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Post by melliemom on Feb 3, 2013 22:27:11 GMT -5
the streets of Manhattan are eerie empty - no cars and no pedestrians... I suppose same in every town USA...  I'll know the game is over by the level of street noise getting back to normal... Asheville was almost as quiet as Xmas Day.. Many restaurants closed,streets deserted.. DH and I went out to eat and finally found a place to get a snack.WOW seems like Super Bowl Sunday becoming a major holiday. My husband watched half time and was totally unimpressed.. Said Beyonce shook her backside a lot.& said he would have much preferred to hear some GOOD singing .I on the other hand watched an interesting movie about Freud and Jung. |
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Post by nica575 on Feb 3, 2013 22:30:51 GMT -5
Another thing to mention about the whole Tower Of Babel story - it looks like in some European cultures, some stories that are originally from the Bible have become part of the social fabric and everyday's language. I know this is true in some Catholic countries (Austria, Poland etc.), so it is quite possible that some of us assume (incorrectly) that everyone knows what these stories mean in general terms. Interestingly enough, in my mother's language the same story has generated an expression with a different meaning - the expression "Babel Tower Building" ("Vavilonsko Stylpotrvorenie" in Bulgarian) is used to describe total chaos, too many people in one place. From a short Google search it looks like it is the case with other Slavic languages like Russian. Absolutely - the same exact expression in Russian , but the word "stolpotvorenie - Столпотворение" means "pandemonium", so the whole thing is "Vavilonskoe Stopotvorenie" = Babel Pandeminium, this is the reference that I grew up with, and frankly I know nothing of the Bible...but also, there is a strong presence of the Tower of Babel in fine arts (as so much in Western art are IS rooted in biblical sources), that I would take an understanding of the reference for granted as well... I stand corrected after reading the discussion here... nice little footage re the subject of the Tower in art: www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/past_exhibitions/2008/babylon/videos_about_babylon/towers_of_babel.aspx |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2013 22:32:44 GMT -5
Just watched the You Tube!
BEYONCE SLAYED!!!!!! Loved it! It was fun and her singing was fabulous! So fun to see Michelle and Kelly with her. I would totally go see a show with the 3 of them!
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jazzhands
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Post by jazzhands on Feb 3, 2013 22:34:45 GMT -5
YAY, I finished the thread ... fianlly! 
Reminded me a little bit of this today ... !  :D
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burrito
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Post by burrito on Feb 3, 2013 22:36:58 GMT -5
Cultural differences: part two. I teach a class on professional ethics. As part of the class, students are assigned to write their personal ethical principles. One of the most commonly cited is "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." (Yup, a bible quote.) I always challenge them to consider this. What if the other person does not WANT what you want? For example, you may want others to call you by your first name, rather than Mr/Miss/Mrs XYZ. So, you may do the same with them. BUT, if they are from a culture that shows respect for elders or persons in authority by using an honorific and a surname, you may be be showing disrespect. You may come from a background where people hug each other as a greeting. Doing unto others --- giving them a big hug--- may be extremely uncomfortable for them if they were raised differently. Again, I love this place because we have occasional cultural clashes that help us all to become more aware. Dang, I've spent a lifetime trying to treat people the way I want to be treated and now you're making me second guess that. Guess I'll stick with my #2 principle - kindness breeds kindness. And the real reason for this post, notice my new location. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2013 22:37:21 GMT -5
I had NO idea what Tower of Babel was until you all discussed it on the board when we were discussing lyrics! So don't feel bad, frecklesexual! I have never read the Bible either and don't remember it referenced in any literature I have read.
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Post by Craazyforadam on Feb 3, 2013 22:37:54 GMT -5
I love you nonchallance. You have written some very good posts this weekend. Many of Adam's lyrics are sophisticated and complicated and beautiful. (un)Fortunately, he is counting on finding an audience literate enough to get it. These days, those people are fewer and more far between than ever, and actually get offended at the notion of cultural literacy altogether. Gay, Jewish, and smart ... jeez could Adam be a member of any more stigmatized groups???  Lol, Juniemoon. I really suggest that we also refrain from using the word 'Trespassing' on this blog in future as well, because it's biblical and used in some prayer, or something. Could offend someone. Adam throws Egyptian, Pagan, Christian, Buddhist, and God knows what other symbols, metaphors, literary quotes and images around like candy on Halloween. More is more. Some go for the deeper interpretations and others just unwrap the candy. It's pop - it's all fine, but let's keep an open mind to all and not just feel offended about everything that happens to be outside of our personal belief system. The tower of Babel belongs historically into the country of Mesopotamia, which is today Irak or north-eastern Syria and I don't think kids who are learning about it in their local Islamic school systems there will be worried about accidentally getting a Christian education. They are studying their Suras, even though the story is split over multiple ones in the Qur'an. Some things are just part of a humanistic education. There is three major world religions plus dozens of offspring who recognize this story, just in western culture. There are hundreds of art works based on it, books, stories, songs, opera, novels, paintings. Etymologists have long tried to establish basic archetypes of human stories that seem to exist with slight variation all over the world. The great flood is a well established one and probably the cleanest such example. But it is remarkable that the story of Babel or a variation thereof seems to be also told in other areas of the world. It is well reported that the Spanish in their first encounters with Incas were astonished to find the story told there too (after a great flood, building of a tower, loss of a common language). Livingston was amazed to find that same story in central Africa. And with variation, the story has been found in India, Myanmar and other Asian countries. The debate on whether this story has archetypical character is ongoing (there are arguments on both sides of this debate). What is also ongoing are archeological attempts to locate potential ruins of a tower/city structure, which in my mind actually contradicts the presumption of its universality. But it is still happening. Historical lingustic research is busy trying to figure out where our different languages have originated, when which language families broke away from each other and whether there was a defining time where languages underwent a sudden and unexpected split and if yes, why. I don't think that linguistically we have found anything of that kind so far though. Now in more recent times, DNA research has started to join this discussion. All in an attempt to answer where do we humans come from, who are our first ancestors and how come we split up the way we did. There are stories that have influenced the thinking as well as behavior of mankind and saying you are offended, if somebody tries to educate you about them, just because these archetypical stories have - surprise-surprise - also made their way into the bible, is just saying, I don't want to know about human kind, because it offends me if the bible happens to be a possible source. I have on this blog been educated about so many topics over the years, I cannot even begin to count them. Many do not fall into my personal belief system. I am glad for all the different experiences and backgrounds people bring to the table and hope it will continue. And given that Adam sure is not going to stop doing what he loves most, we will most likely continue to have debates and discover unexplored territories and widen our minds. One reason, I am a fan of his, by the way. Trespassing into areas I may not have happened to experience before, is a good thing. As long as we don't close our mind, the possibilities are endless..... |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2013 22:40:00 GMT -5
Cultural differences: part two. I teach a class on professional ethics. As part of the class, students are assigned to write their personal ethical principles. One of the most commonly cited is "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." (Yup, a bible quote.) I always challenge them to consider this. What if the other person does not WANT what you want? For example, you may want others to call you by your first name, rather than Mr/Miss/Mrs XYZ. So, you may do the same with them. BUT, if they are from a culture that shows respect for elders or persons in authority by using an honorific and a surname, you may be be showing disrespect. You may come from a background where people hug each other as a greeting. Doing unto others --- giving them a big hug--- may be extremely uncomfortable for them if they were raised differently. Again, I love this place because we have occasional cultural clashes that help us all to become more aware. Dang, I've spent a lifetime trying to treat people the way I want to be treated and now you're making me second guess that. Guess I'll stick with my #2 principle - kindness breeds kindness. And the real reason for this post, notice my new location. I have never interpreted "treating others as you want to be treated' as anything as specific as using nicknames or giving or not giving hugs. For me it has always meant just treating people with respect and being nice. |
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Post by Craazyforadam on Feb 3, 2013 22:51:46 GMT -5
So what does treating with respect mean when it comes to greeting someone?
Cassie was just giving an example.
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Slavic languages are not alone with their Babylonic Pandemonium.
The expression is 'Babylonisches Wirrwarr' in German. Wirrwarr means chaos or confusion.
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ljsmack
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Post by ljsmack on Feb 3, 2013 22:54:42 GMT -5
I thought beyonce did a great job. She used electronics and other visual effects that allowed the tv and the bowl audience both to experience the spectacle. The girl can dance. I enjoyed seeing Destiny's Child redux, too. Yes, they choose singers, but singing isn't really what it's all about, it's just part of the spectacle. I enjoyed the visual all the way through. I think she's gorgeous and talented and the dancing was great.
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I'll know the game is over by the level of street noise getting back to normal... 
:D
