Why is it called the American R?

I don't think anybody calls it an American R. First time I've heard that one.

Check this out, Uriel:

http://photoserver.ws/images/M8s24be15065c3d5d.png

I think that's what causes the confusion. It's called "American R" because it's the R that students need to learn to speak American English, it's got nothing to do with its origin.

Muriel, where did you get that e-book from? I have the book in pdf format, but it doesn't look as good as yours.

what is rhotic?

Damian, you'd *think* the Americans would be blaming the UK for this mess, but strangely enough, they're not. Rather, they're looking for creative ways to blame each other. (What a weird country I live in!)

There is one version that blames the Democrats for the oil spill; after all, wasn't it Obama who reversed the decades-old ban on offshore drilling?

A second version blames the Republicans; after all, wasn't "drill, baby, drill" their motto, as opposed to looking for greener alternatives? We all know that the Republican Party is in bed with the oil companies. Under this version, Obama only reversed the ban under political pressure from the Republicans, or, alternately, a misguided attempt at bipartisanship with them.

There is still a third version that Obama, through some unexplainable sleight-of-hand, manufactured this oil spill, or at least the crisis, for his own nefarious political ends. Under this version, a nasty oil spill would turn the public against the idea of offshore drilling, which is a sentiment that benefits the Democrats - and green energy interests - the most.

At any rate, absolutely no one seems to blame either BP or the UK. Isn't that wild?

It is, at least, a testament to the polarization under which our country is suffering.

...ploy to distract the world from the oil we've found off the Falklands ;)

BP are being inordinately incompetent, dontcha think? It's golf balls next, apparently. I'd love to attend their brainstorming sessions.