What do any of you think of Sapiens posts

[c1ue]

Re: What do any of you think of Sapiens posts

I think Lukester is confusing Swedes and Russians :p

[Guest]

Re: What do any of you think of Sapiens posts

Dbarberic -

Having grown up in Italy right across the Adriatic from the Balkans, I'm guessing your family have at least some Serb, Croat, or other Balkans origins. Let me know if I'm wrong.

Barberic - my first guess is Serbian.

Those Serbians are the some of the most hell-raising, litigious people in Europe. The only ones who were more crazy-ornery than Serbs when they got mad were the Hungarians, who over hundreds of years had a reputation for getting downright bloody-minded when they got their noses out of joint. Of course the Croats give both of these a good run for their money.

I'm guessing Barberic comes from somewhere around in there.

Of course all those Europeans settled down in the late twentieth century, and are now downright civilized compared to us modern day Americans.

We are regarded now as the most whacked out and bloody-minded of the lot (Jeez, I wonder why?). We've come a long way since Woodrow Wilson.

[Guest]

Re: What do any of you think of Sapiens posts

Dbarberic -

I see you felt uncertain about the well meaning intent of the humor. I spent more than half my life in Europe, and know all the 'tribes' in Europe quite well - from the Basque to the Estonians, and from the Danes across Europe on another diagonal south to the Serbs to whom I referred.

There is actually something wonderful about the wild and bloody history of all these peoples, and I've got a fascination with the intermingling of all their histories. When I make reference to their wild and warrior like past I'm actually full of admiration (though I know we are not supposed to admire that stuff any more).

Please accept my assurance that by referring to the "Slav guys with the steel-trap minds" I was actually paying a very high compliment to any members here from these countries.

The Slavic peoples extended in massive migrations out of Asia into Europe in multiple waves. Even the Greeks at Europe's south-eastern edge for example are 60% - 70% Slavic, and only 30% or actual Greek heritage.

The Balkans are entirely Slavic. Maybe the popular notion in America, so far away from Europe, is of Slavic peoples as only coming from Russia, but they are all over the European map.

The Scandinavians are of course entirely separate ethnically from the Slavs.

Anyway, I was paying a compliment to you, as if Barberic is your family name, it is most definitely Slavic in origin, and I was also paying a compliment to C1ue - (who doesn't seem to get it) who's posts here by the way I very much admire. It seems also that he's under-estimating my familiarity with Europe.

As for making any kind of slur against Catholicism - well I grew up only a few blocks away from the Vatican - 25 years! They are A-OK in my book. The fact you indicate you are Catholic only confirms my assurance - I am betting your family are from the Balkans!

I vacationed many summers in Yugoslavia when I was a kid, before Marshall Tito died and the country was broken up. It's a beautiful place, and will become one of Europe's most preferred destinations in another few years. And Marshall Tito himself was a very decent man - perhaps his version of Communism in Yugoslavia was the most progressive in the world's experiments with communism.

After WW-2, and after Tito unified the various Balkan states into Yugoslavia, the Soviets came in and tried to strong arm Marshall Tito into becoming another vassal state as were all the others in the Eastern bloc.

Tito was tough as nails. He basically told the Soviets to shove it, and if they wanted to discuss the matter further he invited them to send an army down into the Yugoslav mountains to 'negotiate' the matter with Yugoslavia's army.

The Yugoslav army was large, well armed, and tough as nails, with a home base in a country with so many mountain ranges as to make any invading army face impossible odds. Yugoslavia and Tito were one of the few Communist countries to back the Russians down cold.

I've had a great admiration for Marshall Tito since I was a kid. Of course, since he died, the entire place fell apart - but the Balkans will have a bright future as they all enter into the EU.

Best regards.

[Glacial]

Re: What do any of you think of Sapiens posts

> Glacial is a former lurker now intrepidly walking into the "live zoo" area here (don't feed the animals or you'll lose a hand!) and offering comments as to how the Fed can finesse it's gargantuan debt with maneouvers worthy of Charles Ponzi - (evidently he's had direct experience of the "three card monte" somewhere in his checkered past)

(bows) it's good to be understood