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Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: AUSTRALIA
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Machiavelli, my mother and sons - or "Name your weirdest xmas gift"
I'd value your opinions on this one. I have two brothers - the three of us each received a copy of Niccolo Machiavelli's "The Prince" for Christmas from our mother.
For those not in the know, "The Prince" shocked Europe (back in the day) on publication with its advocacy of ruthless tactics for gaining absolute power and its abandonment of conventional morality. Do you guys think this is a little odd? I can't put my finger on it but something seems strange about it.
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12-24-2005, 02:26 AM
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Location: Sydneyish
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Seems fine to me. Kind of a book for the times one might say. Enjoy the christmas reading.
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'77 Carrera 3.0 04 Subaru Outback (surfboards don't fit in 911's) "Stay happy and you'll be perfectly fine." - Jack Norris |
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12-24-2005, 02:53 AM
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"O"man(are we in trouble)
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: On the edge
Posts: 16,452
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Your mother must be the president of Columbia Sportswear, go out and get yourself a new Ruf Turbo for Christmas, she's paying.
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12-24-2005, 06:52 AM
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combine that with Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" and you've got a nice 1-2 punch.
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12-24-2005, 08:38 AM
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A Man of Wealth and Taste
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Out there somewhere beyond the doors of perception
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Is that Mothers little way of saying that you and your brothers are losers....and need to be wised up...
Anyway count yourself as fortunate....Mothers little aximom is that you never wise up a chump or give a sucker an even break.
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Copyright "Some Observer" |
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12-24-2005, 09:50 PM
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drag racing the short bus
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Location, Location...
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Quote:
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The Terror of Tiny Town |
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12-24-2005, 10:33 PM
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Quote:
No Tabs - that is not possible coming from her.
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12-25-2005, 12:45 AM
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I'm off the hook.....
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: 22 miles south, then 11 miles west of LAS
Posts: 2,895
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I always get shirts from my mom that I will never wear. 3 sizes too small, tight collared pullovers with bright patterns.
But that feeling is the same. Weird present. I'd almost prefer the book!
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No, I don't sing. Based there for too long. Last edited by singpilot; 12-25-2005 at 10:24 AM.. |
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12-25-2005, 10:21 AM
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"Now, to put a water-cooled engine in the rear and to have a radiator in the front, that's not very intelligent." -Ferry Porsche (PANO, Oct. '73) (I, Paul D. have loved this quote since 1973. It will remain as long as I post here.) |
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12-25-2005, 10:58 AM
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Dog-faced pony soldier
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Both books should be required reading for anyone working in corporate America. The principles are applicable even today - in fact, perhaps more so today than ever. . .
(Summary of "The Prince") - There are only two ways to motivate people: fear and reward. Fear is better. - It's better to be feared than loved. (Summary of "Art of War") - Know your enemy as well as you know yourself and you will always prevail in battle - He who does his homework will always prevail in battle - There is no such thing as overkill in war - The greatest victory is the bloodless one in which your enemy is defeated before swords are ever drawn. - "Head games" are more effective than all-out battle. (See above)
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A car, a 911, a motorbike and a few surfboards Black Cars Matter |
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12-25-2005, 12:00 PM
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Back in the saddle again
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Central TX west of Houston
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It's a "classic". Maybe or maybe not words to live by, but a classic. Maybe she just thought it would be interesting. Maybe she knows someone who read it and thought it was interesting/raved about it.
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Steve '08 Boxster RS60 Spyder #0099/1960 - never named a car before, but this is Charlotte. '88 targa  SOLD 2004 - gone but not forgotten
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12-26-2005, 10:15 AM
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All good points - thank you. I will certainly give it a read.
.............still reckon BBQ tongues would have been better.
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12-27-2005, 12:18 AM
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Cars & Coffee Killer
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: State of Failure
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I never read "The Prince".
I tried to check it out in High School. Apparently, it was set aside and "restricted". After inquiring about the book, I found myself in a meeting with the vice-principal.
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Some Porsches long ago...then a wankle... 5 liters of VVT fury now -Chris "There is freedom in risk, just as there is oppression in security." |
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12-27-2005, 05:15 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: St. Louis Missouri
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Maybe she thought it was "The Little Prince". I always get those two confused.
You could try asking her... 
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12-27-2005, 07:48 AM
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Cars & Coffee Killer
Join Date: Sep 2004
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I was told that I couldn't check out the book unless I needed it for research specifically for a school project. Never mind that we had discussed Machiavelli and his book in my history class, and I was curious enough to look into it myself...
I was also told that the same rules above held true for Mein Kampf and Steal This Book. (I think some other books were named, but I can't remember them.)
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Some Porsches long ago...then a wankle... 5 liters of VVT fury now -Chris "There is freedom in risk, just as there is oppression in security." |
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12-27-2005, 10:06 AM
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Quote:
 #3 The Fountainhead #4 How to Win Friends and Influence People #5 Kama Sutra, but only after you have read and mastered the first 4.
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12-27-2005, 10:24 AM
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19 years and 17k posts...
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My weirdest Christmas gift
My father just gave us this for the 2nd floor bathroom. He gave us one for the new bathroom on the 1st floor and it's so quiet and fast filling (about 10 seconds), that I really wanted to put a new one in the other bathroom. It's very practical (obviously), but it's still kind of weird to get one for Christmas!
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Art Zasadny 1974 Porsche 911 Targa "Helga" (Sold, back home in Germany) Learning the bass guitar Driving Ford company cars now... www.ford.com |
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12-27-2005, 02:39 PM
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Any special little suprises inside?
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12-27-2005, 03:34 PM
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1979 Porsche 911SC 3.0
MazdaSpeed3
