Comments on: Subway news and views from around the Internet

By: Daithí

Daithí — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 00:25:09 +0000

“Flntarbbhar Ishnnutmrwqs Druimtssh!”?!?!?!

What a wanker!

By: Ceithearna Coille

Ceithearna Coille — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:54:25 +0000

• Is there already an established annual Klingon event in New York?

• If so, has the MTA been displaying directional posters in the subway for the Klingon event?

• Has the Klingon Language Institute offered FREE translation services to the MTA for theevent in question?

If so, the New York Branch of na Ceithearna Coille fully supports the efforts of the Klingon Community to include their language of public MTA announcements.

By: RG Cuan

RG Cuan — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:38:01 +0000

I’m pretty sure I can round up more than 2,630 people in New York who speak Klingon.

I really doubt that a chara.

And the figure of 2,630 reflects the number of people who use Irish as a language at home. There are many more fluent speakers of Irish Gaelic in New York who do not have the opportunity to use it at home.

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:00:35 +0000

I’m pretty sure I can round up more than 2,630 people in New York who speak Klingon.

By: Ceithearna Coille, Craobh Nua Eabhrac

Ceithearna Coille, Craobh Nua Eabhrac — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:08:55 +0000

It’s the immoderate Train Spotting’s “moderation” that is in question.

Not yours.

By: Benjamin Kabak

Benjamin Kabak — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:38:34 +0000

Well, the reason it didn’t pass moderation here was because it had two links in it, and with the way I have the site set up, any post with two or more links in it gets flagged for moderation. I can assure you it had nothing to do with the content.

By: Ceithearna Coille, Craobh Nua Eabhrac

Ceithearna Coille, Craobh Nua Eabhrac — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:33:34 +0000

It’s left there as well.

It ought to be interesting to see if it passes “moderation”.

By: Benjamin Kabak

Benjamin Kabak — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:03:08 +0000

You should have left this comment on Trainjotting. I just linked to it without providing any editorial opinion on it.

By: Ceithearna Coille, Craobh Nua Eabhrac

Ceithearna Coille, Craobh Nua Eabhrac — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:01:32 +0000

Ár bhFreagra ar an Raiméis ó Train Jotting: Your rather ill-read response to the issue of the published use of the Irish language betrays a level of ignorance that one would expect from courser and more infantile news sources such as Fox News. Your resort to stereotype, in particular, is not worthy of response. The 2000 U.S. Census shows that 2630 New Yorkers, in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx speak the Irish language. While these same individuals undoubtedly speak English as well, the issue at hand is one of language preference. This question was well-addressed by the good folks at Cumann na Tomhaltóirí Gaeilge: Everybody speaks English, so why should I offer Irish? This is all about language preference not language competence. Undoubtedly Irish speakers will be able to speak English as can many other nationalities, but their preference is for Irish not English. Ask non-Irish customers would they like a service or product in their language and you can be assured that they would like that even though they may be able to speak English. Their preference is for their own language not other languages that they may speak. Furthermore, Cumann Carad na Gaeilge/The Philo Celtic Society is to be commended for their kind offer of free translation service, rather than so smugly and sarcastically scorned. This would make it possible to include Irish on the event poster in question without incurring any heavy costs, if at all. The MTA has been publishing Irish Fair (and St. Patrick’s Day Parade) posters for several years. Language is the very heart of any culture. If the MTA fails to address the Irish language issue, they ought not bother with the posters at all.