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>Ned Bedinger said:
>>Al Geist wrote:
>>>James Barrow wrote:
>>>
>>>A 'central reservation' here is a place where American Indians go to play
>>>bingo.
>>
>>I find your attempt at humor to be in poor taste.
>
>Superficially, I think it sounds like a s***kicker who doesn't have an
>original observations to joke about.
Oh Ned, your words are like tiny, tech writer daggers:^) But, when I think
about it, a cowboy tech writer sounds pretty funny. Maybe there's a cartoon
strip in that.
>But I think it is funny as a mockery of the incongruous, high contrast
>meanings of the word *reservation* as applied to the highways of UK and the
>sovereign Indian lands in US.
Outstanding, Bedinger, you've now moved up two spots on my "Favorite Tech
Writer" list. Actually, I've never heard the term 'central reservation'
applied to highways or traffic. And I live in the land of traffic jams.
>I picture clowns setting up a bingo game in the middle of a divided
>highway. I think it is a word joke, not a people joke.
You're getting into the realm of free association, and if I comment, I'll
have to charge you for a session. Oh, and you moved up another spot.
>Still, if you've heard the recent news items about the virulent bigoted
>stuff that certain Hollywood celebrities have spewed, you know that
>entertainers are capable of ugly, irrational attacks on people of other
>persuasions. And in that context, this misunderstanding makes the most
>sense.
You're reaching on that one. The only thing that entertainers and I have in
common is the same geographical region. A joke's a joke, and people
shouldn't look too hard into them to find offense. On that note, I don't
think anyone should be offended by your use of the words s**tkicker, clown,
and referring to people in the banking, lending and gambling industries as
"dirty" ;^)
>I just hope the virus going around the entertainment industry doesn't
>infect tech writers. If tech writers lashed out, we'd have manuals that
>begin with wretched laments:
Again, you're reaching here. There's not a 'virus going around', and
there's nothing in particular going on in the entertainment industry.
Racism still exists in the world whether we're talking about a comedian in
Hollywood, or a cowboy in Oklahoma. The only difference is that the cowboy
isn't on stage in front of 150 people and 14 cameras.
>"I'll bet you've come crying to me because you're in over your head and
>don't know what to do. What the hell is wrong with you? Why don't you work
>in a field you're qualified for, instead of burdening everyone around with
>the work you're paid to do? You should be ashamed. It sucks to be you."
Although this has nothing to do with the virus that you mentioned, it's
pretty funny (when taken in context).
>>They don't want a casino.
>
>The history of out-groups is full of cases where they were driven to the
>dirty jobs like banking, lending, and gambling. More power to them!
Wow, this makes it difficult for me to look my bank manager in the eye this
morning ;^)
>>A bit of perspective. Did you know that the Iroquois Nation had a
>>representative democracy during the same period...
[]
>The full story is yet to be read from the archeology, (I don't know if
>an oral tradition is alive), but pre-discovery civilization was apparently
>a powerhouse of social organization
Native Americans seemed to be doing just fine when the Europeans landed.
[]
>BTW, thanks Al. I like your brand of stand-up, especially the way it
>sticks up for inconvenient truths. You go, boy!
Al was being serious, I was doing the stand-up. HTH.
For what it's worth, I do regret any offense that my comment caused Al and
his wife. I do respect Al's opinions and feelings.
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