To whom it may concern
- Thread starter TSDTexan
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To be blunt...Yes I'm insulted by your comments regarding the French. My wife and her family are French. They are good people.
Well, you called me a jerk. 
But actually that might have been one of the nicer things people called me that day. I am, after all, a high school teacher! So no worries, I wasn't offended. Sometimes I tease a bit. And sometimes I deserve a verbal slap in return. It's all in fun and the enjoyment of lively discourse. See you around on the forum.
But actually that might have been one of the nicer things people called me that day. I am, after all, a high school teacher! So no worries, I wasn't offended. Sometimes I tease a bit. And sometimes I deserve a verbal slap in return. It's all in fun and the enjoyment of lively discourse. See you around on the forum.
Zero
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I hadn't added much to the discussion for a while but was enjoying the read, the only thing that pissed me off was your final post about that GI Jane mumbo and I think your implied suggestion that the only reason those women got through Ranger training was that the course had been dumbed down for them specifically or, perhaps worse, in general! Anyway, if that is the truth I would love to know as I would be worried if it was generally being made easier? But if not, then it struck me as grossly unfair and patronising regarding the women that made the grade (and that we would probably die trying to keep up with on any obstacle course!!)! Anyhow, am not sure if that was what got the thread locked so maybe we should shy away from that point for now...
The other thing I find weird about your style is that you seem to need to put people on ignore - and tell them and everyone else about it - on the slightest differing of opinion. If someone gets the better of you on an online forum, who really cares??
Also, who really cares so much about a definition of what "martial art" or "art" is? Get on with the training!! This forum is awesome for discussing techniques, approaches and of course academic/theoretical views on anything re martial arts, SD, etc but to spend so many pages on a simple definition seems bonkers.
I feel better now. Maybe we can do a rant day for each member, K-Man can be tomorrow...he's always "outa here" to get popcorn (and then popping back up to throw jaffas down the aisles) : )
The other thing I find weird about your style is that you seem to need to put people on ignore - and tell them and everyone else about it - on the slightest differing of opinion. If someone gets the better of you on an online forum, who really cares??
Also, who really cares so much about a definition of what "martial art" or "art" is? Get on with the training!! This forum is awesome for discussing techniques, approaches and of course academic/theoretical views on anything re martial arts, SD, etc but to spend so many pages on a simple definition seems bonkers.
I feel better now. Maybe we can do a rant day for each member, K-Man can be tomorrow...he's always "outa here" to get popcorn (and then popping back up to throw jaffas down the aisles) : )
K-man bless him has reasons to keep popping out not connected with this place. I like his jaffas though, they make me smile.
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Me too.
How It Really Went Down in the First Class to Graduate Female Rangers | SOFREP
"
They will return to their units with a few new skills and a better understanding of small-unit tactics, but more importantly with a new confidence in themselves and their fellow tabbed Rangers. They will be marked for the rest of their careers with a $1.80 strip of cloth that tells whomever they meet that when tested with adversity, pain, and discomfort, they can be trusted to find a way to get the job done and complete the mission. For the first time in history, two women will pin on this badge of survival and perseverance, and you know what? They f*****g earned it. Every last thread of it.
I started and finished Ranger School this year with Class 06-15, although since I neither recycled nor had to endure a winter phase of the course, my tab should probably be just a little bit smaller than the tabs that many of my peers wear. We were the first gender-integrated Ranger School class, starting on April 19th, with 19 female and 381 male students."
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I didn't bring up the subject of females nor did I say I was, it was brought up by someone else and TSDTexan jumped on it, offering a comparison to a certain transgender ex athlete. This was on another thread which TSDTexan carried over to the thread on the definition of martial arts.
I started a thread with the intent of praising, recognising and just looking in awe at the guys who stopped the terrorist on the train in France but it got side tracked by offensive remarks about the French, not what I wanted, not what anyone wanted. I wanted a thread full of praise and recognition of those guys. As they say in pro cycling when someone has done something amazing...chapeau!
On the other points, as a good many of the insults and sarcasm were direct at my and my gender, I will say I'm only responsible for what I write not what TSDTexan understands. When someone throws you a Jaffa and it hits your wicket, take it like an adult and bow out with dignity and a smile.
I started a thread with the intent of praising, recognising and just looking in awe at the guys who stopped the terrorist on the train in France but it got side tracked by offensive remarks about the French, not what I wanted, not what anyone wanted. I wanted a thread full of praise and recognition of those guys. As they say in pro cycling when someone has done something amazing...chapeau!
On the other points, as a good many of the insults and sarcasm were direct at my and my gender, I will say I'm only responsible for what I write not what TSDTexan understands. When someone throws you a Jaffa and it hits your wicket, take it like an adult and bow out with dignity and a smile.
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TSDTexan
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Sorry.Well, you called me a jerk.
But actually that might have been one of the nicer things people called me that day. I am, after all, a high school teacher! So no worries, I wasn't offended. Sometimes I tease a bit. And sometimes I deserve a verbal slap in return. It's all in fun and the enjoyment of lively discourse. See you around on the forum.
Sometimes mouth is engaged before brain is in gear.
However, if you have a touch of digital masochism, I might oblige you on this forum.
/slap.
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RE: the French...
It might do many of us good to remember that one Marquis de Lafeyette rather pulled our bacon out of the fire before we were a nation...
It might do many of us good to remember that one Marquis de Lafeyette rather pulled our bacon out of the fire before we were a nation...
I accept your apology.
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The American Revolution wouldn't have been successful at all if England hadn't been distracted by France declaring war on them (on our behalf) in 1778, and establishing alliances with the Dutch and Spain that pretty much left England without any allies in what could be considered the first "world war." In all, France spent close to $13 billion in today's dollars on American independence, and were the first to recognize a "United States" as a nation......when George W. Bush declared that America had no "closer friend than England," and people over here were talking about "freedom fries," and making jokes about French cowardice, a few of us remembered that we had no older friend than France.
Of course, we really won because England just didn't take us seriously.....in some ways, they still don't.
The American Revolution wouldn't have been successful at all if England hadn't been distracted by France declaring war on them (on our behalf) in 1778, and establishing alliances with the Dutch and Spain that pretty much left England without any allies in what could be considered the first "world war." In all, France spent close to $13 billion in today's dollars on American independence, and were the first to recognize a "United States" as a nation......when George W. Bush declared that America had no "closer friend than England," and people over here were talking about "freedom fries," and making jokes about French cowardice, a few of us remembered that we had no older friend than France.
Of course, we really won because England just didn't take us seriously.....in some ways, they still don't.
Actually the problem was that they did take you seriously, most of the people thought that the Americans were right (Scotland and France are the Auld Alliance btw, support is still stronger there for France than England. The Welsh were also anti English, mostly still are and the English people were starting to want voting rights and freedom from the upper classes who ruled themselves so could sympathise with the Americans ) therefore support for the war was weak, the government as governments do carried on regardless, the king was ill with porphyria, the economy was suffering badly from lack of funds and there was a huge failure to support and supply the British ( not English) troops.
We did not take George W Bush seriously though lol. His name along with Tony Bliar is mud here with their WMD lies.
People often start quoting national stereotypes when they actually have little understanding of the people. If you travel through France you will find in every town, village and city plaques on walls commemorating those resistance fighters who were killed during the last word war, there are places where people were put against walls and shot in retaliation for resistance operations. It's also easy for people who have never been invaded ( in the US the last 'hostile' forces were the British) to not understand what it's like to have jack booted soldiers marching across your country and to denigrate what people do to survive, 'oh I'd never do that' they cry, sorry but you don't know what you would do. The Italians are often also denigrated for what happened during the last war, this again is without any understanding of the Italians (who did not want to go to war) and not realising how many Italians died by the hands of the Germans.
This year is the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, we are remembering the Few who turned the tide for us when things were at their very darkest, those Few included Americans fighting against their country's advice, Asians, Africans and Europeans including French. Many young men gave their lives to give us the chance to survive, to go on fighting and ultimately defeat the Nazis.
To use any of these things to pass comments in order to look 'smart' is asinine, in fact trying to look smart is asinine and invariably ends in tears. The internet is marvellous, information on anything and everything at your fingertips, more opinions than you would ever think possible but the fundamental flaw is that it's inhuman, there's no personal contact so it's easy to read something and decide the writer is taking the mickey out of you, it's easy to write reams of what you think is brilliant, original thought and you are a real star. I'm sure with the aid of the internet I could 'write' an essay on particle physics despite knowing nothing about it, the question would be would I flounce around in indignation when the real scientists rubbished my effort, would I write rebuttals using 'big' words trying to make myself sound more learned than I am, well, frankly no. I write as I speak, plainly and honestly, I'm far to old to beat around the bush, time is getting on and far too precious to beat around the bush, if that offends you, scroll past and read the next comment. Threaten to ignore me and I'll laugh, why on earth would I care, why would anyone? it's the internet, it's not real
Putting your emotional interpretation on someone's words is a silly game, deciding someone is angry, arrogant, winding you up by what they write etc is reading far too much into people posts. You can't hear the tone of voice used, you can't see the facial expressions so assuming you can read the so called hidden intent behind the words is deluding yourself, believing what other people say about someone you don't know is also a delusion. You cannot 'know' someone by what they write, you can form an impression but ultimately you will be reinforcing all your prejudices if you don't approach what people write with an open mind. Assuming people are winding you up, assuming that the writer is angry or dismissive of what you have written when they aren't is usually mirroring what you yourself are writing. Everyone has opinions, we are entitled to express them, we aren't entitled to not have hoots of laughter aimed at our opinions or jeers of derision, that's life, we are entitled to our own opinions but we are not entitled to our own facts.Anyway, that's this old lady's view on the internet
Personally, I find this quote from another thread both misogynistic and insulting. I raised my two boys, even though my ex had custody and never contributed a dime in child support, because she was a horrible mother and I didn't want them to grow up to live terrible lives.TSDTexan said:
I seriously think you need to examine exactly where you are on the path of shu-ha-ri. As the quote goes ... I do not think it means what you think it means.
Actually, I agree with TSD Texan on this. Women are superior at giving birth. I don't know of any men that have given birth. How can anyone disagree with this?. I realize your path is different, but in most cases women are better at raising children . No doubt about it.
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Not really. In most cases, when single men raise children, the children turn out just fine. Single men are the equals of single women at raising children. I say this not only as someone who raised his son and daughter from ages 9 and 6, but as a scientist who scrutinized the matter and numerous studies on the subject (alas, while I did a fine job, I guess, it didn't always feel that way....)
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