The Vent and Rant Thread

[Dylrob]

You know it just sounds completely bizarre when people say "USA [insert word]" rather than just "US [insert word]". Sure it's proper abbreviation for the full name of the country, but do you refer to things in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as "UKGBNI [insert word]"?

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Hitch

If you haven't toured Gettysburg, and Arlington, it's something you should put on your Bucket List. You'll never forget it.

Arlington is likely. I have old friends that live there and we go down a couple of times a year for a visit. Gettysburg is an if-and-when. If I happen to be in the area, I'll visit, but am not likely to go just for that tour.
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Dennis

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Dylrob

You know it just sounds completely bizarre when people say "USA [insert word]" rather than just "US [insert word]". Sure it's proper abbreviation for the full name of the country, but do you refer to things in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as "UKGBNI [insert word]"?

Well now our actual Name is "The United States of America." So yes USA is proper but I can't say I have every seen USA [any word].
Where did you see this?
The only time I have seen USA, It is at the end.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Hitch

My much-beloved male MC (Maine Coon), Zep (Zeppelin--size, not music) is an epic urper. I mean, I've NEVER seen hairballs like these puppies. They are the size of Great Dane turds. Okay--that's a bit hyperbolic, but not by much.

Maine Coons are gorgeous, and I know people that have them. One breeds them, and startled everyone at an event I attended by showing up with a Sphinx cat named "Spanish Inquisition", as in "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!" Everyone knew she bred Maine Coons, so...

But SI seemed to feel her role in life was to be worshiped by adoring humans, picked up and held, and given constant stroking. Her human confirmed that was typical of the breed. By the end of the event she'd made converts, and I could see several people developing Sphinx cat lust, and thinking about how they might bring one home without suffering the mighty wrath of their SO.

A former co-worker owned a Maine Coon among other cats, and picked up spare change as a handler at cat shows. Cats she showed tended to win, so her services were in some demand. Her roommate also owned cats, and they raised guinea pigs that they sold to a local pet shop. She told a story about her roommate coming into her bedroom to talk about something without taking proper precautions. One of the roommate's cats dashed into the room, running smack into the Maine Coon. <whap!> It scrambled straight up the nearest vertical surface, which happened to be base on which the guinea pig cage was placed. Unfortunately, a couple of my co-worker's other cats were already atop the cage when the interloper reached there. <whap!> The interloper tumbled back down to the Maine Coon. <whap!> This went on for several iterations, with the interloper playing a yo-yo whapped up and down, till the poor addled creature collected its scant wits and fled back out the door.

My co-worker was doubled over laughing, and it took a bit for her to regain sufficient composure to tell her roommate to mind her cats next time she needed to come in.
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Dennis

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

Arlington is likely. I have old friends that live there and we go down a couple of times a year for a visit. Gettysburg is an if-and-when. If I happen to be in the area, I'll visit, but am not likely to go just for that tour.
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Dennis

Honestly--the vast reality of the Civil War is never quite borne home, until you see Gettysburg. It's just...impressively tragic. I should add that the expanse of it is better experienced, in many ways, from the air, but it's really a do-not-miss.

Hitch

[Rumpelteazer]

I woke up in the middle of the night because one of the airco units on the roof of the museum next door is making a racket (again). It also happened this summer and, like this time, during the weekend. When it happens during a week night it gets repaired quickly. But when it happens during the weekend the museum doesn't call a repairman until Tuesday (probably too expensive to get someone during the weekend and on Monday they are closed) and then it usually takes a couple of days before the repairman comes by.

When I go out the get lunch I'll also get some earplugs.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Well now our actual Name is "The United States of America." So yes USA is proper but I can't say I have every seen USA [any word].
Where did you see this?
The only time I have seen USA, It is at the end.

What's crummy is that if you're from England and someone asks your nationality you can always say, "I'm British." Similarly for citizens of Argentina, Mexico, Spain, Canada, etc. "I'm Argentinian", "I'm Mexican", "Spanish", "Canadian", and so forth. But how does a U.S. citizen respond? The most correct answer would be, "I'm a citizen of the United States of America," but that's quite a mouthful, isn't it? So most of us just end up saying "I'm American" and let it go at that, but that's not quite what was being asked, is it? Sure, we're Americans, but so are Canadians, Brazilians, Mexicans, and anyone else who permanently resides on this continent.

I vote we change the name from "United States of America" to "Pat". It's a nice, gender neutral name, and then whenever someone asks what we are, we can say, "We're Patricians." Has a rather noble ring, don't you agree?

[cromag]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

...
I vote we change the name from "United States of America" to "Pat". It's a nice, gender neutral name, and then whenever someone asks what we are, we can say, "We're Patricians." Has a rather noble ring, don't you agree?

Of course, if we don't change the name of the country, we could still be called "Statesmen." Or, "Stateswomen," as the case may be.

[Freeshadow]

You are USACs. (USACitizens) ;p

[issybird]

What bugs me are the PC types who don't let Americans call themselves what they want, insisting that they can't be Americans because the feelings of the Bolivians and Brazilians will be hurt. Context is everything; moreover I don't care if Peruvians want to call themselves Americans and leave out the defining and logical "South" part. I've noticed that Canadians have no problem with calling us Americans and that it's the last appellation they'd use for themselves, lest they be confused with the evil south of the border.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by Freeshadow

You are USACs. (USACitizens) ;p

That sounds nasty.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by issybird

...I've noticed that Canadians have no problem with calling us Americans and that it's the last appellation they'd use for themselves, lest they be confused with the evil south of the border.

Speaking of evil empires, Pat has other advantages as well as a country name. All the radicals who now chant that the United States is the Great Satan would have to change their chant to "Pat is the Great Satan", which I doubt even they could say with a straight face.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Speaking of evil empires, Pat has other advantages as well as a country name. All the radicals who now chant that the United States is the Great Satan would have to change their chant to "Pat is the Great Satan", which I doubt even they could say with a straight face.

For that matter, I wouldn't mind going with Yankees, although you alls Virginia and southward might object. And then we could change our anthem to Yankee Doodle, much more singable and peppier. An anthem with attitude!

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

What's crummy is that if you're from England and someone asks your nationality you can always say, "I'm British." Similarly for citizens of Argentina, Mexico, Spain, Canada, etc. "I'm Argentinian", "I'm Mexican", "Spanish", "Canadian", and so forth. But how does a U.S. citizen respond? The most correct answer would be, "I'm a citizen of the United States of America," but that's quite a mouthful, isn't it? So most of us just end up saying "I'm American" and let it go at that, but that's not quite what was being asked, is it? Sure, we're Americans, but so are Canadians, Brazilians, Mexicans, and anyone else who permanently resides on this continent.

I vote we change the name from "United States of America" to "Pat". It's a nice, gender neutral name, and then whenever someone asks what we are, we can say, "We're Patricians." Has a rather noble ring, don't you agree?

Here nationality could also mean what is your ethnic background?
For the record English, Irish, Dutch, German, Native American (Choctaw) and who knows what else. Surveys tend to put Caucasian, Latin or Hispanic, African-American, Asian (which country), Pacific Islander (which island), Native American.

Ps I am also a Texan.

[doubleshuffle]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I vote we change the name from "United States of America" to "Pat". It's a nice, gender neutral name, and then whenever someone asks what we are, we can say, "We're Patricians." Has a rather noble ring, don't you agree?

You might call yourselves "Patricians" then, but I'm pretty sure the rest of the world would call you "Patsies." Not that I'd object.