Wow. 



That is all. 

According to your other posts, you haven't even applied yet, and your numbers leave you a long shot for money at Davis, so what exactly is the point of this question?

Nice catch. 

Yeah I don't think Davis really gives money other than financial aide.  I could be wrong but I don't think anyone is really given merit scholarships (other than a few you have to apply for)...could be wrong though. 

I also think it depends if you'd rather be in SF or LA. 

Quote from: jballer on August 01, 2006, 03:18:40 PM

Quote from: rising2l on August 01, 2006, 01:48:00 PM

I have always wondered what things would be like if everything was the opposite.
There are 400 million Jews in 99.9 percent of the land in the Middle East. The Arabs have been in the area called arabiel for a long time and they are joined by refugees from a war where 6 million of their people died - 60 years ago. The Jews daily call this Arabocaust a myth and blame the Arabs for 9/11.... and all of their other economic/social problems. The Jews create a people called the Sienfelds (Palestinians) and strap bombs to themselves, believing in obtaining 72 virgins. They are taught this from the age of 3.
Would be an interesting scenario.

This brings up the problem of relativism and postmodernism as blinders to objective truths in geopolitics. We have to be candid and straightforward about the deep problems in much of modern day Arab culture. The current cultural atmosphere is failing the Arabs not some tiny strip of land.

Wow I love your really insightful comments about Arab culture.  I particularly like your use of stereotypes, generalizations, and the overall racist theme you have.  Your comments should be directed to Hamas and perhaps the Iranian President who isn't Arab.  But I'm sure your vast knowledge of Arab and Middle Eastern culture enables you to make such spot on comments.   

There you go with the relativism. I am criticizing certain aspects of modern day Arab culture that are very problematic for progress and rationality. The honor/shame mentality is what leads to honor killings, female genital mutilation, nihilistic violence and economic catastrophe. That does not mean that all culture is bad. Many cultures at different periods of time had various flaws. It is not racist, for example, to criticize the Hamurabbi rules of ancient times as being ruthless. There is no question that honor, shame, and perceived humiliation play a HUGE role in Arab culture.
One could also say that it is racist to generalize about the Communists, Nazis and the Branch Davidians (hyperbolizing a little to demonstrate the fallacy). Only Hamas? Lets add Hizbullah, Islamic Jihad, Al queda and many many others that are not part of an organization. More relatedly, and more importantly, I am sure that we can all agree that a strong critique is warranted of the white culture that enslaved black people for centuries. Is that also racist?
 

First of all, slavery in America and 'suicide bombing' in the Middle East is not exactly the same thing.  Nearly everyone had slaves back then if they could afford it...not everyone suicide bombs Israel or supports that in the Arab world.  I'm sure more do in the Palestinian territories...but you generalizations referred to the entire Arab world.  It would be racist to say that whites hate black people and want to kill them and they grow up at the age of three learning new ways to make them suffer.  Which is pretty much what you said about Arabs. 

Yes many, but not all, Arabs deal with the perceived shame of the loss of Palestine (I have not experienced this because I am not Arab).  And your argument is to say that this is a negative aspect of their culture...and I agree. 

You unfairly paint the picture as if all of Arab culture is like this.  Al Manar TV is a Hezbollah operated TV station...it is not like it is sponsored by the Arab World.  I've seen TV shows and TV channels in America that also have horrible sketches of many races/ethnicities/religions (obviously not to that extent).  That doesn't mean those shows represent all of American culture does it?  I'm not trying to justify what Hezbollah does...I am wholeheartedly against Hezbollah for not only what they do on an international stage...but also what they do on a domestic level in Lebanon. 

I don't want to get in a debate about the Israeli-Palestinian or Arab-Israeli conflict.  I feel that you guys try to paint the Arab world in a different light then what it is, especially when you really don't know that much about it.   

I have always wondered what things would be like if everything was the opposite.
There are 400 million Jews in 99.9 percent of the land in the Middle East. The Arabs have been in the area called arabiel for a long time and they are joined by refugees from a war where 6 million of their people died - 60 years ago. The Jews daily call this Arabocaust a myth and blame the Arabs for 9/11.... and all of their other economic/social problems. The Jews create a people called the Sienfelds (Palestinians) and strap bombs to themselves, believing in obtaining 72 virgins. They are taught this from the age of 3.
Would be an interesting scenario.

This brings up the problem of relativism and postmodernism as blinders to objective truths in geopolitics. We have to be candid and straightforward about the deep problems in much of modern day Arab culture. The current cultural atmosphere is failing the Arabs not some tiny strip of land.

Wow I love your really insightful comments about Arab culture.  I particularly like your use of stereotypes, generalizations, and the overall racist theme you have.  Your comments should be directed to Hamas and perhaps the Iranian President who isn't Arab.  But I'm sure your vast knowledge of Arab and Middle Eastern culture enables you to make such spot on comments.   

Quote from: jballer on July 31, 2006, 06:56:43 PM

I ordered a computer from Lenovo and they said it would ship in a week.  Then I got an email saying it would be delayed from anywhere from up to a month.  Then I got it about 4 days later.  So they're shipping estimates aren't too reliable. 

jballer, what computer did you order? the reason i ask is because lenovo's web site gives 8-10 days as an estimate for when a non-Thinkpad laptop will ship, but something like 3-4 weeks for the X60.

I got the Thinkpad...the T43.