Billy Ray

If you went to Japan today you would be hard pressed to find someone who
didn't speak English.


"Tom Greening" <tgreen@yohmama.com> wrote in message
news:yHmdf.201683$lI5.48407@tornado.ohiordc.rr.com ...
>
> "Coasty" <uscg_retSPOOGE@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:r9udncaWztg4SejenZ2dnUVZ_sSdnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
>> Here in MD the legislature is pushing through a bill to make English the
>> official language, I thought it was. Sort of an oxymoron don't you
>> think.
>> It has a real good chance of passing the poles show 78% of marylanders
>> concur.
>>
>> --
>
>
> Thank god sanity seems to reign at least somewhere. Why is it that when I
> go to an ATM in Podunk, Ohio I have to CHOOSE a language? Specifically
> Spanish. Why the hell is that? Why do I have to watch (well, actually
> "I"
> don't) TV shows that seem hell bent on teaching kids Spanish? Excuse me
> but
> shouldn't that be the other way around? Shouldn't the shows be striving
> to
> teach ENGLISH to those who can't (or won't?) speak it? It wouldn't bother
> me if I had to choose from a list of languages i.e. English, Spanish,
> German, French, Japanese, etc. That at least I could understand as trying
> to be a convenience to international travelers. When the only choices are
> English or Spanish, now we are trying to cater to a specific ethnic group
> that for all intents and purposes is not just a bunch of "visitors", and I
> think that is plain old wrong.
>
> I wouldn't expect to move to Japan and have them provide everything to me
> in
> English. It would sure be nice, but I wouldn't EXPECT it as some sort of
> god-given right. I wouldn't expect to put my kid in a Japanese public
> school and demand that they make accommodations to teach my kid in
> English.
> The best I would hope for would be English assistance while they went
> about
> teaching my kid JAPANESE.
>
> This country was founded by English speaking Europeans which is good
> enough
> for me. Later there was a HUGE influx of immigrants from nations all over
> the world, whose sole interest was to come here to be an AMERICAN, not a
> "fill in the blank"-American. Not Italian Americans, Irish Americans,
> Polish Americans etc, but just plain old Americans. These people promptly
> got about the business of pursuing their dreams AND learning the language
> of
> the host country which just happened to be ENGLISH.
>
> This country truly was a melting pot as back then the immigrants wanted to
> FIT IN and be Americans, nothing more. Therein is the issue at the root
> of
> a huge portion of today's racial problems in this country. People coming
> here don't want to fit in any more. They want to come from whatever
> little
> hell hole they were born it to someplace nice, and then try to convert it
> to
> a carbon copy of the hell hole they just left. Why are people today so
> hell
> bent on applying labels to themselves? African-American,
> Mexican-American,
> XYZ-American and whatnot.
>
> Isn't it enough to be an American anymore?
>
>

Billy Ray

If you went to Japan today you would be hard pressed to find someone who
didn't speak English.


"Tom Greening" <tgreen@yohmama.com> wrote in message
news:yHmdf.201683$lI5.48407@tornado.ohiordc.rr.com ...
>
> "Coasty" <uscg_retSPOOGE@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:r9udncaWztg4SejenZ2dnUVZ_sSdnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
>> Here in MD the legislature is pushing through a bill to make English the
>> official language, I thought it was. Sort of an oxymoron don't you
>> think.
>> It has a real good chance of passing the poles show 78% of marylanders
>> concur.
>>
>> --
>
>
> Thank god sanity seems to reign at least somewhere. Why is it that when I
> go to an ATM in Podunk, Ohio I have to CHOOSE a language? Specifically
> Spanish. Why the hell is that? Why do I have to watch (well, actually
> "I"
> don't) TV shows that seem hell bent on teaching kids Spanish? Excuse me
> but
> shouldn't that be the other way around? Shouldn't the shows be striving
> to
> teach ENGLISH to those who can't (or won't?) speak it? It wouldn't bother
> me if I had to choose from a list of languages i.e. English, Spanish,
> German, French, Japanese, etc. That at least I could understand as trying
> to be a convenience to international travelers. When the only choices are
> English or Spanish, now we are trying to cater to a specific ethnic group
> that for all intents and purposes is not just a bunch of "visitors", and I
> think that is plain old wrong.
>
> I wouldn't expect to move to Japan and have them provide everything to me
> in
> English. It would sure be nice, but I wouldn't EXPECT it as some sort of
> god-given right. I wouldn't expect to put my kid in a Japanese public
> school and demand that they make accommodations to teach my kid in
> English.
> The best I would hope for would be English assistance while they went
> about
> teaching my kid JAPANESE.
>
> This country was founded by English speaking Europeans which is good
> enough
> for me. Later there was a HUGE influx of immigrants from nations all over
> the world, whose sole interest was to come here to be an AMERICAN, not a
> "fill in the blank"-American. Not Italian Americans, Irish Americans,
> Polish Americans etc, but just plain old Americans. These people promptly
> got about the business of pursuing their dreams AND learning the language
> of
> the host country which just happened to be ENGLISH.
>
> This country truly was a melting pot as back then the immigrants wanted to
> FIT IN and be Americans, nothing more. Therein is the issue at the root
> of
> a huge portion of today's racial problems in this country. People coming
> here don't want to fit in any more. They want to come from whatever
> little
> hell hole they were born it to someplace nice, and then try to convert it
> to
> a carbon copy of the hell hole they just left. Why are people today so
> hell
> bent on applying labels to themselves? African-American,
> Mexican-American,
> XYZ-American and whatnot.
>
> Isn't it enough to be an American anymore?
>
>

Billy Ray

If you went to Japan today you would be hard pressed to find someone who
didn't speak English.


"Tom Greening" <tgreen@yohmama.com> wrote in message
news:yHmdf.201683$lI5.48407@tornado.ohiordc.rr.com ...
>
> "Coasty" <uscg_retSPOOGE@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:r9udncaWztg4SejenZ2dnUVZ_sSdnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
>> Here in MD the legislature is pushing through a bill to make English the
>> official language, I thought it was. Sort of an oxymoron don't you
>> think.
>> It has a real good chance of passing the poles show 78% of marylanders
>> concur.
>>
>> --
>
>
> Thank god sanity seems to reign at least somewhere. Why is it that when I
> go to an ATM in Podunk, Ohio I have to CHOOSE a language? Specifically
> Spanish. Why the hell is that? Why do I have to watch (well, actually
> "I"
> don't) TV shows that seem hell bent on teaching kids Spanish? Excuse me
> but
> shouldn't that be the other way around? Shouldn't the shows be striving
> to
> teach ENGLISH to those who can't (or won't?) speak it? It wouldn't bother
> me if I had to choose from a list of languages i.e. English, Spanish,
> German, French, Japanese, etc. That at least I could understand as trying
> to be a convenience to international travelers. When the only choices are
> English or Spanish, now we are trying to cater to a specific ethnic group
> that for all intents and purposes is not just a bunch of "visitors", and I
> think that is plain old wrong.
>
> I wouldn't expect to move to Japan and have them provide everything to me
> in
> English. It would sure be nice, but I wouldn't EXPECT it as some sort of
> god-given right. I wouldn't expect to put my kid in a Japanese public
> school and demand that they make accommodations to teach my kid in
> English.
> The best I would hope for would be English assistance while they went
> about
> teaching my kid JAPANESE.
>
> This country was founded by English speaking Europeans which is good
> enough
> for me. Later there was a HUGE influx of immigrants from nations all over
> the world, whose sole interest was to come here to be an AMERICAN, not a
> "fill in the blank"-American. Not Italian Americans, Irish Americans,
> Polish Americans etc, but just plain old Americans. These people promptly
> got about the business of pursuing their dreams AND learning the language
> of
> the host country which just happened to be ENGLISH.
>
> This country truly was a melting pot as back then the immigrants wanted to
> FIT IN and be Americans, nothing more. Therein is the issue at the root
> of
> a huge portion of today's racial problems in this country. People coming
> here don't want to fit in any more. They want to come from whatever
> little
> hell hole they were born it to someplace nice, and then try to convert it
> to
> a carbon copy of the hell hole they just left. Why are people today so
> hell
> bent on applying labels to themselves? African-American,
> Mexican-American,
> XYZ-American and whatnot.
>
> Isn't it enough to be an American anymore?
>
>

Matt Macchiarolo

..
>
> This country truly was a melting pot as back then the immigrants wanted to
> FIT IN and be Americans, nothing more.

Clarification: The immigrants who came over in the late 1800's/early 1900's
had for the most part a difficult time assimilating, and they ended up
settling in large numbers in specific regions (think of the predominantly
ethnic neighborhoods of NYC). By and large the immigrants tried to keep
their "old world" ways while making a new life here. Hence, a lot of them
even then didn't learn English, but they didn't really have to since they
lived in neighborhoods where their native language was spoken. There were
exceptions of course, but I'm talking about the vast majority.

The children of the immigrants, however, were the ones to embrace
assimilation and "cast off" the old world ways, attended school here and
learned English, and saw America as their true home.

My father's mother moved to this country in the early 1900's (she was very
young then, moved here with her parents). My grandfather's family moved here
and he was born here around the same time. They all settled in the
Pittsburgh area where most of the Italian immigrants worked in the steel
mills. Since they were mainly Italians, the mills had Italian foremen who
could communicate well. I don;t think my great-grandfather's generation ever
learned to speak English well, but my grandparents spoke both English and
Italian, since they grew up in the American schools but at home Italian was
spoken. Growing up in my immediate family, we only spoke English in the
household, but I grew up in southern Arkansas...not many last names ending
in vowels there.

There were a lot of English/Irish in the Pittsburgh area too, and that was
my mother's background. But her family emigrated prior to the Revolutionary
War and originally settled in Virginia, if memory serves.

To get back on topic, my great uncle (grandfather's brother, son of Italian
immigrants) served in the US forces in North Africa during WWII as a tank
driver. He lost most of his hearing and his hair turned white before he
finished his tour.

Wifey's dad was in the 7th Infantry in Korea, serving initially in Inchon.
His best memories during the war were driving around Marilyn Monroe for a
few days.

Matt Macchiarolo

..
>
> This country truly was a melting pot as back then the immigrants wanted to
> FIT IN and be Americans, nothing more.

Clarification: The immigrants who came over in the late 1800's/early 1900's
had for the most part a difficult time assimilating, and they ended up
settling in large numbers in specific regions (think of the predominantly
ethnic neighborhoods of NYC). By and large the immigrants tried to keep
their "old world" ways while making a new life here. Hence, a lot of them
even then didn't learn English, but they didn't really have to since they
lived in neighborhoods where their native language was spoken. There were
exceptions of course, but I'm talking about the vast majority.

The children of the immigrants, however, were the ones to embrace
assimilation and "cast off" the old world ways, attended school here and
learned English, and saw America as their true home.

My father's mother moved to this country in the early 1900's (she was very
young then, moved here with her parents). My grandfather's family moved here
and he was born here around the same time. They all settled in the
Pittsburgh area where most of the Italian immigrants worked in the steel
mills. Since they were mainly Italians, the mills had Italian foremen who
could communicate well. I don;t think my great-grandfather's generation ever
learned to speak English well, but my grandparents spoke both English and
Italian, since they grew up in the American schools but at home Italian was
spoken. Growing up in my immediate family, we only spoke English in the
household, but I grew up in southern Arkansas...not many last names ending
in vowels there.

There were a lot of English/Irish in the Pittsburgh area too, and that was
my mother's background. But her family emigrated prior to the Revolutionary
War and originally settled in Virginia, if memory serves.

To get back on topic, my great uncle (grandfather's brother, son of Italian
immigrants) served in the US forces in North Africa during WWII as a tank
driver. He lost most of his hearing and his hair turned white before he
finished his tour.

Wifey's dad was in the 7th Infantry in Korea, serving initially in Inchon.
His best memories during the war were driving around Marilyn Monroe for a
few days.

Matt Macchiarolo

..
>
> This country truly was a melting pot as back then the immigrants wanted to
> FIT IN and be Americans, nothing more.

Clarification: The immigrants who came over in the late 1800's/early 1900's
had for the most part a difficult time assimilating, and they ended up
settling in large numbers in specific regions (think of the predominantly
ethnic neighborhoods of NYC). By and large the immigrants tried to keep
their "old world" ways while making a new life here. Hence, a lot of them
even then didn't learn English, but they didn't really have to since they
lived in neighborhoods where their native language was spoken. There were
exceptions of course, but I'm talking about the vast majority.

The children of the immigrants, however, were the ones to embrace
assimilation and "cast off" the old world ways, attended school here and
learned English, and saw America as their true home.

My father's mother moved to this country in the early 1900's (she was very
young then, moved here with her parents). My grandfather's family moved here
and he was born here around the same time. They all settled in the
Pittsburgh area where most of the Italian immigrants worked in the steel
mills. Since they were mainly Italians, the mills had Italian foremen who
could communicate well. I don;t think my great-grandfather's generation ever
learned to speak English well, but my grandparents spoke both English and
Italian, since they grew up in the American schools but at home Italian was
spoken. Growing up in my immediate family, we only spoke English in the
household, but I grew up in southern Arkansas...not many last names ending
in vowels there.

There were a lot of English/Irish in the Pittsburgh area too, and that was
my mother's background. But her family emigrated prior to the Revolutionary
War and originally settled in Virginia, if memory serves.

To get back on topic, my great uncle (grandfather's brother, son of Italian
immigrants) served in the US forces in North Africa during WWII as a tank
driver. He lost most of his hearing and his hair turned white before he
finished his tour.

Wifey's dad was in the 7th Infantry in Korea, serving initially in Inchon.
His best memories during the war were driving around Marilyn Monroe for a
few days.

Billy Ray

The European Union commissioners have announced that
agreement has been reached to adopt English as the preferred
language for European communications, rather than German,
which was the other possibility. As part of the
negotiations, Her Majesty's Government conceded that English
spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a
five-year phased plan for what will be known as EuroEnglish
(Euro for short).

European officials have often pointed out that English
spelling is unnecessarily difficult -- for example, cough,
plough, rough, through and thorough. What is clearly needed
is a phased program of changes to iron out these anomalies.
The program would, of course, be administered by a committee
staff at top level by participating nations.

In the first year, for example, the committee would suggest
using 's' instead of the soft 'c'. Sertainly, sivil servants
in all sities would resieve this news with joy. Then the
hard 'c' could be replaced by 'k' sinse both letters are
pronounsed alike. Not only would this klear up konfusion in
the minds of klerikal workers, but typewriters kould be made
with one less letter.

There would be growing enthusiasm when in the sekond year,
it kould be announsed that the troublesome 'ph' would
henseforth be written 'f'. This would make words like
'fotograf' twenty persent shorter in print.

In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan
be expekted to reash the stage where more komplikated
shanges are possible. Governments would enkourage the
removal of double letters, which have always been a deterent
to akurate speling.

We would al agre that the horible mes of silent 'e's in the
languag is disgrasful. Therfor we kould drop thes and
kontinu to read and writ as though nothing had hapend. By
this tim it would be four years sins the skem began and
peopl would be reseptive to steps sutsh as replasing 'th' by
'z'. Perhaps zen ze funktion of 'w' kould be taken on by
'v', vitsh is, after al, half a 'w'. Shortly after zis, ze
unesesary 'o kould be dropd from words kontaining 'ou'.
Similar arguments vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations
of leters.

Kontinuing zis proses yer after yer, ve vud eventuli hav a
reli sensibl riten styl. After tventi yers zer vud be no mor
trubls, difikultis and evrivun vud fin it ezi tu understand
ech ozer. Ze drems of ze Guvermnt vud finali hav kum tru.

Received from Carrie Burroughs.

"Tom Greening" <tgreen@yohmama.com> wrote in message
news:yHmdf.201683$lI5.48407@tornado.ohiordc.rr.com ...
>
> "Coasty" <uscg_retSPOOGE@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:r9udncaWztg4SejenZ2dnUVZ_sSdnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
>> Here in MD the legislature is pushing through a bill to make English the
>> official language, I thought it was. Sort of an oxymoron don't you
>> think.
>> It has a real good chance of passing the poles show 78% of marylanders
>> concur.
>>
>> --
>

Billy Ray

The European Union commissioners have announced that
agreement has been reached to adopt English as the preferred
language for European communications, rather than German,
which was the other possibility. As part of the
negotiations, Her Majesty's Government conceded that English
spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a
five-year phased plan for what will be known as EuroEnglish
(Euro for short).

European officials have often pointed out that English
spelling is unnecessarily difficult -- for example, cough,
plough, rough, through and thorough. What is clearly needed
is a phased program of changes to iron out these anomalies.
The program would, of course, be administered by a committee
staff at top level by participating nations.

In the first year, for example, the committee would suggest
using 's' instead of the soft 'c'. Sertainly, sivil servants
in all sities would resieve this news with joy. Then the
hard 'c' could be replaced by 'k' sinse both letters are
pronounsed alike. Not only would this klear up konfusion in
the minds of klerikal workers, but typewriters kould be made
with one less letter.

There would be growing enthusiasm when in the sekond year,
it kould be announsed that the troublesome 'ph' would
henseforth be written 'f'. This would make words like
'fotograf' twenty persent shorter in print.

In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan
be expekted to reash the stage where more komplikated
shanges are possible. Governments would enkourage the
removal of double letters, which have always been a deterent
to akurate speling.

We would al agre that the horible mes of silent 'e's in the
languag is disgrasful. Therfor we kould drop thes and
kontinu to read and writ as though nothing had hapend. By
this tim it would be four years sins the skem began and
peopl would be reseptive to steps sutsh as replasing 'th' by
'z'. Perhaps zen ze funktion of 'w' kould be taken on by
'v', vitsh is, after al, half a 'w'. Shortly after zis, ze
unesesary 'o kould be dropd from words kontaining 'ou'.
Similar arguments vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations
of leters.

Kontinuing zis proses yer after yer, ve vud eventuli hav a
reli sensibl riten styl. After tventi yers zer vud be no mor
trubls, difikultis and evrivun vud fin it ezi tu understand
ech ozer. Ze drems of ze Guvermnt vud finali hav kum tru.

Received from Carrie Burroughs.

"Tom Greening" <tgreen@yohmama.com> wrote in message
news:yHmdf.201683$lI5.48407@tornado.ohiordc.rr.com ...
>
> "Coasty" <uscg_retSPOOGE@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:r9udncaWztg4SejenZ2dnUVZ_sSdnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
>> Here in MD the legislature is pushing through a bill to make English the
>> official language, I thought it was. Sort of an oxymoron don't you
>> think.
>> It has a real good chance of passing the poles show 78% of marylanders
>> concur.
>>
>> --
>

Billy Ray

The European Union commissioners have announced that
agreement has been reached to adopt English as the preferred
language for European communications, rather than German,
which was the other possibility. As part of the
negotiations, Her Majesty's Government conceded that English
spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a
five-year phased plan for what will be known as EuroEnglish
(Euro for short).

European officials have often pointed out that English
spelling is unnecessarily difficult -- for example, cough,
plough, rough, through and thorough. What is clearly needed
is a phased program of changes to iron out these anomalies.
The program would, of course, be administered by a committee
staff at top level by participating nations.

In the first year, for example, the committee would suggest
using 's' instead of the soft 'c'. Sertainly, sivil servants
in all sities would resieve this news with joy. Then the
hard 'c' could be replaced by 'k' sinse both letters are
pronounsed alike. Not only would this klear up konfusion in
the minds of klerikal workers, but typewriters kould be made
with one less letter.

There would be growing enthusiasm when in the sekond year,
it kould be announsed that the troublesome 'ph' would
henseforth be written 'f'. This would make words like
'fotograf' twenty persent shorter in print.

In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan
be expekted to reash the stage where more komplikated
shanges are possible. Governments would enkourage the
removal of double letters, which have always been a deterent
to akurate speling.

We would al agre that the horible mes of silent 'e's in the
languag is disgrasful. Therfor we kould drop thes and
kontinu to read and writ as though nothing had hapend. By
this tim it would be four years sins the skem began and
peopl would be reseptive to steps sutsh as replasing 'th' by
'z'. Perhaps zen ze funktion of 'w' kould be taken on by
'v', vitsh is, after al, half a 'w'. Shortly after zis, ze
unesesary 'o kould be dropd from words kontaining 'ou'.
Similar arguments vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations
of leters.

Kontinuing zis proses yer after yer, ve vud eventuli hav a
reli sensibl riten styl. After tventi yers zer vud be no mor
trubls, difikultis and evrivun vud fin it ezi tu understand
ech ozer. Ze drems of ze Guvermnt vud finali hav kum tru.

Received from Carrie Burroughs.

"Tom Greening" <tgreen@yohmama.com> wrote in message
news:yHmdf.201683$lI5.48407@tornado.ohiordc.rr.com ...
>
> "Coasty" <uscg_retSPOOGE@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:r9udncaWztg4SejenZ2dnUVZ_sSdnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
>> Here in MD the legislature is pushing through a bill to make English the
>> official language, I thought it was. Sort of an oxymoron don't you
>> think.
>> It has a real good chance of passing the poles show 78% of marylanders
>> concur.
>>
>> --
>

Matt Macchiarolo

Now that's funny.

"Billy Ray" <Billy_Ray@SPAMfuse.net> wrote in message
news:89ea3$43760f6e$4831b233$11829@FUSE.NET...
> The European Union commissioners have announced that
> agreement has been reached to adopt English as the preferred
> language for European communications, rather than German,
> which was the other possibility. As part of the
> negotiations, Her Majesty's Government conceded that English
> spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a
> five-year phased plan for what will be known as EuroEnglish
> (Euro for short).
>
> European officials have often pointed out that English
> spelling is unnecessarily difficult -- for example, cough,
> plough, rough, through and thorough. What is clearly needed
> is a phased program of changes to iron out these anomalies.
> The program would, of course, be administered by a committee
> staff at top level by participating nations.
>
> In the first year, for example, the committee would suggest
> using 's' instead of the soft 'c'. Sertainly, sivil servants
> in all sities would resieve this news with joy. Then the
> hard 'c' could be replaced by 'k' sinse both letters are
> pronounsed alike. Not only would this klear up konfusion in
> the minds of klerikal workers, but typewriters kould be made
> with one less letter.
>
> There would be growing enthusiasm when in the sekond year,
> it kould be announsed that the troublesome 'ph' would
> henseforth be written 'f'. This would make words like
> 'fotograf' twenty persent shorter in print.
>
> In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan
> be expekted to reash the stage where more komplikated
> shanges are possible. Governments would enkourage the
> removal of double letters, which have always been a deterent
> to akurate speling.
>
> We would al agre that the horible mes of silent 'e's in the
> languag is disgrasful. Therfor we kould drop thes and
> kontinu to read and writ as though nothing had hapend. By
> this tim it would be four years sins the skem began and
> peopl would be reseptive to steps sutsh as replasing 'th' by
> 'z'. Perhaps zen ze funktion of 'w' kould be taken on by
> 'v', vitsh is, after al, half a 'w'. Shortly after zis, ze
> unesesary 'o kould be dropd from words kontaining 'ou'.
> Similar arguments vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations
> of leters.
>
> Kontinuing zis proses yer after yer, ve vud eventuli hav a
> reli sensibl riten styl. After tventi yers zer vud be no mor
> trubls, difikultis and evrivun vud fin it ezi tu understand
> ech ozer. Ze drems of ze Guvermnt vud finali hav kum tru.
>
> Received from Carrie Burroughs.
>
> "Tom Greening" <tgreen@yohmama.com> wrote in message
> news:yHmdf.201683$lI5.48407@tornado.ohiordc.rr.com ...
>>
>> "Coasty" <uscg_retSPOOGE@comcast.net> wrote in message
>> news:r9udncaWztg4SejenZ2dnUVZ_sSdnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
>>> Here in MD the legislature is pushing through a bill to make English the
>>> official language, I thought it was. Sort of an oxymoron don't you
>>> think.
>>> It has a real good chance of passing the poles show 78% of marylanders
>>> concur.
>>>
>>> --
>>
>
>