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Post by todhrimencuri on Jun 29, 2010 1:30:21 GMT -5
Outside of my personal studies...
I just finished reading a very good and pretty simple read: The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism. I suggest it for everyone to read. It really give you good insight on the development of radical religious ideologies in the Middle East, US and Israel over the last 100 years or so... and even delves into the developments of various non-orthodox religious movements. A great book that can show people how to properly deal with ideological religion in methods outside of pure repression (that often doesnt abate the problem t just makes it worse). Right now Im reading Punishing the Poor: The Neo-Liberal Government of Social insecurity. its about the rise of neo-liberalist policies in the US (promotion of big business, deregulation and desocialization of labor, highened individualistic attitudes aimed purely at benefiting the elites) and how this has affected the poor and increasingly more destitute. The study is by a Frenchman in America and focuses on perceptions of crime and insecurity and the pornography of policing. I think this is one of the best books that I have read in a very long time... a difficult read though.
Alongside these I am doing various Sunas of the Quran (that I picked up after a debate here) alongside the book Why I am not a Muslim... which is certainly biased but makes some really strong points.
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Post by Gigolo on Jun 29, 2010 2:15:00 GMT -5
Besides a few exceptions, I don't really get the impression most people on this entire forum are the reading type lol... I've been reading historical fiction mostly lately, books like The Afghan Campaign by Steven Pressfield, trying to get inspiration for my own stories. www.stevenpressfield.com/the-afghan-campaign/
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Post by todhrimencuri on Jun 29, 2010 2:43:29 GMT -5
The Afghan Campaign? Quite the anachronistic title that clearly is trying to make some modern connections in order to boost sales. I read Pressfield's Gates of Fire. Fun read when I was in High School, today it seems to have lost its edge. I wonder if this is anything like it.
Eitherway, there are plenty of available reads on the situation in Afghanistan... you can read British accounts as well as, perhaps more appropriately since the US is currently fighting Taliban rebels akin to the Mudjahadeen, the Soviet Invasion force...
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Post by vanilo on Jun 29, 2010 4:09:39 GMT -5
Why I am not a Muslim... which is certainly biased but makes some really strong points. Which strong points would that be? . I got soooooo frustrated when I read this book! I wanted to debate with the author . He claims so much bullshit in it, it's unbelieveable. To an extend where it's kind of funny. I'm currently reading Thérèse Raquin by Émile Zola. I chose this one mainly because I need to brush up on my French - but I'd also been told it's a good book, so...it's not bad, so far .
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Patrinos
Amicus
Peloponnesos uber alles
Posts: 4,763
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Post by Patrinos on Jun 29, 2010 8:18:56 GMT -5
Some books for Toski:
-Hellenism in Narta- by Thodhoraqis Papas
-Islam in Turkalbanian mindset, by Kristo Islami and Ferdinard Karababaj
-Ortodoxet dhe Shqiptarevet, by Anastasios Janoulatos
-Make it yourself: Kalasnikof, Naim Placke
-Budhism in Albania, our new religion?, Budha Mustafaj
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Post by todhrimencuri on Jun 29, 2010 15:31:41 GMT -5
Why I am not a Muslim... which is certainly biased but makes some really strong points. Which strong points would that be? . I got soooooo frustrated when I read this book! I wanted to debate with the author . He claims so much bulls**t in it, it's unbelieveable. To an extend where it's kind of funny. Its pointless to discuss. Your views are clearly entrenched, what you read you read with a predetermined mind that you would not buy it. Arguing with you woult be to argue with a rationalization of programed ideas. Any religious person will always argue that his faith, doctrines, philosophy and books are perfect... and for them, they are since they have modeled everything on these things. In that way, its impossible to argue. You will, in your own mind, always win. Ibn Warraq presents some strong points about the devastating effect that religion has had on the people, even if he is taking it to a clearly biased and unscholarly level.
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Post by zoti on Jun 29, 2010 15:51:31 GMT -5
Besides a few exceptions, I don't really get the impression most people on this entire forum are the reading type lol... Exhibit A: Some books for Toski: - Hellenism in Narta- by Thodhoraqis Papas- Islam in Turkalbanian mindset, by Kristo Islami and Ferdinard Karababaj - Ortodoxet dhe Shqiptarevet, by Anastasios Janoulatos- Make it yourself: Kalasnikof, Naim Placke - Budhism in Albania, our new religion?, Budha Mustafaj As for me I barely read any books anymore, it's all magazines and newspapers (The Economist and the NYT mostly). I'm reading "Turning Back the Clock: Hot Wars and Media Populism" by Umberto Eco. It's a collection of esays he's written in the last decade and an interesting read. I find interesting in particular his critique on Berlusconi. Any Albanian reading it will easily see the striking similaities between Berlusconi and Berisha.
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Post by Gigolo on Jun 29, 2010 16:00:51 GMT -5
The Afghan Campaign? Quite the anachronistic title that clearly is trying to make some modern connections in order to boost sales. I read Pressfield's Gates of Fire. Fun read when I was in High School, today it seems to have lost its edge. I wonder if this is anything like it. Eitherway, there are plenty of available reads on the situation in Afghanistan... you can read British accounts as well as, perhaps more appropriately since the US is currently fighting Taliban rebels akin to the Mudjahadeen, the Soviet Invasion force... I'm not reading it for history, I'm reading it for entertainment. it's historical FICTION. It's about Alexander's war in Afghanistan.
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Post by todhrimencuri on Jun 29, 2010 16:35:23 GMT -5
Just to sort of get it confirmed, your Bosnian right?
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Post by vanilo on Jun 29, 2010 17:09:33 GMT -5
Which strong points would that be? . I got soooooo frustrated when I read this book! I wanted to debate with the author . He claims so much bulls**t in it, it's unbelieveable. To an extend where it's kind of funny. Its pointless to discuss. Your views are clearly entrenched, what you read you read with a predetermined mind that you would not buy it. Arguing with you woult be to argue with a rationalization of programed ideas. Any religious person will always argue that his faith, doctrines, philosophy and books are perfect... and for them, they are since they have modeled everything on these things. In that way, its impossible to argue. You will, in your own mind, always win. You are wrong . I did buy the book, and I still have it . Before reading the book I thought people were exagerrating when they wrote negative stuff it - I thought they were being overly sensitive. When I read it, it disappointed me that he had cut verses and narrations out of their contexts, and that he had interpreted them after his own head. Yeah, I admit, I had a hard time taking him seriously after that... I might have strong beliefs but I'm not closed-minded and one-sided. I didn't ask you what Ibn Warraq's strong points were to tell you that you are wrong, I merely asked because I did not catch those points myself when I read the book, and I was interested in knowing what they were. I also thought you might have meant that he was right in his claims...so I asked you about it. That was all I wanted to know.
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Post by Gigolo on Jun 29, 2010 23:09:23 GMT -5
Just to sort of get it confirmed, your Bosnian right? I am indeed. But I'm a big fan/reader of Albanian history as well. And being a mountain boy from east Herzegovina, I especialy take an interest in the mountaineers in Malesia and Kosovo.
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Post by todhrimencuri on Jun 29, 2010 23:13:05 GMT -5
Catholic or Muslim? Not that it matters, Im just interested.
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Post by Gigolo on Jun 29, 2010 23:20:35 GMT -5
Catholic or Muslim? Not that it matters, Im just interested. Of muslim religous background, but I don't practice any religion myself. Probably much like yourself. If I was catholic, lets face it, I'd be introducing myself as a Croat, like 95% of catholics do in Herzegovina lol.
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PARIS DIO_MYSUS!
Amicus
It's Nice to be Important but It's more Important to be Nice!
Posts: 3,681
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Post by PARIS DIO_MYSUS! on Jul 1, 2010 13:21:12 GMT -5
Any religious person will always argue that his faith, doctrines, philosophy and books are perfect... and for them, they are since they have modeled everything on these things. Believe in Myself Mysia JESUS The Messiah for that I Am Revelation and precisely I Tell My True Story! I Am The Only One Holy Way of True Life that soon gonna bring this world Perfect on My Holy Image! As I said What is Beautiful is Holy! Only Strong People Survive! Very Truly!! Myself, Uranos MystAgogu !!!
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Post by macmako on Jul 1, 2010 14:36:25 GMT -5
This year, I have read:
Stalin: The Court of the Red Czar by Simon Sebag Montefiore
History of the Middle Ages by Joseph Dahmus
The Federalist by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison
Duel by Thomas Fleming
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
and
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Currently reading Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky, and I must say a very depressing book about desperation.
Any suggestions of what I may read of interest after this current book I am reading?
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Post by todhrimencuri on Jul 1, 2010 15:01:11 GMT -5
Glaring innaccuracy by Thodhori. No Nartjot would accept such a book since no hellenophil Nartjot (99% of whom are now in Athens) accepts the name Narta, since they know that its their own corruption due to the fact that their original dialect was a mixture of Greek and Albanian. Arta is the original name they would call it, that is if they are not on the pro-Albanian sphere. This is a contention now between the two groups. The Narta traditionalists and the Arta Athens raised group. Either way such a book would be pointless. The kaur rats in that town are nearly dead or dying.
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PARIS DIO_MYSUS!
Amicus
It's Nice to be Important but It's more Important to be Nice!
Posts: 3,681
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Post by PARIS DIO_MYSUS! on Jul 1, 2010 15:51:42 GMT -5
- Hellenism in Narta- by Thodhoraqis PapasIn albanian Narta means the small place that is populated by villagers. Mostly Albanians saying short Nar for Katundar. narta=nar=greek catundaris Cheers!
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Patrinos
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Peloponnesos uber alles
Posts: 4,763
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Post by Patrinos on Jul 1, 2010 16:23:07 GMT -5
Glaring innaccuracy by Thodhori. No Nartjot would accept such a book since no hellenophil Nartjot (99% of whom are now in Athens) accepts the name Narta, since they know that its their own corruption due to the fact that their original dialect was a mixture of Greek and Albanian. Arta is the original name they would call it, that is if they are not on the pro-Albanian sphere. This is a contention now between the two groups. The Narta traditionalists and the Arta Athens raised group. Either way such a book would be pointless. The kaur rats in that town are nearly dead or dying. the "n" in front of a name that starts with vowel is a not rare phainomenon in Greek, since the "n" from the article stays in the noun-name e.g. "stin Arta", "sti Narta"... "tin Io"-"ti Nio"(the island Ios) etc etc... so don't worry, the name of your maternal village isn't corrupted by any barbarian language... I've suggested and other books if you think you know all things about Narta... What about the "Hellenoarvanitovlachoi of Plikati"?
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Post by todhrimencuri on Jul 1, 2010 16:28:25 GMT -5
The n in front of a word beginning with a vowel is a common occurence in Albanian and in English as well. An American Tale. A Tale of Two Cities... etc. etc. And the expression of the people would be, as I once explained to Kastor here: "stin n'Arta". The locals would use the Albanian ne (meaning inside or towards), which is often elided in Albanian with the vowel of the next word since the e is silent. Hence Narte instead of Arta.
And anyway, I dont need half-literate kaurs to destroy this topic. If you have a real book your reading, you can bring it up. I dunno, perhaps some book about the dead late Byzantine culture or something... This topic is not about a dead kaur fishermen town...
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Patrinos
Amicus
Peloponnesos uber alles
Posts: 4,763
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Post by Patrinos on Jul 1, 2010 17:07:50 GMT -5
The n in front of a word beginning with a vowel is a common occurence in Albanian and in English as well. An American Tale. A Tale of Two Cities... etc. etc. And the expression of the people would be, as I once explained to Kastor here: "stin n'Arta". The locals would use the Albanian ne (meaning inside or towards), which is often elided in Albanian with the vowel of the next word since the e is silent. Hence Narte instead of Arta. .... ;D ... Mysia is that you? ok full literate paliotourkalvane, learn some history. BYZANTIUM’S BALKAN FRONTIER, A Political Study of theNorthern Balkans, 900-1204/by PAUL STEPHENSON
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