The Energon Pub

GetterDragun wrote:Drive up to Canada, it's like America without the pretensiousness, especially Quebec. Every one seems less stressed and to appreciate things a little more, which is not a bad feeling to come home with.

I could never leave the states, but I enjoy it better by taking eperiences from different cultures and applying it to everyday life. Like when I worked in England, people seem to work hard during the day, but all go out together at night (as coworkers), which gave you a better apprciation of the people you work with. Applying that hospitality to our life here, just gets you more friends. Oh yea, the food in Italy is un real!

Ah, Canada. America Extended.
I think all that pretensiousness goes away due to all the cold. (BRRRR!)
That's my solution to peace in the Middle East. Lots and lots of Snow, and water-freezing temperatures.
Canada will save the world once they call down a small ice meteor on any Eastern country with a desert.

My favorite thing about England (or Western Europe in general) is that no one is weirded out by black people. It was nice to visit a country where I don't have to say "My name is J'onn. I am a Martian."
(But then again, I met a black Swedish girl while I was there. Talk about alien.)

What's next, should all cultures expel all foriegn words that have crossed into their language as well? In English, we'll need new words for

triage
meander
sugar
khaki
algebra
camel

and "check mate," just to name a few. Let's not even touch the alphabets either.

Every nation makes changes to foriegn words in some manner or another to fit into their dialect, including the names of other nations. For example, in Farsi (formally Parsi since there's no P in Arabic, and it changed after the Arabs invaded Persia/Pars/Iran - whatever cultures called it whatever name then and now,) you have the name "Amrika" for the United States of America, and "Hend" for India. K...so let's start changing. C'mon everyone, I mean seriously, we're never able to understand what country you're talking about when you don't say it right. And then which dialect or pronunciation is right? What if I want to call Japan, Nihon instead of Nippon, will that also confuse someone or ruffle someone's feathers?

Meh.

Just like I take the time to learn aspects of certain languages, other people can do the same in regards to learning about the people they choose to or will interact with linguistically. It might make people feeeeeel uncomfortable because you called their country by the name you were taught in school, but life isn't supposed to be about comfort - it's about learning, adapting to different challenges, and dealing with them.

But hey, if you'd rather call "Armenia" Hayk/Hayastan/Hayasdan, or "Saudi Arabia" al-Mamlaka al-Arabiyya as-Sa'udiyya, then knock youself out. I'm sure the locals will be quite honored by your attempts.


Khoda hafez.

What do you gringos in Estados Unidos de America know, anyway?

Yeah, I guess talking to a german about Alemania wouldn't make sense at all unless they understood spanish. [But isn't spanish entering the battle for most important language (Chinese Mandarin being another contender for it's business aplications)? Most people would have a slight knowledge of it... Prolly in some kind of Spanglish though (as in Japanglish).]

I can see the confussion from the Nipon thing. Sure, maybe I have the knowledge inside my head, but I always think "Japón" first, not "Nipon". Maybe I should be happy with the way my country's name is not so different in other parts of the world... (as far as I know )

Professor Smooth wrote:

GetterDragun wrote:

Professor Smooth wrote:Lewis Black does a great bit on the benefits of travelling outside of ones own country.

Maybe some countries are giving away free stuff!

From later on in that same bit:

America is the only country that tells the rest of the world, on a nearly constant basis, that they're the greatest country in the world. And that's...a little obnoxious. Let me prove it to you. If you went in to work and, everyday, there was a guy who got up and yelled, "I'm the greatest ****er here! And all of you miserable ****s would shrivel up and die without me!" I guarantee, by the end of the week, you'd have killed him. And eaten him...just to try to gain his power.

I have to agree with Lewis Black on this one. In the US, there are US flags EVERYWHERE. On T-shirts, backpacks, hung on damn near every building (inside and out) in every classroom, etc. There are peeling flag bumper stickers on cars, half ripped flags dangling from homes. Flags everywhere. Not so in other countries I've lived in or visited. Japan, Korea, Canada, etc. There are flags in places you'd expect to see a flag, but you don't see the country's flag everywhere you go.

I'd have to disagree, in Europe, flags are everywhere, even 3 times as much as we have. Funny thing is that in my town, there are an equal amount of Italian flags flying as US Flags.

I just got back from Spain, and there is a region called Catalunya, which is a "disputed area" they want independence like Quebec does. They have their own language and flag, and that flag was everywhere...even in Southern France that bordered Spain they were flying that flag!

GetterDragun wrote:

Professor Smooth wrote:

GetterDragun wrote:

Professor Smooth wrote:Lewis Black does a great bit on the benefits of travelling outside of ones own country.

Maybe some countries are giving away free stuff!

From later on in that same bit:

America is the only country that tells the rest of the world, on a nearly constant basis, that they're the greatest country in the world. And that's...a little obnoxious. Let me prove it to you. If you went in to work and, everyday, there was a guy who got up and yelled, "I'm the greatest ****er here! And all of you miserable ****s would shrivel up and die without me!" I guarantee, by the end of the week, you'd have killed him. And eaten him...just to try to gain his power.

I have to agree with Lewis Black on this one. In the US, there are US flags EVERYWHERE. On T-shirts, backpacks, hung on damn near every building (inside and out) in every classroom, etc. There are peeling flag bumper stickers on cars, half ripped flags dangling from homes. Flags everywhere. Not so in other countries I've lived in or visited. Japan, Korea, Canada, etc. There are flags in places you'd expect to see a flag, but you don't see the country's flag everywhere you go.

I'd have to disagree, in Europe, flags are everywhere, even 3 times as much as we have. Funny thing is that in my town, there are an equal amount of Italian flags flying as US Flags.

I just got back from Spain, and there is a region called Catalunya, which is a "disputed area" they want independence like Quebec does. They have their own language and flag, and that flag was everywhere...even in Southern France that bordered Spain they were flying that flag!

Well that may go for the US and Spain, but not for Italy, Germany, GB, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium- just to name afew of the countries.
Wen ever I see a documentry about the US all I ever see are flags, flags and flags every were!
Not here, just in importent places like Military ore government buildings!


Oh and DrS. I know about that freedome, beer in publick!

Dead Metal wrote:

GetterDragun wrote:

Professor Smooth wrote:

GetterDragun wrote:

Professor Smooth wrote:Lewis Black does a great bit on the benefits of travelling outside of ones own country.

Maybe some countries are giving away free stuff!

From later on in that same bit:

America is the only country that tells the rest of the world, on a nearly constant basis, that they're the greatest country in the world. And that's...a little obnoxious. Let me prove it to you. If you went in to work and, everyday, there was a guy who got up and yelled, "I'm the greatest ****er here! And all of you miserable ****s would shrivel up and die without me!" I guarantee, by the end of the week, you'd have killed him. And eaten him...just to try to gain his power.

I have to agree with Lewis Black on this one. In the US, there are US flags EVERYWHERE. On T-shirts, backpacks, hung on damn near every building (inside and out) in every classroom, etc. There are peeling flag bumper stickers on cars, half ripped flags dangling from homes. Flags everywhere. Not so in other countries I've lived in or visited. Japan, Korea, Canada, etc. There are flags in places you'd expect to see a flag, but you don't see the country's flag everywhere you go.

I'd have to disagree, in Europe, flags are everywhere, even 3 times as much as we have. Funny thing is that in my town, there are an equal amount of Italian flags flying as US Flags.

I just got back from Spain, and there is a region called Catalunya, which is a "disputed area" they want independence like Quebec does. They have their own language and flag, and that flag was everywhere...even in Southern France that bordered Spain they were flying that flag!

Well that may go for the US and Spain, but not for Italy, Germany, GB, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium- just to name afew of the countries.
Wen ever I see a documentry about the US all I ever see are flags, flags and flags every were!
Not here, just in importent places like Military ore government buildings!


Oh and DrS. I know about that freedome, beer in publick!

In Italy they ahd more of the regional flags displayed, than the Italian flag.

Where do you live in Germany? I spent some months just south of Hamburg near Buxtehude in the county of Harburg, Niedersachsen.

Yup, Germany in Franken which is now part of Bayern (Bavaria).
And I just see flags at importend buildings, ore NAZI bars...

Oh and one ore two restaurants.

Professor Smooth wrote:Does it still make sense to call countries by names other than what their own people call them? It would seem to make a lot of sense. Two examples that spring to mind are Deutschland and Nippon.

In this day and age, does it really make sense to continue calling countries by other names? People are rapidly becoming more international, so having different names for countries seems confusing and counter productive. I tell people I live in Nippon and they say they've never heard of it. My Deutsch friend had the same problem when he visited the United States.

What do you think?

No, it's stupid IMHO.

I wouldn't have a problem calling a country by the accepted short form of the offical name. That bypasses the "what native language do you use" and the trying to pronounce some of the hidiously long names some countries have. Technically my home countries name is "The United States of America" ,but who calls it that? And Germany's offical name is not Deutschland ,it is much longer just for a point.

Wolfguard, this idea wouldn't remove words from other languages from languages but add them. English is fairly unique as a major language that has most of its vocabulary comeing from other languages. Though I agree that an educated person should have some idea of other languages and naming. I've know that Nippon and Deutschland is what the locals call thier countries.

Check out this site: https://www.cia.gov/library/publication ... -factbook/
They have the English names and the local short and long forms of the offical name. Look in the government section.

zorian wrote:Wolfguard, this idea wouldn't remove words from other languages...but add them.English is fairly unique as a major language that has most of its vocabulary comeing from other languages

While I understand that, in general it seems the next logical step (in regards to humanity's unquenchable desire to create bitchfests) would be to call for a removal of what are "considered" foriegn words from languages all together. I've actually seen that sentiment expressed among some Persians - to eliminate the Arab influences and words from the Persian language. One counter response to that was "should vee also change deh alphabet back to cuniform as vell?"

I don't see that as a logical extension of this idea. At least not in English speaking countries. English is wierd for a major language, there almost isn't a core to language. Linguists have only found about 100 words in english that are english only. Those are mainly stuff like ,and ,an, the ,a, as ect. You would have people complaining and dragging thier feet especially in the U.S. But if it was a trend that started I think it would continue ,because the of the way English at least works.

Of course there are other issues. When you get into countries that aren't offically reconized or two "countries" that both claim the same name ,but everyone else calls them different stuff.

Like the current situation in Burma/Myanmar. The name change to Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw was made by the military government without any other support in the nation. The U.S. government translates that to Myanma and local to Myanmar. Which one is being used in news broadcasts about that crap going on there? Myanmar. Though it is still called Burma (short form) by the U.S. government because it doesn't reconize the current government.

zorian wrote:I don't see that as a logical extension of this idea. At least not in English speaking countries.

Well by "logical" I mean in an observational sense in that people generally follow patterns, as opposed applying "logical" to anything intellectually related. Take for example (something off topic,) the whole "freedom fries" thing a few years back. It wasn't enough to say "**** the French;" people felt the need to make a change to an unrelated aspect in order to extend their displeasure. Like I said, people generally tend to follow patterns, in this case, upping the anti in regards to how they felt about a specific country.

This is where I can see the same thing happen in other areas, in this case changes to the language. It actually occurs already, within English specifically, when it's demostrated most often with regards to statements which are considered "PC." Something simple like "Black" and "White" gets turned into "African American" and "Caucasian." Same thing with "Mexican;" somehow half my family gets labelled as "Latin" or "Latino?" WTF mate? Take other descriptions for example: "Shell Shock." It later came to be called "Battle Fatigue." Now it's called "Post Tramatic Stress Disorder," and is subsiquently applied to anyone who goes through something traumatic, as opposed to something related to what soldiers go through in battle.

This why I don't think it's so far fetched to think if people push for proper country designations, we'll eventually have people even within the English speaking nations who want to push to change words like "triage" into "sort injuries room," or "sugar" into "sweet salt." Again, going back to the Persian examples, Ahmadinejad's government made a push to expel American designations for things, "pizza" being one of them (the new "words" translated into something weird and unnecessarily long like "round bread with flavored objects.") The "logical" extension, right or wrong, sane or weird, is there's always a group somewhere who wants to up the anti.

I say no. Why should I refer to Germany as "Father Land" in another language?

I'll tell ya what, if the Krauts start calling America "Greatest Country in the History of the World Part II" I'll go ahead and start calling Germany "Father Land."

Until then Germany isn't the father of anything.

I'd rather have actual names unbutchered such as Italia and Roma rather than the anglicized crap that we use. Stuff like that makes sense, yes.

lkavadas wrote:I say no. Why should I refer to Germany as "Father Land" in another language?

I'll tell ya what, if the Krauts start calling America "Greatest Country in the History of the World Part II" I'll go ahead and start calling Germany "Father Land."

Until then Germany isn't the father of anything.

Do you set out to offend everyone outside of your country, or does it just come naturally?

Professor Smooth wrote:

lkavadas wrote:I say no. Why should I refer to Germany as "Father Land" in another language?

I'll tell ya what, if the Krauts start calling America "Greatest Country in the History of the World Part II" I'll go ahead and start calling Germany "Father Land."

Until then Germany isn't the father of anything.

Do you set out to offend everyone outside of your country, or does it just come naturally?

It's not realy offensive unless you choose to take it that way Smooth

And he has a very important point someone who is not from Germany should not call it Duetschland (sp?)

Besides the earliest recorded name for the area that it's current people used is Germania followed by the individual provinces of the Holy roman Empire such as Prusia and now the post WW1 of Duetschland (sp?) which was tied into that whole absurd master race thing.

hmmm


I dunno, I think I'd end up calling the UK Shithole instead, since that's what I call it.




It'd make more sense to do it that way. They'd have to start introducing it at primary school level though, and as soon as they could.

Asmodae wrote:
It's not realy offensive unless you choose to take it that way Smooth

It's only offensive if I choose to take it that way? Let's see what Wikipedia has to say, shall we?

From Wikipedia.org

The German word Kraut when standing alone in English is used most frequently as an ethnic slur against Germans.

Professor Smooth wrote:

lkavadas wrote:I say no. Why should I refer to Germany as "Father Land" in another language?

I'll tell ya what, if the Krauts start calling America "Greatest Country in the History of the World Part II" I'll go ahead and start calling Germany "Father Land."

Until then Germany isn't the father of anything.

Do you set out to offend everyone outside of your country, or does it just come naturally?

Why you little git!

What the hell are you on about with Father Land?

I feel really offended by the word Kraut!

This thread has deteriorated and I am putting a stop to it.
no Racial slurs or any kind of hate speech people..

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