We "fall asleep," so we should "rise awake," right? We "go to sleep" and "come awake," right? And "we get up, stand up, stand up for our rights," so we should "get down, sit down, sit down against our restrictions," no?

It's a good thing that the "non-standard" designation is only important to elitists! Thanks, Fred.

koam: assertions
sigurd: supported assertions

I think dyske is correct. We should also change "support gay rights" to "support preference equality". And we should not support any kind of "immigrant's rights," we should instead fight for a "borderless world."

Completely serious, koam. Was there something I missed. I always was taught that semicolons are used in lists. That's what I was trying to say.

I do have some problems with my brain and face because of birth defects, andd so I don't apreciate the "troll" comment.

I can't believe that everyone is missing the point on this one. The comma should be a semi-colon as the separation is being used for a list. The other basic reason that a semicolon is needed is that it is a longer break and gives the reader a chance to process the info given and then to anticipate the complicated relationship implied by the term "respectively".

I think the big problem in this thread is that Canadians are a bit touchy about having a silly accent. They don't want to be thought of as a bunch of mounties running around saying "ya hoser" to everyone. So, just to let you Canadians know, wherever you live according to the compass rose--you do have a silly accent, and that's okay. Be proud if it and all of the many cultural accomplishments of your people.

To clarify, "analyze" is correct because it comes from a different root. "Analyse" is incorrect worldwide, except in Britain, where it is correct. Just remember the following rule: -ise is correct in Britain; -ize is correct everywhere else.

The colon is an emphatic period. Essentially you have two periods at the same time which might as well say, "No really, stop here," whereas a period just says, "Please stop if you wouldn't mind." A semicolon is kind of inbetween because it has a period and a comma. This is basically like a period and a half. By this logic I would say that you could take a full breath at a colon, 3/4 breath at a semicolon, and a half a breath at a period. I guess you should then take a 1/4 breath at a comma.

I want to remind everyone that the past perfect was mainly invented to "intensify" the regular past tense. It is more vivid (i.e., the future more vivid tense for example). I can say, "Someone was doing something" and it is okay, but it is more intensely past if I say, "Someone has done it!" and it is most intensely past when I say, "Someone had done it!"

I know this is like what you learned in first grade, but let's remember the basics, people.