Oh they are interested in having money alright...

YOUR MONEY!

-- and since you work and pay taxes, you are paying their way.

So Chuck, work your ass off, you gotta lot of mouths to feed today!

I'm a bit confused. Are you saying the 48 states of the continental US are an island? Or have you moved from Milwaukee to Waikiki?



Jane

Jane, over here we call this a "figure of speech" - I have to explain this to my 12 year old all the time - he takes everything literally.

And no I'm not trying to get into a debate with you tonight sweetheart -

IT'S FRIDAY!

Oh my friend , she is also giving in it ("figure of speech") but using subtlty reread it .

but I enjoy your repaly wating for Jane's one

I'm actually "afraid" of what she's going to come back with...

She's probably pulling out her encyclopedia right now as she's typing 200 words per minute!

Sorry Jane - I'm in a giddy mood right now.

Now she's going to cook me for dinner... for sure!

Oh grow up Primo - honestly.

Look, quite obviously 49 of the 50 states are not islands or on an island. And I don't need to look up an atlas or encyclopaedia to know that.

And given that references to the US as an island, or other figures of speech that I'm unaware of, do not mean anything to me, then why don't you just explain the figure of speech. I don't geddit (why would I?), which means I don't understand Skywriting's commentary.

So instead of trying to bait me into an argument, why don't you help me become less ill-informed?

Last time I looked, continental US was on a continent - North America, attached to another continent, South america by an ishthmus known as Central America. Culture in your nearest neighbours is noticeably different - Canadians tending to have something of a different outlook, and the Spanish and American Indians to the South having a radically different culture.

Ergo, Skywriting's comment baffles me. I'm not sure if that was the intention, but if it wasn't, then can someone 'splain the joke please?

Jane

Are you pulling my plonker?

If you don't know that the Welsh hate the english, then what do you know about Welsh history?

Basically, the angles, saxon and jutes performed ethnic cleansing when they migrated, so all the ancient Britons ran for the hills (quite literally). Blah, blah, blah 600 years later, people like Edward the 1st were involved in ongong battles with the Welsh trying to subjugate them. The Welsh wanted to be self-governing, but the royals and nobility of England wanted them as serfs. (To radically over-simplify things). The last welsh revolt occurred between 1400-1409, and since then Wales has essentially been annexed to England as a principality, but not a country.

(I think. Someone with better knowledge could probably clarify).

Hence terms such as "the Prince of Wales" (Prince Charles). For most purposes, England and Wales are one country. The true is not the same of Scotland which only joined up with us in 1603. They have a separate legal system, and a whole bunch of other stuff that is not included in what goes on in England and Wales. All are primarily governed from Westminster, although Wales now has it's own assembly, and Scotland got it's parliament back a few years ago.

Given the above, you can see why there might be some enmity or animosity from the Welsh towards the English. To say that all Welsh people hate the english is perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, especially as English people are moving to the Welsh countryside in their droves. However, it's not unusual to see graffitti saying stuff like "English go home", and a few years ago a load of english-owned holiday cottages got burnt down by Welsh separatists.

It gets even more complicated than that because places like Swansea were actually founded by the anglo-saxons, not the welsh, and much of south wales was "owned" by English barons, thus creating "baronies". The legacy today can be seen in place names like "Monmouthshire" - quite obviously an english name, but which got renamed back to a Welsh name Powys (probably in 1974).

North Wales and Anglesey were really the last strongholds of the indigenous Welsh, and it was from there that the major rebellions came. And today, that is where you're more likely to find people who speak Welsh as their first language.

Oh, and the English tried to wipe out the Welsh language as well. Today its use is encouraged, and schools in parts of the country now teach in Welsh. It is now compulsory for certain types of organisations, e.g. government and quasi-government bodies, to produce all of their reports and literature in both languages.

People in industrial south-wales don't seem to speak terribly good welsh - probably no better than I can speak French, and I know some who probably can't speak it any better than I can! The best I can manage is "Croeso y Cymru"!

The best analogue I can think of to this situation is the Basque regions of France and Spain. Thankfully, the Welsh are not generally as militant.

So here's a challenge to anyone who's interested. I have a stuffed Tiger from Swansea called Terwyn. Why is he called Terwyn, and why is it reasonable for a big cat to come from South Wales? Plus, what place is named after his species and where is it?

Jane

PS Primo - my suggestion is that you come over here and "get down" with your welsh roots - absorb some history and language etc. But only if you like a continuous mist or drizzle, plus mountains!

PPS Parts of Wales are utterly beautiful.

PPPS Apparently one of the beaches on the Gower has been voted one of the best beaches in Europe

PPPPS There's a not insignificant surfing community in Wales - bet you didn't know that!

Little comments like this is why I love you so much Jane!

Do I like to be abused -- NO...

Believe it or not -- With every post you make that shoots me down you actually make me stronger!

for this I thank you ...

- - I love ya!

I'm not shooting you down or abusing you - stop exaggerating. I'm telling you off! If you were here, I'd give you a good spanking!

You were being childish, so I responded in kind. It gets on my nerves when you go on and on and on about how I'm going to have a go at you or shoot you down in flames, when 9 times out of 10 I've got far more interesting things to do than try to get you down. And why would I want to?

You just overeact to everything.

Jane