Re: OT: Leaving early

Hi all,

This thread is so far off-topic.  Could we *please*
preface all further replies with OT:?


R A Brown wrote:
>
> I was going to wait till the end of this month before going nomail, as
> I'll be disappearing for week South Wales, then three weeks in France.
>
> But after the recent outpouring from Abrigon/Mike Adams, I think for
> peace of mind & to avoid flaming, I will leave now, and hope things are
> better when I return in September.
>
> I found the mail "Re: USAGE Re: Defining words and  how they are used"
> full his usual misinformation and full of *flame-bait*.
>
> In particular I was upset by his *repetition* (you do not do this twice
> by accident) of: "The discussion was flamed by Ray Brown and taken
> off-list." - which is untrue. I assume Monsieur Abrigon, who clearly has
> no regard for the truth, is deliberately trying to provoke.
>
> In his mail "Re: USAGE: I want crazy two years ago", he wrote:
> "For oxymor[o]nic
> Nazi Rabbi"
>
> I am not a Jew. But I have visited Auschwitz. I found his remark
> incredibly insensitive and extremely offensive.
I am not a Jew.  And I have not visited Auschwitz, which I think
entirely irrelevant.  One can be human without having one's nose
rubbed in inhumanity, and I frankly find the thought of such
sight-seeing, supporting, as it does, trafficking in others' misery,
quite nauseating.

Still, I found Michael's remark insensitive, but not incredibly so.
To get a laugh, some American comics make crass jokes about the
twin towers, in which thousands of their countrymen died horribly.

Offensive?  Well, that depends - I don't let much offend me.
Whatever does must be something that hits below the belt, too
close to home for me to parry the blow.  Which is just a wake-up
call for me to examine the causes of my own sensibilities.

Such an effort to get a cheap laugh, is ... pitiable, perhaps.


Charlie (caeruleancentaur) replied:
> >Abrigon <abrigon@...> wrote:
>
> >....Sadly the rest is the product of a classic US education system.
> >The fun with being special needs, the group you all in the same
> >boat and cut you off, and then wonder why you are not normal or
> >like? Was it cause you was not "normal" to begin with, or just did
> >not have the social contacts, education and such, that others have?
>
> Did no one else see what Michael wrote in the above?  This is the
> second message in which he's mentioned "special needs.".  I assume
> this means he has some type of learning disability.  This would go a
> long way in explaining his wealth of misinformation, his ignorance
> of English grammar, his inability to learn how to spell after
> reading the correct spellings in other messages, and his misguided
> attempts at humor (I too found "Nazi rabbi" incredibly insensitive).
>
> For those who don't care for his style (I am one of them), I suggest
> we simply not read his messages.  That way we can avoid the occasion
> of a flame-war.  Those who enjoy reading what he has to say can
> continue to read & respond to what he has to say.
Charlie, we can read and respond without condoning those elements
of Michael's style which we find offensive.

Michael Adams replied:
>
> Not flaming as far as I know.
>
> I found out a long time ago, that if someone calls your a mean
> or nasty name or uses a word when talking to you in a nasty way,
> that is designed to get you angry. Who is empowering things,
> they for calling you the word, or you the one being called it
> and getting angry?
>
> Oddly it is you who is empowering it, so if someone calls you
> something, laugh at them and grin.. And in this, you do not let
> them gain power, but making you do what they want you to do.
True.


> I am a Sober Irishman. Why, well, for one a recovering
> alcoholic, but it took a while, why? Well, several dead friends
> helped.. But just got tired of drinking.. Sorry AA makes me
> depressed and want to drink..

Michael, I understand where you're coming from.  I haven't had
a drink in 36 years, but that still doesn't mean I won't, despite
the fact that I very definitely do not want to.

> I do have problems with the drink called an "Irish Car Bomb" but
> maybe cause I find the use of cars and bombs to be
> brutal/cowardly/etc, as well as the perception  that the Irish
> are terrorists or even connected to them offensive or that a
> drink is called by that name.
Yes, that name is certainly offensive.  But so are the names
of almost all mixed drinks.  Why?  Alcohol is supposed to be
an excuse for being politically incorrect.  Hell, it even excuses
being thoughtlessly violent, beating your wife and kids, and
maiming the innocent while driving.  So alcohol pushers use
whatever techniques they can to get drinkers to lower their
guard and consume more of that poison.


> But missed getting blown up in 1981, why? I passed by the El Al
> (Airline of Israel) office five hours before it got BLOWN UP by
> a Car Bomb.. But after some 20 years military service, I find
> war to be a pain and wish people would stop waging them.   But
> they do.
OK.  Amen to that.


[snip interesting stuff "about all that Ireland gave to Europe"]
That's intriguing.  I didn't know any of that about Clunes.


> Holocaust happened, and it was brutal and sadly the Germans was
> not the only supporters, the US Amerikan Bund Movement was proof
> of that. Those in the 1930/40s who allowed it to happen are just
> as guilty.. So? Hope it never happens again.. But sadly it will
> happen again. Peoples memories are short and often very biased
> and worse..
Bosnia happened in Europe!  Can you believe that??

Chechnya is still happening right now, in the Russian
Federation.   Can you believe that??

All  I can put it down to is that the last of the generation
that feared the Nazi machine and Stalinism has (just about)
died off.


[snip]

> Most of the college teachers I have had, had more problems with
> my programming skills than my grammar, spelling or even subject
> matter. Which is funny, cause the last time I checked, my GPA
> was like 3.6 or higher.
Yeah, we know you've got a brain, and it's great when you
actually use it to write something cogent and lucid like this
message! ;-)


[snip speculation about Marx etc]

> Myself, got out finally but ... Will be here to welcome buddies
> back and see how they are doing when they get back from the Iraq
> or Afghanistan/etc.. And ask them, was it worth it? ...
Damn good question.


> ...  On that
> note, have a nice day, enjoy the freedom of speech, cause I do
> enjoy it..
We've noticed ...


> PS: Some of my best friends are Jewish and Muslim and even some
> Christians and Wiccans.. And if you must know the priest, who
> married my parents, converted to Catholicism while in the camps
> (not sure which one). Auschwitz, Sorbebor, Triblinka, Dackhoi
> (sp) damn I forget the others..  There was too many.
>
> Also, for fun, last time I checked my manner of speaking and
> usage of words and grammar, on a computerized test, I ranked
> above average. ...
You've finally demonstrated an about-average level onlist!
 "But I'm sure,
  You're capable of more."


> ... I love playing with words and how they are used.
> And I have a fun sense of humor..
Yes, but you can be very thoughtless.  Not everyone can
tolerate your free-wheeling political incorrectness ...


> My poetry, I write for more than just meter and such, but more
> for content and how I was feeling when I wrote it, even if
> sometimes I was thinking of a play of Shakespeare when I wrote
> it and some have said I can even do things in Iambic Pentameter
> or do a fun Haiku..
Good!  Where can I read your poetry?  (Write me offlist.)
Do you do any in conlangs?  (Answer that one onlist.)


> PSS: Any one can be made to look a fool, when taken out of
> context.. Or as someone said to me, if you reply to something,
> try to keep the same subject header, as well as the last post in
> the thread you are replying to, hum.. Grin..
And damn!  You CAN do it!!!


> Have a nice day..
> Mike Adams
Likewise!

Regards,
Yahya

--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.1/389 - Release Date: 14/7/06