Huguenot

I think 'colored' was seized upon as a less aggressive alternative to 'black'. It was an attempt at the language manipulation that some are describing in these pages. If 'colored' took on more sinister connotations it was because they changed the word, but not the prejudice. In that sense it's another argument that supports my case - in much the same way that the elimination of 'p*ki' simply transferred all the venom to 'muslim' and 'al-qaeda'.

Erm... Not sure if this is a wind up? In Russian the suffix often changes e meaning of the original word. 'ovich' is often called a 'patronymic' because it tells you the name of the father. Hence Ivan Denisovich means John son of Denis. These names were chosen because they were so popular in Russia that they represented 'everyone' in much the same way that John Smith does in the UK. Ivan was supposed to represent every Russian ensnared by the regime. 'ova' means ownership, and is often used by women to denote marriage. They add it to the husbands surname to become their new surname. However, in this case 'Denisova Cave' simply means 'the cave belonging to Denis'. Denis was a local hermit who lived there a couple of hundred years ago. The choice of name has absolutely no bearing on the veracity of this find. I've no idea what the other point you're making is?

Well I've yet to hear of anyone getting a kicking for being a lady doctor. Anyway, I'm not questioning the sentiment, I'm questioning the practicality. The interesting point is that the success of the strategy has been most pronounced not when the use has been curtailed, but when it has been reclaimed - viz gay or n* Instead of trying to ban comedienne, I'd turn my attention to producing a string of world beating female comics who are proud to be comediennes. Rather than being 'diminishing' it would be a badge of honor.

If anything I thought it was the other way around. I'm not aware that the two terms have different attributes. If you have a downer on people due to their skin colour it's not going to go away because you express it with different vowels and consonants.

I wasn't aware that there had been a change from coloured to black, and I'm certainly not aware of any change in attitude that it created. I don't think comedienne is diminishing - I think it's a female comic. But if other people do think it's diminishing it's not because of the word, it's because people find that female comics have a series of attributes that mark them as different to male comics. Hence if you rid us of the word comedienne, another word will pop up that provides a vehicle to communicate whatever it is that these people find unique about female comics. It's like the moron, cretin, flid, spastic, retard thing. They were all words that originally had technical meanings whose use was subsumed to the requirements of Joe Bloggs. Ban one and people just find another word to communicate the same set of attributes. I can understand that it's important to some people, but I'm trying to be honest by saying that all the evidence is that it doesn't work.

Sorry Rosie, what I meant is that banning words looks like a frenzied case of literary whack-a-mole. Another one will always spring up to take it's place. I think it's unedifying and somewhat diminishing for women to engage in such a pointless pursuit. It puts the cause back.

Cold with a mustard vinaigrette.

Except that Forgemasters was a cynical vote-buy. There's no reason why this common sense business proposition shouldn't be funded by private enterprise. BTW, what is it with Forgemasters that gets all this attention? It was 80m to fund just 180 new jobs. Not exactly efficient use of taxpayers money?

Exactly how we do them! Jamie Oliver?

There's a restaurant here in Singers that serves nothing but brussels sprouts in a huge array of flavors. Nothing on wikileaks about it yet. And to think people say we're not 'edgy' enough over here!

Oh get over yourself, you're just cross because many of your assertions turned out to have no basis in truth.... 'Most of us can only afford one car' NER 7m 'second' cars in the UK. 'unless they can [] roll out a huge number of charging stations... battery powered cars are going to struggle' NER even the 100 mile Leaf would only need charging once a week on average 'Because current PCs and TVs are fit for purpose. This car is not.' NER it's purpose is a city runabout for which it is manifestly fit I don't know where you get the 'insult' thing from. Describing something that's snide is not an insult. Describing someone's attitude as 'daft' is hardly reaching a new heights of profanity. The fact is Jeremy, mate, is that all the abuse is coming from you. You even use 'Google' like an insult, as if exploring facts was something to be scornful of. You really think that elevates you to being some authority on balanced debating skills? *shakes head*

BRASICAS? Which no-good low-down dirty fiend was reavealed to be a broccoli fan????

Ha ha! Don't pretend you're being reasonable. "I actually have quite a balanced perspective on this" is not compatible with blatantly polarised, incorrect and sweeping judgements like 'It's not fit for purpose'. Neither are you being consistent. At least I bothered to look it up instead of just airily pontificating: "it's certainly possible that even an occasional car user would want to do such a journey around 20 times a year" Followed by.. "Not only do you argue your case using finger-in-the-air assumptions about neceesary journey lengths.." Didn't spot that did you? Little bit of finger-in-air assumptions from yourself? At least I had the honesty and integrity to put a question mark after mine - positively highlighting, reinforcing and apologising for the fact that it was a guess. Your correction to 'not fit for purpose for a primay vehicle' is simply a strawman - a demonstration that you want to win the argument, not come to a considered solution. I've focused my attention on city runabouts and 'second' cars. You can't negate it by talking about the Leaf not peroforming a role for which I haven't recommended it. I'm not surprised by how angry you're getting, because I get the feel that anti-environmentalism is fuelled by very specific issues with male identity. Anti-science is a hangover from school - where the geeks got bullied because they made the average joe feel inferior. Anti-authority attitudes are about ancient silverback genes spurring competition in the sexual hierarchy. Socialist ideals are unattractive to British males who nuture independence as a coping mechanism for identity anxieties. I've never tried to say this vehicle meets every requirement, but I've certainly pointed out that there are substantial misconceptions, prejudices and outight denial that infests these criticisms. I've pointed out the 7m cars in the UK are 'second' cars, I've pointed out real usership figures. All of which have fallen on deaf ears, because it's nothing to do with the car.

Sorry Jeremy, I simply think you're being dishonest there. The car is demonstrably fit for purpose, on average people drive a miserable 20 miles a day - they could drive it for five days without a recharge. There would be exceptional circumstances (8 times a year? honestly?) when you'd need to get a hire car for long distance touring. I don't see why this is a hardship - just a mild inconvenience more than funded from the 2,000 quid a year you save on fuel costs. If you don't like the way it looks, that's entirely subjective. There's plenty of people choosing fugly cars out on the roads today. So really all you're doing is perpetuating damaging myths, you know they're myths, but you keep on doing it anyway. If electric cars don't take off it'll be because people tell lies for ulterior motives. There's plenty of people out there looking for an excuse, yourself included. Sorry if you find these statements 'agressive', I'm trying to be matter of fact.

I think all this "I'm not getting one because there'll be better ones in the future" malarkey is disingenuous. It doesn't stop you buying a PC or a telly, why should it apply to a car? The reason it apparently doesn't apply to a car is because you're looking for excuses. You petrol car is only convenient because everyone else is carrrying all the cost.

I can't imagine Piersy arguing that words aren't imbued with meaning, but I'd love to see him try :) I think the argument is that taking away the word doesn't take away the meaning, there are other ways of expressing gender discrimination than getting all het up about words. Stalin, the crazy little pumpkin (at the risk of Godwin) said ?Death solves all problems - no man, no problem.?. He notoriously attempted this 3,000,000 times and was still unsuccesful. Thatcher for example was no Prime Ministeress, but she was the Iron Lady. Couldn't keep the gender out of it, it seems. So taking away the word doesn't take away the problem. It may even make it worse - if changing the word doesn't take away the problem, then you're left with the image of thousands of women scurrying in circles on a pointless errand. Not a great asset to the gender debate.

snide/snīd/Adjective 1. Derogatory or mocking in an indirect way: "snide remarks". That wasn't an accusation Dickensman, that was a statement of fact. I appreciate that you may not have liked it, but my advice is that if you don't want to be described as snide, don't be snide. Anyway, don't be cross, don't resign yourself to the collapse of society. Fly the flag, be proud. It'll make you happier.

taper, I understand your disgust with these comments, and I agree. Did you know 800,000 children go missing in the UK every year? Fair play, only 115 of these are ?stereotypical? kidnapping. These crimes involve someone the child does not know, or knows only slightly, who holds the child overnight, transports the child 50 miles or more, kills the child, demands ransom, or intends to keep the child permanently However, the McCann's child is the only one you know the name of? When the McCanns chose the publicity route, they need to be aware that some of their behaviour and activity are odd. Refusing to answer police questions until you are 'ready' is odd, especially if you accept that this has endangered your child's life. I simply cannot find it in myself to feel sorry for them for the negative outcomes of this. I also can't find it in myself to assume their innocence - I can only presume. I don't feel comfortable with the whole affair, but unlike Sue I've just walked away. That's my failing, not hers. Anyway, I won't pursue this, just wanted to show some support for an alternative viewpoint.

"how do you benefit from electric or petrol cars, what is the axe you have to grind. " If you don't know the answer to that, then you are truly plumbing the depths of daftness. "I have somehow damaged your purse possibly being filled by Nissan" and "you leading us up the garden path" I haven't accused you of anything Dickensman. You've accused me of being both corrupt and deceptive. I genuinely think that's very sad. I think you are a sad man.

We do presume the McCann's innocence don't we? Clearly there's not enough evidence to resolve it, so anyone asserting their innocence is just as wrong as anyone assserting their guilt. Sue smells a rat. I don't know why, but I do too. The very first time I saw them on telly I didn't feel comfortable with it. Apparently the British and Portuguese police smell a rat too. That doesn't mean that they're guilty of anything. From the girl's point of view, this is a crashing tragedy whatever happened. But the McCanns courted the press, and in doing so they take the rough with the smooth. That mean's that Sue is entitled to comment upon this issue in a way that she wouldn't if it was a private family tragedy in ED. Mockers, I'm not sure mate. If I died a horrible death at the hands of a crafty murderer and my mates had given up because it was just too difficult, I'd be reliant upon strangers who wanted to avenge a sense of injustice. Sue, I don't know if you're right or not, but I celebrate your sense of indignation about a case that's unresolved.

and *breathe* ;-) Welcome Hill Dweller. Remember, don't go down into the cellar.

Ha ha! "Heroin is an experience, not a conclusion you can come to through thinking. And you have to want it to experience it. Do you want it? If so, and you want it enough, and more than other things, then it will come." Rubsley, I have no doubt it was an experience for you, you'll just have to forgive me for thinking that you couldn't be bothered to work it out on your own; God was a convenient capitulation. Religious morals were Greek Ethics, Jesus was Aesop's fables, and the Church was the state. It's not a waste of space, it's important, but pull yourself together lad.

There you go again, Dickensman. Another snidey comment implying that those campaigning for a more environmentalist approach are conmen looking to line their own pockets. If, as you say, you would like to see a world less choked with gas guzzlers then it's not an inspired approach.

Although a lady doctor may be pertinent if the examination is an intimate one and the patient is anxious.

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