From: tlode@nyx.cs.du.edu (trygve lode)
Subject: Re: Any Available Jewish Men Out There??
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix @ U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 93 22:23:34 GMT

 
in <ewright.726520511@convex.convex.com>
    ewright@convex.com (Edward V. Wright) writes:
 
] In <1993Jan7.225814.20952@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu>
]     tlode@nyx.cs.du.edu (trygve lode) writes:
]
] >Remember, in meeting people,
] >there is a certain selection process that takes place--if most of the
] >people you know aren't involved in anything athletic, then most of the
] >people they introduce you to will probably not be athletic either.
]
] Hm.  I have a friend who is from English and a Commanche Indian.  I can't
] remember her ever introducing me to another Commanche Englander.  Having
] one or more friends who belong to an unusual group does not guarantee
] that they have lots of friends belonging to that group.
 
No argument there.  However, if the group in question is defined or
characterized by common interests and attitudes, then the correlation
will be much, much higher.
 
] Generally, though, I meet very few people through being formally
] introduced to them.  More often, I meet people because I go somehwhere
] with friends where other people happen to be.
 
I'm not much of a stickler for formality either and I tend to meet
people in much the same way you describe above.  Most of my friends tend
to go places that they enjoy going to and hang around with people they
have things in common with; both of these tend to result in my meeting
people who share more attitudes and interests with my friends than would
be expected by chance.
 
] I guess I phrased that badly.  I shouldn't have said the *sources*
] are hard to find, but that the people are hard to find.  Having
] tried all the places on your list, I've found very few classical
] "nerd" types in any of them.  Most of the people seem to be into
] a "balanced" lifestyle, which develops their body as well as their
] mind, and want a mate who is also.  So, okay, you've indentified
] the mines.  But that doesn't mean you've found high-yield ore.
 
Unfortunately for you, I'm much more familliar with Denver than with
Dallas; the places I mention would all be good places for you to look if
you were in Denver.  They may not be as good for you in Dallas, but I
still think they have potential--you may just have to try a little
harder.  (Or, on the other hand, you could move to Denver.)
 
] >] And your claim that serious amateur athletes, who are much more
] >] common, are difficult to find, shows that you have a double standard
] >] here when it comes to defining "difficult."
] >
] >Well, I suppose I might if I'd been saying that they were difficult to
] >find--except I've been saying that they're not hard to find and have
] >even listed ways to locate them without too much effort in previous
] >messages.
]
] Yet you claim you've been "unable" to do so.  That implies either
] that it's hard, or that you're inept.  Since you did list several
] viable ways of meeting them, you don't seem to be inept.
 
Sorry--if I've said "unable" (though I don't recall doing so and a quick
text search of my past posts of the last year failed to turn up such a
statement), that wasn't quite the right word.  A much better phrasing
would be that I have not managed to do so yet and the implication of
this, combined with my other remarks on the subject, is that my level of
interest in doing so is quite low and that I haven't made any efforts
more serious than being open to friends' and acquaintances' expressions
of interest in working out with me.  (This does happen occasionally, but
so far not with anyone who has been serious enough about it to keep up
with it.)
 
] >Well, then, it sounds like you might be more successful meeting people
] >somewhere besides your office.  (Oh, that's "Art Gore"; he's primarilly
] >a nature photographer and does a lot of very nice stuff.)
]
] You missed my point.  I don't have to leave me office to find
] exercise partners -- volunteers show up here.  That's how easy it is.
 
OK, that suggests that your office is an effective place for you to
fulfill your (so small to be less than negligible) need for exercise
partners; however, from what you've said, it sounds like your office
is not working out for you as an effective venue for meeting possible
dating material, so you still might want to consider looking elsewhere.
(And I still recommend listening to Barnes and Barnes--it probably won't
help you find a mate, but it's a great song.)
 
] (Does Gore still have time to do photography know that he's Vice
] President?)
 
I really doubt that Art's lifestyle has changed much with Al's incipient
job change.
 
] >]  You've
] >] been pretty vehement in denying that non-athletes might have any
] >] other qualities that make up for their lack of exercise.
] >
] >Gosh; I'm going to have to see these articles sometime.  Seems to me
] >that all I said (quite a while ago) was that exercise doesn't reduce
] >one's mental powers.
]
] Well, if exercise increases your physical powers and doesn't
] decrease your mental powers (or take time away from developing
] them further), it sounds let you've gotten something for nothing.
 
Not exactly; developing your physical and mental powers (or, for that
matter, just about any other abilities) takes an investment in effort and
dedication.  You may or may not feel that the return is worth it; I do,
but I'm not claiming that you need feel the same way or even should.
 
] If athletes are better physically, and just as good mentally, as
] "nerds," it certainly sounds like they're better over all.
 
On average, there is such a trend; as far as individuals go, you can
make no such assumption.  Among the people I know, those who seem more
mentally active and successful also seem to be more physically active;
I don't believe that physical activity causes mental activity and
success, but that motivation and personal energy tends to find outlets
in many directions in most people:  someone with the motivation and
drive to succeed in business or elsewhere is reasonably likely to turn
some of that drive and motivation towards physical pursuits as well.
 
]   You
] deny that people who elect other activities over exercise might
] develop other qualities that athletes don't, but you also deny
] saying that non-athletes have no qualities that make up for their
] lack of exercise.
 
Actually, what I've repeatedly denied is that any such sweeping
statements can be made of individuals.  People come in all flavors--
you'll find people like Steven Hawking who has extraordinary mental
skills but probably never plays basketball; people who are impressively
strong but have the mental agility of a small soap dish; people who are
both brilliant and splendid athletes; people whose limit of both mental
and physical exertion is reached by the task of figuring out the remote
control for the TV; and then the great bulk of humanity which lies
somewhere in between these extremes.
 
What I believe you can say is that, on the average, physically active
people are at least as bright and intellectually active as physically
inactive people.  Further, I believe that you do not limit your mental
development by devoting a moderate amount of time to physical activity.
You cannot, however, extend these very general observations to
individuals any more than you can note "tall people, on the average,
weigh more than short people" and conclude from this "any given tall
person is heavier than any given short person."
 
] I'm confused.
 
That's OK.  Confusion is often the herald of new understanding.
 
] >Also true--in fact, most women I know rather like dragons and wouldn't
] >take kindly to someone who was in the habit of slaying them.
]
] Whew!  And to think, I was about to stop carrying that Gila
] Monster around on my shoulder!  Thanks for clearing that up.
 
I don't know--you might want to be careful about that Gila monster;
if you show up at most BBS parties, SCA events, and SF cons with
something like that, you'll be surrounded by women wanting to pet it or,
if you'll let them, hold it.  (Usually people use boas for this purpose,
but I bet a gila monster would be at least as good if it were reasonably
tame; if it's not real easy-going, you might want to switch to an
iguana.)  Falcons are also good at attracting women at outdoor events,
but they don't generally get quite as close.
 
(Carrying such a beast with you does give you ample opportunity to let
women hold it as you stand behind them with your arms around them,
touching or holding their hands as you show them how to handle your
companion.  I'll leave it to you to imagine the possibilities inherent
in such a situation and where it might go from there.)
 
] >It can be more important to enjoy the journey than to get where you
] >intended.  Why shouldn't I enjoy "fishing" for its own sake?  You ought
] >to try it some time--it's fun.
]
] Kid, I've been not catching fish since before you were born.
] You should meet my father -- one of the all-time experts at it.
 
As long as you're enjoying yourself, that's OK too.
 
] >(And, the worst I have to risk is that I'll get caught--and I'd
] >enjoy that too.)
]
] So much for the "I enjoy being single more" line.  Guess those
] grapes aren't so sour after all.
 
Nonono--I simply said, "I enjoy being single."  (The word "more" never
appeared in there.)  Actually, I've found that learning to appreciate
different things in life and recognising the good qualities of
situations as well as their bad qualities can do much to increase your
enjoyment in life.  I like cold weather--I also enjoy hot weather, warm
weather, cool weather, wet weather, dry weather, windy weather, and
still weather.  I like clouds and I like bright sunshine; I like ice
cream with broken up cookies in it and I like ice cream with hot fudge
on it.  I like the feeling of waking up rested in the morning and I
enjoy the feeling of tiredness I have when I'm getting ready for bed.  I
like being alert and charged up with energy to get things done and I
like feeling lazy and taking the time to relax.  None of these things
are the tiniest bit contradictory--there are many things to enjoy about
being in a relationship and there are many things to enjoy about not
being in a relationship; so, I just delight in whichever situation I
happen to be in.
 
Oh, that reminds me--reasons why I'm still single #11) I'm so annoyingly
cheerful all the time.
 
] >] Only good reason you've come up with yet.  In fact, I don't think
] >] they should let you kids out of the barrel until your thirtieth
] >] birthday.
]
] >Well, I can't speak for the rest of the world, but I found it much
] >easier to create and establish a de-facto global standard for CATV
] >design,
]
] Eh, gads!  You're the guy responsible for my cable company?
 
Indirectly, yes; it's worse than that--I even write the software that
most of the world's CATV systems are designed with (including everything
done by all of the manufacturers of CATV equipment).
 
] I take it back.  They shouldn't keep you kids in barrels --
] one of you might escape!
 
Heh heh heh...it's too late now....
 
Trygve   <Cue ominous music>
--
Coming up next:  Psychics predict lunar landing!  Moon will hit
Washington DC this April!
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