Let it snow,let it snow,let it snow

[Jerry Oz]

Did that one just come to you? Sometimes you're good... Really good.

[westgrandboulevard]

Sometimes good...LOL!

I'm always a 'good' correspondent - because my responses are quite well composed in respect of spelling and punctuation; they are generally swiftly made; and performance is consistent - but I am never, not even sometimes, really good.

I'm sitting here, baffled...thinking, whatever is it about #2750 that makes him want to say that.....?!

[arr&bee]

2750..you brits are big on numbers..hear that jerry they've given you a number and taken away your name...guess you're now in her majesty's secret service.

[westgrandboulevard]

Well, it was indeed post number 2750 on this thread....that's a fact.

What's also a fact - even though I hadn't noticed it until just now - is that, far from giving Jerry a number and taking away his name, those 4 numbers form my own birthdate.

Spooky.....

[arr&bee]

OK WEST NOW I KNOW THAT WE'RE ALL A BIT ON THE WILD SIDE HERE,BUT YOU WANT US TO BELIEVE THAT YOU WERE BORN IN THE YEAR..2750...[and I thought I was nuts].

[westgrandboulevard]

I wouldn't want to be thought of as getting ahead of myself...but I did say birthdate, not birth year....

[arr&bee]

Date year who can tell the diff???

[westgrandboulevard]

Of course, my birthdate set out the American way would be 7250, or even 5072..so there are two essential differences.....

[Jerry Oz]

You were born on July 25 in the year 2000? What are you, like a hundred or something?

[westgrandboulevard]

I'm sooooo tempted to let you think I'm a hundred years old...

In the UK, if I'm asked to give my date of birth [[July 2nd 1950) in numbers, it is technically 02.07.50 - although I would probably say it as 2.7.50.

In US, am I correct in thinking you would state it in different order - 07.02.50 - ? My personal email address is on AOL, which seems to reverse the date and month on printouts, which occasionally can be a little confusing when referring back at a later date.

[Jerry Oz]

I'm sooooo tempted to let you think I'm a hundred years old...

In the UK, if I'm asked to give my date of birth [[July 2nd 1950) in numbers, it is technically 02.07.50 - although I would probably say it as 2.7.50.

In US, am I correct in thinking you would state it in different order - 07.02.50 - ? My personal email address is on AOL, which seems to reverse the date and month on printouts, which occasionally can be a little confusing when referring back at a later date.

You kill me. I knew full well what you were suggesting with both dates, but I flipped it in feigned ignorance. Thanks to my writing '2000' instead of the intended '0' my post flew like a lead balloon. I need to figure out how to roll my eyes when I type a sarcastic post.

Or not type sarcastic posts...

Anyways... But yes, we put the month first for some reason. I guess the two things we'll concede only when the New World Order takes hold are our reticence toward the metric system and our curious way of documenting dates.

[westgrandboulevard]

No problem, Jerry. A post composed dryly by me, and a post composed sarcastically by you [[without facial expression, or verbal inflection) will appear remarkably similar.

I have to say that my own preference - when, for example, using words to give today's date - would be to set it out as February 15 2015. [[sometimes the more old-fashioned styling of February 15th 2015). That's my default style [[correct, or not) when composing letters - and so I am also putting the month first. The fact that it is currently February seems to be of priority importance [[and gives the date more character), then followed by the actual day of the month, then the year.

That is also the way I would verbally respond, if asked today's date, so it seems more logical to use it that way, in the written form.

In contrast, almost all computer styles seem to have the default style of 15 February 2015.

[Jerry Oz]

Logic would dictate it either be year-month-day or day-month-year. I wonder who garbled up it up and why the dumb way to denote the date is what caught on over here?

Be careful how you answer that. I know that an honest response is the best, no matter how it is interpreted, but there's millions of gun totin' Mercans who might take offense if you suggest we do something stoopid because we're... well, cool enough to do it that way.

[westgrandboulevard]

It depends on the point of the exercise.

Certain things need to be grouped by year so, in that instance, I would enter today's date numerically as 150216.

Otherwise, it is numerically 160215 - but then, illogically, I would write it as February 16th 2015.

It's only a slight problem when, for example, looking at 01-02-2015, and wondering if it American for January 2nd 2015, or British for February 1st 2015. Easier when the first number exceeds 12.

Can you remember if the American habit of numerically showing the month first was prevalent before the advent of computers, or is it the logical nature of said computers which introduced it?

[Jerry Oz]

It was prevalent both ways when I was a boy in the '60s. I think the military uses international nomenclature for dates in both formats.

[westgrandboulevard]

It's only since owning a computer that I've been aware of the difference.

Prior to that, I had already noted from correspondence received that there is [[or perhaps that should now read 'was' - ?) a certain style of handwriting taught and used in both America and Canada, which is quite distinctive and, therefore, different from the more usual 'hands' found here in the UK.

[Jerry Oz]

Really? Please elaborate...

[westgrandboulevard]

As a style, it may well have a name - as may also any handwriting styles taught over here, but I have no knowledge of what they may be. If I was ever taught a certain method of forming words in longhand, I've long forgotten it, and my handwriting has also changed with the years.

The handwriting style I have in mind would be one taught in the 40s, and probably even prior to that. If you recall The Supremes 'More Hits' cover, there were signatures on each of the photos. Whether the ladies actually signed their own names is not important, but the signature of 'Diana' is very typical of that particular handwriting style which I believe to be distinctly North American.

The characters are carefully written, not scribbled, and lean to the right. There is control, yet rhythm. There is a flourish on the capital letters, and a leading hook on the last letter. I just find it aesthetically pleasing, and very elegant.

Several of my penfriends from the US in the 60s used that style, as did the secretary for The Marvelettes in a letter. An older friend from Toronto had exactly the same handwriting style, which was the same as the handwriting by Martha Reeves, when she dedicated her "Confessions.." book to me after a show at one of our local theatres.

The minute I see it, I recognise it as from an American hand, and have never seen it produced by anyone on this side of the Atlantic.

[Jerry Oz]

That's simply cursive or as it's generally called, 'script' writing. I thought that it was universal. I had to learn script as well as 'regular' writing in elementary school. I have had someone turn his nose up at me for preferring to forego cursive writing when I write longhand. Not because it wasn't easy to read, mind you. He didn't know why I would put more effort into writing than was necessary.

[westgrandboulevard]

I'm assuming you are using 'cursive' and 'script' as descriptions for what we [[perhaps only people of my own age, and older) know as 'longhand' or 'handwriting' - or what is often now colloquially known and used by younger people here in UK as ' joined up writing' - ?

How would you define the difference between 'script' and 'regular' - ?

Linking the letters in handwriting is indeed universal, but not always the styles and techniques.

Since my last post, I've done a little research. Check out the Palmer method......

[Jerry Oz]

'Handwriting' is indeed another word for it. And the Palmer Method seems to be the version that I was taught as a boy. Of course, everybody comes up with their own version of the letters but nothing that is radically different. I don't know why there are so many names for the same process...

[westgrandboulevard]

You're saying that 'everybody comes up with their own version of the letters' [[which is true) but what intrigued me most about what I now know as The Palmer Method of handwriting is that from individual to individual, there was not too much variation. It was quite distinctive.

I guess it is not now taught, so the use of it dates someone.

If you say that was the version you were taught as a boy, it must have been at the end of its general use, which is reported as being in decline from the 1950s.

I haven't checked, but I now wonder if it is available as a font on a computer. No matter whether it is old-fashioned or not, I just find it very attractive. I don't believe we have had such a distinctive style of handwriting in general use in this country.

[arr&bee]

Thanks you two,now i'm more confused than ever...i don't know what year it is now...2015...5120..1025..i'm gonna lay down now!!!!

[westgrandboulevard]

Making it all the easier to read the writing on the wall.....

[arr&bee]

They won't let me have writing utinsils,i might write my way out of here.

[westgrandboulevard]

Or hand them a writ....

[arr&bee]

If i may interrupt the festivities with an actual weather note...it actually snowed here yesterday...[6in]and we are digging out still...now back to our program...!!!

[westgrandboulevard]

Put it all in your freezer. Frozen rain could be really useful if there's a drought later this year....

[arr&bee]

West i don't live in the desert.

[westgrandboulevard]

Maybe not, but a cactus does - and it stores rain.

[Jerry Oz]

I think arr&bee should get a couple of empty milk cartons to open and set out in the cold. Then put the caps back on them so that he'll have some of that cold air in the summer when it can come in use.

[westgrandboulevard]

That sounds very sensible. I do the same with old metal cans. I store the cool air in them, and use them as aerosols. There's nothing quite like a blast of Valentine's Day up your shirt, on Independence Day.

[Jerry Oz]

This is going to sound somewhat centrist, but I have to ask...

Does England have an Independence Day? And if so, from whom do you celebrate liberation?

[westgrandboulevard]

There were threats from the Romans and the Normans, but Great Britain has always been an independent nation, so has no liberation to celebrate.

Other nations celebrate their independence from us, for example, the United States of America on July 4th each year.

Each separate nation within the United Kingdom has a national day in celebration, although they are not official national holidays.

England has St George's Day, April 23rd.

Wales has St David's Day, March 1st.

Ireland [[Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland) has St Patrick's Day, March 17th.

Scotland has St Andrew's Day, November 30th.

We also have a Commonwealth Day, in celebration of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is held on the second Monday in March [[March 9th this year) but is not an official national holiday, at least in the UK.

[Jerry Oz]

Of all of them, only St. Patrick's Day is recognized here. It's kind of amazing because the Irish were treated as persona non grata when they arrived in the 1800's, yet somehow their day of celebration became a day when we are all Irish [[and half of us are drunk) for 24 hours.

[westgrandboulevard]

The people who report Irish ancestry total more than 10% of the US population...so that number [[over 35 million) far exceeds those actually living in Ireland. No real surprise that St. Patrick's Day is recognised, and with a party everyone else enjoys.....

[Jerry Oz]

What's green, half a mile long, and smells like beer?

[[You can might want to look it up, because I don't want to get banned...)

[westgrandboulevard]

I have the strongest suspicion that even looking it up might not be in my best interests.....

[arr&bee]

I know what it is because someone in my family put it there...hehehehehe!!!

[Jerry Oz]

They put the St. Patrick's Day Parade there? Oops...

[westgrandboulevard]

This all sounds very dubious.

[144man]

'Handwriting' is indeed another word for it. And the Palmer Method seems to be the version that I was taught as a boy. Of course, everybody comes up with their own version of the letters but nothing that is radically different. I don't know why there are so many names for the same process...

The letter forms we were taught at school were called "Marion Richardson".

[westgrandboulevard]

Something new every day. Never heard of her until now. I wonder I was taught the same, but was never aware of the fact?

All I know is that every time I see an example of my own handwriting from many years ago, it is as if it were written by a completely different person.

[Jerry Oz]

My mom has always been unhappy with my elementary teachers for not taking more time to help me write legibly. I think it's better now, but it was pretty sloppy back in the day.

[arr&bee]

I never sign anything...st patricks day parade???

[144man]

No need to practice copperplate script when I've got a germ-ridden keyboard.

[arr&bee]

Copperplate script,sounds like something you buy at a trendy restaurant.

[Jerry Oz]

I never sign anything...st patricks day parade???

For the record, I did NOT say that the St. Patrick's Day Parade was green, half a mile long, and smelled like beer. That's very insensitive to my Irish friends and arr&bee should be ashamed of himself for making that excellent [[if inappropriate) joke.

[westgrandboulevard]

A lot of excellent jokes are also most inappropriate.

[Jerry Oz]

The thing is [[in the US anyway) that 99% of Irish-Americans would laugh at that joke whereas the politically correct police force [[most of whom are likely not Irish) would have the teller blackballed television for saying it. Our noses are so stuck in the air that we can no longer laugh with each other for fear that we're laughing at each other. It's not hard to gauge the difference and we lost a little of our soul for failing to recognize it.