Random Rants XLIII: So Much Whinging Your Head May Explode

[Peck of Arabia]

Today was feeling pretty productive until about 2 o'clock, then I just stopped. Where did the afternoon go?

 

[Phrossack]

My (now-former) history professor doesn't really know what he's talking about. He thinks the Anglo-Saxons pushed out the Britons, who fled and became today's Scottish, Irish, and Welsh. He thinks Charlemagne was converted to Christianity rather than Clovis. And he regards pretty much all ancient non-Romans and non-Greeks to be primitive and uncivilized savages with no technology or culture whatsoever.

 

[Takhisis]

You should rave about him being the former professor.

 

[Optical]

He thinks Charlemagne was converted to Christianity rather than Clovis.

...Eh?

I've known that for years, and I'm fifteen.

 

[W|M]

Oscar Niemeyer has died

 

[Takhisis]

Oh. I heard that he'd got some complications today.

A great man of Brazil indeed.

 

[Peck of Arabia]

I should be attending my (belated) graduation ceremony today but due to impending hospital treatment, I'm not

 

[JohannaK]

Oscar Niemeyer has died

R.I.P Is there a RIP thread for him already?

 

[sophie]

Dave Brubeck died today too.

 

[JohannaK]

Who's that?

 

[sophie]

Who's that?

You poor uncultured soul


Link to video.

 

[rugbyLEAGUEfan]

Rupert Murdoch's mum died too. I appreciate that this is in questionable taste, however I couldn't help but think of this ad



Link to video.

 

[Peck of Arabia]

Anybody else die? Just, y'now, while were on the subject? I'm looking through the obituary pages but I'm not finding much

 

[rugbyLEAGUEfan]

Anybody else die? Just, y'now, while were on the subject? I'm looking through the obituary pages but I'm not finding much

Unsatisfied with three? Thats quite a few big names for one day.

 

[Synobun]

Anybody else die? Just, y'now, while were on the subject? I'm looking through the obituary pages but I'm not finding much

Thousands of starved innocent children in Africa.

 

[rugbyLEAGUEfan]

Thousands of starved innocent children in Africa.

What do you mean to say by this? I'm not being smart, I'm truly interested as there are a number of ways one could construe that

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Oh god, that bloody Christmas skin is back. It's only the 6th!

I just wish those American atheist would get on with that war on Christmas. Christmas has invaded much of December and needs to be stopped! Jesus didn't take a month to be born.

 

[Borachio]

What do you mean to say by this? I'm not being smart, I'm truly interested as there are a number of ways one could construe that

Yes. It's interesting.

I'd take it that we're all of us equal, and that while people who have a high profile in the public consciousness can be "mourned" by everyone, it is extremely easy to forget about the many people who die prematurely unnecessarily.

There also countless other people who never reach public attention, who also die (surprise surprise) and yet their value may well, or often/sometimes, exceed that of people who are so valued.

Just saying that our notions of value can often be skewed.

 

[Synobun]

What do you mean to say by this? I'm not being smart, I'm truly interested as there are a number of ways one could construe that

What makes the death of a celebrity more important than the death of a statistic?

 

[rugbyLEAGUEfan]

What makes the death of a celebrity more important than the death of a statistic?

Electromagnetic signals in our brains? Our inability to comprehend the combined depth of emotion of all humanity and thus our tendency to compartmentalize? Nothing? I liked his music?

Should the African mother mourning her child that just died in her arms cry out for Rupert Murdoch's mum? Maybe she should?

Maybe death is unimportant?

I guess I'm just suggesting there is not a logical progression from "celebrity death mourned with great fanfare implies lack of empathy with starving African child".