2 years, 5 months ago
Is not knowing the price of beer a sign of a good kid or a wannabe terrorist?
I came across this in a blog:
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In the meantime, I wanted to highlight this bit of reportage from the New York Times piece:
At the I.C.N.A. Center in Alexandria, which occupies a modest brick building without a sign at the edge of a residential neighborhood, most people arriving for prayers on Wednesday night declined to comment.
One man who would not give his name acknowledged that he knew some of the young men but described them as good kids who had never been in trouble.
“They didn’t even know the price of beer,” the man said.
Great reporting there! What does knowing the price of beer have to do with whether these men aspire to be Muslim terrorists? If anything, wouldn’t knowing the price of beer be a mark that indicates you’re not a likely candidate to head over to Pakistan to engage in violence? There had to have been a better quote — or a follow-up, right?
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from http://www.getreligion.org/?p=22819
So my question seeks clarification. My suspicion is that someone who didn't know the price of beer would be more likely to be a terrorist than a good kid; but, perhaps I am missing something.
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In the meantime, I wanted to highlight this bit of reportage from the New York Times piece:
At the I.C.N.A. Center in Alexandria, which occupies a modest brick building without a sign at the edge of a residential neighborhood, most people arriving for prayers on Wednesday night declined to comment.
One man who would not give his name acknowledged that he knew some of the young men but described them as good kids who had never been in trouble.
“They didn’t even know the price of beer,” the man said.
Great reporting there! What does knowing the price of beer have to do with whether these men aspire to be Muslim terrorists? If anything, wouldn’t knowing the price of beer be a mark that indicates you’re not a likely candidate to head over to Pakistan to engage in violence? There had to have been a better quote — or a follow-up, right?
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from http://www.getreligion.org/?p=22819
So my question seeks clarification. My suspicion is that someone who didn't know the price of beer would be more likely to be a terrorist than a good kid; but, perhaps I am missing something.
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M$1 Answer
People tend to remember the oddest details in times or memories of stress. It's unlikely that the person thought much about what they were saying.
I watch old war movies and one of the tests if you weren't a Nazi was by asking about baseball, batting averages and movie stars. I've never watched a baseball game in my life, I'd have been shot as a spy!
I don't know how much beer costs because I don't drink. I don't even know how much a pack of cigarettes cost. It's impractical to assume that someone you are faced with knows the same things as you.
A cop asked me one time, "Are you an intelligent man?" I couldn't figure out what the hell he was talking about! So I said, "Apparently not, what's your point?" Turns out he had mistaken me for someone else and assumed that if I was "intelligent" I wouldn't be showing my face in public. He didn't even apologize he just confirmed I wasn't who he thought I was and told me to move along.
I should have asked him if he knew the proper f/stop for nighttime bulb exposures of a city skyline. Then when he said "no" gone "AH HA!" and pointed my finger accusingly at him as I cowered in fear!
So you're not missing something. It's just a sound byte that is a good example of irrational thinking. You can relax again.
I watch old war movies and one of the tests if you weren't a Nazi was by asking about baseball, batting averages and movie stars. I've never watched a baseball game in my life, I'd have been shot as a spy!
I don't know how much beer costs because I don't drink. I don't even know how much a pack of cigarettes cost. It's impractical to assume that someone you are faced with knows the same things as you.
A cop asked me one time, "Are you an intelligent man?" I couldn't figure out what the hell he was talking about! So I said, "Apparently not, what's your point?" Turns out he had mistaken me for someone else and assumed that if I was "intelligent" I wouldn't be showing my face in public. He didn't even apologize he just confirmed I wasn't who he thought I was and told me to move along.
I should have asked him if he knew the proper f/stop for nighttime bulb exposures of a city skyline. Then when he said "no" gone "AH HA!" and pointed my finger accusingly at him as I cowered in fear!
So you're not missing something. It's just a sound byte that is a good example of irrational thinking. You can relax again.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
Hm. If I understand your answer properly, you say that you are not intelligent, a Nazi spy, and a wannabe terrorist. Can't say I'm very surprised. At any rate, I'm pretty sure you're not a good kid. Thanks for the info.
AND a photographer!