Recreation Tapeworm

Seriously I am trying to figure this one out...

fish... worm... Dune... desert planet... the spice melange... ))

...

Jeez... I probably need to think even smaller... is it about that one Chinese fish that got into the American ecosystem that they want dead?

Hmm......

Grrrrrrr.......................

I really shouldnt do this after studying for a Marketing Test!!

Birth Control Pills?

Animal Rights?

Or is this some idiot who can't decide whether or not to pop a pill when both paths lead to the worms death, but only one leads to him living???

... Non-vegetarian lifestyles?

Help.........

 

The City

Okay, I have decided to extend the life of the thread (how long, I haven't decided yet, I just got back from a good D&D session and I'm tired). I will give the most frustrating kind of clue - another story about approximately the same thing.

This story isn't meant to make any kind of religious statement or offend any kind of religious sensibility.

Background: The Jews have really had it tough for a lot of their history. They started out slaves in Egypt, then were carried captive into Babylon, and then after they went back to Palestine they had all sorts of problems with Greeks and Romans. Then, in the first century A.D., the Romans scattered them out of Judea (the Diaspora).

Story: One group of Jews journeyed a long time after the scattering looking for a new place to settle. Some places they liked and stayed in awhile, but nobody wanted to trust them so they kept getting driven away.

They eventually came to a land that didn't have very many people living in it, and there they decided to build a city of their own. They grew and prospered.

A few centuries passed, and a group of Shi'ite Muslims fleeing persecution by a Sunni sultanate in their native land came to the city. They asked the Jews if they could settle there, and were welcomed. Amazing as it may seem, the two groups ended up getting along really well with each other, so the leaders of the city decided to adopt some really liberal policies and shelter any refugees who came to settle with them.

Time passed, and more people came to the city. Soon the city became a major crossroads, with so many people coming and going that the leaders couldn't keep track of them all.

Everything seemed really good except for some disturbance among the more north Mediterranean segment of the population, but the leaders did what they could to keep order.

One day a prominent Portuguese man came to visit the Jewish mayor. He said, "This is a very nice city that you've built here."

"Thank you; our people have worked very hard a long time for it," the mayor replied.

"Indeed. I think we can help make it even better."

"Better? How's that?"

"Well, I hope you don't mind, but we have brought the Inquisition to town."

A puzzled look crossed the mayor's face. "Inquisition?"

"Oh, you haven't noticed? We've already managed to get rid of all the Muslims."

The two men's eyes locked, as it was obvious who was next.

 

Re: The City

The portuguese man

 

Is the tapeworm story about prejudice and discrimination?

 

Is the point that the man and the tapeworm could coexist if the man wanted to, because while the tapeworm might make his life a bit more complicated it won't actually kill him? And likewise for the 2nd story, except without the tapeworms?

 

Ignoring the rights of others so you can have an easier time of it all.

 

No, not discrimination and prejudice, though I guess it could if I wanted it to.

Coexistence? Not really.

Rights of others? Depends on a correct definition, and on whose part.

It does have something to do with community.

I think I'll go ahead and put the nail to the coffin in about three or four hours.

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This post was brought to you by the letter T. T - it's Tenacious!

 

The End is Come

Ok, yeah, I'm really tired and overstressed, so I'm going to do the killing now.

The Interpretation

Izzy Izumi is correct. Congratulations! These parables have been all about Trolls.

The interpretation of the first is pretty close to what Izumi said. The young man is an online community, and the tapeworm is a troll. The guy's irrational thoughts are, shall we say, a defense mechanism of the troll trying to shield itself from responsibility. The Biltricide is firm, fair intervention to keep the community intact.

The interpretation of the City follows pretty closely. A lot of the early and long-time members of M2A were looking for a friendly community to discuss anime and manga, and several had some bad experiences elsewhere. I seem to recall something about a Saber Marionette J board that went down in flames . These and the administration are represented by the Jews. The Muslims are the people who came afterward and took up the banner and spirit of M2A well. The Portuguese is the troll in this case, and the Inquisition is his weapon of flame war. I think I heard during some recent disturbances thoughts from others of going elsewhere if trolling didn't get under control, hence 'the Muslims are already gone' - not something that literally happened here, but might have.

It looks like the 'Cide has been flowing a little better lately, so I guess this thread was slightly behind the times, but oh well. It was a fun exercise.

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And so, one last dose of Biltricide for YokoburiKinura!