Going metric-50 years later

[The Voice of Reason]

4 minutes ago, Kopek said:

Are VoR and JW getting into a spit for spat here?

Maybe they should both be bannned to cool down???

Or get a room maybe?

[John Wright]

17 minutes ago, The Voice of Reason said:

How are you getting on finding the “ Manx” regional ( and other) accents posting.?

I posted the link above.

[The Voice of Reason]

9 hours ago, John Wright said:

I posted the link above.

Which makes no reference to the Manx or any type of accent

[John Wright]

42 minutes ago, The Voice of Reason said:

Which makes no reference to the Manx or any type of accent

Yes. It does. Directly.

”So, with your pride in your culture, and not wishing to be assimilated, how’s your Manx, and what are your views on Manx language classes all the way through primary, junior and secondary education?”

[The Voice of Reason]

43 minutes ago, John Wright said:

Yes. It does. Directly.

”So, with your pride in your culture, and not wishing to be assimilated, how’s your Manx, and what are your views on Manx language classes all the way through primary, junior and secondary education?”

Which has nothing to do with accents just language.

Anyway my Manx, like most peoples I would imagine, is not very good.

Re teaching it in schools I have no strong opinion. Yes it would be good for it to be taught but something else would have to be sacrificed in the curriculum. That’s a value judgement.

Maybe it could be an option for secondary education for those de pupils who want to pursue it.

[manxman1980]

14 hours ago, The Voice of Reason said:

I’m intrigued as to how you come to that conclusion. Short of becoming a fluent speaker of the Manx language or taking Manx dancing classes I can’t really see how I could have done any more to integrate/assimilate any more than I have done in the 40 years plus I have been here.

I have been involved in many Manx institutions and a couple of charities and always praise the place and promote it to my friends and relatives across.

I would be grateful for an explanation for your statement.

If I lived in the UK then I would also become involved in UK institutions and charities.  That is not really integration, that is a result of where you live.  What do you understand of the Manx way of life and our shared values and beliefs?  There is often very little acknowledgement from the English that the other people who populate the British Isles are culturally different from them.

14 hours ago, The Voice of Reason said:

As for JW I know he likes to paint me as some sort of little Englander, myopic person ( probably because I had the nerve to support Brexit)

This is simply not true

Water off a ducks back

If the cap fits...

16 minutes ago, The Voice of Reason said:

Maybe it could be an option for secondary education for those de pupils who want to pursue it.

Secondary school is really to late to be learning a language.  Languages of any sort really should be taught earlier in life for the majority of people.  Sure some people have a skill for languages and can pick them up later but a lot of being able to speak languages fluently is exposure to them at a young age.

Edited June 8, 2023 by manxman1980

[The Voice of Reason]

53 minutes ago, manxman1980 said:

If I lived in the UK then I would also become involved in UK institutions and charities.  That is not really integration, that is a result of where you live.  What do you understand of the Manx way of life and our shared values and beliefs?  There is often very little acknowledgement from the English that the other people who populate the British Isles are culturally different from them.

If the cap fits...

Secondary school is really to late to be learning a language.  Languages of any sort really should be taught earlier in life for the majority of people.  Sure some people have a skill for languages and can pick them up later but a lot of being able to speak languages fluently is exposure to them at a young age.

What do I understand of the Manx way of life?
 

Well having lived, worked and socialised on the Island for over forty years ( two thirds of my life) as well as bringing up a family here I would consider myself to have a pretty good grasp of the Manx way of life.

 

and our shared values and beliefs?

I am afraid you are going to have to expand on these values and beliefs which are peculiar to the Manx. I can’t comment on the question as it is, it’s just a bit “woolly

Of course there are cultural differences between the British Isles and these should be celebrated positively. Not sure why you accuse the English in particular of not acknowledging these differences, or whatever evidence you have for that. It’s certainly not my experience.

If  the cap fits…..

If the cap is woven from false assumptions I see no reason to wear it.

I note what you say about learning languages

[woolley]

13 hours ago, Kopek said:

Are VoR and JW getting into a spit for spat here?

Maybe they should both be bannned to cool down???

I seem to recall that "threadshitting" is the favoured term.

[manxman1980]

8 hours ago, The Voice of Reason said:

and our shared values and beliefs?

I am afraid you are going to have to expand on these values and beliefs which are peculiar to the Manx. I can’t comment on the question as it is, it’s just a bit “woolly

Of course there are cultural differences between the British Isles and these should be celebrated positively. Not sure why you accuse the English in particular of not acknowledging these differences, or whatever evidence you have for that. It’s certainly not my experience.

If you have to ask then clearly, despite protestations, you have not assimilated our culture.

Why pick out the English?  They are the worst offenders.  They believe that they are in someway superior to everyone else.  

As an example look at the good old English Ex-Pat.  Rarely settling into their new homes without creating a English enclave, barely bothering to learn the language.  Ensuring that there is British food in the local shops and generally opening Irish pubs everywhere (despite the fact that real Irish nationals avoid them).

Even in the British Isles they try to demand allegiance from the other countries that share the Isles.  Still stuck in the days of Empire and still enforcing the bloody stupid imperial system on everyone.

[alpha-acid]

15 minutes ago, manxman1980 said:

If you have to ask then clearly, despite protestations, you have not assimilated our culture.

Why pick out the English?  They are the worst offenders.  They believe that they are in someway superior to everyone else.  

As an example look at the good old English Ex-Pat.  Rarely settling into their new homes without creating a English enclave, barely bothering to learn the language.  Ensuring that there is British food in the local shops and generally opening Irish pubs everywhere (despite the fact that real Irish nationals avoid them).

Even in the British Isles they try to demand allegiance from the other countries that share the Isles.  Still stuck in the days of Empire and still enforcing the bloody stupid imperial system on everyone.

The UK is Metric have not you noticed for weights. Imperial is liquid and that was requested by the Brewers and Pubs for obvious financial reasons. Miles no idea why that was kept

[manxman1980]

2 hours ago, alpha-acid said:

The UK is Metric have not you noticed for weights. Imperial is liquid and that was requested by the Brewers and Pubs for obvious financial reasons. Miles no idea why that was kept

The UK is a weird hybrid to be fair but the UK Government has paved the way to return to imperial measurements. 

[The Voice of Reason]

12 hours ago, manxman1980 said:

If you have to ask then clearly, despite protestations, you have not assimilated our culture.

Why pick out the English?  They are the worst offenders.  They believe that they are in someway superior to everyone else.  

As an example look at the good old English Ex-Pat.  Rarely settling into their new homes without creating a English enclave, barely bothering to learn the language.  Ensuring that there is British food in the local shops and generally opening Irish pubs everywhere (despite the fact that real Irish nationals avoid them).

Even in the British Isles they try to demand allegiance from the other countries that share the Isles.  Still stuck in the days of Empire and still enforcing the bloody stupid imperial system on everyone.

Your first paragraph just means you have no answer to the simple question as to what are shared Manx values and beliefs. “ If you have to ask then clearly despite protestations, you have not assimilated our culture”

WTF does that mean?, yes I do have to ask, it’s a simple question just answer it rather than evading it. Again what are shared Manx values and beliefs? I’m sure I’d have no trouble signing up to them if I knew what they were. I probably already have.

Your second and third paragraphs are just lazy stereotypes. “ They believe that they are in someway superior to everyone else” . What’s your evidence for this? I as an Englishman don’t think that way. Irish pubs etc, just like O Donnells in Castle Street, Douglas, Isle of Man  ( and all over the world) I imagine you are thinking of. It’s hardly unique to the English 

As for your fourth paragraph that’s just nonsense. Who are these other countries that share these Isles that the English are trying to demand allegiance from? . Who is “everyone” that they are still enforcing the bloody stupid imperial system on?

Since setting foot on these shores as a good old English Ex-Pat I have felt welcome here and been accepted as part of the community. In return I have tried to make some sort of contribution, however small, to my adopted home. I live in Ramsey, is that some sort of English enclave? .

I have never until now encountered such an aggressive attitude as yours . 

We have our cultural differences, sure but why try and turn them into divisions like you seem to want to do?

Underneath it all we are all  pretty much the same.

Edited June 9, 2023 by The Voice of Reason
Addition to last bit of para 3

[alpha-acid]

1 minute ago, manxman1980 said:

The UK is a weird hybrid to be fair but the UK Government has paved the way to return to imperial measurements. 

And it won't happen as kids have got used to the metric system an probably automatically convert miles to KM pints I guess will stay forever even if KM comes in at some time

[The Voice of Reason]

12 hours ago, manxman1980 said:

If you have to ask then clearly, despite protestations, you have not assimilated our culture.

 Ensuring that there is British food in the local shops and generally opening Irish pubs everywhere (despite the fact that real Irish nationals avoid them).

Well I’m not sure about “ ensuring” ( more like market forces) but throughout England you will find stores offering Eastern European, Chinese, Indian produce for those communities there.  And indeed for the English.
A “taste of home”if you will.

Do you think that too should be condemned? I don’t.

Edited June 9, 2023 by The Voice of Reason
Deletion of r from produce. Typo

[A fool and his money.....]

On 6/7/2023 at 6:14 PM, Kopek said:

 

Is it kilo metres or kolom etres???? Is it meters or metres??? Now there's another argument!

That's the whole point, with metric units and the SI, there simply is no argument.

It's Kilo metres and it's definitely metres, French system, French spelling.

Yet another failing of the imperial system is that it's not consistent, some American units are different to the British ones - not that that matters anyway, it's a crap system without that.