patricia

This is a very disrespectful statement that I do not wish to condone with my silence. That is all. Jazz, Your objection to ethnic slurs is valid. They are, and have always been a red flag in front of an angry bull. However, there is nothing more predictable than rage at insults regarding our ethnicity, the one thing over which we have no control. Why do all of us, no matter what our origin, become so proud of our heritage that we're willing to fight anyone who uses it as an insult, even if normally we don't give it a second thought in our day to day life?? It's a serious question and one that I often ask, without ever getting a satisfactory answer. Wars have been fought over the apparant differences between disparate cultures, , so there must be a logical explanation. No, I am not being naive. For example, my mother, who was Scottish, refused to recognize the present Queen of England as Elizabeth the SECOND, because she was still furious that the first Queen Elizabeth [whom Catholics judged as illigitimate and thus not the rightful successor to the throne] executed Mary Queen of Scots, who was traditionally next in line to the throne of England, in a power stuggle in the sixteenth century. To this day, there is no love lost between the Scots and the English, and, by extention the Irish and the English, due to more recent events. And, so it goes. Power and greed, by the few, affecting thousands of their countrymen, poisoning the air for centuries. Maybe this could be the millenium that we could all start hating individuals for what they did to us, personally. Now THAT would make sense. Never happen, but I can hope. So Jazz, do you have any thoughts about this puzzling problem regarding the human condition??

Canadians...Sheesh! An accident of birth. Oddly, I never say "eh" and don't ever eat back bacon, since I'm a vegetarian. So, maybe I'm not really Canadian.

Jazzmoose, I know I'm shocked. Shocked. For some reason I'm reminded of the stand-up Lenny Bruce used to do, de-fanging the base vernacular, as well as racial and ethnic slurs. His contention was that they were all just words. I don't know if I agree with him. I tend to think that as insults they lack imagination. One's ethnicity is an accident of birth and means nothing. A black heart, whatever one's nationality, means everything. BTW, what happened to your old avatar?? That darling little moose, cavorting around was, well, I'll say it, sexy in a weird way and hypnotic, at least to me. I miss him.

Carefull, Patricia. You might get a warning for that one, maybe even two warnings for "In the Nutcraker Mood" alone. Thanks for havin' my back, John. I'll watch it from now on.

Before the solid waste hits the electrically-powered cooling device and somebody gets banned, or worse, I'd like to recommend the two Christmas collections, on Laserlight by the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Since it is, after all, The Season, I have been listening to "In The Christmas Mood" , as well as the very excellent "In The Nutcracker Mood", by the Glenn Miller Orchestra. I find that they are a welcome antidote to the constant Christmas collections, by EVERYONE, from country, to God knows who, playing constantly, constantly, constantly at work. By the time that Christmas is actually here, I won't care. However, good jazz, in a sea of hackneyed, overly sentimental pap, rampant at this time of the year is a welcome change. It's bad enough that it's dark as your pocket, it seems, for half the day, but if I hear Perry Como, or Bing Crosby sing Christmas carols, one more time, I am going to lose it. So, you might say that these two collections are an oasis of tranquility in a desert of forced, festive phoniness. At least it's good jazz, always welcome, any time of year, particularly now. Worthwhile.

Although almost everyone, of every genre of music has covered Dylan in one form or another, I still think that The Byrds and Peter Paul and Mary epitomized his music. I still can't hear "Don't Think Twice" by PP&M without tearing up. But, I like his own version of "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Come", as well as the ONLY version worth listening to of "Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat". Who else could write, or perform lines like: "It sat on her head like a mattress on a bottle of wine" Still makes me smile.

Jazz, I guess you don't really know and it could indeed be a red herring...heh heh. Are people still trying to "find themselves"?? I thought they quit doing that years ago. I just go like this.......there I am.

I refuse to wear an ankle bracelet, unless it's lightweight, attractive and 22K. The heavy, plastic kind invite stares and derision here in Calgary, AB. Canada. But, I'm with Chuck on this. I know where I am, when I post. Right here, in front of my computer.

Me too!! Thank you Rooster Ties. I'm glad I'm not alone.

Well, I'm going to grab my nineteen-year-old daughter by her hand and take her to see "ELF". I liked "The Santa Clause" too. Call me a sentimental fool, if you want to. In my own defense though, normally I like heavy dramas, often with subtitles, with dreary, death-obsessed plots.

Anytime of year in Duluth was exactly what I was thinking, Clinton. After all, we're not planting crops, we're getting together, indoors for a "hang". I would be a little hesitant to head out there in the dead of winter, because of the difficulty for some driving and the uncertain air travel conditions for some of us. I'm thinking between end of June and late fall, '04. Even though the event would span only one or two days, we still have to plan. Love the sound of the Electric Fetus. Also, Grandma's sounds like a place that would welcome a gaggle of jazz aficianados. Lansing, being the home of Organissimo, is not out of the question either. Just give us time to clear our calenders.

Perhaps so. As you know, I walk into walls without my very chic eye crutches. However, my comment was that [i'm paraphrasing here] just because one is under the influence does not mean that one's creative and intellectual skills are necessarily impaired. That would seem to speak to the situation in which, even while drinking, it is possible to think perfectly clearly and create beauty. It's not true of everyone who drinks but it is of some. But, it is also true that one's sober personality is quite often quite different from one's drinking personality. Misunderstandings of how one is perceived, can indeed be skewed by seeing only one side. No dispute there.

No, the subtlety of this exchange is not going "over my head". I do understand what Chris is saying, what you are saying and what everyone else is saying. I believe I addressed the "goading" situation and also the excellence of your musical and intellectual abilities. Both are considerable, hence the remark about going into a battle of wits, unarmed. Do you understand what I am saying?? Oh, and hello to Clint.

It's true that one's cognitive and creative abilities are not necessarily affected by alcohol. My father's weren't. But he did say things and do things, when he was drinking, that he was much too tactful and kind to say and do, when sober. The stereotypical drunk in the gutter, down and out, is true of only a small fraction of those who are dedicated to the grape and the grain. The others walk among us. I don't pretend to understand alcoholism, or any other addiction, but I do know what it's like to live with it. Nobody is questioning, as far as I know, Dan's musical ability. It's a given. The caged tiger is being umbrella'd and it's just not wise to go into a battle of wits, unarmed. :D

I guess I'm the designated driver.

Patricia, I feel that the insult was no different than personal attacks on Gays, Negroes, Woman, Heterosexuals....etc. Alcoholics are to be pitied (and helped if at all possible). I was offended by the personal attack. I guess we'll just have to leave it at that as it appears no action is forthcoming. Thank you for listening. DEEP I agree that personal attacks are personal attacks and that there is no distinction between mocking someone for their ethnicity, sex, faith or personal habits. Addictions are personal habits and it is not possible, IMO, to change that in another person, especially by mocking them. As for pitying them, that's not constructive either. Like all addictions, alcoholism is one that is difficult for those closest to the alcoholic to understand, but pitying them is not on the menu. Nobody wants pity. If change is to come, it must come from them. If the addict doesn't want to change, nothing in the world will make any difference.

In Edinburgh, Scotland, there is a wonderful zoo. Many years ago, according to my late mother, if a person wished to see the caged wild animals and was carrying a cane or an umbrella, they had to check it at the entrance. Why, you ask? Because there were many dignified, older gentlemen, who amused themselves by poking the lions and tigers, through the bars of their cages. The animals couldn't effectively react, as is their natural instinct when attacked. An analogy could be drawn between that situation and goading another poster to react angrily to a personal attack. There is no honour in that. Posting a comment to stimulate spirited exchange is not the same thing as posting a personal insult to incite unpleasant exchanges, resulting in people getting warned and then banned.

You don't "stack" them on the spindle, do you?? I'm sure you're aware that that is an indictable offence.

Please don't think that. We challenge one another. I am usually the one cyber-bleeding on the cobblestones.

by DEEP (a condemned man), IS FOR THE WRONG ONE HAS DONE SO I CAN ONLY FEEL SORRY FOR ONE WHEN YOU TALK OF ME, I BECOME YOU SO I CAN ONLY BE SORRY FOR TWO WHEN THEY TALK OF ME, BEIN' I'M YOU, IT'S WE THERE I AM FEELIN' SORRY FOR THREE THOSE TALKING DIRECTLY TO MY FACE MAKES ME A YOUR THERE I AM FEELING SORRY FOR FOUR EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT MOVIN', I'M STILL ALIVE SITTIN' HERE FEELIN' SORRY FOR FIVE ALL ALONE IN THIS WORLD OF MINE I COULD JUST AS WELL FEEL SORRY FOR NINE SO FEEL FOR MAYBE, WE, YOU, AND US I COULD FEEL SORRY FOR ANY NUMBER PLUS TAKE THE PRONOUNS, WE, YOU, US, THEY, THEM, AND I MAYBE IT'S FOR THE WHOLE DAMN WORLD THAT I CRY DEEP (THE CONDEMNED) That calls for a group hug. As Stefan Kanfer said, "Inside every man there is a poet who died young".

How kind of you I thought so. Gentle sarcasm was the intent. This isn't WORLD PEACE and some say I am kind ...........and some don't.

At first I was going to draw that obvious redundancy to Daniel's attention, but he was more concerned with the can/cannot typo because rarely ever/rarely didn't support his case. Legal documents are notoriously wordy, to the point of being almost incomprehensable, so I let it go.

That's right Brad. The burden is heavy on the shoulders of he/she who wields the power. Solomon had it easy, when all he had to do was threaten to cut a baby in half.

OK, B, so with that admission should I assume that my 10% warning is recinded since I was acting under the rules as stated?? In short: DO I RECEIVE CREDIT OF 10%? I realize it's a technicality but my continuance on the Stapleton / Christiern question was within the guidlines as stated and even Marsha "Patricia" Clark will have to agree with THAT!! DEEP I can't argue with your logic, re the original quote, since a literal quote would seem to indicate that the sentence, because of the typo, was contradictory. However, if that's your entire case, I think that B-3's equally high-priced and doubtless, colourful attorney would prevail with his argument that the sandbox's owner can be totally illiterate and still decide who stays. Similarly, the owner of the sandbox can credit you the 10% you request...........or not, depending on what his mood is. In short, this website, as are all websites, is a benevolant dictatorship. :D

Daniel, DUH, your ownself. OK. Glasses on and I am reading the quote: "We rarely ever delete threads but we do have the power to close them so that no new posts cannot be added." Yes, I see the double negative, but the wheels on your defense wagon would still be wobbley, since the intent of the sentence is quite clear, and the literacy of the average jury, should you opt for trial by jury, is woefully scant.