in one of my online haunts, there's an orthodox jew who once studied to be a rabbi. from him, i've learned a great deal about just how different judaism is from christianity, and how those differences have in turn been misunderstood (sometimes willfully) to yield unkind assumptions about jews, how they have become flashpoints in jew/gentile relations.
there's an old joke about not knowing enough about something to know even where to start asking questions to learn about it. and i felt that way about jewish culture: i grew up in an area that had a lot of reform jews, but precious few orthodox, so this education process has had many moments of "wait, you mean [x], not [y]?"
and even now, i wouldn't call myself particularly well-informed about his religion: merely somewhat less ignorant.
but this in turn led me to an idea for a...well, you know... :>
there are a number of subjects that interest me about which i am mind-bogglingly ignorant and want to learn more. the friend who visited the other day recently got involved in boxing, and that's a martial art that despite its popularity i've never particularly understood so i'm hoping to learn from him more about it. having once myself studied a martial art, i'm curious to learn its principles. and of course, i figure it might be helpful for writing...
so the question: about what subjects do you find yourself uninformed but really want to rectify that situation?
ed
silverwhisper posted on Nov 30, 2007
| views: 347
Comments
-
Zayda said on Nov 30, 2007....
oh lord, ed. i don't even know where to begin with this question because there is so much i would like to know more about.
hmmm, i'll start with a couple of things though. while i do have a bachelor's and master's in english, i don't know that much about post-colonial literature. you see my focus in my undergraduate degree was women writer's (at my school we were required to pick a specialization for our bachelor's in english, which most people don't do until the master's level.) and my focus in my master's program was a dual focus in rhetoric and composition and children's literature. and then my focus in my ph.d. program was technical communication and rhetoric.
i have always been intrigued by post-colonial writers such as eileen chang, chinua achebe,isabel allende, margart atwood, and gabriel garcia marquez, but i haven't really studied them.
i would also like to learn more about islam and understand the tenets of the religion. i feel this way about a few other religions as well, including buddhism and shinto.
i suppose those are my top two right now, but there are so many other things. -
beyondtheveil said on Nov 30, 2007....
Ed- I'd be very interested in knowing more about not only the US, but the world's true power structure. For instance, whether the corporate world and world leaders have an agenda for humanity through their own purposes for total control. I've read so much about this involving entities such as the Bilderberg Group and many others. Problem is, I can't get a handle on it. I don't know which people or authors to read who may have that handle. There is a mountain of documentation out there, but there is so much secrecy and cover up. And there is no shortage of people to scream 'conspiracy theorist' every time someone writes about it.
That's a very large subject area, but I'm really interested.
-
uniquely-ironic said on Nov 30, 2007....
I'd love to know more about finance on a macro and micro level. I'm often overwhelmed by financial contracts because they use term I'm not familiar with.I'd love to know more about world cultures. I find so many cultures have fascinating customs and could probably spend my entire life traveling around the globe learning something new till the day I die. -
the_infernal_optimist said on Nov 30, 2007....
I'll never be able to provide a comprehensive list. :-p A few areas that particularly interest me:
Linguistics - specifically, Appalachian dialects past and present
World religions - specifically Hinduism, Shinto, and Taoism, although Druidry also appeals for personal reasons, and I'd study 'em all, given enough time
Genetics (human)
[International] diplomacy (behind the scenes sorts of things)
~Infernal
-
silverwhisper said on Nov 30, 2007....
super z: post-colonial lit is something i wasn't really aware existed until talking w/ my sister, who at the time was doing her doctorate in french lit. she could either choose post-colonial francophone lit or a new work on a classic (rimbaud) and leverage the status of her advisor, a rimbaud authority. that's most unusual that your undergrad program required a specialization--i haven't heard of that until now. :> during 8th grade, i rec'd a very basid "broad strokes" exposure to buddhism, islam and hinduism.
btw: of course there's so much--we're talking about you, after all! :D
beyond: i'll confess, i feel that you're slipping towards conspiracy theory land--it's pretty challenging already to maintain profitability and improve shareholder value as it is w/out worrying about secret agendas, i would think.
u-i: finance, happily, is a field in which tons has been written, at least! :> and the eighth grade course i mentioned to super z was actually titled "world cultures"--really nifty stuff, if simplistic. and hey, wouldn't that be a fun way to spend one's life?
infernal: i don't think anybody ever could come up w/ a comprehensive list--note super z's comment. :> all of what you list i can see, although genetics did surprise me. ?
ed -
beyondtheveil said on Nov 30, 2007....
Ed- Right! I like conspiracy theory just like I follow those UFO's. But don't place great seriousness in either and don't ever expect to pin either down. -
queenparanoia said on Nov 30, 2007....
well i'm always fascinated with different languages... i'm always curios about that... and the evolution of world cuisine... is there such thing called the perfect food???
oh yeah it's called cupcakes... =)
-
silverwhisper said on Nov 30, 2007....
beyond: i misunderstood the thrust of your comment, evidently--sorry about that!
queen: heh...you know, i think it would be cool if you did a blog entry about filipino cuisine. most of us in the US don't know thing one about it, except that it involves rice. ?
ed -
the_infernal_optimist said on Nov 30, 2007....
ed : It is odd (genetics) on that list, isn't it? That's just part of biology that's always fascinated me, and I was pretty good at what little I was able to study/experiment with in high school in AP classes.
~Infernal
-
silverwhisper said on Nov 30, 2007....
yeah, it's kinda the odd man out--you've got all these humanities-related things, and then seemingly out of nowhere--genetics! :>
ed -
beyondtheveil said on Nov 30, 2007....
Ed- Not entirely. I do believe there are power structures at work with agendas and I'm very interested. My second comment reflected my belief they will be uncovered about as soon as we find a UFO. There really is a lot of documentation showing things aren't like we think they are. We also have a few good investigative reporters but you'll grow old waiting for them to get air time or attention. Don't you think? -
queenparanoia said on Nov 30, 2007....
ed: the filipin cuisine is the most ineteresting ed because we have infuse so many cultures in our food...
a filipino cuisine is a combination of chinese, spanish, japanish and more csines.. =)
-
silverwhisper said on Nov 30, 2007....
beyond: you know, i honestly don't know. i haven't waded deeply into that particular pool though, mind.
queen: OK, that all makes sense to me, but there had to be native filipino cuisine before all the colonial influences, i would think, no?
ed -
Suddenrain said on Dec 01, 2007....
Beyond, you and I have the same interests. I have a few more, but you have named two. -
Fallyn said on Dec 01, 2007....
buddhism
the study of ancient fanciful stories.
legends, fairy tales, etc.
master level tailoring
how to be an electrician.
sailing.
carpentry
welding.
in depth genetics.......specifically, personality traits.
gardening........specifically landscape. ....i know vegetable gardening
i want to be fluent in all languages.
there are more....and more...and more.....these are the ones that have come up throughout my life as things i've never gotten to do.
-
silverwhisper said on Dec 01, 2007....
suddenrain: that's really rather nifty, to share an interest like that w/ another soulcaster!
fallyn: OK, i gotta confess that welding and carpentry really threw me for a loop there...?
ed -
silverwhisper said on Dec 01, 2007....
to answer my own question: i'd like to know more philosophy. i know precious little of it.
ed -
Fallyn said on Dec 01, 2007....
*laughing*
i'm a very feminine tomboy. i really LOVE those kinds of things. and i guess i got carried away with the skills i'd like to acquire and not just things i'd like to know.
-
silverwhisper said on Dec 01, 2007....
i suppose so!
ed -
Fallyn said on Dec 01, 2007....
sorry, *grin* *blushing* -
Suddenrain said on Dec 02, 2007....
Silver, oh my goodness the books on philosophy I have. I enjoy reading other peoples ideas. It helps refine or form my own sometimes. -
queenparanoia said on Dec 02, 2007....
silver: yeah there's somany native food before the colonial cuisine. but maybe i'll do that next time... =) -
silverwhisper said on Dec 02, 2007....
suddenrain: yeah, i know what you mean about other people's ideas. :>
queen: cool, i hope you do!
ed -
GracefullyGrowing said on Dec 02, 2007....
I want to learn more about everything, as I have always been one who loves learning. The things on the top of my learning list right now are . . .- quantum physics- astromomy- astrology- cooking, and- tantric sex. . . not necessarily in that order. =) -
silverwhisper said on Dec 04, 2007....
hello, GG, welcome to my blog! you've got some rather disparate interests, which to em is always cool. :>
ed -
GracefullyGrowing said on Dec 04, 2007....
Silverwhisper - Thank you for the welcome! And yes, I suppose that list is a bit ecclectic. ;~) -
silverwhisper said on Dec 04, 2007....
i'm a fan of eclecticism. :>
ed
Comment on "poll: what do you want to know?"
Related Posts:
madisonluvsex
posted 7 days ago
| views: 33
|
Not sure where to begin. So much is different, but definately much better. I feel more confident in my lovability... and more confident in His love for me. We're starting training again now - His idea. till the new year at least and see how we're doi... read entire post
abbonzai
posted on Nov 03, 2009
| views: 23
|
As voters across the country head to the polls Tuesday, one thing appears certain: Many of them are angry.... read entire post