Harley Breite - Appreciation thread

[pellius]

Dear Gentlemen,
  Today was another victory for the Accused.  The State had charged my 15 year old "Special Needs" client with shooting another "Special Needs" 15
year old 3 times in the arm with a soft air gun and then throwing him in a lake and not permitting him to come out of the water.
  During our First Appearance approximately 2 weeks ago, I was met by an obnoxious and conceited female Assistant Prosecutor who sought a guilty plea
and probation from my client.  I suggested we dismiss the case provided there are no additional problems within the next 6 months.  That offer was rudely
rejected.  What pissed me off more than her believing she was beautiful and could get any guy in the building (no implants so not even a thought came to my mind)
was the fact that she knew I was coming to court while caring for my Mom in the hospital pre-surgery and she never once asked how my Mom was doing.  In fact,
the Assistant Prosecutor would not mail nor fax me the 2 pages of Discovery and thus forced me to leave the hospital and appear in court.
  I told her that if she didn't accept my counter offer I would appear next time with Motions (requests to the court) to provide every single school, DYFS, medical, psychiatric and
behavioral record of the "victim."  In addition, I would come to court with legal briefs already done and prepared for the Judge's review.  She scoffed and said the motions would never
be granted.  I said, "Well that is why we have judges to decide those issues."
  I stayed up for 2 nights and did all the work I promised her I would do.  When I showed up in Court today, I could barely speak due to my throat having been repeatedly crushed the other
night at BJJ (I was specifically working Guillotine Defenses).  I whispered to her "Has your plea offer changed?" to which she responded "no."  I then handed her a stack of motions along with
a legal brief and walked away.  After 5 minutes of reading, she approached me and countered with "If your client pleads guilty I will offer him just probation."  I said, "No.  He isn't pleading guilty
to anything."  She said, "fine" and walked away.  As the case was called, she then offered me no guilty plea, no criminal record and only a letter of apology from my client.  My client accepted.
  Once again, when you stand up to a bully and do the work they aren't willing to do, you can get unexpectedly good results.
Harley

Congratulations and sorry about your mother.

[pellius]

Just the typical self-righteous horseshit. Many here have supported Israel over the years.

Hmm, seems you and Vegas took offense to my comment about this board being somewhat anti-semetic. As I said, I'm pretty sensitive to these issues and keep a close look out for it. That's the impression I get from my years on this board. Just like the impression I get that this board is preoccupied with homosexuality. Since I've been very active on this board for over a decade it seems pointless to tell me to just go back and review previous threads. Which ones? Perhaps you can direct me to threads where both  you and Vegas has made the case for Israel. I would be very interested in reading your views.

Here's a recent debate where both your names are lacking. Again, that in an of itself doesn't mean much as it's just one thread but I am always on the look out for supporters of Israel as it's one of the litmus test I use to judge a person's character (love of dogs is another   )

http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=543888.50

[pellius]

Dear Pellius,
  When I returned to GetBig recently, I promised that if I felt I were treated just fairly, I would try to answer almost every question without turning away
from the hard or uncomfortable ones and always answer honestly.  Your question centers on a topic I will not shy from IF asked so here goes;
  My answer is that the reason for the disproportionate amount of success and intelligence from Jewish people stems from a combination of culture and genetics.
  Let's take genetics first as it is the most hostile position of my two part answer.  I do believe there is a genetic component to intelligence and a people who have
been around for over 5,700 years (and again, this is not meant to start a debate with Wiggs as I do respect his beliefs) who have been nothing but a target for total
evisceration from majority to majority must have some element of genetic intelligence in order to continually survive.  Coming to grips with the fact that a certain race,
ethnicity or people from a particular part of the world hold some genetic advantage to others from different parts of the world shouldn't shock the rational mind.  If you lived
in the middle of Africa you had better develop the ability to run faster and longer and go longer distances without water.  If you lived in the Arctic like an Eskimo you had better
develop some trait to help you adapt to the environment quicker than those who live in Aruba.  Every one has different genetic and biological advantages with which they are born
and we need to embrace and maximize them, rather than exploit them as marks of differentiation or even alleged superiority.  Darwin's "Origin of Species" is seminal in explaining
and demonstrating the importance of adaptation in order to survive.  Darwin did not say, "the strongest survive."  He said that those who are best at adaptation (the ability to change
over time to better survive circumstance and environment) will survive as a species.
  As for culture well, that is easy.  Jews for the most part don't encourage or even accept their children having dreams of become professional athletes, rappers, singers, actors, etc.
In my household, it was always said that I would become a doctor, dentist or lawyer and that was the hierarchy of prestige.  My sister would become a teacher like my Mom.  It's a culture
that rewards and promotes a reverence for scholarship, not home runs in little league.  Don't for a moment think that the idea of doing worse than my first cousins on my SAT didn't petrify my poor
mom who was unfortunately caught up in the senseless competition of all that.  Of course there are exceptions within the few million Jews who live in America but that only serves to
prove the rule.  Positive reinforcement and ego development are based upon scholastic achievement and that is the culture.  People are free to argue if it is for the better or for the worse.
  Having said that, I do always like to joke that Christians place their faith in a Jewish "only son" who left his mother to become a carpenter.  Of course,  I kid when I say that but the idea relates
more to what Jewish people have attempted to achieve over the years and where they place their efforts.  Nobel Prizes just mean more to them than Grammy's or Super Bowl rings.  
Harley

Thank you for your thoughtful and honest (maybe even courageous) response. Most seem willing to accept that virtually all human traits have some genetic influence taking into account everything has it's exceptions. But when it comes to intelligence that's when many balk.

I do think that these genetic traits do evolve among races and ethnicities. I don't think dark skinned people just happened to live in hot sunny climates.

One thing I've noticed with Jewish families is that they love to talk, discuss and debate. I use to love having dinner with a Jewish family I knew when I was living in Cali. Inevitably something would come up and we'd spend hours discussing, debating and arguing (often heated) about it. Politics, popular culture, religion, who was the best boxer, Vietnam, how Bruce Lee would fare in his prime in MMA if he also added BJJ to his skill set.... It was endless.

I feel a lot stems from their religion, ever though these were secular Jews. With Christianity it's the "word of God." You can argue about perceived inconsistencies and injustices but in the end it's because God says so. Not with the Jews. They are constantly battling the finer points of the Talmud and Torah. It seems like they were born and bred to question and debate everything.

I think this fosters critical thinking and independent and creative thought.

Also their reverence for education. It's just expected that you will do well in school and that you will go on to college and the parents plan for it before you are even born. And it's not to major in Ethnic Studies or Art History.

Also, I did note some competitiveness within the immediate family as well as other relatives. The parents seem to feel a real personal stake in how their children do in life, especially compared to how the other children of their relatives do. This seems to foster a drive and discipline that I also see in Asian cultures.

[HarleyBreite]

With Christianity it's the "word of God." You can argue about perceived inconsistencies and injustices but in the end it's because God says so. Not with the Jews. They are constantly battling the finer points of the Talmud and Torah. It seems like they were born and bred to question and debate everything.

I think this fosters critical thinking and independent and creative thought.

Also their reverence for education. It's just expected that you will do well in school and that you will go on to college and the parents plan for it before you are even born. And it's not to major in Ethnic Studies or Art History.

Also, I did note some competitiveness within the immediate family as well as other relatives. The parents seem to feel a real personal stake in how their children do in life, especially compared to how the other children of their relatives do. This seems to foster a drive and discipline that I also see in Asian cultures.
[/quote]

Dear Pellius,
  These are remarkably astute observations especially from someone outside the Jewish religion/culture.  I couldn't agree with you more and no Jewish person with whom I
was raised would disagree.
  Let me say however, that there is a price to be paid for this and that has a great deal to do with social pressures and failure to assimilate.
Harley

[OB1]

Dear Harley,
thanks for this quite interesting read.

Which person in bodybuilding impressed you the most and why?

[HarleyBreite]

Dear Harley,
thanks for this quite interesting read.

Which person in bodybuilding impressed you the most and why?

Dear OB1,
  I know you won't like my answer but it is my Training Partner Craig Richardson for a plethora of reasons, including, but not limited to, his humbleness,
lack of ego and commitment to his family.
  HOWEVER, I will take away my own bias and answer the question as if Craig's name had to be omitted.  
  I am not sure in what respect you mean "impressed" so I will take the question in this manner:
  1)  Physique- Paul Dillett and Dennis James.   When we all first fell in love with bodybuilding, we were all captivated by physiques which were bigger than life.
We were looking at real-life super-heroes.  We wanted to be the mountain of muscle we were looking at.  Well, I saw Dillett live, in his prime and he was as if
Stan Lee had created a new character.  You had to stare (NO HOMO).  Your mouth dropped.  How could a human being be so massive and so massive everywhere
(do I really have to write "No Homo" every time on every response?)  He just looked inflated but not with oils, insulin or fat.  He was "muscle exaggerated."
    And Dennis James, well, he really is Mr. Tank Top Olympia.  He and I got along ok, not great, but that is for a different question.  Craig once competed in Charlotte
and Dennis walked around the whole time in a tank top and basically just convinced everyone he had won the show before he ever hit the stage.
    For me, when I think of what I would give to look like one of my favorite bodybuilders, it is frightening, sad and pathetic.  Having said that, if I could make the deal,
I would want a physique which, if displayed at a coffee house in any country in the entire world, would draw the awe of men and the sexual desire of women.  Dennis
James just might be the king of that (except of course, for Flex Wheeler in his absolute prime).  One more point in that I see some heavy debate as to whether or not
women are really sexually attracted to bodybuilders.  Please stop fooling yourselves, the answer is YES.  If you just want to get laid for the night by a hot girl, the answer is
yes.  If you are looking for a quality woman to be there for the long run, then NO.  
  2)  As A Person-  If you asked me who impressed me the most as a person, than it is without doubt Nasser.  I just found my response to Old Time Lifter from many years ago
as to his asking about my encounters with Nasser. I read it again and was reminded just why he impressed me as a person.  He was unique for a bodybuilder.
Harley

[OB1]

Thank you for your detailed answer.

[HarleyBreite]

I would re-print my "Nasser Response" but was advised about "bumping."

[OB1]

Where can I read it?

[HarleyBreite]

Hey Guys,
  If this is "bumping" I apologize but I did write this myself:
 
  Dear old-school-lifter,
   You asked me to share my thoughts on Nasser.  Again, I met him only a few times but here they are:
   Nasser immediately struck me as different from most bodybuilders in that he didn't need to announce he was the biggest man in the room, he just let nature speak for him.  But for his Leviathan physique, his quiet introverted nature would have caused him to become lost in the crowd.
   Somehow it came up that my sister was born in Germany and apparently, so was he.  I mentioned that I was born in Switzerland and then he took a curiosity as to what my parents were doing in Europe and how I became an American.  I explained to him that my Father survived being in Hitler's death camps and actually saw Hitler live, twice.  This fascinated Nasser and he asked me all about it. I told him my grandfather was shot at point blank range by a rifle held by an SS member and left for dead.  When I told him my grandfather survived and wrote a book, he asked me if I could get him a copy.  I joked and said, "You read funny books for a coal-miner."  This is a line from W. Somerset Maugham's "The Razor's Edge" and when Nasser said he was familiar with Maugham, he immediately had my complete admiration.
   I asked Nasser how many languages he spoke and he joked, "That is a funny question for an American."  I told him my Dad spoke 11 languages and played 9 instruments and Nasser was astute enough to state that this is almost always a result of being born in a place in which nations conquer, merge and then dissolve. Nasser talked about the troubles that plagued Egypt but more so of Yugoslavia.  He seemed surprised that I even knew where it was.  I told Nasser I enjoy studying languages and culture and he laughed when I told him my Godparents live in Pakistan.  Ironically, we talked about the Sunni/Shiite issues.
     Nasser was a prodigious eater.  His plates of food were enormous.  I just don't understand how these guys can eat and digest all that food.
   Nasser laughed and made fun of guys and seemed to really despise the transparent people in bodybuilding.  He complained that there were many fake people and that they would lie to your face just to steal some money or drugs.  The topic of gay for pay came up and he heartily laughed at those who sold themselves like that.  I got the impression that while bodybuilding was important to him, it remained only part of his lifestyle.  He didn't seem to taken in by cars or fancy items, but rather, he seemed intrigued by anyone who claimed to know something about anything.  I got the impression that he was looking through you at first and then, if you had any real substance to you, he would look at you and then speak with you.
   I found him soft-spoken, polite and intelligent.  I don't know who on GetBig hates or likes what bodybuilders but for me, Nasser stood out, both in physical stature and humble intellect.
Harley     
   

[OB1]

Thank You.

[pellius]

I would re-print my "Nasser Response" but was advised about "bumping."

Bumping is fine. It's a way to bring back an old topic with renewed interest.

Threads die on their own accord. People move on to other topics and the old threads just drift further and further down the line. Look at some threads like the Random Pictures and Cross Fit girls. They have been going on and getting bumped for years as there is always an interest.

TA has been bumping his Super Bowl thread every year for years now.

No rule against bumping. And if there is a problem the Mods will just lock it.

Bump away.

[Las Vegas]

Hmm, seems you and Vegas took offense to my comment about this board being somewhat anti-semetic. As I said, I'm pretty sensitive to these issues and keep a close look out for it. That's the impression I get from my years on this board. Just like the impression I get that this board is preoccupied with homosexuality. Since I've been very active on this board for over a decade it seems pointless to tell me to just go back and review previous threads. Which ones? Perhaps you can direct me to threads where both  you and Vegas has made the case for Israel. I would be very interested in reading your views.

Here's a recent debate where both your names are lacking. Again, that in an of itself doesn't mean much as it's just one thread but I am always on the look out for supporters of Israel as it's one of the litmus test I use to judge a person's character (love of dogs is another   )

http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=543888.50

No.  You won't see me commenting in those threads, because I'm not going to act as though the situation is clear.

[Las Vegas]

Bumping is fine. It's a way to bring back an old topic with renewed interest.

Threads die on their own accord. People move on to other topics and the old threads just drift further and further down the line. Look at some threads like the Random Pictures and Cross Fit girls. They have been going on and getting bumped for years as there is always an interest.

TA has been bumping his Super Bowl thread every year for years now.

No rule against bumping. And if there is a problem the Mods will just lock it.

Bump away.

Someone was recently banned or timed-out doing that.  But it was for bumping in a way that's different thsn what you did, Harley.  Just try to have a legit reason for doing it (no one expects you to have to rewrite that, for instance), and it will be fine.

The guy that got into trouble bumped a lot of threads one right after the next, without cohesive explanation.

[Alucard]

Great stories about El Sonbaty and Dillett mr Breite... I don't want to be disrespectful or too curious, but can i ask about your father's experience in Nazi's death camps? I have few questions...

[HarleyBreite]

Bumping is fine. It's a way to bring back an old topic with renewed interest.

Threads die on their own accord. People move on to other topics and the old threads just drift further and further down the line. Look at some threads like the Random Pictures and Cross Fit girls. They have been going on and getting bumped for years as there is always an interest.

TA has been bumping his Super Bowl thread every year for years now.

No rule against bumping. And if there is a problem the Mods will just lock it.

Bump away.

Dear Pellius,
  You are one of my all time favorites but Random Pics, when done properly, will always get my support as it has the most amazing women on the planet and should be left to continue for the ages.
  I will say this though, sometimes, I don't understand why people put such disgusting photos on there.  The ones of nature are wonderful too.
Harley

[HarleyBreite]

Great stories about El Sonbaty and Dillett mr Breite... I don't want to be disrespectful or too curious, but can i ask about your father's experience in Nazi's death camps? I have few questions...

Dear Alucard,
  Thanks for the compliment.
  I have no issue in speaking about my Dad's experiences surviving Nazi Germany.  He lived in Poland and on September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded,
nothing would ever be the same.  My Grandfather would not separate himself from my Dad which was unheard of in those situations and almost always resulted in
the deaths of both dad and son.  My Grandfather, Jakob Breitowicz wrote a book which I talked about earlier here I think.  It is called "Through Hell To Life" and no, I am not here to pitch
the book.  It is not written by a professional writer. Rather, it has to be one of the very earliest accounts of the atrocities committed in Hitler's Death Camps.
  My Grandfather was shot by a 19 year old SS soldier named Josef Wurst who shot about 51 prisoners during an evacuation march from the Flossenburg Concentration Camp on April 23, 1945.  
He was later tried for war crimes and hanged on October 3, 1947.   He shot my Grandfather at point blank range, in the head, with a rifle and left him for dead.  My Grandfather got up after he left, swam up a freezing river and hid in a barn until American troops came by on their way to liberate the camps.  In the hospital, he began writing his book.  I helped him translate it from Polish to English when I was a teenager.  He was left blind in one eye and deaf in one ear.
  He and his step uncle who was sent to Siberia during the war, met up after the war and were walking down the rubble streets of Germany when there was no more government but only black market economics.  All of a sudden, walking down the street, my Grandfather recognizes one of the guards from the concentration camp who killed many people.  My grandfather and my uncle grabbed the guy,
took him down the alley and killed him.  I understand some may not approve of such vigilante justice but I cite this to mark a true historical event.
  My father was present in the camp when my Grandfather had a fight with a guard and boiling hot water flew in the air and left a scar on my Dad's leg for his entire life.  My Dad saw Hitler live, on
2 occasions.  My father was also hid in a basement in Austria by a Christian family at the risk of losing all their lives.  I met the children of those people who by the time I met them were very old.
I know this may sound like a pussy, but the came from Vienna to stay at our home when I was about 21 years old.  Upon meeting them, I couldn't help but hug them hello and start crying like a little
girl.  They didn't speak English and didn't know why I was crying.  My Dad explained to them it was just an uncontrollable outburst of my gratitude and they were very touched.
  My grandfather had "KL" tattoed on his forearm by the Nazis.  That is the real reason I will never get a tattoo.  Nothing against those who have one it's just that no one is tattooing another member
of my family ever again.
  The book was never written to sell big volumes but rather, to memorialize what had happened to my family.  I sure am glad it exists in writing and pictures.  It's almost too hard to believe.
  Having written that, feel free to ask me any question you like.
Harley

[dr.chimps]

Dear Alucard,
  Thanks for the compliment.
  I have no issue in speaking about my Dad's experiences surviving Nazi Germany.  He lived in Poland and on September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded,
nothing would ever be the same.  My Grandfather would not separate himself from my Dad which was unheard of in those situations and almost always resulted in
the deaths of both dad and son.  My Grandfather, Jakob Breitowicz wrote a book which I talked about earlier here I think.  It is called "Through Hell To Life" and no, I am not here to pitch
the book.  It is not written by a professional writer. Rather, it has to be one of the very earliest accounts of the atrocities committed in Hitler's Death Camps.
  My Grandfather was shot by a 19 year old SS soldier named Josef Wurst who shot about 51 prisoners during an evacuation march from the Flossenburg Concentration Camp on April 23, 1945.  
He was later tried for war crimes and hanged on October 3, 1947.   He shot my Grandfather at point blank range, in the head, with a rifle and left him for dead.  My Grandfather got up after he left, swam up a freezing river and hid in a barn until American troops came by on their way to liberate the camps.  In the hospital, he began writing his book.  I helped him translate it from Polish to English when I was a teenager.  He was left blind in one eye and deaf in one ear.
  He and his step uncle who was sent to Siberia during the war, met up after the war and were walking down the rubble streets of Germany when there was no more government but only black market economics.  All of a sudden, walking down the street, my Grandfather recognizes one of the guards from the concentration camp who killed many people.  My grandfather and my uncle grabbed the guy,
took him down the alley and killed him.  I understand some may not approve of such vigilante justice but I cite this to mark a true historical event.
  My father was present in the camp when my Grandfather had a fight with a guard and boiling hot water flew in the air and left a scar on my Dad's leg for his entire life.  My Dad saw Hitler live, on
2 occasions.  My father was also hid in a basement in Austria by a Christian family at the risk of losing all their lives.  I met the children of those people who by the time I met them were very old.
I know this may sound like a pussy, but the came from Vienna to stay at our home when I was about 21 years old.  Upon meeting them, I couldn't help but hug them hello and start crying like a little
girl.  They didn't speak English and didn't know why I was crying.  My Dad explained to them it was just an uncontrollable outburst of my gratitude and they were very touched.
  My grandfather had "KL" tattoed on his forearm by the Nazis.  That is the real reason I will never get a tattoo.  Nothing against those who have one it's just that no one is tattooing another member
of my family ever again.
  The book was never written to sell big volumes but rather, to memorialize what had happened to my family.  I sure am glad it exists in writing and pictures.  It's almost too hard to believe.
  Having written that, feel free to ask me any question you like.
Harley

http://www.amazon.com/Through-Hell-Life-Jakob-Breitowicz/dp/0884000915/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441836998&sr=8-1&keywords=Through+Hell+To+Life%22

[Las Vegas]

Dear Alucard,
  Thanks for the compliment.
  I have no issue in speaking about my Dad's experiences surviving Nazi Germany.  He lived in Poland and on September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded,
nothing would ever be the same.  My Grandfather would not separate himself from my Dad which was unheard of in those situations and almost always resulted in
the deaths of both dad and son.  My Grandfather, Jakob Breitowicz wrote a book which I talked about earlier here I think.  It is called "Through Hell To Life" and no, I am not here to pitch
the book.  It is not written by a professional writer. Rather, it has to be one of the very earliest accounts of the atrocities committed in Hitler's Death Camps.
  My Grandfather was shot by a 19 year old SS soldier named Josef Wurst who shot about 51 prisoners during an evacuation march from the Flossenburg Concentration Camp on April 23, 1945.  
He was later tried for war crimes and hanged on October 3, 1947.   He shot my Grandfather at point blank range, in the head, with a rifle and left him for dead.  My Grandfather got up after he left, swam up a freezing river and hid in a barn until American troops came by on their way to liberate the camps.  In the hospital, he began writing his book.  I helped him translate it from Polish to English when I was a teenager.  He was left blind in one eye and deaf in one ear.
  He and his step uncle who was sent to Siberia during the war, met up after the war and were walking down the rubble streets of Germany when there was no more government but only black market economics.  All of a sudden, walking down the street, my Grandfather recognizes one of the guards from the concentration camp who killed many people.  My grandfather and my uncle grabbed the guy,
took him down the alley and killed him.  I understand some may not approve of such vigilante justice but I cite this to mark a true historical event.
  My father was present in the camp when my Grandfather had a fight with a guard and boiling hot water flew in the air and left a scar on my Dad's leg for his entire life.  My Dad saw Hitler live, on
2 occasions.  My father was also hid in a basement in Austria by a Christian family at the risk of losing all their lives.  I met the children of those people who by the time I met them were very old.
I know this may sound like a pussy, but the came from Vienna to stay at our home when I was about 21 years old.  Upon meeting them, I couldn't help but hug them hello and start crying like a little
girl.  They didn't speak English and didn't know why I was crying.  My Dad explained to them it was just an uncontrollable outburst of my gratitude and they were very touched.
  My grandfather had "KL" tattoed on his forearm by the Nazis.  That is the real reason I will never get a tattoo.  Nothing against those who have one it's just that no one is tattooing another member
of my family ever again.
  The book was never written to sell big volumes but rather, to memorialize what had happened to my family.  I sure am glad it exists in writing and pictures.  It's almost too hard to believe.
  Having written that, feel free to ask me any question you like.
Harley

I hope he knew he could be 100% sure.

[HarleyBreite]

I hope he knew he could be 100% sure.

Dear Las Vegas,
  I assure you, if any man were put under those conditions, he would be sure to remember the faces of all those who
perpetrated such inhumanity upon other men.
Harley

[HarleyBreite]

Dear Dr. Chimps,
  I really appreciate you finding the site to buy my Grandfather's book.  I didn't know that even existed.
  That was very nice of you.
Sincerely,
Harley

[Las Vegas]

I hope he knew he could be 100% sure.

Dear Las Vegas,
  I assure you, if any man were put under those conditions, he would be sure to remember the faces of all those who
perpetrated such inhumanity upon other men.
Harley

Yes, I would imagine so.

[OB1]

Karma gets those bastards eventually.
Your story is the proof.

[the_swami]

Hey Guys,
  If this is "bumping" I apologize but I did write this myself:
 
  Dear old-school-lifter,
   You asked me to share my thoughts on Nasser.  Again, I met him only a few times but here they are:
   Nasser immediately struck me as different from most bodybuilders in that he didn't need to announce he was the biggest man in the room, he just let nature speak for him.  But for his Leviathan physique, his quiet introverted nature would have caused him to become lost in the crowd.
   Somehow it came up that my sister was born in Germany and apparently, so was he.  I mentioned that I was born in Switzerland and then he took a curiosity as to what my parents were doing in Europe and how I became an American.  I explained to him that my Father survived being in Hitler's death camps and actually saw Hitler live, twice.  This fascinated Nasser and he asked me all about it. I told him my grandfather was shot at point blank range by a rifle held by an SS member and left for dead.  When I told him my grandfather survived and wrote a book, he asked me if I could get him a copy.  I joked and said, "You read funny books for a coal-miner."  This is a line from W. Somerset Maugham's "The Razor's Edge" and when Nasser said he was familiar with Maugham, he immediately had my complete admiration.
   I asked Nasser how many languages he spoke and he joked, "That is a funny question for an American."  I told him my Dad spoke 11 languages and played 9 instruments and Nasser was astute enough to state that this is almost always a result of being born in a place in which nations conquer, merge and then dissolve. Nasser talked about the troubles that plagued Egypt but more so of Yugoslavia.  He seemed surprised that I even knew where it was.  I told Nasser I enjoy studying languages and culture and he laughed when I told him my Godparents live in Pakistan.  Ironically, we talked about the Sunni/Shiite issues.
     Nasser was a prodigious eater.  His plates of food were enormous.  I just don't understand how these guys can eat and digest all that food.
   Nasser laughed and made fun of guys and seemed to really despise the transparent people in bodybuilding.  He complained that there were many fake people and that they would lie to your face just to steal some money or drugs.  The topic of gay for pay came up and he heartily laughed at those who sold themselves like that.  I got the impression that while bodybuilding was important to him, it remained only part of his lifestyle.  He didn't seem to taken in by cars or fancy items, but rather, he seemed intrigued by anyone who claimed to know something about anything.  I got the impression that he was looking through you at first and then, if you had any real substance to you, he would look at you and then speak with you.
   I found him soft-spoken, polite and intelligent.  I don't know who on GetBig hates or likes what bodybuilders but for me, Nasser stood out, both in physical stature and humble intellect.
Harley     
   

Harley

I was fortunate enough to be good friends with Nasser after he had retired from pro BB.

your thoughts on Nasser are REMARKABLY accurate and insightful

in fact, i'm sure Nasser and you would have been great friends- you are very similar in many ways- high achievers who make their own path,self-made, intelligent, extremely well read and educated and men of the world.

as you know, Nasser had Masters degrees in history and political science and loved to discuss and debate many issues

thankyou for remembering my friend Harley

[The Ugly]

http://www.amazon.com/Through-Hell-Life-Jakob-Breitowicz/dp/0884000915/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441836998&sr=8-1&keywords=Through+Hell+To+Life%22

Man, that's something else.