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Post by nigthhunter on Nov 10, 2005 4:06:16 GMT
...I'm just finnishing my Ma in philosophy... Interresting, can you tell me; "What is a door?"
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Post by dark on Nov 10, 2005 7:09:23 GMT
...I'm just finnishing my Ma in philosophy... Interresting, can you tell me; "What is a door?" Something that is not ajar! or: Something that is adorable! ;D
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Post by nigthhunter on Nov 10, 2005 7:39:42 GMT
A door is adorable...hmmmmm...well maybe it can.
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Post by dark on Nov 10, 2005 8:03:14 GMT
look, if it's a door, then it's logically able to be a door, therefore it's a, door, able! ;D
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Post by Al on Nov 10, 2005 10:31:20 GMT
Well, at the moment I'm in the only slightly sunny (but very pretty), sitty of Durham in the north of england, where I'm just finnishing my Ma in philosophy. when I'm not in Durham I'm in lots of places, but more specifically I might be at home in Nottingham with my parents. but as Durham is the only place I infest that has a net connection, you'llprobably only be heering from me while I'm here. I will be heading to Durham in a couple of weeks to do interviews as a part of my PhD research, can you recommend any good places to eat while I am there? Al
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Post by dark on Nov 10, 2005 18:20:19 GMT
What's your Phd in if you don't mind me asking? I'll be starting mine in January.
As to food, well, there are many Itallians (I'm thinking restaurants here not people), but the best of them is a place called Bestro Italiano. There's also a wonderful Mexican called Rock -n- Amigos. Both restaurants are on Clay Path, which runs up from beside the Gala theater, this'll be on your right when you walk streight down from the train station.
Durham is also the city of coffee shops, but personally I find most of them charge far too much for very bad coffee. There's a rather nice place called Venles (where I go with my tutor to discuss my essays!), which is near to Waterstones on Baly road, up a small alleyway. Even the coffee shop in the Students Union isn't too bad, they do at least serve very nice chocolate brownies.
Of course, I'm a bit fussy when it comes to coffee, i'm one of these strange people that likes to grind their own, so your tastes might be different.
I hope this helps.
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Post by Al on Nov 11, 2005 8:12:03 GMT
Thanks Dark!
I am doing my PhD in British and Canadian Politics at the University of Edinburgh. I study regional and national identities in multinational states, and my research is focusing on the impact of sub-state nationalism in Quebec and Scotland on regional and national identity articulation in England (the North East) and English Speaking Canada (Nova Scotia)
Al
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Post by dark on Nov 11, 2005 9:44:33 GMT
sounds fun, though as a semi-existentialist I have a few worries when people start taking national identity too far and impinging upon personal identity and freedome etc.
Don't panic, I'm not one of those luny Existentialists who wander around in black, smoking lots of illegal substances and bemoaning the pointlessness of everything. I'm just interested in emphasising the way people can create their own identity rather than have it imposed on them by some kind of group or prejudice.
My own Phd will be on disability, quality of life and equality, focusing particularly on profoundly disabled children.
Though as it'll be pretty general as far as disability goes, I could even argue that playing games on accessible websites counts as research ;D ---- well actually I couldn't but it'd be nice if I could.
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Post by Al on Nov 11, 2005 10:28:26 GMT
sounds fun, though as a semi-existentialist I have a few worries when people start taking national identity too far and impinging upon personal identity and freedome etc. A part of my research addresses this, in it I argue that national identity is shaped by a persons subjective experiances in life, that objective criteria of the "nation" is simply the view of the hegemonic group within the nation at the time. Their is a different understanding of the nation for each person in the nation, but what holds them together is the common understanding that they are all a part of it. A friend of mine doing philosophy here is actaully arguing that freedom can only exist within teh national context, and he is about as much a libertarian as their can be! Al
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Post by dark on Nov 11, 2005 11:36:45 GMT
That certainly sounds more reasonable than some of the things I've heard people spouting about national identity. I always tell people, "I'm not english, I'm me, England is just the place I was born and the country I live in"
It's probably some kind of law that for any debate where there's two positions that have been taken to extremes, the most reasonable (Imho that means the most practically useful), alternative is something in the middle.
And yes! I believe in practically useful philosophy!!
Ooo dear, I come on this board from a break from writing my last Ma essay, and end up talking more philosophy ----- I'm Doooooooomed!!!!!!!!
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Post by Al on Nov 11, 2005 12:37:42 GMT
What would you say that if you were hammered in a bar and someone asked what part of America you came from?
I have been studying national identities for so long now, I am suspect when people say that they do not ahve one, I think people may not think of it often, nor does it act as a motivator for behaviour, but I would argue that nationalism is the strongest political force in the world today (for both good and ill, but most people only think if it in the negative sense)
Good luck with your paper
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Post by dark on Nov 11, 2005 15:07:07 GMT
Well something similar has actually happened to me, when I was in Austria skeeing, and I happened to mention to an American I met that I came from Nottingham I got the response: "Nottingham Pensilvania?"
I was rather amused, asked if I really sounded as if I came from Pensilvania, and ended up wandering into the happy realms of accent interpretation.
I do agree there's a lot of Nationalism around today ---- but other than preserving customes, I've never really seen it serve a good purpose as it always seems to end up altering one group of people's perceptions of others.
Anyway I must return to death! ---- er, that's what my essay's on.
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Post by Scarecrow on Nov 13, 2005 3:42:58 GMT
I thought Oceania refered to the whole region, including New Zealand and the small island states like the Federated States of Microneasia (whose name I rarely get a chance to use!) But I have been wrong in the past. I just found this really interesting site from Australia, it is a web journal that outlines the rise of the undead in Australia, very well done... www.livejournal.com/users/scarecrowster/2005/01/01/Check it out if you have a chance, Al Hey, that's me! I posted a lot on this forum around December 2004 when trying to get through the entire series without cheating, alongside Sol. When I did so I was pretty much finished with the series so I wandered away. Today I got bored, wandered back and found someone posting a link to my project! Awesome! ;D It was posted at the Penny Arcade forums as well, I'm starting to think I have a lot more readers than I thought. edit: On closer inspection I realise that I linked to it in my profile on these forums, which is probably how you found it. Ego deflating...
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Post by Al on Nov 15, 2005 9:36:48 GMT
Hey, that's me! edit: On closer inspection I realise that I linked to it in my profile on these forums, which is probably how you found it. Ego deflating... Hey Dude It was not through here that I found your post... I was actually doing research online and with the search criteria that I used (I forget what) your story actually came up. That is how I found it, but it did lead to me to other "dead blogs" Al
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Post by Dusk Fox on Nov 15, 2005 16:03:56 GMT
I am still shocked that there aren't more Americans taking this poll. I know you guys exist. You're on the Frappr map for TotS.
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