h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

ChawkE.

Even here in Denmark with only 5 mill. people I tell u we have accents where I´m lost.Unfortunately they don´t subtitle those very often probably so as not to offend anyone.And it´s not because I can´t bother to listen I don´t understand it.

And also: Some of the accents that actually NEEDS to be subtitled for u to understand them, those people might also b watching tv. when there´s an accent on that YOU understand.

It would be nice if everything was subtitled and u could choose the subtitles.

There;we solved the proplem let´s move on

T´mershi Duween

And how about foreigners watching, they may benefit from having text to support the sound.

It´s a great instrument for integration if u see it that way,and not at all racist.


T´m..D..

Moving right on. Here's something that requires a Pom* accent

"When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Just roll to your rifle and blow out your brains,
An' go to your Gawd like a soldier."

- Last stanza of Rudyard Kipling's poem 'The Young British Soldier', written in 1892.

*Subtitle for Yanks. Pom is short for Pome (variously - Prisoner of Mother England - Property of Mother England - a term of endearment used by Anzacs (Australians and New Zealanders) towards our British friends.

I always thought that it originated from Prisoner of His/her Majesty: referring to the bad old days of transportation and all that.

I don't especially want to see *anybody* getting killed: Afghan, Antipodean or American. However, when even the Iranians think that bin Laden was behind this outrage, it's difficult to see how one could preach restraint to the US. The consequences of *not* acting even when it involves violence, might be worse than the actions going on tonight: it would be a green light for anybody with a grudge to use the innocent to kill the innocent.

'God' bless all the children, whatever His name is.

Flinch, I'm not being nationalistic. I just thought it was odd. And anyway, I'm Scottish

I see this thread going slightly off topic in discussing the rights and wrongs of subtitles, so who am I stop the drift.

The weirdest experience of subtitles I've had was watching an English film subtitled into Dutch in an Amsterdam cinema. The audience were reading and reacting to the subtitles, where as I was waiting for the English dialogue. Therefore for the entire duration of the film I was about three seconds behind the action. Its very disconcerting to have the entire audience laugh at a joke and then I laugh late.

Grey Desk...

...

LOL!!!!

Well, of course, after 3 and one half weeks of dithering, bombing began yesterday, 0500 NZ time... I don't know what on earth Dubya and his advisers think they're going to achieve! Nothing, and plenty of it is my guess. Loonytunes' quote of the Kipling pome was very apposite. An autistic woman on the religion BBC boards, suggested a kind of "love bombing" be done - burgers, Levis, tickets to Disneyland.. Thing is, she obviously didn't understand the depth of rage and pain involved - but weirdly, she seemed to have a point... Yes, indeed may God bless all God's Children, which in my opinion is everyone, whether or not they believe..

I believe I may have discovered why Ossie bin Liner is so angry with America and its dodgy products...

Letter to the editor, Gulf Today, United Arab Emirates

I write this letter in utter disgust and anger. Today I stepped on a chewed gum while returning home after work and that spoiled my new shoes. How could I see this damned stuff on the ground! It stuck on to the sole of my shoes and I had to scrape it off with a knife. My shoe is useless now thanks to some silly person whose anti-social behaviour is a bane to the society. I believe chewing gum is the nastiest thing on the earth, dirtier than anything. Those who spit gum in public places are definitely anti-social elements and must be punished.

AK Talat, Sharjah.

I'm right there with him. I hate gum. It's one of those little irrational things that I can't control. Gum and purple cars. I feel very strongly that both should be banned.

Two Bit Trigger Pumpping Moron

About these latest occurances in Afghanaistan!

Do the yanks really believe they´re achieving something.

My guess is that Osama Bin Laden is already long gone, maybe even hiding out in USA, laughing his ass off in the safest place in the world; enemy country.

T´m.. D...

And why are the yanks hooking up with the northern alliance, those guys are just as much terrorists as the taleban and OBL.But apparently USA can use these kinds of terrorists.

It´s so sad...

We're Americans, we're not yanks.

Sad to say...but yes u are Yanks!

And it´s meant in a nice way

Della

Between you and Loony!! Favorite pastimes are to knock the USA culturally , political, educational, etc, etc, etc,. What is it with NZ? I have never been to NZ but if you two are representative, I would rather go to Afghanstan. I think it would be friendlier, at least you know who your friends and enemies are! Maybe a new tag line for the NZ tourist board, " Visit NZ ... beautiful scenery, with grouchy people"


I happen to agree with the bombing of the Taliban and Osama. Not as a act of revenge but survival, if they are too busy avoiding air strikes and commando raids then they won't be targeting my children to kill (please don't use the old Iraq line becasue Saddam is using what money he gets to keep his levers of power intact and the children be damned). I also think that is always the old issue of follow the money to really dry these terrorist up.

I think there is a bit of truth in what Bin Laden issues are but I feel even more strongly that if you complied with what they state they issues are, a whole new set of issues would arise. It is a never ending black hole that you can never comply with or make them happy. You then open yourself to every other crackpot who reads on the internet how to make a bomb. With the Taliban and bin Laden It is just like a house that has roof rot. You have to tear it all out first then you can fix what caused it.

I am not a Bush fan by any means but I suspect ( from this and previous postings) that you were happy that WTC happened and you probably want that famous poem from Kipling to be true for some young American soldier as well. Maybe you could explain why this particular hate of America comes from in NZ. I can assure you it is not returned.


A very Liberal American.

I am positive neither of the NZers are glad of what happened. Criticism of American foreign policy should not be in any way linked with approval of the tragic events of a month ago.

As for the bombings making your children safer. Are you sure? Is it not just as likely that they may trigger another wave of attacks?

I certainly don't feel any safer having dubya single out my country (Australia) along with England, France and Germany as close friends and allies.

First off, there's a perfectly good term for Americans: Americans. Second off, it's been used in an insulting and provoking manner in this forum.

There are also regional differences in the United States that make it highly offensive. Those of us who live in the South, don't take kindly to it. There's still some resentment about the Yankee invaders and the War of Northern Aggression. You might know it as the American Civil War.

The more I see the term, the more I'm offended by it. I don't care what you call us in your own country, but in an international forum, I don't think it's appropriate. For instance, I don't use the term canook (Canadian) here.

Do you think blacks like being called Negroes? It's an accurate term with negative connotations.

I think you will find that the historical context is almost universally unknown in most parts of the world.