Personally, I lean toward "a historical" as I do pronounce the "h" (as in hummingbird). The "h" is just begging for an "a" in font of it.

		Deep Freeze wrote:
		Well now Val, I am glad you asked! Using "an" before historical has befuddled grammarians for centuries. The letter "h" is a glottal fricative, meaning it is pronounced by closing the glottis briefly. The "velar stop" is used in letters like "k". If you do not completely stop airflow when pronouncing, you get a velar fricative "ch", as used in  the Scotish "loch". It is from this sound that we developed the "h" sound. I mention all of this because it is a little known fact that, whether a word begins with a vowel or not does not firmly require the use of "an". In English grammar, the pronounciation is also part of the rule. Take, for example, the word "the". Depending on the article, we can pronounce it "thuh" or "thee".   It is important that speakers and writers understand the cadence or rhythm of a sentence is the key to proper speech. Edited at: Sunday, October 26, 2008 1:47:29 PM

Well now Val, I am glad you asked!
Using "an" before historical has befuddled grammarians for centuries. The letter "h" is a glottal fricative, meaning it is pronounced by closing the glottis briefly. The "velar stop" is used in letters like "k". If you do not completely stop airflow when pronouncing, you get a velar fricative "ch", as used in  the Scotish "loch". It is from this sound that we developed the "h" sound.

I mention all of this because it is a little known fact that, whether a word begins with a vowel or not does not firmly require the use of "an". In English grammar, the pronounciation is also part of the rule. Take, for example, the word "the". Depending on the article, we can pronounce it "thuh" or "thee".  

It is important that speakers and writers understand the cadence or rhythm of a sentence is the key to proper speech.

LOL! Did you make Guid run for the hills? 
So who is your all time favorite childhood TV star?

		Deep Freeze wrote:
		Just you and me...Simple and free....      spapad wrote: Bye MG~! Have a good one!      MG_Metalgoddess wrote: Iam sure he is prune looking..  Hes dead..   I gotta go for know.. I have to be somewhere at  @ 2pm.. Thanks for making my laugh all morn... I needed it.

Japan guy to Ginger! "Oh,  you stream glasses" He drove off in a sub! I know them all! True Gilligan fan, and If you know your geography well enough, he retired here to my neck of the woods until his death. Met him and waited on him a couple of times.

		guidogodoy wrote:
		Poor deluded creature..... Ever see that Gilligan's Island where they come across a soldier who still thinks WWII is active when Japan had surrendered years before and nobody told him? Takes the Skipper and crew captive? For some strange reason, this episode comes to mind now. Don't know why but sure, Gramps (notice the cap?), the south won the civil war, down is up and you are hereby Emperor of the Island! Now go fix that damn hole in the friggin' boat! LOL!!       Deep Freeze wrote: HEY!!!!! MG!!!! Where did you find my high school yearbook  picture??????? BWWAAAAHHAHAHAHAHAA!! Good Day, Guido! I knew I could break you! HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OK!! Who's next?????      MG_Metalgoddess wrote: Oh c-mon.. I think you would look cute toothless... LMAO      Deep Freeze wrote: Babbling and toothless???? FIE!!!!! It's just like you to go for a man's dentures!!! HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! By Lucifer's beard, I shall have my vengeance!!!  Necro! I thought you fancied yourself the "expert"????

Damn,  that is just too sexy!

		MG_Metalgoddess wrote:
		Rock-n roll   ... this guy is just gross too,,,,,,  LMAO

That picture belongs on the "Oh, the horror!" page! WTF?!

		MG_Metalgoddess wrote:
		Rock-n roll   ... this guy is just gross too,,,,,,  LMAO

Clever??? You want clever?? Go to a magic show!! HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Guido is just feeling a bit tougher because his school pulled off the improbable yesterday! 
By the way, Ron....the FIRST one!!!!

  [Show/Hide Quoted Message] (Quoting Message by Soylentgreen4u from Sunday, October 26, 2008 12:13:35 PM)

		Soylentgreen4u wrote:
		RIGHT GUIDO?...RIGHT FREEZE?...RIGHT GUIDO?...RIGHT FREEZE?...GOOOOOOD LOOOOORD... I COULD BUMP INTO MORE CLEVERISH PEOPLE AT A LODGE MEETING OF THE GUILD OF VILLIAGE IDIOTS!!!!!....      Deep Freeze wrote:   HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Silence, infidel!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAAA!!!! Oh that I were a CanNuck!!!  Please note that I said were!  In English grammar, when a statement is in obvious contradiction to reality, the subjunctive mood requires a plural verb after a singular noun in conditional clauses beginning with if , but also in subordinate clauses following certain verbs....  RIGHT, GUIDO?????????????????      Soylentgreen4u wrote:   NOW YOU'VE DONE IT!!!...DON'T USE THE TERM "BONE UP" AROUND FREEZE....NOW HE'S GONNA RUN OUTSIDE IN HIS SOILED DIAPER AND START CHASING ASSORTED FURRY ANIMALS AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD.        guidogodoy wrote:   The almighty Freeze just needs to bone up on his grammar is what the poor fellow means to say! Oh how the mighty turn when confronted by reality. I see a Reagan moment unfolding befoe my eyes! "Nancy, who stole my ICBMs?" "I pressed the button labeled 'launch' seventeen times...where is that damn sandwich!" HAAAAAA!!!!

Arrrggghh!! Double damn post!!!!  I am undone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RIGHT GUIDO?...RIGHT FREEZE?...RIGHT GUIDO?...RIGHT FREEZE?...GOOOOOOD LOOOOORD...
I COULD BUMP INTO MORE CLEVERISH PEOPLE AT A LODGE MEETING OF THE GUILD OF VILLIAGE IDIOTS!!!!!....

		Deep Freeze wrote:
		HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Silence, infidel!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAAA!!!! Oh that I were a CanNuck!!!  Please note that I said were!  In English grammar, when a statement is in obvious contradiction to reality, the subjunctive mood requires a plural verb after a singular noun in conditional clauses beginning with if , but also in subordinate clauses following certain verbs....  RIGHT, GUIDO?????????????????      Soylentgreen4u wrote: NOW YOU'VE DONE IT!!!...DON'T USE THE TERM "BONE UP" AROUND FREEZE....NOW HE'S GONNA RUN OUTSIDE IN HIS SOILED DIAPER AND START CHASING ASSORTED FURRY ANIMALS AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD.        guidogodoy wrote: The almighty Freeze just needs to bone up on his grammar is what the poor fellow means to say! Oh how the mighty turn when confronted by reality. I see a Reagan moment unfolding befoe my eyes! "Nancy, who stole my ICBMs?" "I pressed the button labeled 'launch' seventeen times...where is that damn sandwich!" HAAAAAA!!!!