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  #31 (permalink)  
Old 24-April-2008, 09:12 PM
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Default Re: Seven Wonders of America

Seven wonders of the Mercury program:

M. Scott Carpenter
L. Gordon Cooper, Jr
John H. Glenn, Jr
Virgil I. Grissom
Walter M. Schirra
Alan B. Shepard, Jr
Donald K. Slayton
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  #32 (permalink)  
Old 24-April-2008, 09:16 PM
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Default Re: Seven Wonders of America

Quote:
Originally Posted by Neverfly View Post
That is exactly how I refer to US Citizens

ETA: Exactly isn't the right term...
Usually I just specify that nationality- rather than "I am an American." I say, "I am from (or In) the United States."
IF I'm going to use 'american' I will tag the US in front to specify that is the portion of the Americas that individual is from...

It may seem silly to some folk- But to me it is just as silly, if not derogatory, to refer to US citizens as "Americans." It bothers me.
Better cover your ears when someonw starts singing that song based on the poem Katharine Lee Bates began writing while on Pikes Peak in 1893.

Besides, we're not "Americans", we're "Muricans".
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  #33 (permalink)  
Old 24-April-2008, 11:30 PM
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Default Re: Seven Wonders of America

America's Mountain!

seven-wonders-america-pikes-peak.jpg
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  #34 (permalink)  
Old 25-April-2008, 06:32 AM
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The 40 stamps of the U.S. Postal Service's "Wonders of America" series.
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Old 25-April-2008, 10:40 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SeanF View Post
My wife and I went on our honeymoon there. Puerto Vallarta, to be specific.

LOL!

Mexico is seldom, if ever, referred to as the United States of Mexico. I don't even think that is the correct translation from Estados Unidos Mexicanos. That would be United Mexican States.
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Old 25-April-2008, 12:50 PM
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Where I live most of us refer to people from the USA as Americans.
I know America comes in two North and South America so technically a guy from Canada/Mexico is an American, but the USA is the only country in the Americas that have America in its name. You will have to pay me for me to stop referring to people from the USA as Americans.
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Old 25-April-2008, 01:06 PM
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Originally Posted by mfumbesi View Post
...but the USA is the only country in the Americas that have America in its name...
Yep; and that's why I never nitpick anybody for using it that way. Context helps.
If we can say the United States, and the United States contains Americans (although not exclusively) then we can still have the United States of Americans as apposed to the Mexican state of Americans.

Although; I usually think it's the confused state of Americans.
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Old 25-April-2008, 01:29 PM
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Note to Texans: hope y'all realize the tongue was lodged firmly in cheek when I wrote that.
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Old 25-April-2008, 02:49 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Doodler View Post
Note to Texans: hope y'all realize the tongue was lodged firmly in cheek when I wrote that.
By all means, have at it. I hate Texas from what I've seen.

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Old 25-April-2008, 06:50 PM
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The dozen or so people I've met from Texas suggest to me it's one of the friendlier states around! Of course, I admit I've met only the ones who've traveled to the same places I have....
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  #41 (permalink)  
Old 26-April-2008, 12:47 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tdvance View Post
seven wonders of America--I guess I'd go for:

Grand Canyon
Hoover Dam
New York City
Mount Rushmore
Kennedy Space Center
Moana Loa
Carlsbad Caverns
Lechuguilla Cave is a far better choice (and literally next door) to Carlsbad Caverns.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lechuguilla_Cave

But a cave is a logical choice (whether it be Lech, Mammoth or Jewel) as we are uncommonly blessed with Caves in this country.
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  #42 (permalink)  
Old 26-April-2008, 07:51 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dragon Star View Post
By all means, have at it. I hate Texas from what I've seen.

Well, bless your little heart Dragon Star. You know this is still a free country. So...why are you still here?
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  #43 (permalink)  
Old 26-April-2008, 08:39 PM
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...bless your little heart...
Uh-oh! (after consulting Texan-to-English phrase book)

Run, Dragon Star, run!
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  #44 (permalink)  
Old 26-April-2008, 08:39 PM
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[Firefly reference]Hey Dragon Star, shindig at the oasis tonight...[/Firefly reference]
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  #45 (permalink)  
Old 27-April-2008, 06:02 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tinaa View Post
Well, bless your little heart Dragon Star. You know this is still a free country. So...why are you still here?
Uh-Oh, am I in trouble now?

But no, I just hate the Dallas/Mesquite area. Utter crap IMO. The roads are concrete (whatever that's about), rough due to the expansion joints and shifting slabs, the systems are insufficient...traffic is outrageous, instead of using paint to divide lanes they use these little buttons on the road every 15 feet or so, which I find insane...when in traffic, you just fallow the guy in front of you and pray you stay in your lane since you realistically can't even tell. Heaven forbid you eat before driving somewhere, it makes you sick bouncing around the inside of the cab for the duration of the trip.

In Mesquite, the definition of a Tow Truck is your neighbors 1965 F100, which smokes like a firehouse. Literally the only thing to do is go to the Mesquite Rodeo (which I stay it with it's joint Hampton Hotel) and that was fun the first 5 times.

But to answer your question, I'm still here because I am an owners rep. for a hospital we are renovating. Due to project delays for lack of sufficient funding (damn you housing crisis) we are only now getting the ball rolling again after almost 4 months of no work except me, which I've already prepped a 3 floor building myself for finish and paint.

I'm scheduled to return to FL soon, but not at any confirmed date. Simply not soon enough.

EDIT: Oh, and don't even get me started on the abomination that is the DFW airport.
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  #46 (permalink)  
Old 27-April-2008, 07:05 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Neverfly View Post
But to me it is just as silly, if not derogatory, to refer to US citizens as "Americans."
derogatory?? how so?

I mean, I usually use "USAn" myself, on the net, but I'd like to know how it could be derogatory. To whom?
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  #47 (permalink)  
Old 27-April-2008, 12:12 PM
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Originally Posted by hhEb09'1 View Post
derogatory?? how so?

I mean, I usually use "USAn" myself, on the net, but I'd like to know how it could be derogatory. To whom?
It's like saying that if a person is from the Americas- they MUST be from the USA.
If not, then they don't count or something.
They aren't "really" Americans...
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  #48 (permalink)  
Old 28-April-2008, 03:45 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Neverfly View Post
It's like saying that if a person is from the Americas- they MUST be from the USA.
If not, then they don't count or something.
They aren't "really" Americans...
So, it's an insult, but only to those whom you are not calling the name? Interesting.

While it is true that people from Europe can be called European, wouldn't someone from North American be called North American? If they were from Estados Unidos Mexicanos, as geonuc mentioned, why would referring to them as Mexican be any different than referring the people from the United States of America as American? It's a historical accident, kinda like dwarf planets not being planets, since the union was more or less first.

We are all Americans. Let me give you all a big hug. Even you guys in France.
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Old 28-April-2008, 03:49 AM
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Heck, I dunno. I'm not really debating the issue... Just made a comment about it

It's like a gut feeling. Doesn't necessarily make sense. But you feel that way all the same...
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Old 28-April-2008, 03:54 AM
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Doesn't necessarily make sense.
We can leave it at that.

I just got an angry PM from France. It seems you can insult people by calling them American, too.
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  #51 (permalink)  
Old 28-April-2008, 02:51 PM
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...when in traffic, you just fallow the guy in front of you and pray you stay in your lane since you realistically can't even tell....
You plow into him, or you drive plowed?

(I love typos)
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Old 28-April-2008, 03:04 PM
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If you called a proud Canadian "American", he'd likely be offended. The same goes for many people from other countries in North, Central, and South America.

As for the term "American" being derogatory, I suppose it is to some but certainly not to many people from the US. Even the US Military Code of Conduct begins,

I am an American, fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense.

No, I suspect that most of us aren't in any way ashamed to be Americans no matter how much some others seem to believe we should be.
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Old 28-April-2008, 03:10 PM
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In my opinion, the # 1 'wonder' of America is its people.

"I am an American"

No other country has such a rich diversity of people.
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Old 28-April-2008, 03:25 PM
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When Los Angeles hosted the 1984 Olympics, they were able to show how people from every participating country (well over 100 nations) were living in the LA area alone.
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Old 28-April-2008, 05:07 PM
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq0t7ZUwzGA
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Old 28-April-2008, 05:33 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hhEb09'1 View Post
So, it's an insult, but only to those whom you are not calling the name? Interesting.

While it is true that people from Europe can be called European, wouldn't someone from North American be called North American? If they were from Estados Unidos Mexicanos, as geonuc mentioned, why would referring to them as Mexican be any different than referring the people from the United States of America as American? It's a historical accident, kinda like dwarf planets not being planets, since the union was more or less first.

We are all Americans. Let me give you all a big hug. Even you guys in France.
Awwww ... a hug fest.

Calling the citizens of the USA 'Americans' is not too different than referring to Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Koreans, etc. as 'asians'. Obviously, Asia comprises more than those countries on the Pacific, but the term stuck. Same with American. No disrespect, exclusion or other type of insult is intended by those who use either term.
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