On Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:22:19 +1000, Herodotus
wrote:

On Sun, 20 Apr 2008 09:07:33 +0700, Bruce in Bangkok
wrote:



Hi Bruce,

Do you get much mail at this address? I wonder if an email handle like
that would work for me.

cheers
Peter


If you mean the Pimpworld address I don't think it will work for you -
first you have to be young and handsome. Secondly you have to have a
name like Willard J. Wonderful and lastly you have to have a 68 ft.
boat with a hot tub.

Where are you? Hanging out in some marina or anchored close in where
you can hijack somebody's unguarded WiFi net?


Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct email address for reply)

Hi Bruce,
I'm going to change my name and have a face lift. Thank's for the
advice.

I'm still at Seru Boca marina in Curacao as a paying customer this
time, as I left Herodotus here when I went back home - the main use
for me of marinas http://www.santabarbararesort.com/09.html If you
click on the photos you should be able to see me waving at 1200 zulu
tomorrow.

It's part of a huge development that will eventually include high
value estate housing, a golf course and a Hyatt Regency hotel -
hopefully by that time I shall be long gone. Price is reasonable
compared with Trinidad - $US252 per month plus power and water - all
water here is produced by desalination of sea water.

Since emailing you I was about to leave but since there is at least a
4 week wait for the Panama canal, decided that I would have to go like
the proverbial clappers (archaic English term still in useage in the
antipodean ex-colonies) to reach home before the cyclone season. Thus
decided to leave Herodotus here and return to Malaysia and Sydney
until about September. flight is booked out - Curacao, Miami, Dallas,
Honolulu and thence Sydney and a couple of weeks later, KL.

As well as allowing me time to get into the Pacific early and be able
to see the sights, I shall be also able to make a side journey to
Cartagena, Colombia to be mugged, drugged, raped and murdered. I'm
looking forward to it. If the bloody Americans didn't provide such a
huge ready market for cocaine, the country might be safer to visit -
still that's the new global economy in action. who am I to question
it? I only learned Keynsian economics at university - long
discredited.

How's the boat project coming along?

cheers, and regards to your wife.
Asalaam,
Peter

Naw, I don't believe you. I googled that address you posted and the
first line in the blurb says

"Seru Boca Marina offers floating slips for 128 vessels up to 150
feet"

Don't say nothing about no grottie old cruising boat, sounds like if
you're not at least 100 ft. they probably don't want you. How did you
get in? Sneak in and tie up at the dinghy dock?

Regarding your colonial English I'll have you know that I received an
initial supplemental education in Proper English by a British educated
Singapore Lady Office Manager who used to correct my Americanisms by
telegram, and later by a former Officer of the Gurkas, graduate of
Sandhurst, graduate of the School of Asian and African Studies, London
University, where he majored in Malay/Indonesian - have you ever heard
anyone speak absolutely impeccable Indonesian with a fully blown
Sandhurst accent? And most recently by a hereditary Lord of the Realm
who corrects my pronunciation at every opportunity. I also have a mate
raised on a sheep station in Western Australia just so I don't get too
toffey nosed.

By the way, what is this Sidney business. I thought you were a Kiwi.

Cartagena de Indias? I thought you British chappies were persona non
grata since Sir Francis Drake burned the place? But I suppose with the
new economy that can't afford to overlook any market.

Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct email address for reply)

Naw, I don't believe you. I googled that address you posted and the
first line in the blurb says

"Seru Boca Marina offers floating slips for 128 vessels up to 150
feet"

Don't say nothing about no grottie old cruising boat, sounds like if
you're not at least 100 ft. they probably don't want you. How did you
get in? Sneak in and tie up at the dinghy dock?

Regarding your colonial English I'll have you know that I received an
initial supplemental education in Proper English by a British educated
Singapore Lady Office Manager who used to correct my Americanisms by
telegram, and later by a former Officer of the Gurkas, graduate of
Sandhurst, graduate of the School of Asian and African Studies, London
University, where he majored in Malay/Indonesian - have you ever heard
anyone speak absolutely impeccable Indonesian with a fully blown
Sandhurst accent? And most recently by a hereditary Lord of the Realm
who corrects my pronunciation at every opportunity. I also have a mate
raised on a sheep station in Western Australia just so I don't get too
toffey nosed.

By the way, what is this Sidney business. I thought you were a Kiwi.

Cartagena de Indias? I thought you British chappies were persona non
grata since Sir Francis Drake burned the place? But I suppose with the
new economy that can't afford to overlook any market.

Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct email address for reply)

Hi Bruce,
I see that in mixing with colonials and other civilised peoples you
have definitely developed a non American sense of humour and recognise
that what may appear as offensive to others is actually a mark of
friendliness (don't understand it quite myself).

I am so pleased that so many people took the trouble to correct your
"Americanisms" and taught you to speak in a civilised manner. There is
an excellent new DVD and book called "The Adventure of English" which
describes the history and spread of the English language and its
variations. When I get back I shall make you a copy and snailmail it
to you if you send me your postal address by email.

Actually, I love the Americanisms such as "I'll fix dinner" - what's
wrong with it? and the various references to the latrine - Little
girl's room", "powder my nose" and so on. Nothing as basic as our
"Where are the toilets?" or "I have to go".

Actually in this marina there is only one large motor boat. The rest
of us are the standard 40 odd feet sailboats from all over. Many
people leave their boats here in complete security and fly back home
for a while such as I am doing. Whereas in the more windward islands
from Trinidad up to the Virgins (where you send your wife for
recycling), US registered sailboats make up for at least 80 to 90%.
Here which is a little harder to get back from, we are a mixed bunch;
predominantly Dutch, but also French, American, English, German and
Australian. They are generally cruising types and consequently the
behaviour is different to the ones you seem to find further east on
the "water winnebagos".

An example is that nobody asks in initial conversation what you do or
did for a living, whether you have children, or any other of the
personal fact finding questions that are usually asked in an attempt
to put a status ranking upon you. Last night at the bar for example
where I took my dinner (no, I drank only orange juice), conversation
was about cheese eating etiquette whereby one shows that one is a
barbarian or not by the way one cuts the cheese and which varies
according to its shape and type. I had never heard of this and had
that moment of truth whereby I realised my barbarian status til now.
Other topics were bits of history such as that Germans still pay a 7%
tax to the church if they are Christian, which tax is collected by the
government on the churches' behalf - law was put in place byHitler in
1935 as part of the pacxt with the Vatican.

There was not a single word about crass things such as assets,
investments, "when I was General Manager", how much people spent on
new gear and so on. Europeans seem to be so much more mature in that
way.

There is an interesting lady here, Patricia, who grew up on a farm in
Texas and spent most of her life as an academic at Washington State, A
widow, she has only recently bought a sailboat and sailed it down from
San Diego to here with crew. As she was a professor of behavourial
science with an emphasis on business she can answer my questions as to
why Americans do this or that. Great lady, strong personality.

Sorry, I got carried away. Being of Greek origin we tend to be
verbose.

Yes I am a Kiwi, but I also have Australian and Malaysian citizenship.
Sydney is where the "owner" and son reside whilst he is at highschool.

Asalaam,
Peter

snip
Actually, I love the Americanisms such as "I'll fix dinner" - what's
wrong with it? and the various references to the latrine - Little
girl's room", "powder my nose" and so on. Nothing as basic as our
"Where are the toilets?" or "I have to go".

LOL...if you find *those* amusing, you really must get out (in the US)
more. There are more gems than you could imagine. My favorite came
from a 'gent' I was forced to work with who, when asked about the status
of a task he had already completed, replied with "I done did that there
bud, it's done done". With a straight face...

Keith Hughes

On Sun, 20 Apr 2008 08:22:14 -0700, wrote:

snip
Actually, I love the Americanisms such as "I'll fix dinner" - what's
wrong with it? and the various references to the latrine - Little
girl's room", "powder my nose" and so on. Nothing as basic as our
"Where are the toilets?" or "I have to go".

LOL...if you find *those* amusing, you really must get out (in the US)
more. There are more gems than you could imagine. My favorite came
from a 'gent' I was forced to work with who, when asked about the status
of a task he had already completed, replied with "I done did that there
bud, it's done done". With a straight face...

Keith Hughes

All jokes aside, that's the wonderful thing about the English
language. It is so varied and the different useages of words and terms
are so interesting. I often wonder if there is any "correct English"
so long as the meaning is not ambiguous and misleading. Even the
Americanism "fix" also means to prepare or make something in the
Oxford dictionary as well as the only useage we put on it which is to
repair. In the US, I often feel like replying to the question "Would
you like to use the washroom?" with "No thanks, I had a shower this
morning" I just love those euphemisms for a common toilet which all
have the need to use, anything but what it is.

The only word I object to is the Americanism "dude" which is creeping
into Antipodean language and used by those who wish to be seen as hip.
I cannot but object verbally or walk out of a shop when I am addressed
as such.

cheers

wrote in message
...
snip
Actually, I love the Americanisms such as "I'll fix dinner" - what's
wrong with it? and the various references to the latrine - Little
girl's room", "powder my nose" and so on. Nothing as basic as our
"Where are the toilets?" or "I have to go".

LOL...if you find *those* amusing, you really must get out (in the US)
more. There are more gems than you could imagine. My favorite came from
a 'gent' I was forced to work with who, when asked about the status of a
task he had already completed, replied with "I done did that there bud,
it's done done". With a straight face...

Keith Hughes


We regularly use "get 'er done" when in asking employees to do something.
(We don't have to tell them what exactly, because it's obvious. If it isn't
obvious, they they can expect to be fired.)

When they're finished, they report back with "done did it... goodly too."
Bud is a bit too familiar for an employee to use with a boss. "Sir" is
acceptable.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

On Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:51:41 -0700 (PDT), Bob
wrote:

Besides whats wrong with using another name to post?

Maybe not so much. What is objectionablel is posting under several
names at the same time. Confusing the readers is rude and obnoxious.
Many post under their real names. The does not seem to be any good
reason not to, and I have observed, over a ten year period, that such
posters are on the average, more credible than those who use a phony
name.

Casady

Herodotus wrote:
On Sun, 20 Apr 2008 08:22:14 -0700, wrote:

snip
Actually, I love the Americanisms such as "I'll fix dinner" - what's
wrong with it? and the various references to the latrine - Little
girl's room", "powder my nose" and so on. Nothing as basic as our
"Where are the toilets?" or "I have to go".
LOL...if you find *those* amusing, you really must get out (in the US)
more. There are more gems than you could imagine. My favorite came
from a 'gent' I was forced to work with who, when asked about the status
of a task he had already completed, replied with "I done did that there
bud, it's done done". With a straight face...

Keith Hughes

All jokes aside, that's the wonderful thing about the English
language. It is so varied and the different useages of words and terms
are so interesting. I often wonder if there is any "correct English"
so long as the meaning is not ambiguous and misleading.

I would agree that there is a great deal of stylistic leeway in "correct
English" construction. However, I review many thousands of pages of,
shall we say, "text" each year, written by college graduates, and
ambiguity and lack of concision seem to be fairly rampant these days.
The rapid rise of text messaging, with the concomitant mangling of
spelling, grammar, and syntax is also quite clearly not going to help
matters.

Even the
Americanism "fix" also means to prepare or make something in the
Oxford dictionary as well as the only useage we put on it which is to
repair.

Well, one can hardly fault the use of such an easily conjugated verb:

"I's a fixin to..."
"He's a fixin to..."
"They's a fixin to..."

And the ever popular; "We's a fixing to too..." :-)

But, do you not also use it relative to Nitrogen fixation? I had
assumed that was a universal (for English speakers) usage.

The only word I object to is the Americanism "dude" which is creeping
into Antipodean language and used by those who wish to be seen as hip.
I cannot but object verbally or walk out of a shop when I am addressed
as such.

I understand your aversion, and in deference to the desire for cordial
antipodean relations, I shall refrain from the rejoinder "Yo, chill dude".

Cheers,

Keith Hughes

"Herodotus" wrote in message
...

Actually, I love the Americanisms such as "I'll fix dinner" - what's
wrong with it? and the various references to the latrine - Little
girl's room", "powder my nose" and so on. Nothing as basic as our
"Where are the toilets?" or "I have to go".

That is reasonably polite, not basic.
Basic is 'Where's the bog'

On Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:53:54 GMT, (Richard
Casady) wrote:

On Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:51:41 -0700 (PDT), Bob
wrote:

Besides whats wrong with using another name to post?

Maybe not so much. What is objectionablel is posting under several
names at the same time. Confusing the readers is rude and obnoxious.
Many post under their real names. The does not seem to be any good
reason not to, and I have observed, over a ten year period, that such
posters are on the average, more credible than those who use a phony
name.

Casady


I don;t think I agree with your statement. For example, there is a
poster on rec.crafts.metalworking called "Gunner Asch", a character
from a book. While his politics are a bit to the right of Genghis
Khan, during the years I have read the news group he has never failed
to give good advise on the group subject.


Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct email address for reply)

In article ,
"Edgar" wrote:

"Herodotus" wrote in message
...

Actually, I love the Americanisms such as "I'll fix dinner" - what's
wrong with it? and the various references to the latrine - Little
girl's room", "powder my nose" and so on. Nothing as basic as our
"Where are the toilets?" or "I have to go".

That is reasonably polite, not basic.
Basic is 'Where's the bog'

'I'm dying for a slash'

LOL

--
Molesworth