of course architecture, engineering and electronics) are all measured in the imperial system. The largest public school system has had to re-incorporate the old system in order to have a workforce that is competent and can do their jobs properly. We have liberal arts majors who come into customer service and sales positions who only have knowledge of the metric system and proceed to mislabel and input incorrect weights and lengths. Both Mexico and Canada are officially “metric” countries, but they both have to work in the imperial system which is the standard for professions. All you have to do is memorize a new system that seems strange to you but millions upon millions of prior immigrants learned and adapted to this way as my father did when he came from Italy after WWII. In Canada my mother (British) learned the metric system when it went into effect in 1970. Even in Canada we use a hybrid system in day to day life. Distance - Time/KM Height - Imperial Weight - Imperial Temperature - Metric

@13:10 we have an acronym for that as well. CREAME- Cash Rules Everything Around Me. FYI- It's a WuTang reference. I'm surprise you being in NYC never heard of it.

@WhatashameMaryJane

2 жыл бұрын

No, I've actually never heard it! I'm sure now that I know what it means I'll start seeing it written all over the place on the streets. At least I hope so. It shows awareness about something important to know.

A "Fahrenheit" ho riso, ma a "Brklyn" mi son sentito male!🤣🤣🤣

There's European plug conversion kits for electronics. US Nutrition has morphed into a multi-billion dollar business ( some good some bad) Which, in turn has changed the Medical Market.

@Alan_Mac

3 жыл бұрын

How can there be "European plug conversion kits" when there isn't a European plug?

@chrisolson3240

3 жыл бұрын

@@Alan_Mac Some Europeans come here with electronic devices with plugs in accordance with their (European) standards. Hence, the advent of conversion kits. Now, I understand that most people do not need to convert from US plugs to European plugs. I may have misstated my answer originally. But, kits do exist. As US citizens travel to Europe and my need to a kit to plug into their outlets.

well, meat and sweets are easy to explain...just think about it, what has higher margins and relatively low cost of productions in mass manufacturing? Plus, what fits better in the American territory that has a higher quantity of corn production? Meat and sweets and especially sugar are industries that do not rely much on water as well so these corporations invested a lot in lobbying as tobacco companies did years ago with cigarettes... This mentality remained hence why that type of consumption

I live in the US and I can agree on some points.

I live in the state of New York, about 5 hours from New York City. This is where I have lived my whole life. This is the expectation of where I have lived my whole life, almost everyone will tell you treating people with kindness and compassion is the most important thing and that if you tell them that money is the most important value they will probably think that is an ignorant opinion. (I have always thought this was the opinion of most of the United States.) However, if you cannot make enough money by yourself to support yourself, most of those people will think of you as weak and a loser. What I hate about our society is that our society is like, they want you to fit into this certain model of what they deem as acceptable and if you cannot do that then the mindset of our society is like, well it sucks to be you. And in most cases there really isn't much support for people that do not or cannot fit into what our society deems as acceptable behavior. It's quite a weird contradiction. I believe this causes a lot of pain and unrest in the United States. It is baffling to me that most people who live in the United States do not think about this or realize this. I sometimes wonder how many other cultures have this same attitude. About 10 years ago when my grandparents were still alive (they always lived in the United States) I asked them if people in the United States were happier when they were kids. They answered "yes" in such a passionate and strong tone it kind of startled me. I never heard someone answer a question so strongly without yelling. I asked them why and my grandmother responded by saying "back than people used to look out for each other and care about each other".

Most windows like those have screens in them, so you can’t really hang out of them. In fact, we are taught as young kids NOT to hang out of windows, so that issue you demonstrated never occurred to me. If my windows don’t have screens, I don’t open them. Too many insects in my area! As for work… we can’t be without a job if we have any pre-existing medical issues and want insurance, we are kind of stuck to jobs with good benefits packages. :/

Good video we should have gone metric years ago. I've never met anyone who said I'm from NY or VA. Might say Mass or Cali

I have NO IDEA why were still use the imperial system!!! It literally makes NO SENSE!!! We absolutely need to convert. I agree about the roads. I didn't have any issues with potholes coming out of nowhere in Italy. WWWA - What's wrong with acronyms?🤣🤣🤣 OMG!!! I just saw that massive sweat stain you had under your arm!!! 😂😂😂😂😂 That's why you see me in black shirts most of the time. I think we should have a discussion about the money topic at a later time. Thanks again for reaching out!

@adambainbridge1708

3 жыл бұрын

I have an amazing cookbook IMAO called The New Best Recipe by America’s Test Kitchen but doing the conversions drives me insane. It’s a shame the book is so good!

@russellharkins6847

3 жыл бұрын

If we end up converting to the metric system, I hope it's not in my lifetime because I use a measuring tape a lot and it would be a giant pain. Am I being lazy? Yes, yes I am and I don't care. LOL (lot's of laughs).

Interesting perspective. Well done, and amusing. Have lived overseas, and DID NOT miss the work/money obsession of Americans. My life was better and more well rounded. I miss that.

Mitica! Altra domanda esistenziale per me: perché la chiamano World Series se partecipano solo squadre americane e se non erro canadesi?

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

Mi sa che stai parlando di sport e di uno sport che non conosco... 🤔 [Ma posso garantirti che gli americani hanno spaventose tendenze megalomani]

@Vita-a-stelle-e-strisce

3 жыл бұрын

@@WhatashameMaryJane si, baseball.

@Brokenface

2 жыл бұрын

O i vincitori della NBA sono chiamati world Champions nonostante siano 29 squadre statunitensi più una canadese. Questo tipo di megalomania mi ha sempre "infastidito" perché non ha assolutamente alcun senso

Now a quick word about the metric system and electricity in this country Mary Jane. Back in the 1970s long before you were born Mary Jane this country did try to use the metric system, It just didn't work out, Because people are just used to using the empirical system of measurement. Pounds and yards and stuff. I'm okay with either way as an engineer, I understand both. Once again they already tried that way back in the 1970s. I was a child but I remember it. About electricity Mary Jane, The reason our American plugs are so much thinner then European plugs has to do with the fact that in Europe 220 volts is usually the average norm, However, in American our power is 120 volts. I need to add not all American plugs are the same. If you look at the plug for an electric⚡stove or refrigerator they're very different in the kind of plug these appliances use.That's because refrigerators and stoves use 220 a lot like what y'all use over there in Europe. Basically it all comes down to electric amps or amperes to use the technical term. Shocking isn't it. 😎⚡

I dunno if somebody already posted that, but to understand American fixation with money and profit an old but still fundamental book is The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, by Max Weber. It's all in there.

OMG! That made me LOL! FRFR!

That's sad about the marriage part :( Yes the two people should both be involved. Regarding your windows, it's crazy that you don't have screens!!! Please don't hang out of that window. They are not in there strong enough to hold your weight. Pot holes are bad here bc of the cold winters.

Pretty accurate

I'm an American geophysicist and couldn't agree more about the imperial thing!

Il costo dei prodotti va rapportato agli stipendi. E' probabile che siano quindi più costosi qui in Italy.

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

Il costo di singoli prodotti io lo rapporto al costo di altri prodotti, non degli stipendi.

The abbreviations are more of an English language thing than American. We have a lot of this in most anglophone countries. I don't see it much in German and Italian.

I've never seen a window like the "standard American" window in this video in my 45 years. But I'm in California. Most open side to side. But, we probably do things differently.

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

Yep the side slide windows are the second most common windows in the US based on what I've read.

The 🇺🇸 did plan to convert to the metric system but it was being taught so poorly that it was scrapped. The abbreviations were learned from reading newspapers where space was at a minimum & advertising space at a maximum. People here are creatures of habit & drastic change is only begrudgingly done.

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

All humans are creature of habits though :)

@starfire2125

3 жыл бұрын

As I understand it, one big part of why it was scrapped was the election of 1980. Democrat Jimmy Carter was defeated by Republican Ronald Reagan, who then stripped funding from the US metric board. Reagan was wildly popular and that pretty much killed the issue. Anyone who travels is painfully aware of the difference in systems (though that's only 1/3 of Americans), and anyone involved in science is as well, both because they use metric and because a very expensive space mission failed in 1999 because one subcontractor used imperial and not metric.

@davidellis5141

3 жыл бұрын

@@starfire2125 That was one of many Programs that Reagan cut to test his trickle down economic vision that ultimately proved to be fiscally disastrous. He eliminated the Mental Health bill that Carter signed & the repercussions of that still reverberate today with many not receiving treatment & homeless. The ACA is starting to help but Trump came within one vote of eliminating it both in the Senate ( McCain) & at Scotus ( Roberts ) BTW 😆 I just used two abbreviations ! Sorry , Mary Jane !

All good questions, maybe because all Americans live in One Continent (speaking the same language) with States as big as some Country's (mostly all speaking a different language) in Europe which needed some common ground in basic needs. Plus it all starts from the top (no not the government) it's Big Business and Their Money.

🤣 😆 omg… that was so funny!! Because you’re so right! I’ve lived in US my whole life and I still don’t understand. I loved this video!!! But honestly Mary it’s such a shame because to answer some of these questions deserves a video of its own. And I can’t make it… I have to get high on the weekends cause I slave away during the week at work.. there are meetings, deadlines, all that simply goes in a multitude of line items that eventually affect the bottom line by few percentage points. It does make me sad 😞 All this technology and yet they still have no clue how human beings work.

@WhatashameMaryJane

2 жыл бұрын

QUIIIIIT!!!!!!

@h4hashir

2 жыл бұрын

@@WhatashameMaryJane lol! I’m definitely working towards it! Americans accrue a lot of debt cause college is really expensive here…so need to pay that off first before I can take this risk.

Vivo in Texas, sono d'accordo con te al 100%, l'altro giorno ho scoperto questa: JK just kidding, ma la prima abbreviazione che ho imparato e non la dimenticherò più per ovvi motivi è bbq 😀. Non hai menzionato il formato della data e degli indirizzi. Un numero come l'anno 2022 lo leggono 20 22

I think that a profit based morality has two sources. One is the influence of Calvinist theology on US culture. Calvinists believe(d) in predestination, and also that if you are wealthy, it is because you are blessed/chosen by God (hence the "God bless America"), but if you are poor, you are rejected by God, and one should not care about you. This is the totally irrational part. The more rational cause is that there is indeed something moral about making efforts to create wealth, about being active and responsible for oneself in life etc. The problem arises if this is pushed to the extreme and leads to dismiss people who fail in life, sometimes not by their own fault. It is even worse when morality is completely reduced to wealth production, meaning that if you make profits, you can do no wrong, because you are doing the "moral thing" by producing wealth. But this is obviously a fallacy, because blindly making profits can and is often done by crushing other people. But that's OK, because you are doing the moral thing by making money. This reductionist approach is extremely dehumanizing. On the other side, there is the "progressive" extremism of the American left, that basically denies the morality of personal effort and work, and denies the importance of personal responsibility. This is a "morality of the victim", the "morality of unaccountability". It is always someone else's fault. In my view, the "morality of profit" and the "morality of the victim" are the two sides of the same very reductionist and unbalanced cultural and moral coin in the USA. By saying that I am not comparing it to any moral system (so no US whataboutism please) but am talking in the absolute about the mechanisms present, not relative to any other country. Although differential experiences from other countries can help to become aware of the cultural mechanisms present in our own country.

@WhatashameMaryJane

Жыл бұрын

Love the analysis, thanks for taking the time. It helps making me understand the American perspective on how their bizarre (from an European pov, obviously) wealth based ethics is even possible. Definitely one of the best comments I've received on this topic.

For the interesting part jump at 13:06

I meet some guys in a bar/pub in Ennis, Ireland one night and all three had not worked in at least four months. They just hung out at this joint and all the girls knew them, one was married, they didn’t have a care in the world. I remember thinking if I had not worked in four months I would be in an alley someplace eating out of trash cans. But I learned they still got paid full amount, for, I guess, forever. There was not any work so the government paid them. It was not short term unemployment benefits, it was just, I don’t know…. I had never ever thought of such a thing. My father told me work, work, work or you will never be able to care for yourself, have any dignity, or support your wife and family if you have one. He was clear that you had to have a life outside of work or life will be very unsatisfactory, but this work ethic and the SHAME of receiving government benefits is first and foremost. All the men I knew as a child held that belief. Money doesn’t talk, it swears and it is powerful. I think it is something many Americans have drilled into them from infancy and that it is difficult to learn that money is needed but not a cure all or the absolute promise of fulfilling life. It may even make your life less fulfilling if you are too focused on it. The 1980’s and 1990’s “Greed is good” era, is sort of an era of promiscuous spending and materialistic living that was not very healthy but neither is the hateful, divided, us versus them, attacking the House of our Democratic government with flag poles and other weapons to tear down our nation. I think right now is a horrible time in America, perhaps as bad as the Vietnam War, civil rights movement, the Students pushing for socialism and communal living and the generational divides of the late 60’s and early 70’s. I was young but I remember that time with my older siblings being in the draft and all of that, cities burning to the ground. Detroit has never recovered, Newark, NJ still trying, so on.

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your commentary.

And here's one more: Why does the week start on a Sunday? In the whole world the week starts on Monday. It makes total sense. I lived in Canada for over 40+ years and I still get all confused when I look at at a calendar. What's with that??

@jessgonzalez9151

3 жыл бұрын

I feel like the week does start on Monday, since that it when most people start their work/school week. On the calendar it's Sunday and Sunday feels more like the last day of the week

I would have thought that the US would have converted to the metric system when they ran out the British. Or we as Dutch didn't do a good job installing it when we had NYC or New Amsterdam . Well it's nice to see that you haven't lost your Italian temperament 😜

go to the home depot or lowes and maybe look of ur perfect window or direct order from factory? not cheap 600 at least for one. made of vinyl these days. maybe order a greman one from overseas but tel ur landlord u mad ea change so u dont get no issues!

@christianhansen3292

3 жыл бұрын

hate acronyms but peeps are generally lazy and they expect u to understand the abbreviations esp. in a twitter culture. military uses many acronyms too.

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

I would never change the windows in my apartment because I rent it, it's not mine.

Ahahaha!!! Fantastic!!! ;))

'The plugs I was used to in Italy or Europe'? *Sighs deeply in Britsh*

I love this woman

BTW, the boiling point is 212 degrees F, not 210. The conversion formula is C = (212 - 32) * (5/9) = 100. The reason we use the imperial system is because we don't like base 10 measurement systems, lol.

@WhatashameMaryJane

3 жыл бұрын

Uh see, I haven’t seen even learned it properly yet!

@rooooooby

3 жыл бұрын

We don't use imperial we use US customary. A lot of it is the the same but not all of it. The volume measurements are different. 1 imperial fluid ounce is equal to 0.96 US customary fluid ounces. There are some other units that are different.

So as to the moral intensity of making a profit Food For Thought number one I believe most of your living experience has been in New York City oh and by the way the reasons they tend to say NYC is to differentiate it from the rest of New York state which gets very upset when one assumes that if someone says they're from New York that it is always NYC but I also know you've been to San Francisco which is more expensive now than New York City and due to the megalomania of the the tech industry and you to New York as a financial Mega Center that profit thing is more dramatic in NYC and I lived in NYC for three years and for business have visited it over 500 times aside from my 3 years in my life if you can get to the Midwest the Rockies and the South you will find that is not as much as an overriding value but even with that said the creation of profit and wealth that helps expand a business and expand jobs and expand opportunity it seem is the ultimate end to making a profit in a larger picture yes there are many Americans that are too consumed by making money but I always like to laugh at Joan Rivers comment money is not the key to happiness but if you have enough money you can have the damn key made LOL

Couple points from a native American: 1. The problem with your plugs is the female end; it should be much tighter. Rarely have this issue but when I do that's why; quality outlets and power strips will resolve this. 2. Agreed! Unrefined whole foods are more important than macros (IMO) 😅 3. We don't hang out our windows lol, we'd just go outside instead 4/10. Sadly agree on this point; many Americans place way too much value on money. Think it largely stems from propaganda in entertainment and is absorbed via culture from a young age; people think more money will fill a hole in their life. To be fair I see this in many developed and western societies, but America is probably the best example. There is also a minority for whom money is a means to pursue purpose outside of work, to live life through their own values, or to bless and serve others. Hard to do any of those things when you are a slave to a paycheck. We all like to say what our values are but how we choose to invest (or waste) our most important resources say otherwise. 6. For a smaller number of Americans, customs such as men initiating and proposing are valued because they are biblically rooted. For a SIGNIFICANTLY larger number it is just tradition passed down from a culture that values God less and less as time goes on. I expect this is largely why it makes little sense; for most it is just the counterfeit of tradition that used to mean something. I think it helps to understand for so many of these things that modern American culture is really pathetic. It has no foundation and is largely just based on entertainment. Think it can be summed up by "hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, weak men create hard times." I'll let you decide where we're at. Just my take, hope this was insightful!