PC has infiltrated The Wreck.

Naaaa. You are nothing like Aunt Bea. For openers, you are real, and I would find it difficult to imagine that you'd be chasing young girls after swigging 40 oz of gin.

Am I to conclude from that, that the Australians are insulting and aggressive when their tourist bureau runs ads on TV (in Canada at least) which end with "So where the bloody hell are ya?" It really *is* a matter of the written word totally missing the (my) ability to convey the jovial intent.

But, I have taken your input to heart and will be more careful in the future. It'll be hard...but I'll try..... nope, no crossed fingers... nu-uh..

Robatoy wrote: | In article , | "Morris Dovey" wrote: | || || Ok, I'm curious. Does having misunderstood make me like your || (surely hypothetical) aunt Bea? | | Naaaa. You are nothing like Aunt Bea. For openers, you are real, | and I would find it difficult to imagine that you'd be chasing | young girls after swigging 40 oz of gin. || || These statements ring true and have a lot to do with why people || like you. I like you, too, but remain uncertain of the wisdom of || greeting strangers with insult and agression. | | Am I to conclude from that, that the Australians are insulting and | aggressive when their tourist bureau runs ads on TV (in Canada at | least) which end with "So where the bloody hell are ya?" | It really *is* a matter of the written word totally missing the (my) | ability to convey the jovial intent. | | But, I have taken your input to heart and will be more careful in | the future. It'll be hard...but I'll try..... nope, no crossed | fingers... nu-uh.. | |

No worry. This may be one of those areas in which smileys might be considered one of the great advances in communications.

I haven't seen the Australian ads - but I'll guess there's an actual smile in the ad video. That'd match well with my SO's account of her experience of Australian hospitality - Sydney and Cairns have become two of her very favorite places.

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

I haven't been to Cairns myself, but I have had the pleasure of spending some time (1999) in The Otways and Anglesea on the Great Ocean Road. What an amazing place it was. ....and those Aussies know have to have a good time.

..where women glow

Unfortunately, a lot of humor can go unnoticed without a damned emoticon. Tom

SWMBO doesn't find it entertaining. Particularly in 'polite' company. Actually that's one of the more moderate of those that I know. "Slicker than snot on a boardwalk.", is another favorite - usually reserved for icy pavement in mid-winter.

| Unfortunately, a lot of humor can go unnoticed without a damned | emoticon.

True, even when the scope is limited to North Americans whose primary language is English. It becomes ever more true as that scope is expanded to encompass the complete diversity of cultures/languages reading any given newsgroup.

In the expanded scope, emoticons may be much more a blessing than a curse - by rendering harmless a non-malicious remark that might otherwise offend and cause a potentially valuable contributor to turn away.

AFAICT, PC would dictate not making the remark - but emoticons allow making the remark and making clear that it was not intended to be hurtful.

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

G'day Morris, It's a funny thing but I didn't think there was anything funny about our Aussie lingo until I read replys and responses from people from other countries. You don't have smile in Oz when you ring someone that's late and ask "where the bloody hell are ya", not that a smile over the phone would do you much good, or when they turn up and ask "what bloody well kept ya, ya slack bastard". You just better make sure that you know the bloke. It's hard to think of other examples, when they are not strange to you. I s pose one of the strangest use of word by us is "Blue". Blue/Bluey- Person with Red Hair Blue - An argument or fight Bluey - A swag/Sleeping arrangement for camping Bluey - Traffic Ticket

Differences make the world go round.

regards John

That explains why milk wasn't as cheap at Safeway.

You're bringing back a flood of memories. I lived on a boat in the Cairns harbor for six months way back in '63.

The offshore geophysical company I was working for at the time shut the crew down for that length of time and I was one of two crew members who stayed on to keep the instruments in shape until we cranked up again. Tough duty! ... took about 3 hours a week to do that, then spent the rest of the time drinking beer and chasing those glowing women.

I've been told by friends who've been there since that I would not recognize the place. I remember it as paradise, with long trips to Green Island on Sunday's with the local contingent of bikini clad nurses, and with the only worry being that of getting back onboard with a 20' drop in tide after a night of partying.

On May 21, 11:35 am, Robatoy wrote: ...

That would be heifer... :)

On May 21, 11:35 am, Robatoy wrote: ...

That would be heifer--so as to offend neither the spelling purists nor the cattle union... :)

I will try to put it even simpler, so you can understand... I didn't read your original post. Most people didn't read your original post. There is no reason for you to comment on it. Now do you get it?

Or "Hef" and his fans.

You are commenting on a post you didn't read?

Sounded rough. How, did you ever live through that hell? I suppose, when face-to-face with that kind of challenge, it brings the man out in you. Lucky bastard.

oops.. almost forgot

:o}

And you know this because,,,,,

Now you have even lost me.

Eh? Genuine surprise and puzzlement. Andy Dingley and I had a little disagreement but we're working that out, and I don't know of any other incident with which I've even been associated, far less taken offence at.

What are you referring to? Maybe I've been misunderstood and have some more bridge-building to do, and didn't realise.

Naaa, you're cool. Now, do you really think that maple logs need to be crated? *G*