Geography-related
Questions 1-10
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THE
QUESTION:
G10: I've spent the past seven years working in the food
service industry, and it's my impression that Canadians in general
are very poor tippers. Why is this?
POSTED JUNE 15, 1998
C.S.M., 27, Buffalo, N.Y.
ANSWER 1:
Just a guess, but could it be that Canadians are already
shocked by the high prices they have to pay in the United States
after converting Canadian dollars into U.S. dollars?
POSTED JUNE 24, 1998
Karen N.
<Kdakan@home.com>,
Sarasota, FL
FURTHER NOTICE:
Perhaps you shouldn't generalize us, as I am a Canadian
and always tip minimum 15 percent on my meals unless the service was
poor. Even if the food is mediocre but the server was good, I still
tip. So please do not put all Canadians in the same boat!
POSTED JUNE 26, 1998
Shan, 33, white female, Alberta, Canada
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I am Canadian and feel servers deserve tips. I have worked
in this field as well. But in Canada, remember that waitresses get
paid minimum wage or better, and they also get good benefits such as
health care and sick time. So as a customer, I feel that the need for
extra income from tips is something they deserve for service
above the call of duty. They get paid well and do not have to
live off of the tip money they receive. In the United States, to my
knowledge, waitresses don't always get a wage and rely greatly on
their tip money, so it is required for them to receive at least 15
percent.
POSTED JULY 18, 1998
Ayla, 29,
<ayla1969@hotmail.com>,
Estevan , Saskatchewan, Canada
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
I think tipping should not be depended on at restaurants.
Pay your employees a fair wage and they wouldn't have to depend on
tips. I was a waitress at one time, by the way. Eating out is
expensive enough without feeling like it is mandatory to tip.
POSTED AUG. 6, 1998
Kathy, Lancaster, Ohio
FURTHER NOTICE 4:
I worked in the hospitality industry in Canada, where
Canadian tippers were the norm. A question from my side would be why
Americans tip so well. I was a bellman, and we would fight for
customers with U.S. license plates and avoid Europeans like the
plague. If you think Canadians are poor tippers, all in all people
from "non-tipping" cultures, i.e. some Europeans, are worse.
POSTED AUG. 10, 1998
Angus M., Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada
FURTHER NOTICE 5:
Not all Canadians are bad tippers. We may not tip as much
when we are in the United States because the exchange rate kills
us.
POSTED OCT. 9, 1998
Kevin, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
G9: I live in the Northwest, grew up in the Southwest and was
born in Washington, D.C. My question: Why does it seem that many
Easterners, mostly New Yorkers, are so rude and do not respect
another's personal space?
POSTED JUNE 4, 1998
Bickelb, 51, male, Clinton, WA
ANSWER 1:
New York City and its surrounding areas have a culture all
their own that many people don't understand. (I'm a Long Islander
currently living in Southern California.) New Yorkers prefer their
own space; they like to be left alone to do whatever they're doing.
They work hard and can't be bothered with any silliness (like singing
on the subway). To make some generalizations: East Coasters are true,
genuine people. You know where they're coming from. They don't mince
words. They are not flaky or pretentious. East Coasters have a solid
work ethic and a strong sense of family. Just because they don't go
skipping down the street saying hello to everyone they meet doesn't
mean they're rude. They'd give you the shirt off their back, then ask
if there's anything else you need. Many of my friends in California
are from the East Coast. It's funny how we all seem to gravitate
towards each other.
POSTED JUNE 17, 1998
Kris B.
<bria@connectnet.com>,
Carlsbad, CA
FURTHER NOTICE:
What you perceive to be rude behavior and disregard for
"personal space" reflects differences of urban life in most major
world cities (i.e. Mexico City, Paris, etc.) Also, please note the
difference between New York City and New York State. Most of New York
is rural. Upstate residents are completely different from New York
City residents. I see three major environmental differences between
urban NYC residents and those who reside almost anywhere else. I
believe these lifestyle difference directly affect an individual's
conceptualization of "personal space." Travel: Most NYC residents
commute by subway, bus or ferry. In most other areas, individuals
travel alone in an automobile. The solitude of an individual in a
private automobile is a rare luxury in NYC, where parking costs
prevent many from owning autos. Housing: NYC is suffering from a
housing shortage. Outside of the city, families generally live in
single-family units with at least some yard space separating
neighbors. In crowded apartment buildings, residents have neighbors
on two sides, above and below. In effect, there is less privacy and
"personal space."Culture: NYC residents, even those who remain in
traditional ethnic enclaves, frequently interact with foreigners and
first-generation Americans who speak limited or no English. Tact is
often lost on those who possess different customs. It is sometimes
best to be direct. This "directness" is often perceived by outsiders
as rude behavior.
POSTED JUNE 17, 1998
Andrew W., 22, Davis, CA
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
New Yorkers encounter thousands of people daily and have
few opportunities for privacy. This lack of personal space may cause
them to become indifferent or abrupt. All humans need peace to quiet
their spirits, and little peace or quiet is available in a city with
8 million people. Consequently, New Yorkers may become aggressive or
abrupt because they are emotionally overwhelmed, and because they
must compete for something individuals from rural areas may take for
granted - space. In addition, individuals from more than 180
countries call New York home. Imagine the communications nightmare
that occurs when no one speaks the same language nor shares a common
culture. New Yorkers typically "mellow-out" after having lived in a
peaceful, spacious, culturally homogeneous environment - but never
quite lose their edge.
POSTED JUNE 18, 1998
Peggy, 39, black, former New Yorker
<brownsville3@juno.
com>, Atlanta, GA
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
I grew up in New Jersey, lived in North Carolina nine
years and have settled back in New Jersey. New York City dwellers may
appear to have less respect than others for personal space, but I
think their behavior (and maybe my own) is a function of not having
any space to start with. Some Europeans, Asians and Middle Easterners
have (to my mind) far less respect for personal space than New
Yorkers do, and, again, I think it is because they live in very
crowded conditions, which simply makes their concept of personal
space different from that of people who grow up in wide-open
spaces.
POSTED JUNE 18, 1998
Erin B.
<eboyle@planet.net>,
Morris Plains, NJ
FURTHER NOTICE 4:
I grew up in Brooklyn, went to college in Boston and now
live in Georgia. New Yorkers are not rude. We seem to have an
"in-your-face" way of dealing with issues that seems to put some
people off. To me, it is because New York has been fast-paced long
before many cities; we don't take time for the niceties others may
use in conversation and interpersonal relations. I grew up in the
"yadda-yadda-yadda" and "cut-to-the-chase" frame of mind, and it is
hard to break out of that mold. New Yorkers seem to ask the most
personal questions, which people answer without the slightest
hesitation, even thought they may feel funny about answering them. I
ask those "cut-to-the-chase," work-related questions in meetings, and
people always seem put off by them, like they are sorry the meeting
cannot last for hours by "beating around the bush."
POSED JUNE 22, 1998
Tammra N., 35, black female
<nelsont@nscdiscovery.org>,
Augusta, GA
FURTHER NOTICE 5:
I grew up in the Midwest, have traveled around the country
and world and have now lived in New York City five years. I think the
problem is not that New Yorkers don't respect personal space, but
that they tend to have less of it, and by extension perceive you as
having less of it, too. The rudeness thing is different. I am
convinced Southern manners and Midwestern pleasantness are shams that
cover a horrifying mass of ill will, resentment and the inability to
express thoughts and feelings without a lot of hemming and hawing.
It's a cover for the same bad wiring New Yorkers have. New Yorkers,
as part of their constant feeling of urgency and the need for forward
movement, eschew the pleasantries and formalized rituals that much of
the rest of the country holds dear. If you want to get along with a
New Yorker, speak plainly, succinctly and to the point. Tell it like
it is.
POSTED JUNE 26, 1998
Grant B.
<files@smtp.jerrynet.com>,
New York, NY
FURTHER NOTICE 6:
Grant is right. Living in the South has taught me that all
the niceties are theatrics. A great deal of it is suger-coating ill
will and prejudice. It's a lot easier to imply something undesirable
about another person with a coy smile on your face than to take
responsibility for your opinion and come right out and say it. The
charming mannerisms of the South disguise and obscure unpleasantries
that could be resolved if discussed openly. I'll take New York
honesty any day of the week.
POSTED JULY 24, 1998
D.M.M.
<donikam@hotmail.com>,
Charleston, S.C.
FURTHER NOTICE 7:
Most folks responding to this question are ex-New Yorkers,
or currently live there, and all seem to have a problem with the
"rude" label. They prefer to call it an "in-your-face attitude," etc.
How, then, would they define rude? A rose by any other name...
POSTED OCT. 30, 1998
Danny J., Austin, TX
FURTHER NOTICE 8:
I grew up in Texas, where my grandmother always told me to
"Smile so people think you like them" and where my high school
guidance counselor told me to go to SMU and "find a good doctor
husband." As soon as I could, I fled to New York state, where I was
free to get my own degree, express my own opinions and be me. New
Yorkers rude? How about honest? How about real?
POSTED NOV. 2, 1998
Christi G., 36
<cgkemp@hotmail.com>,
Orlando, FL
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
G8: In what country of the world are drugs most popular, and
what drug is most popular there?
POSTED JUNE 3, 1998
Max H., heffesse@ibm.net, Beverly Hills, CA
ANSWER 1:
Drugs are probably most popular in America. I was reading
this lesbian magazine called Out, and in it it said what drugs
were most popular where. In the Northwest it's weed, in the Northeast
it's Meth mixed with coffee and in California it's angel dust smoked
in fat joints. So to maybe answer your question, it's weed, but it
kinda depends on where you're from, too.
POSTED NOV. 29, 1998
Tokeman
<tokeman@execpc.com>,
Milwaukee, WI
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
G7: I'm Canadian, over 50 and I've lived in the States. Are
Americans becoming more xenophobic and less aware and tolerant of
other cultures and values, or do they just cultivate that attitude in
their politicians and media? POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
Manfred
<manfred@arcturus.ca>,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
ANSWER 1:
I think it has always been this way; the difference is
that it is no longer socially acceptable. When it was considered the
norm, there was no reason to appear xenophobic, because any new
culture (i.e. immigrant groups) were expected to conform at once, or
keep to themselves in cultural ghettos that "normal" Americans would
rarely or never enter. Like Chinatown in San Francisco, or the old
Jewish or Italian neighborhoods in New York.
These days, the new arrivals are refusing to conveniently hide
themselves or give up their own customs and traditions. It is
frightening to people who are afraid of change and who think "Leave
It To Beaver" is an accurate representation of America the way it is
and should be.
POSTED MAY 3, 1998
Colette
<inkwolf@earthlink.net>,
Seymour, WI
FURTHER NOTICE:
I make no apologies for our politicians. Our whole
election system is a dreadful mess, and the day of reckoning is near
for it. I would also say that it is easy for a Canadian to be
critical of the issues we have in this country, especially in the
Southwest, where policy toward immigration is controversial and
heavy-handed, and the system in place to enforce that policy is
corrupt and poorly run. It isn't that Americans are xenophobes, it's
more of a function of a country whose demographics are changing
faster than the population's ability to deal with it. Canada doesn't
have a fraction of these types of issues.
POSTED JUNE 18, 1998
A.E., 27
<ACEidson@email.msn.com>,
CA
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
The day the mainstream media and politicians both reflect
popular viewpoints will never come. I think you would find that most
Americans are very tolerant of differences in other people. I know
all I ask for is to receive the same respect for my views that I give
others. The media tends to take issues and show both extremes while
disregarding the middle ground most Americans stand on. With regard
to immigration and xenophobia, the prevailing belief, at least from
the people I know, seems to be "handouts for no one" but that there
should not be barriers to succeed, either. If there are no barriers,
a person sinks or swims based on his own competency. Most politicians
represent this middle ground, but the ones who receive the most
publicity are the ones who take radical or bizarre stances. A good
example of the American desire for a moderate path is shown by the
historical preference for keeping Congress and the Executive Office
in control of two different parties.
POSTED AUG. 21, 1998
Joel F. <jflg@aol.com>,
Boston, MA
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
I think diversity is the source of our prejudices. This is
most true in our cities and at our southern border. People are
considered a novelty when they are on the other side of the globe.
They might be considered primitive, but they are harmless. When they
move in next door with 15 family members, they are perceived as a
threat. I think the United States is going through the growing pains
of receiving our latest immigrants. Meanwhile, large cities in the
West and North are adjusting to large numbers of African Americans.
Remember, the Irish used to be discriminated against, too. One day
Hispanics will probably have the established position occupied by the
Irish today.
POSTED OCT. 13, 1998
Cynthia
<ThePowers@aol.com>,
Greensboro, NC
FURTHER NOTICE 4:
I think it's inherent in human nature to want to associate
with others like ourselves. This phenomenon isn't limited to us in
the United States - ask people in Vancouver how thrilled they are
about the influx of Chinese people from Hong Kong over the last few
years. What appears to be U.S. xenophobia is really the convenient
scapegoating of people who aren't politically empowered by
opportunistic politicians who don't fear retribution, coupled with a
mass media preoccupied with sensationalistic stories. No wonder we're
"ugly Americans" - look at how we present ourselves.
NOV. 2, 1998
Chris, Chicago, IL
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
G6: Does region play a factor in the likelihood of pet
ownership or affinity for pets? I grew up in the Midwest, in a city
where almost every home was a detached single-family house with a
yard. As a result, most people who had them kept their dogs outside,
tied up in the yard. And people generally seemed to train them to be
watchdogs, meaning they barked at strangers. I never learned to be
comfortable with animals because I was strictly taught never to try
to pet a strange dog, because it was often a watchdog. But in the
densely populated cities of the East Coast, I'm amazed at how much
less aggressive toward strangers dogs here are, and how much less
dogs bark or jump. I think kids fear strange dogs out East much less
than I was taught to.
POSTED APRIL 29, 1998
N.P., 35, African-American male
Philadelphia, PA
ANSWER 1:
It's partly the way dogs are kept: Dogs chained or fenced
alone all day suffer from barrier frustration and loneliness, besides
which there is not much motivation for training a dog who is never
going to be in the house.
Dogs kept indoors with the family or played with and trained
extensively are better adjusted and don't bark and jump as much.
So dogs are probably better behaved in populated areas, where they
are kept indoors, rather than in country areas, where people often
believe animals belong outside. Of course, the individual personality
of the dog also has a lot to do with it!
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
Colette
<inkwolf@earthlink.net>,
Seymour, WI
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
G5: Living in Canada, I've had a lot of American influence on
my life. I know so much about American social life and history
(presidents and such) simply from TV alone. My question is, do
Americans know anything about Canadian history and Canadian life?
POSTED APRIL 6, 1998
Steve B., 18, Canadian
<trendybo@hotmail.com>
Niagara Falls, ONT, CAN
ANSWER 1:
Speaking for myself, an American in New Jersey, the answer
is a resounding no. I know next to nothing about Canada. You
got your knowledge of us from TV; unfortunately, there are almost no
shows from Canada here. The exception I can think of was a children's
show called "The Friendly Giant." This was not particularly
informative when it came to life in Canada. I am ashamed of my lack
of knowledge, and plan to do some research after I log off tonight to
try to correct that a little bit
POSTED APRIL 8, 1998
Glenn P., 39
<C128User@GTI.Net>
Washington, NJ
FURTHER NOTICE:
I consider myself rather well-read in many areas,
including history and world affairs, but about all I could dredge up
about Canadian history is "54-40 or fight" and the "Plains of
Abraham."
POSTED APRIL 9, 1998
Jerry S., 49
<jerryschwartz@comfortable.com>
New Britain, CT
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I'm your neighbor to the south, in Wisconsin. When I read
Canadian books or see Canadian films, they seem much more like the
culture I live in than most American movies and TV shows, which
mainly develop on the East and West coasts. "For Better or For
Worse," a Canadian comic strip about daily life, reflects the life of
people in the United States also - so much so that it is one of our
country's most popular comics. I know some of your history because
it's the same as our part of the North Woods - French explorers and
trappers, lumberjacks, even the same Indian tribes. Everyone knows
about the Yukon gold rush and the Mounties. We hear your news
occasionally - like when Britain granted you independence, about the
Quebec secession movement and how you keep protesting our pollution
that gives you acid rain. We know that the northern part of Canada is
similar to Alaska - very wild and sparsely populated. Many people
probably read books by Canadian authors without even realizing it -
Charlotte MacLeod is highly popular here!
POSTED APRIL 10, 1998
Colette
<inkwolf@earthlink.net>
Seymour, WI
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
I always felt I knew a lot about Canada. One example: The
reason the border follows along the Great Lakes is that young America
got greedy and decided to take land from Canada. We ended up getting
our butts kicked and lost territory. This was one of the many things
taught us about Canada in school in the 1950s.
POSTED APRIL 11, 1998
Lou H.
<louh@mediaone.net>,
Green Cove Springs, FL
FURTHER NOTICE 4:
Living in Detroit, even I don't know much about Canada.
The only glimpse I get of Canadian life is from the Canadian
Broadcasting Company's "Hockey Night in Canada."
M. Kershaw, 29
Detroit, MI
FURTHER NOTICE 5:
I'm a 21-year-old from Detroit. When my friends and I were
19, the only thing we knew about Canada was that we could go there to
get drunk, since the legal age in the United States is 21. I'm
embarrassed to say we could name every bar in Windsor, but not much
else. Today, I get one Canadian television station and one radio
station. The only time I watched CBC with any regularity was during
the Olympics, so I knew more about the Canadian athletes than I did
the Americans. Even though I live only 20 minutes away, I still don't
know much about life there other than curling, hockey and
casinos.
POSTED APRIL 13, 1998
Kelli, 21
<md45@flash.net>
Detroit, MI
FURTHER NOTICE 6:
As a next-door neighbor to the Canadian asking this
question: Americans who live outside the Great Lakes are incredibly
ignorant about Canada because Americans rarely get decent history
classes about anybody except for the United States, and even
that is history written by the conquerors. We don't get good history
instruction about our own regions, which is why North/South,
East/West questions also pop up here. Heck, even growing up in west
New York, I didn't know until post-college that "York," the place
where Loyalists went after the Revolutionary War for safety, was
Toronto!
Canadian history? Fuggeduhboutit. Not until our high schools dump
the Apple Pie and '57 Chevy mentality. Culture/Life? Except for
Celine Dion, hockey, bare-naked ladies, the McKenzie Brothers and
snow, you'll always experience American ignorance unless the person
you meet has traveled extensively or happens to live on the border,
like my hometown, which now is absolutely dependent on Toronto for
decent live music and aspects of fine culture that have declined with
Buffalo's economic base.
For Americans: Little Known Facts: Toronto has a center city
comparable only to Chicago, Boston and New York City, with towers,
theaters and sidewalk shopping that feel like New York but are safer,
cleaner and more pleasant than New York's will ever be. On a map, the
Toronto metro area is as big as Chicago, almost as big as New York.
Theater scene: Huge. Music: Huge. Sports: All the majors. Racial
diversity: More than New York City (not an exaggeration). Banking:
Global presence; every financial institution under the sun.
Definitely a city to be reckoned with.
Brendon, 26
<brendon.mcnamara@juno.com>
Buffalo, NY
FURTHER NOTICE 7:
I am a resident of Michigan (which borders Canada on two
sides), and although we have frequent encounters with Canadian
citizens, we have next-to-no knowledge about Canada itself. I
attended two high schools in Michigan, and neither ever mentioned
Canada in any context.
POSTED APRIL 18, 1998
J.F, 18
Mason, MI
FURTHER NOTICE 8:
I'm from Detroit, and the most I know about Canada (other
than visiting Toronto and Montreal and Windsor) comes from the
Canadian Broadcasting Company, which can be seen on television here.
Programming is usually better, and the news is more global. When
Quebec was having the election about secession, it barely got
coverage on American TV. It is easy to think of Canada as
non-existent, especially if you don't seek out information about
Canada. That is, unless you want to go to a casino.
POSTED APRIL 23, 1998
M. Johnson, Detroit, MI
FURTHER NOTICE 9:
I think many people assume there is no difference between
Canada and the United States, and that is because of their lack of
knowledge about Canadian history. I am the daughter of parents who
migrated south from Nova Scotia. Recently, my daughter's teacher
assigned her students the task of making a presentation on their
cultural heritage. My daughter told her teacher she was going to do
her project on Canada. Her teacher said she would have to do it on
England or France because Canada had no native culture. However,
children from Mexico or other Latin American countries were allowed
to focus on those cultures. What an opportunity my daughter lost to
educate the rest of her class!
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
Susan, Canadian-American, Atlanta, GA
FURTHER NOTICE 10:
Excellent question. The answer is an embarrassing
no. Remember the phrase "the ugly American"? Well, many of us
still don't seem to know there's anything non-American anywhere in
the world, or if we do, it's only a fuzzy non-entity. I think this is
probably why a country as large and diverse as the United States
still doesn't know how to deal very well with its own diversity. I
try not to be this isolated, but I have to stare my own ignorance in
the face when it comes to Canada. I know more about India than about
Canada. Nothing much comes to mind other than secession fights in
Quebec, hockey, the Toronto SkyDome and Leonard Cohen. Thank you for
bringing this ignorance to our attention.
POSTED MAY 3, 1998
Tim G., 24
<gilmoret@bellsouth.net>,
Jacksonville, FL
FURTHER NOTICE 11:
Here's the short list: Canadians tend to be wonderful
people who don't take themselves too seriously; thus, Canada produces
some of the funniest stuff on the planet, i.e. SCTV, Bob and Doug
MacKenzie, John Candy, etc. Their music is great: Celine Dion, kd
lang, Bare Naked Ladies, Crash Test Dummies, etc. Hockey, the
greatest sport on earth, is so Canadian: Toronto Maple Leafs,
Montreal Canadiens, Lord Stanley's Cup, etc. (Edmonton, Montreal, and
Ottowa are still playing as of this writing.) Toronto is an
incredible city; I'll never forget seeing Kenny Burrell at the Royal
York hotel. People skate on the river to work when it freezes over in
Vancouver. Winnipeg will teach you what a real winter is. Anything
that can survive January in Yellow Knife is worth holding on to.
Molson and Labatts are the world's greatest beers. Mother's used to
be the pizzeria of choice and the Tunnel Barbeque in Windsor is the
definition of ribs. If you want great fishing and hunting, there are
a bunch of wonderful places you can fly into for a real "roughing it"
outing. It's a real shame most Americans don't know more about
Canada, but it's their loss.
POSTED MAY 9, 1998
Peter P.,
<PPROUT20@aol.com>,
Redford, MI
FURTHER NOTICE 12:
To Peter P.: The temperature rarely stays below freezing
for more than a couple of days in Vancouver. Also, many of the rivers
in Vancouver are actually long arms of the ocean, therefore they are
salt water. I have never heard of the weather staying cold long
enough to actually freeze a river solid, maybe a puddle overnight,
but that's it. In the winter in Vancouver, as in summer, people
drive, walk, in-line skate, take transit or bike to work. I believe
the record low temperature here is something like 18 degrees Celcius
below freezing, and that is exceptionally cold for this area. Sorry
to debunk what sounds like a fun way to get to work, but we'd drown
if we tried it!
POSTED JUNE 16, 1998
Julie, 30, Canadian
<julie@sharpimaging.com>,
Vancouver, BC
FURTHER NOTICE 13:
I grew up in California but married a Canadian and have
lived in Canada since 1981. When in high school, I learned a great
deal about Canada as part of my Social Studies courses. However, my
best friend from high school is ignorant about Canada and claims to
never have had to study it. (She didn't study much else, either.)
Anyway, my point is that someone in the California education system
was trying to broaden our horizons, and at least one student was
listening.
POSTED JUNE 30, 1998
Lisa, 42, American abroad, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
FURTHER NOTICE 14:
As a Canadian, it is good to read that some Americans have
some knowledge of Canada. As a Western Canadian, I find it sad that
it seems to be limited to Central Canada. Although understandable
that this is so (large masses of people close together makes for
better communication, i.e. Toronto - Buffalo), there is a lot more to
Canada than Southern Ontario. The country is huge! Some "non-Central
Canadian" tidbits: French immigrants who settled in the Maritimes
(East Coast) were known as Acadians. Because they would not swear
allegiance to the British Monarchy, most of them were expelled. Many
ended up in New Orleans, hence the French culture there and the term
Cajun (Acadian - Cajun). The Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin is
one of the world's richest supplies of oil and gas. A good proportion
of the natural gas used as fuel in the United States is from here.
The oil sands near Fort McMurray, Alberta, have more oil in it than
in Saudia Arabia. (Unfortunately, most if it is economically
unrecoverable). Although Toronto is great and is Canada's most
recognizable city, it is not Canada in and of itself.
POSTED OCT. 13, 1998
J. Vanover
<jvanover@telusplanet.net>,
Canmore, Alberta, Canada
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
G4: In light of the recent violence in Arkansas, there has
been talk about the "Culture of Violence" in the South. Granted,
there is a cultural attraction to violence in the United States, i.e.
in the media, etc., but is it more pronounced in the South?
POSTED MARCH 28, 1998
James W.
<wilsjame@sonoma.edu>,
Santa Rosa, CA
ANSWER ONE:
Yes, more Southerners are more likely to own weapons than
probably any other group of people in the country, but if we had some
kind of violent culture, the South should be a war-zone akin to
Beirut. Instead, the rural South is one of the safest and least
violent places around - even though, or perhaps because, its
residents are armed to the teeth. Just remember the next time there
is a drive-by shooting in L.A. or New York to ask yourself if there
is an inherent violence in the culture of those two cities. Most
people would say no. The "learned" professors who espouse this theory
ought to be discredited.
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
Todd <tdbuk@juno.com>,
Suwanee, GA
FURTHER NOTICE:
Having lived in both Massachusetts and Texas for many
years, I believe there is a strong culture of violence here in Texas,
which is aggravated by the widespread gun ownership. It is apparently
a holdover of the frontier mentality. Texans, despite their polite
and friendly attitude, are very quick to take offense or pick a fight
in a bar. The cause can be just "looking at someone the wrong way." I
think there is a basic lawlessness here that is countered by
repressive, brutal policing that only adds to the overall climate of
physical violence. The slum areas of Massachusetts are similar in
that young males are very quick to pick fistfights and to evaluate
each other on who can take whom. The difference is that in Texas,
people are frequently armed and the women are often much more
aggressive than they would have been in a Boston working-class
suburb. Also, there is a much lower education level here, so people
unable to defend themselves with words will resort to fists.
POSTED APRIL 24, 1998
L.E., Austin, Texas, 40, straight white male
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
As a longtime native of the South, I do not believe there
exists a stronger tendency towards violence. However, I do believe
Southerners are far more comfortable with guns. My father grew up in
the sticks of South Georgia, and he hunted as a child. He taught me
the same thing. I have owned a shotgun since I was 12. This often
surprises people who know me as an urban liberal. Guns are much more
a part of our culture, stemming from more rural roots. When you
combine the proliferation of weapons with a disturbed young child,
tragedy can happen. I do not think the violence is necessarily a
Southern trait. While living in Boston for four years, I witnessed
just as much, if not more, violence. Many more youths in the South
have access to guns, however. The guns are a Southern trait.
POSTED APRIL 26, 1998
Julian C. 23, white
<dolemite_jr@hotmail.com>,
Atlanta, GA
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
To L.E.: You state there is a "much lower education level"
in Texas. While there may be parts of the state where this true, it
is a sweeping and overly broad generality that you do not have enough
evidence to prove. The mere fact that fights break out in bars in
Texas has less to do with the fact those bars are in Texas than it
does with the social class of the bar's clientele. You state that
people in Massachusetts do not resort to fisticuffs to defend
themselves when they can respond with words. I dare say the same
happens with similar social class folks in Texas. By your own
admission, brawls happen in Massachusetts, yet no one dares presume
Massachusetts is an inherently violent place.
POSTED APRIL 26, 1998
Wallace, white male
<TDBUK@JUNO.COM>, Suwanee,
GA
FURTHER NOTICE 4:
One thing that hasn't come up in this discussion is the
prevalence of hunting in the South. It's a major sport in a lot of
Southern states. Yes, some Southerners feel the need to be armed to
the teeth to protect their homes, but in many, many instances it's
because people hunt. All the time. Deer season, duck season,
turkey season, the list goes on. I grew up in Arkansas and live in
Texas. I was taught to use a gun at a very early age (six) in the
same spirit that kids join little league everywhere else. One of
those little kids who did the shooting in Jonesboro, Ark., was
photographed at about age four wearing camouflage and holding a
rifle. It wasn't because of a "culture of violence," it was because
he was from a family of hunters.
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
Evin B., white female
<evinb@hotmail.com>
Austin, Texas
FURTHER NOTICE 5:
It seems to me a study was done on this a couple of years
ago that found that Southerners are more easily insulted, which then
more easily leads to violence. I don't think what happened in
Jonesboro has anything to do with this, but I must admit I am
ignorant of the motives of what happened there. To answer your
question, outside of consideration of the Jonesboro incident: As a
lifelong resident of the South, I think the answer lies in the fact
that the region never got over its racial problems and is largely
wary of anything different. The Southeast is a booming region of the
country right now, but progress has been slow in coming and still
hasn't reached many areas. Southeastern cities have certainly
admitted much more diversity as job growth has brought people from
all around the nation. Nevertheless, from what I have seen all my
life, Southern rural areas are not the safest places for everyone. In
the rural South, manhood is easily insulted and often physically
defended. Many Southern rural areas are almost homogeneous in areas
of race, religion, and political beliefs, and that homogeneity is
also well-defended.
POSTED MAY 2, 1998
Tim G., 24
<gilmoret@bellsouth.net>,
Jacksonville, FL
FURTHER NOTICE 6:
As a "damn Yankee" (transplanted Northerner who doesn't
seem to be leaving), I have seen the South to be less violent than
the North. Specifically, I am speaking about Charlotte, N.C., and New
York City, respectively. I used to work in NYC and took the subway
daily. Everyday was a crap shoot as to whether I would have a problem
or not. There are homeless people who are often mentally unbalanced
and often carry boxcutters. I was also on a platform when a woman was
pushed onto the tracks. I find the South much less violent. A murder
is big news in this town, but a statistic in New York.
POSTED MAY 6, 1998
Rob, 26, white male
<The_maven@geocities.com>,
Charlotte, N.C.
FURTHER NOTICE 7:
I was born on Long Island and also live in rural northern
New York. While visiting my brother in North Carolina recently, we
got into a card game with his neighbors. There was drinking, but not
to excess. I lost my temper, at what I thought was "ball breaking" by
one of the players. The next day, after apologizing for my rude
behavior, I was told they weren't suprised by my behavior - that they
thought most "Yankees" had quicker tempers and took offense at what
they (the Southerners) thought was just "ribbing."
POSTED MAY 12, 1998
Jim R., 40
<junkyard@northweb.com>,
Waddington, NY
FURTHER NOTICE 8:
To Jim W. at the top of the thread: Just look at the
recent shootings at schools in Pennslyvania and Oregon, and that
should answer your question about "violent Southern culture" being a
part of school shootings.
POSTED MAY 23, 1998
Wallace, 23, Southern-American
<tdbuk@juno.com>, Suwanee,
GA
FURTHER NOTICE 9:
I grew up in western Massachusetts, hit the road when I
was young and haved lived in many states. I've witnessed a lot. My
experience of having lived in Texas for seven years and now Florida
for six is that the South is inherently more dangerous. I believe
this to be attributed to more poverty, the gun culture down here and
the fact that the Southern male is more violent and quicker to take
offense. I live in Ft. Myers, and the crime and murder rate here for
a small city is very high. Compare this to Boston and New Orleans, or
any other large Southern city; the statistics are available on the
web or at the library.
POSTED JUNE 24, 1998
Michael G. 43, white male, Ft. Myers, FL
FURTHER NOTICE 10:
The South isn't more violent, just more repressed. So when
the violence comes out, it comes out. I come from a Southern
tradition: Hunting, even to my city cousins in St. Louis, is a way of
life, and guns are in many homes. The tools are there when you need
them. To the responder who said New York City is more violent: Come
on back! Part of the perception of the city as violent is that you
hear about every major crime that happened to any of the millions of
people in the area. But on a per capita basis, the crime is far less
than it has been in 30 years, and far less than many other cities.
New York City ain't even in the top 25 anymore.
POSTED JUNE 26, 1998
Grant B.
<files@smtp.jerrynet.com>,
New York, NY
FURTHER NOTICE 11:
I is true about the South being very repressed, and racial
tension does run very very high in North Carolina. Most neighborhoods
are still very segregated. I can't speak for any other state. I guess
it depends on which side of the gun barrel you are looking down. As a
native Southerner I can honestly say that if you watch what you say
to whom, you can feel safe, but look out if you make a Southerner,
aka "redneck," mad. The violence is bad all over, but it is in a
rather different form in the South. There is a hierarchy system in
the South that one must experience to be able to fully understand.
Not all Southerners are rednecks, good ol' boys or extremely
conservative, but a look at the news stories about extremism in
religion/politics tells a different story. There are some of us who
don't think the words Damn and Yankee are one word. I have been
friends with many Northerners, and most of them leave the area and go
back pretty fast. It's like culture shock to them.
POSTED JULY 17, 1998
K.C., 27, white, gay female, Rockingham, NC
FURTHER NOTICE 12:
To Michael G.: I grew up in Miami, my daughter lives in
Miami today, I've lived in Ohio, Memphis and Fort Myers. Of them all,
Fort Myers is the safest. I suspect the true answer lies in the
people you spend your time with. I know people who have guns - as a
hobby, for hunting and for protection. They are usually the most
gentle people. Hang around in bars, gamble and etc., and you're apt
to find violence in any state.
POSTED JULY 22, 1998
Jennie, Fort Myers, FL
FURTHER NOTICE 13:
Being a fifth-generation Texan, as well as having worked
in the Boston area for several years, I find L.E.'s interpretation of
Texas and Texans startling and curious. I have lived and traveled all
over the world and have always felt that Texans are the most
congenial, outgoing and "slow to boil" people anywhere! In Texas, you
are raised to say hello (or howdy!) to everyone you encounter.
Despite the widely held belief that Texas has always been "Wild-West"
with everyone carrying a gun, this could not be further from the
truth. In fact, until the passage of the (rigorously controlled)
"concealed carry" legislation in 1996, Texas had one of the most
restrictive laws in the country regarding carrying firearms. I feel
that almost all Texans are raised in a tradition of honesty,
open-mindedness and tolerance.
POSTED SEPT. 29, 1998
Kelley, 43, male,
<kelley@mail.com>,
Houston, TX
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
G3: Does anyone know where the custom of cutting a moon-shaped
design in an outhouse door began and what the signifigance of it
is?
POSTED MARCH 24, 1998
Mark L., 46
<MLaatz@aol.com>
Twin Lake, MI
ANSWER 1:
The occupant of the outhouse would bring a lantern with
them at night. The lantern's light would shine through the hole in
the door to identify to others that the outhouse is occuppied. The
hole is shaped like a cresent moon for artistic expression.
John D., 30, St. Clair Shores, MI
FURTHER NOTICE:
I had heard the cutout on the outhouse door represented
either a ladies' or gentlemen's outhouse. One was the crescent, but I
can't remember what the other cutout shape was. I think it might have
been a star or full moon.
POSTED AUG. 24, 1998
S.P., Shrewsbury, MA
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
G2: I am a native Atlantan and would like to know why many
Northern transplants and Northerners in general appear to be rude and
condescending to Southern people when they move here. I noticed it a
great deal in the UK this summer as well. The only people who really
seemed to dislike me were other Americans from the North.
POSTED MARCH 15, 1998
Todd, Atlanta, GA
ANSWER 1:
Unfortunately, many Northerners automatically associate a
Southern dialect with "unschooled" and "ignorant," which of course is
not true. There seems to be an embedded belief by many people in this
country that the Northern "white" dialect of American English is the
only correct, and therefore acceptable, way of speaking in the United
States. Therefore, people who speak any other way are "ignorant," and
can be talked "down" to because of their dialect.
POSTED MARCH 19, 1998
Suzanne, 23, Ann Arbor , MI
FURTHER NOTICE:
As a native Long Islander who has been transplanted to the
South for the last five years, I think I know the answer. It's not so
much that we're being rude, it's more we're being normal. I am
amazed, every time I go home, how rude and obnoxious everyone is to
each other. Even if they are friends! Everyone's got something to
say. Half of the people I know would argue with the Pope himself.
That accounts for about 95 percent of the rudeness. The other 5
percent are just jerks, and I apologize on their behalf. They're the
first ones who make fun of the way you talk. If it ever really
bothers you, sit back and listen to them. A good Long Island accent
is by far worse than any Southern accent.
POSTED MARCH 28, 1998
Casey, 22, Reston, VA
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I am a many-generations back Southerner who went to
college for a year in Connecticut. I lost track of the number of
times complete strangers would see me in a Florida shirt or see my
license plate as I filled my tank, approach me and say, "You from
Florida? You people from Florida act so nasty about us but you would
starve if it weren't for us." I was shocked. And so were the many,
many native New Englanders who are far too kind, well-bred and
open-minded to ever think like that, the people I was lucky to have
as friends. In any group, there are jerks and there are wonderful
folks, I guess.
POSTED OCT. 15, 1998
Midori, 38, white
<midorichan1@juno.com>,
Orlando, FL
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
I will not apologize for the condescending nature of
Northerners. Yes, the Southern accent is associated with ignorance,
but I think it is important to recognize that Southern schools
consistently rank at the bottom of the national list. Stereotypes are
often rooted in truth; they become damaging when they outlive the
truth from which they were born. This is not the case for Southern
public schools; the sad truth of their inferiority still exists
today. Does it mean that there are no well-educated people in the
South? Absolutely not. Nor does it give Northerners the right to
generalize that Southerners as uneducated. Nor does it give
Southerners the right to generalize that Northerners as
condescending. However, I am sick of groups (racial, sexual,
geographic, etc.) focusing on the way they are treated as a result of
their flaws instead of taking responsibility for their shortcomings
and thus not giving anyone a reason to believe in the stereotype.
Maybe Northerners will stop being condescending to Southerners for
their perceived ignorance when the South shows that it cares about
education.
POSTED NOV. 16, 1998
The Last Girl You Will Ever Catch Twirling Her Hair and Giggling So
You Can Never Stereotype Me As A Ditz, Charleston, SC
FURTHER NOTICE 4:
To the "Non Ditz" in South Carolina: I don't think anyone
was asking you to apologize for all Northerners, but you have just
proved that some of those Northerners base their prejudiced
"rudeness" on ignorance. If you are not intelligent enough to
tolerate a person who speaks differently from you, it doesn't make
you smarter or superior, it just makes you intolerant. While some
Southern schools may score lower (I don't have the numbers here in
front of me to dispute you), you make want to take into account that
money for local school districts is determined by the local tax base.
Since many Southern states have a lower tax base due to the local
economy, money allocated to Southern schools is sometimes a lot less
than you will find in the Northern schools. I think the real problem
is (as someone pointed out before) just plain arrogance. But I think
it should be pointed out that some of the most kind and tolerant
people are Northerners!
POSTED NOV. 23, 1998
27-year-old Southern black female without an accent, Virginia Beach,
VA
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
G1: While living in South Carolina, I was amazed at the amount
of resentment aimed at Northerners by Southerners. Bumper stickers,
signs in stores, Confederate flags, personal insults, etc. directed
at Northerners by Southerners were a part of daily life down there,
and I lived in a small town that was predominantly populated by
Northerners.
My question is: Does this stem from the fact that wealthy
Northerners migrate to the South for the warm weather and then dump
on the locals, making this more of a class thing? Or is it a lack of
self-esteem on the part of Southerners who may feel inferior because
of their accents and social positions?
POSTED MARCH 9, 1998
Steve, Lawrence, Kan.
ANSWER 1:
I don't know about the Deep South, but in North Texas I do
not feel inferior to a Northern individual. My educational background
was just as top-notch as at any high school or college in the north.
I don't have a Southern drawl and I'm from the suburbs of one of the
10 largest cities in America. Have you ever been to New York state,
not in the city, in the country? There are some backward people
there, too. They are in every state, including Alaska and Hawaii.
I believe what you may be referring to is not really a North vs.
South issue but small town vs. big city and/or people with class vs.
people without issue. I have traveled across every Southern state
between California and Florida, and believe me, small town folks
"don't take too kindly to city slickers." You have just come across
an area of ignorance - people who cannot accept the differences
between people and places. It's real easy for them to use the
Confederate flag and disparaging remarks that were used almost 200
years ago because that's all they know. They don't have to exert any
brain power thinking up a new reason to hate you.
Many Northern folks (mostly seniors) migrate to south Texas for
the winter and return to their Northern homes in the summer. We refer
to them as "Winter Texans" and we love them. They are great for the
economy and support the community they call home for half the year.
Please do not think it's a Southern thing. Remember Southern
hospitality? It still exists, I promise.
RECEIVED MARCH 11, 1998
Danielle C., 28, Arlington, Texas
FURTHER NOTICE:
A lot of factors, idiosyncratic as well as cultural and subcultural,
probably figure into these phenomena. I doubt the accents per se play
much of a role, though, except as social markers. I don't think many
of us would feel superior simply by virtue of a change of accent. In
fact, certain Southern accents denote high status, at least to the
speakers thereof, and they likely would be horrified to wake up and
discover they no longer spoke that way! Not a complete answer - but
at least one angle on the issue.
RECEIVED MARCH 11, 1998
Julia Cochran, 45, near Savannah, GA
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
Northerners who move to the South experience serious culture shock.
We talk slow, move slow and generally drive these industrious folks
insane. They counter by telling us "We don't do it like that up
North." We gently raised Southern people just want to be polite and
kind, and do resent all y'all trying to change our beautiful cities
into little New Yorks (or whereever). Just relax and enjoy what we
have to offer, take life a bit slower and stop to smell the magnolia
blooms!
So, back to the question: Most of those bumper stickers are on
ole' pickups (with dog boxes in back?) or some other sort of "gently"
used vehicle, and you can chalk that up to plain old REDNECKitis.
RECEIVED MARCH 11, 1998
- Patricia G., Charlotte, NC
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
I am a white woman who was raised in the North and have lived in the
South for five years. I feel people in the South are very polite and
kind; however, in my experience with senior citizens in the South, I
find the Mason-Dixon line mentaility still exists. We would be naive
to think that this exists without mentioning the Civil War. The
Northerners were very angry that the Southerners were gaining wealth
off the use of slavery. This put Northerners at a disadvantage. The
Northerners fought the Civil War (not for the goodness of black
people) but for the right to fair competition in American business.
The Southerners lost the war and many of their families, homes and
businesses were destroyed. Like any racism or prejudice of blacks,
prejudice of Yankees is taught in the home. My understanding (please
excuse my frankness) of the term Yankee is that it derives from the
British, who used it to refer to men who masturbated. This was
derogatory and thus the derogatory term of Yankees still permeates
the Southern dialect today.
POSTED MARCH 16, 1998
BJ Winchester, 33, Cultural Diversity Trainer, Jacksonville FL
FURTHER NOTICE 4:
This resentment is a holdover from the post-Civil War period known as
Reconstruction. During that time, Yankee carpetbaggers came by the
droves to the South, cheating the war-torn Southerners of every last
bit of land, personal property or self-esteem that remained.
Reconstruction and Union occupation were demoralizing to the South,
heaping insult upon injury. Those who lived through this time passed
stories to their children, who passed them to their children, and on
down the line. Such prejudice is as deep-seated as that among the
warring factions in Eastern Europe or in Africa.
POSTED MARCH 20, 1998
M. Evans, Houston, TX
FURTHER NOTICE 5:
My mother is from the North and has lived in the South for more than
30 years. My father is from Georgia, and I was born in Tennessee,
thus I grew up seeing both backgrounds. It isn't necessary that one
be from the South to get along with Southerners; all that is required
is a good attitude. There isn't a group of people anywhere that likes
a bad attitude from visitors. For visitors to the South, it's simple:
Remember the Golden Rule and you'll do fine.
POSTED MARCH 28, 1998
Michael S. <edit15
@aol.com>
Stone Mountain , GA
FURTHER NOTICE 6:
Putting things in terms of "North vs. South" I think greatly
simplifies the issue. While there may be a Southern ethos, one area
of the South may be as different from its brothers as any two
American places can be. I would think some Southerners may feel
inferior to Northerners in that the Northeast is generally considered
more sophisticated and educated. Nevertheles, a lot of this is
stereotypical bunk. A perfect example is a humorous "New Yorker"
magazine cover that ran just prior to the last summer Olympics. There
was a picture of a good ole' boy in overalls with a gold medal around
his neck. Could it be that the North sometimes thinks itself superior
far more than the South thinks itself inferior? The overalled figure
is hardly reconcilable with the beautiful and cosmopolitan Atlanta of
today. I must concur with the person who said this may largely be a
rural/urban conflict as much as a North/South one. I think relations
between rural and urban areas have not been given enough thought.
POSTED MAY 3, 198
Tim G., 24
<gilmoret@bellsouth.net>,
Jacksonville, FL
FURTHER NOTICE 7:
I perceive the Confederate flag and bumper stickers to be symbols of
regional pride. The bumper stickers are meant to be humorous
(mostly), and those who are offended should perhaps look at
themselves to find out why. To many white Southerners, the
Confederate flag does not promote slavery, racial bigotry or
superiority, but stands for a bygone age of individuality, rugged
survivalism, independence and self-determination that has, for the
most part, been lost in our modern civilization.
POSTED MAY 27, 1998
I. Carter, 42, white male Southerner
<ICart@aol.com>, Memphis,
TN
FURTHER NOTICE 8:
As somone who lives in a "snow bird" area where the population
doubles between November and May, I think many of us simply have
gotten tired of hearing how it was better up North, of not being able
to go to breakfast, lunch or dinner during "season" because all of
the tourists feel compelled to eat at 8, 12 and 6 even though they
could eat anytime, having to stand in line for 30 minutes Saturday at
the grocery store or the dry cleaners because the snow birds - who do
not work all week - feel compelled to shop at the only time I have
available, and on and on. Many Northeners also act as though
Southerners are stupid because of their accents and are unbelievably
rude. This is obviously a generalization and many, many tourists/snow
birds are wonderfully considerate. I have noticed when I've traveled
that many people in Northern tourist areas - Maine, for instance -
feel the same way about Southerners!
POSTED JUNE 16, 1998
Amy C., 45
<aamylf@aol.com>, Sarasota,
FL
FURTHER NOTICE 9:
I don't think it's far-fetched to blame it on the Civil War. Some
people still treat Africans Americans as inferiors because a long
time ago they were slaves, so maybe the animosity between Northerners
and Southerners still exists in the same way.
POSTED AUG. 4, 1998
B. Mann, 17, Northwesterner, Corvallis, OR
FURTHER NOTICE 10:
I've lived in Texas my entire life. My dad was born in Montana to
folks from Wisconsin, and my mom was born in Georgia to a family that
comes from North Carolina and Oklahoma. I think most people latch on
to the "extreme" Southerner - cowboy boots, country music and a
horse. I've actually had people ask me if I had an oil derrick in my
back yard! But I know that this isn't because people are trying to be
rude, it's more of an issue of non-education. It's kind of like how
most Americans don't know much about Canada - how many TV shows about
the South do you see on big networks? The two largely Southern shows
I've ever seen are "Dallas" and "The Dukes of Hazzard," which portray
two vastly different extremes of Southern life. The biggest
difference between Northerners and Southerners is the rate at which
things are taken. Down here it's much more casual and easier to keep
up with things ... could it be that our Northern neighbors are
impatient with us?
POSTED SEPT. 1, 1998
Sarah, 18, lifelong Texan
<bubbles@texoma.net>,
Sherman, TX
FURTHER NOTICE 11:
I have lived, worked and had employees all over the country including
Texas and New York City. I have observed that the native Floridians
(who never lived anywhere else during their lives) that I hire for
white-collar jobs appear to have learned everything by rote, or
memorization. They have a difficult time figuring out solutions or
solving problems. As an employer, it is frustrating to have to
specify tasks instead of giving people goals and tools and letting
them find their own way. I suspect that something is broken in the
Florida educational system and perhaps elsewhere in the South.
POSTED NOV. 2, 1998
Christi G., 36
<cgkemp@hotmail.com>,
Orlando, FL
To respond
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