Brad Nelson
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Post by Brad Nelson on Jan 28, 2020 12:13:20 GMT -8
They gave up on the conservative cause and pretty much became baloney dispensers.
Still, in one aspect, I’m a bit jealous. I’m honest here. And that is crucial to not only see the baloney barrier but not warp over to it. I’m a bit jealous that these intellectual hacks get paid to spew out the garbage they do when one of your posts (or mine, or Timothy’s) is often worth gold.
I suppose that’s what spurred me, and us, on in the misguided scheme of StubbornThings. It was a naive idea that straight-talking sense would carve through the noxious political culture like a hot knife through butter and draw adherents to a better way of thinking and viewing the world.
Instead, we became part of The Daily Drama.
I tend to mostly disengage from political discussion because the world has gone mad. When only Putin seems to make sense, that’s saying something.
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Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Jan 28, 2020 12:23:57 GMT -8
I remember in my school days having to memorize all the countries of Africa. I doubt I could name half of them now, particular because many of them have changed names. I used have a lovely old color map of Africa like you would see in National Geographic. And perhaps it was one of their maps. It was old…probably from the late 50s. And it’s surprising how many names have changed since then, not only in Africa but elsewhere. Countries I’m sure I could name: Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Conga, maybe Angola, Madagascar (or whatever they call it now), and maybe Mali (because of its distinctive shape). Except for the central Asian uh-stan countries and bits of the middle east, I can likely name much of the rest of the world. One of the best African country names is “Chad.” You couldn’t make that up (or maybe they did). Mali has a nice ring to it too. Gabon and Ghana, not so much. These are sounds you might make when clearing your throat.  |
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Post by kungfuzu on Jan 28, 2020 12:40:32 GMT -8
I, like you I suspect, find these pompous fools quite humorous. Like we used to say as kids, "They are legends in their own minds."
The first thing which comes to mind when I hear such people spout these things is, "That and $3 will get you a cup of coffee." I say that as one who can identify many countries of the world on a map. I have visited about 40 of them and lived in 8. I wonder how many of the pompous fools can claim that? Knowledge is fine, but wisdom and character are much more important.
The second thing which comes to mind when I hear these fools proclaiming our intellectual inferiority and their intellectual superiority is, "I'd be happy to compare IQs with you." But then I revert to the first thing that comes to my mind.
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Post by timothylane on Jan 28, 2020 13:15:42 GMT -8
Madagascar is back to being called that now. For a while it was the Malagasy Republic after the main tribe inhabiting it. For that matter, in the 1960s the Republic of the Congo was the Democratic Republic of the Congo (in other words, a Communist dictatorship) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo was the Republic of the Congo (in other words, more or less a military dictatorship). Then the latter became Zaire as Mobutu Africanized all the names. The Upper Volta became the Voltaic Republic and now Burkina Faso. Dahomey (named after its main tribe, once noted slave-traders) became Benin.
And of course Northern Rhodesia became Zambia, Southern Rhodesia became Zimbabwe, Nyasaland became Malawi, and Southwest Africa became Namibia. The changes from Bechuanaland to Botswana and Basutoland to Lesotho are basically changing English names to local versions of the same name.
Tanzania was a combination of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. I read a short piece discussing this in a magazine called World Week that we got in 9th grade that noted the similar combinations available elsewhere. They noted that Algeria could combine with Morocco to get Moral and Tunisia to get Alisia -- but combining with Mali could result in the unhealthy-sounding Maleria. (Maybe Algi would have been better.) And they liked the idea of combining Zambia and Angola to get Zambang.
Incidentally, Mali (formerly the French Sudan) and Ghana (formerly the Gold Coast) both have names from successive medieval kingdoms on the upper Niger (roughly where Mali now is). There was also a kingdom of Songhay later, again in the same area. I think the sequence was Ghana -- Mali -- Songhay.
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Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Jan 28, 2020 13:23:59 GMT -8
I’ve lived in only one and visited another (Canada). I think there is much knowledge and wisdom to be gained from being well-traveled. The next best thing is National Geographic, television documentaries, and books.
I have traveled with Theodore Roosevelt down the Rio da Dúvida. That’s one trip I’m glad to take second hand. But there are several other places that would be fun to visit firsthand. I might start with an old English castle.
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Post by timothylane on Jan 28, 2020 14:19:05 GMT -8
Let's see. I've lived in America and Greece, and visited Spain, Italy, Turkey, and Canada. We also traveled close enough to Bulgaria to see the border (fields of sunflowers, as I recall) on our Istanbul trip, and stopped off in Lisbon without leaving our plane on the flight from Madrid to New York.
I have lived in or visited a large number of states. Washington isn't one of them. We lived 2 years in Texas (Galveston) and visited or traversed it on other occasions, and have traversed or visited Arkansas on others.
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Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Jan 29, 2020 9:19:53 GMT -8
I’ve mentioned this before, but put the Parthenon on the top of the list of sites worth seeing. Although it’s not what it once was, it’s amazing to me that so much of it still exists.  It’s both a symbol of a decayed civilization as well as the permanence of an idea. Our Confederate memorials (let alone the Washington Monument) are not likely to last as long given the evil of the Left in this country which, like the Taliban, wishes to destroy any symbol of a past that existed before them. |
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Post by kungfuzu on Jan 29, 2020 9:42:48 GMT -8
A fair amount of the decay was caused when ordnance/ordinance, which was stored in the temple by the Turks, exploded.
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Post by timothylane on Jan 29, 2020 10:17:14 GMT -8
The destruction of the Parthenon is interesting, especially when you realize how far inland it is. The Ottomans used it as a mosque and stored gunpowder in it (something similar to what jihadists do today, and a good reminder of the link between Islam and violence). A Venetian ship firing on Athens hit it and set off the powder.
I saw the Parthenon twice, once on a family trip and one on a school trip. In addition, Elizabeth and I visited the Nashville replica, which includes a copy of what it's estimated the great statue of Athena looked like. By great good luck, we arrived there just before they gave a lecture on the statue, explaining the symbolism.
I've never read or soon A Man for All Seasons (I have seen a movie on the subject that may have been based on the play), but it includes a scene in which More asks if someone would be willing to tear down the law to get at (e.g.) the devil. When he eagerly affirms his willingness, More then asks what would do would do when the devil turned on him at the end, all the laws that protect him being gone? It's a good point even if one wonders how much good the law would really be in protecting anyone from the devil. And it's the same point Hanson makes.
Of the top Jacobins, Danton was guillotined by his fellow Jacobins when he didn't want to go as far, and Robespierre and St. Just were guillotined by the Directory (who replaced them after the Thermidorean revolt).
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Brad Nelson
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עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Jan 29, 2020 10:43:20 GMT -8
Yikes. How awful.
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Post by kungfuzu on Jan 29, 2020 11:50:08 GMT -8
There is more to the Acropolis than the Parthenon.
I looked back and noticed that, in this photo album, I wrote all place names and such in German. This was the Fall of 1978 when I was mainly speaking German so I guess it is understandable.
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Post by timothylane on Jan 29, 2020 12:40:14 GMT -8
I remember my parents also pointing out Mars Hill (the Areaopagus).
Incidentally, acropolis is a general Greek word for the high ground of a city, usually where the last-ditch citadel is located. Another example that we visited or at least had pointed out to us was the Acrocorinth.
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Post by artraveler on Jan 29, 2020 12:59:33 GMT -8
At our ages most of us have seen a lot no matter where we have traveled. For myself, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, Cuba, Columbia, Chile, Germany, Italy, and Israel. All for uncle sugar from 1970-74. I have managed to travel to every state except Alaska.
I even spent a month in Seattle in the mid 70s. The headquarters of a company I worked for was there. Now long gone I believe. My guess is that between us we have over a million miles of travel in all parts of the world. Its not that we have seen it all or done it all but damn it we have lived!!!!
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Brad Nelson
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עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Jan 29, 2020 13:22:20 GMT -8
The Areopagus  The Snuffleupagus  |
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Brad Nelson
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עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Jan 29, 2020 13:24:36 GMT -8
Here's a good shot of the Acropolis from the Areopagus:  [ Original] |
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Post by kungfuzu on Jan 29, 2020 13:25:46 GMT -8
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Brad Nelson
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עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Jan 29, 2020 13:29:16 GMT -8
Seattle is still an interesting place although I don’t get over there much. You have indeed put on a lot of airline miles. I think Hong Kong, Chile, Germany, Italy, and Japan would be particularly interesting places to visit.
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Post by timothylane on Jan 29, 2020 13:31:08 GMT -8
I don't recall the other buildings, but they look like the remainder of a citadel. I think the Areopagus was a place for addressing the public.
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Post by kungfuzu on Jan 29, 2020 13:44:07 GMT -8
That is why, as a yute, I tried to spend time with older people. I figured they must have seen and learned more than I. Furthermore, if they were still around, they were probably not complete idiots like many of the yutes around me.
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Brad Nelson
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עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Jan 29, 2020 13:53:02 GMT -8
About Areopagus, Wiki says:
I shall now write a song called "Arson or Olive Trees." I might need Gibbnonymous' help with that.
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