I know, Iknow… But for me it is always hard to resist seductions…Especially the ones that are bad…I’m a hopeless case
And, then again, it never was.
I have no idea about Arabic because I have never studied it, but from what I’ve seen of the alphabet, with leters that change depending on their position within the word, it looks like a bear.
Japanese, however, is not that difficult to pick up. The grammar is relatively straightforward and getting the accent right is easy, compared to French for example. The only difficulty is the writing system; the kana aren’t hard, but it’s bloody impossible to suss out whether you’re supposed to use the on or the kun pronunciation in any given kanji.
Now if you want a bear of a language to learn, try Korean. The alphabet is ridiculously easy to learn, but the grammar and pronounciation are tough.
Aldeberan shiphal kaisekiya, wae irrokae ssoyo? Nonun pabo gotun saram malhadago saengakhaeyo.
Translation for the Korean-impaired:
Aldeberan, you fucking son of a bitch, why do you post like this? I think you are a foolish person
.
Actually, the literal translation of the second line is I think you speak like a fool. just in case I get fussed at by Korean grammar mavens.
Well I did a year Japanese my first year at the univ, which was of course mainly the grammar study and some 1500 words.
It is a very complicated language and not only because of the 3 levels of speech. If you think of it that the knowledge of 2000 Kanji characters is required to be able to read something common like a newspaper and that at the whole you need about 4000 of them if you want to master the language decently…
Then I can only applaud the evolution to use more and more the Hiragama/Katekana system when possible.
I still regret though that I didn’t proceed with the study because of lack of time. By now I forgot most of the Kanji since I didn’t use the language for over 10 years now.
But Classical Arabic (in its variations) is something you can be occupied with your whole life and still you encounter riddles and problems which give you a headache. That is why it is so much fun to do.
The Alphabet isn’t complicated though. It’s just a question of getting used to it that some letters have 3 (much resembling) forms depending their place in a word. That’s not difficult at all, you learn that in a few hours time.
Salaam.
Aldebaran, I speak fluent English, Japanese, and German, and have studied some French, Spanish, Italian, and Russian. I’m also a trained translator. While I have not had the opportunity to study Arabic yet, I do believe that my native language, English, is the most difficult of these seven to speak fluently, mostly because it is a highly idiosyncratic language whose rules of both grammar and spelling tend to be quite inconsistent.
I’ve also been following this thread for the past few days. Your experience here is not typical of most newbies. If it were, I doubt we’d have more than 300 members, let alone over 30,000. I certainly wouldn’t be among them.
Here’s where you went wrong. You posted incorrect and insulting statements about a country in which you apparently do not live and about a religion which you, by your own admission, know little about. This website’s purpose is fighting ignorance, and that is something which a sizable number of us take seriously. It is at its worst when we find it within ourselves. You, instead of acknowledging and fighting your own ignorance, appeared to wallow in it and try to spread it. I’ve been hanging around this board for about three years now. In my experience, if someone had said the things you said about America about a Middle Eastern country or said the things about Islam that you’ve said about Christianity, they would be shouted down just as vociferously as you were. I’ve seen that happen.
You’ve accused us of acting like 12 year olds. That is not my experience with this board. My experience is that, unlike some 12 year olds, you will be judged on two things more than anything else: what you have to say, and how you say it. Tha is also what I have seen happening here. We make allowances for people whose native language isn’t English. If anything, more allowances will be made for that if you have something worthwhile to say. I saw some worthwhile stuff from you over in GD, but I haven’t seen any here.
You have the potential to bring knowledge and experience which I lack to this board. I’d like you to stay around and share your perspective. On the other hand, if you act the way you have in this thread, I won’t miss you. As a friend of mine says, “Why are you choosing to hurt yourself in this way?” The choice is yours. Other people have gotten off to worse starts here and become valued members of this community. Whatever you do, though, what you write is your choice, not ours.
May peace be with you,
CJ
Gobear, I’ve been wanting to say this for a few days, and there’s no time like the present. I do appreciate what you’ve been saying in favour of Christianity, but I hope you knew I would. May peace be with you, too.
Well said Siege. 
~J
I’m sorry, but the behaviour I see in this topic is that of children.
You are entitled to find it adult.
Yet I do not and never shall find such immature behaviour adult.
I don’t take people who show this kind of behaviour for adults.
If such people post their childish attacks , they get no other reply then the kind they got here.
If you find this topic worth something, that is also your choice.
Yet I do not.
It gathered the most hostile immature racist bunch of members of a message board I have ever seen gathering on a message board.
Thus I don’t see why I should wish to communicate with these members seen the fact they aren’t here to communicate, but to demonstrate their unwillingness to communicate.
And I’m sorry, but I find the whole “idea” to give people the occasion to behave as those people do here quite insane for a message board that claims to be respectable.
I’ve seen on the other boards signs that it is indeed a respectable message board. The more I find their methods here repulsive. It’s like having a rule: let’s keep the boards decent and give those who refuse to grow up their own little playground.
Well, I’m not here to serve as toy for this immature bunch.
And this is my last post on this topic.
I reckon they will go on with their childish slanderings and attacks for some time… The staff of this website gives them the opportunity so why not. Everyone, even the immature stuck in pre-puber behaviour is entitled to have a hobby. Yet I’m not a hobby tool nor a hobby toy and if you want to become one because you find what happens here so absolutely normal and acceptable, feel free to duplicate my membername in order to make these people continue to feel happy.
Salaam.
Aldebaran.
Very well Aldeberan. Let’s assume that I am an immature 12 year old and that I do, in fact, know nothing.
Would you like to explain to me how in the hell anyone in this thread has made anything even resembling a racist remark?
Alde,
I hope that you do stay gone from this thread. The classic Pit response, immediately pre-meltdown, is to make such a statement as, “And this is my last post on this topic,” and then return yet again. Don’t do it.
Just venture forth to other threads and set a good example for others to follow by your magnanimity.
I would like to caution anyone trying to refute Alde’s statements to please take a moment and reconsider. Many have tried and failed, and he seems to keep bringing up the same ‘arguement’.
Have we suggested an alternate thread for Alde? I know of none, sorry. But perhaps y’all can recommend some websites where he would be welcomed?
Just a thought…
Alde, I know you’re a Moslem but are you an Arab? I know most Moslems aren’t. I know your ancestry is half-Christian. But since we don’t know the country you’re in, we have no idea what you might look like. And you do know not everybody dealing with you here is “white” as the term is used in America, right?
For the most part, we try not to be racist here. Please point out exactly where you’ve seen it in this thread and we won’t do it again. But you have to let us know. Saying something like “Any child can see where this thread is racist!” won’t help your case at all.
Which is why you have chosen to participate in it with such enthusiasm?
On the contrary, you participated quite gleefully for some time.
Balderdash. Nothing in this thread, however venemous, could be considered “most racist” by any objective standards. If by “racist” you mean “prejudiced,” then it must be noted that your prejudices have been as notable as any other participant. If you actually meant “racist,” then you are simply delusional.
Just as you were going off to bed in the early stages of this thread?
If you actually have something to offer in the Great Debates Forum: Welcome. However, if you are simply going to throw mud with everyone else, here, then retreat whining “You are children” then we have the right to laugh at you.
Certainly, if you avoid this thread (and this Forum) and actually participate in Great Debates, that would be a nice thing (and a welcome change), but currently you seem to be simply a judgmental person who indulges in name-calling, then whines that others are calling him names.
Skip it, Meros… I wouldn’t expect him back in this thread.
He had his fun; managed to twist everyone’s noses for 7 pages, got to play International Man of Mystery, came off like the abused innocent victim, dodged everyone who challenged the ridiculous tales of Arabian stallions and his Masters in European History (apparently he was off riding his fine Arab charger when they were covering that whole Reformation thing)…
Played y’all like a fiddle, he did.
It kinda reminded me of that Irish troll from a month or so back. The same relentless posting style, the same fingers-in-the-ears-LA-LA-LA-LA mode of discourse, and of course the same “I’m running an experiment” comments.
Oddly enough, I expect him to settle down and join the left-wing “I’m not a troll, I’m just smarter than you 'cause my professor told me Dubya is a drooling moron compared to real geniuses like us Protesticrats” crowd. Yep, just another reason to ignore GD.
-Rav
I’ll go 5-2.
Any takers?
Thanks, but I’m still hurtin’ with the Belmont bet.
stupid gelding…
Wakum al salam to you Alderbaran, you know we are not rasicts on these boards however you may see it, its just that we see sense on issues that your anger has blinded you towards.
Aldebaran, accusations of racism have a history of being taken very seriously on this board. They are taken so seriously that people have gotten banned for making racist remarks. Would you please tell us exactly you have seen as racist behaviour by quoting what was posted, and indicating which thread it was posted in and who it was posted by (if it was in this thread, you’d better throw in a page number, too)? I’m not trying to act like a moderator here or get anyone banned; I just wonder where the accusation of racism is coming from. If you think anything in my last post was racist, I would very much like you to quote what I said which gave offense.
CJ
All right, enough. This thread is closed, and I am going to recommend to the staff that we aid Aldebaran in his decision to stay away from these boards. He obviously has no desire to fit in, and doesn’t like us. That’s fine. Let’s facilitate.