RE: Some random questions driving through Canada to Alaska
Banks have been adding 2-3% over & above their regular foreign exchange rates on their credit card transactions for many years. Many, now including my bank, have now more recently added this 'premium' to their debit card transactions as well. These 'fees' won't appear on your bank or credit card, they will just be part of the exchange rate used.
Banks may have reciprocal agreements with other banks with regard to the waiving of the ATM flat $2-5 fee, but I am certain that the hidden 2-3% premium on the rate would remain.
RE: Words That Melt My Brain
I'll never get used to using plural possessive to be gender neutral, as in "everyone get their jacket," or "every child has their cubby."
I don't mind this one as I feel it is an improvement over the previous 'correct' but clumsy method, 'his or her', or the more usual, but correct only 50% of the time, 'his'.
I have often wondered if earlier versions of English were able to handle this more effectively?
RE: Gutters
Living in a fairly heavily forested area, we have quite a few problems with our gutters blocking up. I was already to put some gutter screens up, but before I did, I did an extensive internet investigation.
Surprisingly, there was no definitive answer on whether the various types of screens helped keep the gutters clear or made them worse.
I should have paid more attention as to whether the types of trees in your area made a difference. We have a mix of leaves & needles, and I think it is the needles that would eventually find their way into my gutters past any screens that I put up, and make them a lot more difficult to clean.
Later on I saw the foam type that actually filled the gutter completely and I thought that might work better. They were at Costco, and I am guessing that they were about $200 for our house , that probably has a little less than 200'. You would just cut it with a knife and stuff it in the gutter, really easy.
Just checked some reviews and again it's very hit & Miss, needles are the main problem.
RE: Words That Melt My Brain
The dropping of the article for hospital sounds quite normal to me, "he has to go to hospital". It is a well known US/UK language difference.
This is how Wiki explains it;
Grammar of the word differs slightly depending on the dialect. In the U.S., hospital usually requires an article; in Britain and elsewhere, the word normally is used without an article when it is the object of a preposition and when referring to a patient ("in/to the hospital" vs. "in/to hospital"); in Canada, both uses are found.
One usage that I have never got used to here is "I am going to write my Uncle George" To me, that sounds you are going to write down the words 'my Uncle George'. I would say "I am going to write to my Uncle George"
Interesting, this English Language, and all the various ways it is spoke! ;)
RE: Words That Melt My Brain
Well of course decimals are the only way to do any calculations, but when I was a banker we always talked about rates in terms of fractions. "I can give you an extra half a percent on your CD" or "You are a very valuable customer to us, I can take three quarters of a percent off your mortgage rate". Nowadays though I can see a customer going in and saying that a competitor is offering a bonus of five eighths on a CD and asking what they can do, and their banker telling them to wait a minute while he calculated what 5/8ths meant!!
RE: Words That Melt My Brain
You might be right! I'll have to listen more carefully, in fact 'twice' has been used three times (thrice) since you posted this morning!
Another change in usage that I found is the last time I phoned the bank about rates and mentioned a fraction, like 3 3/4 %, they paused for a moment and said "Oh, three point seven five". I picked up on this and of course threw a few more fractions in, and sure enough, it was obvious that they were nowhere near as familiar with these as the decimals. I think they had to calculate what "three and five eights" was on a calculator, which would be normal for a non bank person, but amazing for a banker!
RE: Words That Melt My Brain
to folks of a couple generations back and have passed from everyday usage. "Fetch" was used daily by all of my grandparents, but it's seldom heard today.
That's right, I thought, you very rarely hear the word 'fetch' any more. Similar to the word 'twice', which you do not often hear a North American say any more. I still do as if I ever slipped and use the more common 'two times', my old Mum would really yell at me. To her, 'two times' was like nails on a blackboard! Or is it chalkboard here? :h
Funny thing was though, is that right after reading this thread, I went to my Astronomy Forum, and the very first post I read there, contained this
"For some reason Hilkinsons fetch somewhat more on ebay, especially the goodwood models." This is from the UK though, so maybe it is still in common use there?
RE: Words That Melt My Brain
How about "I stubbed my toe!" An expression of a physical injury?
I do not get this one either! As a matter of interest, what do you say when you hit your toe in Kentucky? and is there another meaning to 'Stub' other than to stub out a cigarette?
RE: Are we all on the darkside?
The funny thing is, that the term 'darkside' originally meant the far side of the Moon, which for some reason people thought was always dark!
RE: Watching eclipse from Australia
This is an 'Annular' eclipse, but for some reason every description I have read on this eclipse describes it as a 'Ring of Fire'! Must be the 'Hollywood Influence'. Interesting to see the active regions out near the limb.
RE: CA 139 from Susanville CA to Klamath Falls Or
A friend & I argued about this route as he had always taken the 395 to Alturas instead of the 139, which looks like the more direct road. Measure it and it is 18 miles shorter.
We did eventually get to take the 139 a few years later but in our car. I think it takes longer, even though it is shorter. It is a very twisty road, would be great in a Lotus!, and the drop down into Susanville is quite something, Wow!
We have taken the 395 route a few times coming back from Reno. We turn off the 395 about 14 miles before Alturas, here. We then connect back up with the 139, a few miles west of Alturas here
This is a much faster route, but the other way is a bit more scenic especially around Eagle Lake, as when we went through there it was a beautiful green colour similar to what you see in the Canadian Rockies!
RE: Taking a trip to PEI this summer
Can't really comment on food prices Maine/PEI, but when we cross the border, we find most food about the same, except dairy which is much cheaper in the US, and some packaged items, like cereal. As already said booze & gas is much cheaper, smokes too.
RE: How hot is it really in the summer. Arizona/New Mexico
I'm wondering how much hotter the dry desert air would feel compared to the extreme humidity that you get out on the eastern part of the continent. The measurement of how much hotter humid air feels is very subjective. In fact the Canadian weather service calculates this figure, the Humidex, much higher than the US equivalent, the Heat Index. I have seen a humidex reading of 125F for a town in Iowa.
The air is so dry in places like Arizona & New Mexico that there is no Heat Index, what you see is what you get.
RE: Trip to Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper: advice?
Well, there does seem to be quite a few of 'my type' up on the glacier!
The wardens, or maybe people with even more authority, install a roped off area so that 'my type', those that object to paying +$50 to walk on the same ice, slightly higher up on the same glacier for 15-20 mins, while all the busses sit there idling away, can actually walk on the glacier for free and hear the silence! Both times we were there, I did actually put one foot over the rope, past the 'No Entry' sign, as I enjoy sometimes being a 'scofflaw'.
This is a picture of where my type go on the glacier.
RE: Trip to Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper: advice?
Make sure that when you are there, take the road up to the Peyto Lake lookout for probably one of the finest views anywhere. I have been to the Icefields a few times, but have never taken the snowbus up on to the glacier. Too expensive, too crowded, too many cameras (:W )You can just drive to the closest parking lot at the foot of the glacier and just walk up. You do though have to walk past the signs that say 'NO ENTRY-EXTREME DANGER!!!' ;)
RE: Border Agents rude and difficult at Nogales
IMHO, JMHO, IMHO ~ NO country is worth seeing when having to be interrogated and/or having to learn how to look at them, how not look at them and how to answer questions for fear of them coming on board without provocation or worse yet erroneously being charged/fined.
I too don't mind a bit of a hassle when visiting the US. Good grief, don't be such a baby, whatever happened to the 'Land of the Brave'?
As for visiting other countries, how can you appreciate your own country, or learn of its shortcomings, if you never go to other countries other than being in the services.
RE: Sue St Marie ON
We stayed on the US side, while driving cross country, so did not get a chance to see any of the attractions. However the one thing that does stand out distinctly was the very strange accent of the people there.
Next day I tuned into the local AM station just to listen to it again, I had never heard it before, and NO, it does not sound Canadian!
Joe, I have often noticed that difference with US/Canadian towns along the border. Compare White Rock BC and Blaine WA, or Osoyoos BC with Oroville WA. There are many other examples. I think it's due to the geography, who wants to live as far north as possible!
RE: Rest stops near Victoria Bc
There is a campground on the highway a little closer in towards town called 'Thetis Lake Campground'. I thought that it converted to a private residential site only years ago. However, on a recent ferry trip, I saw that they were producing brochures advertising regular camping. I still have never heard of anyone staying there.
As for 'Paradise Lake', I think that was the one we just called 'Humpback Valley' as that was the road you took to get there. We stayed there a few times, nice little lake(s)? to swim in. Did you ever get to the pub at the bottom of the hill there, Ma Millers? Nice little country pub, if a little rough at the edges!
