and these people vote?

Groooan.Okay, lets play this game . . .You (RAZD) are a school history teacher. Kinda fed up with kids, and looking forward to retirement, (just giving your character motivation). You want the kids to study famous explorers this week. You have the opportunity to get one of two people to give a speech to the class. One of them is recently ressurrected Sir Edmund Percival Hillary, first man to summit Everest. The other option is a broccoli salesman (and recent comatase patient) named John Smith.Based on their experiences, which do you choose? And Why?

Well the kids would be most interested in the zombie, if I can go by pop culture information.What is your objective selection criteria?Edited by RAZD, : .

(Why do I get the feeling everyone in this thread has been gaslighting me?) Gaslighting - Wikipedia[Dronester steps up on a soapbox, a flute in the background is heard]Americans have been thoroughly indoctrinated by our government and media that we americans are exceptional. We have been taught that even if america made poor choices and 'mistakes' in the past, america has ONLY strived for freedom and justice. This indoctrination has been most successful with the uninformed, the less-traveled. I strongly believe if more americans would travel we would have less comic-book-mindsets to the world's problems. We'd also believe that our government is not always a loving parent that looks after us and should not be trusted in every action it takes.So even though it may appear that I have been de-riding 'mere' 'tourists' in over-crowded bus tours, I want to make clear every citizen's curiosity is needed to be fed and encouraged. How else to counter the inbred onslaught of corporate media and government's propaganda? I implore, get yourself a passport, go west (young man), go east, go south, go north.Whether at the base of Everest or the summit of Everest, you probably will come back with something far more valuable than just novel conversations.[steps down from the soapbox][NSA agent jabs a poison tipped umbrella into dronester's calf. Dronester TRAVELS to a undisclosed foreign rendition site. Oh, the irony]

That isn't "measuring the quality of their experiences"; it's choosing the one that's appropriate to this week's curriculum. If we were studying "experiences" in general, the recently-comatose Mr. Smith might be the better choice.

And the same is true of a bus trip to Mount Rushmore with thirty senior citizens.

"Yeah, but Honey this one's eating my popcorn!" Aaha ha ha ha ha!

Excellent choice Ringo, I am sure Mr. Broccoli can regale the children in wonderful and spine-tingling tales on nothingness. Kudos.

So you presume to know everything about Mr. Smith's experiences getting into a coma and getting out of a coma. If you knew as much about Mr. Hillary as you claim to know about Mr. Smith, you wouldn't need either one of them.

I wonder if we can prevail upon Mr Broccoli to show a 180 page powerpoint presentation of his epic journey. Each screen . . . black.I just hope we aren't overstimulating the children.

OK. That one didn't work. How bout this one."Is the bar tender here?"Aaaha ha ha ha ha! Ohhh, that's a good one!

So you really don't have anything to say?Being the first - or the fortieth - to the top of Mount Everest doesn't automatically make you an interesting person. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes, somebody who has been through a coma may actually be more interesting than somebody who has stood on top of a rock.What led up to the coma? Was Mr. Smith a hero or a fool or a victim of circumstance? What are the after effects of the coma. What blocks of his life does Mr. Smith recall and which does he not?Or, you could have Mr. Hillary standing in front of the class saying, "Um... well... I guess so.... No, not really.... Sometimes...."Who has a "more rewarding" experience with the Mona Lisa? The "traveller" who hitchhikes to Paris to see it in person or the janitor who scrubs the floor in front of it every day?

or is the 'bar' armed ?

Well first of all, . . .

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I wonder if we can prevail upon Mr Broccoli to show a 180 page powerpoint presentation of his epic journey. Each screen . . . black.

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I just hope we aren't overstimulating the children.

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THAT's funny. I mean, c'mon, that's using my "A" material Ringo! Get Oni's opinion if you doubt me. Someone needs to elect that post as post of the month, TODAY!!! (Cast aspersions on my concept of humor, will ya. [dronester shaking fist])And secondly, how about, "careful ringo, if you strain any harder to make any more contrived scenerios, you'll burst a blood vessel."RAZD suggested, regardless of experience, hiring the zombie speaker because that may very well play better to today's Hollywood-influenced children. Oooookay.How's this . . .Mr. Broccoli should bring along a talking, flying dog side-kick. Eh? Eh? The dog could wear a cape. The kids will LOVE it!!!I STILL stand by my argument:

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a 'traveler' will almost always have a deeper experience climbing Everest than a 'tourist' who will bus to the BOTTOM of Everest, who will almost always have a deeper experience than a television-watcher who is watching a travel program about Everest, who will almost always have a deeper experience than a child playing with Everest-shaped-jacks, who will almost always have a deeper experience than a comatose person who may or may not have fleeting active brains waves of Everest.

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If you want to continue arguing that the experiences of a comatose person CAN be just as rewarding as a person who climbed Everest, be my guest.

It may or may not "be" funny. Humour is subjective, just like the "value" of people's experiences. In this context it would be "good" humour if it supported your argument - but it doesn't. I'm not your guest; I'm Percy's guest - and I will continue to point out that your argument is nonsensical. You can not compare George's subjective experiences with Jim's subjective experiences. You can only compare George with George and Jim with Jim.If you have a valid argument, why don't you make it instead of dragging out your bad-taste "joking" about an unfortunate affliction?

Huh? I think it surely does. Brilliantly! Like a million suns. "Subjective"? When was that word weaseled into the argument? Where did you (Ringo) use SUBJECTIVE experience in these comparisons Message 56:

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What led up to the coma? Was Mr. Smith a hero or a fool or a victim of circumstance? What are the after effects of the coma. What blocks of his life does Mr. Smith recall and which does he not?

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Or, you could have Mr. Hillary standing in front of the class saying, "Um... well... I guess so.... No, not really.... Sometimes...."

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(Being in a coma is an affliction?)Okay, strike the coma patient (not literally, as I think I caused enough undue distress for all the comatose people out there reading this forum), let's use my penultimate example, the two-year-old toddler . . .You (Ringo) are a school history teacher. You want the kids to study famous explorers this week. You have the opportunity to get one of two people to give a speech to the class. One of them is recently ressurrected Sir Edmund Percival Hillary, first man to summit Everest. The other option is a two-year old toddler named Jane Smith.Based on their experiences, which do you choose? And Why? Edited by dronester, : : )Edited by dronester, : wrong quoted person, sorry RAZD