"Losing our Religion" on NPR

[_Bhodi]

subgenius,

In case you have not noticed, there is an important difference between Bhodi and me.

When I make a fool of myself, I acknowledge the fact and move on. When Bhodi makes a fool of himself, he just keeps digging, either by making lame excuses for his behavior (as with the provenance of his screen name) or by simply continuing on with relentless restatements of the few things he does know or, worse yet, a lot of things he does not know.

No, you live in a world where people are vicious and hurtful for each other, it is all you seem to understand, and you seem to think others live in this world too. If you could answer simple questions, you would not need to make excuses and run away, but you can't and this is the answer in your world. I am not interested in hurting people, being cut throat, or anything of the sort, the questions are just questions, but when you're desperately afraid someone will expose you, you run.

I am not going to mock and ridicule you for knowing nothing, or for being human and failing, so admitting it is not an issue. I also do not feel the need to support your ego, either, so I have no problem asking uncomfortable questions. In any case, continuing to hide is actually a fairly obvious indication of a problem.

[_Samantabhadra]

DrW, it's worth mentioning that one of the things going on in Iran is that it had (and still has) a very well-educated urban elite class. Persians have been civilized for longer than Europeans and but for an accident of history the foundations of Western civilization would be Persian rather than Greek. At the time the Islamic Revolution was much more about resisting what was, in my opinion rightly, perceived as American meddling in internal affairs what with the deposing of Mossadegh, than with Islamic religiosity as such. All of which is just to say that it's not necessarily a surprise to find that on the whole American society is more religious than Iranian society.

[_Bhodi]

DrW, it's worth mentioning that one of the things going on in Iran is that it had (and still has) a very well-educated urban elite class. Persians have been civilized for longer than Europeans

Aren't Greeks Europeans? Greek civilization is as old as Persian civilization, if not older, why would you make the above statement? It seems historically incorrect, what timelines are you using?

[_subgenius]

subgenius,

In case you have not noticed, there is an important difference between Bhodi and me.

When I make a fool of myself, I acknowledge the fact and move on. When Bhodi makes a fool of himself, he just keeps digging, either by making lame excuses for his behavior (as with the provenance of his screen name) or by simply continuing on with relentless restatements of the few things he does know or, worse yet, a lot of things he does not know.

i have the somewhat Sgt Friday approach on such things...whereas character is rather secondary at the moment


Bhodi's observation about plagiarism is unresolved and without your direct response...which, honestly, seems to contradict your assertion here.
But i am patient...one of you will reveal substance on the matter soon enough.

[_subgenius]

DrW, it's worth mentioning that one of the things going on in Iran is that it had (and still has) a very well-educated urban elite class. Persians have been civilized for longer than Europeans

Aren't Greeks Europeans? Greek civilization is as old as Persian civilization, if not older, why would you make the above statement? It seems historically incorrect, what timelines are you using?

seems to be referencing only the Old World.
I understood that civilization is dated back to the Neolithic (Melanesian?)...then basically lower Mesopotamian, but some might consider Egyptian to be the first true civilization followed by the Harrappan....which is in India?
But hey Persians gave us chess and weird smells, so we can give them some credit....

[_Bhodi]

Aren't Greeks Europeans? Greek civilization is as old as Persian civilization, if not older, why would you make the above statement? It seems historically incorrect, what timelines are you using?

seems to be referencing only the Old World.
I understood that civilization is dated back to the Neolithic (Melanesian?)...then basically lower Mesopotamian, but some might consider Egyptian to be the first true civilization followed by the Harrappan....which is in India?
But hey Persians gave us chess and weird smells, so we can give them some credit....

Even so, I think his timeline is off. Greeks were "civilized" at least in parallel with the Persians, no need to make it a European/Asian divide. I do not think the position is historically valid.

[_ludwigm]

Spent time in Afghanistan?

I don't play barkochba in this topic.

by the way "twenty question" In Hungary, this game is popularly known as "barkochba", named after Simon bar Kokhba, the leader of the second century Jewish uprising against the Romans. The story goes that the Romans cut out his spy's tongue, so when he reached bar Kokhba's camp, he was able to nod or shake his head only to answer bar Kokhba's questions. The game is not usually played in the media, but at parties, and it is widely known since at least 1922, first invented sometime after 1900, see http://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barkochba. The number of questions is not limited to twenty.

I know - you could tell me but then you would have to shoot me

I was a very peaceful soldier. I don't never killed nobody. (Was the "not" stressed enough?)

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it (but seriously doubt that was the case).

In some way, yes. It was an adventure, like service in Légion étrangère would have been...

[_ludwigm]

I've never met anyone with a security clearance who goes around bragging about the things they cannot say.

Bragging?
Up to now, I didn't know this word.
From this time on, I know the word but the behaviour.

I know what I say (or can or may say) - even many times it losts by translation.
The fact of my "mission" is not a secret and never was.

[_ludwigm]

...

referring to Ludwig, he is Hungarian, not Belgian (although I am not surprised that you appear not to know the difference).

its more likely that i do not care, or that it was intentional since he has done little to be humble about being Hungarian.

Fortunately, my country knows what did I do.
In this case (and in many other cases), You don't count.
From "750 Hungarian proverbs":
410. Kutyaugatás nem hallatszik a mennybe.
Barking of dogs cannot be heard in heaven.
'Who cares about what he says.'

...(and as far as getting on Hungarian forums ,blah blah...i am afraid i no little about the Rovas alphabet and besides...
https://www.LDS.org/ensign/1990/06/the- ... w?lang=eng )

As far as I know English, "i am afraid i no little" would mean "I am afraid I know little".

[_ludwigm]

To Bhodi an subgenius...

You might have said at least a hundred things

CYRANO (imperturbably):
Is that all?. . .
THE VISCOUNT:
What do you mean?
CYRANO:
Ah no! young blade! That was a trifle short!
You might have said at least a hundred things
By varying the tone. . .like this, suppose,. . .
Aggressive: 'Sir, if I had such a nose
I'd amputate it!' Friendly: 'When you sup
It must annoy you, dipping in your cup;
You need a drinking-bowl of special shape!'
Descriptive: ''Tis a rock!. . .a peak!. . .a cape!
--A cape, forsooth! 'Tis a peninsular!'
Curious: 'How serves that oblong capsular?
For scissor-sheath? Or pot to hold your ink?'
Gracious: 'You love the little birds, I think?
I see you've managed with a fond research
To find their tiny claws a roomy perch!'
Truculent: 'When you smoke your pipe. . .suppose
That the tobacco-smoke spouts from your nose--
Do not the neighbors, as the fumes rise higher,
Cry terror-struck: "The chimney is afire"?'
Considerate: 'Take care,. . .your head bowed low
By such a weight. . .lest head o'er heels you go!'
Tender: 'Pray get a small umbrella made,
Lest its bright color in the sun should fade!'
Pedantic: 'That beast Aristophanes
Names Hippocamelelephantoles
Must have possessed just such a solid lump
Of flesh and bone, beneath his forehead's bump!'
Cavalier: 'The last fashion, friend, that hook?
To hang your hat on? 'Tis a useful crook!'
Emphatic: 'No wind, O majestic nose,
Can give THEE cold!--save when the mistral blows!'
Dramatic: 'When it bleeds, what a Red Sea!'
Admiring: 'Sign for a perfumery!'
Lyric: 'Is this a conch?. . .a Triton you?'
Simple: 'When is the monument on view?'
Rustic: 'That thing a nose? Marry-come-up!
'Tis a dwarf pumpkin, or a prize turnip!'
Military: 'Point against cavalry!'
Practical: 'Put it in a lottery!
Assuredly 'twould be the biggest prize!'
Or. . .parodying Pyramus' sighs. . .
'Behold the nose that mars the harmony
Of its master's phiz! blushing its treachery!'
--Such, my dear sir, is what you might have said,
Had you of wit or letters the least jot:
But, O most lamentable man!--of wit
You never had an atom, and of letters
You have three letters only!--they spell Ass!
And--had you had the necessary wit,
To serve me all the pleasantries I quote
Before this noble audience. . .e'en so,
You would not have been let to utter one--
Nay, not the half or quarter of such jest!
I take them from myself all in good part,
But not from any other man that breathes!