From owner-freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Nov 28 06:15:32 2007 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5C1BA16A41B for ; Wed, 28 Nov 2007 06:15:32 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from tedm@toybox.placo.com) Received: from mail.freebsd-corp-net-guide.com (mail.freebsd-corp-net-guide.com [65.75.192.90]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 219CD13C43E for ; Wed, 28 Nov 2007 06:15:32 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from tedm@toybox.placo.com) Received: from TEDSDESK (nat-rtr.freebsd-corp-net-guide.com [65.75.197.130]) by mail.freebsd-corp-net-guide.com (8.13.8/8.13.8) with SMTP id lAS6FHK5009000; Tue, 27 Nov 2007 22:15:17 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from tedm@toybox.placo.com) From: "Ted Mittelstaedt" To: "Jerry McAllister" , "Peo Nilsson" Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2007 22:17:00 -0800 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.6604 (9.0.2911.0) X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1914 In-Reply-To: <20071127172300.GB76551@gizmo.acns.msu.edu> Importance: Normal Cc: FreeBSD chat Subject: RE: In the spirit of Godwin's law - I propose Beastie's law X-BeenThere: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Non technical items related to the community List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2007 06:15:32 -0000 CC set to FreeBSD Chat (Jerry you deleted the wrong mailing list) > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org > [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org]On Behalf Of Jerry > McAllister > Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 9:23 AM > To: Peo Nilsson > Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org > Subject: Re: In the spirit of Godwin's law - I propose Beastie's law > > > > > Well, by "erasing" the history, no matter who "tried" > > to write it, the chance decrease... > > Hmmm. I have come to think that our writing our history condemns > us to repeat it rather than the other way around. With oral history > it is possible to creatively adjust it in each generation. With written > history, it is only creatively adjusted (no history is written truthfully) > when it is first written down which is the time it is least understood > or at least, least seen in perspective. > > Then, since it is written, we seem condemned to believing it rather > than making it useful to our needs. > Oral history has given us such nonsense as the "virgin" birth of Jesus, so that instead of history focusing on the truth inherent in what the guy was actually preaching, it instead focuses on an impossible asexual human reproduction event that in reality never happened. Yes, Virginia, Mary did feel Joseph's schlong. The next time you see a group of Christmas carolers, stop them and ask how many of them know what the Golden Rule is. 10-to-1 odds you will find at least 1 of them that can't tell you what it is. Written history is much, much better. Ted