Re: virus: Meme, the Underlying Cause

Brett Lane Robertson (unameit@tctc.com)
Tue, 07 Oct 1997 19:18:40 -0500


At 01:35 PM 10/7/97 -0400, you wrote:
>>Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 13:40:55 -0500
>>From: Brett Lane Robertson <unameit@tctc.com>
>>
>>>I'm still struggling with server problems. I'm trying
>>>to catch up in reverse direction...
>>
>>>Reed
>>
>>Reed,
>>
>>What does your prostitute and your boss say? Just commit suicide and let
>>them make decisions in your name and you will have the answers they keep
>>coming up with.
>>
>>Brett
>
>I'm sorry, I didn't understand your response. Could you elaborate, please?
>
>Reed

We were talking about taking an aside comment regarding how people respond
when they are regressing to the level of "humor" (Originally I questioned
Tad's juvenile humor... I added--and probably shouldn't have, though I DID
appologise--that women often respond with sexual innuendo). Many people
took offense to my comment (out of proportion to it's intended scope).
David Mc. commented that no woman ever used sexual innuendo (not on THIS
list), someone commented that women and list owners should be supported, you
said that you were leaning in that direction as well...with the added
comment that you were trying to catch up in reverse direction.

I interpreted "trying to catch up in reverse direction" as also implying
"trying to catch up *with the group concensus concerning list owners and
women*" and "in reverse direction" as applicable to the thought process
which leads one to over-react to comments toward women and list owners--that
is a backward sort of reasoning which overlooks the content of the post and
instead focuses on any idea which seems to question the established
authority or feminine sexual availability.

My comment "What does your prostitute and your boss say?" suggests how one
might arrive at this over-reaction--implying that one must never think for
oneself but that one should check with those in power before making a
decision...putting FIRST the needs of the boss and the prostitute. My other
comment about "committing suicide" was a reference (and a loose one, I'm
sorry) to the idea that someone who sells out to socially approved
thinking--only what those in power allow--might as well commit suicide as
they have no internal self with which to think.

I think I took great liberties with your comment about "server" problems
(could "server" imply a subconscious desire to serve the boss or be served
by the prostitute?). But the comment seemed appropriate to the perspective
of the thread if not to your own conscious use of the term "server problems".

Brett

Returning,
rBERTS%n
Rabble Sonnet Retort
Numeric stability is probably not all that important when
you're guessing.