the best thing you can do for your enemies is to let them buy a windows PC and give them an AOL disk <br><br><br>

Aol Shanghai or maybe Shanghai your Computer with Aol......<br><br>The next thing that you know we will have, Aol International Space Station :-)<br><br>Just think 1.5 billion more people on AOL talk about ssssssllllllllllooooooooowwwwwww !!!!!!!!<br><br><br><br><br><br>this is my signature do you like it?

Careful what you suggest on line, Alex--someone in Washington might read the post and next thing you know you'll be reciting the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of . . . .<br><br>And that's true too/--Shakespeare, King Lear

Actually, I think that Puerto Rico has dibs on the 51st state classification (when they decide to ask for statehood)... then I think there are a lot of "protectorates" out there that come next....<br><br>Since Aus. was a Bristish colony, I think you could ask to be called the 14th colony (but I have a feeling that's a misnomer too).<br><br>Plus you're really in the wrong hemisphere to be called American aren't you?<br><br>Maybe we should have called the Aussie natives "Indians" since nonody asked the American natives what they wanted to be called, and the only got the name wrong by a few nautical miles or so ;)<br><br>John<br><br>***<br>"The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left." <br> -- Ecclesiastes 10:2

Don't worry John, we're still in the Commonwealth down here! (for now, but that's a whole other topic...) I dunno, our kids are growing up with Sesame Street and Bear in the Big Blue House like the rest of you yanks, it's just we still use the "u" in "colour"... It's kind of nice to be just that little bit out of the firing range though.<br><br>Being closer to Asia, Australia actually is doing some work with China (especially in terms of Taiwan ROC) on political and economic levels, it's just complex and... well, a tenuous link with the "global society", but things are progressing. Over the last century AU has been home to many immigrants from all over Europe and Asia, China included. We've all gotta just remember that they're people too.<br><br>

Alex,<br><br>a few things... being from Texas, I resent being called a "yank" though i understand that from your prespective, I could be lumped into the "yank" group. I'd rather be called a "Texan" or an "American" though - as I'm definitely not a "yankee" <br><br>Also, from my point of view, Taiwan is not part of China... and China is a dirty word... but then again, I'm the one that's too opinionated at times <br><br>***<br>"The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left." <br> -- Ecclesiastes 10:2

well, though i have no fondness whatever for the NY Yankees baseball team (GO METS!), i am a very proud yankee... and that confederate rag, oops i meant flag, arouses great ire in me.<br><br>~~~<br>"Our civil rights have no dependence upon our religious opinions more than our opinions in physics or geometry." --Thomas Jefferson

I wasn't promoting the confederate flag Dewd, rather the "Republic of Texas" is where my pride comes from... Texas was a true country... the confederacy didn't win, so to me that wasn't a country to have "national" pride in... though I think we've had this discussion haven't we? didn't we agree to disagree?<br><br>heh <br><br>***<br>"The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left." <br> -- Ecclesiastes 10:2

i did not ever say you were promoting that *ahem* flag... i simply was spouting off, as ever... making a tagential remark... rebels and yanks, ya know... <br><br>~~~<br>"Our civil rights have no dependence upon our religious opinions more than our opinions in physics or geometry." --Thomas Jefferson

Oops, I think I've pushed a button... Sorry for the terminology John, but it's easy for all of us to realise that from a simple cultural misunderstanding things can get out of hand pretty quick too - I for one would hate to be in politics... (I'd have accidentally started a war in 5 minutes, I know it!)<br><br>