Re: Various

> From:    Raymond Brown <ray.brown@...>
> Subject: Re: A Proposition
>
> >Perhaps the proposition could be modified by choosing
> >a version of ASCII IPA out there and stick to that.
>
> Yes - when I first joined this list, Kirshenbaum's sysyem to be the norm,
> but I've seen a definite shift towards SAMPA.  Indeed, it seems that most
> more or less adhere to SAMPA now with the major exception the IPA a-e
> ligature ('ash' - southern Brit & American _a_ in _cat_), which is
> generally written [&] here (following Kirshenbaum) rather than SAMPA [{].
What is amazing is that we use consistent systems at all.

I've been to other language-related lists where phone[t|m]ic representation
is basically a seat-of-the-pants affair (and usually clear as mud).

> From:    Frank George Valoczy <valoczy@...>
> Subject: Re: CHAT: silly names, prepositions
>
> > > But, is it not true, that living on the American continent, makes also
> > > Canadians, Mexicans, Argentinians and the rest, also "American"?
> >
> > The things is, though, that there is no such thing as this so-called
> > 'American continent'. There is North America and South America. I've
> > always called people from the USA as one of Americans, Bloody Bastards,
> > Usarians (from my pronunciation of {USA}+ians), Yewessians (from my
> > pronunciation of U+S+ians), or somesuch like that (The latter two only
> > when I wanted to make it bloody obvious to all that I was talking about
> > Yewessians, not Canadans or Brazillians or Mexicans, or somesuch like
that.
>
> In elementary school I was taught that there are five continents: Europe,
> Africa, Asia, America and Australia...
Odd... We had seven:  Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America,
Australia, Antarctica.

However a very few books would get picky and combine Europe and Asia into
'Eurasia', but nobody paid any attention to that.  And I distinctly remember
Australia being lumped in with 'Oceania' sometimes...

> From:    Frank George Valoczy <valoczy@...>
> Subject: Re: CHAT: silly names, prepositions
>
> > Well, then you call us what ever you like in Canadian, eh?  But when you
> > speak to us in American (cause we're to stupid about the rest of the
world
> > to understand Canadian) then call us Americans.
> >
> Where can I find a course in American language? It might be useful to me
> after Quebec becomes independent and British Columbia becomes the 52nd
> state ;)
http://www.oregonsil.org/351/engram/section01.html
(Er, well, not really.)

> From:    David Peterson <DigitalScream@...>
> Subject: Re: R:      Re: General Question
>
> The idea of becoming independent is repugnant to them.
I don't like it either, this obsession with 'independence'.  I don't see any
point to it.

But it's the cultural mandate, and what're yer alternative words?
'dependent'? - bad jrbbryaycrbow [er, I mean, connotations]...
'codependent'? hahaha.

Yes, it just bugs me how the idea that people aren't supposed to be
self-contained islands is demonized.  </wayofftopicrant>

> From:    Robert Hailman <robert@...>
> Subject: Re: CHAT: silly names, prepositions
>
> Well, if the term "American" is "virtually always understood" to mean
> someone from the USA, then logically a "South American" should be
> understood to mean someone from one of the southern states, right? But
> it's not. That's where we're coming from, at last.
No, that's just as spurious as saying that "South African" should be
understood to mean someone from any southern African country.  South America
is a continent.  Southern Americans come from one of the southern US states.

> From:    Andrew D Chaney <adchaney@...>
> Subject: Re: A Proposition
>
> > I don't know what "text-based" means, or what "unix" is.  :(  Computer
> > illiterate, am I.  I use a Mac, after all.
> >
> Text-based (in this context) refers to not using extended ascii
characters*
> and non-standard fonts.**
Hmm, imho text-based in that context refers to merely not using graphics or
non-standard fonts.

Many unices can manage extended ascii just fine.  [But I'm pretty sure the
Mac doesn't have the standard Latin-1 extensions natively itself.]

> From:    Andrew D Chaney <adchaney@...>
> Subject: Re: CHAT: silly names, prepositions
>
> > In elementary school I was taught that there are five continents:
Europe,
> > Africa, Asia, America and Australia...
>
> How do you get America(s) as one continent when N. & S. America are
connected
> by only a tiny little isthmus.
Ah, but they're kinda separated by a canal now, ain't they?  ;p

> And get Europe and Asia which are not separated
> at all geographically as two continents?
>
> Everyone's education is tainted by politics.  Especially geography and
history.

Hehe.  There's still the occasional extra-pedantic book laying around that
calls "Afro-Eurasia" a continent.

> From:    Adam Walker <dreamertwo@...>
> Subject: Re: CHAT: silly names, prepositions
>
> Oh, BTW, if BC is going to be our 52nd state, who gets to be 51st?????
Puerto Rico.

But who will redesign the flag?

     *Muke!
--
Magnet made of iron!  Lobster made of meat!  Lobster sticks to magnet!