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riddles >> medium >> The mysterious man
(Message started by: MrUdon on Oct 18th, 2005, 4:44am)

Title: The mysterious man
Post by MrUdon on Oct 18th, 2005, 4:44am
"My father is my son. Also, my daughter is my mother" Is this sentance true or false. Explain your answer ;D

hehehe I like this one since its all mumbo jumbo~

Title: Re: The mysterious man
Post by towr on Oct 18th, 2005, 5:03am
It's unlikely but not impossible, certainly not logically impossible.

If the man's father married his wife's daughter (presumably from a different union), then his father is his son(-in-law), and his (step-)daughter is his (step-)mom.
He's also his own grandfather. Etc..

And that's just one of the possible, though unlikely, scenarios.

Title: Re: The mysterious man
Post by MrUdon on Oct 18th, 2005, 5:08am
Nice, didnt think some one could crack this that easily, but there more to the question....."My daughter had a baby. Explain the human relationships that this baby has"

Title: Re: The mysterious man
Post by MrUdon on Oct 18th, 2005, 5:11am
Oh and also, this was actually posted in Switzerland News Paper in 1922. Amazing aint it

P.S. Im not 100% positive about this article since I found this in a random book.  

Title: Re: The mysterious man
Post by towr on Oct 18th, 2005, 6:34am

on 10/18/05 at 05:08:35, MrUdon wrote:
Nice, didnt think some one could crack this that easily, but there more to the question....."My daughter had a baby. Explain the human relationships that this baby has"
That depends on whether the baby is an (extraterrestial) alien or not.
I'm also not sure what you mean with 'explain'. Relationships don't generally strike me as something that's explained.

Title: Re: The mysterious man
Post by Icarus on Oct 18th, 2005, 3:29pm
Coincidentally, just a couple weeks ago I picked up a CD that had on it the song "I am my own grandpa", in which the singer marries a widow with a grown daughter, who in turn marries the singer's father. The singer bemoans the tortured relationships this produces, such as the fact that he is now married to his grandmother.

According to my mother, this song was popular sometime in the 1940s or 1950s, though I had never heard it before.

Exploring all the relationship conundrums of such a man, and of his offspring, can be very complex. For instance, while he is his own grandfather, he is also his own great-great-grandfather, great4-grandfather, great6-grandfather, etc. Therefore his son is also his great-grandson, great3-grandson, etc. His son is also his uncle, great2-uncle, etc.

Title: Re: The mysterious man
Post by Eigenray on Oct 18th, 2005, 6:33pm
Well, Philip J. Fry was his own grandfather.  And Dave Lister was even his own father.  But I don't suppose they count.

Title: Re: The mysterious man
Post by towr on Oct 19th, 2005, 1:16am

on 10/18/05 at 18:33:15, Eigenray wrote:
Well, Philip J. Fry was his own grandfather.  And Dave Lister was even his own father.  But I don't suppose they count.

They do, as long as their fictional worlds aren't logically inconsistent. Of course they are.
But still, you can think of a possible world that is consistent, yet were the same relationships holds.

Title: Re: The mysterious man
Post by MrUdon on Oct 19th, 2005, 5:54am
Wow...they made a song about some crazy relationship in the 40's/50's.... Thats pretty wack. Anyway yer this is possible. The answer that I had was this.

A man married a widowed(i think this is the rite term) woman with a daughter that was able to marry. His father(the man) fell in love with his daughter in law and they married. So since its his daughters husband, he becomes son in law but since SHE married his dad, she became his mother in law.

When his daughter/mother in law had a baby, the baby became his brother/grand son. But since he is the brother, he becomes a grandson to him self...

Fact: Human relationship are very complicated.. ;D

Title: Re: The mysterious man
Post by otter on Oct 19th, 2005, 11:47am

on 10/18/05 at 15:29:05, Icarus wrote:
Coincidentally, just a couple weeks ago I picked up a CD that had on it the song "I am my own grandpa", in which the singer marries a widow with a grown daughter, who in turn marries the singer's father. The singer bemoans the tortured relationships this produces, such as the fact that he is now married to his grandmother.

According to my mother, this song was popular sometime in the 1940s or 1950s, though I had never heard it before.

Exploring all the relationship conundrums of such a man, and of his offspring, can be very complex. For instance, while he is his own grandfather, he is also his own great-great-grandfather, great4-grandfather, great6-grandfather, etc. Therefore his son is also his great-grandson, great3-grandson, etc. His son is also his uncle, great2-uncle, etc.

The version of the song that I have was recorded by Ray Stevens in 1995.   It was written in 1948 by by Moe Jaffe and Dwight Latham.  You can hear it here (http://www.ziplo.com/grandpa.htm).

Title: Re: The mysterious man
Post by Icarus on Oct 19th, 2005, 2:51pm
Its the same song and basic tune, though the version I have is sung in a Celtic fashion. It was performed by Seamus Kennedy at the 25th Long's Peak Scottish/Irish Highland Festival in Estes Park, Colorado in 2001.

With apologies to Ray Stevens, I liked Seamus' version better.

Title: Re: The mysterious man
Post by MrUdon on Oct 20th, 2005, 5:26am
Wow, Im just REAL curious now......Why would some one write a lyric about how crazy a relationship?? AND why would this song become a hit?? is every one wanna have the same relationship or something???



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