Result? The government is scared of them. Neither Mumbai nor Obama (FDR, Stalin, Hitler, whoever) are likely to happen in Switzerland.
This man realized importance of knowing how to defend yourself while visiting a Holocaust museum (~2:01):
Now, you would think that Swiss streets would be constant gang war zones, right? Well, the country has one of the lowest crime rates. And it's not like the country has nothing to steal.
The key to freedom is ability to defend yourself. And if you don't have tools to do that, then you're at the mercy of whoever wants to put you away.
23 comments:
that is awsome.
My brother and I used to shoot down cans with a BB gun and then there's that whole escapade with throwing knives...
I've never actually fired anything in my life. Probably not even a water pistol.
I do fence though. Fenced foil for a while. Wanted to do rapier (since I am tall and have long reach), but I dislocated my shoulder after sitting in front of a microscope for a long time. My shoulder got better, but I don’t have time anymore.
When liberals come to arrest me, I will meet them with a katana.
So, did you use special throwing knives, or just any regular knives were fair game?
You managed to dislocate your arm just from sitting in front of a microscope? Wow.
I myself have always liked samurai swords.
re. throwing stuff-So far it's just been fleishig knives from my highschool dorm...I used to throw them at the garage wall.
I had to reach with my right hand to turn the knob of the microscope up and down, while I was patching with my left hand (by turning the manipulator knobs). Imagine painting all day with your arm stretched out completely. This was an old microscope which did not have a closer knob, and was sitting itself in an awkward position.
Since then I drive with my left hand, since it hurt my right hand to turn the wheel (now it’s fine, but I got used to it). As a result, even though I am right handed, my left hand is stronger, which confused the neurologist the last time.
I always liked the idea of samurai duels. Or duels in general, ever since I read Rafael Sabatini.
Were you throwing them at a target?
Yes, just standing for 9 hours a day has its pains.
You saw a neurologist?
My only target then was for the knife to hit the wall and stay there. Unfortunately my aim isn't too accurate for anything more precise.
I'm trying to remember what is was that got me interested originally in samurai swords, I think it must have been a mix between Ninja Turtles and Lord of The Rings, although I don't think there were any samurai swords in the latter.
Ah, and there was a very nice sword shop in my hometown mall.
You have to stand while painting? I sit, but once I patch a neuron, I get up and walk around. In general, I am a pacer.
I’ve seen a neurologist several times, since I am a hypochondriac who is in grad school for neuroscience. I know exactly what can go wrong, in 100 different ways. Visiting my grand-aunt in her nursing home is a torture (not because of visiting, but because of seeing other patients). Every little thing is a potential symptom. And I’ve been under a lot of constant stress recently, so I get symptoms that could be indicative of other things. So far my diagnosis has been very boring: 100% healthy, bH.
Hmm... I’ve seen the results of your aim.
Real swords are very expensive. Plus, it’s probably hard to find a katana for my reach.
I would go back to fencing, but there is not such thing as men-only club. Plus, I have barely time to learn as it is.
LoTR the book or LoTR the movie? I got interested in swords after reading Andrzej Sapkowski books.
Never watched Ninja turtles, but I had some bubble gum wrappers with them when I was in elementary school.
Both painting and sculpture require moving around quite a bit, at least for myself. The Asians always seem to manage working while sitting calmly on a stool, I could never understand it.
My brother is actually friends with a professional fencer, my family used to joke that SHE would be the one protecting him.
Regarding my aim, G-d was on my side :)
I'm one of those terrible people who saw LoTR before reading the book, and even then I couldn't get into it. Ninja turtles are wonderful, they like pizza and are named after famous artists.
Are you planning on teaching neuroscience? You could have a lovely time scaring your students.
Female fencers are mean. Especially when fencing men. Good practice for low guard...
I once fenced a female left-handed fencer. No idea how to defend myself. Everything is backwards.
I TAed Neuroscience, which involved giving lectures twice a week late at night. Actually enjoyed it. I plan to do research, which will most likely involve teaching, if I get a position, iyH. I wouldn’t mind. Actually, when I was a TA with another grad student, we decided we’d do good cop/bad cop routine. I was going to be the bad cop naturally (what with Russian accent and the beard). But the other guy turned out to be such a natural jerk that I had no choice but to be a good cop.
Regarding samurai swords, I also watched once a cartoon called Samurai Champloo. It had a blind woman called Sara fighting one of the protagonists.
LoTR is not my favorite movie/book. I thought the movie was too gay. And the book was wonderful English, but not violence and action-oriented enough for me. Plus, I kept asking practical questions like: how did they trade? What did the dwarves eat if they lived underground all the time? Etc. I like Sapkowski more. Of American writers, George Martin. (Not the frummest literature.)
I guess it's a good thing she was friends with my brother then.
How would one do the good cop/bad cop routine with science?
I can understand LoTR being a bit pansy-like, with all the long haired men in tight pants...
Well, when people come shopping for points. Or when you need to encourage them to study. One time I raised somebody’s semester grade from C+ to B− because I couldn’t stand the whining. I also TAed a Bio lab.
It wasn’t just long-haired men wearing tights. It’s just at some point the amount of tears, hugging and general brudershaft ("Where would I be without you, Sam?" "I will never leave your side, Mr. Frodo." "I am glad we are friends.") got overwhelming. Maybe I got corrupted by American culture...
Charging downhill with horses... Not a good idea. A spear may not break pierce through a mithrill shirt, but I can easily break the ribs. Etc., etc. I am still not clear on the ecosystem of the Moria mines. What did orks eat?
Wow, it’s getting late. More non-sequitur than usual.
I forgot about Frodo and Sam! And neither of them got married...hm. Pansies.
It is late and it is a bit non-sequitur. I think I will aim for sleep, or at least processing the idea of it.
What happens if you aim for sleep and miss?
There was some much appikorsis that I used that movie for. That scene where Frodo puts on a ring in the tavern, and everything around becomes foggy, and he sees a giant burning eye on a mountain — I told my grandmother that’s what Mattan Torah looked like. I meant gashmius becoming foggy, but it still sounded sketchy.
That scene where Gandalf came back as Gandalf the White (having previously died as Gandalf the Grey) — I told someone that’s what it’s going to look like when the Rebbe... ahem... anyway. Good night.
If I miss, I end up writing a blog instead.
lol, Night.
Dear Author crawlingaxe.blogspot.com !
You are mistaken. Let's discuss.
Dear Anon.,
You know how they say that you should never say "I am going to punch you in the face"; you should just go ahead and punch. The same goes for proposing to discuss something.
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