Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#213168 11/09/13 05:57 PM
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,915
Likes: 2
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,915
Likes: 2
The Defenestrations of Prague

On July 30, 1419, Czech priest Jan Želivský was leading his congregation through the streets of Prague to protest corruption in the Catholic church when someone threw a stone at him from the window of the town hall. His followers stormed the hall and threw 13 members of the town council from a high window, killing them.

Remarkably, the same thing happened again in 1618, when King Ferdinand dissolved the Protestant estates in Bohemia. Aggrieved Protestants confronted Catholic officials in the chancellory and threw several of them from a third-floor window. All three survived — Catholics contended that they had been saved by angels, Protestants that they had landed on a dunghill. (Or, a reader suggests, “the Czechs bounced.”)


----please, draw me a sheep----
LukeJavan8 #217865 07/28/14 11:42 AM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 291
enthusiast
Offline
enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 291
Reaching the end of a job interview, the Human Resources Officer asks a young engineer fresh out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
"And what starting salary are you looking for?" The engineer replies, "In the region of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package."
The interviewer inquires, "Well, what would you say to a package of five weeks vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, company matching retirement fund to 50% of salary, and a company car leased every two years, say, a red Corvette?" The engineer sits up straight and says,"Wow! Are you kidding?" The interviewer replies, "Yeah, but you started it."

Last edited by Bazr; 07/28/14 11:44 AM.

live in the moment
Bazr #218859 10/17/14 01:16 AM
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,161
Likes: 4
A
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
A
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,161
Likes: 4
Bertrand Russell was giving a lecture in logic to a group of students. He was explaining why a contradictory statement cannot be true.

"If you accept a contradiction", he said, "it follows that absolutely anything you can think of, no matter how ridiculous, can be proved true".

"All right", said one disbelieving student, "prove that if 1+1=3, you are the Pope".

"Well", said Russell, "subtract 1 from each side of the equation. Then 1=2. Therefore, 2=1. Now, I and the Pope are two people; but 2=1, so I and the Pope are one. Therefore, I am the Pope!"


Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,912
Posts229,271
Members9,179
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV, Heather_Turey, Standy
9,179 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 397 guests, and 3 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,502
LukeJavan8 9,915
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5