On 04/08/2013 09:51, Tom Gardner wrote:
On 04/08/13 08:11, Martin wrote:
On Sat, 03 Aug 2013 13:40:39 +0100, Tom Gardner
wrote:

On 03/08/13 12:03, sacha wrote:
On 2013-08-03 10:50:38 +0000, Broadback said:

I have subscribe to "rec.food.cooking", as I think several people
who post here are. It makes you realise what a difference there is
between us and them, foreign in all but language and that differs
more as time passes by. do other here agree, or am I wrong?

A few well-travelled Americans have commented to me that a lot of
their compatriots are very insular in their outlook and really do
not understand others' way of life, choices, or reasons for doing
things different to the USA. Comparatively few Americans have
passports. But when you think of the size of their country, they can
do everything there except enjoy the culture of others. And if
they're not interested in that, why go outside America?

You will occasionally come across TV reports of "foreign
news" - where foreign means out-of-state!


UK TV News isn't a lot better.

Modulo Scottish independence, I disagree.
Here "foreign" means out of the UK.

The quality of the reporting is a different kettle of fish,
as is the (reduced) number of foreign correspondents.

We don't want "Foreign" correspondents, we want British ones stationed
around the world.

In article ,
sacha wrote:

Apparently, some current American forms of speech are olde Englishe and
went over with the Pilgrim Fathers!

Olde Englishe was invented by Tea Shoppes!

More seriously, a lot of their usages are merely preservations
of 17th and 18th century English. An educated English speaker
can understand almost all of educated American, but not conversely.
The New York Yiddish dialect is pretty inscrutable, even to most
Americans, and Ebonics is more so.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
Martin wrote:
On Sat, 03 Aug 2013 13:40:39 +0100, Tom Gardner
wrote:
On 03/08/13 12:03, sacha wrote:
On 2013-08-03 10:50:38 +0000, Broadback said:

I have subscribe to "rec.food.cooking", as I think several people who post here are. It makes you realise what a difference there is between us and them, foreign in all but language and that differs
more as time passes by. do other here agree, or am I wrong?

A few well-travelled Americans have commented to me that a lot of their compatriots are very insular in their outlook and really do not understand others' way of life, choices, or reasons for doing
things different to the USA. Comparatively few Americans have passports. But when you think of the size of their country, they can do everything there except enjoy the culture of others. And if
they're not interested in that, why go outside America?

You will occasionally come across TV reports of "foreign
news" - where foreign means out-of-state!


UK TV News isn't a lot better.

I recommend also looking at Al Jazeera. Russia Today is pretty
dire, but occasionally contains things about the UK that the people
ruining the country would rather keep quiet (and, yes, I always
cross-check such things).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
Martin wrote:

I have subscribe to "rec.food.cooking", as I think several people who post here are. It makes you realise what a difference there is between us and them, foreign in all but language and that differs
more as time passes by. do other here agree, or am I wrong?

A few well-travelled Americans have commented to me that a lot of their compatriots are very insular in their outlook and really do not understand others' way of life, choices, or reasons for doing
things different to the USA. Comparatively few Americans have passports. But when you think of the size of their country, they can do everything there except enjoy the culture of others. And if
they're not interested in that, why go outside America?

You will occasionally come across TV reports of "foreign
news" - where foreign means out-of-state!

UK TV News isn't a lot better.

I recommend also looking at Al Jazeera. Russia Today is pretty
dire, but occasionally contains things about the UK that the people
ruining the country would rather keep quiet (and, yes, I always
cross-check such things).

I do. I also look at the French News channel and Euronews.

They don't get here :-(


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

The Portuguese know a lot more about what is happening in the UK than we do about what is happening in Portugal. And I don't think it is quite adequate to say "but we're more important than Portugal".

On 04/08/13 10:36, wrote:

I recommend also looking at Al Jazeera. Russia Today is pretty
dire, but occasionally contains things about the UK that the people
ruining the country would rather keep quiet (and, yes, I always
cross-check such things).

Is RT any better in that respect than Private Eye?

I have a distant relative living in San Diego that
now uses Al Jazeera almost exclusively for TV news.
I haven't gone that far, but I might be converted -
provided I don't want any info about Quatar, of course.

In article ,
lid says...

On Sun, 4 Aug 2013 09:50:46 +0100, Sacha wrote:

#
You will occasionally come across TV reports of "foreign
news" - where foreign means out-of-state!


UK TV News isn't a lot better.

But it's incomparably better than American tv news.

That's not difficult. :-)

BBC TV main news often only contains a few items.

Then it goes on to BBC regional news for whatever UK region viewers
in Britain live in.

I've never seen BBC UK news, national or regional, refer to any UK
events/news as "foreign news".

Janet.

On 04/08/2013 14:36, Janet wrote:
In article ,
lid says...

On Sun, 4 Aug 2013 09:50:46 +0100, Sacha wrote:

#
You will occasionally come across TV reports of "foreign
news" - where foreign means out-of-state!


UK TV News isn't a lot better.

But it's incomparably better than American tv news.

That's not difficult. :-)

BBC TV main news often only contains a few items.

Then it goes on to BBC regional news for whatever UK region viewers
in Britain live in.

I've never seen BBC UK news, national or regional, refer to any UK
events/news as "foreign news".

Janet.

But as those living to the West of the Seven Bridge know, anything to
the East of the bridge IS foreign.

On 8/4/2013 9:36 AM, Janet wrote:
In article ,
lid says...
On Sun, 4 Aug 2013 09:50:46 +0100, Sacha wrote:
You will occasionally come across TV reports of "foreign
news" - where foreign means out-of-state!
UK TV News isn't a lot better.
But it's incomparably better than American tv news.
That's not difficult. :-)
BBC TV main news often only contains a few items.

Then it goes on to BBC regional news for whatever UK region viewers
in Britain live in.

I've never seen BBC UK news, national or regional, refer to any UK
events/news as "foreign news".

And I've never seen US news refer to out-of-state stories as foreign -
I've lost track - who claimed to have seen this?

In article ,
lid says...

Recently RT had a long interview with Alex Salmond in which he
explained that his independent Scotland nuclear weapon policy would
not threaten Russia.

I hope he said who it _would_ threaten.

Not much point in having one if you don't wave it at someone (IYSWIM).


--
Sam

In article ,
says...

A few well-travelled Americans have commented to me that a lot of their
compatriots are very insular in their outlook and really do not
understand others' way of life, choices, or reasons for doing things
different to the USA. Comparatively few Americans have passports. But
when you think of the size of their country, they can do everything
there except enjoy the culture of others. And if they're not
interested in that, why go outside America?

Is it true that for a lot of (North) Americans the usual annual leave
(vacation time) is 2 weeks?

Travelling to & from an overseas destination might take up a big slice
of that.

--
Sam

On 04/08/2013 19:34, Sam Plusnet wrote:
In article ,
lid says...

Recently RT had a long interview with Alex Salmond in which he
explained that his independent Scotland nuclear weapon policy would
not threaten Russia.

I hope he said who it _would_ threaten.

Not much point in having one if you don't wave it at someone (IYSWIM).


What wasn't said It will be a glass bomb A New Clear Bomb, not nuclear.

On 8/4/2013 2:42 PM, Sam Plusnet wrote:
In article ,
says...

A few well-travelled Americans have commented to me that a lot of their
compatriots are very insular in their outlook and really do not
understand others' way of life, choices, or reasons for doing things
different to the USA. Comparatively few Americans have passports. But
when you think of the size of their country, they can do everything
there except enjoy the culture of others. And if they're not
interested in that, why go outside America?

Is it true that for a lot of (North) Americans the usual annual leave
(vacation time) is 2 weeks?

Travelling to & from an overseas destination might take up a big slice
of that.

It is true, for many people. It's not unusual to start with 2 weeks,
then get an extra week after 5 years employment.

In article ,
says...

Broadback wrote:

When I was in the RAF we were working hand in glove with some Americans.
One bright spark compile a USA/English dictionary.

My dad told me an airline story: Typically, the crew radios in maintenance
issues on a company channel while in-flight, so things can be dealt with
quickly. One day, the report was "elevator jammed." Crash crews alerted,
medics on standby, the whole nine yards. They were talking about a small
dumbwaiter between decks (this was a jumbo jet). Thereafter, this device
was referred to as the "lift."

I had a confused conversation once with some Americans on a food group
where they were talking about Coffee Cake but the recipes had everything
in them except coffee.

It transpired that American Coffee Cake is cake eaten while drinking
coffee and was in fact just about any cake you fancied.

I asked, "so what do you call cake made with coffee in it?" to be told
that there is no such thing in the USA.

Somehow I doubt that but anyway, I thought that was an interesting
solution to a problem created solely by language.

At Shanklin Theatre we have what are called 'Coffee, Cake 'n' Chat' mornings
once a month for people interested in helping in the Theatre to see what
it's all about. Good job the , is between the Coffee and Cake.

Our next one is this coming Saturday :-)

http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/IsleOfW...s.htm#shanklin

Mike


"Yellow" wrote in message
T...

In article ,
says...

Broadback wrote:

When I was in the RAF we were working hand in glove with some Americans.
One bright spark compile a USA/English dictionary.

My dad told me an airline story: Typically, the crew radios in
maintenance
issues on a company channel while in-flight, so things can be dealt with
quickly. One day, the report was "elevator jammed." Crash crews alerted,
medics on standby, the whole nine yards. They were talking about a small
dumbwaiter between decks (this was a jumbo jet). Thereafter, this device
was referred to as the "lift."

I had a confused conversation once with some Americans on a food group
where they were talking about Coffee Cake but the recipes had everything
in them except coffee.

It transpired that American Coffee Cake is cake eaten while drinking
coffee and was in fact just about any cake you fancied.

I asked, "so what do you call cake made with coffee in it?" to be told
that there is no such thing in the USA.

Somehow I doubt that but anyway, I thought that was an interesting
solution to a problem created solely by language.