I am convicted by Annette's comments about the value of Michael Sylvester's
postings. I realize that my eurocentric education has blinded me to the
psychological relevance of questions such as whether men with penile
enhancement enjoy sex more. I now can see that the carpal tunnel syndrome I
suffer from exercising the 'd' key has made me a better person. (Whatever
doesn't kill me makes me stronger.)
I now feel liberated to ask something I have wondered since I was a child:
Does Bigfoot have ESP? He must because he has successfully evaded all those
trying to find evidence of his existence.
Eagerly awaiting the use of bandwidth that makes me realize I am a real person
every day when I log on, I remain faithfully
don
Donald McBurney
University of Pittsburgh
Annette Taylor wrote:
> Tipsters:
>
> I would just like to take a moment to note my appreciation for
> Michael's posts to this list.
>
> For every 10 people who take Michael's 'diverse' way of expressing
> himself in offense, there are always 2 or 3 who see through the expression
> to give very thoughtful, beneficial and instructive input into the
> 'soul' purpose of TIPS.
>
> I freely use the 'd' key for the 10 who would rather attack someone
> for having an alternative approach to self-expression.
>
> Michael has in the past presented us with his credentials and I
> have come to realize that if you look at his background as a whole
> you would have a great insight into where is style comes from. Personally
> I think he sounds like a very interesting person.
>
> To wit: (now where does that expression come from?)
> Yesterday I attended a writing workshop here on our campus and
> one of the things we talked about was dealing with the writing
> and expression of students who come to us from 'foreign' countries.
>
> As one woman who was presenting noted, she was getting her nails
> done recently at a shop owned by some Vietnamese women. Having
> had this experience myself (about 90% of the manicurists in Southern
> California seem to be Vietnamese!!!!) I knew EXACTLY what she was
> talking about. Anyway, the vignette was about when she was there
> last time, another client walked in, the owner of the shop looked
> up and pointed at the new client walking in and said in a harsh
> voice, "YOU! SIT THERE!". The client's mouth dropped and she told
> the owner, "Forget it, I won't be talked to that way and expect
> to pay you to provide a service for me."
>
> The woman presenting at the workshop then intervened and told the new
> client, "Excuse me, but what she really meant to say in American language
> and vocal inflection was, "Would you please take a seat over by
> those magazines and make yourself comfortable while I finish up
> with this client?", it is just that in her native language the vocal
> inflections tend to be a bit harsh and she doesn't have so much
> vocabulary, but she is really a great manicurist, you would be making
> a mistake to leave."
>
> Well, see, I see Michael the same way--if you get beyond his way
> of how he asks his questions to us, they are really fundamentally
> very good questions--you just have to figure out the inflection and
> the vocabulary to fit your style, or maybe a majority style.
>
> But if we are teaching our students to be tolerant of diversity
> in the classroom, and if we are working on it ourselves both in
> the classroom and in our everyday lives, should we not be
> willing to extend the same courtesy to our fellow TIPS-mates?
>
> I, personaly, have almost never replied to Michael's posts simply
> because I haven't had anything to say, but I have learned A LOT
> by reading the thoughtful replies he has gotten--the 2/10 who see
> beyond the trappings and get at the real question.
>
> Alternatively, anyone not willing read into Michael's questions
> can just use the 'd' key--check archives, we had this discussion
> once before regarding another tipster.
>
> OK, back to grading papers. AARRCGGGHHHH!
>
> annette
>
> Annette Taylor, Ph. D.
> Department of Psychology E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> University of San Diego Voice: (619) 260-4006
> 5998 Alcala Park
> San Diego, CA 92110
>
> "Education is one of the few things a person
> is willing to pay for and not get."
> -- W. L. Bryan
