random thoughts and thoroughbred selections

Friday, September 22, 2006

This Is Not The Post You're Looking For...

Since StB and I are both feeling like Fortune 500 Deciders today in the "Executive Center" of the Malvern, PA Homewood Suites and since he's blogging at this very moment too, I thought we could do it IN STEREO.

Wait, that's not how that works? Well open another browser window and you'll get TWO POSTS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE.

Or something to that effect.

I only got five hours of sleep - if that - and since my brain is still a little fuzzy from that and the gawdawful coffee in the lobby this morning, you're only getting a brief post, which from this point forward I will write as if Larry King's USA Today articles were about my Thursdays:

If you haven't had a chance to see the Borgata in Atlantic City, you're missing a gem of a casino. It's got all the character of Las Vegas' crown jewel Mandalay Bay... I think Jethro Tull's "Aqualung" is the greatest song about a pedophile ever recorded by an English Prog-Rock ensemble... If the number of roadside signs I passed in Malvern, Pennsylvania corporate office parks is any indication, that company Centacor must be doing awfully well for its shareholders... Nothing soothes the tempers of our nation's "greatest generation" like offering some tapioca... To the ebulliant woman calling the three-bet with five-high, I'd like to say "Touche..." If you can't decide between pizza and sushi, why not have both?... I'd bet all the money in my pockets against all the money in your pockets that a guy who takes the time to match the soles of his shoes to his shirt has a little oval sticker on the bumper of his Jetta with the letters "DMB" inside... A special appreciation this week for Dr. Joel Rubin of Camden, New Jersey whose pioneering work with silicone in cocktail waitresses is truly groundbreaking... Nothing satisfies quite like rest stop fried chicken... Lastly, if you're any kind of fan of what the kids must be listening to these days, check out Al Jarreau's take on the theme from "Moonlighting." For my money, that man defines "hip."

[>>]posted at 11:50 AM by BG - click to email
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Sunday, September 17, 2006

Found Flickr Item

Updated 9/20/06 at 9PM... see below

Someone wanna call Homeland Security?

*EDIT - If it wasn't clear, the "tower" to which he's referring is the replica of the Eiffel right behind him. He's probably Indian, but you've got to figure that's an unfortunate photo title for someone that looks like that to choose.

9/20/06 Update:

Pinky posted a comment that I wanted to move "above the fold" if you will, because he's got a good point here and I owe both an explanation and probably an apology. Pinky first, then me:

"It's not often that I take offence to something I read in a blog and it's even rarer that I feel the need to voice it.

I believe to a large extent that if someone doesn't like what they read on someone else's blog then - unless it's a personal attack - they can always just not read that blog.

In this case there are one or two points that I I'd like to raise, without wishing to spark massive controversy and without going into great depth.

I do appreciate that this post was meant in light jest and came with a disclaimer (of sorts), but I still felt somewhat uncomfortable reading it.

I think that what IS unfortunate about this photo and caption is that someone can look at it, immediately see a brown face and associate it with acts of terrorism. The phrase "for someone that looks like that" was what really got me.

Secondly... There are plenty of Indians that are Muslims, but more importantly, the implication here is that if he weren't Indian then there WOULD be something to worry about, thereby tarnishing any other nationalities that his face could possibly fit (which incidentally is many, since who are we to make guesses about his nationality based on the colour of his skin) and at the same time casting aspersions on Islam.

I'm probably over reacting and if so, I apologise. I'm somewhat surprised at myself, but clearly I felt moved enough to post."
Pinky |

"Pinky, I appreciate your comment on this one... I had that little moment of jumping to the "brown people" conclusion myself, then a little self-flagellation after the fact. I think what something like this does as far as humor is concerned is create that sort of uncomfortable moment within yourself when you think, "why did I just think that?" and, "that wasn't appropriate!"

Why do I find this funny, at least in my opinion? I find the humor in the discomfort. Gracie and I talked about this just now and she said, "the individual (in the picture) is the butt of a joke due to his race." I actually see it as YOU (the everyone "you") being the butt of the joke for seeing this and having that same momentary reaction I did.

This could be poorly executed, and probably is, but I stand by how I perceive the humor here.

The assumption that the guy was Indian, by the way, was safe due to the surrounding pictures in the photostream. I think I just executed what I was trying to do poorly from "punchline" through disclaimer. Certainly was only my intention to pin momentary feelings of guilt on the random passerby for the sake of being funny.

I do totally see your point and Gracie's as well, and I'm pretty well sorry at this point that I handled this one in the way that I did."
BG |

[>>]posted at 2:29 PM by BG - click to email
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