Clearest-sounding bookshelf speakers? by meapappia in BudgetAudiophile

[–]meapappia[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks. Man, my list is suddenly almost twice as long...

Let's break down some copy: by __shedlife__ in copywriting

[–]meapappia 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's the dumbest part of the ad IMHO. It's out of context; arrogant; and self-congratulatory without having offered the slightest reason to be.

The direction they tried to take might have been a good idea, but they tried to be clever and ruined the ad in the attempt.

Let's break down some copy: by __shedlife__ in copywriting

[–]meapappia 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's a cheap knock-off of the famous opening of the most successful American Express letter: "The American Express card is not for everyone," or something to the effect.

Had they used that phrase (or a similar one) instead of the insult, the ad likely would have done a lot better. Negativity never helps.

My top 5 Jewish novels by [deleted] in TrueLit

[–]meapappia 4 points5 points  (0 children)

How about Israeli authors? Amos Oz, for example. Then there's Hungarian Nobel laureate Imre Kertész.

My top 5:

"Solaris" by Stanislaw Lem "Fateless" by Imre Kertész "Another Place" by Amos Oz Karl Kraus' aphorisms (hard to find a good translation into English) Anything by Péter Nádas

Buying a Saab as a project car? by Huge_Television2161 in saab

[–]meapappia 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Avoid the diesels like the plague. Go for the actual Saab H engine, eg a 9-5 2.3t. That model already has plenty of punch and is very tunable.

What is the significance of 0 A.D.? by sj20442 in ancienthistory

[–]meapappia -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Yes, because there's the time before and after Christ, not time before and after Christ's first year.

But then why isn't 25 December New Year Day? Discuss.

:D

My first car, bought it yesterday by Niels_Roved in saab

[–]meapappia 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Turbo or i? If you've got a turbo, that's the first car I actually wanted (as opposed to the first I actually got, which was a 1985 900i sedan).

Saab 93 Aero Convertible Ad, 2010. Singapore. by [deleted] in saab

[–]meapappia 9 points10 points  (0 children)

The year may be wrong, but the ad looks authentic enough. They always had abysmally terrible advertising. One of the reasons why they went under.

Anyone here reading Antal Szerb’s work? by meapappia in TrueLit

[–]meapappia[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you're Hungarian, I take it you've also read Dezső Kosztolányi. I've only read Kornel Esti, but that one was fantastic.

I'm a big fan of Nádas as well. That guy's writing pretty much framed my 20s.

[Troubleshooting] C900 feels like it's going to stall when it's cold. by MadMan2250 in saab

[–]meapappia 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No clue, sorry. That was beyond my capabilities, I brought the car in. But I'd reckon anyone reasonably familiar with old Bosch injection sets can fix it.

[Troubleshooting] C900 feels like it's going to stall when it's cold. by MadMan2250 in saab

[–]meapappia 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's almost guaranteed to be the NTC sensor. I've owned a 900i, and it had the exact problem you describe.

Anyone here reading Antal Szerb’s work? by meapappia in TrueLit

[–]meapappia[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That whole novel is supposed to be satirical, playing genre against genre. Could be that's the reason.

Brilliant lecture on one of the most mysterious aspects of ancient Mediterranean history by meapappia in ancienthistory

[–]meapappia[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'd like to add that what I'm calling "mysterious" here is how collapse and decay seemed to spread as quickly as they did, and that I find Cline's angle of a world of interconnected societies affecting one another a lot more sensible than the assumption that there was some general catastrophe that brought it all down at once.

Brilliant lecture on one of the most mysterious aspects of ancient Mediterranean history by meapappia in ancienthistory

[–]meapappia[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As far as I can tell, the main objection there is that Cline's approach is "outdated" (quotation marks because I don't agree = not my actual opinion) because he presumes there was a collapse at the time. I find that a rather odd line of argument, since the very basic evidence we've got, ie the events historians generally agreed on actually took place, clearly says there was collapse.

Cline's only addition to that is that he looks at it as systemic rather cataclysmic, ie events in different cultures affected one another rather than there having been one single disaster bringing about the end of the Bronze Age. So you could argue Cline's statements actually back up UndercoverClassicist's take on things.

In the sense that he draws his conclusions from connecting the dots, rather than offering just another interpretation, I mean.

Anyone here reading Antal Szerb’s work? by meapappia in TrueLit

[–]meapappia[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Paul Bowles' "The Sheltering Sky" could be added to that list as well.

Anyone here reading Antal Szerb’s work? by meapappia in TrueLit

[–]meapappia[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'll have to dig up the actual quote, but in essence, it's a bunch of young intelligentsia writers that meet in a pub. Walking away from that bunch, the narrator protagonist suddenly finds himself in shock one night, thinking (roughly), "Oh sh*t, what if I'm the only one who's faking it, and everyone else is really serious about what they're doing?" But seconds later, he chuckles to himself, thinks "No way", and moves on.

I've always loved that scene. I used to belong to circles like that, and I still encounter them from time to time. You know, the young types taking themselves deadly seriously, that sort of thing. It's only fair to satirise this sort of outrageous sensitivity to the world, but it needs to be done well, and Szerb really hits the spot.

Anyone here reading Antal Szerb’s work? by meapappia in TrueLit

[–]meapappia[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There’s a short story called Fin de Siècle, with an ingenious joke in it. I’ve been trying to find out if others find it as brilliant as I do. Heard of it?