[Thanks to Ian.]
There is an annual contest at Texas A&M University calling for the most appropriate definition of a contemporary term. This year's term was "Political Correctness."
The winner wrote: "Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."
This same doctrine also alleges that the use of the word "turd" MAY be offensive to some undefined minority, probably the same minority that, in the later 19th century, insisted on calling piano legs "limbs" and advocated using plaster to cover the not-to-be-observed portions of classical sculpture.
Perhaps, in order to avoid the remote possibility of being offensive to any potential offendee, we should substitute "firmly cohesive excremental matter" for turd.
Perhaps we could define definition as tilting at a windmill
ReplyDeleteBut tilting at windmills is not folly. A windmill provides a solid attainable target, and enough motion for us to gain practice. Now if your intent was to slay a dragon, then tilting at windmills is folly. From what I've seen a folly oft looks like a sail less mill anyway.
ReplyDeleteA&M University, being just 'up the street from me here' should be recognized for its contribution to this intellectual interaction.
ReplyDeleteBryan/College Station, where Texas A&M is located is also referred to as 'Malfunction Junction'. The student body as well as allumni of this University, known as 'Aggies' is known for high achievement in scientific circles, and for low achievement in common sense.
Q: How many Aggie software engineers does it take to replace a light bulb?
A: None - they sent the wrong bus. A light bulb is hardware.
I wonder where this tale really originated, because the alleged annual competition seems to be a myth. Kudos to anyone who can find evidence of another winner other than 'Political Correctness' in 2007.
ReplyDeleteIf your turds are firmly cohesive, you probably need to have a good long look at your diet.
ReplyDelete"If your turds are firmly cohesive, you probably need to have a good long look at your diet."
ReplyDeleteAye, better than fiddling with your stools!
Just eat lots of fibers, it's good against cancer anyway.
I mean, "for moderating the swift spread of metastatic neoplasias". Cancer is such an ugly word, isn't it?
In Lebanon, the PC term for it is "that other illness".
And in Swaziland (southern Africa), where half of the population has Aids, whenever they bury somebody who died from the taboo thingie, people say "he caught cold".
Looks like they're "loosely apprehensive of an exponential matter"...
(Hey, you noticed? I managed to avoid saying "they're scared shitless"!)