Re: THIS BOARD IS BECOMING MORE CIVIL

[Carry Bean]

We should be so lucky.

[gringal]

Still, I don't think they would have depicted George and Laura Bush in that way, and with that bad grammar. It's funny, but it's also a tad racist. Just my take on it.

However, it that does the job of driving Bennie away.............hmmm.

[slainte39]

When any ethnicity can start laughing at bad, discriminatory jokes about them, bias is headed out the door. I think the Obamas are capable of doing this. As a youth I lived through a lot of stupid "Pat and Mike" jokes and am a better person for not getting derailed by such stuff.
And it's easy to self-evaluate yourself above stupidity.........sometimes

[sundown]

Remember allof the bad jokes about Condoleeza Rice from her own race?

[gringal]

I don't agree there, but that may be the result of too many memories of seeing racism in action. It's ugly, whether it's happening to you or someone else.

I've been teased and bullied in my youth for other reasons, and I didn't consider it character improvement at the time, or later. Developing a tough hide might not be as rewarding as having a privileged life. If you handled it better than I did, Slainte, good on ya.

[slainte39]

I think it's all about developing self esteem and pride.....that's the shield.
Sure, I've had a lot of broken knuckles and a few scars in my "character development", but nothing permanently harmful....don't know about the privileged life.
Channeling prejudicial attacks into positive energy results in accomplishments like becoming President of the US, as proven by Irish-American Catholics and African-Americans. IMO

[gringal]

I was, of course, a girl. A very small one, so I didn't build self esteem with my fighting abilities, that's for sure. I did learn to run fast, and collected enough accomplishments along the way to feel good about myself as an adult.

I admire the Kennedys for their political achievements (not so much for a few other things) but on the other hand, they definitely had a privileged life from the get-go. I admire Obama far more, since his road was rocky from the beginning, but he made it to the top in spite of it.

Not everyone can channel attacks into positive energy. Many give up along the way. I believe that some people are just born strong. Good parenting (or grand parenting) helps.

[E-raq]

Speaking of character building, do I have a story for you. My adoptive mother, who was shall we say (just to be kind) somewhat eccentric, decided for some unknown reason to alter my appearance. She started with a slightly chubby kid, then took my baby fine platinum blond hair and gave it a Toni home perm. The results were somewhat worse than disastrous. Well to add insult to injury, my eyesight wasn't too good, so off to the optometrist, where she picked out the absolutely worst pair of coke bottle glasses, you know, the kind that grannies wear. Blue, and they kinda went up at the sides like cat eyes.

Wait now, we're just getting warmed up. She then purchased a navy blue tunic, white blouse, black stockings, a garter belt and hideous black oxfords.

I went to public school by the way. So, every day from grade one to grade four I had to walk to school wearing this gawdawful getup. Laughs, oh yes there were plenty of those. I always tried to walk to school after everyone else had left in order to avoid any nasty comments.

Anyhow, in order to cope with this assault on my person, I became the school comic. This lasted right through both high school and university as well.

What did I learn from all this? A real belly laugh can get you through most things that life has to throw at you.

[Carry Bean]

Gawd, I remember when my mother took me to a beauty parlor at about age 8 & made me get a poodle cut with an awful perm. Since I was terribly skinny, I looked like to Q-tip.

[gringal]

E-Raq's right: A good belly laugh will get you through most days, and making others laugh with you works even better. If you take yourself too seriously, you're in deep trouble on several levels. Good examples of that are right on this very board, and our nasty fingers itch to poke.

Now, about humiliating experiences: My mom really wanted a girly girl with little curls. What she got was a mudpie making tree climber. The Toni perms she subjected my very straight hair to lasted about 2 days before they collapsed.
Didn't have to worry about clothes much in Catholic school. They found a uniform that looked equally awful on everybody, dishwater blue with pleats in all the wrong places. Made E-Raq's ensemble look downright stylish.

[ferret]

Anyhow, in order to cope with this assault on my person, I became the school comic. This lasted right through both high school and university as well.

What did I learn from all this? A real belly laugh can get you through most things that life has to throw at you.

Laughter can get you through anything. Don't think I would have survived childhood without it and I learned very early that I could make my mum laugh her way out of the tears.
BTW, I wore glasses from age three...I was called foureyes long before Arturo. I was also a latchkey kid who ate lunch alone in the school gym before getting turfed outside to wait for the other kids to return. Moved to a new school every year and it was hard to keep making new friends.
What doesn't kill ya, makes ya stronger.

[bennie#2]

delete

[Jim W]

delete

Your best post ever Bennie#2.....Probably won't be much debate on this one!

[bennie#2]

debate.... please do.

[E-raq]

debate.... please do.

Bennie, please sod off you bleedin' wanker.

[bennie#2]

thats what its there for. debate, do it.

[Jim W]

thats what its there for. debate, do it.

OH PULEEEEZE send us to the Octagon....so we can MASTERBATE it! there is no debate Bennie#2......that was the best post you ever made

[CheenaGringo]

I would vote for CB installing a delete button where members could vote to delete certain posts. Enough votes and assine posts simply disappear.

[Jim W]

delete

Your best post ever Bennie#2.....Probably won't be much debate on this one!

Bennie#2 No one will argue on your post....your best ever!

[Carry Bean]

I thought Bennie was "out of here." Or maybe it's just "out there."

[joec]

thats what its there for. debate, do it.

OH PULEEEEZE send us to the Octagon....so we can MASTERBATE it! there is no debate Bennie#2......that was the best post you ever made

OMG, Jim, we're in Mirador and headed toward Octagon. If it were in Octagon, I'd add to your post.

Your humour is just too funny!!!! ROTFLMFAO......

[Jim W]

John, Sometimes I crack myself up......tonight a combo plate.......whereeeeeeeeeees Benny? I think she pushed her "DELETE" button?

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