Report from the US, a nice but somewhat backward country.

Sharx35 wrote:


"Mike O'Sullivan" wrote in message
...
John Kulp wrote:
The Dutch should talk. I have never seen so many different types of
toilets as I have in The Netherlands. You think you're turning on the
light and the toilet flushes.

Their toilets are strange. When you take a crap, the turds sit on a
sort of shelf, so you can contemplate it for a couple of minutes
before flushing. (BTW, Flushing is in Holland too)

Ah, there's a whole bunch of Dutch **** in and around New York. Figures.
They actually HAVE flush toilets in the Netherlands? I thought
that they used chamber pots which they then emptied into the canals.


No, the canals are reserved for rusty bikes.

"Mike O'Sullivan" wrote in message
...
Sharx35 wrote:


"Mike O'Sullivan" wrote in message
...
John Kulp wrote:
The Dutch should talk. I have never seen so many different types of
toilets as I have in The Netherlands. You think you're turning on the
light and the toilet flushes.

Their toilets are strange. When you take a crap, the turds sit on a sort
of shelf, so you can contemplate it for a couple of minutes before
flushing. (BTW, Flushing is in Holland too)

Ah, there's a whole bunch of Dutch **** in and around New York. Figures.
They actually HAVE flush toilets in the Netherlands? I thought
that they used chamber pots which they then emptied into the canals.


No, the canals are reserved for rusty bikes.

Along with bitter, Americanphobe, over the hill Hollanders.

John Kulp wrote:
On Sat, 13 Dec 2008 22:24:08 +0100, Frank Slootweg
wrote:

[Reposted. Please don't cut the newsgroups (without saying so).]

pltrgyst wrote:
On Sat, 13 Dec 2008 21:10:37 +0100, Frank Slootweg
wrote:

John Kulp wrote:

Excuse me? Our sales taxes range from zero to around 8%....

I just took the stack of receipts we have. The *very first*, a toy
car, is already 8.5%, i.e. already *above* the maximum you mention.

The US generally has state sales taxes. The California state sales
tax is 7.25%.

On top of this, you may have smaller district, county, or city
sales taxes (generally less than 1%). The total of all sales taxes
may indeed range as high as 8.5%.

The *second* one, a meal, is already 12.3%!

Many cities have special restaurant taxes in addition to the
general sales tax.

The *third*, a motel bill, is 12%.

Most cities have special occupancy taxes for hotels in addition to
the general sales tax.

Thanks! So the *total* *tax* is indeed often much higher than what
John said. That was my point. I already knew that *sales* tax wasn't
the only tax, that why I *started* by saying "your *product* (i.e.
sales, VAT, whatever) taxes", i.e. *any* tax which is added to the
listed/ advertized price.

No, its not often, it's rare and restricted to taxes like the hotel
tax, the object being to stick tourists like you who can't vote in the
state so they can get away with it.

Give me a break! You guys don't stay in hotels, even not on business?
Dream on!

And you don't eat out, at 12.3%?

Face it, it's like I said: The exclusion of the tax in the displayed/
advertized prices does *not* serve any purpose for the *customer*,
because - despite your statement that it does - it apparently does *not*
help you realize how high it is!

BTW, in case it was not clear: Our receipts, bills, etc., do *mention*
the amount and percentage of tax, it is just *included* in the
displayed/advertized/receipt prices. I.e. on the display etc. you see
how much you have to pay, and - if yo're to stupid to calculate it
yourself - you will see the amount of tax on the receipt.

FYI, here the non-hotel taxes which i still have (I have no other
restaurant receipts, because most places keep those themselves):

Toy: 8.5%.
Restaurant: 12.3%
Groceries: 8.25%
Drinks: 7.25%
Mobile phone: 8.75%
MacDonald: 7.7-8.7%
Pharmacy: 6.75%

Mark Brader wrote:
This is now off-topic for both newsgroups,

Well, you might not *like* the topic, but I don't think it's
*off*-topic.

I'm quite sure that they have "German toilets" in (some
parts/locations/whatever of) Oz, and I'm quite sure I've seen a few
"German toilets" during our recent trip in the US (California). Whether
one *calls* them "German toilets" is another matter, but they are of
*essentially the same design*.

I promise, next time I will pay special attention, make notes and
report back! :-)

but in the hope of ending the subthread quickly...

Mike O'Sullivan:
"Not so the German toilet. The excrement lands on a bone-dry horizontal
shelf, mere inches beneath one's posterior. Repeated flushings are
required to slide the ordure off the shelf ..."

Frank Slootweg:
I still don't understand it! The "shelf" is a little hollow, not flat.
Do the Germans use special water which magically flows *up*hill?

When you flush, the flush water is dumped onto the "shelf", moving
fast enough to overcome the slight slope of the hollow and wash it
(hopefully) clean.

Yes, of course. But *after* that, the last bit of water is supposed to
*stay* in the hollow area. At least that's what our (Dutch) toilets do,
and - while we travel a lot in Germany (and Austria) - I've never
encountered the mentioned shelf-is-totally-dry problem with German
toilets.

So all in all, I think the whining is about *broken "German toilets"
or/and from people with a dietary (sp?) problem.

[...]

"Frank Slootweg" wrote in message
.home.nl...
Mark Brader wrote:
This is now off-topic for both newsgroups,

Well, you might not *like* the topic, but I don't think it's
*off*-topic.

I'm quite sure that they have "German toilets" in (some
parts/locations/whatever of) Oz, and I'm quite sure I've seen a few
"German toilets" during our recent trip in the US (California). Whether
one *calls* them "German toilets" is another matter, but they are of
*essentially the same design*.

I promise, next time I will pay special attention, make notes and
report back! :-)

but in the hope of ending the subthread quickly...

Mike O'Sullivan:
"Not so the German toilet. The excrement lands on a bone-dry
horizontal
shelf, mere inches beneath one's posterior. Repeated flushings are
required to slide the ordure off the shelf ..."

Frank Slootweg:
I still don't understand it! The "shelf" is a little hollow, not flat.
Do the Germans use special water which magically flows *up*hill?

When you flush, the flush water is dumped onto the "shelf", moving
fast enough to overcome the slight slope of the hollow and wash it
(hopefully) clean.

Yes, of course. But *after* that, the last bit of water is supposed to
*stay* in the hollow area. At least that's what our (Dutch) toilets do,
and - while we travel a lot in Germany (and Austria) - I've never
encountered the mentioned shelf-is-totally-dry problem with German
toilets.

So all in all, I think the whining is about *broken "German toilets"
or/and from people with a dietary (sp?) problem.

Like so many Euros, Frank is anal retentive and seldom HAS to put anything
into a toilet of a solid nature.



[...]

Sharx35 wrote:
[...]

Like so many Euros, Frank is anal retentive and seldom HAS to put anything
into a toilet of a solid nature.

Well, I'd rather retain it, than have if come out of my mouth, as is
the case with you. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

BTW, I like the "Euros" naming, they're of higher value. Thanks for
that!

BTW 2, besides Reading 101 and Comprehension 101, you apparently also
need to enroll in Writing 101, or perhaps comprehension is just the only
problem.

--
"Is it some requirement for jerks to have sequence numbers?"

On Sun, 14 Dec 2008 17:03:07 +0100, Frank Slootweg
wrote:



No, its not often, it's rare and restricted to taxes like the hotel
tax, the object being to stick tourists like you who can't vote in the
state so they can get away with it.

Give me a break! You guys don't stay in hotels, even not on business?
Dream on!

Not often and when I do, I am the tourist paying the tax to support
the locals who don't have to.


And you don't eat out, at 12.3%?

No, I avoid California like any sane person. It's have that where I
live.


Face it, it's like I said: The exclusion of the tax in the displayed/
advertized prices does *not* serve any purpose for the *customer*,
because - despite your statement that it does - it apparently does *not*
help you realize how high it is!

Of course, it does, which is why our tax is 6% and not 12% like in
California or 23% like in Sweden.


BTW, in case it was not clear: Our receipts, bills, etc., do *mention*
the amount and percentage of tax, it is just *included* in the
displayed/advertized/receipt prices. I.e. on the display etc. you see
how much you have to pay, and - if yo're to stupid to calculate it
yourself - you will see the amount of tax on the receipt.

That was the point you know. It's right there in front of us so we
can make sure it doesn't get too high. Works too doesn't it, because
ours is a lot lower than yours.


FYI, here the non-hotel taxes which i still have (I have no other
restaurant receipts, because most places keep those themselves):

Toy: 8.5%.
Restaurant: 12.3%
Groceries: 8.25%
Drinks: 7.25%
Mobile phone: 8.75%
MacDonald: 7.7-8.7%
Pharmacy: 6.75%

On Sun, 14 Dec 2008 22:24:24 +0100, Frank Slootweg
wrote:

Sharx35 wrote:
[...]

Like so many Euros, Frank is anal retentive and seldom HAS to put anything
into a toilet of a solid nature.

Well, I'd rather retain it, than have if come out of my mouth, as is
the case with you. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

BTW, I like the "Euros" naming, they're of higher value. Thanks for
that!

BTW 2, besides Reading 101 and Comprehension 101, you apparently also
need to enroll in Writing 101, or perhaps comprehension is just the only
problem.

Careful Frank, He'll suggest you enrol on Spelling 101

Enroll = enrol

But then again perhaps that is the way it's spelt where you are.

On Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:12:20 +0900, wrote:

Careful Frank, He'll suggest you enrol on Spelling 101

Enroll = enrol

But then again perhaps that is the way it's spelt where you are.

"Spelt"? Isn't that a small fish? Fish can enroll in spelling courses where you
live?

Perhaps it's only the monkfish.

-- Larry

"pltrgyst" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:12:20 +0900, wrote:

Careful Frank, He'll suggest you enrol on Spelling 101

Enroll = enrol

But then again perhaps that is the way it's spelt where you are.

"Spelt"? Isn't that a small fish? Fish can enroll in spelling courses
where you
live?

smelt?? Well, some fish DO travel in SCHOOLS, you know. Maybe that's where
they learn how to spell.


Perhaps it's only the monkfish.

-- Larry