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

zoomer:

I know you weren't being racist! I just initially made a mistake in splitting words and I thought it was a little funny. That's all.

As for "like": did you know that the "-ly" ending of English adverbs began as the word "like" tacked onto the end of adjectives? So, "quickly" is actually "quick-like" and "grammatically" is actually "grammatical-like".

Excellent! Thank you for that. I will spread it far and wide, like.

How's this:

So, bro- y'all a homey? I told my honey *So, like are you down on this?* and she made you as the perp.

Is that a mix or what? But then, we all understand it.

"honey"? That doesn't seem like the right tone. Wouldn't something somewhat harsher be correct dialect?

Yes, I know, but I still can't use bee-atch or any of it's varieties. Two sisters and three daughters prevent me...

I find that particular aspect (misogyny) of rap-hip-hop-whatever culture to be absolutely offensive, stupid, and indefensible. And, from a Darwinian point of view, it seems particularly maladaptive. It's the same old story: the President of Malaysia makes a ridiculously ill considered speech about a segment of global society and he gets (appropriately) jumped on with diplomatic protests, etc.; a young man in ill-fitting clothes makes hateful statements about women and we give him millions of dollars.

Have you heard Ice-T's "Big Gun" from the "Tank Girl" soundtrack? He certainly turns the tables on the stereotype.

Here we go: http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/SongUnid/6635AC402F888E4548256C67000A182C

There's a moral or saying in The North of England.....
"SHY BAIRNS GET NOWT"
which means if you don't ask you don't get....
ring any bells?
regards a converted Oetz

OK, daSilva's confused now

*Tank Girl*! I'm a fan!

I know what you mean- it sickens me that even young girls listen to that crap. I worked with a few New Yorkers in the south including a very black black man and their different takes on rappers were interesting. One was talking about how it's interesting how the nouvous riche of the hip-hop crowd are spending their money on themselves rather than improving the things they sing about. That was a little unfair I thought, although it had a kernel of truth. What the African-American fella said was more interesting. He talked about how no one from the south had significantly broken into the big money music scene (if you don't count California as *south*). He excused the rough edges and misogeny of the lyrics since they were an affront more to racists than to the brothers. One more thing, when we were done he and a few others were driviing the gear back to NY. He said his truck wasn't going to stop until it crossed the Mason-Dixon line no matter how long it took. Made me go to the books and find where that line was. Very interesting.

Sorry da S
references earlier to english accents

Would like to state that in my part of England...The North Pennines the accents and words vary from valley to valley. Some 12 miles north the accent veres dramatically. Some 50mls west and your more genetically Norwegian than most Norwegians. That's me my father's name matches this dialect.

We are not as mobile as you lot. Mr Dixon was born 6 mls south of me by the way, and was a surveyor for the coal mining companies for whom my forefather's worked. Small world!
Oetz

It's been said my black-country accent is born of the vikings

DS Will you give us some thought on the "Whats Wrong With Americans" thread please. Request input.
Oetz

*lol* I'll look it up - may be controversial though

Would appreaciate whatever you give one way or the other
thanks Oetz

Hmmmn, security issues? I'll have to check...

marking

I have a real big bone to pick with the Canadian government, while some select citizens, along with the Canadian government probably are behind these atrocities, I do not blame the general Canadian people.

However, my state, formerly known as the ‘Great Lakes State’ is now coined as the ‘Great Trash State’

Toronto Canada has effectively shut down all of its land fills, and now ships roughly 23 tons of trash, including and not limited to household trash, industrial trash, industrial waste, hazardous chemicals, human waste, and various animal bloods a week across the Michigan border, and dumps into our landfills.

Granted, if the landfill has a contract with Toronto to receive their garbage for certain amounts of money, that is perfectly legal. However according to treaties made between the two countries cargo inspections must be undergone during border check points, things including but not limited to human waste, blood, medical waste, industrial waste, and hazardous chemicals are a direct breach in contract and these trucks should be turned back not aloud to dump on our soil, no matter how much they’re paying.

Further more, garbage trucks have been caught hauling one TON (2,000lbs) of illegal drugs into the country, this is also a breach in contract, and treaty. Technically the garbage deal should be off, and no further shipments should be accepted, however 23 tons continue to role in each week.

165,000+ Michiganders WANT CANADA TRASH OUT. Especially with over 30% of their country unpopulated, DUMP there I say.

The Canadians are hypocrites, all high and mighty about the environment, but its okay to pollute their next door neighbor with their own waste. Impeccable I say.

Nick: Who is to do the inspections? If it is a Canadian responsibility then, yes, you have a bone to pick. If it is an American responsibility (as I suspect it is, just like other border crossing issues) then your bone should be picked with US Customs. When I enter the US I meet with US Customs. When I enter Canada I meet with Canada Customs. Customs agents are responsible for inspecting individuals and materials coming into their countries, not individuals and materials leaving their countries.
That having been said, I agree with you: The deal should be off and the elected representatives of the 165,000+ Michiganers should take care of it. Of course, with over 10 million people in the state, maybe there are a whole lot more who want to have the contract. I don't know. But it strikes me as a stupid deal. As I posted on the other thread, everybody between Toronto and the landfills (Canadian and American) is mad about it.

A half dozen years ago when I was a rural journalist in Southern Ontario, the Conservative government was looking high and low for someplace to ditch Toronto's trash. Federal and provincial Government regulations forbid incineration and most of the landfill sites around Toronto's "Golden Horseshoe" are rapidly filling up. The previous left of centre government brought in a lot of environmental　rules that made it difficult to open new landfill sites quickly (lots of research into water tables, enviromental impact etc. etc etc needed). They tried a lot of former mining towns in Northern Ontario, but even the brokest weren't desperate enough to take it. Apparently someplace in Michigan (where exactly?) was desperate enough to sign a contract to take the trash.
As far as smuggling a ton of illegal drugs is concerned, when and where did this happen?

The pot bust was a truck pretending to be garbage from Toronto: http://216.239.53.104/search?q=cache:CTmmUUrzWDgJ:www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/freeheadlines/LAC/20030926/UGARBM/national/National_Toronto+pot+trash+michigan&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&client=googlet

Here's a rather amusing little story from the Detroit Free Press that Nick should probably read: http://www.freep.com/news/mich/trash15_20030515.htm

And, here's the collection of links I posted on another thread for those interested in the issue: http://mcsrt.org/resources/trash/