Re: Everyone, please read: Will & Scottie especially!

> Absolutely, Tim. Except that it will no doubt seem to some
> like the regrettable encouragement of an exhibitionist, I should
> love to hear more responses to my last post.

I wouldn't mind hearing more, really.

> I hope yours will be a minority opinion. In this part of
> the world, the cognoscenti take a knowing delight in sneering
> at the conforming prissiness of Americans. I have always
> protested that this was an unfair stereotyping.

Having close blood in that part of the world, I know to the fifteenth
decimal point how much to discount the cognoscenti. Unless your town
has especially perceptive cognoscenti. Or just a different batch
arrives there from the house of Arthur Guinness.

> But maybe I was wrong.

Maybe. Likely not. I can and will speak of nobody but myself in
saying that there is no prissiness in my nature. Rather, imagine a
fraternity boy from MY part of the world interrupting your holiday
goose (or any tradition you might hold dear, Scottie) and in the
mistaken belief that he was adding to your holiday cheer, dropping
his trousers to show you his bare ass and expecting to be applauded.
It would get applause in the frat house. It would not be welcome at
my table. Maybe it would be welcome at Scottie's; I don't know and
wouldn't do it to him.

So, my objection is in the language; I will add too that as Sonny has
said, I too dislike the pasteurization of language here such that you
are not able to say anything about Christmas, but are constrained to
saying what has been vetted by committee, leaving "Happy Holidays"
[eh? and what holidays would that be? asks the devil's advocate] as
your only answer -- then someone will trot out a calendar of other
holidays that go with non-Christian festivals, so that is the
official answer to all this. Some well-minded people began with an
attempt at inclusiveness, and such is how we landed in this mess.

But this isn't a sociology discussion list, at which such stone-cold
point-making would, well, have a point. This is a place where we
discuss some books and other topics. And while Scottie has made his
point, it is still true that his comment is made to rile, to push the
limits of the playground; as such it appears hateful, though I don't
think he himself is full of hate.

Me, I've heard and seen worse, and simply want (as the
velvet-jacketed host) to welcome our +150 subscribers as best I can.
That's it -- no greater agenda, nor the desire to make a point about
what committees have decreed may or may not be said.

I personally happen to be groomed and polite, though unshaven at the
moment, and in greeting friends and strangers I give them my kindest
greeting, as I was taught. I'll keep to that here (and will shave,
too), but don't misread my grooming as either prissiness or niceness.
I can be nasty enough to curdle your golden Irish milk, if that is
called for.

But not here, and not in public, where bystanders would get splattered....

I'd like to give myself a tidy and pithy little exit line, but they
are all taken, so I can only offer warm regards no matter what your
religious bent, as long as you respect mine, which, in league with
Sonny, is a big, fat null.

I have my own arriving guests to prepare for, so I must go, probably
not to return for a while. For God's sake, don't kill each other,
would ya? Goddamn MLA is in town and I have some members staying
with me....

TIM O'CONNOR
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Received on Tue Dec 24 10:29:51 2002