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        riddles >> what am i >> I'm common
        
(Message started by: maryl on Apr 11^th, 2003, 2:34pm)

Title: I'm common
Post by maryl on Apr 11^th, 2003, 2:34pm

My first word is the age of a generation,
An age that's still quite young.
My second is quite current,
And makes 100 in one.
My third is a guy's name,
Or mail left undone.
My whole is quite common,
Could you spare one?

What am I?

Title: Re: I'm common
Post by cho on Apr 12^th, 2003, 5:20am

That's odd. I have a solution that seems to fit everything except the very last line.

Title: Re: I'm common
Post by maryl on Apr 12^th, 2003, 11:43am

That's interesting Cho. I know you're a whiz at these.

Title: Re: I'm common
Post by cho on Apr 15^th, 2003, 3:21pm

The answer I came up with was [hide]eccentric: Gen X + Cent + Ric. I figured unfinished mail was a pun that ric is an male (richard) left undone. But while eccentrics are quite common, I don't know how you could spare one[/hide]. If I'm wrong, then we need another hint.

Title: Re: I'm common
Post by maryl on Apr 15^th, 2003, 4:23pm

Wow, that was a great guess Cho; although it's not what I had in mind. It's much simpler I'm afraid. Maybe my first line threw you. It's stated in the Bible as the length of a generation(a number). You're on the right track with the second Word; and it's a different name.
This is a different riddle because my one,two and three are words-not syllables. Hope that wasn't too presumptuous of me. I think your guess was better than my answer and although eccentrics are exciting -my answer will buy you lunch.

Title: Re: I'm common
Post by Icarus on Apr 15^th, 2003, 6:15pm

So your answer commited an act of genocide?

Title: Re: I'm common
Post by aero_guy on Apr 15^th, 2003, 10:19pm

Not to be overly critical, but it needs a little work. Also if you are going to change the basic rules of how these puzzles work you have to tell people first. It is like posting the problem 2+2=? without telling people + means divide for you (I was about to say multiply and then realized how stupid that would be).

Title: Re: I'm common
Post by maryl on Apr 16^th, 2003, 8:58am

on 04/15/03 at 18:15:13, Icarus wrote:

So your answer commited an act of genocide?

It did indeed.

Title: Re: I'm common
Post by maryl on Apr 16^th, 2003, 9:08am

on 04/15/03 at 22:19:11, aero_guy wrote:

I send Cho my regrets; I didn't mean to throw a monkeywrench into things. I thought it was plausible but realize now I should have been clearer. BTW are you allowed to change policy around here? :)
Now we know how great inventions are found out. ???

Title: Re: I'm common
Post by cho on Apr 16^th, 2003, 10:54am

Well, your riddle does say, "my first word," a clue that I totally overlooked.

Title: Re: I'm common
Post by Icarus on Apr 16^th, 2003, 8:33pm

on 04/16/03 at 08:58:31, maryl wrote:

It did indeed.

I'm glad you knew that - it seems very few people do, though they have at least heard of the event.

Personally, when we condemn others for doing this sort of thing, I don't see why we continue to honor him in this way.

And when you examine the history, there is no doubt - it was intentional genocide, and a direct violation of the laws he was supposed to uphold.

Title: Re: I'm common
Post by aero_guy on Apr 17^th, 2003, 7:49am

Interesting comparison (http://www.straightdope.com/columns/021018.html)

Title: Re: I'm common
Post by Icarus on Apr 17^th, 2003, 6:46pm

I never claimed Jackson was in the big leagues. But he still committed an act of genocide. To do it, he directly violated treaties the U. S. government had signed with a sovereign nation, and he ignored a Supreme Court order, thus violating the U.S. constitution. There is no doubt that he was aware of the human cost of his actions before he took them. Nor was there any pretext for performing this action other than a naked grab for someone else's land and wealth.

Despite this, we continue to think of this criminal as one of our greatest presidents, and honor him with his portrait on the 20-dollar bill.

Title: Re: I'm common
Post by aero_guy on Apr 18^th, 2003, 6:22am

Oh yeah, no argument there, I recalled an article that discussed him I had read once and posted it for your perusal. I think they agree with you on the (bad) quality of the crime and just compare quantity.

Title: Re: I'm common
Post by maryl on Apr 18^th, 2003, 2:52pm

on 04/17/03 at 18:46:13, Icarus wrote:

Excellent point Icarus.

Title: Re: I'm common
Post by cho on Apr 18^th, 2003, 3:09pm

If you guys want to get rid of all your atrocious Jacksons, I'll be glad to take them off your hands.
And, in case you weren't aware of it, Washington was a slave owner, and Franklin was a womanizer, and Hamilton was just a lousy dueller, so you'd better send me your ones tens and hundreds, too. You can keep your fives until I can dig up some dirt on Lincoln.

Title: Re: I'm common
Post by Icarus on Apr 18^th, 2003, 9:22pm

Washington was a slave owner, and by today's standards that is despicable. But, slavery was the norm for practically all of human history. I prefer to rejoice that we have learned better, than to condemn someone for doing what was accepted practice in his time. Jackson on the other hand violated the constitution and established law to commit an act which was just as evil by the standards of his day as it is in ours, even if the majority of the time gave it tacit approval.

As for Franklin and Madison, I hardly consider "womanizing" a crime on the order of genocide. And dueling was not a crime in Madison's day - and even if it were, he already received the severest punishment for it.

I thank you for your kindly offer, but I simply would not dream of imposing the burden on you of carrying the portrait of this evil man. Especially when there are so many merchants in my area who seem very willing to help me themselves.