>I was in Italy last September, where I had the opportunity to observe my >fellow Americans outside their natural habitat. Several rather embarassing >facts were brought to my attention. > >- We (1) seem to have put on a few pounds in the last 40 years. I'm nearly 30 and weigh just about ten pounds more than I did when I was high school 128 lb. wrestler. I think this is well within normal range. >- When it comes to footwear, we're really quite fond of sneakers and >sneaker-derivatives. I have one of my four pairs of cowboy boots on my feet right now. >- Our Italian vocabulary spans at least 3 words. Being a kid of Irish descent, who has never even thought about venturing to Italy, you got me here. >- What's all this nonsense about trains. We're renting a car. I haven't driven since I was 18. I take the train everywhere i go. . > >1 - My use of the pronoun "we" will no doubt incite someone to haughtily >respond to the effect of "Not the Americans I choose to associate with!". >So, let's be clear. The Americans that *you* choose to associate with are >the glorious exceptions. The case you made earlier was that sitcoms are an accurate reflection of American culture. If that is the case we're more lost than I ever thought. The items you put forth here are of a different nature, and I've answered only for myself. Robert Morris >