Hit gravel, broke leg

[Jeff Grippe]

Re Monkey Wrenches:

Ya better watch out for that Grippe guy. Once he's got his hands on a monkey
wrench there is no telling what he might do. If he keeps posting like this
the Earth may stop spinning and we will all be flung out into space.

I hear he's even started posting in third person. Can you imagine the
audacity of it? Improper quoting, posting in third person, sentences
composed of sentence fragments and lacking a true verb. I tell you they'll
let anybody in this group.

And oh by the way, this message didn't contain one word about hitting
gravel, breaking legs, or recumbent cycling! Err, until now.

I still think we should take him out back and teach him a lesson. Whose with
me? Lets get 'em!

My gosh Ed you were right. It is this horrid style of posting that leads to
insane morons making violent threats against other posters. It was so bad
that I threatened myself. The next thing you know I'll be posting my
address, threatening to break into my house, having my wife fired, and
having the police come and give me a good talking too. And all this time I
thought my posting style was a simple matter or preference. How could I be
so nieve? This is really a lot to thing about.

Jeff

 

[Jeff Grippe]

"Edward Dolan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> There would have been any number of former members of this group who would
> have taken you to task for your manner of posting.
>

Well so you say but nobody other than you has complained dispite our staying
on this topic for a long long time.

I'm a pretty flexible guy who doesn't enjoy pissing off large numbers of
people. If I really got the sense that my posting style was causing many
people distress then I would alter it.

Just as I don't believe your rules were handed down from god, I don't
believe mine were either.

You seem to enjoy our conversations dispite your many protestations about
how you can't follow my thoughts. You keep posting, I keep posting, and even
when both of us have said "enough already", we both post again.

So once again and with genuine sincerity, I wish you many happy miles on
your pedal-powered vehicle of choice.

Jeff

 

[Edward Dolan]

"Jeff Grippe" <jeff@door7> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Edward Dolan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>> Well, if you do not have a Polish name, then you are not Polish....
>>
>> Do names matter? You bet they do! If you had a Polish name during the
>> Nazi conquest, that was one thing....
>
> And I suppose if my name were Philip Charles Smith that would preclude me
> from being black or African American?

Hells Bells! If you had a name like George Washington or Thomas Jefferson I
would think you were an American Black. In other words, history counts too.
But prior to the advent of slavery, I would know that anyone with a name
like George Washington or Thomas Jefferson would be of English ancestry.

The funniest thing ever was when Cassius Clay took the name Mohammed Ali.
Cassius Clay was probably a good old White Man slave master name from the
Old South, whereas Mohammed Ali was a good old Arab slave trader name. If
Clay had wanted to take an authentic name, he should have taken an African
name from the area from which his ancestors derived. But he confused
religion with ethnicity. They are two entirely different things although
there are often times associations which are quite strong. For instance,
Polish and Roman Catholic and Irish and Roman Catholic. But you have no
doubt lost that association too along with your Polish-ness, such as it is.

> Eddie baby, you don't know what you are talking about. Are labels
> important? Yes. Does the label create the reality? No.
>
> Are you trying to tell me that if my Dad's name had been O'Leary, and if I
> had taken his name as I did the name Grippe, then I would be Irish despite
> that fact that I have no Irish ancestors that I know of?

I am assuming your father was not Polish; therefore you are not 100% Polish
either. Since you are not 100% Polish, you have no right to enjoy Polish
ethnic jokes. In order to enjoy a Polish ethnic joke with a good conscience,
you should be 100% Polish. I am telling you this so that you will know how
to be politically correct, the most important thing in life for a liberal.

> Ed, I know you like to win arguments and that you will stick with
> something said long past the point of reason but you are just saying
> nonsense.
>
> By the way we are not living during the Nazi era all evidence to the
> contrary.

We are all capable of Nazism. It is lying there just under our skin waiting
for the appropriate circumstances. Genocide is as alive and well today as it
ever was. The reason this is so is because of our human nature. We are
killer apes with murder in our hearts - or didn't you know that?

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota

PS. It is too bad Jeff refuses to post properly as then the rest of the
group could get in on the conversation. But he confuses Usenet with email,
unable to distinguish the differences between them.

 

[Edward Dolan]

"Jeff Grippe" <jeff@door7> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Edward Dolan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>> There would have been any number of former members of this group who
>> would have taken you to task for your manner of posting.
>>
>
> Well so you say but nobody other than you has complained dispite our
> staying on this topic for a long long time.

Others most likely find it difficult to get in on this conversation because
of the manner of your posting. They only know for sure what I am saying in
response because I quote you in full whereas they do not know what you are
saying in response because you are not quoting me hardly at all. Now you
began to see the importance of following the rules and not being a scofflaw.

> I'm a pretty flexible guy who doesn't enjoy pissing off large numbers of
> people. If I really got the sense that my posting style was causing many
> people distress then I would alter it.

It is causing me great distress. There are right ways of doing things and
wrong ways of doing things. You are doing things the wrong way.

> Just as I don't believe your rules were handed down from god, I don't
> believe mine were either.
>
> You seem to enjoy our conversations dispite your many protestations about
> how you can't follow my thoughts. You keep posting, I keep posting, and
> even when both of us have said "enough already", we both post again.

I am remonstrating with you as I would with a stubborn child because I can
see that once you are saved from your folly that you will be a valuable
member of ARBR. As always, I have only the best interests of the group at
heart. That is my saintly aspect.

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota

aka

Saint Edward - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

 

[Edward Dolan]

"Jeff Grippe" <jeff@door7> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Re Monkey Wrenches:
>
> Ya better watch out for that Grippe guy. Once he's got his hands on a
> monkey wrench there is no telling what he might do. If he keeps posting
> like this the Earth may stop spinning and we will all be flung out into
> space.
>
> I hear he's even started posting in third person. Can you imagine the
> audacity of it? Improper quoting, posting in third person, sentences
> composed of sentence fragments and lacking a true verb. I tell you they'll
> let anybody in this group.
>
> And oh by the way, this message didn't contain one word about hitting
> gravel, breaking legs, or recumbent cycling! Err, until now.
>
> I still think we should take him out back and teach him a lesson. Whose
> with me? Lets get 'em!
>
> My gosh Ed you were right. It is this horrid style of posting that leads
> to insane morons making violent threats against other posters. It was so
> bad that I threatened myself. The next thing you know I'll be posting my
> address, threatening to break into my house, having my wife fired, and
> having the police come and give me a good talking too. And all this time I
> thought my posting style was a simple matter or preference. How could I be
> so nieve? This is really a lot to thing about.
>
> Jeff

Don't overdo the hyperbole. It gets very tiresome very fast.

Sentences needn't be complete all the time. Sometimes a sentence fragment
makes the most sense. They are called dependent clauses and should only be
used by intellectuals like me.

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota

 

[Jeff Grippe]

"Edward Dolan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> I am assuming your father was not Polish; therefore you are not 100%
> Polish either. Since you are not 100% Polish, you have no right to enjoy
> Polish ethnic jokes. In order to enjoy a Polish ethnic joke with a good
> conscience, you should be 100% Polish. I am telling you this so that you
> will know how to be politically correct, the most important thing in life
> for a liberal.

I believe that I have already expressed my contempt for PC.

You are correct, however, that I am not 100% any nationality other than
American. However, given the way our language and conventions work, since I
have some Polish ancestors, I am permitted to call myself Polish. Once again
you do not get to make the rules about this. They are already made. They
predate even you precious Google usenet rules.

As to what jokes I have a right to tell, once again I am unmoved by your
opinion. I will tell any joke as long as it is funny. Too bad for you if you
are offended.

Please enjoy the "Dolan preferred" posting method as it was convenient to do
it that way this time.

Jeff

 

[Jeff Grippe]

"the brook" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Enough already with this ****! Time to move on to some other subject.

brook my friend, I continue posting on this thread because I'm enjoying the
banter. Please feel free not to read it anymore. If you do, however, I would
certainly advise not posting anything since it will likely get responded to.

Jeff

 

[Jeff Grippe]

"Edward Dolan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> It is causing me great distress. There are right ways of doing things and
> wrong ways of doing things. You are doing things the wrong way.
>

Re: Your Great Distress

Learn to live with it my friend. I see no compelling reason to do things
differently


Re: Right and Wrong ways of doing this

No, Ed, there are not right and wrong ways in this case. There is a way you
prefer and a way you do not prefer. If this message is any example, the ways
can even be combined. I would imagine that you would put that into what you
call "the wrong way"

I think this gets to the core of our discussion. What you label as right and
wrong, I label as preference.

I would say that in order for a method to be wrong there has to be a
negative consequence or outcome of using that method.

You would say that it makes it hard for the reader to make sense of the
message (you have said that in the past).

So far (as I've said before) we've had only one person complain about the
format of my posts and that one person has been you. I seem to recall that
I've also had at least one person support my position.

The only other opinion that we've seen is the opinion that this discussion
has gone on way too long. Maybe so but I am of the opinion that anyone who
feels that way doesn't have to read this thread. It isn't like we have been
leaping into other threads to carry on this conversation.

You and I have very different opinions about right and wrong. Unless I
become convinced that my posting style is really distressing many people and
they just can't figure out what I'm saying then I shall not be changing
anytime soon.

Your friend on wheels,
Jeff

 

[Steve]

Edward Dolan wrote:
> Sentences needn't be complete all the time. Sometimes a sentence fragment
> makes the most sense. They are called dependent clauses and should only be
> used by intellectuals like me.
>
> Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
>
>

This is very funny Mr Dolan!
Steve

 

[Edward Dolan]

"Jeff Grippe" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Edward Dolan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>> I am assuming your father was not Polish; therefore you are not 100%
>> Polish either. Since you are not 100% Polish, you have no right to enjoy
>> Polish ethnic jokes. In order to enjoy a Polish ethnic joke with a good
>> conscience, you should be 100% Polish. I am telling you this so that you
>> will know how to be politically correct, the most important thing in life
>> for a liberal.
>
> I believe that I have already expressed my contempt for PC.
>
> You are correct, however, that I am not 100% any nationality other than
> American. However, given the way our language and conventions work, since
> I have some Polish ancestors, I am permitted to call myself Polish. Once
> again you do not get to make the rules about this. They are already made.
> They predate even you precious Google usenet rules.
>
> As to what jokes I have a right to tell, once again I am unmoved by your
> opinion. I will tell any joke as long as it is funny. Too bad for you if
> you are offended.

Don't make me laugh! There are any number of jokes that can no longer be
told, not because they are not funny, but because they are politically
incorrect. We all of us observe certain norms so that we don't end up
killing one another.

Political correctness is something that the major media and the academic
elite have established. Both of those groups are nothing if not bastions of
liberalism. Please, do not try to tell me that being politically correct is
not preeminently a liberal thing.

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota

 

[Edward Dolan]

"Jeff Grippe" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Edward Dolan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>>
>> It is causing me great distress. There are right ways of doing things and
>> wrong ways of doing things. You are doing things the wrong way.
>>
>
> Re: Your Great Distress
>
> Learn to live with it my friend. I see no compelling reason to do things
> differently
>
>
> Re: Right and Wrong ways of doing this
>
> No, Ed, there are not right and wrong ways in this case. There is a way
> you prefer and a way you do not prefer. If this message is any example,
> the ways can even be combined. I would imagine that you would put that
> into what you call "the wrong way"
>
> I think this gets to the core of our discussion. What you label as right
> and wrong, I label as preference.
>
> I would say that in order for a method to be wrong there has to be a
> negative consequence or outcome of using that method.
>
> You would say that it makes it hard for the reader to make sense of the
> message (you have said that in the past).
>
> So far (as I've said before) we've had only one person complain about the
> format of my posts and that one person has been you. I seem to recall that
> I've also had at least one person support my position.

Many will visit a newsgroup and read what has been posted with nary a
thought of posting themselves. I want to make it easy for the reader to
follow what is being said. You make it hard for the reader to follow what is
being said. Most readers will never comment either way of course, but the
difference is that I know what I am talking about and you don't. The reason
I know is because I am going with the tried and the true Google rules on
posting. Sometimes it is called netiquette. You are doing things your own
way and consequently you are out in left field by yourself.

> The only other opinion that we've seen is the opinion that this discussion
> has gone on way too long. Maybe so but I am of the opinion that anyone who
> feels that way doesn't have to read this thread. It isn't like we have
> been leaping into other threads to carry on this conversation.

Yes, you are certainly right about that. You and I own this thread and the
original subject topic died and went to hell long ago. Still, I want others
to read what we have to say to one another as I believe it is fairly
important. We are primarily discussing a housekeeping chore as it relates to
Usenet. Everyone can learn from our discussion.

By the way, the above is the main reason why I have never considered myself
a troll. I stay on certain threads almost to the excusion of all other
threads. Real trolls insert themselves on many threads and ruin the group
for everyone. I am no more a troll than is Jeff Grippe.

> You and I have very different opinions about right and wrong. Unless I
> become convinced that my posting style is really distressing many people
> and they just can't figure out what I'm saying then I shall not be
> changing anytime soon.

I remain convinced that you do not quote me because you fear that others
will kill file you. Nothing else makes any sense to me. It is easier to post
the right way then it is to post the wrong way. Therefore, you must have the
alternative motive that I ascribe to you.

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota

 

[Edward Dolan]

"Steve" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Edward Dolan wrote:
>> Sentences needn't be complete all the time. Sometimes a sentence fragment
>> makes the most sense. They are called dependent clauses and should only
>> be used by intellectuals like me.
>>
>> Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
>>
>>
>
> This is very funny Mr Dolan!
> Steve

I remember having pounded into me throughout my school years that only great
writers could ever break the rules. Since I now consider myself a great
writer, I feel I can break the rules with impunity. I also make up words as
I go along. They almost look like they could be real words, but you will not
find them in any dictionary. But only great writers like myself should ever
attempt these audacious things. For everyone else it is the greatest of
follies not to follow the rules of good grammar and composition.

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota

 

[Edward Dolan]

"Mike Rice" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Mon, 20 Jun 2005 02:46:03 -0500, "Edward Dolan" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> (Snip)
>>
>>But I was a great reader. I wasted my youth reading books. I was what was
>>known as a book worm. But I stopped reading novels by the age of 30 for
>>the
>>reasons stated above. I do not believe older folks read novels. But more
>>than that, I do not believe even young people read novels anymore, at
>>least
>>not like how I used to.
>
> For someone who likes to tell others their posting preferences are
> 'wrong', and who also lays claim to being a wonderful writer you
> certainly can mangle the language. I am suitably impressed being
> mooned three times in one paragraph. But I guess you mispelled butt
> every other sentence in the race to flash the few readers this thread
> still holds. See how clumsy it felt to read a sentence begining with
> 'But' just once.

Yes, Mike is right. I used "but" way too much. Here is how I should have
written the above paragraph:

>>But I was a great reader. I wasted my youth reading books. I was what was
>>known as a book worm. However, I stopped reading novels by the age of 30
>>for the
>>reasons stated above. I do not believe older folks read novels. More
>>than that, I do not believe even young people read novels anymore, at
>>least
>>not like how I used to.

The first "but" is used to tie the paragraph above to the preceding
paragraph which you have snipped.

> Ed, Ed, Ed. I am *tempted* to say this usage is wrong.
>
> But I won't.
>
>>...at least not like how I used to.'

The above is a kind of local expression and it has the flavor I wanted to
convey.

> seems a little confusing as well.
>
> This is beginning to bother me.

I love a careful reader like Mike. He was born to read me.

> ;-)
>
> In another message that sxame day you wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Even though I do not like what Mike has to
>>say about the War on Terrorism, I want to be fair to him and to let him
>>have
>>his say. This can only be done with the proper quotation. As far as I
>>know,
>>no one has ever accused me of being unfair. I can take as well as I can
>>give, so I let others have their full say in my replies.
>>
>>Ed Dolan - Minnesota
>>
>
> I guess it's not unfair to insult folks based on their nationality,
> nor to call those with other viewpoints 'idiots', so I have to agree.
>
> (Back to your previous message)
>
>>
>>Of course we old men still read books, but we do not read novels. You have
>>to be young and a Romantic in order to enjoy novels. Who ever heard of an
>>old man being a Romantic? By the way, an old man is anyone over the age of
>>30. You should be done with Romance by age 30 and have begun
>>contemplating
>>your mortality. Here is your epitaph:
>>
>>"Once I wasn't, Then I was, Now I ain't again."
>
> Good one.
>
>>
>>Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
>>
>>PS. Now you know why I call myself the Great.
>
> 'Ed the Fair' I can accept. 'Ed the Great'? I'm not so sure.
>
> Indiana Mike
>
>

 

[Edward Dolan]

"Mike Rice" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
[...]

Damn! I hit "Send" instead of "Spell Check." To continue:
>
> In another message that same day you wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Even though I do not like what Mike has to
>>say about the War on Terrorism, I want to be fair to him and to let him
>>have
>>his say. This can only be done with the proper quotation. As far as I
>>know,
>>no one has ever accused me of being unfair. I can take as well as I can
>>give, so I let others have their full say in my replies.
>>
>>Ed Dolan - Minnesota
>>
>
> I guess it's not unfair to insult folks based on their nationality,
> nor to call those with other viewpoints 'idiots', so I have to agree.

Not all nationalities are equal any more than all persons are intelligent.
Some nationalities are despicable and some persons are idiots.

> (Back to your previous message)
>
>>
>>Of course we old men still read books, but we do not read novels. You have
>>to be young and a Romantic in order to enjoy novels. Who ever heard of an
>>old man being a Romantic? By the way, an old man is anyone over the age of
>>30. You should be done with Romance by age 30 and have begun
>>contemplating
>>your mortality. Here is your epitaph:
>>
>>"Once I wasn't, Then I was, Now I ain't again."
>
> Good one.
>
>>
>>Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
>>
>>PS. Now you know why I call myself the Great.
>
> 'Ed the Fair' I can accept. 'Ed the Great'? I'm not so sure.
>
> Indiana Mike

"Once I wasn't, Then I was, Now I ain't again."

Isn't that the greatest epitaph ever? It says it all in just ten little
words. I spend a lot of time ruminating in cemeteries these days. It seems I
know more there among the dead than I do in town among the living.

Ed Dolan the Wise - Minnesota

 

[Jeff Grippe]

Re: Quoting Style and other readers

Ed, I think anyone reading this thread certainly knows that they are free to
jump in either for or against your rigid quoting style. I think most people
found this topic boring a long time ago. It could be down to you and me, I
don't know.

You say you want to make it easy by liberally quoting but that doesn't make
it easy at all. Each message has some reference to what came before. If they
really want a true feeling for the conversation then they should start at
the beginning. If they don't, then my encapsulation should be enough.



Re: Troll

Generally I would not consider you a troll. I'm not completely sure when the
distinction does and does not apply. You do tend to get a little nasty at
times in expressing your disagreement but as I've said before you usually
begin your part in a thread completely "on topic".




Re: Motives

Ed. you may have all sorts of hidden agendas and wacky reasons why you do
things but not everybody does. I don't care who kill files me and my motives
for what I do are no more complex than I have already explained. Not
everybody thinks like you do. Certainly I don't.

Jeff

 

[Edward Dolan]

"Jeff Grippe" <jeff@door7> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Re: Quoting Style and other readers
>
> Ed, I think anyone reading this thread certainly knows that they are free
> to jump in either for or against your rigid quoting style. I think most
> people found this topic boring a long time ago. It could be down to you
> and me, I don't know.

Most people found this topic confusing because of your manner of posting.
Not only confusing, but uninteresting. You are an ego maniac to think that
only your words are of interest in a response. Your correspondent's words
are equally as interesting and must be quoted to keep the reader focused
and interested. You have failed on both counts.

> You say you want to make it easy by liberally quoting but that doesn't
> make it easy at all. Each message has some reference to what came before.
> If they really want a true feeling for the conversation then they should
> start at the beginning. If they don't, then my encapsulation should be
> enough.

No one will do what you suggest because it is simply not worth the time and
effort to look up anything on a newsgroup board as there is too much chaff
along with the grain. It would never even occur to me to look up anything,
not even my own messages to see what I had previously said. You are being
disingenuous - and all to avoid the nut cases kill filing you for quoting
me.

> Re: Troll
>
> Generally I would not consider you a troll. I'm not completely sure when
> the distinction does and does not apply. You do tend to get a little nasty
> at times in expressing your disagreement but as I've said before you
> usually begin your part in a thread completely "on topic".

Nastiness is in the eye of the beholder and has nothing to do with being a
troll. In order to get off topic, it takes two. Getting off topic also has
nothing to do with being a troll unless it is intentional and persistent.
All conversation tends to wander and it is unnatural not to let the
conversation wander where it will.

> Re: Motives
>
> Ed. you may have all sorts of hidden agendas and wacky reasons why you do
> things but not everybody does. I don't care who kill files me and my
> motives for what I do are no more complex than I have already explained.
> Not everybody thinks like you do. Certainly I don't.

You fear being kill filed by the nut cases on this group. That is the only
possible reason why you do not quote me. If I did the same to you, no one on
this group would have the slightest notion what we were talking about. You
consistently confuse email with Usenet. You can go to your grave confused
for all I care. I am right and you are wrong. That is all I know and all I
need to know.

I shall henceforth spend more time on those who post the right way and less
time on those who post the wrong way.

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota

 

[Jeff Grippe]

"Edward Dolan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...

>
> Please, do not try to tell me that being politically correct is not
> preeminently a liberal thing.
>

In my experience (which is clearly very different from yours) PC crosses
boundries. I have liberal friend who hate PC and liberal friends who swear
by it. I have conservative friends who hate PC and conservative friends who
swear by it. Maybe its different where you are but in NY, PC and liberal are
not married.

Jeff

 

[Jeff Grippe]

Re: Motives:

Ed, I've gone as far in previous posts as saying that I like you and that
I'm glad you're here. If anyone were of a mind to KF me that should be
enough reason.

As to my motives, I believe that I get the final say on that. You may say
whatever you want to but as I have not been declared insane (yet), I get to
say what my motives are. You are free to believe me or not.



Re: Being Inconsiderate to other members of the group.

I don't recommend puting this one up to a vote. You're not likely to do
well.




Re: Whether or not you respond to "incorrectly" formatted messages.

That is entirely up to you. If you don't respond and this conversation ends,
my life will still go on. If you do respond then our banter can continue.
Either way it is not an issue of great importance. It is, however, quite
amusing to me.



I wish you many happy miles on the pedal powered craft of your choice.

Jeff

 

[Peter Clinch]

Jeff Grippe wrote:

> In my experience (which is clearly very different from yours) PC crosses
> boundries. I have liberal friend who hate PC and liberal friends who swear
> by it. I have conservative friends who hate PC and conservative friends who
> swear by it.

The worst excesses of PC are, IME, committed by people who basically
don't understand it, would like to *think* they're liberals, but are
actually illiberal reactionary idiots.

The basis of PC was that colour should not be used as an arbitrary
denigration, so something like "put a black mark against his name!"
might suggest that being black is bad. Whether you think that's
ridiculous or not I'll leave up to individual readers, but at least
there is some visible point in there. However, some numpties jumped
onto the back end of it and "thought" that the problem was using the
word "black" at all. So you had people referring to black blackboards
as chalkboards, and black coffee as "coffee without cream". These
people just missed the point utterly, and are typically the sort of
people who would be most ardent in lambasting anyone who used the word
"black" when something else could be used instead, even if the term was
purely descriptive of something that was, well, *black*. PC doesn't
mean you can't call spades spades, it only says you shouldn't do it if
being a spade is bad and the person you're calling one isn't.

I don't have much opinion one way or the other on PC in its original,
and much misunderstood, sense. The misinterpreted version, where you're
not allowed to call something what it is, I find ridiculous and could
well do without.

So as well as PC crossing boundaries one must remember that there's more
than one thing meant by it in the first place.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[Jeff Grippe]

Re: What is PC and who uses it (Peter I hope you don't find this quoting
style objectionable):

On this side of the pond PC often refers to using new language that is
supposed to emphasize positive qualities or at least not emphasize negative
ones therefore:

"Mentally Retarded" becomes "Developmentally Disabled"
"Disabled" becomes "Differently Abled"
"Blind" becomes "Visually Challanged"
"Crippled" becomes "Physically Challanged"

Racial terms change as well.

"Black" becomes "African American" (Do you have the term "African English"
or "African British"?)
"Chicano" becomes "Latin American" or "Mexican American"

If you are really into PC then you take great offense at the use of the old
label. You label anyone who uses the old label as racist or "Intolerant
American" (that's a joke).

What are things like on your side of the world? I would imagine that you
don't have many expressions that end in American (and I probably wouldn't
like the ones you do have although I suspect I'd agree with them).

Cheers,
Jeff