Ok, now that I have read the rest of the thread, I take that beer. I drink, one beer, every now and then. As a general rule I don’t “drink” because I am diabetic and the drink could quite litterally kill me.
I’v heard of Baptists, Mennonites, Mormons, and Methodists, but never Diabetics.
Or is that not sweet?
[quote=“Alleycat”]I’v heard of Baptists, Mennonites, Mormons, and Methodists, but never Diabetics.
Or is that not sweet?[/quote]
Perhaps he meant to type Dianetics, but wasn’t being Clear.
[quote]Ok, now that I have read the rest of the thread, I take that beer. I drink, one beer, every now and then. As a general rule I don’t “drink” because I am diabetic and the drink could quite litterally kill me.
[/quote]
I am the same way. It has gotten to the point in my life now that beer can put in bed for a few days. Talk about hangovers. Diabetes is the most likely culprit as I have a family history of it. I had a doctor a few years back say it could be an allergic reaction or intolerance. Both are hereditary and Americans are more prone towards it as our heritage is usually mixed with the true native North Americans. Come to find out that my great grandmother was a native of a now non-existent tribe from Virginia. Alcoholism also is prevalent on that side of my family. At any rate I can
today i received a fax from taiwan from a friend there re the missing USA teacher from Hess. seems the China Post ran a story on page 20 or so, with photo this time. with MORE details:
he was reported missing May 20 by the boss of a small hostel he was staying at in Hualien, a Catholic priest who runs the place, and he never returned after going out for a walk or hike or whatever, his backpack and luggage still in the hostel. why didnt the newspaper report this fact two months ago. they originally made it sound like Hess reported him missing, it was the priest who reported him. NOW it looks more and more liked he plum disappeared in the Hualien mountains, on a hike, tripped and fell over a cliff. or some local killed him in a drunken fight and buried the body.
his mother came to Taiwan to look for him. did the other papers reporter this?
RIP, Fred. it happens. shit happens
Laughing at others’ misfortune is called Schodenfreuda (too lazy to check spelling)…and we are all guilty of it…everytime some actor takes a pratfall, we giggle…it’s our nature…if you could somehow take over control of your chuckle centre, a neo-tantric-humorist sorta thang…maybe you could enlighten-up yourself as to not laugh when schodenfreuda strikes…good luck to you…I can sometimes do a post-game wrap-up on a laugh…why did this person laugh at this bit and not that person…part of the skill package needed to direct theatre…we once did a play where we could get a continuous wave laugh…it would go for almost 5 minutes…non-stop…think about it…it’s impressive…
What was more impressive is the audience was not laughing at the schodenfreuda, even tho it was what they must have, in any kind of post play analysis, considered the root of the humour…as it abounded throughout the production…no, no, no… the audience was laughing at fear, what they most feared about their own lives…
Tomas, I offer this thought as a bridge of peace…I admire how well you’ve argued your point, even though I cannot take your side…temper your zealousness lest you protest too much…I am confident that you too fall prey to schodenfreuda…on occasion…you may be reduced to renaming your handle to Pot and we to Kettle. Then all you’d be able to post is:
“BLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACK
BLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACK
BLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACK
BLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACK
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BLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACK
BLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACK
BLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACK
BLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACK
BLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACK
BLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACK
BLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACK
BLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACK
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BLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACK
BLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACK
BLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACK
BLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACKBLACK”
We laugh at others because we fear it happening to ourselves…it is a defensive mechanism of sanity…in that respect, I proffer the following theory…Schodenfreuda is healthy…we laugh at Fred’s foibles because they could all too easily be our own…we fear, we fret, we kvetch, we get ulcers, we die…hell…isn’t it easier to laugh at Fred??? Given the narcissistic nature of his blog-life, I’d say that he would be happy with the attention his adventure is getting him…he’ll be non-plussed if he ever logs on again.
Peace Y’all
Toe
Thanks for the thought, but laughing at fictional pratfalls is not a realistic comparison to laughing at someone’s disappearance and possible death.
toe save schadenfreude german
and it DOESNT mean to laugh at others’ deaths, it means to have a secret happiness at the misfortune of others, usually high rollers who fall from grace. it does not apply with Fred’s case. brush up your german
schadenfreude \SHAHD-n-froy-duh, noun:
DEF:
A malicious
satisfaction in the misfortunes of others. …
Schadenfreude. Malicious pleasure. To derive enjoyment from another’s misfortune.
NOTE: malicious!
Tomas is right, everyone else was so bad!
[quote=“formosa”]toe save schadenfreude german
and it DOESNT mean to laugh at others’ deaths, it means to have a secret happiness at the misfortune of others, usually high rollers who fall from grace. it does not apply with Fred’s case. brush up your german
schadenfreude \SHAHD-n-froy-duh, noun:
DEF:
A malicious
satisfaction in the misfortunes of others. …
Schadenfreude. Malicious pleasure. To derive enjoyment from another’s misfortune.
NOTE: malicious!
Tomas is right, everyone else was so bad![/quote]
Formosa mon frere,
Prenez une petite biere sur la Rue St. Denis pour moi svp…salut…
Yet, other than correcting my spelling, I did know how to say it, you have not dissolved my argument. Yet. 
My hypothesis remains that schadenfreude is like breathing, beyond our mental control.
My contra-argument would be that given the bloggy nature of this particular example, tribs’ might’ve better utilized the luxury of forethought…if true schadenfreude is indeed instinctual, as is my theory.
I am reminded of that classic Mary Tyler Moore episode when the clown dies. Uncontrolled laughter from fear…is this kind of laughter not somehow linked to schadenfreude?
Ergo, is not schadenfreude a healthy response to fear? A short burst of preternatural cleansing…or kvetchorcism…in this far too politically-reflexive society, can we not allow for some baser creativity?
Of course, my theory refutes Formosa’s 411 about schadenfreude being malicious…maliciousness is next to hatred and there is already plenty of that around… if tribs’ are guilty of malicious intent, then I too would wag my shamin’-finger…but I am not convinced any perceptually grey comments had a more innocent, as in naturally occuring, intent.
But it’s just a theory…
Mezzant…
accepted.
No news. My guess is that his mom will stay around for a while until she has closure, offers some prayers to his dearly departed soul in the mountains, thanks the Taiwan people for their generosity and friendliness in her time of need, just like the father of the NZ man who disappeared in the Ali Shan area 4 years ago or so. Taiwan gives and Taiwan also takes back. Rest in peace, Frederick the Wandering soul from Poland Italy Alaska dead in Taiwan.
and that SA guy who drowned at last years Spring Scream rave party. Seems that Taiwan’s good brothers ghosts shon-tee, or hao shon-ti, are taking care of us Westerners too. Which is as it should be, it being an equal opportunity spirit world of the dead. We are die someday.
This article about Fred was in today’s Taiwan News. He’s still missing and the police are still looking.
No harm in posting the whole article:
[quote=“The Central News Agency”]
NPA steps up search for missing U.S. citizen
2003-08-08 / Central News Agency
The National Police Administration said yesterday that it has stepped up efforts in the search for a U.S. citizen who went missing in Taiwan in late May.
NPA officials said that Fryderyk Mieszko Frontier arrived in Taiwan May 20 to take up an English teaching job at a branch of the Hess Educational Organization in Chungho, Taipei County, but that he did not show up for a Hess pre-job training program May 25 as originally scheduled.
According to NPA probes, Frontier stayed at Taipei Hostel after his arrival in Taiwan. He had told a hostel information desk staffer that he was going to take a leisure trip to eastern Taiwan before reporting to Hess for work. Frontier left his luggage at the Hess Chungho branch before departing for the eastern county of Hualien.
NPA officials said Frontier stayed at a Catholic hostel in Tienhsiang in Taroko National Park from May 21 through May 24. He checked out of the hostel May 25 and has not been heard from since.
The NPA said it has directed the Hualien County Police Bureau and the Taroko National Park police squad to step up the search for Frontier. Moreover, it urged local citizens to come forward with any information they might have regarding the whereabouts of Frontier.
“Anyone who has information about the whereabouts of Frontier is welcome to contact the NPA’s foreign affairs office at (02) 2393-0989 or (02) 2394-0238, or the Hualien County Police Bureau at (03) 738-2000,” an NPA official said.
He said Frontier stands 186 centimeters tall, weighs 96 kilograms, and has curly brown hair.[/quote]
You might have thought they’d publish Fred’s photograph. Here it is again:
Fred Frontier
Alternative image URL: mywebpage.netscape.com/julianclegg/fred.gif
(If anyone else with a web site wants to post the photo, please put a copy of it on your own web server, rather than connecting to the ones on my web sites, thanks.)
So the last place he was seen was in Taroko gorge. The mountains are very steep there, you could wander off a path , fall down and nobody would ever find you. A guy goes missing in Taroko and they don’t send a search and rescue…
So what exactly are these stepped up efforts that the police will employ in the search for a guy who has already been missing for three months? It sounds like all they are doing is reissuing a press briefing.
headhoncho is right: Fred fell off a cliff in Taroko, his body is rotting right now as we speak and some hikers will find his remains next summer or in 2008 summer. he probably died instantly, without pain, let’s hope so.
Just makes you want to savor everyday life all the more. Any one of could go tomorow, and soon enough, give or take 20-60 years, we will all be gone, in the end.
Is there a lesson to be learned from all this? Nope.
Yes, don’t take unecessary risks.
if it is such a universal thing, how come native english speakers never had a word for it until recently when we picked up the german term?
I like to think Fred’s off in the mountains honing up his aboriginal language skills with some locals he’s met at Taroko. Didn’t his webpage have some reference to an interest in native peoples?
I sincerely hope to one day read a weird footnote about the missing foreigner, who’s wandered out of the mountains after being taken in by the Ataya tribe and rather surprised by the fuss his absence has caused.
The insomniac optimist.
HG
[quote=“Huang Guang Chen”]I like to think Fred’s off in the mountains honing up his aboriginal language skills with some locals he’s met at Taroko. Didn’t his webpage have some reference to an interest in native peoples?
I sincerely hope to one day read a weird footnote about the missing foreigner, who’s wandered out of the mountains after being taken in by the Ataya tribe and rather surprised by the fuss his absence has caused.
The insomniac optimist.
HG[/quote]
I didn’t check if his website really mentions an interest in native people, but this reminds me of something: