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Discuss any questions in English. Practise your writing skills.

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paveltashkinov
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#126

Сообщение paveltashkinov »

Whither are we bound, after the millennium of religion?

Indisputably, we are witnessing the triumph of atheism in contemporary Europe. However, it may be worth asking: to what extent have Heathenry and Christianity contributed to European civilizational progress?

It is well-known that any science has taken its origins in myths and legends, which had been unable to rationally explain the structure of the world and hence contained some dogmatic concepts that had to be accepted prima facie. When viewed from this perspective, the Pagan and the Christian universes may be regarded as the most important aspects of cognition that have ever propelled humankind forward.

Throughout centuries, peoples have drawn their animated inspiration from their innate desire to protect their faith and to demonstrate its superiority over the others’. We owe much to these ancient pagan communities insofar as our way of life, our martial culture that seems to have preserved itself well into our days, the basic knowledge of metallurgy, geology, chemistry and mathematics are concerned.

Christianity only fortified and expanded our knowledge of these subjects, having repudiated only few of them. There exists a stereotype that the Church always tried to stifle and suppress virtually any scientific concepts as soon as they emerged. However, the Church had its vested interest in the development of science. While some fields of knowledge were castigated, vilified, and banned, others, like mechanics, geography, and logics, were given a free reign.

Pagan druids and wizards and the Christian church had yet another common trait. They had a crucial role in the formation of their adherents’ worldviews. Essentially, both (in their respective timeframes) had an intellectual monopoly in this respect that could not be challenged by any other stratum.

The world is never going to be different. Having pieced the world together and united it, the Europeans as a civilization have left their unerasable imprint on history. Whatever is going to be created henceforth will be based upon the knowledge gathered by the Europeans.

Atheism seems to have been unable to answer all the questions posed to it. Whereas the pervasive nihilism afflicting our world may be viewed as some sort of cultural watershed, atheism is the current historic milestone inherent to the Europe as a civilization. Europe is bound to leave that flagpole behind and move on.

Whither? It may be suggested that this brand-new civilization concept will have nothing in common with the concept of religion as we know it and will essentially manifest the triumph of mind and intellect. In all likelihood, this concept will bear the imprint of the goal-setting, now concise and rational, which has hitherto been absent both in the religious and the nihilistic societies.

By the time the third world countries, already lagging behind, come to realize the paramount importance of intellectual development, we will have been streets ahead, building the future of humankind.

However, will the humanity by this time not have become too dumb and unable to perceive that new, progressive idea?
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#127

Сообщение paveltashkinov »

Whither are we bound, after the millennium of religion?

Indisputably, we are witnessing the triumph of atheism in contemporary Europe. However, it may be worth asking: to what extent have Heathenry and Christianity contributed to European civilizational progress?

It is well-known that any science has taken its origins in myths and legends, which had been unable to rationally explain the structure of the world and hence contained some dogmatic concepts that had to be accepted prima facie. When viewed from this perspective, the Pagan and the Christian universes may be regarded as the most important aspects of cognition that have ever propelled humankind forward.

Throughout centuries, peoples have drawn their animated inspiration from their innate desire to protect their faith and to demonstrate its superiority over the others’. We owe much to these ancient pagan communities insofar as our way of life, our martial culture that seems to have preserved itself well into our days, the basic knowledge of metallurgy, geology, chemistry and mathematics are concerned.

Christianity only fortified and expanded our knowledge of these subjects, having repudiated only few of them. There exists a stereotype that the Church always tried to stifle and suppress virtually any scientific concepts as soon as they emerged. However, the Church had its vested interest in the development of science. While some fields of knowledge were castigated, vilified, and banned, others, like mechanics, geography, and logics, were given a free reign.

Pagan druids and wizards and the Christian church had yet another common trait. They played a crucial role in the formation of their adherents’ worldviews. Essentially, both (in their respective timeframes) had an intellectual monopoly in this respect that could not be challenged by any other stratum.

The world is never going to be different. Having pieced the world together and united it, the Europeans as a civilization have left their unerasable imprint on history. Whatever is going to be created henceforth will be based upon the knowledge gathered by the Europeans.

Atheism seems to have been unable to answer all the questions posed to it. Whereas the pervasive nihilism afflicting our world may be viewed as some sort of cultural watershed, atheism is the current historic milestone inherent to the Europe as a civilization. Europe is bound to leave that flagpole behind and move on.

Whither? It may be suggested that this brand-new civilization concept will have nothing in common with the concept of religion as we know it and will essentially manifest the triumph of mind and intellect. In all likelihood, this concept will bear the imprint of the goal-setting, now concise and rational, which has hitherto been absent both in the religious and the nihilistic societies.

By the time the third world countries, already lagging behind, come to realize the paramount importance of intellectual development, we will have been streets ahead, building the future of humankind.

However, will the humanity by this time not have become too dumb and unable to perceive that new, progressive idea?
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#128

Сообщение Olya »

What does all that mean? :/
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#129

Сообщение VictorB »

paveltashkinov,
I've just listened to a song with the lyrics I thought had been written in a somewhat depressed mood I can sense in some of your poetry.
Maybe the image of the boxer in the ending line will inspire you to come up with something really fresh:-) Anyway, enjoy
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#130

Сообщение paveltashkinov »



One hour at McDonald's


-This is my napkin! I’ve already mentioned to you that quibbling in the school cafeteria, right?
-Oh, sure, I see. What are you doing tonight? Hanging out with this dude?
-I’m yet to write him; perhaps, he has already texted me.
The two girls at the adjacent table melodiously laughed.

I directed my gaze through the window by which I sat. Nothing seemed to have changed during the last six years that I frequented this place.
-I turned this voice notification function on my iPhone, and it read out his text when I was in the bathroom, and mum was in my room!

A Ferris wheel, domineering the skyline, keeps spinning. People keep ascending and descending the ladder, trays laden with burgers and Styrofoam cups full of cola in their hands. A security guy reclines against the wall nearby and yawns. The chatter of the girls continues amidst the hubbub of a McDonalds restaurant. A janitor woman passes along the aisle and picks up my tray with a deformed Styrofoam cup and some wrapping paper. The girls have perched off their seats and left.

It is strange to observe people doing their own things, eating, talking to each other, rummaging through their bags, texting on their phones. Not that I derive some vicarious pleasure from looking at them; rather, it is a funny thing some people like me resort to whenever they have some time to be whiled away and they have nothing better to do. When a jetlag renders the prospect of having a good nap too elusive, when in-flight books and magazines have been flicked through, when the playlist has become too repetitive (or, worse, the smartphone battery has died), and there is nobody who wouldn’t mind the company of a lonely and tired traveler, what else are people supposed to do?

I catch myself thinking about the daily throughput of this place. Déformation professionnelle seems to be a thing.

A fair-haired girl at the table on the left has been throwing glances at me. She must be not older than eighteen. A guy in the left corner is busy keying something in. So am I. Again, there appear yet another two girls at the table in front of me. The appearance of the girl I am facing now strikes me. She bears some resemblance to my batshit crazy ex who fucked me last Autumn. I keep typing in.

Will I be kindly asked to leave this place unless I order something else? Why don’t I check it out, then?

Check out. Chicken out. My brain furnishes some near homophones like these in no time when I least expect it to. Whenever I find myself trying to come up with something a little bit imaginative and step away from the rigid conventions of formal writing (which, truth be told, I’ve come to hate), I invariably end up walking around my room, back and forth, trying each and every word that springs to my mind, sieving them out, carefully and daintily rolling every rhyme, as if it were a mouthful of some sweet and redolent amber wine. Writing. I feel like the gift of gab has been eluding me thus far, my slightly-above-average vocabulary and my burning passion for the language notwithstanding. So be it, one cannot excel at everything.

The sky has suddenly brightened up, and now the Sun beats right into my face. I look at it from under the glasses, and it blinds me. I have to strain my eyes and blink several times to regain my vision. A bunch of boisterous schoolkids on the left are in the middle of something, drawing some figures on the napkins, vehemently hitting the table with their fists, talking about literature and some books from the school curriculum. The lookalike of my ex suddenly stares at me, and, all of a sudden, I feel out of breath, startled, such is the resemblance. One of the schoolkids has accidentally dropped some coins from his pockets; they fall on the table and onto the floor, ringing, regaining my composure.

I was going to write some verses tonight, but I don’t really feel up to it. I chuckle at my own complacency. I spared the time and artistic taste of whoever would have had to read what I would have churned out.

One hour has elapsed.
paveltashkinov
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#131

Сообщение paveltashkinov »

My wounded vanity abated.
New vistas, open to my glance,
Allure me. They seem to be waiting
For me to make a step, perchance,

Ahead and forth. I should be cautious
Lest something happen unbeknownst
To me. I gobbled up this potion
That you had brewed. The bridge is crossed.

You lit it. Now, please, watch it burn.
Our paths are splitting. Bid me farewell.
I wish you well. Never return.
I won't be waiting. You're discarded.
paveltashkinov
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#132

Сообщение paveltashkinov »

Your local newspaper is asking its readers to write a review of a restaurant that they have eaten at recently and would recommend to others:
"Which restaurant would you recommend?"
Write your review of the restaurant and the meal that you ate there, and describe some or all of the following points: the atmosphere, attitude of the staff, the quality of the service and whether the restaurant is good value for money.
Write the review for the newspaper readership. (around 280 - 320 words)

La Zodiaco: A pescatarian paradise

Should you find yourself spending your vacation in Rimini, Italy, you will soon discover that this resort doesn’t offer much, the only notable exception being food. If you want to partake of wholesome and exotic food, go no further than La Zodiaco, the cosy restaurant within a hundred yards from the seashore.
Culinary connoisseurs and casual dabblers alike appreciate Italy for its cuisine, featuring a wealth of seafood. This is exactly what this restaurant takes pride in. Offering a veritable cornucopia of molluscs, crustaceans and every imaginable sea creatures, La Zodiaco will ignite your culinary delight in no time. The quality of meals is so impressive that you would like to come back to this place. In fact, I did become a habitue of this restaurant during my whole vacation. As someone with quite broad previous gastronomic experiences, I was duly impressed and surprised.
When we are talking about our dining experiences, very seldom does the food alone, be it ever so good, amount to the overall impression. Oftentimes, it is the ambience and the attitude of the staff that define our aftertaste. With La Zodiaco, it will be a pleasant one. The waiters are welcoming and amiable, ready to help every guest to navigate through the menu. The service is fast, the ambient music is unobtrusive to let you imbibe the atmosphere of the place and the beautiful view on the sea behind the window. The wafting aromas from the kitchen make your mouth water and whet your appetite.
The only fly in the ointment of an otherwise perfect experience is the costs, which to some may seem prohibitive. However, good seafood never comes cheap. However expensive it may be, though, be sure that it is worth every euro you’ll pay for it. I can also mention quite a peculiar problem stemming, surprisingly, from the popularity of the restaurant. Sometimes it is teeming with people and there are no tables available, so it would be definitely not unwise to book one before going there. All in, if you are looking for a praiseworthy gastronomic experience, La Zodiaco will definitely bestow it upon you.
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#133

Сообщение Easy-Breezy English »

paveltashkinov пишет: 12 окт 2019, 08:00 Should you find yourself spending your vacation in Rimini, Italy, you will soon discover that this resort doesn’t offer much, the only notable exception being food
An epic opening to an epic review. ))
It's definitely my new favorite.
the costs, which to some may seem prohibitive
To some, but not to the great habitues imbibing the atmosphere regardless of all those annoying flies mere mortals around. LOL
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#134

Сообщение paveltashkinov »

Easy-Breezy English,
Well, this one was based on my own experience. I know whereof I speak.)
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#135

Сообщение Easy-Breezy English »

paveltashkinov, so what was so wrong with Rimini that the only consolation seemed to be partaking of a cornucopia of mollusks?
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#136

Сообщение paveltashkinov »

Easy-Breezy English,
It was shitty, crowded with throngs of Russian tourists and some people from backward countries.
The locals were always trying to make advantage of Russians, few of which spoke any other language but their own.
On the day I was leaving, I picked a fight with the receptionist in my hotel. Had some Ukrainian guys who were nearby not interfered, things would have gone heated. I heard lots of stories of the tourists being evicted from their hotels, robbed, forgotten during excursions et cetera. I actually did encounter such people. By and large, it was the worst vacation experience I'd ever had.
Never again will I book a package holiday.
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#137

Сообщение Easy-Breezy English »

paveltashkinov пишет: 12 окт 2019, 09:30 It was shitty, crowded with throngs of Russian tourists and some people from backward countries.
See, this is how you should REALLY write. )) Bravo!
paveltashkinov пишет: 12 окт 2019, 09:30 a package holiday.
Why on earth did you opt for it in the first place?
Clearly not for lack of language skills.
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#138

Сообщение paveltashkinov »

Easy-Breezy English,
It's not really that bad, innit?

Well, it was ridiculously cheap and my Schengen visa was about to expire, so I thought 'Why not?'
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#139

Сообщение Easy-Breezy English »

paveltashkinov пишет: 12 окт 2019, 09:42 it was ridiculously cheap
You get what you pay for, huh? ))
It's not really that bad
What isn't? The review?
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#140

Сообщение paveltashkinov »

Easy-Breezy English,
Kind of.
It was my post #136 that I was referring to.
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#141

Сообщение Easy-Breezy English »

paveltashkinov пишет: 12 окт 2019, 09:56 It was my post #136 that I was referring to.
I was most sincere in my applause. Nice to see you democratize your language for a change.
Or democratize anything for that matter. ))
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#142

Сообщение paveltashkinov »

Easy-Breezy English,
That democratisation still seems to be painstakingly difficult, what with me having been on the right fringe of the political spectrum since my adolescence.)
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#143

Сообщение Easy-Breezy English »

paveltashkinov пишет: 12 окт 2019, 10:50 on the right fringe of the political spectrum
So, you are a православие-самодержавие-народность kind of guy?
Somehow I could sense that. ))
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#144

Сообщение paveltashkinov »

Easy-Breezy English,
No, God forbid! I was fond of some gloomy German geniuses, if you know what I mean.
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#145

Сообщение Easy-Breezy English »

paveltashkinov пишет: 12 окт 2019, 11:36 I was fond of some gloomy German geniuses
I could see that from the first few texts of yours that I read. It shines through, you know? LOL
So, have your preferences changed at all? Since you are apparently trying to democratize and everything. ))
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#146

Сообщение paveltashkinov »

Easy-Breezy English,
What were the features that enabled you to pass this judgement? I'm just curious how one's political leanings can be deciphered through one's writing/speaking style.
As for your question, there seems to have been some shift towards more lenient and democratic stance. I'm sorry for my not so accurate choice of words, for I'm a bit inebriated at this moment.
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#147

Сообщение Easy-Breezy English »

paveltashkinov пишет: 12 окт 2019, 12:01 I'm a bit inebriated at this moment.
At noon? Seriously? Alright!
paveltashkinov пишет: 12 окт 2019, 12:01 What were the features that enabled you to pass this judgement?
Easier to try to recall the features that could potentially put a shadow of doubt in my mind. )))))))))
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#148

Сообщение paveltashkinov »

Easy-Breezy English,
Well, I was through a breakup over the text message with just twelve hours ago.)
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#149

Сообщение Easy-Breezy English »

paveltashkinov пишет: 12 окт 2019, 12:21 a breakup over the text message
Whoa, that's tacky. )
Don't sweat it. She wasn't worth it then. )
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#150

Сообщение paveltashkinov »

Easy-Breezy English,
Well, I stopped attaching significance to women quite a long time ago. They're at best a garnish to my life.
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