->  FS> Absolutely true!  And I *did* live through those times.  I   
   ->  FS> worked in a "defense" industry, named a "war industry"   
   ->  FS> following Dec. 7, 1941. I was too young for the draft but   
   ->  FS> enlisted anyway ...   
   ->    
   ->  Aha! You admit you were foolish. OK, back then it wasn't   
   ->  foolish. Lots of people did it.   
      
   No, it wasn't foolish -- it was actually patriotic.  Widespread patriotism   
   lasted all thru the war.  I came close to joining the Marines shortly after   
   Pearl Harbor.  Fortunately for my general health the Army came up with a   
   more appealing deal.   
       
   ... [snip] ...   
       
   ->  FS> Prior to WWII, even prior to the German invasion of Poland,   
   ->  FS> it was apparent war was on its way.  I recall reading a   
   ->  FS> lengthy newspaper article which outlined the great plan our   
   ->  FS> government had in case a war *did* break out. *Everyone*   
   ->  FS> was listed in the Federal War Plan Book, and a job for   
   ->  FS> *all* of us was planned there.  For example (and this   
   ->  FS> example *was* in the article) theater ushers will be made   
   ->  FS> army officers because they're used to leading people.  That   
   ->    
   ->  Ah, the (oxymoron) applied even then.   
   ->    
   ->  FS> was no joke!!  Well, certainly not a *deliberate* one ...   
   ->  FS> [sigh] ... then came the European War, the draft and,   
   ->  FS> finally, Pearl Harbor ... and EVERYTHING seemed screwed up!   
   ->  FS>  So much for the "master plan" of *those* days ...   
   ->    
   ->  Man plans... God laughs.   
   ->    
   -> ->> Meanwhile China is marching on, often on the cutting edge.   
   ->    
   ->    
   -> ->> Too late for me to take up Chinese, but some of you yonger dudes   
   might   
   -> ->> be wise   
   -> ->> to do so. :)  I think "Rosetta Stone" has a course. :)   
   ->    
   ->    
   ->  FS> No connection to the above but I am taking a couple of   
   ->  FS> courses on linguistics.  Because of that I'd recommend   
   ->  FS> learning Mandarin rather than Cantonese.  Why?  Because   
   ->  FS> Mandarin is the official language of China -- tho Cantonese   
   ->  FS> is more popular world-wide -- and Mandarin in simpler.   
   ->    
   ->  Linguistics, but not languages? IOW, you are learning about   
   ->  languages, rather than learning a language?   
      
   Yes.  Linguistics is of interest to me. especially the evolution of   
   indo-European via Old English to modern English.  BTW, so-called "Black   
   English" might actually be on the evolutionary path from modern English to   
   the future.   
       
   ->  With Chinese I believe simpler is better. During the olympics I   
   ->  read the Chinese govt had set up a language course where they   
   ->  took English words and came up with Chinese terms that sounded   
   ->  simpler. Mush like one I saw for Spanish to English. Bird is   
   ->  Pakaro or some such. Learn is as Park-car-O. Just run the   
   ->  sylables together.   
   ->    
   ->  Brother is hermano. Her-man-O.   
      
   Especially useful if your brother is named Herman ... [sigh] ..   
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