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Difficult Discussions, Internet Argument and Infinite Digression
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Difficult Discussions, Internet Argument and Infinite Digression [B]Difficult Discussions Is The Topic For The Second Virtual Symposium on Sept 27 The finest comic writer in the English language is P.G. Wodehouse. He is also one of the finest<b> writers </font></b>of the English language, period, in any period. Certainly, in the twentieth century, he belongs in the stratosphere of fine writers, where the air is crisp and clear and style and turn of phrase may soar like keen eyed raptors on the hunt for worthy metaphoric prey. Perhaps Wodehouse's most well known characters are Bertie Wooster and his manservant, Jeeves. A recurring theme in the chronicles of Jeeves and Bertie is the Code of the Wooster's, which I shall not divulge in this epistle, necessitating that the reader will examine the works of Wodehouse on his own, a scholarly and uplifting endeavor. Suffice it to say that the Wooster's indeed possessed a Code, and it was succinct and rigid. It demanded adherence to a standard of deportment that was appropriate to a gentleman of his social standing. I too have a code. It is nowhere near as ancient or as lofty as the Code of the Wooster's, but is every bit as strict and unbending in its expectation of compliance as that old and honorable creed. I am reluctant to reveal my true surname to the casual reader, so I shall assume a pseudonym, and that pseudonym will be "Psmith". It follows then, that my Code will be referred to as the Code of the "Psmiths". Psmith was another creation from the mind of P. G. Wodehouse. The P is virtually silent- in Psmith's own words, think ptarmigan, psalm and pththisis. Psmith is arguably a greater comic character than either Bertie Wooster or Jeeves, but this is not the proper forum for that argument. The reader may infer that I am a Psmith partisan, an advocate of the Psmithian school of thought. I will not here take issue with that inference. Thus ends the first digression. In writing good pornography, as in writing good…anything… the writer is well advised to limit his "lead". The reader wishes he would get to the point. This background material, this local color, is all well and good, but get down to it, man. The public clamors for disclosure, for elucidation on the main topic. This can become a problem when the writer has forgotten the main topic. I can assure you that I am not that writer. Today's topic is "Difficult Discussions" and I beleive I am well on my way to accomplishing that feat. Thus far it has not been difficult for me personally- you may wish to disagree. This is why we have symposia. It is a "Meeting of the Minds". Such as they are. And so, onward, ending digression number two. The Code of the "Psmith's" postulates that an internet argument is a fool's errend, and under no circumstances should a "Psmith" engage in one. It is beneath him. Trolls lurk everywhere on the web. They are not lurking unseen, which would subvert the very purpose of Trollhood. The Code of the Trolls, if you will. On the contrary, they are there to be seen, and to divert the conversation from the free exchange of ideas to the ideological equivalent of mud wrestling, albeit in a digital format. Trolls would engage the hapless websurfer in an exchange of insults in lieu of ideas by infuriating him with pointless and nonsensical diatribes on the order of "You are! No, you are! And your mother's a !" Such a confrontation cannot even end in a satisfying duel by fisticuff, as happened in the days when we frequented taverns rather than websites. It is a "who got the last word" quarrel, and is un-winnable, like Tic Tac Toe. We all know what kind of troubles Tic Tac Toe can get us into, or out of, the movie "War Games" having become part of our cultural lexicon. I am aware that the younger people who have subscribed to this website are at a significant disadvantage at this point in the discussion. They have no idea what "War Games" is about, who Matthew Broderick was, why a fine exmple of American womanhood like Ally Sheedy would be at all diverted by him, or what the Cold War was. They will surely think that I refer to an ancient and primitive video game on the Atari platform, which the more acute historians among them will be vaguely aware of. I encourage them to study these fine points, in their free time and on their own initiative. It will doubtless prove rewarding. Not being certain if this last paragraph is a full digression, I will press on. But if it is a digression, it will qualify as number three, possibly four if you are feeling magnanimous. Being fairly sure that there were at least two full digressions in the last paragraph, I will proceed. Recently, I encountered a fine red blooded American woman on this very website who dispensed her wisdom under the moniker of Smurfnturf. No sooner had we become acquainted than she announced her retirement from the website. She indicated that anyone wishing to maintain contact with her in another venue could apply personally to her, as might a supplicant to Saint Joan, no doubt expecting that I would not take her up on the offer, and she would have seen the last of me. Knowing as I do that unpredictability is an essential tool of oneupsmanship, I applied. I would be the mutt that followed her home. What's a girl to do? She foolishly admitted me to the Inner Sanctum, a notorious social networking site which I will call AssPlace (Not its real name). I was no stranger to AssPlace, although many of the members will assert that no member is stranger than me. I hate AssPlace. I hate its inventor, I hate his minions, and the majority of its subscribers are repugnant to me. I subscribe to the Bill Maher theory of human evolution, i.e., that the majority of Americans are illiterate and undereducated morons, that it is not possible to educate them, and that every member of that majority is a member of AssPlace. But my attraction to Smurfnturf persuaded me to reactivate my account with AssPlace. I admired her wit and her intelligence. In toto, she seemed like a good egg. It has been but a few days, but seems like a long time. I have enjoyed the brief exchanges I have had with my new friend. It is said that one must take the bad with the good. Smurfnturf is all good. I enjoy reading her posts about the doings in her life and she has so far tolerated my intrusion well. Pretty much all the rest of it is exactly as I remembered it. What I remember is boring and stupid. And now we near the heart of the matter. AssPlace is awash- and I mean flooded as Yahweh innundated the Earth in the time of Noah flooded- with inanity. Every dumbassed unread bonehead who feels he is entitled to his opinion can express that so called opinion on AssPlace. And he does it, most of the time, with impunity, because most people have their own version of the Code of the "Psmiths" and they walk away from that argument as a waste of time and energy. To what purpose does one alert an idiot that he is an idiot? What are the chances for success, even? I subscribe to certain threads of information and data on the AssPlace, as most of the members do. These serve as indicators to other AssPlacers as to how we think, what we like and approve of. It's an outgrowth of demographic studies. It tells you how a man or a woman is likely to think, and vote, and spend his filthy lucre. One of the threads, mere propaganda really, that I subscibe to is updates on the Occupy Wall Street movement. It satisfies my need to feel that I am participating, even in a miniscule way, by "Liking" this movement. And it alerts potential allies, and trolls, that I am an unreconstructed pinko. So far, so good. I have identified myself as a Progressive of sorts, and no one really knows that all I actually contribute is sitting on the sofa in my boxers and operating my mouse. That is not a euphemism for something else. I do that too, but not while using AssPlace, and I don't much draw attention to it. And yet, in a larger sense, that is exactly what we are doing on the AssPlace when we "Like" things and subscribe to their news feeds. It's a group masturbation, a circle jerk. And we do it on a global scale moving only an index finger. Orgasm has never been easier for the masses. We are "operating our mice" the world over, simultaneously. What are we up to, five, or six digressions? I got a news feed today from Occupy Wall Street, urging solidarity with Palestinians. A fine sentiment, that one. I also feel some good deal of empathy for Jewish colonists in the Levant, but the one does not cancel the other. When one is empathetic, it's all grist to one's mill, so to speak. But the newsfeed featured a poster with an impossibly stupid truism: That there are two billion muslims in the world, and that if Islam is a violent religion, there would be no people left on the planet. I do not think that the one follows the other. I confess to having some trouble working this out. I did try. But I can't get it to come out to make sense. I do not take issue here with the assertion that Islam is not a violent religion. Surely, most muslims are hard working and decent people, with no more than the average number of prejudices and idiotic superstitions, common among all men. And I feel safe in assuming that most muslims are no more prone to violent outbursts than the rest of us- maybe less, as they have fewer freeways. There have been violent religions, the Thuggees of India for example. There was and is some debate about whether the Thuggees were actually a religion, or whether they were merely…thugs. It is fairly typical human behavior, when faced with unpleasantness, to deny that it exists. There is also considerable range in the estimates of the numbers of Thuggee victims. Some sources claim that Thuggees had murdered two million people, while others peg the number at no more than fifty thousand. They typically strangled their victims, and then robbed them. This is frowned on in polite society, in both the Occident and the Orient. There weren't a lot of them, but this begs the question, how many does it take to reach the tipping point? Certainly there were never two billion Thugees. How many would it take for them to be considered dangerous? Personally, I think twelve or fifteen is a few too many. Nowhere near two billion. The Thuggees did not exterminate mankind. They were a minor blip on the chart of the Indian population explosion. Human beings, even the angry and violent ones, have exhibited a tendency to copulate and reproduce. Instead of two billion muslims depopulating the planet, it seems far more likely to me that the planet might exterminate us through disease or cataclysm, aided no doubt by our habit of shitting in our own nests. But, the poster is still there, insisting that those two billion muslims, if they put their heads together and their noses to the grindstone could take into their heads the notion of eliminating all human beings. This ill advised slogan seems counter productive to me. A better approach might have been to make inquiries of Carole King with an eye to licensing "You've Got a Friend". When I encounter a political slogan created by people who have mastered the graphics software of an obscure computer application, but have no idea how to communicate an idea, am I obliged by the Code of the "Psmiths" to merely shake my head and walk away in bewilderment? The Code is clear on this point. A part of me wishes to notify them that they are perhaps their own worst enemy in identifying themselves as halfwits. But this violates the main tenet of the Code. We are now at, not merely near, the heart of the issue. Every fibre of my acculturation, along with The Code of the "Psmiths" screams at me "Shut up! There is no way you can win this one, or even make a scratch on it." But another part of me, in direct contradiction of the Code, urges me to tell the truth, not to power, but to mediocrity. And no one will hear me. And this is why movements and organizations seek a front man, a spokesmodel. Someone attractive and famous to publicize the cause. "Hello, this is Donald Trump for Preparation H." Nothing says sore asshole like Donald Trump. I know the demands of the Code. They are engraved upon my psyche as the words above the Gates of Hell: Abandon all hope ye who enter here. And yet, to borrow a phrase from the much admired and much sought after [blog _Lady_X_], my hackles do rise when compelled by a time honored but battered code to turn away and fight another day. [blog _Lady_X_] did not invent the phrase, but she employed it recently with acuity and aplomb. And fine looking hackles they are too. I have examined a great number of hackles in my time, and those of [blog _Lady_X_] take their place among the best. I seem to have lost count of my digressions. But who attempts to quantify infinity? It requires more restraint and discipline than I possess to adhere to the Code of the Psmiths when confronted by certain glaring displays of dipshittedness. Maybe I should just quietly exit the AssPlace once more. No one will miss me. With a nod to Lewis Black, I am becoming an Old Yeller. Maybe it isn't the discussion that has become difficult. Maybe it's me. Nah. In summation, I quote another of my friends, KItkat1415 , who recently bravely wrote: [post 3490573]. I don't know yet how difficult reading this was for you. As for me, some of it was a tough slog, but I soldiered on, and here we are. Become a member now and get a free tote bag. |
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I got through it and am fairly sure I understood it. I think some internet arguments can lead to mutually respectful resolution if both parties discuss their point of view honestly and without recrimination, even though oftentimes an initial recrimination will be the cause for the necessity to discuss different viewpoints. The noble aim is positive, mutually beneficial outcome. Just my 2cents worth. Unlike you I still doubt the quality of the average, run-of-the-mill, ordinary human brain. There are moments when the belly is full. It takes all my steel to shut up and sit down. Thanks for reading and commenting, honey. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Thank you so much! We aim to please! I think the blogs here, on this site, are a cut above on average. There are a seemingly infinite number on the web, and a hell of a lot of good ones, but there's a lot of crap out there, and it can be hard to find the good ones at times. I mock myself and my self restraint here, but really, there's no point to engaging in some arguments. You save your ammo for the real battle, not the mock one. I hope to see you here again. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Gotta agree with Koffla........well written also! ^5 WITHOUT PASSION LIFE IS NOTHING
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[blog SnuggleBuni41], I love you. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Gotta agree with Koffla........well written also! ^5 Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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I am delighted that you were "interested". Come back soon. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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An excellent read. Well done!  hugssssssssssss VBecome a blog watcher sweet_vm
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I've engaged in a few heated disagreements with other key-punchers on this site. Your right, unless I can put the hard wood of a Louisville Slugger to their skull, the point of arguing is pointless. Then again, maybe I should have read this prior to my "smoke" break.  Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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An excellent read. Well done! hugssssssssssss VBecome a member now and get a free tote bag.
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K, You didn't say what I wanted you to say, so And yo mama is soooo fat thaT...... ba ha ha ha I loved it that you pimped me out on this blog. LOOoOOOooove it! Your writing is exemplary and meandering... Um. I mean, your writing entertains while it defames... Oh darn it. I liked the effing post. Be my friend on AssPlace, too! your friend in blogging, Kitkat The observant make the best lovers, I may not do right, but I do write, I have bliss, joy, and happiness in my life, Kitkat Come check out my blog KItkat1415 check out this post by me Adventures In Body Grooming #39 April Topic Link: What Lies Beneath If April Showers Oh Bloody Hell What Kind Of Weather Turns Me On Bloggers Symposium 40
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K, You didn't say what I wanted you to say, so And yo mama is soooo fat thaT...... ba ha ha ha I loved it that you pimped me out on this blog. LOOoOOOooove it! Your writing is exemplary and meandering... Um. I mean, your writing entertains while it defames... Oh darn it. I liked the effing post. Be my friend on AssPlace, too! your friend in blogging, Kitkat Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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You and I, sir, are going to have words – and I mean WORDS – over your naked contention about P.G. Wodehouse. Is in the pantheon of writers, both comic and not? Absolutely. But do I automatically surrender the crown to him? Not as long as there was a fellow by the name of Mark Twain. You might have heard of him. His short pieces – I especially love and recommend “The Awful German Language” and “Fenimore Cooper’s Literary Offenses” – stand up 120-130 years after they were written. This Twain fellow also wrote some novels, or so I’ve heard, but their names escape me. They must not have been notable. If you want to say that some late-20th Century counterculture luminaries such as Paul Krassner and Terry Southern are just a step below these two, we won’t argue. But the only way I’ll let you give the laurel to Wodehouse over Twain is if you draw the distinction H.L. Mencken did between the English language and the American language… in which case you and I will be able to break bread in peace. But as for your main point – and you do have one – about not getting into an internet argument – of course, you’re correct. As “Godwin’s Law” states, “As an online discussion grows longer, the probably of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one.” And, of course, at that point (and most likely long before) the true intellectual nature of debate – or, to your point, a difficult discussion – is subsumed into name calling. What a great take on difficult discussions! P.S. “Psmith,” indeed. Leave it to you to Drone on! Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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You already know I love Mark Twain. And if I actually had to choose between them I'd probably pick the firing squad. There have been a number of outrageously funny writers since Twain. The first time I read Southern I nearly pissed myself. But for the purposes of this essay it was necessary to give the nod to Plum. If you keep reading my stuff you will undoubtedly catch me contradicting myself. (Otherwise known as lying.) But surely you will concede that when one is in the act of reading Wodehouse, he is Zeus. If you put him down and pick up Twain, doubts arise, and one is apt to switch loyalties, in much the same manner as an Afghan militiaman. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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I hope you know that you have thoroughly squashed the concept that this site is home to nothing but sexual deviants devoid of deep intellectual thought. Just imagine the poor fool who unknowingly clicks on your blog and is completely lost once they realize that P.G. Wodehouse did not write smut and is long dead. I'm sure the wood went limp in the hand. I will admit my ignorance, I had never heard of him, but since your passionate discernment, I did a little research and will be looking into his works. Sounds like an interesting character. Thanks for giving me a new venue to explore!
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I hope you know that you have thoroughly squashed the concept that this site is home to nothing but sexual deviants devoid of deep intellectual thought. Just imagine the poor fool who unknowingly clicks on your blog and is completely lost once they realize that P.G. Wodehouse did not write smut and is long dead. I'm sure the wood went limp in the hand. I will admit my ignorance, I had never heard of him, but since your passionate discernment, I did a little research and will be looking into his works. Sounds like an interesting character. Thanks for giving me a new venue to explore! Odd that you should say that, though, because I read a really good post by N_Joimi that was not too long, certainly a lot shorter than mine. He said what he meant to say clearly and succinctly and some guy criticized him for the post being too long. Why do some people think they can get good content in text-speak (g ur hot)? My post is long and rambling on purpose- it's supposed to be "difficult", but that was supposed to be part of the humor- I wanted people to be thinking "Come on, asshole! Say it already!" I worked with a guy, a salesman, who was proud that he only read headlines and quick reads. Anything else was too time consuming. He needed to get back to his gaming. As you can see from the comment above by humorguaranteed, my bald statement about Wodehouse is contested. Many people don't care for Wodehouse. But they are the wrong sort of people and I recommend that you avoid them. Thank you again for your praise. I'm feeling pretty chesty right now, I don't mind telling you. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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What do you suggest I read first of his?
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What do you suggest I read first of his? Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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To quote one of my favorite movies: "Truly, you have a dizzying intellect." Lookslike you had fun with the assignment 
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To quote one of my favorite movies: "Truly, you have a dizzying intellect." Lookslike you had fun with the assignment Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Well, now I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy. Thank you, osphena! If you haven't read what Fry and Laurie have to say about that series I think you'd enjoy reading it, and it should be an easy search on google. They were very good at it. But a lot of Wodehouse is lost in translation to the screen- it is written to be read. I have a confession to make, a concession too. Humorguaranteed is of course right- Mark Twain is probably the king of comics. But , oddly, I don't think comedy when I think Twain. He made his reputation and his career as a humorist and might have been the most famous man in the world because of it. Wodehouse wrote ONLY humor, and never had a message to deliver. A message would have been decidedly un-Wodehousian. For me, Mark Twain is in a category where he is the only member. No one else belongs next to him, except maybe Shakespeare, and Shakespeare couldn't do the dialect. I'm SO happy you enjoyed my post- thanks again for telling me. I hope it means you'll be back! Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Thanks for coming. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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