Non-Swastika non-discussion

Rolling Thunder

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 12, 2006
Messages
15,209
Reaction score
5,341
Actually, Sokal, I have also noticed your sense of humor (when compared to your earliest posts on AW) is becoming more understandable, to me at least. Most are still over my head but a few have acquired that 'gleam' to them, where I can catch the insight of your meaning. They are like enigmas, waiting for me to unearth some hidden meaning I might be missing.

I don't know if this means your humor is becoming more defined by my own perception or I'm learning to identify the under current of your own thoughts. At least not yet; I'll keep reading your posts though, in the hope to understand better. It is a rather interesting process.
 

SpookyWriter

Banned
Joined
Nov 14, 2005
Messages
9,697
Reaction score
3,458
Location
Dublin
Actually, Sokal, I have also noticed your sense of humor (when compared to your earliest posts on AW) is becoming more understandable, to me at least. Most are still over my head but a few have acquired that 'gleam' to them, where I can catch the insight of your meaning. They are like enigmas, waiting for me to unearth some hidden meaning I might be missing.

I don't know if this means your humor is becoming more defined by my own perception or I'm learning to identify the under current of your own thoughts. At least not yet; I'll keep reading your posts though, in the hope to understand better. It is a rather interesting process.
:roll:
 

Higgins

Banned
Joined
Sep 1, 2006
Messages
4,302
Reaction score
414
Cool

Actually, Sokal, I have also noticed your sense of humor (when compared to your earliest posts on AW) is becoming more understandable, to me at least. Most are still over my head but a few have acquired that 'gleam' to them, where I can catch the insight of your meaning. They are like enigmas, waiting for me to unearth some hidden meaning I might be missing.

I don't know if this means your humor is becoming more defined by my own perception or I'm learning to identify the under current of your own thoughts. At least not yet; I'll keep reading your posts though, in the hope to understand better. It is a rather interesting process.

This is definitely good news. For me. For us all. For the World.

On the other hand, it's a shock to find that not only are you (I mean me) not as funny as you (I mean me) think you are, but that in the past, you were even less funny. I mean I was even less funny.

I'm trying to be philosophical about it. Thanks for letting me know I have made some progress.
 

Rolling Thunder

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 12, 2006
Messages
15,209
Reaction score
5,341
Well, humor is a stone that can hone intelligence (In my opinion, anyway). The Marx Brothers are a good example. Some of their works are so rapid fire and tightly wound with sarcastic wit it's nearly impossible to understand all of what they mean, without going back to study the intended message.

The point is of course, humor is as subjective as its audience. I lean more towards irony in most cases. The pastry reference in the Swastika Thread is a good case; Rob's link opened up a completely new avenue of understanding for me, on how one group of ludicrous leaders (in Iran) chose to 'punish' another country.

I could feel the Dane's resolve to stand against such tyranny crumbling (pun intended), all the way across the ocean. :)

ETA: Medievalist said it, in less words.
 

Deleted member 42

I have only the most general and not-keen sense of the audience for such things as swastika threads and their prolonged lack of sense of conclusion....or is that the point? That there is no way of concluding such a "discussion"?

Dawno's mostly answered this, but part of it is the nature of community -- there are a lot of contextual subtexts in those posts, and without a real grounding in the community and its social network, you're not going to get the subtexts, or the jokes.
 

Deleted member 42

You should go find some of the threads where the discussion turned to the relative merits of haggis (the ,um, food, not the AW member). :)

I have saved a picture of a haggis on my Photobucket account for just those occasions.

I wish to point out that that picture also clearly shows a glass of single malt.

There's a reason for that . . .
 

ColoradoGuy

I've seen worse.
Staff member
Moderator
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 11, 2005
Messages
6,696
Reaction score
1,534
Location
The City Different
Website
www.chrisjohnsonmd.com
I was staring at that big old stag-handled knife. I thought haggis was always cleaved with a broadsword previously dipped in the blood of an Englishman.
 

Dawno

Shiny!
Super Moderator
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
11,261
Reaction score
3,279
Age
66
Location
someplace around here, anyone seen my keys?
Dawno's mostly answered this, but part of it is the nature of community -- there are a lot of contextual subtexts in those posts, and without a real grounding in the community and its social network, you're not going to get the subtexts, or the jokes.


And even moreso - the whole subtext of jokes and standards going back to the very first online discussions - bbbs, Usenet, user groups, as well as in fandom. There is a lot of overlap as many writers are geeky and many geeks are writers and/or avid readers. I also learn a lot from reading MakingLight, BoingBoing, Slashdot (also seen as /.), FARK, the online cartoon strip UserFriendly - stuff like that - and following their links to other sites as well.

Having a sysadmin for a husband helps, he explains a lot, or sends me links to things. I live on the fringes of the geekworld at work, as well, so it behooves me to have a passing understanding of their culture and mores.

It takes a lot of exposure and patience and even research to understand some of the puns, asides and subtleties. A great place to start is in the Jargon Files - some links to various iterations can be found at the very bottom of the Jargon File page on Wikipedia. I've spent many an hour perusing this version of the Jargon Files
 

Higgins

Banned
Joined
Sep 1, 2006
Messages
4,302
Reaction score
414
Toaster Koan

And even moreso -


A great place to start is in the Jargon Files - some links to various iterations can be found at the very bottom of the Jargon File page on Wikipedia. I've spent many an hour perusing this version of the Jargon Files

Well...this one is shockingly good. I laughed. I sorta cried. cried. cried(from Jargon files):


A disciple of another sect once came to Drescher as he was eating his morning meal.
“I would like to give you this personality test�, said the outsider, “because I want you to be happy.�
Drescher took the paper that was offered him and put it into the toaster, saying: “I wish the toaster to be happy, too.�

the �s seem to add an air of archaic mystery. �
 
Last edited:

Deleted member 42

Explain, please, or point me in the right direction to learn why. :)

Haggis can be palatable, but it is sort of . . .odd to contemplate as a dish, and, often, the oatmeal makes it unpalatably dry.

There are jokes made by many Scots about the need for single malt as a pallative for haggis.
 

aruna

On a wing and a prayer
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 14, 2005
Messages
12,862
Reaction score
2,846
Location
A Small Town in Germany
Website
www.sharonmaas.co.uk
And if this symbol is truly tainted, then perhaps it is time for intelligent persons to do their part in untainting it.

(I posted this BEFORE reading the original Swastika thread - so my apologies. My post is redundant, but I'll leave it up all the same.)

I think the problem started when whoever it was named the Nazi symbol Swastika. Swastika is an ancient Sanskrit term meaning "well-being". The Nazis never called their symbol swastika. they called in Hakenkreuz - and it is called that to this day. Hakenkreuz translated means "hook-cross", which is what it is. The Nazi symbol is also not the same as the Hindu Swastika.

It was an unfortunate decision to translate Hakenkreuz as Swastika; it means that less culturally exposed people constantly jumble up the two.

This Wikipedia article explains the difference quite well.

(ps Just finished reading the Swastika thread; and I didn't intend to restart it here. All I can say is - LOVED the kittens!)
 
Last edited:

Deleted member 42

The Swastika thing was used because in the early history of the Nazi decision they used the term; they knew what they were perverting, and wanted to have the so-called Aryan connection.