My WW2 vet Grandfather still calls Taiwan

[Roon]

Formosa..thought that was very interesting to hear him say that tonight.

[Libertas1776]

1. Hah. That's cool. Are Siam and Ceylon

also still in his lexicon? :)

[Ken Burch]

2. Siam is actually a MORE progressive and inclusive name than "Thailand"

There was never a good reason for that country to have a name that implied that only ethnic Thais were fully entitled to citizenship and residency. It's a standing insult to the ethnic Chinese, Malay, Mons, Khmer and other non-Thai communities in that country, none of which did anything to deserve the slight.

[Libertas1776]

4. Yes...

too often things, like names, are changed not for the better.

[Thothmes]

10. Burma

[1]

3. i'd bet he could find peking on a map. i like your grandfather already...

don't tell him what they did to pluto. i know it crushed me...

[Cobalt-60]

5. Pluto is a Planet, period

It's got its own moons and atmosphere, albeit frozen upon the ground.
I've got their dwarf planet right here (points at crotch).
We've got some lazy astronomers trying to make a name for themselves by
maligning an already known planet than using science to find the next one.
They know they'll never fill Clyde Tombaugh's shoes.
As far as I'm concerned Pluto is a Planet and Ceres is too.
Ceres was known as a planet for the first half of the 19th century before
some slackers demoted it.

[1]

7. no shit, my brother/sister! pluto got fucked. plain and simple...

[Wilms]

8. .

[Roon]

11. LOL

I hate that they killed pluto too.

[TexasObserver]

6. It's the Portuguese name for it - Ilha Formosa = Beautiful Isle.

The Chinese name is Taiwan, which means Terraced Bay. Terracing is very common on Taiwan, as inclines we wouldn't think of farming are used for growing crops. They are a beautiful sight to see, and cover the countryside.

Under any name, it's a breathtakingly beautiful island with wonderful people, whether Mandarin or native Taiwanese.

[Roon]

12. Very interesting. eom

[proteus_lives]

9. Ask my Vet dad if he's ever been to Ho Chi Minh City and he'll say...

"No but I've been to Saigon many times."