Some sellers just say to which countries they want to sell, but some others expressly set up restrictions for bidders not meeting certain criteria, like number of votes, or country of origin. When I'm refused, then I move along, but if my bid is accepted, I go on. Even if I don't win I'm doing the seller a favour jacking up the price, so I don't understand why sellers would restrict anybody from bidding.
ahaha - whatever - that's like saying you are half Italian, Raul...
Now I'm confused. Had to search in my Websters dictionary and this is what I found:
America.- 1. United States. 2. North America. 3. South America 4.Also called The Americas. North and South America considered together.
And to this I say WTF??? How come a country grants itself the right to use the name of the whole continent? What if China starts to name itself Asia? Furthermore, what happens with Central America? Aren't mexicans americans then? If not, what the heck are they apart from cheap labor?
And then I searched for "American". The answer:
American.- adj. of or pertaining to the United States of America or its inhabitants. 2. Of or pertaining to North or South America, or the Western Hemisphere (does this include Asia?) 3. A citizen of the USA. 4. A native or inhabitant of the Western Hemisphere.
Seems to me that there is some confussion between the part and the whole. A texan is a US citizen, but it doesn't mean that every US citizen is texan. US is in America, but it doesn't mean that America is US. I'm no italian because Italy and Spain are different countries, but I am as european as an italian, a polish, a german or a dutch.
Then, what about Hawaii? A hawaiian is a US citizen, but it's not an american strictly speaking. A canadian is more american than a hawaiian, geographically speaking. Don't forget that CONTINENTS are GEOGRAPHY, while COUNTRIES are POLITICS. Guinea was a spanish protectorate for a long time, and therefore guineans were spanish citizens with the same rights, but they weren't spaniards nor europeans; they were guineans and africans, but spanish citizens at the same time.
A few pages ahead in the Webster dictionary I found the meaning of the word "Asia"
Asia: A continent bounded by Europe and the Artic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. 3.600,000,000; ab, 16,000,000 sq. mi
Now this is getting interesting. Let's search for Africa.
Africa: A continent S of Europe and between the Atlantic and Indian oceans. 760,000,000 ab, 11,700,000 sq. mi.
What about Europe?
Europe: A continent in the W part of the landmass lying between the Atlantica and Pacific oceans, separated from Asia by the Ural Mountains on the E and the Caucasus Mountains and the Black and Caspian seas on the SE. In British usage, Europe sometimes contrasts with England (WTF?) xxxxxxx ab xxxx sq. mi.
And what about the rest?
Oceania: The island of the central and S Pacific, including Polinesa, Micronesia, Melanesia and usu. Australasia.
Australia: A continent, SE of Asia, between the indian and pacific ocean.
Australasia: Australia, New Zealand and neighbouring islands in the S PAcific ocean.
Antarctica: The continent surrounding the South Pole, almost entirely covered by an ice sheet.
But then, what's the definition of "continent"?
Continent: One of the main landmasses of the globe, usu. reckoned as seven in number (Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia and Antarctica)
OK, so then let's search for "North America"
North America: The northern continent of the Western Hemisphere, extending from Central America to the Arctic Ocean. xxxx ab xxx squ. mi.
When I studied, there was no "North America" continent or "South America" Continent. There was just "America" continent, divided between North, South and Central. So I guess the confussion comes because the word "american" doesn't have the geographical meaning it has here, but a political meaning.
00:20, time to go to bed...
Raul
