Re: Re[2]: Re[2]: [acornlive] Funny Story
Liam Ronan (acornlive@dublinwriters.org)
Fri, 9 Jun 2000 13:12:07 +0100
Difficult to tell from the construction of your initial broadside (below)
"This is not funny. It's stupid!" that "stupid" was intended as your most
thoughtful adjective to replace not only the title of the original
composition but also to offer the results of your divination into its
author's mindset. One has to read the postscript for clarification of your
pithy two sentence body of original thought. It's not a good sign when a six
word, two sentence communication has to be clarified by a forty-one word
explanatory note.
The use of "stupid" as a characterization of title, content, or mind-set of
the author smacks of ad hominem criticism. Indeed, it seems infinitely
easier by extension to reach that conclusion than not. If this is a writer's
group, then I think that there must be some level of acceptance for
offerings which might be badly done, but which might be salvaged via a
measure of constructive critique. Yes, the suggestions might be humorous or
scholarly or biting or superficial, but they should always be on the
supportive side too. I am of the opinion that there is no anecdote so banal
that it could not be improved with assistance and effort.
Your earlier communication was imprecise. Don't blame me if I got the name
wrong (or is it clarified in another footnote?).
Liam Ronan
----- Original Message -----
From: "Carol Cheevers" <CCheevers@unfccc.de>
To: <acornlive@dublinwriters.org>
Sent: Friday, June 09, 2000 9:19 AM
Subject: Re[2]: Re[2]: [acornlive] Funny Story
> The criticism may be harsh, as it was intended to be. The adjective was
used to
> replace the former title, and to characterize the author's mindset at the
moment
> of the incident and at the moment when he decided to circulate it. You may
> decide by extension that the person is stupid..but that was not what was
> expressed - nor intended! Meanwhile, I may ask you to focus on the subject
of my
> e-mail and not on spelling my name incorrectly. In the absence of decent
> content, we can still rely on respecting the form!
>
> ____________________Reply Separator____________________
> Subject: Re: Re[2]: [acornlive] Funny Story
> Author: <acornlive@dublinwriters.org>
> Date: 08/06/00 18:40
>
> Now now. Must I always be the one to try to establish the peace? Before
> characterizing this story, please look up the definitions that may be
> applied to the title word "funny" (which is what the tale is purported to
> be). "Peculiar", "Odd", "Suspicious", "Dubious" are not inapplicable. The
> author may well have achieved his purpose and the readers were too bovine
to
> catch on. Cows are stew-peds, Mis. Chiefers, not people.
> Liam Ronan
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Carol Cheevers" <CCheevers@unfccc.de>
> To: <acornlive@dublinwriters.org>; <acornlive@dublinwriters.org>
> Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2000 5:02 PM
> Subject: Re[2]: [acornlive] Funny Story
>
>
> > This is not funny. It's stupid!
> >
> > p.s.
> >
> > I had to write an essay on the topic of "stupidity" once, and learning
its
> > definition which is "extreme dullness of perception" seems to apply to
> your
> > mindset at the time of the incident and also your decision to circulate
> it.
> >
> > ____________________Reply Separator____________________
> > Subject: Re: [acornlive] Funny Story
> > Author: <acornlive@dublinwriters.org>
> > Date: 08/06/00 12:48
> >
> > ok thanks for the email send all your storys to me P THE GREAT WORK JOEY
D
> > :)
> > >I have a pretty funny story for everyone out there, particularly for
> those
> > >of you who may not be so rural as me. I went fishing on Saturday, my
> buddy
> > >Doug and I were way up the side of Steamboat Mountain in Southern
British
> > >Columbia, when all of a sudden there's about 30 cattle just sitting
> around
> > >on the road. There's no way around, nowhere to turn around for a couple
> of
> > >miles as this is a narrow, forested logging road. So I figure, 'Hey,
I've
> > >been around stock all my life' so I hop out of the car. Doug's like,
> 'what
> > >the hell are you doing' and I told him not to worry, and grabbed a
> > >convenient stick and began moving cattle. Now you gotta know, these
cows
> > >have been in Summer Pasture on the Mountain for a month or two, and,
> though
> > >docile, they sort of go wild. THe trick is to make sure you aren't
> standing
> > >between a cow and her calf, especially when they are starting to get
> > >independent like now. Anyways, I'd herded these cows off the road, when
I
> > >hear this bleating up on the hill. I look up and there's this calf
> standing
> > >on the other side, scared-looking, next thing I know, it was like slow
> > >motion, this mean-looking cow charges up at me, snorting and all, right
> > >around the front of the truck, nails me hard into the ditch, the calf
> runs
> > >off and the cow walks away behind it. My friend Doug jumps out of the
> > >truck,
> > >sees I'm ok and starts laughing, saying he's never seen nothing so
funny
> in
> > >his life. I landed pretty hard though and my neck still hurts a couple
> days
> > >after. Beauty day, good fihing, regardless of sunburn
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
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