Marie Lewis wrote:

"Stephen Harding" wrote in message

I realize 3000 people, largely Americans, killed in a terror
incident probably doesn't effect you too much, but we consider
it a rather traumatic event here.

Far more have been killed in Europe and over a longer period. Somehow, we
seem to be able n ot to get our knickers in such a twist as you, who thought
you were invulnerable.
I am sorry for those who lost loved ones: but I fear the over reaction is
both intrusive and useless in catching terrorists.

Crapola! No one had experienced a 9/11 scale event!

The Spanish were quite rightly traumatized by the 3/11
experience that killed "only" 200, and they have had
quite a bit of terrorist experience over the past 30
years.

Your "long suffering Europe/what's the big deal USA"
line doesn't carry much weight with me.

You're not concerned "they" might send the black helicopters
out for you? Or do the black helos only fly around American skies?

Never heard of the "black helicopters." Must be an American thing.

Or perhaps more successfully hidden by your own government?

But what are they? Please explain.

These are the "special" helicopters, reportedly painted black,
that are run by unknown secret agencies of the "US gubment" to
eliminate persons that "know too much" or are too vocal in
their opposition of Evil US[tm] operations. Typically sundry
conspiracy whacko types are the true believers of the black helos.

Ha!

I lay helpless at your feet, overcome by the power of your
reason, logic and intellect.

You lay or lie?

From evil American[tm] Merriam-Webster dictionary,
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionar...va=lay&x=0&y=0

quote
Usage LAY has been used intransitively in the sense
of "lie" since the 14th century. The practice was
unremarked until around 1770; attempts to correct it
have been a fixture of schoolbooks ever since.
Generations of teachers and critics have succeeded in
taming most literary and learned writing, but
intransitive lay persists in familiar speech and is a
bit more common in general prose than one might suspect.

Much of the problem lies in the confusing similarity of
the principal parts of the two words. Another influence
may be a folk belief that lie is for people and lay is
for things. Some commentators are ready to abandon the
distinction, suggesting that lay is on the rise
socially. But if it does rise to respectability, it is
sure to do so slowly: many people have invested effort
in learning to keep lie and lay distinct. Remember that
even though many people do use lay for lie, others will
judge you unfavorably if you do.
/quote

So it means a non-learned, folksy, desperate for
respectability, thing, lies at the feet of somone with
too much wit and intellect for a counter-response to
be summoned, and who has clearly invested the effort in
keeping the two usages distinct.

I'll take that as a compliment. Anyone or anything you hate must have
something good.

Another blast of your powerful sense of reason, logic and
intellect!

I tremble.

Good: carry one and leave my world.

Ca va.

Was that "one" or "on"? (I know it matters to you.)


SMH