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Sunday, May 20 2012 @ 10:44 PM CDT
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philosophers in 20 seconds: 6- Noam Chomsky


1928- present

Chomsky originally concerned himself with linguistics, swithching to the intricasies of political power, American politics specifically. Intrigued by the difference in what governments say they do, and what they actually do do leads him to his pronouncement of the "principle of universatility." In short it declares that we need to be ethically responsible, judging ourselves according to the same norms, the same morals we apply when judging others. And in the same manner we should judge our governent, not necessarily taking what they say at face value.

 

This principle of universatility, according to Chomsky, is an issue of morality, for without adhering to it one's pronouncements are so many empty words. In 1968 he published his "American Power and the new Mandarins." In 1967 there was his "The Responsibilities of Intellectuals" a direct outcome of his opposition to the Vietnam war. In 2001 his "9-11" saw the light, and in 2006 "Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy."

read more in the GENERAL forum

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the source of her antipathy towards clowns


It was the kind of incident that could only happen once, at least if you live in a small town. The kind of small town that occasionally, once every year or so, gets little run-of-the-mill carnivals.

I don't want to get into it, but all I'm going to say is that she is still well known today, back home, as 'the girl who hated clowns'. More than that I cannot indulge. It just ... it got very ugly. There was a whole incident.

She is a big girl now, though, living in a real city with real living people all over, who run amuck. Of course, there are still clowns everywhere, but only little insignificant ones. Ones who will give you a red nose that goes 'parp', or maybe some clowney shoes. And a necktie that squirts a little water. Or little cross-signs tattoed onto the eyelids, so that when they are closed, it looks like they are cross-eyed, geddit? Outcold. They're everywhere, these little clowns, but she is now a grown-up and has learned how to deal with all of them....

continued in the prose forum

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finding her groove


The problem had nothing to do with her voice, for everybody agreed that it was exceptional. And nothing wrong with her melodies either, which she liked to indicate as rude grunge. Perhaps it was the words then? Yes, always the words, for in this regard everybody agreed equally: she should never have insisted on singing songs penned only by herself.

You see, she insisted that half the words of her rude grunge should be rude words, or to be unambigious, swear words. This of course disgusted both audiences and judges, so she never quite made it. Well, almost. At least not untill that evening on live tv, that evening when she had too much to drink. And to take one line from the song she sang that night: "I'm a horny bitch, a fucked up witch, my mama's girl."

continued in the prose forum

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the soup that Hermann made


Hermann Broll hardly had any redeeming features going for him: either physically, or otherwise. In fact, there honestly were quite a lot to dislike about Hermann, the least of all being his IQ of 78. Then, to add insult to injury, he had an inherent mean streak, was verily anti-social, and most likely did not smell too good either. For, being a shithouse attendant he must have raised a stink wherever he went. Small wonder then that Hermann mostly kept himself to himself.

Yet, society suffered him, although not gladly, until the day that he decided to make himself a pot of soup, some 20 odd years ago.


Oh, our Herman quite fancied himself as a cook, dishing up a decent plate of curry and rice, breyani, meat balls, casseroles, and juicy steaks. Yes, more than once the aroma wafting from Hermann's kitchen had his neighbours smaking their lips in appreciation of his obvious cullinary skills. But it was the soup which finally did him in....

read more in the Insultingly yours's forum

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blind side

toe die aand iewers anners was, ennie jimmel se blou
nie so blou soos die kyk van jou oog was nie,
en my blind side
op jou foute gefocus was, en my maaind ook
innie wolke rondgeswem het

het jy met my gevoelens die malva wals , ennie twist kom dans

elke keer wanneer ek jou lyfie se nat op my tong kon proe,

elke keer wanneer jy in my nek asemgehaal het...

maar nou issie aand hier,
ennie res van my lewe ook...
met jou daarin, wat my so ongevraagd bly verlei-
meermale nou met jou smile, meermale met jou omgee
en al het jy nie vlerkies nie, al kon jy nooit oppie water loop nie
weet jy dat jy my verleiding bly,
my lorrelei so ver verby
tot innie bewe van ons dae, die kraak van oud se herinneringe
en sal ek jou bly kyk met my blind side,
diep innie jimmel van jou oe...

lees meer in die gedigte forum.

Starblind

Shutting down...

 

Hospital walls so very pale not clean
as it is tainted with memories or so
it seems.

Strapped down in my bed my mind left
me behind, running from every and
each memory.

Across heaven in to my many hells it
finds where my heart dwells.… the
monster I have become.

I can no longer reason breathing nor
why life exist at all perhaps my
greatest fall.

continued in the poetry forum
 

first2homebase

 

Pearl of my Oyster

Amidst the sea of loneliness a mermaid chanced to come my way
who frolicked in the waters and expressed a desire to play
within a moss coven bay
flirtatiously teased before she swam away!

I stripped off clothes and leapt headlong into the briny green
intent on catching and holding fast
this rare scintillating deep-sea creature
who commanded the waters like an ocean queen.

continued in the poetry forum

Katriena-katryn se

Stylfigure:

Eufemisme: Versagtende uitdrukking, verbloeming (bv. Heengaan ‘sterf’)
Hiperbool: Buitensporige oordrywing as uiting van hewige gevoel of om ‘n sterk indruk te maak, bv. ‘ek het myself morsdood gesukkel’
Ellips: (Retorika) Weglating van woorde wat veronderstel kan word
Herhaling: Waarin woorde of sinsnedes herhaal word om ‘n gedagte te beklemtoon
Insinuasie: Bedekte, indirekte beskuldiging, listige suggestie
Ironie: Woordgebruik waar mens presies die teenoorgestelde sê van wat jy bedoel.
Paradoks: Skynbare teenstrydigheid
Oksimoron: As twee teenstrydige begrippe met mekaar verbind word
Inversie: Omdraaiing van die gewone en natuurlike woordorde, bv. ‘lank was die dag’ teenoor die regte ‘die dag was lank’.
Kontras / Antitese: Teenstelling, die gebruik van twee teenoorgestelde begrippe naas mekaar, bv. Christendom – Heidendom

lees meer in die GEDIGTE forum