Go ahead!...ask us anything!

This message has been deleted by the author.

 

[ex-manager]

I thought they were wotchamacallums, but now I can't see the bastards.

 

[imported_Raidpatch]

Thank you again gentleman. I do value the assistance.


Raidpatch.

 

[imported_kier]

I think the use of "uncle tom" as a term of abuse came with the rise of black civil rights/radicalism from the 1950s onwards.......hence Ali's use of it to belittle Frazier.

At the time men such as Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and groups such as the Black Panthers were trying to dismantle aspects of US society that were racist. These people (quite rightly) demanded freedom.

To them the "uncle tom" character was total anathema to these people. To be a "good slave" in order to eventually gain freedom through the process ofsubmission wasseen as being damaging to the goals of blacks.

I'm not sure if Frazier did in fact kow-tow to the white US "establishment" - but obviously Ali wasn't impressed by something in how he acted........let's not forget that Ali had already gone to prison for refusing the draft.

 

[Atilla]

"....but obviously Ali wasn't impressed by something in how he {Frazier}acted"

I don't believe (and nothing indicates that whatsoever) that was the case at all. It was purely a self promoting and media hype thing by Ali (which he was the master at) in the hope of lurring 'his' people rallying behind him, in the hope of upsetting Frazier mentally and emotionally before the fight. I don't believe (and am all most positive) that Frazier commited any foul play orwrong doing before Ali-Frazier number 1. Infact, Ali is guilty of that if anything. See some veryrecent boxing disscussions about it on this forum.

It (Ali's antics)failed misserably though. Frazier won on points after 15 gruelling rounds, but did drop Ali with an awesome left hook close to the end,which clinced it for him

 

[imported_Outlaw]

Thats pretty much the way I've read aboutand remember it Atilla.

 

[imported_kier]

Fair enough Attila, I'm not a boxing fan (I couldn't even have told you who won the fight) so I'm more than happy to accept your point that in this case it was hype rather than a "deserved" insult.

 

[Atilla]

I hope I didn't come across as 'sounding' rude, Kier. I was just trying to clarrify what you thought, that's all. )


Cheers - Atilla

 

[imported_kier]

no problem attila - I didn't take it that way

 

[Cronulla_Mania]

OK, im going to change the tact of the conversation a bit and go formore of a 'philosophical' question.....No intelligence required here, just thoughts

Its an Easter related question, one to perhaps ponder especiallyon this weekend

Why do nice people finish last?? I know, its an overused catchphrase, but damn there is a lot of validity to it. The most impoverished living on the street without aspoon intheir hand are quite often amongst the nicest people in the world. While i dont exactly live in the slums,living ina 'down trodden' areai havebeen privileged to see a lot. Privileged may sound like a weird expression, but it gives a totally different perspective on things. You do meet some amazing people, and its quite often that the amazingly'evil nature' of some is matched by the amazingly generous and kind hearted nature of others. Thereare some imagesthat you don't forget, the faith of some people up against adversity is amazing. But the point is, quite often the 'nicest' of people are the ones most hard up against the wall, struggling to make ends meet. In 2002, society generallyconsiders those without great financial support to be at the 'back of the train', or finishing last if you will.

My thought is that a world has been created where there is just no place for honest and caring people. Seeing and reading things in the business world alone has given me the impression that to get anywhere of 'importance', you need to at least have one hand in the til and a 'screw everyone else attitude'. Success and morals have almost become a contradiction, especially in the business world...

So thats my question, where has the room for the 'nice guy' gone and why has the world inhabited a race of mainly selfish and arrogant people. Is Capitalism to blame?? Is Self-Interest to blame? Or is it simpler, have people just stopped giving a shit about anything that doesnt affect them in a positive way.....

I know, heavy on the philosophy, but i thought it was worth asking....

Cheers,
Moffo

 

[imported_feral dragon]

Willow
I was told, that if Uncle Tom, had been a white christian, his name would have been Judas Iscariot

 

[Willow]

Feral: Ahh yes, I guess so. The Uncle Tom story is about a real guy and for some reason, it has captivated American culture for generations. Given that this is a white American interpretation of culture, I can see why a few black Americans would take a cynical view of what Uncle Tom represents. A black guy who suceeded through hard work and never complained.
We could be reading too much into this. It would be good to gain some insight from one of the North American forummers.

Moffo:

Impossible to answer. Too many variables. Do we blame human nature or the environment which surrounds us. I know that the tougher the landscape, the more ruthless people have to be.

Perhaps you recall an example I gave once about the Chimps and the Benobos. The Chimpanzees rape, murder and steal....no place for nice guys. The Benobos are completely the opposite. They live in peace and harmony.
The two species were the same 5,000 years ago but were separated by the natural flooding of the Congo Valley. The chimps were forced to live on one side were the environment was harsh while the Benobos scored an open terrain with heaps of food.

But there's a catch... the'nice guys'Benobos are under threat of being wiped out by humans, in particular the local war. Thebastard Chimpson the other side of the river are under no threat because they are less accessible. Work that out.

 

[imported_kier]

I'm not sure I agree that "nice guys always finish last"

I see it as a question of perspective.....most people would probably describe them selves as "nice" (at least deep down).

Just like the phrase "history is written by the winners" I get a feeling that "nice guys finish last" probably eminates from those who were beaten

 

[Vertigo]

Wow, so many posts since my last one.
Firstly, on the Uncle Tom issue. Atilla is correct (as far as my opinion is concerned)in his explaination of it's link to the Ali & Frazier first bout. I didn't see anything in the detailed documentary to suggest Ali called Frazier that other than the reasons Atilla outlined. Ali was just being his usuall manipulative self I'm sure. I'd never before or since have heard the term used in mainstream american society, and I'm proud to say I have often associated with, and still have,many African American friends. It may of course be something they use among themselves.
On to the murder VS homicide question. I dated and briefly lived witha lady here a few years back who was (and still is) a Criminal Prosecutor for the FBI. She did, and has been, mainly doing violent crimes.I use to go out on many homicide calls with her, as she was on 24hr call, because it intrigued me, but never could actually get into the 'viewing' area. Still, I enjoyed the flashing blue lights and sirens thing whilst en route to the scene. I raised the same question with her one time, and her answer was practiccly the same, if not identical,as how Willow described it. So similar infact, that I'm wondering if sh'e posting here under an alias . Well explained Willow (or is that Vicki?) lol..
Vertigo.

 

[imported_eels fan...]

Just a few I'd love answered...

1) Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?
2) Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?
3) Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person who drives a racecar not called a racist?
4) Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things?
5) "I am" is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that "I do" is the longest sentence?
6) Do people who spend $4.00 apiece on those little bottles of Evian water know that
spelling it backwards is NAIVE?
7) If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from diarrhea... does that mean the fifth one enjoys it?

 

[Cronulla_Mania]

Yeah, you are right mate, i guess it depends on how you define 'finishing last'. I was taking it from how society views 'finishing last' (ie: No Money, No House, No Family etc etc)......I still dont know if there is room for 'good guys', there probably is in some areas, but to be a big businessperson these days, as i said before, to get ahead it seems like you have to at least 'deviate from accepted practice'

Willow, i remembered that story ...its a good one. I blame human nature, as human nature creates the environment. Its a big like the Chicken and the Egg, the egg comes first, as there could be no chicken without an egg

As for eels fans questions...here we gooooo

1.Yes
2.He sends people broke, hence the term 'broker' (true story

)
3.Good question
4.Seeing something is not necessarily looking at. Seeing something can involve a glance, looking involves an extended glance

5.lol
6.Probably not, but its a good point hehe
7.I hope not

Cheers,
Moff

 

[El Duque]

What was the best thing before sliced bread came along?

 

[El Duque]

overlook and oversee don't necassarily mean the the opposite.

If you overlook or oversee someones work your doing the same thing.They are both listed as synonyms of each other.

 

[Willow]

How far back was it when Adam was a boy ?
And how ago was it when Caesar was a pup ?

 

[Cronulla_Mania]

El - Diced Bread

Willow - Adam was a boy approx 150,254 years ago, Caesar was a pup 2,034 years ago

Moffo