I want to remember what I felt and thought

[antof9]

Just a bulletted list of interconnected thoughts, in no particular order, because I'm not an orderly thinker, I'm on a business trip and easily accessible "personal" interwebs access isn't (easily accessible). I know that in 30 years, we'll be saying we remember where we were when ... and this will help me remember!

• I know it's a foreign concept

Comments

[lizmopuddy]

Very nice summary - hope you had lots of tissues.

And one question, oh grammar goddess, why "an" before H, especially when they are not silent.....I know I should know, but I don't :-(

[antof9]

As I told the girls, that's what I was taught ... and here is an exhaustive and dry explanation (skip to the end).

Oddly, that article specifically mentions "history" vs. "historical". My favorite part is when that guy talks about the glottal fricative. Sounds like a good swear word to me!

[antof9]

oh, good point! Thanks, JennyYO! -- that actually makes me feel better :)

[antof9]

I was just talking to some work people about McCain, and I said if that guy (the one who delivered that awesome concession speech) had been campaigning for the last two months, HE might have won!

And you bring up a really good point about Obama most likely trying to keep his emotions in check. Heck, I couldn't keep mine in check; it's amazing he did, given the enormity of the situation, his grandmother, etc. I'm glad you (and others below) said that. It makes me more ok with his seriosity.

The glass was (I think) the teleprompter. At least, that's what it usually is. I guess it probably was bulletproof too. But it still seemed largely unsecure to me. Scarily so!

And I'm bummed because I obviously missed the granddaughter. I even heard one of the commentators say something about her, so she must have done something cute, but I was in the bathroom and missed it :(

[florafloraflora]

I was really impressed with McCain's speech. I don't mean to be perverse, but at that moment he really seemed... presidential. If all I had ever seen or heard of McCain was that speech, I would have trusted him with the highest office.

I thought McCain's speech was better than Obama's, actually. I think Obama's victory was a little dampened, for him personally, by the loss of his grandmother the day before, and it showed in the speech.

I found Michelle's dress really... regrettable too, and it's too bad because she's had such style up to this point. Let's hope it's just a blip.

ETA re checks and balances, God knows Clinton and his Democratic Congress managed to trip each other up.

[antof9]

not perverse at all -- I just said a few minutes ago that if THAT guy had been campaigning for the last few months, he might have won!

I liked Obama's speech -- I really did find it stirring, but Unk said he thought it went a little too long. And then I was reminded that I didn't really like his thank yous much. Other than that, I liked it.

Good point on your ETA :)

The dress made her look pregnant

[pootski]

But otherwise, I think she'll make a lovely and admirable First Lady.

[miketroll]

Nice thoughts, Ant! Only one bothered me: AN historic day. Yes, I know a lot of people say this is how you must do it, but it's absurd! So I don't do it.

Do you say AN hotel or A hotel? There are Brits, notably at the BBC, who insist it's AN hotel. The rationale is that hotel is a word of French origin, and the French don't pronounce the H. Therefore we must pretend we don't either. Never mind that the word has been thoroughly Anglicized.

It's like that nonsense with the spelling of words like "doubt". Some pedantic idiots decided a long time ago that "dout" came originally from the Latin "dubitus" via the French "doute". And because they thought Latin was the only cool language, they shoved the B of "dubitus" back in and made "doubt". Somehow it stuck there; we've lost that one. But we can still fight AN hotel and win!

:)

[antof9]

I think I actually say "uh hotel", if truth be told :)

All I could tell the girls up above was that that was what I was taught, so I went googling, and found this rather dry thing. I guess that's why it's so "right" to me.

LOL at doubt!

[appleshoelace]

Hehe - well, the reasoning of the article would have it as 'an hotel' regardless of its French origin, because the stress is on the second syllable. My dad says 'an hotel', but only when he's thinking about it and being all pedantic. And I'm pretty sure no one says 'thee hotel'. :-)

See - here is what 'AskOxford' says about it.

And who says 'pundints'?? I've never heard that pronunciation before!

[whytraven]

I refuse to write "an historic [insert thingummyjig of choice here]" because I pronounce the "h". One thing that still sets my teeth on edge over here--and I've lived in the USA for 11 years!--is "herb" pronounced without the "h". We're not in France. ;)