"I got tossed!" Topic

Believe it or not, I've never been summarily kicked out of a Yahoo! group before. I don't think I've ever even had a warning before!

I ran a Hobby News story a few weeks back about the Persian_Empire group on Yahoo!, that was trying to explore ancient history while also bringing the Iranian community into contact with those interested in Iranian history.

Unfortunately, the culture shock between the Iranian community (both native Iranians and Iranians living abroad) and the non-Iranians was apparently too extreme to overcome.

From the Iranian side, they wanted to share what they said were their myths about their past. From the non-Iranian side, there was interest in these myths mixed with what I would consider a healthy amount of skepticism – the Iranians were often asked to provide a source for their myths, some kind of reference, a published book… which usually led to a tirade from the Iranian side about how "the West" only believes the Greeks!

For example, the Iranian version of the Biblical story of Esther is that Xerxes saved the Jews in Jerusalem (only), and that Haman (the fellow who plots the destruction of the Jews) was actually Jewish. But the only "source" the Iranians could give us was "we read it in a book sometime, but we don't recall where; but we're Iranians, so you should trust us."

I guess the final straw came when one fellow lectured me about Elamites being of the Aryan race, and I responded that Aryans are (to my understanding) defined as a group of people speaking an Indo-European language, and the Elamites spoke a language of a different source…

…and now I'm not a member of the Yahoo! group. No warning, just booted!

Let me say that I think it would be terrific if there were some large body of Iranian myths somehow unknown until now to the world's scholars. However, I have to consider that these Iranians may also have been fed a bunch of tales that have no source in antiquity.

Tossed by the Persians?
I am reminded of the time we were playing Machiavelli, and the Pope said "Well, here I am again, beating off the Turks…"

hmmmmm…"However, I have to consider that these Iranians may also have been fed a bunch of tales that have no source in antiquity."

If that's the criteria, then most members of the world's major religions share their situation. It should bring them to better understanding of each other.

I think a lot of the members of the world's major religions do have a source in antiquity.

The Jewish religion certainly does, as does the Christian and Buddhist.

I guess cultural exchanges aren't always what they are cracked up to be.

Bill, it's a yahoo group…trust me on this one…I had one for almost five years and had over 200 members and 10K messages. One of the members got sneaky and complained to Yahoo about "objectionable material" on the site (it was a post where he was discussing why it shouldn't be wrong for men to have sex with teenage girls; scary thing is that he is a former cop…), and Yahoo pulled the group. No warning, no explanation. I asked them what happened, they told me that there was a complaint and that was it. They couldn't/wouldn't even tell me what the complaint was.

Don't worry about it. Youv'e got TMP to prattle off in…

Now..forget those silly Persians and lets talk about getting "Hot Martha Stewart Minis" cast by Blue Moon, or Artizan…

Don't worry about it. Youv'e got TMP to prattle off in…

I'm not worried. I'm about 5% shocked and 95% laughing about it.

''Tossed'' i'm suprised thats not been filtered lol.

'I got tossed' is used in a sexual derogitory way.

There's always a contingent of drama queens on any public group. Then there are the contingent of people who pretend their not drama queens. I've seen both lead to the destruction of the group. I see some similarities on TMP from time to time.

Well if they don't want to engage in a polite discussion of sources etc. etc. then they'll just be preaching to themselves won't they?

I'm sure they'll be very happy in their corner.

hmmmm….too much REALITY vs MYTHOLOGY in your 'history'…what were you THINKING!!!!

I'm always amazed by so-called 'scholars/historians/specialists' etc in any chosen field of human endeavor who are so 'blinded' by their OWN 'perceptions' that they cannot see ANY other opinion/potential for NEW information (or world view)…that EVENTUALLY resort to the thing we all dreaded hearing from OUR own parents…when we were 'younun's'…

The INFAMOUS….'Because I SAID so!' when you kept asking 'why???'

You know what I mean? When you can't beat someone down (physically or verbally) or DROWN them in facts, rumors, inuenndos or referalls…then there is the 'huffy' I am THE 'authority' on (whatever)…and I said it was so/KNOW it is so!…

Some things in life have to be 'taken on faith' as there may be no 'logical/empirical' reason to explain or justify it otherwise…BUT, most times…you can rationally 'discuss' it with open-minded individuals.

This, apparently…was NOT one of those times/groups/ideas….

(but I learned some things about this topic from what you said that I had NO idea about!…so it's not a TOTAL loss?)

Slishfully,
Sgt DWW-bartentacle always trying to learn at least ONE new 'fact' every day!

Annoying, isn't it…..

List-owner's house, list-owner's rules, I guess.

Xerxes' Empire, Xerxes' Rules Bill.

I once asked a question about TFYRoM in a heavily Greek group. An eagle dropped a Tortoise on my head within moments.

You can't question people's beliefs and expect them to like it. In the case of a Yahoo Group that will indeed mean getting Tossed Off.

While running a game of Necromunda in a GW, I once loudly declared that 'Bob backed Dave's Escher Ganger into a corner, but she Beat them all off.' It's amazing how few 12-year olds can't drink cola and laugh without it making a mess.

Pat

Oh come on… you don't need to be 12.

A GM of mine quickly learned that if one has a girlfriend (now wife) with a certain name….

…one must not tell ones party that in the morning they "Get up at the crack of Dawn."

unless one wishes for an adjournment….

Ahem. Sorry.

Geez…imagine…the Editor getting Dawghoused…tsk, tsk, tsk…

As thread titles go this has to be one of the more 'interesting'…

I did hear a theory that the ancient Persians didn't bother recording much about their campaigns with the Greeks as the end of the world was due soon so no-one would read it.

Can it be more likely that there is a lot of Persian literature as yet untranslated into a Western language? We Westerners tend to be somewhat full of ourselves regarding books and documentation but sometimes forget that a few cultures wrote down histories centuries before our ancestors crawled out of their caves. I once read that most Chinese and Japanese historical sources are stil untranslated into English, for example.

Apart from that, we tend to look down a bit on an oral tradition in mythology. If it isn't written down, how an it be real, after all? We should not forget that myths were told for centuries before they were ever written down.

Not Iranian btw, but Dutch.

Maybe, but Gilgamesh was important enough to be written down.

Well, I agree it is sad that people cannot discuss history without getting all worked up about something that happened a while back.

We all loose in the end.

"'I got tossed' is used in a sexual derogitory way."

In what country, if I may ask? I've never heard that before.

"'I got tossed' is used in a sexual derogitory way."

In what country, if I may ask? I've never heard that before.

In the UK. It would more usually be "I got tossed off". The sort of treatment you get in some massage parlours. Um, apparently.

Well having upset persian sensibilities will keep you in good company. I remember seeing news of some annual holiday in Iran where the public jeers at effigies of historic enemies of persia as they are paraded past.

There goes Sikunder,,, hissssss,booooooo!
There goes Hulugu,,,, hisssssss, booooo!
There goes Bill,,,,hisssssss, boooooo!

I wonder if the Iranian's reaction is any indication of

But I suppose this behavior should come as no surprise .

Can it be more likely that there is a lot of Persian literature as yet untranslated into a Western language?

Even if it's untranslated, some scholar should have heard of it.

(Oh - the moderator let me back in, but gave me a public scolding for being "rude and arrogant" ??? )

I've always been puzzled why so many people believe that questioning things is "rude and arrogant". Seems prudent to me.

Did they mention anything about nuclear weapons?

Hi

I would, with hidden sarcasm, ask the editor to help. that is, "please sir, I am sure that some the the perceptions involved her are cultural and the problems of thinking with different language and cultural backgrounds. Thus, you could aid me by taking some paragraph you saw as rude and arrogant and rewrite it for me. This will teach me how to make a point or ask a question without accidentally hurting feelings."

Grin.

His response will tell you much more than you have learned so far.

R

I have a very good friend who is Iranian and is one of the most pleasant persons to have these types of discussions with. He will also be the first to tell you that there's a lot of fundamentalist fervor in Iran, but one can find such close mindedness in any country. Some cultures wear nationalism on their chests, others understate it to the point of irony.

"'I got tossed' is used in a sexual derogitory way."

In what country, if I may ask? I've never heard that before.

Nazrat, there is a phase called "tossing some one salad". I guess it is a polite way of saying tongue in cheek if you get where am going. Enough of the locker room stuff. Was it Dean Martin who made a joke about being tossed out of better dive bars or something?

Brent

(snigger snigger). he said tossed.

Gosh I guess you know how I felt being kicked off TMP as a sponsor?

VR
James Mattes

I am surprised you last that long in the group without becoming bored. I tried to have a discussion at that group but gave up.

the Editor

---…and now I'm not a member of the Yahoo! group. No warning, just booted!---

R O T F L M A O P M P

Unjustly dawghoused Bill???

Brent27511

---Nazrat, there is a phase called "tossing some one salad". I guess it is a polite way of saying tongue in cheek if you get where am going.---

Just hold the mayo, please, and don't mention the salad dressing!

Cheers,

Pro… (no, not that type of pro)

Thanks Bill, they just raised the price of a barrel of crude oil 20 more cents because of you!

By the way Bill, in your last psot you didn't just quote or at least refer to a private communciation on another forum did you?

Naughty man…

It might be a Koran or a Koran commentator reference. Some of the stories in the Koran are very similar to stories in the Bible, with subtle differences. That could account for the violence of the response.

We do have a way to go to find a common ground with some cultures.

I have read the Marmaduke Pickthall translation of the Koran. I don't recall any reference to or version of the Purim story (Book of Esther). The Koran is principally concerned with Arabs, to a lesser extent with Hebrews, not much with Persians.