English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

12:47 AM

@Vitaly "As a result, approximately 11,250,000 audience members took the hoax seriously" - Vitaly, don't confuse people. Nobody took it seriously, but it was a good laugh at those days.

Putin won!!! Today is my day! I was voting for him.

Vitaly

1:12 AM

@brilliant Oh yeah? Please be realistic: hairless primates will even believe in all sorts of religion, which is even crazier than believing that Lenin was a mushroom. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and the statement “Lenin was a mushroom” is much less extraordinary than whatever ancient Egyptian religions, ancient Greek religions, ancient Roman religions, Shinto, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and thousands of other religions have to offer.

@brilliant Congratulations on winning against the people of Russia, I suppose.

Robusto

1:32 AM

0

Q: How to cite Shakespearean Blank Verse or Free Verse in an MLA Paper

If I am using a quote that is only one line, I would not need a / between lines. But, when do I use a / - for free verse or blank verse? I'm a bit confused. Thanks!

Dupe

4

Q: How to quote multiple lines of verse inline

When quoting multiple lines of verse inline, is it proper to put spaces around the slash? For example, with a slash but no spaces: "Beside the lake, beneath the trees/Fluttering and dancing in the breeze." Or a slash with spaces: "Beside the lake, beneath the trees / Fluttering and danc...

punctuation

Robusto

1:43 AM

@Vitaly Hey, I'm really sorry, man. It was inevitable Putin would win, but that doesn't make it any less awful.

Vitaly

Yeah, thanks.

brilliant

@Vitaly "Congratulations on winning against the people of Russia, I suppose"

@Robusto - "Congratulations on winning against the people of Russia, I suppose"

- You are right about saying "I suppose" there. Come on! Be a man and respect my choice. Whom do suggest instead of Putin? Zhirinovskij, Zjuganov or, perhaps, Mironov? Among all of them only Prochrov is worth something, but his time hasn't come yet.

Vitaly

“Be a man and respect my choice.”— Oh, nice to meet you, Vladimir Vladimirovich. I didn't know it was you.

Robusto

2:47 AM

@brilliant So ... you're really Russian? That explains the fawning sycophancy toward a KGB-bred tyrant?

Vitaly

3:44 AM

►

brilliant

4:04 AM

@Robusto Yes, I am Russian. And I do think that Putin is the best choice possible for my country this time. Vitaly may present thousand of arguments to disprove that and I can present just as many in support of my view. However, neither of us has the abslolute knowledge.

I don't say Putin is perfect. However, other candidates are just pathetic. Vitaly failed to answer my question on their regard.

@Vitaly "Congratulations on winning against the people of Russia, I suppose"

Robusto

@brilliant That sounds like the same argument Stalinists used in support of Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин. Better to have a strong leader, though he be a tyrant, than to submit to the weakness of democracy.

Vitaly

Oh, that was a question? Russia needed at least a second round in those elections, and now after some—not pointing fingers at anyone or anything—folks helped Putin get an even higher figure than he would have gotten with his ballot stuffing and forged protocols, he'll basically think he's allowed to do whatever pleases His Royal Bloated Ego-ness.

brilliant

"Congratulations on winning against the people of Russia, I suppose" - Vitaly, that's just terrible. You have just congratulated someone who you suppose was voting against the people of Russia. I would never congratulate someone who I would know for sure was voting against my people.

Robusto

@brilliant I guess your sarcasm detector is broken.

brilliant

@Vitaly Robusto, in Stalin's time I would be thrown into prison for my child's drawing beard on the Stalin's picture. Stalin's time and Russian now are two different dispensations. You are confusing two different things. Vitaly would be in Gulag by now.

@Robusto I guess your sense-of-humour switch is not on either :)

@Vitaly "Oh, nice to meet you, Vladimir Vladimirovich. I didn't know it was you" - you are always welcome, Vladimir Voljfovich

Robusto

4:17 AM

@brilliant Or Putin's chief rival would be in prison. Or his enemies would be assassinated abroad with dangerous radioactive isotopes. Don't worry, you could still get the Gulag back. For that matter, so could we.

Vitaly

In any case, those elections had been compromised long before the 4th of March. His ubiquitous mass-media presence compared to his pseudo-rivals is not even funny.

brilliant

@Robusto Robusto, I can see you are quite brain-washed with the western propaganda. Do you know that that radioactive isotopes guy simply betrayed his own nation that he pledged to serve when he was a KGB officer? How do you think the betrayers of defectors do you think should be treated? Plus, he sided with chechen radicals that were waging a war against Russian people. How do you think such people should treated during the war?

@Vitaly so Vitaly, who do you suggest instead of Putin?

Vitaly

12 mins ago, by Vitaly

Oh, that was a question? Russia needed at least a second round in those elections, and now after some—not pointing fingers at anyone or anything—folks helped Putin get an even higher figure than he would have gotten with his ballot stuffing and forged protocols, he'll basically think he's allowed to do whatever pleases His Royal Bloated Ego-ness.

@brilliant Given that Putin is a tyrant and can compromise the elections anyway, what's with his pet mass media and forgery, I suggest voting for anyone but him, Prokhorov as the reasonable option, just to force a second round to show Putin that Russians are fed up with his … style.

Robusto

@brilliant OK, I think we're done here. You condone assassination in another sovereign nation — much as Stalin had Trotsky assassinated — and you call me brain-washed? I hold out no hope for a rational discussion with you.

@Vitaly: Not to infect the gravitas of the discussion with trivial banalities, but do you have any ideas for decks for M167? I can't get off the ground.

Vitaly

Let me remember …

@Robusto I think I used Tabitha with Patrol Cruiser spam, and the rest Lance Riders

Robusto

4:27 AM

@Vitaly I tried Tab LanceX10. How many PCs?

Vitaly

Should work if you have 6+ Patrol Cruisers, 9 or 10 is ideal

As many as you have

Robusto

Ah, OK. Thanks.

brilliant

@Robusto well, you don't seem to hear me either. Just pay attention to my word "war time". Don't be so hypocritical. The west has killed thousands in like manner, Israel did too, and you still seem to be okay talking about democracy after all that. But when Russia is actin just in the same way, you are right away citing Trockyj or other such cases and start wining about Russia's having no democracy. It's so lame, really!

Robusto

@brilliant I see. Two wrongs make a right. <takes notes>

brilliant

@Vitaly You can rig 5%, but you can't rig 40%. That's just impossible! Prokhorov is a good choice, but he is inexperienced and quite weak to stand against the west's hypocrisy. He may become a president later. His time hasn't come yet.

simchona

4:31 AM

@brilliant shush.

This argument is going nowhere.

brilliant

@Vitaly This was a landslide victory. You can't deny the fact that majority of Russian people still voted for Putin because they simply want to have stability instead of what we had during 90's

simchona

Don't make me call a mod in here to stop this.

Robusto

Well, I'm going to bed. Later!

brilliant

@simchona I agree. I just wanted to make sure that the other side - from a Russian supporter of Putin - would also be presented here.

Vitaly

Night Rob.

brilliant

4:34 AM

Good night Robusto. Have a nice dream

simchona

@brilliant that's fine, but I think political arguments aren't going to be resolved here. Neither are religious ones.

brilliant

@simchona Agreed.

Vitaly

4:47 AM

OK, simchona has a point. So now that Putin's been elected, let's drop the argument and давайте строить стабильное будущее России с пенсионерами и бюджетниками if he's the president anyway, @brilliant!

Cerberus

5:00 AM

Hi!

I see I've missed a lovely discussion.

Mahnax

Hey Cerb.

Cerberus

Hi!

Mahnax

My mom made karjala pirakka.

Which are so delicious.

Cerberus

I heard Putin and Khamenei booked handsome victories today.

@Mahnax What the...what are those??

Mahnax

@Cerberus Rice pudding baked into a rye shell.

Cerberus

5:02 AM

Oh!

Wow, that sounds exotic.

Mahnax

They sound and look odd, but are so delicious. Especially with a little corn syrup.

Cerberus

I will trust your taste.

Mahnax

Heh.

Cerberus

But, alas, I must to bed.

Have to get up in 7 hours.

Mahnax

Alright.

I have a few hours of studying to do before I can retire to bed.

Cerberus

5:03 AM

Yikes.

That sounds...long!

Which subjects?

Mahnax

Well, just 2, maybe 2.5.

French and Bio.

Cerberus

Still long.

Mahnax

I have three tests tomorrow.

Cerberus

Ah.

Wow.

Mahnax

I already studied English, though.

Cerberus

5:04 AM

As if you needed to, hehe.

Good luck on all three tests!

Mahnax

I know, it's like my teachers all decided to coordinate my tests with a weekend consisting of 24 hours of work. Thanks!

Cerberus

moves towards exit

Mahnax

Get thee gone!

Good doggies must sleep.

Cerberus

curses spam control on the way out

poof

brilliant

5:29 AM

@Vitaly вот это совсем другой разговор, а то я думал ты уже совсем ни в какую.

Vitaly

@brilliant — Ага. И пока пенсионеры и бюджетники строят будущее России, я, пожалуй, вместе с учеными и просто инициативными людьми перееду отсюда куда подальше. :P

Mahnax

5:50 AM

What does it mean?

The question is still there.

David Wallace

@RegDwightѬſ道 I believe the word is surtitles.

And I think we may just need RussianPolitics.SE.

brilliant

@Vitaly Ну что-ж тут дело твоё. Я тебе здесь не указ

@DavidWallace "And I think we may just need RussianPolitics.SE" - I think just Google.translate will be enough :)

simchona

@brill and @vit please keep to English.

Mahnax

Пушка.

@simchona Whatever for?

David Wallace

I love the way the GLU room says "You may speak in German or English".

Vitaly

6:00 AM

@simchona Would French be OK?

Mahnax

Пушка ест мастер.

David Wallace

I'm not protesting the language. I think I'm protesting the content.

Vitaly

@DavidWallace — Oh, there's nothing wrong with the content. @brilliant and I are having a civil political discussion, at least by Russian standards.

David Wallace

OK, but if I see guns, I'm leaving.

Vitaly

… At a rate of 2 messages per hour.

David Wallace

6:07 AM

I'm wondering whether to point out to Robusto that the President of the United States condones assassination in another sovereign nation.

Vitaly

@DavidWallace — No, no, nothing like that, it's not roulette time yet!

Mahnax

When is roulette time?

David Wallace

6:37 AM

0

Q: Can if,while, whenever, when recurse deeply? How deeply?

I would like a generative BNF-style complete description for English grammer. Some of the more subtle stuff leads to awkward questions of grammaticality (a complete answer to this question, and all related questions, is a publication with a complete description of a comprehensible and comprehensi...

grammar

Roulette time starts now!

Vitaly

Haha.

David Wallace

If David knows if Ron is yes no maybe grammatical reputation falls maybe cries.

Actually, maybe I could post that as an answer.

Vitaly

Is “If, if, if john runs to the store Jane runs to the bank, James eats, linda falls” equivalent to if (if (if (John runs to the store) Jane runs to the bank) James eats) Linda falls?

Oh, never mind, he's provided the then's in the next example

Gigili

7:08 AM

'Ello. Is saying "with respect" at the end of an official letter correct?

The context is: "<a country> big embassy notarizes the identification of one of its citizens as following: blabla

With respect"

@DavidWallace: Is that wrong?

David Wallace

So that would be a literal translation?

I mean, this letter is not from an individual, but from an organisation?

Gigili

Yes something like that. That's my translation.

Yes.

David Wallace

If it's from an individual, "yours faithfully" is more appropriate. Is there actually a person's name after "with respect"?

Gigili

No, it's the name of the embassy.

David Wallace

Then "with respect" seems wrong to me, because an embassy doesn't normally express respect.

Gigili

7:18 AM

What should I say?

David Wallace

Why don't you post it as a question - you might get an answer from someone who knows better than I.

I'm not so sure now - maybe an embassy does express respect.

Do you have access to other letters in English from the same embassy, or any embassy for that matter?

I'm wondering if maybe they have an official standard for how letters are to be signed off.

Gigili

@DavidWallace No =\

Maybe I'll find one by googling.

Thank you.

David Wallace

Don't thank me; I was absolutely no use at all.

@Gigili - maybe "with regards". This seems to have the same sense as "with respect" but without the connotation of "I disagree with you".

May I ask which language the original is in?

Gigili

Persian

You're right. I should ask on the main site. I'm not even sure if the sentence makes sense.

David Wallace

7:36 AM

OK, does it seem right, in Persian, to say the Persian equivalent of "with respect" at the end of a letter that doesn't have a person's signature on it?

Sorry, that was a terribly worded question. I've been reading too much Ron Maimon lately. What I mean was, does the original sound right?

Gigili

Yes, it does.

It's an official letter, but I'm not sure if the literal word-for-word translation makes sense in English. as it states, I cannot translate the meaning.

David Wallace

Interesting. Must be a cultural thing. I can't do better than "with regards" in this case.

Do you want me to take a look at the whole letter and comment on whether it makes sense? From a native speaker's point of view?

Gigili

That would be great.

Wait a minute please.

David Wallace

You don't have to post it here. I'm happy for you to email it to me if you prefer - I can give you my address.

Gigili

@DavidWallace I didn't see that. Yes please.

David Wallace

7:45 AM

OK, I'll put my address here for about 10 seconds, then remove it. Because I don't want everyone in the world to have it. Let me know if you're ready to cut and paste it.

Gigili

I'm ready.

David Wallace

OK, I'll wait for your mail!

Gigili

Ha!

Thank you.

David Wallace

Hey, unrelated. I was reading about your alphabet recently. Wow, so complicated! Anyway, I was wondering if a consonant ever appears without one of the diacritics or attachments that adds a vowel? Or do all syllables consist of just one consonant (or aleph) and just one vowel?

So, for example, could I write the sound of "tree" in the Persian alphabet, or would I have to write "taree" or similar?

Gigili

What do you mean exactly?

The former, I guess. I'm not sure if I got it correct.

David Wallace

8:00 AM

I mean, if there were a Persian word pronounced like tree, could I write it as (te with no diacritic or attachment) followed by (re with the "i" attachment)? Or does every consonant have to have one of the six diacritics or attachments?

Gigili

You could, it's about the difference between Persian and Arabic. The latter case is correct for Arabic.

David Wallace

So Arabic needs one vowel per consonant, but Persian doesn't. I see.

Hey, I just replied to your email. Hope it makes sense. Feel free to ask more questions if you want to.

I'm going to sign off now, watch some TV, and go to bed. I'm a bit tired. I'll see you some other time. Good night.

Gigili

Thank you for your help @DavidWallace, good night.

Transcript for

English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…