Newbie: finding the key/index of the min/max element

[Laura Creighton]

> 
> Laura Creighton wrote:
> 
> > JB wrote:
> > > The term derrives from the Sandinistas in Nicaragua, the Communist rebels
>  who
> > > fought against the US-installed conservative Somoza dictatorship (and oth
> ers).
> > >
> > > The suffix is sometimes used to refere to any contrarian group, and in ca
> ses
> > > simply any group.
> >
> > That is simple ignorant American narrow-minded foolishness talking.
> > Normally, I would take extreme great care to not say anything so
> > offensive, but I have a deep suspcion that James J Besemer is one
> > of the 'can't take the heat' folks, and will learn to like a kinder
> > and gentler place than the one he proposes to make for Raymond Hettinger
> > if he finds out what it is like to live in the place he proposed.
> 
> I'm truly sorry that my sincere attempt to answer what I thought was a simple
> question caused you to resort to open hostility.  I am truly impressed by you
> r
> vicisousness.

Oh Rats!  If you are _impressed_ by this, then I will have to try something
else. I wanted you to be _disgusted_.  One more marketting plan shot to
hell...

> 
> Once again by innocently describing a true relationship I have observed betwe
> en two
> items (words in this case) puts be at loggerheads with someone who knows a li
> ttle
> more than me on the subject.

Yes.  And the usual thing around here is for the more knowledgable to teach
the less knowledgable so that everybody benefits.  There are other 
newsgroups where the usual thing is for the people with the knowledge
to go feed their egos by showing off how much they know, and by denigrating
those who know less as if ignorance was something to be ashamed of.

We know all about where that goes, and we don't want to go there.  People
have been saying that if Python ever becomes popular, comp.lang.python
will turn into comp.lang.perl.  We have been told repeatedly that there is
no way to build consensus on the internet, because there are too many
blunt speakers, like you, who actually think that it is a good idea to
_discipline_ (here used in its sense of _punish_) learners to not explore
half-baked ideas and thoughts using rudeness and sarcasm.

<snipped -- me trying to make mince-meat of James Besemer, who doesn't
 mince easily.>

> I did not intend to invoke any particular image, only to document a phonetic
> relationship between words.  With you, I obviously struck a nerve.  Clearly i
> n some
> way you were deeply wounded by what all happend down there.  I certainly had 
> no
> intention of invoking a hell from your past.  I hope you will forgive me