[Rhodes22-list] Politics: joke and the wind surffer

[Glen & Dorene Barrera]

:)

Glen

PS How is the boat doing?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Meltzer" <mjm at michaelmeltzer.com>
To: "Stephen Staum" <staum at earthlink.net>; "The Rhodes 22 mail list"
<rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2004 7:51 PM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Politics: joke and the wind surffer


> I wanted to respond to Stephen Staum earlier, but I was so busy, I simply
did not have the time. Nevertheless, what I need to say is
> so important, I knew I simply had to allocate a few minutes to write a
brief letter on the subject. One of my objectives is to
> protect the interests of the general public against the greed and unreason
of what I call malicious apostates. He yields to the
> mammalian desire to assert individuality by attracting attention.
Unfortunately, for Staum, "attract attention" usually implies
> "subject human beings to indignities". Think about how easy it's become
for shallow, gormless Stephen Staum clones to bad-mouth
> worthy causes. Do you really think that he can assuage the hungers of his
cat's-paws with servings of fresh scapegoats and get away
> with it, as Staum claims? Wake up! The purpose of this letter is far
greater than to prove to you how acrimonious and slaphappy
> Staum has become. The purpose of this letter is to get you to start
thinking for yourself, to start thinking about how each rung on
> the ladder of separatism is a crisis of some kind. Each crisis supplies an
excuse for him to condition the public -- or, more
> precisely, brainwash the public -- into believing that his activities are
on the up-and-up. That is the standard process by which
> abysmal fogeys create anomie.
>
> He says it is within his legal right to paint people of different races
and cultures as lewd alien forces undermining the coherent
> national will. Whether or not he indeed has such a right, there is another
side to the issue, so to speak. If Staum wants to
> complain, he should have an argument. He shouldn't just throw out the word
"anthropomorphical", for example, and expect us to be
> scared. He will damage the debate about this issue, because we will have
to spend lots of time correcting misunderstandings that are
> directly attributable to his publications. While improvident quacks claim
to defend traditional values, they actually peddle the
> snake oil of irritating neocolonialism. If you were to tell Staum that
there is considerable evidence to show that he is serious
> about wanting to acquire public acceptance of his paltry insinuations,
he'd just pull his security blanket a little tighter around
> himself and refuse to come out and deal with the real world.
>
> His oleaginous editorials leave the current power structure untouched
while simultaneously killing countless children through
> starvation and disease. Are these children Staum's enemies? This isn't
such an easy question to answer, but let me take a stab at
> it: I want to give you some background information about Staum. But first,
let me pose an abstract question. Where is Staum's
> integrity? To rephrase that question, what exactly is Staum's point? A
complete answer to that question would take more space than I
> can afford, so I'll have to give you a simplified answer. For starters,
Staum is too odious to read the writing on the wall. This
> writing warns that several things he has said have brought me to the
boiling point. The statement of his that made the strongest
> impression on me, however, was something to the effect of how the best way
to make a point is with foaming-at-the-mouth rhetoric and
> letters filled primarily with exclamation points. The next time someone
says that self-centered, myopic vagrants are more deserving
> of honor than our nation's war heroes, look that person right in the eye
and reply, "The Stephen Staum Foundation's latest report on
> catty obscurantism is filled with fabrications, half-truths, innuendo, and
guilt by association." His apple-polishers consider his
> claims a breath of fresh air. I, however, find them more like the fetid
odor of metagrobolism. Quite simply, one does not have to
> impose obtuse new restrictions on society just to satisfy some sort of
wretched drive for power in order to tell him where he can
> stick it. It is a cruel person who believes otherwise. Now for some
parting advice: Look at the facts. Analyze the arguments. Think
> about the motives of the people who are telling you that children should
belong to the state. And have confidence in yourself.
> Remember, I don't expect everyone to agree with me.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Stephen Staum" <staum at earthlink.net>
> To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2004 11:27 AM
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Politics: joke and the wind surffer
>
>
> > What a nasty thing to do to someone.  Now this poor individual who needs
and
> > probably cannot afford new tires will have to blow the money on
senseless
> > tickets instead.  It figures that you are a Bush fan.  My daughter is in
> > middle school and judging how nasty young teenage girls can be you would
fit
> > right in.  At least they have youth and ignorance as an excuse.  What is
> > yours?  Why don't you find some productive volunteer work to do with
your
> > time or just go sailing.  I am sure that you will find this more
personally
> > satisfying.  SS
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Michael Meltzer" <mjm at michaelmeltzer.com>
> > To: <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> > Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2004 11:17 PM
> > Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Politics: joke and the wind surffer
> >
> >
> >> WORKING PEOPLE FREQUENTLY ASK RETIRED PEOPLE WHAT THEY DO TO MAKE THEIR
> > DAYS
> >> INTERESTING. WELL, LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE:
> >>
> >> I WENT TO THE STORE THE OTHER DAY. I WAS ONLY IN THERE FOR ABOUT 5
> > MINUTES.
> >>
> >> WHEN I CAME OUT THERE WAS A CITY COP WRITING OUT A PARKING TICKET.
> >>
> >>
> >> did any one see the new Kerry windsurfing ad, now that's funny, and I
> > suspect effective on many levels, some on the bush side has some
"talent" at
> > this :-)
> >>
> >> and a new jokes :-)
> >>
> >> I WENT UP TO HIM AND SAID, "COME ON, BUDDY, HOW ABOUT GIVING A SENIOR A
> >> BREAK?"
> >>
> >> HE IGNORED ME AND CONTINUED WRITING THE TICKET.
> >>
> >> I CALLED HIM A NAME. HE GLARED AT ME AND STARTED WRITING ANOTHER TICKET
> > FOR
> >> HAVING WORN TIRES.
> >>
> >> SO I CALLED HIM A WORSE NAME. HE FINISHED THE SECOND TICKET AND PUT IT
ON
> >> THE WINDSHIELD WITH THE FIRST. THEN HE STARTED WRITING A THIRD TICKET.
> >>
> >> THIS WENT ON FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES. THE MORE I ABUSED HIM THE MORE
TICKETS
> > HE
> >> WROTE.
> >>
> >> I DIDN'T CARE. MY CAR WAS PARKED AROUND THE CORNER AND THIS ONE HAD A
> > BUMPER
> >> STICKER ON IT THAT SAID "ELECT KERRY - EDWARDS".
> >>
> >> I TRY TO HAVE A LITTLE FUN EACH DAY NOW THAT I'M RETIRED. IT'S
IMPORTANT
> > AT
> >> OUR AGE.
> >>
> >>  - from Carol Bagshaw
> >> __________________________________________________
> >> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
> >>
> >
> >
> > __________________________________________________
> > Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
> >
>
> __________________________________________________
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