[mojo]

This was brought up in pm to me that maybe some of the members of the forum would like to know about the USA from a native's perspective. You never really know a culture unless you grow up in it. For instance, I and many of my fellow citizens have a hard time understanding some of China's ways. Of course we have to take into allowance that we may not be getting the real feel of culture from our media. But those who live in a country are the ones that best understand it.

I may not be the typical citizen as far as I don't live in the big city. I live in a small village or town, every small. I also live in an arid climate and this is our rainy season which won't last much longer. All of these environmental differences make huge disparities in how someone sees their world and what they do to adjust to it. 

But if you have questions, ask away. Some I probably won't know the answer to, some may mean something different to me than to my peers.

[SEO]

It is a very precious idea to have something like "Questions and answers about USA"! But I'll add some directions to the people, who may ask here:

• 1. Don't ask private questions like: 'What's your real name?', 'Where do you live?', 'What do you work?', etc. It's nothing to do with the US. Just ask about the states, the country, not about the personal things.
• 2. Avoid blaming 'questions' like why their government did something abroad (or didn't do). I suppose Mojo is not a part of the government and I'm pretty sure he or another one never will be 100% supporter of all the politics of the government, no matter what nationality/citizenship is he: US, Japan, Russia, Mexico, Mongolia...
  (And the regular visitors and members know that we don't like to comment political issues here, because we think there are other much more positive, creative and useful topics to discuss, learn and explore. And none of us is a professional politologist, so I doubt a political debate may bring something precious around.)
• Mojo already mentioned it -- he may answer from his point of views and his perspective. It's not necessary his answers to cover each and every point of view over there. We will appreciate his answers as such, so I hope we'll not have a case like: "Mojo, my brother lives in America and he said you're wrong!!!" Just respect the right of the unique own point of view and, if you want to add something, you're welcome, but add it POLITELY!
• If you have many questions, please ask one by one.

I have one first question. It's "Explain to me like I'm 5" style, i.e. simple answer: Is that true that the citizens in the US do not vote directly for the presidents? At first the parties make internal votes and then they nominate their candidates, and after this the citizens vote for a few nominated? I want to know it as a simple scheme -- what exactly are voting the ordinary people in the presidential elections? (I'm interested in the procedure from a politological point of view, not from a  political, and that's all.)

[MSL]

 I suggested this thread and I'm glad to see that Mojo started it by himself!
 A quick question, because today we have to work in another town and I'll be not so free this afternoon: How many policemen do you have in your town? Something like 1-2 or 5-10, 20-30 (approximately)? (And a subquestion: What is the attitude towards the police in your area? Is it more positive, more negative or mostly neutral? How do you feel about it?)

[Non-SEO]

Do you have some folk or traditional 'Northerners'-'Southerners' opposition there like the one in China? What's the difference between a 'typical Northerner' and a 'typical Southerner', if there is? And what about 'East side'-'West side'? Is it only in the culture (music) or there are some stereotypes like 'Easterners'-'Westerners'?
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We've got the same about China. Welcome there to ask about China when you want: http://www.seo-forum-seo-luntan.com/social-network-seo-social-network/questions-(and-answers-probably)-about-china/

[mojo]

To start out with, if you ask out-of-bounds questions I would and will simply tell you that. You don't get private personal info as I am a highly private person and very concious of these things. An old saying is "No one will guard your privacy for you if you won't".

On the political aspects, I might answer for me, I can't answer for a nation of individuals.

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Is that true that the citizens in the US do not vote directly for the presidents?

Yes that is true. The system was originally set up back in the days of Washington to prevent landless people from taking over the government. It was the belief at the time if you owned land you had a self interest in the nation's well being.

So the process goes like this. A crowd of politicians all want to be president from both parties. So an election is held to single out 1 candidate from each party or if the votes are spilt two from a party. During this time the votes made don't actually count directly. You have electoric representatives that cast the vote according to the majority votes in their district. Superdelegates are not bound by this and can vote either as a party wish, their personal wish, or by some other guidelines but this is regulated by each state, whether superdelegates exist and what their limits are. (My personal feeling on this is I am pissed about it because it nullifies your vote.) It is my suspicion it was set up to prevent run-a-way voting from taking party power away.

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How many policemen do you have in your town?

I have no earthly idea. Crap I don't even know where the jail is. But it is rare to see the local cops unless something is going on. There's a state tropper substation in this town but you rarely see them present unless they are having some sort of work meeting, then all you'll see are the marked cars parked outside. Other than that, I've actually talked to a local cop maybe twice in 6 years. Both times concerned an incident with my neighbor but wasn't something I was involved in.

When bad weather was coming through one of the locals used my driveway to turn around and backed into the neighbors ditch and had to call a wrecker to get it out. I came out in the rain to offer him some coffee if he wished it. I'd nothing to gain from it nor was I in any sort of trouble but it was the right thing to do. I've never really had problems with the police. They've better things to do than be concerned with someone like me.

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Do you have some folk or traditional 'Northerners'-'Southerners' opposition there like the one in China? What's the difference between a 'typical Northerner' and a 'typical Southerner', if there is? And what about 'East side'-'West side'? Is it only in the culture (music) or there are some stereotypes like 'Easterners'-'Westerners'?

There's some of it but not what you would think if you were to see the mainstream media over it. Traditionally, the northern parts paid more for labor than the southern parts. There are different accents, slang, even attitudes, because the environment is different.  But it's not a huge barrier. It's not like there are different languages, only the words used might mean slightly different.

One place I lived at called a hamburger a 'maderight'. If you ordered a hamburger they would know what you wanted and at the same time know you were from out of the region. It had to do with the local culture of the region. That's about the hardest part of the language in differences. Most of the northern/southern/eastern/western is not really about conflict. It's more about folks wanting to stand out and feel special about their particular area of the country. Of course there are the few odd balls and they are the ones that grab the news media's attention.

There are distinct differences in some of the regional cultures, such as New Orleans. But it's more the outside presentation than the anything else for the tourists. They never really get outside the area to see the real folk and what that would mean. 

[Alexa]

Very, very good and full answers! I can learn so much new information reading them. I also like your way to separate the content with signs like

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It gives me personal feeling like I read a beautiful book. 
I think you are already one of our best ever contributors and if someday we have some big advertisement income, I'll lobby for you to get a fair part of it. It's not a friendly joke. I mean it. I can explain what is my view of "big advertisement income": we heard and we read online that, when a website is getting popular enough, then the rich companies are probably eager to connect with you and to offer you some good advertisement cooperation (simply like: "I will pay you $ 1000 for a banner in the headers or $ 800 for the banner in the footers of your website." and then I think nobody will be against our best contributors as you to get a reasonable part of the money.)
And this helps me to ask you my question now:
USD 100 is it a good cash right now in the US? Can you give me some examples what you can buy currently with USD 100 in your town? How many kilograms of potatoes or tomatoes equals it? Or how many hamburgers? (I read somewhere that the hamburger was something like an unit to measure the incomes around the world. ). Is it enough to have a romantic dinner in some of your local restaurants? How many beers for USD 100? I'm interested to compare the standards.

[MSL]

 Yes, of course. As one of the most fruitful contributors, he should deserve a part of the capital. The only problem is this capital is still a possibility, not a reality.
  Which US company/institution are you most proud of? I know some people (including non-US citizens), who admire most NASA. For me -- it's Google. If you have to pick up one (or two), which one/ones you will?

[mojo]

USD 100 is it a good cash right now in the US? Can you give me some examples what you can buy currently with USD 100 in your town? How many kilograms of potatoes or tomatoes equals it? Or how many hamburgers? (I read somewhere that the hamburger was something like an unit to measure the incomes around the world.

When I go to the bank, I always ask for $20's, not $100's. Why? Because all the merchants are now crazy about checking for counterfeit bills. If they find one you get to keep it. No one, not the merchant, not the bank, will own up to passing a counterfeit bill by accident. So you are stuck with it. Most of the time they are going to call the cops for attempted counterfeiting. Smaller bills aren't checked so much but big ones are almost always checked.

Fresh vegetables are cheap here. Much cheaper than processed foods, canned goods, butchered meats. There has been a perfect storm on the meat side, causing prices to sky rocket. Drought has brought about a lack of hay to feed livestock in the winter. Rather than see their stock starve to death, the ranchers sold in mass. Now all the herds are at low levels with little being sold. As a consequence, feed stores have had to put up fences around their hay storage places to keep thieves from taking it in the night. In a matter of a few months, hay became gold. It will take a few years before the herds are back up to normal sizes.

Pigs have been hit with some sort of virus, causing die offs. So pork has been in the higher prices too. Less on the market means more expensive.

Every one went to chicken. As a result of greater increases in chicken demand, guess what happened to chicken prices?

I think right now a 20# roll of hamburger is around $25-$30 depending on where you go to shop.

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I never came looking for money. Perhaps I've mentioned it before that I have a long history with forums going back to the 90's. So as far as how to post, how to lay out a post, that's sort of like breathing air. After this amount of time it comes naturally. For the now my problem is getting used to the forum software and how to make use of it's features. Given time that will be accomplished.

One of the things you folks here have going for you, is a simple thing that makes people feel they belong. It's so easy doing this that most never figure it out. If you want people to feel part of a place what you do is accept them as part of the group. Just being welcoming through acceptance is a forum binder for people. Most never really realize that. It's been a tool in my on-line tool box for many a year and it works well.

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Which US company/institution are you most proud of? I know some people (including non-US citizens), who admire most NASA. For me -- it's Google. If you have to pick up one (or two), which one/ones you will?

No brainer here for me. I'll give you a little of my history as to why. I was born in Florida and lived there until my adulthood. I saw many a truck on the highway with stuff headed to Cape Canaveral. Just my folks going some where and you'd see it on the road all the time. During my school years, when ever NASA shot astronauts up, we would be allowed to go out in the school yard and watch them go up. You could see the vapor trail from there. Saw every astronaut launch till around 1969 or so. Got a not so friendly letter from Uncle Sam saying how you doing? We're requesting your presence at the recruiting station. I was drafted into the military. You and I have had part of this discussion before. *smiles*

I've been to Cape Canaveral way back when. When on one of the tourism guide tours. Had an unlce that worked for them with computer maintenance. He was to later go to the Texas facility for the same. Didn't ever have much contact with him because he always lived somewhere too far away to visit very often. He died some years ago, I am sad to say. Old age comes to us all.

But NASA would be my choice.

[Gay]

Every mojo's answer is very good indeed! I ask: Isn't it a bit complicated and sort of dangerous, when you are in another state, where the laws may be very different from what you used to in your state? How people know what are the laws in the different states? Is there some procedure everyone to be informed for the major laws?
This is interesting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_the_United_States_by_state If you have a legal weapon and you travel around the country and... what if you arrive in a state, where your weapon is already illegal? Are there some informations between the states/borders like "Welcome to X state! Take a look at our major laws!"
I can't imagine how one can know, learn, remember and keep so many laws.

[mojo]

I ask: Isn't it a bit complicated and sort of dangerous, when you are in another state, where the laws may be very different from what you used to in your state? How people know what are the laws in the different states? Is there some procedure everyone to be informed for the major laws?

Boy have you hit on one of the flaws of this nation. It's probably way more complicated than what hits you at first impression. Take for example Louisiana. Lousiana has some of our more historic places along with laws to match. Unlike the rest of the nation, Louisiana laws are based on what is termed Napoleonic, meaning that a lot of their basics for laws come from earlier French laws.

I lived once in Mississippi. One of their laws at the time was no weapon could be concealed. Now here is the tricky part. You lay a handgun down in the seat, you can't see the bottom side resting on the seat... in other words, it's concealed. This was the gotcha law when nothing else could be found against you to take you in for some reason or to justify searching your vehicle due to valid suspicion that would hold up in court. I once asked a highway patrol officer about this and his answer was to suspend it from the mirror by a string. At the time I had a sort of western 6 shooter style pistol with once of those long barrels that made it look more like a rifle than a pistol but you weren't going to hide it because of that. It was a small caliber 22 used for can plinking and not much else. It doesn't have stopping power to be used on anyone or any animal.

I have a shotgun now and it's the only weapon I have. I bought it one time as an impluse buy and probably haven't fired more than 6 shells out of it since I purchased it 20 years ago. It sits in the closet unloaded. It's no danger to anyone.

Often these state laws are used to trap the unwary. Even if you knew the local law, you can't practice it for a living, you have to be licensed as a lawyer to do so. But there are unscrupulous places that prey upon the traveler and passer through. I could tell you a story or two about those.
 

[mojo]

Since I can't edit there is something I would like to add to my last reply. One would probably question why I had a weapon at all if it is used that little. I've made mention before that I don't live in the big city. During various times of the year, it is not  uncommon for porcupines, skunks, wild hogs, deer, and other critters to wander into the yard at night. I have two outside dogs that discourage what was once a major theft area. Those dogs have convinced them to go to other easier places.

Skunks carry rabies and you are not going to get close to a rabid skunk without endangering your life. For wild hogs, my father carried for the rest of his life, the results of meeting one. He had a tusk cut on one of his legs about 10 inches long where the hog gored him. I have two apple trees in my yard I planted. One of them last year was visited by a group of hogs who stripped 1/2 the bark off the tree and I am not sure it will recover. It would not have been a welcome sight to be wandering in my own yard at night and come up on them. There would have been no where near by to run to for safety. It is not uncommon for me to find deer tracks in the yard. Hawks, owls, and the occasional bat are seen as well from my place, just looking around. Quail can be heard as well as doves come in for water from the dog water containers. Hummingbirds are hilarious to watch in the spring and late summer as they fight to protect their food supply from others coming to feed at the feeder as well as from all the wild flowers that grow here. Plus there are other birds that come in year after year to make a nest and raise their young here.

[SEO]

I imagine it's almost like different countries. I remember some scary stories about it -- a foreign couple was arrested in a Muslim-Arab country, because they did the illegal kissing on the beach. I found it: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2267778/Couple-jailed-year-kissing-Dubai-beach--despite-male-defendant-claim-giving-friend-CPR-suffered-asthma-attack.html

[MSL]

 It's a very natural place -- so many animals! For comparison: here around me I, except the insects, I can notice only some birds, bats, rats and (rare) some cat, i.e. mostly urban fauna.
 A question-idea: is it legal to set up an electric fence around your yard?

[mojo]

a foreign couple was arrested in a Muslim-Arab country, because they did the illegal kissing on the beach.

You wouldn't have that trouble unless the kissing became intense along with a demonstrated desire to continue in public with the rest of the act it leads to. Just expressing affection in public will raise little in the line of interest.

One of the odd ball laws that have been being used by prosecutors is sexting. Where school kids encourage young ladies to take naked selfies and then send them to the requester. Often those get passed around between friends. But it violates child porn laws. Many have been arrested and charged with either making pedophilia materials or distributing them. This under current laws makes them a sexual predator by legal definition and gives them a life long mark on their records of being a pedophile. In many states once being found guilty, they are required to register with the state and keep the state updated on where  they live. A public list is published of those. Those found guilty then have a difficult time the rest of their lives finding good jobs, housing, or any sort of security requiring job. It's plainly over reach by prosecutors to run up a successful career.

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is it legal to set up an electric fence around your yard?

I could do so without incident. The key here would be to hang signs stating it was electrified. Getting a package from UPS or FEDEX might be a problem then. I have a couple of pastures for horses and mules across the street from me.

[Gay]

Thank you for your answering! When I read about the laws and I got a question about the illegal immigration to the United States. Do you think the Mexican immigrants are so many and is it a real problem or just some people freak out about the Mexicans? Is this immigration comparable with the current one in Europe?