Topic: The Twitter Thread--A Thread of Great Consequence

[GodSlayer]

It's not accurate to call a Canadian an american, they are not.  They are a Canadian.

is it wrong to call a Frenchman a European?

[GodSlayer]

Canada might be in North America but it does not make everyone on that hemisphere American.

doesn't America span both hemispheres?

I don't think anyone would say the Irish are American by virtue of being in the same hemisphere.

[GodSlayer]

the wiki on continents is cool

(click to show/hide)

I was always taught it was seven.

Yeah, that animation is cool indeed. I was taught there were 5 inhabited continents (the 5 coloured rings on the Olympics flag): Africa, America, Asia, Europe and... Oceania. To me it's very weird to see 'Australia' being used to refer to all those islands when it is already the name of a country. Continents are cultural constructs, there's no real science behind them. I mean, there is some, but it's not applied in a coherent way.

I figured contents were devided by the continental crust (plus some approximations).  That would put us at 6 continents.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Plates_tect2_en.svg

that sounds good, but it seems so curious to ever bother to divide the world up by things most people know nothing of and will never be concerned by.
seems like GI is right in that cultural/political reasons seem to dominate how we're taught to make the distinctions ('sharin' my plate with the Mexicans and Russians? I don't think so!')

[lorryfach]

Canada might be in North America but it does not make everyone on that hemisphere American.

doesn't America span both hemispheres?

I don't think anyone would say the Irish are American by virtue of being in the same hemisphere.

I assumed he meant the Western hemisphere, in which case, no, it doesn't span both hemispheres.


Regardless of how you define continents, 'American' or a word obviously deriving from it is how many languages refer to people from the USA specifically, rather than people from anywhere on the continent or continents of America. In my Danish course, I was told to answer the question of where I'm from with "Jeg er amerikaner" and my classmate from Ecuador was not. There is a separate word for that. There is not another word for people from the USA.


There is no country in Europe where its inhabitants are known only as 'Europeans', so that's not a good comparison.

[GodSlayer]

Canada might be in North America but it does not make everyone on that hemisphere American.

doesn't America span both hemispheres?

I don't think anyone would say the Irish are American by virtue of being in the same hemisphere.

I assumed he meant the Western hemisphere, in which case, no, it doesn't span both hemispheres.


Regardless of how you define continents, 'American' or a word obviously deriving from it is how many languages refer to people from the USA specifically, rather than people from anywhere on the continent or continents of America. In my Danish course, I was told to answer the question of where I'm from with "Jeg er amerikaner" and my classmate from Ecuador was not. There is a separate word for that. There is not another word for people from the USA.


There is no country in Europe where its inhabitants are known only as 'Europeans', so that's not a good comparison.

all good points.

[seaotter]

Hollywood studios! Oh my god get the short ribs if you eat at citricos at the grand Floridian! Awesome! I had the swordfish, good but oh the short rib!

[Skulker]

Happy Birthday wastrel

[Chew]

Canada might be in North America but it does not make everyone on that hemisphere American.

doesn't America span both hemispheres?

I don't think anyone would say the Irish are American by virtue of being in the same hemisphere.

I assumed he meant the Western hemisphere, in which case, no, it doesn't span both hemispheres.

Some of the Aleutian Islands, part of the state of Alaska, are in the Eastern hemisphere. Kiska Island, for example.

[DK]

Happy Birthday Wastrel and belated greetings to FX.

[seaotter]

Happy birthday!

My daughter was the rebel spy on star tours!

[AQB24712]

Happy birthday, Wastrel!


In other news, Chris Thile in the house!!!!!  He's playing his mandolin concerto with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra tonight.  Sounded promising at sound check, and rehearsal reports have been glowing.  And he's cute. 

[pandamonium]

Had a weird dream where I was in a spaceship at the end of the universe.  Everything was ending, but it was a sort of "one at a time" thing.  Finally I began to end, sort of dematerialize and slip away.  Everything faded to white, then I woke up.

Two nights ago, I dreamed that I was in a "Xena: Warrior Princess" episode, as Gabrielle, and there were at least 5 Xena clones. The clones didn't have belly buttons, which was the only way that I could tell who the real Xena was. This was important for some reason.

It was pretty gay. As in homosexual.

[Caffiene]

"Xena: Warrior Princess" episode, as Gabrielle
[...]
It was pretty gay. As in homosexual.

Redundant statement is redundant.

[pandamonium]

"Xena: Warrior Princess" episode, as Gabrielle
[...]
It was pretty gay. As in homosexual.

Redundant statement is redundant.

I should have been more explicit: my dream was. Explicit, that is.

[Caffiene]

 

I wish my dreams were like that... I wouldnt say no to five Lucy Lawlesses either.