LL-L "Philosophy" 2007.04.16 (04) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L  -  16 April 2007 - Volume 04

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From: Sandy Fleming <sandy at scotstext.org>
Subject: LL-L "Philosophy" 2007.04.15 (03) [D/E]

> From: Jacqueline Bungenberg de Jong <Dutchmatters at comcast.net>
> Subject: LL-L "Demographics" 2007.04.15 (02) [E]
>
> Wesley Parish wrote "Things which are impossible are equal to each
> other."  He managed to explain a joke that I thought very funny for
> the longest time, but never could explain. Here it is:
>
> Q: Wat is het verschil tussen een dood vogeltje ? (What is the
> difference between a dead bird?)
>
> A: Zijn ene pootje is even lang. (Its one leg is of equal length)
>
> Now, would somebody please explain what form of Philosophical
> Dialectics is responsible for that conundrum,
>
> Thanks Wesley. You made my day. Jacqueline

Was the student taking a maths exam, by any chance? It seems to echo
Euclid's proposition, "Things that are equal to the same thing are equal
to each other."

That aside, in maths, things that have been disproved are false. Things
that are false are equal to each other (they're all equal to false). So
what the student is saying may be unconventionally phrased, but it's a
straightforward and correct statement in mathematical logic.

I haven't thought about Nasreddin since there was a minor craze for him
amongst the students at my university in the 1970's. Then again I don't
believe for a moment that story about Till and the potty because those
sorts of thinkers (the ones who are clever enough to see through things
but not clever enough to keep quiet about it) get the shit beaten out of
them every day of their lives.

I suspect scatological humour is popular everywhere but tends to fall
into censorous hands sooner or later. Look at the brilliant stories in
the Arabian Nights such as "The Historic Fart" which seem to get passed
over for all the tedious nonsense like Aladdin and Sinbad. Or how the
satire of the Cadi &c gets retold in such a way that they don't all piss
on each other.

I wonder which scene will be the first to be deleted from Borat when the
puritans get the upper hand again?  :)

Sandy Fleming
http://scotstext.org/

•

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