The Noob

[fyv0h]

Hey there! You know, for years I have looked for fellow atheists. I've searched social networks, looked for local social groups, even sported atheist gear in public settings hoping to spark a conversation with both open and closet infidels. Never once did it cross my mind to search for an atheist forum. I belong to a number of forums, but for reasons unknown, the idea of an atheist forum eluded me.

I'll do the little intro piece here. I'm 28, former military (1/87INF, 10th MTN, Ft Drum), and I can kill some taco bell like nobody's business. I love listening to Palin, Perry and Bachmann. Their comedy skits crack me up. I'm a motorcycle rider, and that's left me with some jacked up tan lines. Stupid gloves. I'm a fan of Jazz and Classic Rock, I experiment with beer (ask me about a Yellow Yuengling), and I dance like a goat on fire. That is to say, not so well. Random fact: A Muslim friend recently told me that Islam is the one true religion, but that I couldn't understand, since I couldn't read the Quran in Arabic. So, I've been slowly teaching myself Arabic. Most everything else about me, well, it's par for the course. Liberal politics, humanist, God Delusion...you know the mold. I do hold an immense interest in mythology, particularly of the Persian, Greco-Roman, and Abrahamic varieties.

So again, hey there!

[truthandwisdom]

Welcome fellow noob! Interesting that apparently Allah is only fluent in Arabic..... if he were real, the French would mock him for his linguistic shortcomings....

[fyv0h]

The french are just jealous that their language doesn't sound like a 78 year old smoker hacking up a snot ball. THAT'S linguistics! 

[xSilverPhinx]

Welcome!

I have to ask...what about the Yellow Yuengling?

[fyv0h]

Don't knock it til you try it, and don't cringe:  Yuengling and mustard. I know how it sounds, and I thought exactly what you're thinking. I even made the same face you just made. But surprisingly, it's very good. I tastes like a hotdog. I had a bartender friend serving me strange brews one night a few months ago, and he suggested this. I was skeptical (what's new?), but tried it. Now I don't order them regularly, lest I gather uneasy looks from people at the bar beside me. But if you get adventurous, I recommend it.

[Tank]

Hi fyv0h

Welcome to HAF, good to see another superstition free mind find its way here.

Chris

[jsprouse]

I applaud you for taking the time to learn some Arabic. Let me know if the Quran makes more sense afterward.

[fyv0h]

I applaud you for taking the time to learn some Arabic. Let me know if the Quran makes more sense afterward.

I wouldn't bet my paycheck. I made my way through the English translation, and it was just as spectacular and inspiring as the bible. It held infinite wisdom, such that it could make a scientist quiver. or at least get nauseated. But then maybe it's vastly different. Here's to finding out.

[Too Few Lions]

it's good to have another fellow amateur mythographer on the forum  I do love my myths!

I hope you've got reasons to learn Arabic other than reading the Quran, if ever a book summed up the Dark Ages, that's the one! I'd love to read to Odyssey in ancient Greek, but it seems like a bit of a waste of the little free time I do have to learn a dead language. I think I'll file it with learning the sitar, maybe one day when (if!) I'm retired. At least you can use Arabic for other things, though there aren't many Arab countries that I'd feel all that comfortable visiting right now...

Oh and mustard beer sounds amazing, I'd love to try some of that. I'm going to a medieval beer festival this weekend where they've brewed some medieval beer and mead, apparently they used herbs to flavour the beer rather than hops. I'm hoping they're going to be tasty.

[fyv0h]

it's good to have another fellow amateur mythographer on the forum  I do love my myths!

I hope you've got reasons to learn Arabic other than reading the Quran, if ever a book summed up the Dark Ages, that's the one! I'd love to read to Odyssey in ancient Greek, but it seems like a bit of a waste of the little free time I do have to learn a dead language. I think I'll file it with learning the sitar, maybe one day when (if!) I'm retired. At least you can use Arabic for other things, though there aren't many Arab countries that I'd feel all that comfortable visiting right now...

Oh and mustard beer sounds amazing, I'd love to try some of that. I'm going to a medieval beer festival this weekend where they've brewed some medieval beer and mead, apparently they used herbs to flavour the beer rather than hops. I'm hoping they're going to be tasty.

Learning Arabic has a bit to do with reading the Quran (I've read the English translation and I can't honestly expect the Arabic version to differ tremendously), and a bit more to do with expanding knowledge. Also, I find the writing to be quite beautiful when the penmanship is spot on. Most things I take on are out of bordom, as a means to quell an interest or to promote multiculturalism. Knowledge is an invaluable tool that too few people care to build. As we all clearly see, the lack of desire for knowledge leads to some pretty silly assumptions about some pretty trivial things.

You and I will get along wonderfully when dealing with mythology and beer. To quote the fictional Rick Blaine, "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Mustard beer is well worth the try. You can't imagine how jealous I am of a medieval beer festival. We have a beerfest on the coast tomorrow. It's more of a marketing event for up-and-coming brewers, but they have some great suds there.

[Too Few Lions]

You and I will get along wonderfully when dealing with mythology and beer. .To quote the fictional Rick Blaine, "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Mythology and beer, I feel a Julie Andrews moment coming on. Now just where did I put my nun's habit...

Arabic is definitely a beautiful language to look at, good on you for learning it. I find obscure mythological / religious texts and just as obscure 1960s and 70s films are my choice ways of avoiding the boredom life can bring.  I remember thinking the Blue Mosque in Istanbul was very beautiful, and have always wanted to go to Samarkand and see the Registan. Just a shame a lot of the Muslim world isn't very safe right now for westerners to go backpacking in.

I'll let you know how tasty (or not) medeival beer is next week. I have high hopes, they describe one beer as 'a dark beer using mugwort, yarrow and heather' 

[Too Few Lions]

here's a pdf of the beers on offer. Most of them are just ales with Medieval themed names, but there are a few Medieval brews in there. Shame I don't have a suit of armour to wear along to the pub!

http://www.dawkins-club.talktalk.net/GM%20Medieval%202011%20list%20v2.pdf

[kbush]

well hey. i do want to hear about the experiments...
welcome to the forum though! (: