Way back, in high school, the chemistry teacher was sick one day, so we had a substitute. This sub knew less about chemistry that we did, and he knew it. Rather than make a sorry attempt at the lesson plan, or run a study hall, he offered anyone who wanted one a pass to the library. There were no takers, even though he told us what he was going to do.
We got a 30 minute oral essay on "son of a b......" Quite fascinating actually, although I can no longer quote from it (hey, it's been almost 40 years). Of course, word got out, and he never subbed there again....
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
I don't think those signatures are particularly offensive. Stupid, yes, and what's even more stupid is starting a thread to call attention to them.
I grew up in a tough neighborhood so I'm not as offended by patently offensive language as much as others might be, and I respect that. I've also learned not to judge people solely based on their choice of the vernacular. That can be a huge mistake.
What one person deems unacceptable may be okay with another. What words are acceptable in an urban neighborhood in Chicago may be different than what plays well in Salt Lake City. It all depends on community values. That's what they mean by "patently offensive." There are a lot of folks in places like New York who love Howard Stern for what he does, and paid good money to see Lenny Bruce, but those two wouldn't get that same warm reception in the bible belt.
I've spent many hours on golf courses around Fortune 500 types and successful people. To tell you the truth, I'd much rather be around people who are "themselves" in my presence than people who are phonys -- using fake profanity like "Jiminey Crickets" and "gol durn" and "freaking." I also never read anything into a person's choice of words because those type of conclusions can be erroneous; however, I do draw the line when kids are around.
Some "cursing" can be pretty creative or downright funny or both. I spent a lot of time in firehouses over the years, and some of "it" still makes me laugh. I've also observed that using certain "cuss words" at the right moment in a business conversation can be very effective.
I offer this scene from the popular movie "Christmas Story," written by one of my heroes, the late, great Jean Shepherd. It's after little Ralphie "said the word 'fudge.' Although I didn't say fudge." Mom takes the bar of Lifebuoy out of his mouth.
Mother: Now, are you ready to tell me where you heard that word? Ralphie, speaking as an adult: Now, I had heard that word at least ten times a day from my old man. He worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay. It was his true medium; a master.
While I do not expect everyone to agree, my personal feeling is that in the world, there's a lot more important things that should offend us -- without worrying about silly things like words.
chad thomas wrote:I fully agree with you on that Jim. All this PC stuff is a bunch of bull.
eolafan wrote: Mookie wrote: eolafan wrote:Oh boy, I can't begin to tell you all how much I dislike this societal tendency towrds political correctness...everybody should simply be able to tell everybody else exactly what they think and not worry about offending anybody...period. If this is tongue-in-cheek, then ok. If not, then I am surprised. I have always found you to be a pretty respectful poster. I hate the PC part - I always think of it as just good manners, something we are woefully lacking these days. Manners and respect, all the things that don't come to mind when I see some of the garbage out there today. It makes our world a little more soiled. Driver respects me and opens my car door for me. Had other males ask me if my arm was broke if I waited for the car door to be opened. My boss who is young enough to almost be my grandson, tramples me to get on the elevator first. As do most of the young people in this building. But then I, in turn, must earn that respect. So back to square one. Swearing won't earn you a lot of respect, just attention. Ms. Moo.... Ms. Moo, you misunderstood me here. I am a big fan and practioner of good manners but these days far too many people mince their words for the sake of politcal correctness and the REAL meaning of what they want to communicate is lost. I have seen meetings go twice as long as they should just so everybody could speak PC. That's all I meant and still do.
Mookie wrote: eolafan wrote:Oh boy, I can't begin to tell you all how much I dislike this societal tendency towrds political correctness...everybody should simply be able to tell everybody else exactly what they think and not worry about offending anybody...period. If this is tongue-in-cheek, then ok. If not, then I am surprised. I have always found you to be a pretty respectful poster. I hate the PC part - I always think of it as just good manners, something we are woefully lacking these days. Manners and respect, all the things that don't come to mind when I see some of the garbage out there today. It makes our world a little more soiled. Driver respects me and opens my car door for me. Had other males ask me if my arm was broke if I waited for the car door to be opened. My boss who is young enough to almost be my grandson, tramples me to get on the elevator first. As do most of the young people in this building. But then I, in turn, must earn that respect. So back to square one. Swearing won't earn you a lot of respect, just attention. Ms. Moo....
eolafan wrote:Oh boy, I can't begin to tell you all how much I dislike this societal tendency towrds political correctness...everybody should simply be able to tell everybody else exactly what they think and not worry about offending anybody...period.
If this is tongue-in-cheek, then ok. If not, then I am surprised. I have always found you to be a pretty respectful poster.
I hate the PC part - I always think of it as just good manners, something we are woefully lacking these days. Manners and respect, all the things that don't come to mind when I see some of the garbage out there today. It makes our world a little more soiled.
Driver respects me and opens my car door for me. Had other males ask me if my arm was broke if I waited for the car door to be opened.
My boss who is young enough to almost be my grandson, tramples me to get on the elevator first. As do most of the young people in this building.
But then I, in turn, must earn that respect. So back to square one. Swearing won't earn you a lot of respect, just attention.
Ms. Moo....
Ms. Moo, you misunderstood me here. I am a big fan and practioner of good manners but these days far too many people mince their words for the sake of politcal correctness and the REAL meaning of what they want to communicate is lost. I have seen meetings go twice as long as they should just so everybody could speak PC. That's all I meant and still do.
Moo...
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
zardoz wrote: eolafan wrote:Oh boy, I can't begin to tell you all how much I dislike this societal tendency towrds political correctness...everybody should simply be able to tell everybody else exactly what they think and not worry about offending anybody...period. Oh, go blow it out your bazooka you little flatlander toad and keep your pie-hole shut. Just kidding, buddy.
Oh, go blow it out your bazooka you little flatlander toad and keep your pie-hole shut.
Just kidding, buddy.
I know, I know, you cheeseheads want all of us flatlanders to come up, spend our money and go home...how about I fill my gas tank before I leave (I can easily go round trip to my frequent destination on one tank or less), eat a meal before I leave Illinois and cross my legs really tightly until I get back into "flatland" and not spend a gosh darned dime in the land of cheese and bad football? ONLY KIDDING MYSELF BUDDY.
Have fun with your trains
WP 3020 wrote: It has been said (name withheld and no offence to him) that some of my signature quotes are or might be offensive and vulgar to some veiwers of the forums. They are true quotes (one is meant to be a reminder of attitude), but I can see them as being negative. Are they too much? I was thinking of changing one or two to something else before we got into a bit of a row on a different subject. I can be a bit of a bone head at times but don't want to be like a Mr. Gibbson and turn people away from everything I may post. (I may have something worth reading or looking at someday)
It has been said (name withheld and no offence to him) that some of my signature quotes are or might be offensive and vulgar to some veiwers of the forums. They are true quotes (one is meant to be a reminder of attitude), but I can see them as being negative. Are they too much? I was thinking of changing one or two to something else before we got into a bit of a row on a different subject. I can be a bit of a bone head at times but don't want to be like a Mr. Gibbson and turn people away from everything I may post. (I may have something worth reading or looking at someday)
I am not a politically correct person, been around too many low places in trucking.
I say that certain things have no place with trains as a family hobby.
Once in a while a bad word or two gets out, cannot help that too much. But I find that some things just dont belong in the context of trains on these forums to be particular in example.
I recognize that some of us have strong views and express them. This is a protected speech. How it is recieved depends on the majority at large.
Dan
How about this one?
"The passenger train is like the male teat: neither functional nor attractive."
I forget who said that. Someone from the olden days. A robberbaron, I believe. Anyway, have fun trying to find who said it. Right now I'm too far away from my resources and running out of time to look it up.
yad sdrawkcab s'ti
WP, My skin is thick and it would take much more then a few words from someone I don't know to really offend me. But we have some very young members on this forum that don't need to be exposed to that kind of stuff.
We don't know you and the only way we can guage what you are like is by the words you post here. Do you really want that to be what you are "judged by" (for lack of a better term)?
Don't get me wrong, I think the gratutious use of profanity shows a general absence of class as much as anyone and think it should be avoided. However, I am surprised the profanity even makes it on anyone's radar when quote #2 is considered.
Implying dogs are suprior to/better companions to women, coupled with the use of the chosen venacular to express this preference is really quite demeaning. The level of insecurity required of someone to even think of such a quote blows my mind--I am sure there is a freudian explanation . . .
Worse yet, I am serving to further his desparate cry for attention--by chosing to point this out to everyone in the hopes of attracting attention to himself--by commenting on this post rather than ignoring it like I had probably ought to do.
Congratulations, you have succeeded in bringing me down to your level. I need to go take a shower.
Gabe
I'd already added "WP3020" to my short list of posters to avoid, but the title of this particular post caught my eye for obvious reasons. I agree with several others here .............. the standard English language is too rich and colorful without having to resort to profanity and insults (open or disguised) to get your message across.
That said, if the forum community and moderators want this type of stuff on the forum, so be it. ''WP3020" posts will just continue to be among those few I avoid in the future.
Thanks for asking and in so polite a manner.
With Gabe and Mookie on that...
If you can't say it in front of your Mom, then you might not want to say it here.
And yes, what are you teaching?
That using words like that are OK?
How would you feel if someone used that word towards your mother?
How about showing and teaching that you are smart enough to get your point across without using such language, that you have a good enough command of english to make your point even more clearly, in a manner that doesn't offend.
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Sorry, I will be the lone stickler, but I am offended by the middle quote and the deeper implications that it obviously alludes to. In fact, when I think of the full extent of the meaning of that quote, it is just about one of the most offensive things I have heard in some time.
I can understand your quotes and I am not an angel either. However, in this day and age, the decline of courtesy and politeness and the increase of Me First makes it very topical. And that is too bad.
We have a world of quotes out there that are intelligent, cute, funny and sometimes thought provoking, so it isn't necessary to use quotes that you have to bleep out the words.
The forum has every age imaginable on here and to conduct yourself in a mannerly fashion speaks well of your character. You learn from watching others. You teach by example. What are you teaching?
The quote about Satan's tool is amusing, and a reminder of how times have changed. That's not to say that someone, somewhere, wouldn't find it offensive. These days that's not hard to do.
The implied profanity, on the other hand, is a little more likely to set someone off, especially when it includes a specific target. Think of it this way - if you wouldn't say it at the dinner table, or at a restaurant, don't use it here, implied or not.
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