Things I want to know from Americans after my holiday there

xpost, totally common in the midwest then, half my co-workers deepfried theirs.

I dunno. I only jaywalk when there are no cars coming. The real problem is maniac bicyclists who ignore EVERY conceivable traffic law.

5) Do people really deep fat fry Turkeys?

This is popular in the South.

7) Has New Jersey always been a bit rubbish to look at?

Depends which part you're talking about. Most of New Jersey is beautiful and and not at all like an industrial wasteland. Gorgeous foliage, beaches, farms, forests, and lots and lots of history.

10) Is high-fructose corn syrup responsible for the obesity crisis?

That's my theory. It's in everything.

New Jersey was actually quite a lovely place prior to 1680.

Walk/Don't Walk? Well, Americans try to avoid reading whenever possible, so a picture speaks to all. Why read when you can deep fry?

The city doesn't have a large tax base? (this could be very wrong; I don't know) It is a bit low-key, but I've never found it unwelcoming. I'm not sure I'd want to enter a super-fluorescent environment at night.

3) Why don't NY Subways have nice indicator boards like here in London?

I'm not sure what an indicator board is, but if they are what I think they are, they are found on all of the new trains that make up much of the system.

6) Is there a school to teach traffic reporters, weatherpersons and people giving statutory information at the end of adverts to speak at inhumanly fast speeds?

In Northeast Corridor America, traffic reporters are given a very small space of time to serve the information needs of massive metropolitan areas stuck in the path of a major truck shipping route. In preparation, all citizens are required by age 13 to be able to identify important traffic bottlenecks like the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway's Kosciusko Bridge and Nortthern Virginia's Route 123 across the Occoquan River. Failure results in reeducation. Competitive exams thereafter prepare the best and the brightest for future radio duty.

7) Has New Jersey always been a bit rubbish to look at? Reminded me of Mordor if built by the Doozers in Fraggle Rock.

It's famous for it's rubbishness, but unfairly so. I'm not sure there's anything in NJ that isn't bettered in another state, but you see none of what is good about it (and there's a fair amount) from I-95.

8) Are city bars as seemingly free from menace and aggro as they appeared to be?

It can be found, but it's certainly not a typical characteristic of most, or even the vast majority, of bars. Apparently, the UK is different?

10) Is high-fructose corn syrup responsible for the obesity crisis?

Not exclusively, but it's a significant contributor.

11) Why is Century21 so much better for men's clothes than for women?

There are many more stores serving women only?

This is my theory too! As well as Jody's theory. And we are both right. As usual.

#10 - yes, high fructose corn syrup is largely responsible. As are deep-fried turkeys.

http://www.yardsbrewing.com/

8) Yes. Should I be frightened of UK bars?

11) The good womenswear is snapped up immediately upon its arrival; men's is less competitive.

well, yeah, kinda. it's also kind of a no-brainer. it didn't USED to be in everything and now it is. soda used to have cane sugar in it, which is nowhere near as strong or as bad for you as corn-syrup. when i was a kid there wasn't corn-syrup in the saltine crackers i ate! now there is.

Nah, not really. It's kind of like 'should I be frightened of New York?' - the danger is much less than it's percieved to be by some people. That said, like any bar, be careful if your a woman out alone, or not. There are good pubs and bad pubs I suppose.

Yes, it's delish. My band plays this one outdoor festival every year that always supplies fried turkey.

8) Are city bars as seemingly free from menace and aggro as they appeared to be?

Yes. My working theory is that guns and the possibility thereof deter fistfights.

http://www.cajunstuff.com/store/default.php/cPath/1

I just imagine myself starting a real BAR in London, with dark lighting, stiff, big drinks full of ice, ice cold beer, etc... I think I'd make a killing, has anyone tried this? Like an LA/NYC/SF style hipster bar that serves strong-ass cocktails? Is there crazy regululations or something?

Don't you have those Guiness ads in the UK, with the animated cutout men going on about "drink guiness in a bottle? BRILLIANT!". They're cute and daft.. we have 'em here in Australia.

depends on the fruit juice. oj = loaded with sugar. grape juice = forget about it. unsweetened apple juice is probably the best bet.

http://graphics.ink19.com/issues/may1999/covers/corm.jpeg

2) What happened to walk/don't walk signs? Is there a move to ideograms to counter illiterate jaywalking?

for idiot foreigners!

3) Why don't NY Subways have nice indicator boards like here in London?

compare: ihttp://www.1vacation.com/lonundergnd.jpg ihttp://de.geocities.com/nyc_rail/nyc-map.gif

4) Is Yard's Ale from Philadelphia available anywhere in the UK? It is incredibly nummy.

I congratulate you on your non-snobbishness towards our generally (by volume, certainly) inferior beer!

5) Do people really deep fat fry Turkeys? An advert enticed people to buy a machine that did this, but wondered whether anyone bought them.

http://flakmag.com/misc/images/foreman1.jpg

6) Is there a school to teach traffic reporters, weatherpersons and people giving statutory information at the end of adverts to speak at inhumanly fast speeds?

ihttp://whitemetal.com/ppro/ttapr99/mm_vett2.jpg

7) Has New Jersey always been a bit rubbish to look at? Reminded me of Mordor if built by the Doozers in Fraggle Rock.

http://writmuse.blogspot.com/NJtshirt.jpg

8) Are city bars as seemingly free from menace and aggro as they appeared to be?

generally!

9) Why do Guiness adverts end with a comedy Irish accent saying 'drink responsibily. Brilliant!'. It's become a bit of a meme for us, so would like to know why.

Have you seen the ads where most of the ads are Irish voices talking back and forth and saying "Brilliant!"?

10) Is high-fructose corn syrup responsible for the obesity crisis?

Yes.

11) Why is Century21 so much better for men's clothes than for women?

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&c2coff=1&client=firefox&q=century+21+realtors&btnG=Search

In pubs, buying spirits and mixers is generally expensive and a rip off - they use those 25ml things and then charge you a fortune for a small bottle of tonic. This is why most british ppl drink beer in pubs - you get a LOT more alchohol for your money

However, in bars, the opposite tends to be true. Cocktails can be pretty expensive, but that have a lot more alchohol in them - usually at least 50ml. Mixers tend to come from taps and therefore don;t cost so much. Beers tend to be more expensive tho - usually bottled and working out about twice the price per volume as in pubs.

If you follow this rule, you shoudl be ok. Plus you don;t need to tip the bar staff, so you can save some cash there too!