this week's rant

oldspark wrote: Oi - leave my buddy alone.... haemphyst wrote: ....the US has slowly declined in it's educational world standings.... declined in "its" education... :)

DAMMIT! GRRR! I *did* say the Pinot was speaking aloud last night!It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."

Must defend haemphyst (is that Greek? sounds like a Scandinavian/Greek mixup). I have to stop and think, its or it's. Surely in context "its" was correct? Your and you're and yaw and yore always gets to foreigners.

Rats - no defense - I'm out of wine. Where's my Ouzo (should that be Ouz-eee? Or is that defence?) Luckily though, plenty of whine. Must be that Englishman heritage.... I like the old its. It's got as many apostrophes as there are c's in superseded (or n's in a restaurant owner). Alas it's difficult explaining that its is the possessive form of it, so its possessive form is its. True it's! It's often easier saying that if it's NOT 2 words, then it's its. (2 words meaning it is, it was, etc.) So, does that mean I'm smart? Or I just smart? Smart amn't I? (That's my Mum's - she pointed out how grammatically incorrect "smart aren't I?" is. Or was.)

howie ll wrote: Must defend haemphyst (is that Greek? sounds like a Scandinavian/Greek mixup).

Haemphyst is simply an "Ye Olde English" spelling for "hamfist". See defintion 2. Hamfisted: Adjective (comparative more ham-fisted, superlative most ham-fisted); 1. Clumsy, heavy, or inept; 2. not delicate, light or gentle. I was branded with this moniker when working with my buddy in his garage, and I "just happened" to over-tighten a wingnut... By hand. He was unable to loosen it - by hand - and he proceeded to mumble profanities - involving "hamfist" - my way, and it just stuck. The spelling came from my OTHER buddy Tim, when we were trying to come up with a name for myself in one or another online game... It's a bit of a comment on my view of life: Go bigger, harder, faster, (and any other -er you can lay thoughts upon) or go home. Also known as "When overkill is a good place to start." <scratch head>

howie ll wrote: I have to stop and think, its or it's. Surely in context "its" was correct? Your and you're and yaw and yore always gets to foreigners.

OK... Thank you for making me re-re-read that line. It WAS posessive, therefore "it's". Stop the thread, I wanna get off! LOL </scratch head>

oldspark wrote: Rats - no defense - I'm out of wine. Where's my Ouzo (should that be Ouz-eee? Or is that defence?) Luckily though, plenty of whine. Must be that Englishman heritage....

Oh, those Brits and their "c's"... :) My mother-in-law is British, and she always made fun of American spellings... It amused us! :)

oldspark wrote: I like the old its. It's got as many apostrophes as there are c's in superseded (or n's in a restaurant owner).

TWO apostrophes?

oldspark wrote: Alas it's difficult explaining that its is the possessive form of it, so its possessive form is its. True it's! It's often easier saying that if it's NOT 2 words, then it's its. (2 words meaning it is, it was, etc.)

But we now know that all generalizations are false! LOL

oldspark wrote: So, does that mean I'm smart? Or I just smart? Smart amn't I? (That's my Mum's - she pointed out how grammatically incorrect "smart aren't I?" is. Or was.)

What a small world... I used to hear MY mother use that phrase ALL THE TIMEIt all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."

That's rather funny haemphyst, at least I wasa half right about the origins (Danish, North Germans, became the Anglo Saxons, hence "Olde Englishe" The irony is my name Howard derives from the Anglo Saxon HOGWARDEN, or the "keeper of the King's Hogs". Bet my old yiddish bubba from Byelorussia never realised what my mum was doing.

To heck with those Danes - what have they done - not much (I'm paraphrasing the Danish Ambassador).... Haemo and I have too much in common.... it's scary. Especially the Tim's... (I'll see two tonight - one at his party, the other my bro.) And we both have mothers (as do Tims)! (Mine gave me a good grounding in car mechanics and driving, as well as words like splugs, sparts, and other funny spoonerisms. Clever too. And shall be obeyed (lol).)     And FTR - there were never any C's in supersede or superseded (except that over 80% of people and advertisements used supercede...). And of course we all know there are no n's in restaurateur. Then again, I'm Aussie, so stuff those fascist authoritarian rules!

My wife's asian(8 years in US). A while back we were traveling on vacation and she tried to find a McDonald's on the GPS. In LA, California, she couldnt(COULD NOT-I KNOW, SHUT UP, I AM LAZY) locate one on the Garmin, just as we passed by one of their high signs along the freeway. I grab the GPS outta her hand and read her typed search name---McDonno. Priceless!This is what I do for FUN!

ianarian wrote: My wife's asian(8 years in US). A while back we were traveling on vacation and she tried to find a McDonald's on the GPS. In LA, California, she couldnt(COULD NOT-I KNOW, SHUT UP, I AM LAZY) locate one on the Garmin, just as we passed by one of their high signs along the freeway. I grab the GPS outta her hand and read her typed search name---McDonno. Priceless!

That is pretty funny! Man, I've been away too long........