We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
We've all seen this sort of urban death spiral happen in many places. Unionization, government costs, and living costs drive business away, taxes rise to support government, the middle class leaves the city behind to drugs, welfare, and dysfunction with a disappearing tax base and a nasty reputation. It is entirely predictable. Hartford, CT is a classic case, voted most pleasant medium-sized city to live in, in the USA, around 1955.
Next, forks? When I took my cc handgun licensing course, I met a guy who had used a baseball bat to fracture the skull of a burglar in his house. (Note to our Brit readers: Cops winked at him and said "Good job.")
This speech sounds pretty much exactly like all his other failed speeches. Pretty much every job he talks about, just like in 2009, 2010, and 2011 are government jobs or jobs dependent on government.
While I've never heard anyone say "all y'all" here in Florida, I'd agree that "y'all" is also used for the singular. Walk into any restaurant by yourself, sit down in a booth, and the waitress is semi-guaranteed to walk up and say, "And how are y'all doin' today?" It's happened to me three or four times.
I've long been amused that many people when asked to pray (e.g. for saying a blessing at a meal) will use the archaic familiar form for addressing God. I'm sure that the disrespect is not intended.
Can somebody clear something up for me. Maybe I've got my numbers wrong:
GDP ~ $15T (Wikipedia says 2010 GDP was about $14T so I'll round up http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_United_States)
Federal debt ~ $14.7 (according to the debt clock http://www.usdebtclock.org/)
So how is our debt 67% of GDP?
Huh - how about that. I've been using y'all for a long time - much longer than I thought I might have - probably back to my time at Parris Island and subsequently being stationed in the South for my last 18 months of service.
So being the inquisitive type, I looked it upon Wikipedia - which seems like a good source for something like this. And....
There are four recognized forms: (1) A replacement for the plural of you. (2) An associative plural, including individuals associated but not present with the singular addressee. (3) An institutional plural addressed to one person representing a group. (4) A form used in direct address in certain contexts (e.g., partings, greetings, invitations, and vocatives).
The things you learn hanging around this joint...er...establishment.
Sharia Law: I got new for y'all (see how I worked that in - good huh?) - in the Detroit area, Sharia law is already a parallel system to civil law. I got that from a friend who is a real professor of law at Michigan Sate.
Of course nobody wants to talk about it - tolerance and all that.
I can assure you that people say y'all because it sounds so much better than you's. Besides, if you happen to run into a stranger and are greeted with "what are y'all doin in these parts?" you will likely feel much more comfortable and welcome than if you are hit up with "you's ain't from around here are you?"
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FBI RAIDS SOLYNDRA – Obama’s Funded & Failed Green Boondoggle
One wonders, are they considering prosecuting the officials of Solyndra, or are they just gathering up and sealing the evidence so as not to embarrass and/or implicate our fearful leader during next year's presidential race?
Tracked: Sep 09, 07:11
Tracked: Sep 09, 21:50